1. Lanterns Ep. 2
88/100 –HBO Max– Next Ep. August 30 – 6:00 PM*
Lanterns delivers yet another fantastic episode of television this week, and any worry that the show wouldn’t lean far enough into its space sci-fi side has been thoroughly put to rest. The balance between the grounded detective work and the cosmic scale is handled perfectly here, giving the series a texture nothing else on TV is currently matching. Hal Jordan and John Stewart remain endlessly entertaining together, with a partnership dynamic that continues to feel authentic to both characters rather than manufactured for the format. The Manhunter storyline is a genuine highlight, and bringing Sinestro into the picture is about as entertaining as this show could get this early into its run. Two episodes in, Lanterns is comfortably the best episode of the week and the most exciting thing DC has put on screen in years.
2. Furious Ep. 6
87/100 – Hulu – Next Ep. August 23 9:00 PM
Furious delivers its best episode yet with its sixth entry, as Alice and Catherine finally come face-to-face in the confrontation the season has been building toward since the premiere, and has helped it stand out. What elevates this beyond just the payoff is the material surrounding it, particularly the reveals tying Alice’s own childhood into the investigation, giving Emmy Rossum’s performance a new layer of complexity right when the show needed it most. The balance between dark reveals and genuine comedy is handled with real precision here, never letting either tone swallow the other and proving once again that this show’s greatest strength is character work rather than procedural mechanics. Emmy Rossum and Lola Petticrew are both operating at the top of their game in these scenes, and episode six shines at the top of this week’s rankings as the clearest proof yet that Furious is one of the best new shows of the year.
3. Ted Lasso Season 4 Ep. 3
86/100 – Apple TV+ – Next Ep. August 25– 6:00 PM*
Ted Lasso continues building out its new chapter this week as Ted and the Lady Greyhounds work to establish themselves in the second division. Meanwhile, Alice Chilton and Ted’s coaching philosophies come further into focus, with Beard now added back into the group. This one isn’t nearly as good as episode two, but the vision for the season is much clearer now, and the show is finding its footing faster than the premiere suggested it might. The new characters are the real highlight here, particularly the striker Gemma, whose goal-scoring moment and backstory make her a perfect foil for Ted and this season’s best plotpoints, and whose developing relationship with Alice gives the coaching staff a genuinely compelling new dynamic to build around. It’s a slightly weaker episode in isolation, but Ted Lasso is clearly settling into what this season wants to be, and there’s plenty here to be optimistic about heading into the back half.
4. Lioness Season 3 Ep. 4
85/100 – Paramount+ – Next Ep. August 30– 12:00 AM*
Finally caught up on all of Lioness for this week’s rankings, and it turns out the show has been quietly delivering some of the most consistently gripping television going. The first two seasons are genuinely great, and this fourth season continues that run with an episode that’s among the better things you can watch on TV right now. Joe and Cruz remain absurdly good week after week, with Zoe Saldaña and Laysla De Oliveira anchoring a dynamic that never loses its tension no matter how many operations these characters run. The new Russian woman at the center of this season’s Lioness operation is a fantastic addition, giving the season a compelling focal point and keeping us constantly intrigued about where this is all heading. Episode four is a strong entry in a show that deserves far more attention than it gets.
5. Silo Season 3 Ep. 8
85/100 – Apple TV+ – Next Ep. August 27– 9:00 PM*
Silo turns in yet another stellar episode with its eighth, weaving together the plots from both this season and the last in a genuinely well-orchestrated way that finally makes the season’s slower stretches feel purposeful. Juliette’s push to communicate with the neighboring silo continues to drive the momentum, while the threads that felt scattered earlier in the run start converging with real precision. Silo still hasn’t reached the peaks of season one, and the past storyline remains the weakest element of the whole show, but season three’s back half is shaping up nicely and heading into the finale with genuine momentum. Rebecca Ferguson continues to anchor everything as she has since the beginning, and Silo is finally looking like the show fans fell for in the first place.
6. Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 Ep. 1 - 2
85.0/100 –Hulu – Next Ep. August 24 – 6:00 PM*
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia returns for its eighteenth season with two episodes that keep the Gang up to their usual chaos, and while this remains our favorite comedy series of all time, these openers don’t quite hit the level we’ve come to expect from the show at its best. The jokes still land consistently and Dennis, Mac, Charlie, Dee, and Frank are all as sharp as ever in their delivery, but the bits themselves feel a little more familiar than inspired coming out of the gate. There’s still nothing else on television that operates with this much comfort and confidence in its own voice, and even a middling Sunny episode clears most comedies outright. Still, the bits need to get a bit more creative for this show to keep sitting this high in our rankings, and we’re hoping the season builds from here.
