Part One of Stranger Things 5 is pretty much a thrill ride start to finish, with all of Hawkins under quarantine and military occupation following the earth-shaking events that concluded Season 4 all those years ago.
The American Revolution achieves that goal brilliantly, sidestepping romanticism of the period (see Outlander) and stripping away myth with a grounding in granular reality. While never losing focus on heroes like George Washington, whose triumphs and mistakes are scrutinized by a diverse faculty of scholars, the series brings history to life through the accounts of lesser-known participants.
"Easter eggs" ease us into the discomfort zone we’ve come to expect from adaptations of the horror King. It's not as clever a brand extension as FX's superb Alien: Earth, and if this isn't top-tier King—it’s not even the best It—it's far from the worst.
It’s more compelling than the disappointingly insipid Mayfair Witches adaptation. By the sixth and final episode of a puzzlingly short inaugural season, the revelations and twists in Talamasca will likely leave the ardent Rice fan wanting more.
The third season of The Diplomat is the very definition of a breakneck binge bonanza. It’s also the most sensationally entertaining political drama since The West Wing.