dramas - page 4

Silo trailer delves into a deep mystery coming to Apple TV+

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Explore the deep mystery of the 'Silo'
In Silo, if the lies don't kill you, the truth will.
Photo: Apple TV+

Silo premieres in May, and Apple TV+ just released the full trailer for the upcoming drama series based on a bestselling trilogy of dystopian novels.

In the series, a few thousand people are left on earth hiding in a mile-deep silo. But what if everything they’ve ever been told about the outside world is a lie?

Heirs duel over wine trove in Drops of God trailer

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The drama series, adapted from Japanese manga, premieres April 21 on Apple TV+
The drama series, adapted from Japanese manga, premieres April 21 on Apple TV+
Photo: Apple TV+

When a young Parisian woman flies to Tokyo after learning of her estranged father’s death there, she finds something unexpected. He has left her the world’s greatest wine collection. It’s worth $148 million. But she can only have it if she defeats a brilliant young wine expert in a series of wine-tasting tests.

That’s the premise neatly poured in the trailer Apple TV+ released Tuesday for Drops of God. The live-action drama series, adapted from a popular Japanese manga (comics), premieres April 21 on Apple TV+.

Ridley Scott’s action epic Napoleon invades theaters in November

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Ridley Scott’s action epic 'Napoleon' invades theaters in November
"To the cineplex!" -- Napoleon, probably.
Photo: Apple TV+

Ridley Scott’s epic starring Joaquin Phoenix as French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte as he conquers Europe will premiere in theaters this autumn. It will later appear on Apple’s streaming service.

The film will tell the story of Napoleon’s ruthless rise to power and his obsessive love for his wife, Empress Josephine.

Extrapolations trades climate doom for invigorating action this week [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Adarsh Gourav in ★★★☆☆
A pair of unlikely allies carry a mysterious cargo through some rough spots in India this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ climate disaster show Extrapolations takes a road trip this week to the sweltering underbelly of a continent in crisis. Across two long days, unlikely allies will transport a secret package that many other interested parties are gunning for.

Extrapolations is essentially an omnibus series about the future, as seen through the eyes of people affected by climate change. That means every episode bears a distinct identity. In this week’s installment, entitled “2059 Part II: Nightbirds,” the creative team hits upon something partly neo-realist, partly Bourne-inspired action and party speculative fiction. It’s the most consistent and engrossing episode of the very patchy show so far.

Hello Tomorrow! hits you with a velvet hammer this week [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Billy Crudup in ★★★★☆
Will Jack (played by Billy Crudup, right) get away with his lunar grift?
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewHello Tomorrow!, the Apple TV+ show about a Space Age con man and the hapless people stuck in his whirlwind, makes a fateful stop at a baseball game this week.

Lunar real-estate salesman Jack Billings goes deeper into his deception now that he’s found a financier with even fewer scruples than he has about cheating people out of their money. And his son Joey, desperate to get through to his dad, decides to finally start trying to put Jack away for his crimes.

Meanwhile, Shirley and Eddie are in deep money trouble and have nowhere nice to turn. And Herb is left picking up after everyone. The episode, entitled “Certain Forces Once Unleashed,” delivers a bracing half-hour of television.

Dear Edward gets its predictably boring happy ending at last [Apple TV+ recap] ★☆☆☆☆

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Colin O’Brien and Taylor Schilling in ★☆☆☆☆
Yay, dear little Edward's smiling at last.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ series Dear Edward brings its tedious first season to a close this week. Edward winds up lost in the big city, sending his adoptive mom Lacey into hysterics. Plus, Dee Dee’s feeling very unappreciated, Shay and Edward get a second chance, Steve and Amanda have a choice to make, and there’s a party on the horizon.

The Dear Edward season finale, entitled “Shelter,” is a whiff of an ending to a whiff of a season. This show, supposedly about grief in the wake of a catastrophic plane crash, turns out to be largely about nothing at all.

Everyone wants a rocket ride on Hello Tomorrow! [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Billy Crudup in ★★★★☆
Salesman/serial liar Jack Billings (played by Billy Crudup) finally finds a situation he can't talk his way out of, this week on Hello Tomorrow!
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewHello Tomorrow! returns for more Space Age shenanigans — and a brutal comeuppance for one of Earth’s biggest liars. The Apple TV+ show about a guy selling bunk timeshares on the moon finally hits the pause button on momentum to allow a devastating realization to sink in.