7. One Piece Ep. 1175
85/100 – Crunchyroll – August 30 7:15 AM
One Piece turns in another solid but slowly paced episode this week as the Straw Hats continue navigating the escalating conflict on Elbaph, with the Giants’ storyline pushing forward at a measured crawl. The back half of this Elbaph arc hasn’t been as impressive as we’d hoped, spending more time in setup and conversation than in the kind of momentum the earlier stretch built so effectively. The animation and world-building remain top tier as always, and there’s clearly a big payoff being assembled here, but the pacing is testing patience more than it should. It still sits high on our list because even a slow One Piece week clears most of what’s airing, though this arc needs to start delivering on what it’s been promising.
8. Trying Season 5 Ep. 7
84/100 – Apple TV+ – Next Ep. August 25 – 6:00 PM*
Trying delivers another solid entry this week, separating Nikki and Jason from the kids for a wedding they weren’t invited to in a way that pushes everyone’s development forward rather than simply resetting the board. Princess and Tyler get room to breathe on their own, and the space actually clarifies where each of these characters is headed as the season moves toward its conclusion. It’s not the best Trying episode by any means, but it’s arguably the second-best of the season behind last week’s standout, keeping the momentum going after the show finally found its footing. This remains one of the more reliably warm and well-written comedies on television, and season five is closing out in strong form.
9. Lucky Ep. 7
83/100 – Apple TV+ – Series Complete
Lucky wraps up its run with a really solid finale, one that doesn’t quite reach the heights we’d hoped for but sticks the landing well enough. The choice to have Lucky ultimately leave her dad behind is the strongest decision the episode makes, giving the season an emotional throughline that pays off rather than reaching for a tidier resolution. Anya Taylor-Joy carries the finale the way she’s carried the entire season, anchoring one of the smartest and most entertaining female leads Apple TV+ has produced in a while. It’s not the best ending we’ve seen this year, but it’s strong enough to carry Lucky to a place among the better shows of the year so far, and a genuinely rewarding watch across its full run.
10. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S.4 Ep. 19
82/100 – Crunchyroll – August 28 7:00 AM
Slime finally delivers the payoff it’s been stalling on for weeks, as Rimuru’s forces fully engage Granbell’s assault with Diablo, Shion, and Ranga all pushed into the thick of it, and real consequences finally landing on the board. This is easily the best episode of the season by a large margin, giving every one of these characters something meaningful to do rather than shuffling them between conversations and setup. The fight itself is genuinely well animated and staged properly, a welcome change after a season that kept promising action and delivering exposition instead. Most importantly, the ramifications here actually stick, moving the storyline forward in a way that makes the slower episodes leading up to it feel slightly more justified in hindsight. If the back half of this season can maintain anything close to this energy, the whole run might end up redeeming itself.
11. The Ghost in the Shell Ep. 7
82/100 – Prime Video – Next Ep. August 25 – 7:00 AM*
Ghost in the Shell steps back up this week as Motoko and Section 9 dig further into the cyber-crime case that’s been driving the season’s back half. It’s a clear improvement over last week’s low point, with the animation and overall sci-fi atmosphere landing especially well here and reminding you why this remake has been such a thoughtful entry in an increasingly crowded anime season. The reflective, dialogue-driven approach works better in this episode than it has in a while, giving the story room to breathe without feeling like it’s stalling. At this point, it seems clear the show sits comfortably in this range on our rankings pretty consistently, and episode seven is another solid, if unspectacular, week for it.
12. Big Brother Season 28 Ep. 21 - 23
82/100 – CBS/Paramount+ – Next Ep. August 26 – 8:00 PM*
Big Brother turns in its best week of the season by a considerable margin, headlined by the Devens play to get Kamu out, easily the highlight of the entire run so far. That move finally shakes up a house dynamic that had been feeling increasingly predictable, injecting the kind of genuine strategic drama this season had been missing. It’s still a solid season overall, and this week is proof there’s real gameplay left in it once the dominant alliance starts fracturing. With the icons’ grip loosening even slightly, Big Brother finally feels like a competitive series again heading into the back half.
13. The Challenge: Cutthroat Season 42 Ep. 4
81/100 – Paramount + – August 26 12:00 AM
The Challenge keeps its momentum going this week with another solid episode capped by a genuinely fun elimination battle. The plotting here remains consistently interesting, with the veterans and newer players continuing to jockey for position in ways that never feel manufactured, while the house drama stays turned up to 100 without ever tipping into pure noise. That balance between competition and chaos is exactly what this season has gotten right from the start. Four episodes in, Cutthroat is holding steady as one of the more reliably entertaining reality runs on our weekly list.
