The Why Watch That Talk: Say Hello and Goodbye to TV: The Handmaid’s Tale, Westworld, Suits & More
Season Finales:
Suits (USA)
In need of an associate, big-time Manhattan corporate lawyer Harvey Specter hires the only guy who impresses him — college dropout Mike Ross. The fact that Ross isn’t actually a lawyer isn’t lost on Specter, who believes his new right-hand man is a legal prodigy with the book smarts of a Harvard law grad and the street smarts of a hustler. However, in order to keep their jobs, the charade must remain strictly between these two unconventional thinkers.
McMafia (AMC)
Alex Godman, the English-raised son of an exiled Russian crime family, has spent years trying to evade his family’s past and live on the straight and narrow, running a legitimate business and mapping out a future with his girlfriend Rebecca. As he struggles against the lure of corruption and his family’s former mafia connections, tragedy strikes and he finds himself drawn into the shadowy underworld of international crime, fighting for survival and revenge. “McMafia” is inspired by journalist Misha Glenny’s best-selling book of the same name.
Howards End (Starz)
Helen Schlegel falls for Paul Wilcox, but is rebuffed. Her sister Margaret becomes friends with his mother, who promises her the family house, Howards End. Unfortunately, after her death, the will disappears and it appears the inheritance will disappear. Until the widower, Henry Wilcox, becomes attracted to Margaret.
Season Premieres:
Westworld (HBO)
Westworld isn’t your typical amusement park. Intended for rich vacationers, the futuristic park — which is looked after by robotic “hosts” — allows its visitors to live out their fantasies through artificial consciousness. No matter how illicit the fantasy may be, there are no consequences for the park’s guests, allowing for any wish to be indulged. “Westworld” — which is based on the 1973 Michael Crichton movie of the same name — features an all-star cast that includes Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins and Golden Globe winner Ed Harris.
Into the Badlands (AMC)
AMC’s goal for “Into the Badlands” was twofold: produce a compelling character drama, and introduce the highest caliber of martial arts filmmaking to a weekly, ongoing series. Left in the hands of creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (“Shanghai Noon,” “Smallville”), the series stars Daniel Wu as ruthless, prodigiously skilled warrior Sunny, who mentors teenage boy M.K. during a spiritual journey across a feudal civilization known as the Badlands. With the help of trained assassins like Sunny, the area is ruled by rival barons, and for decades Quinn has consistently outflanked and outmaneuvered his fellow barons to keep the upper hand. His invincibility, however, begins to fade in light of brazen attacks by the newest baron, The Widow, who believes M.K. is the key to her success. As the battle for control of the Badlands heats up, the destinies of the stoic assassin and the impetuous teenager become intertwined.
Genius (Nat Geo)
Season 2 of the Emmy-nominated series “Genius” tells the story behind Pablo Picasso, one of the 20th century’s most influential, controversial, and celebrated artists. Also explored are the muses who inspired him. Starring Antonio Banderas in the titular role, hourlong episodes explore how the Spanish-born Picasso’s passion and creativity were inseparably linked to his personal life, which included tumultuous marriages, numerous affairs and constantly shifting political and personal alliances.
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Based on the best-selling novel by Margaret Atwood, this series is set in Gilead, a totalitarian society in what used to be part of the United States. Gilead is ruled by a fundamentalist regime that treats women as property of the state, and is faced with environmental disasters and a plummeting birth rate. In a desperate attempt to repopulate a devastated world, the few remaining fertile women are forced into sexual servitude. One of these women, Offred, is determined to survive the terrifying world she lives in, and find the daughter that was taken from her.