Salesman/con artist Jack Billings may be more doomed than he thinks, even as he succeeds beyond his wildest dreams. Shirley and Joey have had enough, Myrtle gets the sign she’s been searching for, Herb makes good, and Jack has to save an old hero in this stellar episode, entitled “The Gargon Mothership.”

Extrapolations takes a go at geoengineering terror [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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Edward Norton and Mia Maestro in ★★☆☆☆
Can Edward Norton save the world from climate change? Can anyone?!?
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ limited series Extrapolations steeps itself in sci-fi wonkery this week as members of a tech billionaire family find themselves on opposing sides of a terrorist action meant to move the needle on climate change.

Novelist Dave Eggers joins the show’s writing team this week, and Edward Norton, Indira Varma and Michael Gandolfini lead the cast.

While this isn’t a bad version of what Extrapolations set out to do, the show’s sprawling mission statement remains blinkered.

Truth Be Told season 3 ends with confessions and a judgment call [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Octavia Spencer and Mekhi Phifer in a scene from the ★★★★☆
Poppy (played by Octavia Spencer, left) and Markus (Mekhi Phifer) wrap up loose ends in the Truth Be Told season three finale.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewEva’s been shot and might be dying on this week’s season three finale of Truth Be Told, the Apple TV+ show about a true crime podcaster.

After last week’s shooting, podcaster Poppy goes looking for the truth behind the recent grim series of events. Trini blames herself for Eva’s fate, and Markus has only one more chance to redeem himself. Can they catch the person responsible for all this misery before it’s too late?

The episode, entitled “A Kiss Not Mine Alone,” brings a nicely plotted, excellently performed close to a very fine season.

Truth Be Told whipsaws through another killer episode [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Mychala Lee, Merle Dandridge and Mekhi Phifer in ★★★★☆
Truth Be Told positively brims with strong performances this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewThe search for a mayoral hopeful’s killer takes center stage on this week’s Truth Be Told, the Apple TV+ crime series told through the lens of podcaster Poppy.

Eva’s on the hunt for a killer, but is it a smokescreen for her own guilt? Poppy can’t decide. Markus is still acting out, and it’s getting in the way of his parenting. Plus, Poppy has some secrets of her own to spill. And fate has one last curveball to throw this crew before the season’s final inning.

Dear Edward drowns in guilt and funky fan mail [Apple TV+ recap] ★☆☆☆☆

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Colin O’Brien in ★☆☆☆☆
So. Many. Unbelievable. Letters.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewIt’s all about splitting and coming back this week on Dear Edward, the Apple TV+ series about the tangled web of grief in the wake of a plane crash.

In the episode, entitled “Paper Covers Rock,” Edward acts out at school and is rewarded with a crisis or two he wasn’t aware were coming his way. Plus, Linda goes into labor, Lacey is clueless, Dee Dee doesn’t want group to end, Adriana and Kojo don’t want their time together to end, and Steve and Amanda don’t want their affair to end.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, your Apple TV+ reviewer is anxious for this dreadful series to end. (The good news is, the end is nigh.)

Everyone’s pushing the panic button on Hello Tomorrow! [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Haneefah Wood in ★★★★☆
Shirley (played by Haneefah Wood) isn't the only one demanding answers this week on Hello Tomorrow!
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewHello Tomorrow!, the Apple TV+ show about a salesman running out of ways to talk himself out of damnation, flies into a panic this week. Jack’s celebrity spokesman goes missing, and if he’s found by the wrong people, it could blow his entire operation.

At the same time, Shirley’s starting to wonder about Jack’s lies, and Joey has just stopped believing him entirely. And when Herb gets a brief moment to shine, he blows it immediately. The episode, entitled “Another Day, Another Apocalypse,” delivers another great half-hour of the show with the most verve and wit of anything on the Apple TV+ lineup.

Extrapolations is a sprawling cli-fi disaster [Apple TV+ recap] ★☆☆☆☆

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Episode 1. Sienna Miller in ★☆☆☆☆
The world is ablaze in Extrapolations. Quick, somebody get a fire extinguisher!
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review Astonishingly overwritten and mega-ambitious sci-fi parable Extrapolations, which premiered today on Apple TV+, has a cast of thousands and more than a few things on its mind. None of what show creator Scott Z. Burns (who wrote Contagion and The Bourne Ultimatum) is saying in this show about the impact of climate change can be argued with. But the messages aren’t easily swallowed, either.

