Summer is a season for being outside, but you can't be in the sun all of the time. Imagine instead staying inside on a blistering June afternoon, lazing on a couch with air conditioning blasting at a responsibly comfortable temperature and a cold drink condensing within an easy reach. The TV is on, but instead of accepting the stagnancy of too-hot days and watching The Office again, you shake it up by trying something new.
Sounds great, right? As far as fantasies go, it's pretty achievable. This summer, anticipated new seasons of shows like Netflix's Stranger Things 4 and Hulu's Only Murders in the Building are finally arriving, along with exciting adaptations of The Time Traveler's Wife, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon. That's not to say anything of Disney+ double-blessing us with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ms. Marvel. There's something for everyone this season, so don't feel like you have to be in a pool to get your summer's worth of fun. Inside is just fine, too, and inside has dragons.
1. Hacks Season 2, HBO Max, May 12
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder return for Hacks, HBO Max’s surprise hit about an old megastar comedian and the alleged no-name writer she hires to punch up her act. Ava (Einbinder) is on edge since sending a damning email about Deborah (Smart) to TV producers who plan to turn it into a series. They maintain their working relationship while Ava panics and Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) tries to do damage control back in Hollywood. Prepare for major hiccups in Ava and Jimmy’s plans, more of that irresistible Deborah Vance bite, and plenty of jokes — no matter who’s the butt of them. — Proma Khosla, Senior Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Hacks Season 2 streams on HBO Max May 12.
2. The Time Traveler's Wife, HBO Max, May 15
No, you're not remembering wrong. The Time Traveler's Wife was a 2009 movie starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams and was based on the book by Audrey Niffenegger; it is also now a drama series on HBO Max. This time, Theo James and Rose Leslie have a mini–Downton Abbey reunion as Henry DeTamble (the time traveler) and Clare Abshire (his wife). The couple's love story occurs out of chronological order because of a genetic condition that makes Henry slip through time. Despite the disadvantages of his condition, Henry pursues Claire through time in a romantic, sci-fi testament to his dedication and love for his wife. And some people can't even text back! — Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: The Time Traveler's Wife streams on HBO Max May 15.
3. Stranger Things 4, Netflix, May 27
When Stranger Things is back, you'll know it. The super popular sci-fi dramedy, chronicling a ragtag group of kids' battle with an otherworldly realm and mysterious government organization, wrapped filming on its fourth season in September. The new set of episodes don't have a release date yet. But with a killer cliffhanger finale debuted all the way back in 2019, there's plenty to theorize about in the meantime.
What happened to Eleven's powers? How did the Russians get a Demogorgon? Is that much beloved character dead or alive? Will Mike and Eleven make it through their long-distance romance? A sneak peek dropped in November gives us enough to go on (we're heading to California!), but we can't be sure until we're back in the Upside Down. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter *
How to watch: Stranger Things 4 streams on Netflix May 27.
4. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Disney+, May 27
What will Obi-Wan Kenobi's solo Disney+ adventure even look like?
The series is poised to reunite Ewan McGregor with the Star Wars universe in a story set 10 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. The Jedi Order is gone, Anakin Skywalker has been reborn as Darth Vader, and a middle-aged Obi-Wan is charged with defending the presumed last and best hope for the future of the Jedi: A young Tattooinian orphan named Luke.
It's a significant point in time for the Star Wars universe, but one where the history and future of the eponymous Jedi Master at the heart of the show is already written. That raises lots of questions about what the string of episodes will explore, but it'll be great to hear McGregor bringing back his stellar Alec Guinness impression. —Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter *
How to watch: Obi-Wan Kenobi streams on Disney+ May 27.
5. The Boys Season 3, Amazon Prime Video, June 3
Across two seasons of The Boys on Amazon Prime Video, we have seen some fabulously wild shit. A Flash-like speedster gorily running through an entire human being. An unsettlingly violent and sadistic superhero sex scene. Enough exploding heads to make even Scanners wince. And don't forget Patton Oswalt's most unforgettable role to date, the imagined talking gills of a problematic fish man. Being extra is The Boys' bread-and-butter. And given the explosive surprise finish we got from 2021's second season, there's no reason to think the show will be slowing down in the slightest when it returns on June 3. — A.R.
How to watch: The Boys Season 3 streams on Amazon Prime Video June 3.
