Monday, August 31, 2026

TV Corner Notes: From Laughs to High-Stakes Drama, Here's What I'm Watching

 


From laugh-out-loud roommates to gritty police drama, this week's TV Corner has plenty to watch, and even more to talk about.


Welcome back to TV Corner Notes! Another busy week in television brings a few standout reviews, a look ahead at the shows I'm most excited about in September, and, of course, plenty of new releases and finales to keep your watchlist busy. Let's get into what I've been watching and what's coming your way this week.


What I Watched This Week 

From the hilarious chaos of Adults Season 2 to the gritty streets of Belfast in Blue Lights, I've been bouncing between comedy, police drama, and high-stakes espionage. Plus, Lioness continues to build toward its endgame as the search for Joe gets more desperate.



Adults Season 2 Review: FX's Hilarious Roommate Comedy Gets Even Better

Adults returns this week for a second season that's not only funnier than its predecessor, but more confident and character-driven as well. The writing is sharper, the characters continue to grow, and the cast delivers one memorable performance after another. Across eight episodes, Samir, Billie, Paul Baker, Issa, and Anton continue stumbling their way through adulthood, relationships, careers, and the increasingly chaotic reality of living together. Episodes like "The Scrub," "Fake ID," "Raccoon," "C Alert," and "Vote for Paul Baker" are particular standouts, proving just how consistently funny this show can be.

What makes Season 2 work so well is that beneath all the ridiculous situations, there's genuine character development. Paul's increasingly complicated feelings for Anton become one of the season's strongest emotional threads, while Billie continues trying, and often hilariously failing, to figure out what she actually wants from life. Samir and Issa also get more room to explore their relationships and futures, giving the comedy more depth without sacrificing the absurdity that makes it so entertaining. And then there's that finale, which delivers a major romantic payoff before dropping one last twist that completely changes the dynamic of the friend group.

The performances are fantastic across the board, and the chemistry between the five leads makes even the smallest moments hilarious. Adults has found a sweet spot between raunchy humor, awkward situations, heartfelt character moments, and genuinely clever writing. If Season 1 showed the potential of the series, Season 2 proves that Adults has become one of the funniest shows on television and streaming right now. Overall, I give season two a 9.5/10

If you're looking for a comedy that's messy, ridiculous, surprisingly heartfelt, and consistently hilarious, Adults deserves a spot on your watchlist.




Lioness Season 3, Episode 5 Review: The Pieces Start Falling Into Place

Lioness takes things a little slower in "The Idiot Army," but the tension is still there. The episode follows Joe and her team as they connect the dots around the Russian operation and start putting a plan together. The CIA's investigation gets even more complicated as they uncover just how much foreign influence has made its way into American institutions.

Joe's situation also stays at the center of the episode. After being moved to an undisclosed location, she's cut off from her team, leaving them scrambling to find her.

Five episodes in, Lioness is still balancing espionage, political intrigue, action, and character drama. "The Idiot Army" might not be the season's most explosive episode, but it builds the suspense and sets up what's coming next.

Check out my full review.



Blue Lights Season 1 Review: A Gritty, Gripping Police Drama Where Every Call Comes With a Cost

If you're after a gritty police drama that focuses more on its characters than big spectacle, Blue Lights could be exactly what you're looking for. The first season is tense, emotional, and seriously gripping, following three rookie officers as they figure out just how complicated—and dangerous—policing Belfast can be. What makes the show work so well is how it mixes intense investigations with personal stories, showing the toll the job takes on both the officers and the communities they serve.

Grace, Annie, and Tommy all come into policing with very different perspectives, but their experiences quickly force them to grow up. Between dealing with hostile communities, taking on the powerful McIntyre crime family, and finding out that an MI5 operation is protecting a major criminal informant, the season keeps raising the stakes. Things hit especially hard when Gerry is killed trying to stop an arms deal, leaving the station—and the rookies—shaken by what the job can really cost. By the finale, Grace, Annie, and Tommy are completely different from the people who first walked into the station.