Rather than leave room for viewers to draw their own conclusions, Extrapolations sits you down and yells at you for 10 hours of dreary cli-fi drama. It’s certainly distinctive — but that’s not always a good thing.

Truth Be Told reels with revelations this week [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Octavia Spencer and Mekhi Phifer in ★★★★
Poppy (played by Octavia Spencer, left) and Markus (Mekhi Phifer) share an intense moment this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewLots and lots of bad judgment and mistakes come to light on this week’s episode of Truth Be Told, Apple TV+’s true crime podcast drama.

It turns out Emily Mills’ kidnapping was something else altogether. Plus, Poppy is pressing hard into other people’s secrets — and into her own for a change, much to Leander’s chagrin. Markus has hit bottom and can’t seem to pull up. Trini gets a much-needed wake-up call, and Eva can’t stop living in the past.

This week’s very fine episode brings some extremely strong performances, and some equally impactful revelations.

On Hello Tomorrow!, Jack’s cunning lies crash in on him [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Billy Crudup in ★★★★☆
Billy Crudup hits all the right notes in his portrayal of oily lunar grifter Jack Billings.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewHello Tomorrow!, the Apple TV+ show about hucksters selling a place in the sun (on the moon), takes a trip back in time this week as Jack relives some foundational traumas.

Also this week: Shirley thinks she has a way out of the hole that Brightside’s in, while the one that Herb is stuck in gets deeper by the minute. And Joey finds that there is no end to a life of lies once it really gets going.

This week’s offering, entitled “The Numbers Behind the Numbers,” stacks up as a superlative episode of a superlative program.

Tense The Last Thing He Told Me trailer trots out star power

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Jennifer Garner stars in
Jennifer Garner stars in The Last Thing He Told Me and also serves as an executive producer, along with Reese Witherspoon.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ dropped the trailer (below) for the new limited drama series The Last Thing He Told Me Thursday, and it looks like a gripping thriller with a loaded cast.

Based on a bestselling novel and starring Jennifer Garner along with other familiar faces, the show premieres April 14.

Our little monster shows his true colors this week on Dear Edward [Apple TV+ recap] ★☆☆☆☆

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Colin O’Brien in ★☆☆☆☆
It's hard to root for a kid who's this selfish, TBH.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewTrauma-focused Apple TV+ series Dear Edward has even more reckoning to do this week.

First, Adriana gets into hot water with the two men in her life, even as her election looms. Then Lacey and Edward both get rejected, right when they need support the most.

Dee Dee is having housing issues. And Steve and Amanda need some space, as do Shay and Mahira. And frankly, so do I. This frustrating show just keeps on going to uninspired, unearned places.

Explore the deep mystery of the Silo in first trailer

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Explore the deep mystery of the 'Silo'
In Silo, if the lies don't kill you, the truth will.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ just released the first trailer for Silo, an upcoming a drama series based on a bestselling trilogy of dystopian novels.

In the series, a few thousand people are left on earth hiding in a mile-deep silo. But what if everything they’ve ever been told about the outside world is a lie?

Truth Be Told solves one mystery, but more await [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Mekhi Phifer and Ron Cephas Jones in ★★★★☆
Everyone's scrambling to put an end to this sex trafficking ring.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ crime drama Truth Be Told takes a stroll down memory lane this week as Eva remembers her years in the life of sex trafficking, giving her a potential tool to bring a network of bad people to justice.

Meanwhile, Markus is at his wit’s end trying to help Trini reintegrate into her life while looking in vain for justice. Leander and Poppy both have favors to ask of Lee Hackman. And the walls are starting to close in on Andrew Finney and his donors.

On Dear Edward, love causes nothing but predictable problems [Apple TV+ recap] ★☆☆☆☆

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Carter Hudson, Taylor Schilling and Amy Forsyth in ★☆☆☆☆
Selling off your loved ones' belongings is an important part of the grieving process. Everybody's doing it!
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewEveryone’s falling in love this week on grief-riddled Apple TV+ series Dear Edward — but nobody’s happy about it.

Shay and Edward have their 90th falling out, this one over Mahira and Shay’s deadbeat dad. Lacey and John keep having a bad time, while Dee Dee and Zoe need to have a chat about priorities and the future. Kojo and Adrianna are at a stalemate (where they’ve been for the last three episodes), and Steve and Amanda have a lot left to talk about (and not much time left to do it).

