“American Gods” – Season 3
What You Need to Know: You can forgive yourself if you’re forgotten that the Starz series “American Gods” was still going on considering it’s been nearly two years since Season 2 aired. The Neil Gaman adaptation has gone through increasing behind the scene hurdles since its start, with shuffling behind the scenes of showrunners and the series looked to be on unsteady footing going into their latest season. Ricky Whittle stars alongside Emily Browning and Ian McShane as they continue their individual plights following the messy but beautiful to look at Season 2. With the culmination of all the work and tension of the first two seasons seeming to come to a head in the upcoming war between the old gods and the new, Season 3 could right the wrongs of the last installment. This year will also see the addition of new faces with Marilyn Manson, Danny Trejo, Blythe Danner, and Iwan Rheon all stepping in to further flesh out the world.
Release Date: Season 3 premieres on January 10 on Starz. – AJ
“Search Party” – Season 4
What You Need to Know: Even as far in as four seasons, the now HBO Max series “Search Party” continues to surprise and upend expectations for fans of the show. Season 4 follows Dory (Alia Shawkat) after she’s been found innocent of the death of Keith Powell but is almost instantly kidnapped by her stalker Chip (Cole Escola). The series finds her group of friends having to put together the pieces and try and locate Dory. The series has always had a handle on its changing tones with our critic writing, “One of the most daring things about the three-season arc of ‘Search Party’ is how much the show allows viewers to question their allegiance to its characters.” As it continues into increasingly darker territory, it will be interesting to see how the comedy of it all plays out. Season 4 will see guest appearances from Susan Sarandon and Ann Dowd.
Release Date: Season 4 premieres on January 14 on HBO Max. – AJ
“Servant” – Season 2
What You Need To Know: M. Night Shyamalan’s Apple TV horror series “Servant” returns for Season 2 this month to give us the creeps once again. The show has a strong following after its successful inaugural season, and like much of Shyamalan’s work, it’s mysterious, compelling, and filled with suspense and plot twists. The series synopsis reads: “Following its suspenseful season one finale, the second season of the thriller takes a supernatural turn. As Leanne returns to the brownstone and her true nature is revealed, a darker future for all lies ahead.” The cast includes Lauren Ambrose (probably best known for her work in “Six Feet Under”, Rupert Grint of the “Harry Potter” series, Toby Kebbell (“Fantastic Four”), and Nell Tiger Free (“Game of Thrones”). Stylishly filmed and deeply haunting, the series will undoubtedly send chills up and down your spine. Although some might say that Shyamalan has a spotty track record, Apple seems very enthusiastic about the future of the series since they have renewed the series for a third season even before the premiere of Season 2, so it’s definitely worthy of a watch this month.
Release Date: Season 2 premieres on AppleTV on January 15. – MO
“WandaVision”
What You Need To Know: In what is rumored to be vastly different than anything Marvel has done before, the Disney+ series “WandaVision” will be interesting as it is fun, with Elizabeth Olsen reprising her role as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch with Paul Bettany’s Vision at her side. As you will recall the two burgeoning lovers suffered greatly in “Avengers: Infinity War” resulting in Vision’s death at the hands of Thanos, so it will be interesting to see how the series plans to tackle that. According to Marvel, the show will blend the style of classic sitcoms with the MCU in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision are two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives when they begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems. The cast includes Kathryn Hahn, Kat Dennings, Randall Park (from “Fresh Off the Boat” and Netflix film with Ali Wong “Always Be My Maybe”), and Teyonah Parris (“Dear White People” and Barry Jenkins’ film “If Beale Street Could Talk”). The show is directly connected to the past and future of the MCU just like other Disney+ series including Tom Hiddleston‘s “Loki” and “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” with Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan. It will be exciting to see where the series goes and in what ways it fits into the groundwork for future Marvel films.
Release Date: The series premieres on Disney+ on January 15. – MO