The performances are great across the board, and the writing gives the characters plenty of time to breathe between the action. Blue Lights gets that the best police dramas aren't just about catching criminals—they're about the people in the uniforms and the sacrifices they make. Add in the growing relationship between Grace and Stevie, and the season wraps up on a hopeful but still complicated note. Overall, I give season one a 9.5/10.

Blue Lights is gritty, emotional, character-driven TV at its best. If you like police dramas with suspense, complicated characters, and stories that stick with you after the episode ends, this is definitely worth watching.



My Most Anticipated Shows of September

September is bringing a mix of returning favorites, big anniversary celebrations, new dramas, and a few shows I'm especially curious to check out. Here are the seven shows at the top of my September watchlist:

1. The Paper – Season 2 (Peacock, Sept. 9th)

After a strong first season, I'm excited to see where this workplace comedy goes next.


2. Colin from Accounts – Season 3/Final Season (Paramount+, Sept. 10th)

One of my favorite recent comedies is coming back for its final season, and I'm hoping Gordon and Ashley get the ending they deserve.


3. Casualty – 40th Anniversary (BritBox/BBC, Sept. 5th)

Forty years of Casualty is a pretty incredible milestone. I'm looking forward to seeing how the long-running medical drama celebrates four decades on television and they're going big.


4. Line of Fire (NBC, Sept. 21)

NBC's new drama is one of the network shows I'm most curious about this fall. I'm always up for a good character-driven thriller, so while at first this series wasn't on my radar, after watching the full trailer definitely got me interested.


5. SNL UK – Season 2 (Peacock, Sept. 13)

After checking out the first season, I'm curious to see what the second season brings and whether the series can build on its early success.


6. A Different World (Netflix, Sept. 24)

The classic sitcom is getting a new life on Netflix, making this a perfect opportunity to revisit one of television's most beloved college comedies.


7. The Gentlemen – Season 2 (Netflix, Sept. 3)

Guy Ritchie's stylish crime comedy is back, and I'm ready for more outrageous schemes, complicated alliances, and plenty of chaos.



What to Watch This Week 

Summer is officially winding down, college football is back, and September television is starting to arrive in a big way. This week brings season finales, returning favorites, new streaming series, documentaries, movies, and plenty of football to keep you busy from Monday through Saturday.


Monday, August 31

Furious Season 1 finale (Hulu)

The Ridge limited series finale (Acorn TV)

8/7c American Ninja Warrior Season 18 finale (NBC)

8/7c Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro Season 1 finale (ABC)

9/8c Love Island USA Season 8 Reunion (Peacock)


Tuesday, September 1

The Varnell Hill Show (Paramount+, two-episode premiere): The "Martin" spin-off is set behind the scenes of a long-running late-night talk show, with Tommy Davidson reprising his role as Varnell Hill, and Martin Lawrence appearing in a guest role. 

Welcome to the Family: The Murder of Dan Markel (Hulu, four-episode binge): The docuseries explores the murder-for-hire plot behind the killing of prominent law professor Dan Markel, unraveling a tangled story of family secrets, a contentious custody battle, and ex-lovers. 

8/7c The Real Housewives of London Reunion Special (Bravo)

9/8c 9/11: United We Stand-25 Years Later (ABC): Featuring Derek Jeter, Jon Bon Jovi, Matthre Broderick, Billy Crystal, Pete Davidson, Jimmy Fallon, Mark Messier, Jon Stewart, and others, the special explores how sports and entertainment helped a grieving nation after the September 11 terrorist attacks. 

9/8c Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Seattle Seahawks finale (HBO)

9/8c Kitchen Undercover Season 1 finale (Food Network)

9/8c Ms. Pat Settles It Season 3 finale (BET)

9:30/8:30c ComicView Season 1 finale (BET)

Jared Fried: The Family Plan (Netflix comedy special)

10/9c Comedian CP: Sunder After Six (BET comedy special)

Untold: Raygun-Breaking Badly (Netflix documentary): From Australian academic to global meme, breakdancer Raygun recounts her offbeat path to the Olympic stage and the infamy that followed.


