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Mars is getting monotonous on For All Mankind [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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For All Mankind recap: It's always something.★★★☆☆
Whether on Earth or on Mars, it's always something.
Photo: Apple TV+

For All Mankind holds a few cliffhangers up its sleeve in season 3’s penultimate episode, but first it must deal with its soapy dilemmas.

Ellen and Larry are in the hot seat, Kelly Baldwin’s baby is coming along ahead of schedule, Aleida Rosales is all out of heroes, Karen and Dev might switch jobs — and Danny Stevens’ goose might be cooked!

A decent episode of the Apple TV+ alt-history sci-fi hit focuses on plot nitty-gritty and emotional turmoil, until it gives way to a typically frustrating final reveal.

Physical season finale leaves us praying for cancellation [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Physical season 2 finale recap: Please say it's over.★★☆☆☆
Please say it's over.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+’s second season of Physical draws to a merciful close this week. Though she’s finally gotten John Breem out of her bedroom, Sheila still has to deal with him. He’s still making Danny crazy — and he’s still the only man in town with power enough to satisfy Sheila’s needs.

Wouldn’t it be funny if she had to wind up trapped with him in a business agreement? Well, no, it wouldn’t, and it isn’t, but that’s where we’re headed.

Trying wrings a tiny victory out of pregnancy and a party [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Trying recap Apple TV+: At least somebody's laughing.★★☆☆☆
At least somebody's laughing.
Photo: Apple TV+

Trying, the Apple TV+ comedy about middle-class ghouls making the once-a-generation decision to start families, plans a birthday party for special little boy Tyler this week.

Tyler’s party is too overwhelming at first, but with a little help from a lot of people it becomes fun. Elsewhere, Karen is pregnant and nervous, Nikki resents her fertility, Scott has to quit a burgeoning career, and Jason is still on the hook for a dream house.

Apple Card users get Luck-y with 3 free months of Apple TV+

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Apple Card users get Luck-y with 3 free months of Apple TV+
Apple Card subscribers, it's your lucky day.
Image: Apple

Anyone who uses an Apple Card can get Apple TV+ free for three months. And the deal isn’t limited to new subscribers – current ones also qualify.

It’s a promo for the new Apple TV+ movie Luck, and has the tagline, “It’s your lucky day. For three whole months.”

MacBook Pro and Studio Display replace iMac in picture-perfect setting [Setups]

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An M1 MacBook Pro and Studio Display enjoy the sunset by the coast north of Boston.
An M1 MacBook Pro and Studio Display enjoy the sunset by the coast north of Boston.
Photo: [email protected]

Some older iMacs are being shown the door, giving way to newer Macs paired with Studio Displays. That’s the case with today’s featured computer setup. In it, an iMac gave way recently to a plenty-powerful M1 MacBook Pro paired with a brilliant Studio Display.

And the attractively spare setup, well placed in a beautiful coastal setting, is nearly all Apple — down to the input devices and audio gear.

Black Bird will break your heart with its riveting conclusion [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Black Bird finale recap: Time's running out for Jimmy Keene (played by Taron Egerton).★★★★
Time's running out for Jimmy Keene (played by Taron Egerton).
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ murder mystery Black Bird draws to a pulse-pounding close as jailhouse informer Jimmy Keene’s last-ditch efforts to stay alive are being threatened at every turn.

Serial killer Larry Hall is inches from confessing, Jimmy’s about to get shanked — and nobody’s coming to help either of them. Plus, Jimmy’s dad Big Jim is dying in a hurry outside prison walls.

The limited series saves its best mechanics for last as the clock runs out on all of our heroes.  Black Bird concludes on a high note indeed.

Bad Luck for Apple TV+ and Skydance [Apple TV+ review] ★★☆☆☆

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Luck review: Skydance is going to need a lot of Luck to sell unimaginative movies with a problematic CEO.★★☆☆☆
Skydance is going to need a lot of Luck to sell unimaginative movies with a problematic CEO.
Image: Apple TV+

Apple TV+’s newest film is the streamer’s big flagship collaboration with Skydance Animation under the new leadership of disgraced former Pixar chief John Lasseter.

Can the film’s relative charms tip the scales in favor of a new endeavor, instead of back toward the hasty assembly of a company around a man who never really answered for his allegations? Unfortunately, Luck, which premieres Friday on Apple TV+, would have had to have a lot more going for it to get people talking about the movie on pure merit.

Apple TV+ prison drama Black Bird soars to top of charts

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Black Bird recap: Once again, Ray Liotta steals the show.
The limited series features a compelling performance by the late, great Ray Liotta.
Photo: Apple TV+

Black Bird is the latest hit for Apple TV+. The prison drama has been one of the top 10 most watched streaming shows for three weeks straight now, according to a company that tracks viewership.

The series is not only popular, it’s getting rave reviews from critics.

Massive discount makes the Apple TV 4K a lot more affordable

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Apple TV 4K
Apple TV 4K drops to a new low price of $119.99.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV 4K is down to its lowest price yet, making it a lot more affordable and the perfect time to snag one up. Apple’s streaming box retails for $179, but you can get it for $119.99 after a massive 33% discount.

