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Charlie’s getting very suspicious about Sylvia and Will on Platonic [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen in ★★★★☆
Sylvia (played by Rose Byrne, left) and Will (Seth Rogen) head to San Diego this week on a business trip.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ comedy Platonic takes a trip to San Diego this week, as Sylvia’s husband Charlie gets paranoid and Will gets a lesson in corporate culture that he didn’t ask for.

In this very good episode of the show — about married Sylvia and divorced Will, who return to the best-friend slot in each other’s lives after an awkward absence — Charlie looks into every little thing, wondering if the pair are more than just friends. Will comes to Sylvia’s rescue at the expense of his friends and business partners, and Sylvia must be honest about the next phase of her life.

The Beanie Bubble trailer finds the crazy in ’90s Beanie Baby craze

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The Beanie Bubble, starring Zach Galifianakis, premieres July 28 on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

The first trailer for upcoming Apple TV+ movie The Beanie Bubble has a lot of fun with the Beanie Babies fad of the 1990s.

“Witness the crazy … behind the craze,” shout title screens in all caps between scenes. And Zach Galifianakis and Elizabeth Banks, as the partners behind the bean-filled-stuffed-animal business, do a good job of showing it.

Platonic milks the modern workplace for big laughs [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Rose Byrne in ★★★★
Rose Byrne gets to strut her comedic stuff this week on Platonic, and that's a very good thing.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ comedy Platonic, about two once-former-now-current best friends navigating their relationship, finds Sylvia back at work and Will out of step this week.

A lot has changed since Sylvia was last in the workplace, and the new workload is too much for her, without factoring in everything else that can go wrong in an office. Will tries to help but makes things worse as he himself learns a few lessons about the modern workplace. Entitled “Let the River Run,” it’s a very funny episode of the very funny series.

High Desert makes a mad dash for the finish line [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Patricia Arquette and Rupert Friend in ★★★★☆
Everyone seems to be running from something in the High Desert season finale.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+’s noir comedy High Desert comes to a close this week with a nicely judged final half-hour where streams and plots cross.

Arman and Heather, the Gatchis, Carol and Denny are all looking for Peggy in the High Desert season finale, entitled “I Need a Hero.” Can Peggy make up for a lifetime of misbehaving and lying and self-interest in one gesture? It’s a perfectly ridiculous ending to this laconic, if fast-talking, crime saga.

Age is more than just a number on this week’s Platonic [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Emily Kimball and Seth Rogen in ★★★★☆
Will (played by Seth Rogen, right) runs into trouble with his new girlfriend, Peyton (Emily Kimball) this week on Platonic.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ comedy Platonic hits a milestone this week as Sylvia and Will find boundaries to test they didn’t even know existed. Will learns some hard lessons about aging and relationships, while Sylvia tries to embark on a new chapter of her life without much support.

Entitled “The Big Two Six,” it’s a solid episode of the show about two people in their 40s who reconnect and re-become besties, heedless of optics and obstacles.

High Desert descends into drugs and desperation [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Patricia Arquette in ★★★★☆
Peggy (played by Patricia Arquette) lets loose this week on High Desert.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review Apple TV+ comedy High Desert reaches its penultimate episode this week, as Peggy comes close to solving the many mysteries she’s been juggling as a first-time private investigator.

Arman and Heather squeeze Peggy for money she doesn’t have, just as her ne’er-do-well hubby Denny creates more problems for them by resuming his life of crime. Plus, the Gatchis demand answers about their missing sister. Entitled “This Doesn’t Have to Be a Tragedy,” it’s a surprisingly emotional episode of the zany noir.

3 Reasons to Watch: Platonic, the Apple TV+ comedy starring Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne

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Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen in
Sylvia (played by Rose Byrne, left) and Will (Seth Rogen) are old friends trying to figure out how to be friends again on Platonic.
Photo: Apple TV+

In this installment of 3 Reasons to Watch, we look at the Platonic, the surprisingly good comedy from stoner whisperer Seth Rogen, luminous star Rose Byrne and husband and wife writers/directors Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller.

In the show, which premiered last month on Apple TV+, Byrne and Rogen star as friends who become awkward appendages of each other’s already messy lives. Here’s why you should take a chance on Platonic.

Peggy and Guru Bob find themselves in a tight spot on High Desert [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Rupert Friend and Patricia Arquette in ★★★★☆
Turns out selling bogus art to criminals isn't the smartest move.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review Apple TV+’s farcical neo-noir High Desert gets tied up this week as Peggy accidentally finds herself at the business end of some dangerous people’s guns. Guru Bob is kidnapped and tormented for his role in selling art forgeries to bad people, while Peggy’s quest to find Bob’s wife lands her in hot water with the Gatchi family.

The episode, entitled “A Nod Is Not a Hello,” is a raucous and funny time, even as the stakes climb higher by the minute

Things get awkward this week on Platonic [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Luke Macfarlane in ★★★★☆
Charlie (played by Luke Macfarlane) has a little trouble coming to terms with his "wife's boyfriend."
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ comedy Platonic finds Will and Charlie stepping outside of their comfort zones this week, at a greater cost than either imagined.

