Sadly, the time has come for the conclusion of Better Call Saul. It was hard not to love Bob Odenkirk’s bus stop barrister Saul Goodman when he was introduced as a character on Breaking Bad. But as the central character of his own show for the last seven years, Saul/Jimmy/Gene has become a nuanced, compelling figure that you can’t help but root for. The first part of Saul's sixth season came to a shocking conclusion in May when Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) was murdered. The last six episodes of the show will be interesting – and not just because the fate of Rhea Seehorn’s character Kim Wexler must be addressed. No. What makes these last episodes so intriguing is that Better Call Saul’s narrative arc will finally connect with Breaking Bad. Bryan Cranston’s Walter White and Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman each make an appearance in the remaining episodes. How they show up is anybody’s guess.
Moonhaven – Season 1 (July 7, AMC Plus)
Move over Better Call Saul, Moonhaven is AMC’s next hit. (Or at least that's what the network is hoping for.) From creator/show-runner Peter Ocko (Lodge 49, Elementary) Moonhaven is set two centuries in the future and focuses on a utopian colony situated on the Moon. The colony finds the solutions to the problems that will soon end civilization on Earth. The sci-fi thriller stars Emma McDonald as Bella Sway, who is a skeptic of the lunar community. Sway teams with a local detective (Dominic Monaghan) to stop the forces that want to destroy the Earth. The series also stars Joe Manganiello, Amara Karan, Ayelet Zurer, Kadeem Hardison, and Yazzmin Newell. “The most remarkable thing about Moonhaven is the way it’s able to indulge its creative ambitions on an expansive canvas, all without losing sight of the individuals who make up the tableau. It finds that ultra-satisfying sweet spot between the radical and the familiar, a middle ground where discovery can happen over the course of an entire series and not just its opening chapter,” wrote IndieWire’s Steve Greene.
Black Bird (Apple TV Plus, July 8)
Based on the true crime memoir In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption, Black Bird stars Taron Egerton as Keene, a man sentenced to 10 years in prison. In exchange for early parole, Keene must move to a more dangerous prison in order to befriend and get a confession out of serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser). How hard could that be? The fact that this series is based on a true story proves that truth is truly stranger than fiction. The six-episode psychological thriller also stars the late Ray Liotta. The actor, who died suddenly on May 26, plays “Big Jim," Keene’s father. Black Bird is the first of Liotta’s remaining television and film projects to debut after his death. Author and screenwriter Dennis Lehane (Mystic River) developed, wrote and executive produced the series.
Trigger Point (Peacock, July 8)
This British series, which originally aired on ITV in January, focuses on explosives specialists played by Vicky McClure (Line of Duty) and Adrian Lester (Life) who put their lives at risk during a terrorist campaign in the London. As the duo work to diffuse bombs, they start to wonder if the bomber is premeditatedly targeting their unit. The series is produced by Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio's HTM Television. British audiences and critics have taken a liking to the first season’s six-episodes. “With a reliably strong lead in McClure, the Mercurio brand name and an original premise, there is all the raw material for a solid hit here,” wrote the London Evening Standard’s Katie Rosseinsky.
Supreme Team (July 10, Showtime)
This three-part documentary, which debuted at the Tribeca Festival last month, investigates the origins and impact of the Supreme Team, a Jamaica, Queens' street gang organized in the early 1980s by a group of teenagers. The gang eventually became a multi-million dollar drug empire. Directed by Nasir “Nas” Jones and Peter J Scalettar, the doc features interviews with two of the Supreme Team's leaders, Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff and Gerald “Prince'' Miller. LL Cool J, Ashanti, Eric Adams are also featured in the doc, which explores the Supreme Team’s effects on politics, entertainment as well as the drug lords' eventual downfall. It's hard to resist a true rise and fall story involving drugs, power, crime and plenty of money.
