Premieres Wednesday: The Handmaid's Tale — Season 4 of the series you're tired of referring to as "eerily prescient" includes three episodes directed by star Elisabeth Moss. Originally, she was only going to direct one, but a few opportunities sprang up due to the pandemic. You know, just like there's going to be an opening any minute for a guitarist in Ted Nugent's band. (Hulu)
Headspace Guide to Sleep — Seven animated episodes teach you how to nod off when you need to. Wait a minute, does this mean Terrence Malick stopped making movies? (Netflix)
Premieres Thursday: Deadhouse Dark — You know those mystery boxes you can order that contain a bunch of tchotchkes themed to your particular hobbies and interests? Well, the protagonist of this six-episode series wishes she had never heard of 'em, because the box she got is full of indescribable supernatural horrors. So don't feel bad if the worst you've had to put up with was a Hawkeye bumper sticker when you wanted an Ant-Man maquette. (Shudder)
Looney Tunes Cartoons Season 1D — Strap in for 10 more animated shorts that have been scrubbed of the nasty gunplay of yesteryear. Because you'll notice nobody shoots up their school anymore now that Elmer Fudd only carries a vape pen. (HBO Max)
Things Heard & Seen — Amanda Seyfried and James Norton play a young couple who discover that the home they've purchased in New York state is as awash in terrible secrets as their marriage. See, this is why I rent. Partners, I mean. (Netflix)
Yasuke — It's Lakeith Stanfield voicing the title character in this historically based animated series about an African guy who served as a samurai in 16th-century Japan. I'm sure there's a great joke in here somewhere, but I'm told anime should only punch up. (Netflix)
Premieres Friday: The Disciple — Mumbai is the setting for a soul-searching drama about a vocalist who's introduced to Indian classical music by his father but questions his own ability to excel in the art form. It's like The Jazz Singer, but with imposter syndrome instead of Neil Diamond. (Netflix)
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of the Falcon and the Winter Soldier — Now that Season 1 is over, learn the production secrets behind the best-loved mixed-race buddy story since I Spy. (I was going to say Biden/Harris, but good luck figuring out if that's punching up!) (Disney+)
The Mitchells vs. the Machines — The great Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, The Lego Movie) bring us the story of an all-American family drawn into battle with evil robots intent on using our planet's mechanical devices against us. Getting a surprising pass from Mom: that thing in her purse that looks like a big electric toothbrush and hums when you sit on it. (Netflix)
Tom Clancy's Without Remorse — The Hemingway of cryptofascist beach reads, the late Clancy now seems like a quaint throwback to the days when outwardly reasonable people actually believed that Russia was a direct threat to the American way of ... oh, right. Listen, instead of admitting Clancy was ahead of his time, I'll just note that this adaptation of his 1993 novel stars Michael B. Jordan, who also produced the thing and apparently did a bunch of his own stunts and stuff. Just don't ask me what Clive Cussler thought about Syria. (Amazon Prime)
Premieres Tuesday: Selena: The Series — In a fresh batch of episodes, Christian Serratos again plays the legendary Tejano singer who'd be alive today if only Elmer Fudd had used a Super Soaker. Have a great week, everybody! And keep punching sideways! (Netflix)
