“Killing Eve”
Synopsis: A deadly cat-and-mouse game is born between an MI5 security operative and a psychopathic assassin.
What You Need To Know: Phoebe-Waller Bridge is wasting no time spending her “Fleabag” capital and has sunk her teeth in adapting Luke Jennings’ Villanelle novellas for the BBC. Sandra Oh (“Grey’s Anatomy”) plays Eve, a bored, career-frustrated mid-level MI5 operative who throws herself into tracking down the very talented, mercurial assassin Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer (“Doctor Foster”). A dangerous back-and-forth develops between the two women, with inevitable consequences for both the spy and criminal worlds.
Release Date: April 8th
“Rellik”
Synopsis: A thriller told in reverse, chronicling a British DCI and his team trying to hunt down a brutal serial killer.
What You Need To Know: Ryan Murphy’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” experiment with reverse chronology narrative was generally viewed as hit-or-miss, but it will be interesting to see if it sparks a trend in television. The BBC/Cinemax series, created by brothers Harry and Jack Williams (“The Missing,” “Liar”), starts with the police shooting of a suspected serial killer who attacks his victims with acid, moving backwards in time following DCI Gabriel Markham (Richard Dormer), a victim and survivor of said killer’s attack, and his team’s (Jodi Balfour, Paterson Joseph, Shannon Tarbet) attempt to find the killer. Bucking the conventional narrative structure could certainly revitalize hoary genres like the police procedural and how viewers absorb and understand storytelling in today’s ever-changing entertainment landscape.
Release Date: April 13th
“Lost in Space”
Synopsis: After crash-landing on an alien planet, the Robinson family fight against all odds to survive and escape, but they’re surrounded by hidden dangers.
What You Need To Know: There’s no need to beat around the bush, but this doesn’t look great. With a proven record now of failures when it comes to original science fiction films, the synopsis and first looks at “Lost in Space” seem to be following the trend. A shame, considering how much we could all use a new and impressive science fiction series. Debuting on Netflix it will have the added hurdle of trying to clear the bar the streaming service has set up when it comes to how its story is told.
Release Date: April 14th
“Jane the Virgin Finale”
Synopsis: A young, devout Catholic woman discovers that she was accidentally artificially inseminated.
What You Need To Know: “Jane the Virgin” lead by soon to be superstar Gina Rodriguez has continued to be a tentpole series for The CW. While it doesn’t come close to pulling in the greatest ratings, it earns much of the channel’s highest accolades and coming in for the finish line of their latest season, it’s difficult to disagree with any of the praise. Having pulled the rug (a well hinted at rug, mind you) out from under the audience’s feet last season with a devastating death, it would be expected for the series to lose its way. Instead, season four has presented some of the most interesting and mature storylines to date with Jane, Rafael, and Petra all grown considerably since their first introductions. With its focus on family and the love that binds us and the storyline they currently have laid out for Xo, Jane’s mother, the finale should be an emotional ride.
Release Date: April 20th
