Netflix’s landmark 80s-set sci-fi and horror hit has given us some beloved characters like Eleven, Max Mayfield, Steve Harrington, Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers, Lucas Sinclair, and Nancy Wheeler. It’s also given the world some incredibly intriguing villains, terrifying mysteries, and immersive settings, so if you want to ensure that your knowledge of Hawkins, the Upside Down, and all your favorite characters is up to date when the final adventure premieres, you’ll not only want to try and catch the Stranger Things prequel play but read the official tie-in novels, as well.

The post The End of ‘Stranger Things’ Is Nigh! Have You Read All the Books Yet? appeared first on The Mary Sue.

While this dramatic turn-of-the-century series may not have been a truly feminist masterpiece, it was unapologetically about women and for women, as the three “Charmed” sisters tried to balance their professional and personal lives with their magical duties. I wanted to be them when I grew up. I wanted to be as free-spirited as Phoebe, as loving as Piper, and as steadfast and strong as Prue—Doherty’s Prue, especially, was a big part of the show’s initial success, and she has remained one of my all-time favorite characters.

The post ‘Charmed’ Was Never Quite the Same After Prue Halliwell’s Exit appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Kathryn Hahn nailed it, of course—her “theme song,” in particular, proved how fun and compelling this iteration of the character could be—but what was really left to say? How far would Marvel really be willing to go? All I could hope was that they wouldn’t be giving us a prequel series, as the flashbacks in WandaVision had been enough. If the MCU was going to commit to this, they needed to provide us with something new.

The post The ‘Agatha All Along’ Trailer Reaffirms My Love for One Controversial MCU Movie appeared first on The Mary Sue.

On July 11, 2024, BritBox and UKTV announced that filming for Sister Boniface Mysteries season 4 had just commenced, with Lorna Watson and co. returning to the Cotswolds to film the next series of the hit cozy murder mystery drama. As such, Sister Boniface Mysteries season 4 is on track to release next year on BritBox in the U.S. and UKTV’s platforms in the U.K., but not before another rousing Christmas special is released during this year’s festive period.

The post Don’t Worry, ‘Sister Boniface Mysteries’ Will Return for Season 4! appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Both are English period romances based on books, so naturally, much of the same audience attached to Bridgerton season 3 latched on to My Lady Jane. There’s no such thing as too much period romance, after all. And yet, though the similarities between the two shows basically stop there, entertainment outlets and fans on social media alike have taken to pitting the two series against one another. My question is simple: why?

The post Why Are We Pitting ‘My Lady Jane’ and ‘Bridgerton’ Against Each Other? appeared first on The Mary Sue.

By the end of D.I. Ray season 2, episode 3, “The Hunt for Rav,” she does at least have a solid lead, however, though it certainly came at a price. After visiting her corrupt cop of an ex-fiancé, who once again tried to use their history to manipulate her, she now knows she needs to find a man named Lou Kirby, a co-founder of the Chapman gang. As her ex, Martyn (Jamie Bamber), reveals, Kirby was released from a 20-year stint in prison less than a month before Frank Chapman was brutally murdered. Coincidence? Perhaps not.

The post Will the Chapman Case Finally See Significant Progress In ‘D.I. Ray’s Next Episode? appeared first on The Mary Sue.

As revealed by Radio Times, “there were calls to remove Scott just days before filming” of Fleabag season 2 was meant to start. Former BBC Director of Comedy Shane Allen, who originally commissioned the series, told Radio Times that, when Amazon co-financed the second season of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s groundbreaking traumatic sitcom, the company’s executives just couldn’t keep their terrible opinions to themselves.

The post What Do You MEAN Amazon Execs Almost Robbed Us of ‘Fleabag’s Hot Priest?! appeared first on The Mary Sue.

This vicar’s a little different, though. Charming, handsome, distrustful Alphy Kotterm (Rishi Nair) has no desire to work with the police to solve the various distressing murders in Grantchester and its surrounds—initially, at least. While that may make DI Keating’s job a little easier, we have no doubt these two will warm up to one another soon. Thankfully, Grantchester has been renewed for season 10, so we’ll get to learn more about their tentative friendship as the show moves on, full steam ahead.

The post New Vicar, New Mysteries—Here’s What We Know About ‘Grantchester’ Season 10 appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Well before season 2 even aired in the U.K. on BBC One and BBC iPlayer earlier this year—in fact, even before they’d finished filming season 2—the BBC confirmed it had commissioned two more seasons of the hit drama series, which follows new police recruits Grace Ellis (Siân Brooke), Tommy Foster (Nathan Braniff), and Annie Conlon (Katherine Devlin) as they learn what it means to be a response police officer in such a complex, storied city. By the end of season 2, they’re no longer really rookies, though they’ll undoubtedly carry their past experiences with them as they head into seasons 3 and 4.

The post ‘Blue Lights’ Officers May No Longer Be Rookies, but They Aren’t Done Learning Just Yet appeared first on The Mary Sue.

There is one recurring theme, above all, that truly affects and unites Blue Lights’ ensemble this season: grief. After the tragic and traumatic death of Gerry Cliff (Richard Dormer) at the end of Blue Lights season 1, Belfast’s young, hungry recruits got their first true taste of the dangerous and lethal nature of their new jobs. Naturally, they’d carry that grief with them—Tommy (Nathan Braniff), especially, was very close to Gerry—but these characters’ stories aren’t weighed down by their grief. Instead, they’re propelled forward by it.

