Killing Eve
Eve (Sandra Oh), a desk-bound MI5 agent, picks up the tracks of strange and enigmatic assassin, Villanelle (Jodie Comer). This kickstarts an intense game of cat and mouse as the two become fascinated with one another. The show’s created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who created and stars in another hit series, Fleabag.
The Haunting of Hill House
The series on Netflix is a beautifully layered show about a family haunted by the ghosts of their childhood, literally and figuratively. Well it succeeds in being a great horror tv show, it also has an equally compelling emotional story between the five siblings and their parents.
Homecoming
Julia Roberts returns to television in Sam Esmail’s new show, Homecoming. An adaptation of the podcast of the same name, it’s about a facility called Homecoming, advertised as a program to help soldiers transition back to civilian life. Told through two timelines, the show slowly reveals the truth about the corporate company behind the program, and their disquieting intentions.
The End of the F***ing World
Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman, this show’s about a 17-year-old boy, James (Alex Lawther). He’s pretty convinced he’s a psychopath, so he decides to try to kill someone. At the same time, his classmate, Alyssa (Jessica Barden), shoves her way into his life.
She drags him on a road trip across England, presenting the perfect opportunity to enact his plan. What follows is a hilarious dark comedy/drama, as a strong connection develops between the two teenagers as they drive.
Pose
Ryan Murphy’s latest creation, Pose features the largest cast of transgender actors ever on television, with over fifty transgender characters. Brave and bold, the series is set in 1987 in New York City, exploring many different parts of society, including the ballroom community and the downtown literary scene. The show is vibrant and entertaining, and it’s a true triumph of representation and intersectionality.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
An adaptation of Executive Producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s own graphic novel, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a stylistic macabre tale of our favorite teenage witch. Led by the talented Kiernan Shipka, the show’s funny and thoroughly entertaining, while also functioning as a feminist story about a girl claiming her power without sacrificing her free-will.
The Terror
Another great horror show, The Terror is an anthology series based off of real historical events. Season one follows the story of the Franklin Expedition that left England in the 1840s, in search of the Northwest Passage. The two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, ventured into the Canadian Arctic and disappeared.
The show hypothesizes what happened to them, and the horrors, real and supernatural, that they may have faced in the freezing and desolate North.
Hilda
The only animated series on the list is Netflix’s Hilda, about a fearless young girl who ventures into the wilderness, going on adventures with the strange new friends she meets. Technically made for kids, the show’s mature and touching, enjoyable at any age. Based on the comics written and illustrated by Luke Pearson, Hilda is definitely what to watch for a much needed pick-me-up.
Barry
HBO’s bold new dark comedy Barry is about a hitman who stumbles into an acting class, and decides he wants to pursue it. Bill Hader’s comedic talent is evident from the start, but his character also has a surprising emotional journey. With all that, plus the action scenes of Barry’s assassin work, this show has everything.
On My Block
One of the most overlooked and under appreciated series of 2018, On My Block is also Netflix’s most binge-watched original show of the year. A coming-of-age comedy that gets surprisingly emotional, the show follows four friends facing their first year of high school. While it explores the normal troubles of friendship and romance, the show is diverse and refreshing, exploring the tough, real-life issues the teens face in their community.
(Featured Image: Amazon/Netflix)