SkyMed (July 10, Paramount Plus)
It's fair to say that a medical drama set in remote Northern Canada and focused on pilots who fly air ambulances, along with the nurses who work mid-air to save lives, has never been done before. The unique concept for the show was concocted by Julie Puckrin (Nurses), whose sister and brother-in-law fly air ambulances. The nine-episode series is a fresh take on narrative medical programming and the setting alone -- an ambulance 20,000 feet in the air -- is intriguing and surely the catalyst for most of the show's drama. But Paramount is promising not just medical drama, but romantic drama as well. The cast includes Natasha Calis (Nurses), Morgan Holmstrom (Siberia), Praneet Akilla (Nancy Drew) and Thomas Elms (The Order).
Better Call Saul -Season 6: Part 2 (July 11, AMC Plus)
The first seven episodes of the sixth and final season came to a shocking conclusion in May when Patrick Fabian's put-upon Howard Hamlin was abruptly shot dead by surprise homicidal visitor Lalo after delivering Jimmy and Kim a much-deserved late-night comeuppance. The second half of the season will consist of six episodes and, hopefully, plenty of answers. The Emmy-nominated drama series starring Bob Odenkirk as the titular character, is a prequel to Breaking Bad. In the second half of season six, Jimmy's world will collide with Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, which means, yup, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul will make an appearance. Since Kim Wexler (Saul’s girlfriend/ actress Rhea Seehorn) is not a Breaking Bad character, can we assume she dies by the end of the season? Assume nothing!
How To Change Your Mind (Netflix, June 12)
Turns out psychedelics may be all we need. An adaptation of Michael Pollan 2018 eponymous book, this four-part docuseries explores focuses on how psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, MDMA and mescaline can be therapeutic for several conditions including addiction, depression and PTSD. With Pollan as a guide, the docu looks at the science behind psychedelics and includes interviews with researchers, activists and therapists. The docuseries also include interviews with people who have undergone psychedelic intervention and had mind altering results. Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) executive produced the series, which is directed by Emmy-nominated Alison Ellwood (Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time, History of the Eagles).
Edge of the Earth (HBO Max, July 12)
This isn't your everyday nature documentary. Directors Steve Jones and Todd Jones mix things up by following four groups of elite action-adventure athletes on four never-before-accomplished missions that take place around the globe. Watching athletes face life-threatening challenges against a background that is earth’s most beautiful landscapes makes for jaw-dropping viewing. Taking part in the four-episode docu are snowboarders Jeremy Jones and Elena Hight; skier Griffin Post; kayakers Ben Stookesberry, Nouria Newman, and Erik Boomer; climbers Emily Harrington and Adrian Ballinger; and surfers Ian Walsh and Grant “Twiggy” Baker.
What We Do in the Shadows – Season 4 (Hulu, July 13)
This FX series based on the eponymous feature film directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, follows vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their human familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén). The show's first three seasons garnered 10 Emmy Award nominations, including one for best comedy series. FX is evidently confident in the comedy. The network has already renewed the series for Season 5 and Season 6. “Few shows make it feel like anything can happen, yet What We Do in the Shadows just keeps opening doors to fascinating new personal voyages and inventive world-building,” wrote IndieWire’s Ben Travers about Season 4.
South Park The Streaming Wars Part 2 (July 13, Paramount Plus)
South Park: The Streaming Wars Part 2 marks the fourth installment of 14 television movies that South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone will make for Paramount Plus as part of the $900 million deal they made with ViacomCBS last year. The first part of South Park: The Streaming Wars installment debuted in June and focused on a feud between Eric Cartman and his mother, which jeopardized South Park’s existence. Paramount hasn’t revealed much about the second installment, but what is known is that the town is on the brink of disaster due to a drought and Randy Marsh has gone full "Karen.” This year marks the 25th anniversary of South Park, which debuted on Comedy Central back in 1997. The iconic sitcom made its return to Comedy Central earlier this year after a three year hiatus. The show has been renewed on the network through 2027. As a show or a movie, South Park is the gift that keeps on giving.
