From streaming reflections and psychological thrillers to one family on the brink of collapse, this week's TV Corner Notes has a little bit of everything. I'm sharing my six-month cord-cutting update, reviewing two intense dramas that kept me glued to the screen, and highlighting the biggest premieres and finales worth adding to your watchlist.
Welcome back to another edition of TV Corner Notes! Every week, I round up what's caught my attention across the television landscape—from industry trends and personal viewing updates to the latest reviews and can't-miss premieres. This week, I'm looking back on six months of living without cable, diving into AMC+'s gripping mystery The Crow Girl, checking in on another devastating episode of Cape Fear, and rounding up everything arriving on your favorite streaming services and networks over the next seven days.
My Cord-Cutting Update: Six Months Later
It's been about six months since I officially cut the cord and switched entirely to streaming. So far, the experience has been... pretty good. It hasn't completely changed the way I watch TV, but I also haven't found myself missing cable nearly as much as I expected.
The biggest adjustment has easily been sports. While I still catch many of the games I want to watch, I wish more streaming services would carry broadcasts that are already airing elsewhere, similar to what Fox and Peacock did during the World Cup. Chasing games across multiple channels and platforms can be frustrating for sports fans.
Surprisingly, I haven't missed traditional cable's lineup of reruns and daytime programming. There simply isn't as much daytime television as there used to be, and much of what's left often feels overly polished and built from the same familiar formula.
One of the biggest positives has been Peacock and Paramount+, which both let me watch my local NBC and CBS stations live. That means I can still keep up with many of my favorite network shows without paying for a full cable package. It isn't exactly the same experience as cable, but it's close enough that I still feel connected to traditional television while enjoying the flexibility that streaming offers.
Six months in, I'd say cutting the cord has been a worthwhile change and I don't see myself going back anytime soon.
What I Watch This Week
This week took me from the foggy streets of Bristol to the emotional wreckage of the Bowden family. One series delivered an intricate psychological mystery that rewards patient viewers, while the other raised the stakes with one of its strongest episodes yet. Here are my thoughts on what I watched this week.
The Crow Girl (Episodes 1–3) Review: A Dark Mystery That Demands Your Attention
The Crow Girl (streaming on AMC+ in the US and Paramount+ elsewhere) opens with three unsettling episodes that weave together a serial-killer investigation, a psychotherapist haunted by her past, and an asylum seeker's fight for survival. It's an ambitious psychological thriller that doesn't always make things easy for viewers, but the payoff is a compelling, atmospheric mystery.
The investigation centers on DCI Jeanette Kilburn (Eve Myles) and DI Lou Stanley (Dougray Scott) as they search for a killer leaving the bodies of young men in carefully chosen locations across Bristol. As the case grows more disturbing, they turn to psychotherapist Dr. Sophia Craven (Katherine Kelly), whose connection to a former patient named Victoria may hold the key to the mystery. At the same time, a seemingly unrelated storyline involving asylum seeker Amar (Roger Jean Nsengiyumva) slowly begins to intertwine with the larger narrative.
The biggest hurdle is the show's structure. With multiple storylines unfolding at once, it occasionally becomes difficult to keep track of how everything connects. Still, the excellent writing and strong performances keep you invested, and each episode adds another intriguing piece to the puzzle.
Three episodes in, The Crow Girl has me hooked. It's a slow-burning thriller that rewards patience, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of the season comes together. Eve Myles, Katherine Kelly, Dougray Scott, and Roger Jean Nsengiyumva anchor an outstanding cast, delivering performances that elevate the material while maintaining the show's haunting atmosphere. Overall, I give the first three episodes an 8/10.
Cape Fear Episode 8 Review: The Bowden Family Finally Reaches the Breaking Point
Episode 8 of Cape Fear, "Los tiempos de Dios son Perfectos," delivers the series' most emotionally devastating chapter yet. Max Cady's long game finally pays off as every piece of his revenge falls into place, leaving the Bowden family completely shattered ahead of next week's finale.
The hour opens with the horrifying discovery of Ray's dismembered body hidden inside the Bowdens' swimming pool, immediately placing Tom under suspicion after he makes one terrible decision after another. But the emotional heart of the episode belongs to Anna. Betrayed by her own father and forced to reveal painful secrets about her past with Max, she watches her family unravel in spectacular fashion. Natalie ultimately confronts Max herself, only to end up in juvenile detention, while Tom lands in jail and Zack remains hospitalized, leaving Anna to face the aftermath alone.
Amy Adams delivers what may be her finest performance of the series, portraying Anna's heartbreak, guilt, and desperation with remarkable depth. Javier Bardem continues to be chillingly effective as Max, whose calm manipulation proves even more frightening than outright violence. The final moments, with Anna setting out into a hurricane to confront Max once and for all, perfectly set the stage for what promises to be an explosive season finale. Overall, I give the episode a 9/10.
