It's TV Talk! Each week, we're joined by professional critics to review the latest television series. This week, we have Kristen Baldwin, TV critic for Entertainment Weekly, and Dominic Patten, executive editor for Deadline Hollywood. What do they think of the comedy We Are Lady Parts? And what about the season finale of Hacks?
Let's get into it...
We Are Lady Parts
We Are Lady Parts is a British sitcom following a Muslim punk rock group called Lady Parts, as seen through the eyes of a geeky PhD student who is recruited to be their unlikely lead guitarist. Now in its second season, the band competes with another Muslim punk band on the scene.
What does Dominic Patten think?
"I love this show. I literally have guitar picks of We Are Lady Parts."
Why does it work?
"When it debuted in 2021, it just seemed like a unique breath of fresh air, taking an old trope of underground misfits coming together as a band with all the usual suspects but throwing in this notion of these being Muslim women in Britain."
And what about the music?
"Here's the thing that really gets me, and I say this as a former punk rocker myself — the songs are great too!"
All six episodes of season two are available on Peacock.
"It just seemed like a unique breathe of fresh air, taking an old trope of underground misfits coming together as a band with all the usual suspects but throwing in this notion of these being Muslim women in Britain."
Clipped
Laurence Fishburne, Jacki Weaver, Ed O’Neill and Cleopatra Coleman star in the new mini-series Clipped, which takes you behind the scenes of notorious NBA owner Donald Sterling’s racist remarks, which were captured on a tape. The series charts the tape’s impact on an ensemble of characters striving to win against the backdrop of the most cursed team in the league.
What does Kristen Baldwin think?
"This is pretty entertaining. Ed O'Neill is great as Donald Sterling."
However...
"I do wish it spent a little more time on the scandal's effect on the players themselves. The players were left with a real decision in the aftermath of the tape's release. Do they continue playing for a racist or give up everything they've worked so hard to achieve?"
Episode one premieres Tuesday, June 4 on FX on Hulu.
Hacks
Multi-Emmy winner Jean Smart, along with Hannah Einbinder, star in the dark comedy that explores the mentorship between a famous comedian and an up-and-coming writer. The Season 3 finale was released this week. And Max is giving the people what they want — Hacks season four has been announced!
What does Dominic Patten think?
"This is a great finale. Finales are hard. I'm a big believer there's only really two or three that are really good," which according to Patten are the second Newhart series and Six Feet Under.
What's one thing that really worked this season?
"The finale sets the next season up and pivots in a whole new direction. One thing I particularly loved was the introduction of J. Smith Cameron as Kathy Vance, Jean Smart's character's long estranged sister."
Episode nine is now available on Max.
"This is a great finale. Finales are hard. I'm a big believer there's only really two or three that are really good."
Evil
Season four of Evil is underway. This final season is full of sleuthing, deviant robot dogs and possessed pork. Sound intriguing? There's family drama, work-related dynamics, and best of all, it never takes sides. You might want to tune in as the show is coming to an end.
What does Kristen Baldwin think?
"I love this show so much."
What does Dominic Patten think?
"This show is fantastically good. This final season brings us the long gestating showdown..."
Why does it work?
"This show is a really weird and wonderful blend of relatable drama with clever philosophical quandaries and equal opportunity satire. It doesn't take a side. Religion, science — it all gets skewered. I'm really going to miss this show," Kristen added.
The first two episodes are available now on Paramount+. Episodes release weekly.
"This show is a really weird and wonderful blend of relatable drama with clever philosophical quandaries and equal opportunity satire. It doesn't take a side. Religion, science, it all gets skewered."
The Outlaws
From creators Elgin James and Stephen Merchant comes the third season of The Outlaws on Amazon Prime Video. The series follows seven strangers from different walks of life who are forced together to complete a Community Payback sentence, set in Bristol. However, their luck changes when they discover a bag full of money, unaware that its true owners are very dangerous.
What does Dominic Patten think?
"It's probably going to be the last season. It's a perfect way of ending it because it really gets you personal with the people you've invested in. Like Evil, you know the characters, but don't know the turns the show till take."
Why does it work?
"The Outlaws takes a real shift in its third season...this season goes much more personal with the characters, and I think that's a really smart move."
Season three premieres Friday on Amazon Prime Video.
