‘Succession,’ Stronger Than Ever, Builds Its Third Season Around a Family Civil War: TV Review

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticThe fifth and final season of “Insecure” begins with Issa (played by series co-creator Issa Rae) looking back: Her character chats with a college-era version of herself in the mirror, with young Issa wondering what the future will hold.It’s a clever way to recap how far the character has come since the show began. Her conversation with herself takes place during a visit to her alma mater, Stanford, to speak on a panel of accomplished young alums.

While the film isn’t universally beloved as perhaps “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” the follow-up film from The Russo Brothers, “Captain America: Civil War,” is often seen as top-tier Marvel Studios. And a large part of that reasoning is the way the film ended, with Captain America and Iron Man having a brutal fight that fractured their friendship, and the Avengers, for years.

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!

Batman’s loyal butler is has a new place to live. Warner Bros.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV Critic“You” began by reversing the equation of Golden Age TV dramas. And three seasons in, its act is getting tired.The show, starring Penn Badgley as Joe, a stalker and killer to whose internal monologue we have access, is difficult to compare to series like “The Sopranos” and “Breaking Bad” but for one particular.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticNBC’s “Home Sweet Home,” in which families swap houses in order to see how their counterparts live, is pitched to audiences as a social experiment. But it’s one that unscripted TV has conducted before.Granted, past instances of this particular genre were significantly more geared towards provocation.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticThe 2009 death of Brittany Murphy, the 32-year-old film star, is the sort of tragedy about which it’s tempting to search for answers — be they practical, about how it happened, or more cosmic, about what greater meaning can be found in the loss of life and potential here.And yet some sets of facts exist beyond our ability to make satisfying sense of them. Sometimes, things are just sad.

Benjamin Mendy has been refused bail by a judge following a behind-closed-doors court hearing today.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticThis review contains spoilers for the plot and ending of “Squid Game.”To American viewers, “Squid Game” may seem to have emerged from nowhere. But it is a pretty unsurprising smash hit.The show, which Netflix chief Ted Sarandos has said is on track to become Netflix’s most-watched series ever, has dominated charts the world over, serving as striking proof positive of the streamer’s global strategy.

“Selena + Chef” is back for some more kitchen fun.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticOne of the 21st century’s most venerable franchises is back. “CSI,” which in its first run lasted 15 seasons and generated three spinoffs, returns as “CSI: Vegas,” reuniting William Petersen and Jorja Fox.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticIn the middle of the night, a young woman grabs her daughter and runs, using what little gas is left in her car to flee her abusive partner.That’s the way “Maid,” a new drama on Netflix, starts, as Margaret Qualley’s Alex runs from her daughter’s brutish father (Nick Robinson). What the show does well, in the episodes that follow, is to depict the ways in which, for many people trapped within the lower echelons of the economy, clean breaks are impossible.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticSay this much for Netflix’s new documentary “Britney vs. Spears”: It certainly wasn’t made with the objective of pleasing her fans in mind.The documentary, directed by Erin Lee Carr, is intended as an exploration of the pop star’s current struggle to escape the conservatorship, run by her father, that controls her life.

A new chapter is on the horizon for Britney Spears. A source close to the pop princess told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY on Friday, September 24 that the star is feeling “stronger” now that she has filed papers requesting to formally end the conservatorship that has controlled her finances and personal life for the past 13 years.

Sarah Schneider, the co-creator of the HBO Max comedy series The Other Two, is opening up about that final moment in season two and how it might affect the storyline of season three!