The episode, entitled “Folklore,” is a predictably predictable outing for this dreary affair.

Lunar lies start to spin out of control on Hello Tomorrow! [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Haneefah Wood and Hank Azaria deal with a robot in ★★★★
The moon looks a long way away this week on Hello Tomorrow!
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ show Hello Tomorrow! spirals toward infinity this week, as events move faster than ace salesman and born liar Jack Billings can possibly control.

The members of his sales team — Eddie, Joey, Shirley and Herb — are all desperate to know why their dreams of advancement and retirement aren’t any closer to fulfillment. And their customers are just as curious when they’re finally going to be able to live on the moon … if ever.

This terrific new show hits its groove in this week’s episode, entitled “From the Desk of Stanley Jenkins,” by finding one rut after another for its desperate heroes to fall into.

Truth Be Told turns post-trauma reality into high-stakes drama [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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David Lyons and Mekhi Phifer face off in a scene from crime drama ★★★★
Detective Aames (played by David Lyons, left) and Markus (Mekhi Phifer) face off over crime and lack of punishment.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ crime drama Truth Be Told takes a hard look at sexual assault in this week’s episode, entitled “From My Hand the Poisoned Apple.”

True crime podcaster Poppy (played by Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer) must bear witness to the aftermath of her friends Markus and Zarina’s awful ordeal. Their daughter was kidnapped and assaulted by millionaires who might not be held accountable for their actions.

Elsewhere, Desiree and Eva face their own crises in the wake of the police raid on the mansion. And Detective Aames finds himself caught in the middle of everything. It’s a grueling watch, to be sure, but solidly constructed.

Dear Edward adds more survivors to the grief-a-thon [Apple TV+ recap] ★☆☆☆☆

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Jenna Qureshi and Colin O’Brien in a scene from ★☆☆☆☆
Edward (played by Colin O’Brien, right) survived a plane crash. So why is he such a jerk?
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ series Dear Edward spins in circles toward destruction and catharsis this week. The titular Edward, sole survivor of a horrific deadly plane crash, finds himself in the middle of all the grieving widows and widowers — and he’s kind of a dope.

Among the living, it’s basically a nonstop, annoying grief-a-thon. Dee Dee contemplates a future without her daughter and her money. Linda reaches out for help and hopes someone reaches back. Lacey and John realize they must come clean. Shay and Edward engage in their first fight. Adriana must make a hard choice. Steve and Amanda act out some more. Plus, we get even more characters — as if you didn’t need to catch your breath after just reading all of that.

This show’s gotta go.

Moon hucksters head for a meltdown on Hello Tomorrow! [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Billy Crudup plays Jack Billings, who's shown giving a sales presentation for lunar timeshare in a scene from Apple TV+ show ★★★★☆
Who doesn't want their own little piece of heaven on the moon?
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewHello Tomorrow!, the new Apple TV+ show about a depressed Space Age huckster and his team of dreamer lackeys who are selling the moon as fast as they can, heads into stormy weather this week.

Slick salesman Jack must agree to a big little lie to cover up an even bigger lie, while his colleagues Joey and Herb face romantic crises (and Shirley’s at her wit’s end). Disgruntled customer Myrtle and fraud-buster Lester chase a big lead they must follow to achieve satisfaction.

In the episode, entitled “Forms, Appropriately Filled and Filed,” this retro-futuristic wonder is off and running to the moon.

Dear Edward takes a predictable path to boredom [Apple TV+ recap] ☆☆☆

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Colin O’Brien, left, and Taylor Schilling look haggard in a scene from boring Apple TV+ drama ☆☆☆
The makeup crew owes actors Colin O’Brien, left, and Taylor Schilling an apology!
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewThis week on Dear Edward, the Apple TV+ series about the daisy chain of grief that connects dozens of people after a plane crash, survivor Edward learns that his dead brother had a secret girlfriend.

Dee Dee and her daughter have a heart-to-heart that reveals a strained relationship. Kojo and Adriana dance around each other on their way to a relationship. Lacey tries to be a mom. Amanda and Steve make some mistakes. And Edward has a falling out with Shay.

The episode, entitled “Haunted,” doesn’t prove quite as headache-inducing as last week’s. Nevertheless, Dear Edward insists on screenwriting 101 at every turn.