14. Outer Banks Season 5
80.9/100 – Netflix – Series Complete
Outer Banks closes out its run with a final season that’s genuinely more satisfying than expected, even if the first half struggles to distinguish itself. The opening five episodes feel fairly dull and very similar to the last two seasons, treading familiar ground with the Pogues chasing another treasure before the show finally shifts into its endgame. Once it does, though, the way this series wraps itself up is quite fantastic, delivering the kind of closure the last few seasons had been circling without ever landing. Rafe Cameron is the clear star of the season and easily its biggest surprise, with a redemption arc that’s told properly and earned rather than rushed, making him the most compelling character in the entire finale stretch. Some of the fantastical elements introduced late really aren’t needed and feel like the show is reaching past its own limits, but that’s a minor complaint against an ending this genuinely satisfying. Outer Banks Season 5 isn’t the best thing you’ll watch this year, but it’s a fun final season that sticks the landing decently and gives its fans exactly the sendoff they were hoping for.
15. Reacher Season 4 Ep. 4
80/100 – Prime Video– Next Ep. August 19 – 9:00 PM*
Reacher isn’t necessarily bad this week, and the twist landing here is genuinely cool, but the episode raises real concerns about where this season is actually headed. That three-episode premiere set a high bar, and this one increasingly makes it feel like a one-off stroke of luck rather than a sustainable level for the season to operate at. Alan Ritchson remains as watchable as ever and the action beats still connect, but the momentum has noticeably slowed and the case at the center hasn’t quite justified its own stakes yet. Here’s hoping that’s not the case going forward, but episode four sits lower on our list this week than we’d like.
16. Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks Ep. 3
80/100 – HBO Max – August 25 – 6:00 PM
Hard Knocks turns in a slightly weaker episode this week, as camp battles continue to shake out and the Seahawks work through the middle stretch of their preseason grind. The show has been consistently solid across this run, with the coaching conversations and locker room access still delivering the kind of access that makes this series worth watching every summer. The issue with episode three is repetitiveness, as the storylines and rhythms start to feel familiar without much new emerging to push the season forward. It’s still a good watch and the Seahawks remain a genuinely compelling team to follow given how badly they clearly want it, but this one sits a step below the first two episodes.
17. Black Torch Ep. 8
80/100 – Crunchyroll – Next Ep. August 30 – 7:15 AM*
Black Torch takes a step up this week as Jirou and Rago face down the escalating threat from Amagi, delivering some genuinely cool action in the process. The problem is context, because in a week where other anime are hitting real highs, this episode makes clear that even Black Torch’s better outings struggle to reach the ceiling the rest of this season’s slate is operating at. The fundamentals are all here and the Jirou-Rago dynamic still works, but the show consistently lands a tier below where it needs to be to genuinely compete. Episode eight is a solid watch and an improvement over recent weeks, though it mostly just reinforces where this series sits relative to everything around it.
18. The Elusive Samurai Season 2 Ep. 6
80/100 – Crunchyroll– Next Ep. August 27 – 7:30 AM*
Elusive Samurai continues its steady run this week as Tokiyuki and his allies press further into their campaign against the Ashikaga forces, with the show’s signature evasive strategy driving the episode’s central conflict. The series has clearly settled back into the quality it had in season one, delivering the fun action and wildly expressive character animation that made the first run work. The problem is that it is settling rather than climbing, and without any real step up from that baseline, it begins to sour the show as a whole. Elusive Samurai remains solid week to week, but solid without improvement is not quite enough to keep it in the upper tier of this season’s anime slate.
19. The Shards Ep. 5
79/100 – Hulu – August 26 6:00 PM
The Shards leans into a game show aesthetic this week that didn’t work for us nearly as well as the show’s usual sleazy 1980s LA atmosphere, feeling like a stylistic swing that never quite justifies itself. That said, the story continues to improve week over week, with the serial killer plot thickening in ways that finally give the season some genuine forward pull. The character work around the group of wealthy teens is still catching up to the show’s vibe, but the gap between the two is narrowing with each episode. It’s a weaker entry stylistically, but The Shards remains on a good trajectory and the mystery is starting to earn the attention it’s asking for.
20. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Ep. 5
78/100 – HBO Max – August 27 6:00 PM
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe drops into one of its weakest universes yet this week, though the show still manages to squeeze out a surprising number of laughs from the premise. The jungle-and-communism bit running through the episode is genuinely entertaining and, more importantly, doesn’t overstay its welcome, which has been an ongoing issue for a series that sometimes rides a concept past its natural endpoint. It still sits very low on our weekly rankings, but the show continues to be funnier than expected week to week, which counts for something in a stacked TV lineup. Five episodes in, Stuart remains a fine background watch that occasionally lands harder than it has any right to.