The show, about two adult friends who try to reclaim their nonsexual friendship at the start of their middle age, finds them Charlie’s wife Sylvia all keeping secrets from each other — a sure sign that everything’s going according to plan, right?

Entitled “My Wife’s Boyfriend,” it’s a surprisingly effective episode, despite all the comic games that come out of left field.

High Desert digs into Guru Bob’s weird past [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Matt Dillon and Patricia Arquette in ★★★★☆
Peggy's on the case. Sorta.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewOff-kilter Apple TV+ comedy High Desert, which stars Patricia Arquette as con artist-turned-private-investigator Peggy Newman, takes a detour into Guru Bob’s past this week.

In the episode, entitled “Soul Retrieval,” Peggy and her ex-husband get reacquainted with the good times and the bad times that so characterized their marriage. Plus, Peggy lands her first case — if she can remember to get around to it.

The wildly entertaining comedy procedural takes a beat from the main action this week and still proves fast on its feet.

Ted Lasso finale will make a believer out of you [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Brett Goldstein, Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt in ★★★
It's finally time for Ted Lasso's last game with AFC Richmond.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewTed Lasso, the perpetually upbeat Apple TV+ show that blindsided a pandemic-stricken world with a cocktail of optimism and inspiration, comes to a fitting close this week after a remarkable three-season run.

The Ted Lasso finale, entitled “So Long, Farewell,” finds Ted’s team AFC Richmond up against its most fierce nemesis, Rupert Mannion’s West Ham United.

With West Ham’s old coach Nate back at Richmond after an awkward breakup, will the Greyhounds have what it takes to beat the Hammers? Just how optimistic can this show be?

Drugs fuel a poignant ‘divorce party’ on Platonic [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Seth Rogen and Tre Hale in ★★★★☆
What can go wrong when strippers and cocaine are involved?
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ comedy Platonic takes a look at the lighter side of divorce this week. The show, about two best friends who are suddenly back in each other’s lives after a prolonged absence, finds Sylvia deciding to throw Charlie a divorce party to get his mind off how well his ex is doing.

In the poignant episode, entitled “Divorce Party,” some drugs and changes of plan send Sylvia into a tailspin that makes her realize she isn’t where she wants to be anymore.

3 Reasons to Watch: High Desert, the neo-noir comedy that Apple TV+ canceled too early

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Patricia Arquette in
Patricia Arquette whips High Desert into a frenzy in the role of Peggy Newman.
Photo: Apple TV+

In this installment of 3 Reasons to Watch, we’ll tell you why we’re buzzing about High Desert, the new Apple TV+ comedy starring livewire Patricia Arquette as daffy private eye Peggy Newman.

The show, created by Miss Congeniality writer Katie Ford and Grace and Frankie alums Nancy Fichman and Jennifer Hoppe, is a bawdy neo-noir set in a world of lowlifes and fake cowboys.

Here’s why you need to give High Desert the old college try.

Patricia Arquette kicks High Desert into high gear [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Weruche Opia and Patricia Arquette in ★★★★☆
Part private investigator, part Wild West show entertainer and all hustler, Peggy (played by Patricia Arquette, right) makes High Desert a blast.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review Apple TV+ neo-noir comedy High Desert gets mired in criminal business and stolen paintings this week. The show stars Patricia Arquette as Peggy Newman, who’s doing some on-the-ground investigation into a missing woman and the trail of chaos she left in her wake.

Is her husband, a mutilated guru, to blame? Or the woman’s mobbed-up brothers? The episode, entitled “Get Judy off the Bed,” delivers another delirious dose of the streaming service’s newest success.

Jamie Tartt shows some heart this week on Ted Lasso [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Brett Goldstein and Phil Dunster in ★★★
Will Jamie Tartt (played by Phil Dunster, right) get his head straight this week on Ted Lasso?
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewTed Lasso, Apple TV+’s most popular show, is winding down, with just two episodes left before it closes up shop (likely for good). The fish-out-of-water football coach is trying to keep his struggling soccer team from the bottom of the rankings — and himself from the bottom of his feelings.

To complicate things, Jamie Tartt goes on an existential bender this week as he prepares for a big hometown gig, and Ted and his tough-guy coach Roy Kent need to figure out how to fix their star player. The episode, entitled “Mom City,” is about as good as this show gets.

Prep to be friends with actual benefits in new comedy Platonic [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Episode 3. Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne in ★★★★☆
Platonic asks, "Why can't we be friends ... again?"
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewIn new Apple TV+ comedy Platonic, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne play old pals who, after taking a hiatus from their intense friendship, learn that rekindling such a thing is a fraught proposition this far into their lives.

Created by Francesca Delblanco and Nicholas Stoller, Platonic is a lovely, lazy-day kind of a comedy that charms even when it seems like it could stand to straighten up and fly right.

3 Reasons to Watch: Bad Sisters, the outrageous Irish black comedy on Apple TV+

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Sarah Greene, Anne-Marie Duff, Sharon Horgan, Eva Birthistle and Eve Hewson in
If you're not acquainted with the Garvey sisters, you're missing out.
Photo: Apple TV+

In this installment of 3 Reasons to Watch, we look at Bad Sisters, the Irish black comedy that racked up awards after its spectacular first season.