This deal is better than the previous deals we have seen so far. So, if you have been eyeing the Apple TV for a while, now is the time to pull the trigger.

$50 Apple TV gift card promotion expands to international countries

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Apple TV 4K
Apple is once again bundling a $50 gift card with the Apple TV.
Photo: Apple

Apple is once again bundling a $50 gift card with the purchase of the Apple TV. The company first ran this promotion on its U.S. online store from July 1 through July 14.

This time, Apple is running the promotion in the U.S., UK, some European countries and Australia. And in typical Apple fashion, the company took down its website for a few hours before making this promotion live.

Things heat up for our jailhouse informer in Black Bird [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Black Bird recap: Things are not going well for prison informer Jimmy Keene (played by Taron Egerton).★★★★
Things are not going well for prison informer Jimmy Keene (played by Taron Egerton).
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ miniseries Black Bird finally reveals the killer this week, along with the evidence that might hang him … or might not be enough to do anything but frustrate the people working to expose him.

Superlative work from actors Paul Walter Hauser, Ray Liotta and Laney Stiebing in the episode, titled “The Place I Lie,” pulls the show into greatness just before its final installment.

Black Bird covered a lot of ground in a little time — and now it’s time to bring it home.

For All Mankind faces Martian disaster in ‘The Sands of Ares’ [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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For All Mankind recap: Danielle Poole (played by Krys Marshall) tries to save lives on Mars this week on For All Mankind.★★★☆☆
Danielle Poole (played by Krys Marshall) tries to save lives on Mars this week on For All Mankind.
Photo: Apple TV+

For All Mankind has a Martian crisis on its hands this week’s episode, “The Sands of Ares.” Ed and Danny are trapped, Danielle has to come get them, and Karen, Jimmy, and Amber wait on tenterhooks for news of the rescue.

It’s all hands on deck at NASA in the meantime, in the Apple TV+ space soap. People start confessing dark things as they face down death. And there may not be enough people left to make any sense of the Mars mission when it’s over.

Breezy rehab can’t fix Physical’s core problem [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆

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Physical recap: Sheila (played by Rose Byrne) tries to sort out her problems this week. Sorta.★★☆☆
Physical recap: Sheila (played by Rose Byrne) tries to sort out her problems this week. Sorta.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+’s Physical, the story of would-be workout icon Sheila Rubin, is in recovery this week. Can Sheila finally combat her inner critic? Can she make Danny forgive her? Will she make friends at a retreat? Can she finally be honest with herself about her life and her problems and her image of herself?

The answers probably won’t shock you in this perfectly ordinary episode.

Loot misses the mark when it comes to meaning of money [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Loot recap, Spades Night: Molly (played by Maya Rudolph, left) and her cousin Renee (Kym Whitley) get together for some family fun.★★★☆☆
Molly (played by Maya Rudolph, left) and her cousin Renee (Kym Whitley) get together for some family fun.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ comedy Loot has family and romance on the brain this week. Molly wants to get in touch with her family again after years of distance — with Howard as go-between. Arthur and Nicholas eavesdrop on a stormy night of conflict for Sofia.

It’s all fine. Indeed, the drama and comedy are handled with equal deftness for the first time this season. But there’s something that nags about the mission of a show like Loot.

Vacuous comedy Trying sinks to an unforgivable low [Apple TV+ recap] ☆☆☆☆

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Trying recap, Apple TV+: Just when you thought Trying couldn't get any worse...☆☆☆☆
Trying recap, Apple TV+: Just when you thought Trying couldn't get any worse...
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ family comedy Trying goes camping this week, and Nikki and Jason discover their strengths and weaknesses as parents by listening to things their kids need.

Elsewhere, Freddy hijacks an AA meeting to bore them with his everyday transgressions, Karen is pregnant and Scott is an idiot. More glaring than any plot point is a gaffe that hints at the hollowness at this story’s core. It is a long half-hour.

New Apple TV+ Peanuts trailer cheers educators in Lucy’s School

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It's a back-to-school special, Charlie Brown!
It's a back-to-school special, Charlie Brown!
Photo: Apple TV+

With a new school year looming, it’s time to celebrate educators. Apple TV+ did just that Friday when it dropped a trailer for Lucy’s School, an all-new Peanuts special that debuts on the streaming service August 12.

For those who grew up with Peanuts, it’s comforting that the classic series based on classic Charles M. Schulz comics lives on. Lucy’s School adds to the growing list of seasonal features following Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy and the rest of the gang.

Shallow new mystery Surface puts style over substance [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Surface recap: Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Sophie, a woman plagued by confusing flashbacks, in Surface.★★☆☆☆
Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Sophie, a woman plagued by confusing flashbacks, in Surface, which premieres today.
Photo: Apple TV+

Glossy mystery series Surface gets off to a bumpy, soapy start this week on Apple TV+. Gugu Mbatha-Raw (who you might know from The Morning Show) stars as Sophie, a woman who lost her memory after what could have been an accident or a suicide attempt.

