Sunday Service

After peaking with Rishi’s solo mission last week, Industry continues to climb the ranks of appointment TV with its most creative episode yet. FX released the second season of Jeff Bridge’s espionage thriller, The Old Man, while Hulu invites us to die alone with Natasha Rothwell’s comedy.

It’s official. We go to the office on Sundays at 9 p.m. sharp for PierPoint’s weekly briefing. If “White Mischief” identified the power of (white) wealth at a micro-level, “Company Man” explored its insidious might at a macro-level. After the tumultuous fumbling of Lumi going public, a selective committee wants to place blame on behalf of the million Brits impacted by the alleged criminal undertaking. With Pierpoint in the crosshairs, Eric nominates Robert as tribute. Still reeling from episode one’s trauma — and the loss of his mother — the man-child expectedly crumbles under pressure, especially when the questioning targets Henry Muck’s relationships with female employees i.e. Yasmin.

One can’t help but feel horrible for Robert. Not only does he realize he’s expendable in the eyes of his employer, but this new business partner used a close friend in his game of corporate fucking. However, the most troubling scene occurs after the hearing, behind closed doors, when we realize a moment of brave sincerity and awareness from a politician was nothing more than a charade to control the narrative to retain more power. The ick level was similar to Succession’s “America Decides,” when you realize they’re all on the same team. They spar and ridicule each other in public forums, like Monday Night Raw, only to go backstage and run their lines for the next performance.

After the nausea of this truth settles, topping the episode with a major character death is nasty work as Industry enters its camp era.

New episodes air every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.

Next were two doses of espionage with Apple TV’s Slow Horses and FX’s The Old Man. In its fourth season, Slough House encounters a troubling conspiracy that hits too close to home for their own River Cartwright. A solo mission takes him to France where an unknown adversary awaits. Meanwhile, Jeff Bridges returns as a man with a specific skill set in the breathtaking action thriller. Having revealed his daughter’s identity at the end of season one, he and John Lithgow’s frenemy traverse the Middle East to rescue her. Despite two very different approaches of the same genre, both series are spectacular.

Catch new episodes of Slow Horses every Wednesday and two new episodes of The Old Man on Thursdays on FX, streaming the next day on Hulu.

Speaking of Hulu, The White Lotus and Insecure fans can both tune in to the latest dramedy from Natasha Rothwell. How to Die Alone sees the supporting star lead and executive produce a series about living life to the fullest. Rothwell is Melissa Jackson, a JFK airport employee who fears flying — literally and figuratively. After a brush with death, she realizes she’s merely existing as life passes her by.

The first four episodes are available with more coming Friday on Hulu.

I also caught FX’s (I’m seeing a theme here) new high school comedy, English Teacher. The biting comedy has a lot of heart finding the clumsy nuances in living what some would deem “woke.” It’s pro-queer, pro-DEI, and pro-laughs at everyone’s expense. I liked it a lot.

@ The Movies

I didn’t realize until watching this trailer how important his voice is to my relationship with music. Of all the artists I listened to under the tutelage of my parents, his voice is so ever-present, from his impeccable runs and ad-libs to the beautiful background vocals. Luther is probably my favorite male artist of all time. I also found myself welling with tears remembering how soon we lost his artistry. He was primed for much more, especially in an era more accepting of sexuality. I can’t wait to witness Luther: Never Too Much.

2024 also brings us the dynamic story of Claressa Sheilds, the Flint, Mich. boxer who rose above adversity to earn Olympic gold. The film set for a Christmas Day release stars Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry

This Week

• Tonight, ABC will air the 2024 Emmys live from L.A.’s Peacock Theatre. Schitt’s Creek’s father-and-son-duo Eugene and Dan Levy host the ceremony beginning at 8 p.m. ET. FX may have a huge night with drama and comedy favorites Shogun and The Bear seeking to sweep, while Netflix’s Baby Reindeer could best the competition in Limited Series.

• Tuesday, Ryan Murphy’s next true crime franchise, American Sports Story, premieres with the story of infamous New England Patriots’ champion Aaron Hernandez. As many times as this tragedy has been told, from documentaries to podcasts, I’m not sure how to feel about a proper dramatizaton. If you’re interested, the first two episodes air at 10 p.m. on FX.

• Wednesday, Disney+ casts the first two episodes of Marvel’s Agatha All Along at 9 p.m. ET. The primetime scheduling is a repeat of what the platform did with the criminally canceled The Acolyte a month or so ago. We’ll see if this spell enchants fans to rekindle their relationship with the MCU.

• Thursday, HBO premieres the latest project from Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe. Colin Farrell reprises his role as Oswald Cobblepott in The Penguin, which is set to take place mere weeks after the events of the 2022 film. Reviews have mostly been good, especially for Cristin Milloti’s Sofia Falcone. The Penguin arrives on Max at 9 p.m. ET.