The post ‘Blue Lights’ Season 2 Is a Perfect Example of How to Handle Grief on Screen appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Doctor Who season 14—or season 1, if you’ve only just joined us—came to an explosive yet emotional end as Ruby (Millie Gibson) was finally reunited with her birth mother after helping the Doctor save the world from Sutekh, a vengeful deity hellbent on destroying all life in the universe.

The post There Are Plenty More Bonkers ‘Doctor Who’ Episodes Still to Come appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Death and violence are an intrinsic part of House of the Dragon. I would argue, however, that the show’s true strength often lies in how it deals with the consequences of that violence rather than the violence itself. Not all horror is necessarily reliant on blood and gore. Sometimes, it’s the quiet moments of grief, the way characters are manipulated and shunned and abused in the aftermath of Westeros’ trademark savagery that truly leave you feeling sick and horrified.

The post ‘House of the Dragon’ Is at Its Best When Its Horror Isn’t Brutally Violent appeared first on The Mary Sue.

We’re so keen to know how Geordie (Robson Green) and Grantchester’s new vicar, Alphy Kotteram (Rishi Nair) will continue to get on once they officially meet in season 9’s third episode. Tom Brittney’s Will Davenport will be missed, of course, but we’ve got a feeling that Alphy’s charming distrust of the police and Geordie’s never-ending stubbornness will create an unforgettable dynamic—and maybe upend the sleepy village of Grantchester to boot.

The post They Won’t Make Us Wait Too Long for ‘Grantchester’ Season 10, Right? appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Based on the books by Sherryl Woods, Sweet Magnolias follows childhood best friends Dana Sue (Brooke Elliot), Maddie Townsend (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), and Helen Decatur (Heather Headley) as they navigate parenthood, romance, heartbreak, and thriving careers in the small but welcoming town of Serenity. The show’s season 4 renewal was reportedly never in question, as it draws a massive audience—much like Netflix’s other adapted small-town drama, Virgin River, does—and Sweet Magnolias’ future was officially announced on October 19, 2023, three months after season 3 originally premiered on Netflix.

The post ‘Sweet Magnolias’ Season 4 Is Inching Closer to a Release Date appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Though the first series mainly followed Detective Danny Frater’s (James Nesbitt) search for the tragic truth after finding his estranged daughter in a mortuary, her mother will be taking center stage this time, joined by some familiar faces and new cast members. The show will pick up where season 1 left off, with a disturbing confession made under hypnosis forcing Susannah to embark on a potentially lethal mission to save a life. Will she be able to save someone this time around when she wasn’t able to save her own daughter?

The post A Mother’s Desperate Quest for the Truth Continues in ‘Suspect’ Season 2 appeared first on The Mary Sue.

In 2023, Apple TV+ released new episodes of The Buccaneers’ premiere season on a weekly basis, which garnered critical praise and steady viewership. The show’s first season culminated in an emotional finale in which Nan St. George (Kristine Frøseth) sacrificed her own happiness to save her sister, Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) from a horrendous marriage. But can a show based on an incomplete novel really produce a second season?

The post Will ‘The Buccaneers’ Return for Another London Season? appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Though the vicars may come and go, as Grantchester season 9 will introduce the show’s third Reverend, Alphy Kotteram (Rishi Nair), the sets and locations have remained the same, giving the show an authentic and familiar quality that keeps viewers coming back for more. And unlike many other fan-favorite cozy murder mystery shows, which are often set in fictional villages or towns (think Death in Paradise, Midsomer Murders, and more), Grantchester is an actual, real-life town—and much of the show is filmed there.

The post Keen to See Where ‘Grantchester’ Is Filmed? Here’s What You Need to Know appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Daemon (Matt Smith), of course, has wasted no time in getting revenge, and the second season’s premiere episode, “A Son for a Son,” ended with a terrible act of violence—and that’s putting it mildly. The war has only just begun, however, and season 2, which will consist of a total of eight episodes, promises more of everything that makes this world so compelling; a potent mix of politics, violence, secrets, and dragons. Both sides will be vying for the loyalty of Westeros’ great houses, amassing armies and dragons to fight for their right to rule the Seven Kingdoms.

The post Which Side Are You On? Here’s Where to Watch ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Grantchester season 9 may have only just begun on PBS Masterpiece—new episodes air weekly on Sundays in the U.S. until August 4—but ITV and PBS are moving full steam ahead with the next season, which is set to begin filming on location in the U.K. this July. In this age of streaming, Grantchester is one of a handful of shows that has a consistent, yearly release schedule, so its enduring popularity is no surprise. As it stands, Grantchester season 10 may well premiere in the spring or summer of 2025.

The post Thank Heavens! ‘Grantchester’ Season 10 Is Officially in the Works appeared first on The Mary Sue.

Though the previous two seasons of the show were produced and distributed by the BBC exclusively on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the U.K. and BritBox internationally, it’s now Amazon Prime Video that is bringing us The Mallorca Files season 3. Currently, seasons 1 and 2 are only available to watch via Amazon Freevee, though they will be available to Prime customers later this summer as season 3’s premiere draws near.

The post Get Ready for Some Sun—‘The Mallorca Files’ Season 3 Finally Has a Release Date! appeared first on The Mary Sue.