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Hey TV watchers! My name is Michel Ghanem, and I\u2019m a freelance television critic and writer based in Vancouver, Canada. Some of you may know me by my Instagram moniker, TV Scholar<\/a>, a platform where I\u2019ve been sharing the shows I\u2019m watching on social media; I also have a Substack newsletter<\/a> for the television-loving online community.<\/p>\n I watch approximately 160 seasons of TV a year, and am grateful every day that I get to live and breathe a medium I love so much. I\u2019m thrilled you\u2019re here to embark on this journey with me on Trust Me, I Watch Everything<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>Every two weeks, I\u2019ll be sharing the shows worth your TV time and how to tune in.<\/p>\n You\u2019re spoiled for choice if you\u2019re looking for something new to watch, from the heavy-hitting drama Half Man<\/em> on HBO (from the creator of Baby Reindeer<\/em>) to Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em>, a spooky but cozy horror series starring Matthew Rhys on Apple TV. You might also want to consider Slip<\/em>, a parallel-universe dramedy that arrived on Peacock after being lost in the ether for the last few years. And there\u2019s plenty more where that came from \u2014 let\u2019s jump in.<\/p>\n Why you should watch it: <\/strong>If you thought Baby Reindeer<\/em> was twisted, wait until you get to the last few episodes of Half Man<\/em>. Richard Gadd returns as the creator and star of this new limited series based once again on some autobiographical inspiration.<\/p>\n The hourlong drama follows two Scottish stepbrothers \u2014 their mothers are late-in-life lesbians \u2014 over three decades of their lives, from high school to middle age. In the later timelines, Gadd and Jamie Bell play Ruben Pallister and Niall Kennedy, respectively, but the younger actors (Stuart Campbell and Mitchell Robertson) do a great job of capturing their high school and college years .<\/p>\n The story begins at Niall\u2019s wedding when Ruben, his estranged and very scary stepbrother, turns up uninvited (and not in appropriate wedding attire). Each episode flashes back to a period of their lives, starting with teenage Ruben moving in after being released from juvenile detention.<\/p>\n Ruben is one of the scariest TV characters in recent memory. He is violent and unpredictable, traits that Niall, who was bullied relentlessly as a teen, becomes both envious and cautious around. Over the next few decades, their relationship becomes a toxic, co-dependent yin and yang, circling around each other and never quite being able to disconnect.<\/p>\n What makes this show a fascinating and challenging watch is what Gadd has set out to excavate on toxic masculinity. Niall\u2019s struggle with his queer identity and his self-destructive nature is painful to watch, but it\u2019s a powerful reminder of the toll it takes not to live your truth.<\/p>\n In tone, Half Man<\/em> is reminiscent of the fourth episode of Baby Reindeer<\/em> (you know, that one), stretched out across a season. It features some of the most upsetting violence I\u2019ve seen on television lately, and flashes of hope and optimism are far and few between. Still, I couldn\u2019t look away.<\/p>\n How to watch: <\/strong>New episodes of Half Man<\/em> air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and stream on HBO Max<\/a>.<\/p>\n Watch on HBO Max<\/a><\/p>\n Why you should watch it:<\/strong> The mayor of this small fictional island off the coast of New England just wants it to be a thriving tourist destination. The wrinkle in his plan? It might be cursed.<\/p>\n Matthew Rhys stars as Tom Loftis, who is determined to revitalize Widow\u2019s Bay, ghost clowns and murderous fog be damned! There is something appealing about the whole affair, from the small-town charm that feels like it\u2019s out of Schitt\u2019s Creek<\/em> or Best Medicine,<\/em> to the light comedy that comes with it. But if you dare to look beyond the wallpapered inn and the fog horn, there is something more insidious happening.<\/p>\n \u201cThe island is awake,\u201d local alcoholic fisherman Wyck (Stephen Root) says to Tom in the second episode, trying to convince him not to reopen the nearby inn, which is most definitely haunted. Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em> is reminiscent of Servant<\/em>, another horror series on Apple TV, in that it provides semi-plausible reasons for the creepy vibes: Black mold could explain Tom\u2019s encounter with a ghost, and a horrific clown scene turns out to be just a dream.<\/p>\n Despite trying to apply logic to the haunts, deep down, Tom knows something is very <\/em>off about this island \u2014 but it\u2019s his job as mayor to keep the town afloat. He also promises his restless teen son that Widow\u2019s Bay will have more to offer if he can just complete the port expansion and spread the word about the town\u2019s potential as the next Cape Cod.