The acidic series follows the five Garvey sisters, who are complicit in a crime … but not in the way it initially appears. Here’s why you need to stream Bad Sisters yesterday.

The Big Door Prize season finale spits out cliffhangers large and small [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Chris O’Dowd and Gabrielle Dennis in ★★★★☆
Surprise! The Morpho machine has even bigger mysteries to spin.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewThe Big Door Prize closes its first season with a blackout at Deerfest and a big twist from the Morpho. The show, about a mysterious machine that reads people’s futures, throws harsh weather and hard truths at its cast of misfit townies this week.

Father Reuben and Hana experience a few troubling realizations. Cass and Izzy have another blow-up. Jacob and Trina try to make it through their first real date. And more than one storm is brewing in this compelling cap to a winning season of a wonderful show.

Ted Lasso starts to wrap up loose ends this week [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Toheeb Jimoh and Phil Dunster in ★★★☆☆
Toheeb Jimoh and Phil Dunster in "Ted Lasso," now streaming on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+’s runaway hit Ted Lasso starts closing up shop this week as the show nears the end of season three. The stars of AFC Richmond are out of town, but that doesn’t mean we can’t wrap up some loose ends.

Keeley finds herself without a job or an office. Rebecca has a big meeting, and one small chance to make a difference. Roy starts thinking about human connection. Sam suffers a series of letdowns. And Nate goes on a soul-searching trip back home.

While undoubtedly enervating, this week’s episode, entitled “International Break,” occasionally scores a win.

High Desert is the right kind of rolling disaster [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Episode 3. Patricia Arquette in ★★★★☆
Peggy Newman (played by Patricia Arquette) is a marvelous disaster in edgy new comedy High Desert.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review In the tragicomic new Apple TV+ series High Desert, Patricia Arquette plays Peggy Newman, a drug addict and serial liar/improviser who’s trying to remake her life after her husband goes to jail and ruins her social standing.

The perpetually broke and broken Peggy is a marvelous creation. The first three episodes of High Desert arrived on Apple TV+ today, and the show is mighty good company.

Ted Lasso drops the ball on homophobia [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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David Elsendoorn, Cristo Fernández, Stephen Manas, Moe Hashim, Kola Bokinni, Toheeb Jimoh and Phil Dunster in ★★☆☆☆
It seems like Ted Lasso had a point to make, but just didn't have the balls to make it.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewTed Lasso comes out of the closet this week as Colin and Isaac tackle their unspoken problem. Meanwhile, Roy has a goals problem. Rebecca has a Roy problem. And Nate gets put to the test by Rupert and Jade.

In the episode, entitled “La Locker Room Aux Folles,” AFC Richmond must learn a quick lesson in tolerance that would be better put to the writers of this show. It’s a uniquely frustrating episode — the type that only the people at Ted Lasso can provide.

The Big Door Prize plays the emotional card and wins [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Gabrielle Dennis and Djouliet Amara in ★★★★
Everyone's coming clean and unwrapping their emotions this week on The Big Door Prize.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewThe Big Door Prize stares down the barrel at the end of its first season with the first lovey-dovey installment of a two-part finale.

The Apple TV+ sci-fi comedy about a machine that predicts the futures of the busybodies in a small town — and changes a few too many lives in the process — puts on a big display of emotional fireworks in “Deerfest: Part One.” It’s one of the finest episodes of the season.

Schmigadoon! pulls out all the stops for season two finale [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Jane Krakowski, Jaime Camil, Tituss Burgess, Dove Cameron, Aaron Tveit, Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming in ★★★★☆
The Schmigadoon! season two finale was great. Will we get a season three?
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ musical comedy Schmigadoon! wraps its second season with an action-packed episode this week entitled “Over and Done.” Josh and Melissa are being held captive, and unless some unlikely people decide to change their ways and recover from past wounds, they’ll be killed or married — or both!

It’s a lovely little wrap to the big-hearted show’s second season.

The Big Door Prize is (almost) all about Izzy this week [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Crystal Fox in ★★★★☆
As usual, Izzy (played by Crystal Fox) just can't stand not being the center of attention.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewThe Big Door Prize focuses on the prickly mayor of Deerfield this week. The Apple TV+ show, about a small town interrupted in a big way by a machine that’s supposed to be capable of telling people’s futures, digs deep into the hidden feelings among Deerfield’s citizenry.

The episode, entitled “Izzy,” proves very affecting.

Jealousy and leaks fuel this week’s Ted Lasso [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Brendan Hunt, Jason Sudeikis and Gus Turner in ★★★☆☆
Ted (played by Jason Sudeikis, center) gets to spend some quality time with his son, Henry (Gus Turner, right) and Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewTed Lasso finds almost everyone in a rut this week. Keeley is a wreck after leaked footage of her reaches the internet, and it may have even worse consequences than she fears. Ted thinks his wife is going to get engaged to someone else — and he’s not handling it well.

The thornier-than-usual episode, entitled “We’ll Never Have Paris,” still comes with the usual gallon of sentimentality we expect from the most popular show on Apple TV+.