Sonal Pandya

The first Daredevil series was launched nearly a decade ago on Netflix and lasted for three seasons. Much has changed in the Daredevil universe, and we’ve seen Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, pop up in the MCU to interact with other characters. However, it is great to see him back in his own show, Daredevil: Born Again, tackling new cases and standing up to Kingpin, aka Wilson Fisk, again. The actors who play these characters step right back into it as the nine-episode series sets up a new collision course for Daredevil and Kingpin. The relative peace of the law firm Nelson Page and Murdock is shattered by a tragic event in the premiere, which spurs Matt (Charlie Cox) to retire his Daredevil persona for a bit. Meanwhile, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) returns after an assassination attempt with a renewed sense of responsibility and decides to run for mayor of New York City. A more sober Matt is focused on his law firm, while Fisk wants to be the people’s politician who wants to rid the city of all its vigilantes. The former rivals have their radars set on high again as events keep pulling them back in each other’s orbit.

Dabba Cartel is an intriguing mix of a desi drug syndicate gone bad and suburban drama, with an added dose of the murky world of pharma industries. But most of all, this crime drama is the story of individuals pushed to the limit even when their intentions are well-meaning. Created by Shibani Akhtar, Vishnu Menon, Gaurav Kapur, and Akanksha Seda, the Netflix series has an impressive cast that does justice to different riveting plotlines that converge at one thrilling juncture. Taking place in the nondescript VivaLife Society in Thane, the so-called drug business starts off small and clandestine until it snowballs into something that has deadly consequences for all involved. There’s another layer of a pharma company covering up their involvement in the distribution of a lethal painkiller. Woven into this are the stories of men and women aiming for a better life, from a couple hoping to migrate to Germany to a maid wanting her young daughter to have nicer things. However, greed and ambition catch up with them, leaving them at a crossroads.

Toxic Town is the true story about an English steel town’s toxic waste that led to birth defects amongst the children. But more than that, the series is about the legal fight to get acknowledgement and justice for the pain and suffering they’ve been through. While the four-part series takes place over many years and tracks the arduous legal battle, Toxic Town is noteworthy for the stellar performances from its British cast led by Doctor Who and Broadchurch’s Jodie Whittaker. The limited series revolves around the working-class town of Corby, where the closing of a steel mill leads to other construction opportunities. However, as the site is developed into something different by negligent crews, under the lax leadership of the city council, the toxins seep into the town, affecting future generations. Mothers Susan (Jodie Whitaker), Tracey (Aimee Lou Wood), and Maggie (Claudia Jessie) all suffer different kinds of trauma as they watch their children suffer and, in Tracey’s case, watch them die. It takes much time, nearly 15 years, before any kind of resolution is reached.

Nickel Boys, directed by RaMell Ross, is up for two Oscar awards at the upcoming ceremony on March 2. It deserved a few more nominations, including one for its cinematography that details the alternating perspectives of its teenage lead characters, Elwood and Turner. This tragic story, adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Colson Whitehead, hits even harder in this visual format, backed by some exceptional performances. Set in 1960s Florida, the story sees change coming to the US in the form of the civil rights movement and space travel, but in some places it feels like time never changed. Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse), a promising young Black teenager with a bright future, is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Transferred to the Nickel Academy, a reform school for juvenile delinquents, he learns how cruel the world can really be. Separated from his beloved grandmother (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), he makes a friend in Turner (Brandon Wilson), who is desperate to escape from the clutches of the evil wardens.

Suits LA is one of the most eagerly awaited shows of the year, and now that it’s here, one can only wonder why it was commissioned. Well, actually, we know why. But this redux of Suits is a disappointment on every level. Creator Aaron Korsh introduces a new shark-like lawyer with Stephen Amell’s Ted Black, aka the new Harvey Specter. But we all know that the original Suits was a lighting in a bottle. This second spinoff from the same universe does not have the same charm as the original nor does it have the characters required to get invested. The spinoff introduces viewers to hot-shot LA lawyer Ted (Amell), who is on the verge of a big merger with his partner Stuart (Josh McDermitt). Amidst the chaos of all this lies the news that his father (Matt Letscher) is dying back in New York. The premiere episode revolves around our introduction of Ted’s world, his fight to keep his firm and glimpses of his troubled past and shaky relationship with his father. A few generic supporting characters flit in and out.

A line from the Tom Cruise starrer A Few Good Men (1992) would be very apt for Surface Season 2. Maybe Jack Nicholson should have shouted, “You can’t handle the truth,” to some of the characters in the show. The Apple TV+ series starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw revolves around a woman named Sophie trying to figure out her past, present, and future after getting amnesia. This season, Surface moves to England, where buried secrets threaten to take over two families. Sophie (Mbatha-Raw), now going by the name Tess, returns to London, where she tracks individuals who were once close to her, hoping to find out the truth about her past. But as the identities of Sophie and Tess continue to co-mingle, she puts herself and others she comes in contact with in more danger. This involves a journalist named Callum (Gavin Drea) and her estranged husband James (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) as they interact with the secretive but wealthy Huntley family and their heirs Quinn (Phil Dunster) and Eliza (Millie Brady).

The 2024 version of The Count of Monte Cristo, starring Pierre Niney, is a stunning and faithful adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 novel about a man who exacts revenge on those who wronged him. Beautifully brought to the screen, the film is one of the most expensive films made in France. This is the kind of film Hollywood has forgotten to tell. Niney’s mesmerising performance as the vengeful Count is the main reason to tune into the film.

Prior to Win or Lose, Pixar Animation Studios’ series have all been spun off from their film franchise. With this new animated series, the studio is branching out into new territory, and it is a delight to see. The eight-episode series created by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates is laugh out loud funny as it tackles every insecurity felt by various members of a middle school team. Interestingly, each episode is told from the viewpoint of a different character, adding to the mystery of who wins the final game. The first two episodes focus on different members of the Pickles softball team. The premiere episode tells the story from Coach Dan’s (voice of Will Forte) daughter Laurie (voice of Rosie Foss). Insecure about her place in her dad’s life, the child of divorce becomes so anxious she manifests her own ‘sweaty’ devil. The second episode belongs teacher Frank (voice of Josh Thomson) who is also the umpire. Still hung up over his ex Monica (Vyvan Pham), he contemplates getting back into the dating scene.