<\/p>\n Rhys could not be better cast here. The actor known for The Americans<\/em> and Brothers & Sisters<\/em> has a bunch of Emmy nominations (and one win) under his belt and recently turned heads in The Beast in Me<\/em>, but he\u2019s always been able to play even the most demanding roles with a wink of levity. It helps that he’s surrounded by local eccentrics, who almost<\/em> make this a kind of workplace comedy, from his assistant Patricia (Kate O\u2019Flynn) to his deputy Dale (Jeff Hiller).<\/p>\n If you\u2019re in the mood for something that feels like it could live in Stephen King\u2019s extended universe, consider making a trip to Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em>.<\/p>\n How to watch:<\/strong> New episodes of Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em> stream every Wednesday on Apple TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n Watch on Apple TV<\/a><\/p>\n But that\u2019s not all \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Running Point<\/em>: If the above options lean toward the heavy side, Running Point<\/em> \u2014\u00a0which just kicked off Season 2 \u2014\u00a0is an affable, light comedy you can consider adding to your rotation. It follows Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson) as she unexpectedly becomes the president of a professional basketball team. It\u2019s not a slam dunk, but perfectly serviceable as a comedy with a likable ensemble that includes Justin Theroux, Brenda Song and Drew Tarver. \u2014 Both seasons are <\/em>streaming on Netflix.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n The Terror: Devil in Silver<\/em>: On the other hand, if you\u2019re craving more<\/em> horror on top of Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em>, this horror anthology produced by Ridley Scott returns for a third season based on the novel of the same name by Victor LaValle. The Terror<\/em> had a phenomenal first season and a mediocre follow-up; this one feels like a soft reboot of the series with a fantastic cast led by Dan Stevens, Stephen Root (yes, him again) and Judith Light. \u2014 New episodes <\/em>stream on Thursdays on AMC+\/Shudder<\/em><\/a> beginning May 7.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Lord of the Flies<\/em>: A new BBC-produced adaptation of the classic William Golding novel<\/a> arrives on Netflix, and it\u2019s written by the creator of Adolescence<\/em>. The four-part miniseries follows a group of teen boys who find themselves stranded on a tropical island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean in the 1950s. This has already aired across the pond and received decent reviews from U.K. critics \u2014 definitely worth considering. \u2014 All four episodes are <\/em>streaming on Netflix.<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Why you should watch it: <\/strong>Have you ever wondered what your life might be like if you had landed in slightly different circumstances? Slip<\/em> is a surreal but gentle sci-fi comedy series that uses parallel universes to tell that story.<\/p>\n Mae (Zoe Lister-Jones) is a New Yorker who works at an art gallery and is depressed by the monotonous nature of her life. Every day feels the same, from her morning routine to the inevitable \u201cwhat are we having for dinner\u201d conversation with her husband. At the afterparty for the launch of a new exhibition at work, she ends up sleeping with another man \u2014 which sends her rocketing into a parallel universe in which she finds herself married to a new romantic partner.<\/p>\n Once on this universe-jumping journey, Mae inevitably has to try and make it back home. The only constant is her best friend, Gina (Tymika Tafari), who appears in every universe and is always around for advice on how to tackle the romantic predicament she\u2019s in this time \u2014 whether it\u2019s a celebrity husband or finding herself with a wife and child.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a Trekkie or a fan of Netflix\u2019s Russian Doll<\/em>, a space-time continuum story won\u2019t be anything new \u2014 but this isn\u2019t quite Groundhog Day<\/em>, and it\u2019s tethered specifically to Mae\u2019s romantic relationships. As Mae tells Gina, she realizes her vagina is, ahem, \u201ca wormhole.\u201d As she jumps from partner to partner, she begins to miss the comfort of her universe, the stability of her life and the husband that she took for granted.<\/p>\n Slip<\/em> is a meditation on \u201cthe grass is always greener\u201d fallacy, on leaning toward gratitude in moments of scarcity or thinking there could always be something better around the corner. It\u2019s a fantastic auteur debut for Lister-Jones, who pulls triple duty as the star, writer and director of every episode. After disappearing from the Roku Channel where it first aired, it has finally found a new home on Peacock, and is absolutely worth the watch.<\/p>\n How to watch: <\/strong>All seven episodes of Slip<\/em> are streaming on Peacock<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u23f0 Tune in<\/strong><\/h2>\n
My recommendation:<\/span> <\/strong>Half Man<\/em><\/h3>\n
\ud83d\udcfa Stream it<\/strong><\/h2>\n
My recommendation:<\/span> <\/strong>Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em><\/h3>\n
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\ud83d\udc8e Hidden gems<\/strong><\/h2>\n
My recommendation:<\/span> <\/strong>Slip<\/em><\/h3>\n