Sonal Pandya

Marvel’s Wonder Man is a different kind of superhero series with fewer characters and an engaging story about an actor trying to break into Hollywood, while hiding a terrifying secret. The eight-episode series is co-created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest and features Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, a struggling actor looking for the role that will change his life. Enter the perfect project with Wonder Man and an old familiar face with Iron Man 3’s Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley). The superhero series veers away from the usual Marvel tropes and instead creates a refreshingly honest and emotional story of two friends who connect over shared passions.

Sophie Turner stars in the London heist thriller Steal, which escalates the drama with each episode. Creator and writer Sotiris Nikias takes viewers into the largest armed robbery in British history as a pension-fund investment company is looted right in their own offices. The twisty drama follows Turner’s Zara, who finds herself at the heart of the mystery and police investigation as she tries to save herself. With a small cast of characters that are hard to read, the Amazon Prime Video series Steal is a bingeable watch for the weekend.

There are a lot of familiar themes in the Game of Thrones (GOT) spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Based on the Dunk and Egg novellas from George RR Martin, the six-part series follows a different kind of hero, a hedge knight named Dunk, who wants to make a name for himself. This is the story of the gentle giant who goes on to become Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his trusty squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). Created by Martin and Ira Parker, the HBO series stands out from the other shows in this world, GOT and House of the Dragon. What makes A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms more appealing is its story of the underdog who goes up against the noblest names in the kingdom. This tale of valour and honor will immediately grab attention.

Planes, trains, and automobiles. If there is a third season of Hijack, a car seems the most likely scenario. Until then, the series has relocated to snowy, cold Berlin for its second season. Idris Elba stars as the unlucky Sam Nelson, who finds himself in another life-or-death situation after the Flight KA29 hijacking. Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, the Apple TV series gives Sam Nelson a personal reason to be invested in this latest hijack. The eight-episode series cannot sustain the tension as it introduces new obstacles for Sam to face.

Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke and The White Lotus’s Haley Lu Richardson team up as two American women bound by the same fate in an unknown country. The dramedy Ponies, created by Susanna Fogel and David Iserson, has the two women who are opposites in every way become undercover CIA operatives to solve a personal case. While the situations the two find themselves in grow increasingly wild and unbelievable, the actresses manage to carve space within the story for their characters to stand out. The title Ponies stands for ‘Persons of No Interest’ in intelligence terms.

After 10 years, Tom Hiddleston is back in The Night Manager for a second season. Much time has passed since we last saw the character Jonathan Pine, but the spy world continues to have its shadowy figures ready to plunge civilization into darkness. Now, as a more seasoned intelligence agent, Pine tries to chase his past to stop another coup. The British spy thriller, created by David Farr, has a new urgency and even more dangerous criminal in its return on Amazon Prime Video.

The first adaptation of author Emily Henry’s work is off to a flying start. Director Brett Haley stays close to Henry’s work with People We Meet on Vacation, as two best friends, Alex (Tom Blyth) and Poppy (Emily Bader), reunite every summer to travel to new places. Of course, with every trip, their relationship changes as they wonder if they could be right for one another. The Netflix film doesn’t change the genre by any means, but Blyth and Bader elevate the material with their chemistry and witty banter.

After premiering in November 2024 on SonyLIV, Freedom at Midnight has returned to pick up the story after independence was announced for India and Pakistan by the British Raj. The historical drama, created by Nikkhil Advani, is more thoughtful and poignant in this second season as the emotional impact of the Partition hits you deep. Backed by a strong cast and excellent writing, Freedom at Midnight takes viewers right in to the heart of creating the two neighbouring nations and the toll it created for the citizens, then and now.