Series Snapshot 5/28/2026

By: [email protected] on Thu, 05/28/2026 - 10:30

Welcome to the Series Snapshot, a weekly deep dive into the shows topping the streaming charts.

At Netflix this week, a brand new sci-fi adventure, The Boroughs takes the top spot in viewership, after premiering all eight episodes on May 21st. The Boroughs follows a group of retirees who join forces to stop a supernatural evil that harvests human brain fluid. The show incorporates many science fiction ideas, as well as some light-horror elements, which makes sense given its executive producers, Matt and Ross Duffer are the creators of Stranger Things. The new series boasts a veteran cast of Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, and Denis O’Hare, who are highly praised by viewers and critics for committing fully to the world of the show. Some will nitpick the series for a somewhat tortuous plot and occasional cheesy dialogue, but most agree The Boroughs is off to a great start. While Netflix has yet to officially confirm renewal, the creators have expressed they envision a three season arc to tell this story. The Boroughs was created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews.

A fascinating docuseries unseats The Testaments on Hulu this week. The Nightmare Upstairs: What Happened to Ty and Bryn? Has gripped audiences with its premise; when two adolescents are ordered by a court to reunite with their biological father (who they claim abused them) they self-barricade in their bedroom for fifty-four days, and livestream the entire debacle. In 2023, the real life story of Ty and Brynlee Larson was watched live via TikTok, after the siblings capitalized on the platform’s algorithm with concise, highly engaging uploads. Their strategy was thus; if they kept the cameras on 24/7, police would hesitate in using force to breach the room and carry out the court order. Their audience was fed a continuous, fifty four day stream of the two living in their bedroom, sometimes speaking to the livechat, other times doing homework or just sitting around. Viewers in turn felt a sense of responsibility and protection, the more eyes on the kids, the safer they were from police. Critics praise Nightmare Upstairs for its storytelling and footage, but some criticize its journalistic missteps in framing the parents and trauma of the children. The Nightmare Upstairs was directed by Caitlin Keating and Henry Roosevelt.

Euphoria continues its streak as HBO’s most watched for the last seven weeks. The recent penultimate episode stunned viewers with a shocking character death, and next Sunday’s series finale will surely pull huge numbers. Euphoria’s third season has retained extremely high viewership and engagement, despite generally negative reviews. The series which began with its finger-on-the-pulse presentation of adolescence has morphed into a fundamentally different idea with the same all-star cast. The series launched the careers of Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and Hunter Schafer, who have all had huge successes in film, and are season three’s strongest element. Some have embraced the series’ recent genre shift towards a crime thriller, but most still seem disappointed with how Euphoria’s send-off season has progressed. Euphoria was created by Sam Levinson, and will conclude Sunday, May 31 on HBO at 9 P.M. Eastern time.

Amazon Prime’s steamy college romance drama Off Campus is a certified hit, taking another week at the top and setting online discussion boards ablaze. Off Campus is also now the third most-watched debut season for Amazon, behind only The Rings of Power and Fallout. Based on author Elle Kennedy’s bestselling novel The Deal, Off Campus plays the classic fake dating trope- Music nerd Hannah Wells (Ella Bright), tutors hockey captain Garrett Graham, (Belmont Cameli) and in exchange, he helps Hannah make her crush jealous by pretending to date her. The tried and true rom-com formula is punched up by Garrett’s emotional presence and vulnerability, subverting the dumb-jock trope, and writers use the contractual ruse as a means to frame sex-positivity and healthy boundaries. Critics commend the magnetic performances of the series leads, whose palpable chemistry is Off Campus’ main hook. Also praised is the series’ deconstruction of masculinity, fresh dialogue and emotional sincerity, which viewers admit they didn’t expect to find. Off Campus was created by Louisa Levy.

Your Friends and Neighbors defends its spot again, ahead of Margot’s Got Money Troubles. The Jon Hamm led series premiered its first season to generally positive reception, but its second season has been more divisive. Season one was tight, clipped along, and focused on heists, but season two has received criticism for a meandering pace, uninteresting subplots with Coop’s family, and soapy tone. With just two episodes remaining, things are ramping up and viewership continues to increase. This momentum is driven by a massive cliffhanger in recent episodes, and will likely culminate in a high-stakes showdown between Cooper and Owen Ashe (James Marsden) who is universally celebrated as perfectly cast and performed. The second season opted for a slower burn, and that tension is relished by more patient viewers. Apple has greenlit a third season, which has already begun production and will likely air in late spring of 2027. Your Friends and Neighbors was created by Jonathan Tropper.

At Disney Plus, the recent theatrical release of The Mandalorian and Grogu has reignited interest in the story of Din Djarin and “Baby Yoda”, causing the original Mandalorian series to shoot back to number one as the highest streamed series this week. The Mandalorian, which premiered in 2019, became a pop-culture phenomenon, and as a unique adventure in the Star Wars universe, didn’t ask for prior commitment to be enjoyed by new audiences in the way Marvel sometimes does. The series also gambled on keeping Pedro Pascal (not yet a household name) masked for almost the entire series. That mysterious shroud was a major draw, and was even cleverly used to criticize fundamentalism, which gave the show some philosophical depth. The series went on to win fifteen Primetime Emmy awards, two of which went to Ludwig Goransson for his gritty, futuristic soundtrack. The theatrical film release has caused viewers to re-watch the original series as a refresher, and has also inspired first timers to pick up the series. The Mandalorian and Grogu will likely become available for streaming sometime this fall. The Mandalorian was created by Jon Favreau.