Like Truth Be Told, another Apple TV+ series from producer Reese Witherspoon, this one is a prestige look at a woman undergoing a lot of changes in her life as the result of crime … or is it?

Apple TV+ trailer shows Bad Sisters trying to get away with murder

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Bad Sisters focuses on a very unusual family
Eve Hewson, Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle and Sarah Greene in Bad Sisters, coming soon to Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

The Garvey sisters vowed to always take care of each other, which leads them toward murdering their abusive brother-in-law. Their scheme plays out in Bad Sisters, a creation of Irish actress, writer and producer Sharon Horgan, who is known for her darkly funny shows.

The comedy/thriller series debuts on Apple TV+ in August, and a trailer debuted Wednesday.

Apple TV+ Mythic Quest season 3 trailer promises epic office follies

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Rob McElhenney and Charlotte Nicdao in “Mythic Quest” season three, premiering fall 2022 on Apple TV+.
Rob McElhenney and Charlotte Nicdao in “Mythic Quest” season three, premiering fall 2022 on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Fans of the office comedy Mythic Quest on Apple TV+ will be relieved to hear the show’s coming back for season 3. That news was confirmed and a teaser trailer was unveiled Saturday at a special panel about the show at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

The show’s cast and creators confirmed that the series will return this fall. And they rolled a first-look teaser for the third season that suggests it’ll be just as funny as the first two seasons. Have a look and a laugh at it, below.

It’s time to come clean on Black Bird [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Black Bird recap: Cleanup duty leads to compelling revelations.★★★★☆
Cleanup duty leads to compelling revelations.
Photo: Apple TV+

Black Bird, the Apple TV+ drama about a bad guy sent to ferret out a worse guy in the rottenest jail in America, takes a turn for the confessional this week. Probable serial killer Larry Hall and police informer Jimmy Keene tell each other some truths and some lies as they clean up the mess after a prison riot.

Larry starts to see the hidden side of Jimmy. And Jimmy starts to recognize the worst parts of himself — the ones that remind him of Larry. Black Bird’s been in a good place for two and a half episodes, and this latest one finds the show indulging in its strengths for an extended conversation between the two leads.

Once again, Loot proves too nice for its own good [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Loot recap: Loot needs to let Maya Rudolph rip.★★★☆☆
Loot really needs to let Maya Rudolph rip.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ comedy Loot goes on two dates this week. Molly, the billionaire who’s discovering what it’s like to have a conscience, has a suitor. And Nicholas learns the meaning of friendship when he comes to Howard’s aid.

As usual, the show’s niceties undercut its comedy every step of the way. And that’s a problem when you’re writing a sitcom starring America’s funniest woman.

For All Mankind suffers from an unbearable lack of imagination [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆

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For All Mankind recap: The jig is almost up for Ellen (played by Jodi Balfour) and Larry (Nate Corddry).★★☆☆
The jig is almost up for Ellen (played by Jodi Balfour) and Larry (Nate Corddry).
Photo: Apple TV+

For All Mankind spins its wheels this week until a catastrophe in the back half of the episode. Danny’s losing it. Ed’s being Ed. Jimmy commits some low-level espionage. Ellen and Larry find themselves under a microscope. Aleida closes in on the truth. And Margo is losing everything.

A surprise cameo from one of history’s greatest monsters reinforces the lack of imagination on the part of a show whose only job is to imagine greater things.

Everyone’s getting high on Physical except me [Apple TV+ recap] ☆☆☆

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Physical recap: This show can make a drug-fueled fling annoying.☆☆☆
This show can wring the fun out of a drug-fueled fling.
Photo: Apple TV+

This week on Physical, Sheila goes on the lam with Vincent Green in a drug-fueled, disco-scored bonding session.

The wheels on the Sheila Rubin’s aerobics train are clearly about to fall off — and she’s not even going to have the voice in her head to comfort her when all is said and done. It’s another annoying week filled with failed attempts at humor and humanity on Apple TV+’s fizzling ’80s flashback show.

Apple and Chicago settle the ‘Netflix tax’ lawsuit

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Apple TV+
Chicago residents will continue to have to pay the "Netflix tax."
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple has dropped its lawsuit against Chicago’s “Netflix tax” after the two parties reached a settlement. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Chicago introduced a 9% tax on streaming platform subscribers in 2015. Apple sued the city in 2018 for allegedly violating the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act and the U.S. Constitution.

Trying adds kids (and actual jokes) to the sickeningly sweet mix for season 3 [Apple TV+ recap] ☆☆☆

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Trying season 3 recap Apple TV+: Can adding a couple of rug rats make this alleged comedy actually funny?☆☆☆
Can adding a couple of rug rats make this alleged comedy actually funny?
Photo: Apple TV+

Trying, the Apple TV+ series that is the Full House to Ted Lasso’s Coachreturns this week for a richly unwarranted third season.

The show, a smug and naggingly pleasant look at two well-to-do narcissists who want to raise children for some reason, finally fulfills Jason and Nikki’s dream of parenthood after watching them not earn it for two long seasons.

Indeed there’s nothing unique or likable or notable at all about these two characters. Let’s see what happens to them now that they’ve brought a pair of children into their London home.