Wednesday, September 2

LEHO Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Disney+): A comedic retelling of all three seasons of the landmark live-action series, this special revisits stories from the series in new and unexpected ways. 

9/8c Botched Homes (HGTV): From shoddy workmanship to DIY fails, contractor and master craftsman Charlie Kawas rights the wrongs in South Florida's most botched renovations. 

10/9c House of Stassi Season 1 finale (Freeform)

The Runner (Prime Video movie): A London-based lawyer (Gal Gadot) has her life shattered by a single call on her morning run; her son has been taken, and to get him back, she must keep running, obey every ruthless command, and trust no one; Damian Lewis co-stars. 

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (Disney+)

Turning Point: Generation 9/11 (Netflix documentary): With firsthand accounts of the attacks and their aftermath, this thought-provoking documentary explores how 9/11 shaped a generation, 25 years ago.


Thursday, September 3

Chad Powers Season 2 (Hulu, six-episode binge)

The Gentleman Season 2 (Netflix, eight-episode binge)

8/7c Jersey Shore Family Vacation series finale (MTV)

8/7c Restaurant Impossible: Last Call Season 1 finale (Food Network)

8/7c Thursday Night College Football Season 29 (ESPN)

9/8c Monsters of God docuseries finale (HBO)

10/9c Impractical Jokers midseason finale (TBS)

Scary Movie 6 (Paramount+)

7/6c Clash of the Thundermans (Nickelodeon movie): Youngest sibling Chloe develops a new and unpredictable superpower, causing the Hero League to demand they send her away to a superhero boarding school to learn to control it. 


Friday, September 4

Earle Meets World (Netflix, eight-episode binge): The reality show follows Dancing with the Stars Season 34 runner-up Alix Earle and her blended family. 

On Campus: Game of the Week (Netflix): The series follows real college students at different schools each week as they experience the traditions, tailgates, and excitement surrounding a major college football matchup. New episodes drop on Fridays ahead of the game and on Sundays following the game. 

The Program: Texas Tech (Paramount+, four-episode binge): Narrated by Dennis Quaid, the docuseries offers unprecedented access to the Texas Tech Red Raiders football program during one of the most consequential off-seasons in the sport's history. 

Silo Season 3 finale (Apple TV)

8/7c Fox College Football Friday Season 3 (Fox)

Fuze (HBO Max)

Mayday (Apple TV movie): Ryan Reynolds stars as a U.S. Navy pilot stranded behind enemy lines during the Cold War who forms an unlikely alliance with a gruff ex-KGB agent (Kenneth Branagh).

Teenage Wasteland (Netflix documentary): In 1991, an eccentric teacher and his students exposed a toxic waste conspiracy through a DIY documentary. Decades later, they look back on its impact. 

9/8c Made in the West (PBS documentary): Narrated by music icon Tanya Tucker, the film celebrated the functional art and enduring craftsmanship of the American West while exploring what is at stake as many of today's master artisans age out of their crafts. 


Saturday, September 5

12/11c Big 12 College Football Series Season 2 (TNT)

8/7c Crossroad Springs Season 2 (Great American Family)

10/9c Mountain West College Football Series Season 2 (The CW)

8/7c Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Prelude to a Wedding (Hallmark Channel Movie): When Gethseman (Tamera Mowry-Housley) is invited to play at a wedding, she and Eamon (Risteard Cooper) find themselves involved in the death of a member of the bridal party.

8/7c Surviving the Silence: The Roxanne Gay Story (Lifetime movie): When 12-year-old Roxane (Hilda Martin) moves with her family to what appears to be the ideal suburban community, her life is forever changed after a devastating act of sexual violence; Sunnil E. Bartee co-stars as Adult Roxanne, while Gay narrates. 


And that's a wrap on this week's TV Corner Notes! From the shows I've been watching to everything arriving over the next few days, there's certainly no shortage of television to keep us entertained. As always, thanks for reading, watching, and hanging out in the TV Corner. Until next time, happy watching!


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