What To Watch This Week
The TV calendar stays busy this week with a healthy mix of returning favorites, series finales, documentaries, reality competitions, and brand-new originals. Whether you're looking for a weekend binge, a British mystery, or something lighter to balance out the thrillers, there should be something for everyone over the next few days.
Monday, July 20
King of the Hill Season 15 (Hulu, 10-episode binge)
Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross Season 2 (Roku, three-episode binge)
9/8c Ugliest House in America Season 8 (HGTV)
10/9c History's Greatest Machines with Dolph Lundgren's Season 1 finale (History)
Tuesday, July 21
WWE: Unreal Season 3 (Netflix, five-episode binge)
8/7c In The City Season 1 Reunion, Week 1 of 2 (Bravo)
8/7c Kitchen Nightmares Season 3 (Fox)
9/8c The Real Housewives of London (Bravo): The cast includes housewives Juliet Angus, Amanda Cronin, Karen Loderick-Peace, Juliet Mayhew, Panthea Parker, and Nessie Weischinger.
Bill Maher: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (Netflix comedy special)
Wednesday, July 22
All the Queen's Men midseason finale (Paramount+)
Christmas at Seas Season 2 finale (Hallmark+)
Heartstopper: End on a Hi (Netflix special): Drawing on unseen archival footage spanning every season through to the final film, the special brings together the cast, creator Alice Oseman, executive producer Patrick Walters, and the fans who made Heartstopper a global phenomenon.
8/7c Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Season 5 (ABC)
9/8c Million Dollar Nannies Season 1 finale (Freeform, two episodes)
My Grandfather Charles Manson (Hulu documentary): Sophia's quest to identify her unknown grandfather results in a shocking discovery: he is history's most notorious criminal, and he bears striking physical similarities to her beloved father.
A Toxic Love Story (Netflix documentary): In a glamorous California suburb, a young woman's arrest for a violent fantasy plot becomes a sensational scandal, but the truth remains hidden behind a sophisticated web of deception.
Thursday, July 23
Criminal Minds Season 19 finale (Paramount+)
Gone (BritBox, three-episode premiere): When a music teacher vanishes without a trace, the detective (Eve Myles) investigating her disappearance begins to suspect that the husband (David Morrissey), desperate to find her, may be hiding something.
Ransom Canyon Season 2 (Netflix, eight-episode binge)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 (Paramount+)
Tigger Point Season 3 finale (BritBox)
9/8c Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (HBO Max): Stuart accidentally triggers a multiverse Armageddon and sets out to restore reality with help from Denise, Bert, and Kripke, while encountering alternate-universe versions of Big Bang Theory characters along the way.
Friday, July 24
Breaking Bear (Tubi, two-episode premiere): Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Annie Murphy, Elizabeth Hurley, and Josh Gad lend their voices to this adult-animated comedy about a dysfunctional family of bears who go full-on criminal to stop frackers, mobsters, and a psychotic wolf pack from destroying their home.
The Chi series finale (Paramount+)
10/9c Roast My Rental (HGTV): Leslie Jones roasts America's worst short-term rentals, then helps transform the disaster properties into vacation-worthy escapes.
The Dink (Apple TV movie): A former tennis prodigy (Jake Johnson) finds a new purpose in pickleball after an injury sidelines his tennis comeback; Chloe Fineman, Ed Harris, Patton Oswalt, Chris Parnell, Andy Roddick, Mary Steenburgen, and Ben Stiller co-star.
Saturday, July 25
8:30/7:30c WNBA All-Star Game (ABC)
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (Paramount+ movie): In this follow-up to the animated classic, Avatar Aang, the world's last Airbender, learns of an ancient power that could save his culture from extinction.
8/7c Girl in the Coffin (Lifetime movie): After finding comfort in the funeral director (Robert James-Collier) who handled her mother's service, a grieving woman (Tahirah Sharif) discovers the horrifying depths of his obsession when she awakens trapped inside a coffin beneath his funeral home.
8/7c Love Under the Mistletoe (Hallmark Channel movie): An interior designer (Jen Lilley) reconnects with her former high school crush (Nick Bateman) while helping revive a beloved Christmas charity fundraiser in their hometown.
That's a wrap on this week's TV Corner Notes! If you enjoyed this edition, I'd love to hear from you. Are you still hanging onto cable, or have you made the switch to streaming? What are you watching this week, and which new premieres are you most excited about?
Thanks for reading, and as always, happy watching! I'll be back next week with more reviews, recommendations, and everything happening in the world of television.
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