6. Ms. Marvel, Disney+, June 8
Kamala Khan finally gets her time to shine in Disney+'s Ms. Marvel, a series meant to introduce the young Avenger before she makes her film debut in 2023's The Marvels alongside Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau/Photon. Kamala's status as a "normal," Avenger-loving teen who finds out she herself has powers makes her a highly relatable Marvel comics fan favorite; the part where she can "embiggen" parts of her body to showcase super strength and smack bad guys around with a fist the size of a coffee table is less relatable, but no less fun. — A.N.
How to watch: Ms. Marvel streams on Disney+ June 8.
7. Love, Victor Season 3, Hulu, June 15
The final season of Hulu's incredibly charming queer teen romance Love, Victor arrives this summer, and with it comes the opportunity to wrap up the stories of Victor, Felix, Pilar, Mia, Benji, and Rahim in a satisfying ending. Love, Victor has been an underrated banger for its entire run, wielding YA romance and fanfic tropes with an expert hand that acknowledges the ambient horniness of being a teen while creating a world where rom-com moments are only a school dance away. Love, Victor will be missed, but it's not gone yet. It's definitely a show to be enjoyed while it lasts. — A.N.
How to watch: Love, Victor Season 3 streams on Hulu June 15.
8. The Umbrella Academy Season 3, Netflix, June 22
It's been a while since The Umbrella Academy Season 2 continued the story of the Hargreeves family super-drama, but its absence on the Netflix roster is tangible. While other shows about jaded superhero families have come and gone, The Umbrella Academy's wacky tone, incredible needle drops, cartoonishly choreographed violence, and witty sibling banter keep us coming back for more. What can we expect from Season 3? A new Academy of heroes has arisen due to Vanya (now Viktor, as the character's name has changed) messing around with time, and included in the group is a somehow living version of Ben Hargreeves, formerly quite deceased. Not sure how sad moon feelings, throwing knives, mind control, violins, and hyperviolence will help solve that problem, but let's be real — they probably won't. — A.N.
How to watch: The Umbrella Academy Season 3 streams on Netflix June 22.
9. Only Murders in the Building Season 2, Hulu, June 28
Only Murders in the Building Season 1 was a true crime comedy masterpiece that stunned audiences with how dang good a show can be when legends work together. Steve Martin and Martin Short's hilarious chemistry and magical comic timing are the backbone of a show that lampoons true crime podcast aficionados while crafting characters who are easy to care about. OMITB Season 1 ended with a spoilery twist that will no doubt change everything for Season 2, and we've waited long enough to find out what actually happened that other dark night at the Arconia. — A.N.
How to watch: Only Murders in the Building Season 2 streams on Hulu June 28.
10. House of the Dragon, HBO Max, August 21
What do you think, Thronies? Has enough time passed since the laughably misguided final seasons of Game of Thrones that we're ready to give Westeros another chance? If you do think there's been sufficient time to heal, then gear up for the Game of Thrones prequel TV show that didn't get canceled after HBO tanked $30 million on its pilot.
House of the Dragon actually has a lot going for it, as far as Thrones successors goes. It takes place a few hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, so there will be the familiarity of seeing Starks, Lannisters, and their ilk without dealing with the exact characters we knew and loved. It's also supposed to tell the story of a civil war amongst dragon riders, which is objectively awesome. Finally — and this is the most important part — House of the Dragon is based on material that George R.R Martin has already finished, which means no one gets to decide they're bored and finish the show with a bullet-point outline of how the story might go. Imagine that. — A.N. *
How to watch: House of the Dragon streams on HBO Max August 21.
11. Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Amazon Prime Video, September 2
First things first: Don't expect to see Frodo and company anytime soon, because Amazon Prime's Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is not actually an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic trilogy. Instead, the upcoming series takes place during the Second Age of Middle Earth, which spanned over 3,000 years and saw such events as the rise and fall of Númenor and the forging of the Rings of Power. Just which of these will Lord of the Rings cover? We're not quite sure yet. Prime has played its cards pretty close to its chest, only releasing an image and a cryptic map.
Despite knowing very little about the plot, it will be such a thrill to return to Middle Earth for more high-fantasy goodness (something Prime has already proven it can do with The Wheel of Time). Plus, this first season of Lord of the Rings is the most expensive season of television ever made, so you can be sure it'll look gorgeous even if it doesn't quite live up to Peter Jackson's films. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter*
How to watch: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power streams on Amazon Prime Video September 2.
*This blurb was previously written for another Mashable list.
Topics Streaming
