Series Snapshot ~ 1/29/2026

By: [email protected] on Thu, 01/29/2026 - 14:20

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

Netflix’s mystery-thriller His and Hers continues to electrify audiences, holding firm at most streamed for the third week running. The streak is particularly impressive given the series’ brevity; it’s only six episodes, and won’t continue for further seasons. His and Hers’ main hook is the magnetic chemistry from its leading duo: Tessa Thompson, who plays an investigative reporter, and Jon Bernthal, who plays a detective and her estranged husband. Critics point out the stark realism in their scenes, which crackle with jarringly natural delivery against a heightened, noir background in Dahlonega, Georgia. His and Hers was adapted from the novel by Alice Feeney, and was created by William Oldroyd.

On Hulu, Tell Me Lies is once again the platform’s winner, after a strong launch for its third season two weeks ago. The psychological thriller’s recent success is attributed to its somewhat surprising maturation, when the series debuted it was heavily criticized for being too much like a soap-opera, and exhibiting surface level, melodramatic writing. Over time, Tell Me Lies has grown and developed, with more nuanced portrayals of serious topics like abusive relationships and manipulation, earning it a nod from its viewers and critics for its authenticity. Additionally, the stronger writing has inspired better acting, most notably from Grace Van Patten, whose performance as Lucy Albright has been called “mesmerizing” and “devastating”. Tell Me Lies also stars Jackson White, and season three sees the welcome addition of Iris Apatow, and Costa D’angelo, who add new dynamics and blend seamlessly with the established cast. Tell Me Lies was created by Meaghan Oppenheimer, and releases new episodes every Tuesday with a finale set for February 17th.

HBO’s high-fantasy buddy-cop adventure, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes another lap at the top of the streaming charts, earning high scores from critics, and slightly lower scores from audiences, although both seem content with the new Game of Thrones spin-off. Set roughly a century prior to the events of the original Thrones, Seven Kingdoms is a delightfully fresh, tonally different story, enjoying a slightly “sillier” atmosphere in comparison. Perhaps praised most of all is the impeccable casting, with Peter Claffey playing Sir Duncan the Tall, and his squire, Egg, played by the immensely talented Dexter Sol Ansell, who committed to shaving his head for the role, and was called “the best child actor on planet earth” by showrunner Ira Parker. Daniel Ings is also shouted out as fantastic support as Sir Lyonel Baratheon, a Falstaffian, larger than life compadre. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has already been renewed for a second season, and was adapted from the novellas by George R. R. Martin.

Fallout viewership remains high this week, but loses its spot to a new series, Steal, which “steals” the most-watched title. Steal is a crime thriller starring Sophie Turner, who plays Zara Miller, a trade processor for a pension fund investment firm in London. Zara’s life is turned upside-down when armed thieves break in and force her and her coworker Luke (played by Archie Madekwe) to transfer four billion pounds to an offshore account. Reviews are mixed, ranging from quite high, to fairly poor. Some critics call it a career best for Turner, but both audiences and critics admit some episodes drag. A few other pain points are also pointed out- a musical score that is sometimes overpowering, distracting from scene work, as well as some flat performances from the supporting cast. Steal is a quick watch however, at just six episodes. While not officially stated, a continuation with further seasons is unlikely, due to a clean wrap up. Steal was written and created by Sotiris Nikias, who took inspiration from his own time working in the financial sector, and imagined how such a heist might unfold.

For AppleTV, Hijack, Tehran and Pluribus once again take the top three spots. Despite its high viewership, Hijack’s new season fails to capture audiences as the original 2023 season. While season one received high ratings across the board, season two faces a slew of valid criticism; viewers bemoan obvious plot holes and logic gaps, a lower-stakes environment, and a forgettable supporting cast. There seems to be consensus however that Idris Elba continues to deliver an excellent performance despite the new season’s setbacks, and remains the biggest draw for viewers. New episodes of Hijack release every Wednesday, a change from season one’s strategy in releasing all episodes at once. As of right now, no news from Apple whether the show will renew for a third season.

Ryan Murphy’s new body-horror series, The Beauty, is most-streamed on Disney Plus this week, ahead of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The Beauty explores the spread of a fictional disease that causes those infected to become beautiful, perfect versions of themselves, only to die horrifying, gruesome deaths about two years later. FBI agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) work together to find answers to the new epidemic, travelling to New York, Paris, and Venice. Ashton Kutcher plays the mysterious billionaire mogul who first invents the disease, in the form of a drug that participants willingly take as the ultimate beauty supplement, that later devolves into an out of control virus, transmitted sexually. According to Murphy, The Beauty satirizes the recent surge in Ozempic prescriptions, and the culture around it. The series has also been compared to the 2024 film The Substance, which was nominated for several academy awards and won for Best Make-up and Hairstyling. While there’s no official confirmation on a second season, it wouldn’t be a surprise based on The Beauty’s successful debut.