Joshua Alston

If the show explores the paranormal as thoughtfully and confidently as it does teen cannibalism and sticks the landing again in the season finale, “Yellowjackets” will vault to the top of the puzzle-box ranks. But with a show this daring, a fiery wreck always feels moments away.

“Lucky Hank” so accurately captures professorial ennui. But it might capture ennui a little too well, resulting in a show that seems to amble in no particular direction with little indication of when it might hit a stride. ... But Hank is the type of lovable curmudgeon that some viewers relate to so deeply that his mere involvement can create genuine stakes.

A spectacular showcase for Fishback. ... The only true misstep comes in the back half of the season, which features a big stylistic swing that not only fails, but manages to break the morbid trance the show spends so much time earning. ... That one miscalculation aside, “Swarm” is a trip worth taking.

Every member of the deep ensemble is introduced, but they never quite feel like more than vessels for nonstop exposition. The tone of “The Ark” never seems right, from the broad humor to a victorious score that often clashes with the bleak circumstances. ... The last of the four episodes sent to critics does settle into a more interesting groove, mostly because the characters finally get a moment to breathe.

There are signs of a more interesting show that flicker throughout “Wolf Pack,” like when Rodrigo Garcia intermittently appears to hint at a broader storyline that seems ill-paced. Hopefully more of that show will emerge, perhaps during a full moon, but until then, “Wolf Pack” is all growl and no bite.

Larroquette is well-matched with Rauch, who plays Abby with a spiky cheerfulness reminiscent of characters like Leslie Knope and Kimmy Schmidt. The chemistry between the two is enough to carry the first few episodes, which, like even the best workplace sitcoms, takes a few episodes to find its footing. The supporting cast is mostly solid. ... It acquits itself well.

“Velma” consists of too much “Why not?” and too little “Why?” ... More than that, these characters are just really unpleasant to spend time with, and it starts at the top with Velma, whose selfish and misanthropic tendencies aren’t diluted by her moments of vulnerability. Daphne isn’t much better. ... Absent even a wisp of genuine reverence for the source material. ... The biggest mystery of “Velma” is why it needs to exist.

Overall, “Blood Origin” is to “The Witcher” television show as a slapdash downloadable expansion pack would be to the massively popular “Witcher” video games. Only completists need apply.

Mirren and Ford – both 80-ish, neither a stranger to action badassery – make for such a potent pairing, their chemistry alone is enough to make “1923” feel like an elevated version of Sheridan’s neo-Western fare. ... “1923” keeps a lot of plates spinning, consistent with Sheridan’s plot-forward style. (The pilot is bookended with two violent deaths and concludes with a jump scare, lest anyone think being set in such a bummer of a time makes the show any less pulpy or fun.)

The more the remaining original characters are present, the more acute the absence of the principals becomes. The show’s two worlds collide early and often, and every time awkwardly, as if the reboot and the sequel are jockeying for attention. “Edge of History” is two halves of a show poorly welded together. ... “Edge of History” also feels like self-parody, but a far less fun variety born of a futile effort to look forward and backward simultaneously.

The performances are the chief strengths of “Willow,” which certainly wallows in genre conventions (as the unkindest critics of the film pointed out) and relies on a forceful execution to elevate it beyond fantasy-by-numbers. Davis is naturally terrific.

“Evolution” is a lively and competent extension of a recently ended series, but little more, and it’s certainly not a leap forward.

Entirely too conventional and workmanlike to be a remarkable series. ... In “Tulsa King,” Stallone inhabits a role clearly conceived with him in mind, and it makes all the difference. “Tulsa King” is a clumsy misfire, but when the show works, it works precisely because of Stallone’s charming, if characteristically mannered, performance. ... Stallone [is] oddly watchable in a show that usually isn’t.

Naturally, a story so hard to comprehend can only be sold through stellar performances, and “Family” is crammed full of them. ... The writing is also strong. ... [But] Much of what makes the story inscrutable remains so, at least in the six episodes provided to critics. One piece of the puzzle, chief among the “WTF were you thinking” Broberg decisions, is folded into “Family” so subtly that the audience might not even pick up on it without prior knowledge of the events.

There are sublime musical numbers, for lack of a better term, that let Mescudi’s music breathe and crank the visuals to 11. But the shifts between “Entergalactic’s” spacy elements and its grounded moments aren’t always smooth, another consequence of the series-to-special evolution. There’s much to love about Mescudi’s love story, except the fact that there isn’t more of it to love.

A show well-crafted and thoughtful enough to feel like more than a perfunctory franchise expansion. ... As long as the producers keep relying on Nash-Betts’ deep well of charm and character, “Feds” has real potential.

Unfortunately, the relationship between agent and handler is less fascinating than in the original. ... That said, this “Leap” is also less dependent on that core relationship. ... The story in the pilot (the only episode screened for critics) is diverting enough for an episode with a lot of heavy lifting to do. But every episode is a new opportunity for the show to sink or swim on its own merits. In other words: look before you “Leap.”

The standalone nature of “Kanan” was once the show’s biggest weakness. But in its second season, with room to breathe and space to add more layers, the advantage of starting from scratch becomes clearer. “Kanan” almost feels like a “Power” reboot at times. ... The show works as well as an adrenalized family drama as it does an exercise in ‘90s nostalgia.

Despite the genre formalism and the heaviness of the ideas, “Moonhaven” never feels trapped under its own weight. It’s a surprisingly fun show with a tight, brisk narrative that lends each of the six episodes an electrifying cliffhanger.

Simon is always most interested in the whys behind institutional scandals, and that seriousness of purpose sets “City” apart from so many true-crime dramas that spend more time inventorying weird details rather than explaining the broader strokes. ... “City’s” biggest flaw, one of the few it shares with other true-crime dramas, is a fractured chronology that emphasizes cleverness over comprehension. With this much happening at once, all the onscreen datelines in the world aren’t enough to avert the sense of being unmoored from time. But that may be a quibble for a show like “City.”

While “Ptolemy” has flaws in its execution, it’s redeemed by earth-shaking performances, and justifies Jackson’s desire to spotlight a storyteller confined to the page for too long.

Ritchson’s physique cuts the right figure, and he has the charm needed to split the difference between Child’s brutal Reacher and Cruise’s version, which replaced the conspicuous brawn with stealth and guile. ... The deficiency is Reacher himself, a character beloved for qualities that leave him ill-equipped to anchor a serialized drama.

'1883' never feels like a perfunctory franchise expansion. ... But the writing isn’t without its snags. ... Still, '1883' has the characters, the scope, and the vision to become an exciting new chapter of the 'Yellowstone' franchise.

Each episode ends with a tantalizing cliffhanger, and the momentum is hard to ignore even as the revelations and twists vacillate between the predictable and the highly contrived. But while True Story will be remembered as Hart’s first go at channeling the barely repressed rage in his stand-up comedy into a dramatic role, it won’t be remembered for much else.

“Colin” triggers that unscratchable itch that comes from a television show as easy to admire as it is hard to love. There’s still a great story to be told from Kaepernick’s life, but “Colin” feels like wasted potential.

The writing remains Love Life’s biggest draw, and Marcus’ world feels richly constructed around him, perhaps more so than in Darby’s story. ... It’s meticulously crafted and snackable.

When Kofi-Abrefa and Flenory square off, BMF is at its most potent and stimulating. The passion oozes from this passion project.

“Heels” ultimately succeeds as a freshman drama and could grow into something really special. Just expect some less-than-thrilling undercard bouts before the real action begins.