This Summer, I’ve been watching a lot more TV series than movies. Not sure why, but there is just a ton of good content on streaming. Plus, once you discover a great series, it makes it easier to decide what to watch when I turn on my TV in our home theater. My hubby and I only have one TV in our cozy basement, as we don’t like the idea of passive watching, so we’re very deliberate about what to watch. So here are two shows to immediately add to your watch list if you haven’t already. Both are excellent and extremely binge-worthy!

The Jackal is an elusive assassin who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. He soon meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer who tracks him down in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe.

I’ve been wanting to watch The Day of the Jackal, but we finally got Peacock earlier this year. Created by Ronan Bennett based on a novel by Frederick Forsyth, it’s easily one of the best thrillers I’ve seen this year. I love the way they establish the Jackal as a highly skilled marksman. He can make precise long-range shots and is skilled with different types of guns. For the most part, he’s using a specially made rifle involving a 3D printer.

There’s an incredible scene where he attempts to hit someone on the water from 2-3 miles away while on a boat! It’s kind of creepy to see how the Jackal meticulously plans everything so carefully while staying completely anonymous during his high-profile hits. But he’s not just a machine; he has a wife and a son who are hiding out in Spain. Props to Úrsula Corberó, who’s really good as the conflicted wife Nuria.

Eddie Redmayne is exceptional in the title role; he can be icy one moment and vulnerable the next, while extremely believable as a highly-skilled marksman with a dark past. There’s a similarity between him and Lashana Lynch‘s character Bianca, who also has a tough time juggling work and family, particularly when her job occasionally puts her husband and daughter at risk. I really enjoy Lynch in No Time To Die (as the new 007), so it’s great to see her portray another MI-6 agent who always steps up to the plate whenever her superiors (Chukwudi Iwuji and Lia Williams) undermine her.

The show’s production values are outstanding. The cinematography looks cinematic, which would likely look amazing on the big screen. Sometimes the show reminds me of a Bond movie; the globe-trotting locations across Europe, that crazy car chase in Munich (filmed in Budapest), and even the opening credit song This Is Who I Am by Celeste, is very Bond-like.

The 10-part series is well-paced and has a good balance of suspenseful action and emotional drama. I appreciate that the most thrilling part isn’t just in the action, but also in the way each character approaches their assignments. Because of how the story is structured, the two main characters don’t have many interactions, but when they do connect, the build-up is really exciting to watch. It’s not easy to maintain the momentum in an action series, but this show excels at it.

[SPOILER ALERT] I’d have given the show a 4.5/5 if the ending had been more satisfying. I’m not happy with how they handle one of the main characters, which feels too abrupt given the journey that person has taken to get to that point. It also differs from the ending of the book, based on what I read online. I also wish they’d given Vincent Pyne (Nick Blood), an MI6 protection agent who becomes Bianca’s main ally, a stronger arc. 

That said, I’m still thrilled that it’s been renewed for a second season! I’m still hoping that both Redmayne AND Lynch would be back!

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A security android struggles with emotions and free will while balancing dangerous missions and desire for isolation, evading detection of its self-hacking as it finds its place.

Tales about robots integrating with humans are nothing new, but it’s nice to see an intriguing take that feels fresh and new. The story is based on Martha Wells‘ book series The Murderbot Diaries, created by siblings Paul and Chris Weitz. They’ve collaborated on several movies, i.e., About a Boy, The Golden Compass, and Rogue One, among others.

I haven’t read the book, so I can’t comment on how faithful the show is to the original material. One thing’s for sure: the cast is fantastic. Alexander Skarsgård is spot on as a self-aware, introspective robot who unexpectedly gains free will. He perfectly captures the introverted killing machine who prefers binge-watching soap operas over saving humans, and his deadpan delivery is just hilarious.

Noma Dumezweni (Dr. Mensah) and David Dastmalchian (Dr. Gurathin) really shine in the PreservationAux scientific research team. While Mensah shows empathy towards the robot called Sec Unit, Gurathin remains skeptical. This makes sense since he’s an augmented human with an implanted feed interface that boosts his computing skills. The differing personalities of the team members create a fascinating and often funny dynamic as they interact with Murderbot.

I really wish the show would focus more on the Murderbot storyline rather than throwing in pointless sub-plots within the team, like the lesbian couple caught up in a love triangle with a straight guy. That said, I do think the depiction of the space opera The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon that the bot is obsessed with is brilliant. John Cho is quite funny as a space captain who is in love with a female humanoid. I could even see a spin-off of Sanctuary Moon as a standalone sci-fi comedy series.

A robot that can hack its governor module, which controls its actions, and somehow hide that ability from humans is a recipe for sci-fi horror. However, the overall tone here is mostly comedic, even if it can get pretty bloody and violent at times. The production design is top-notch, making the corporate-controlled space and the risks of alien land exploration feel authentic.

The quick, half-hour format makes the show super binge-worthy. Each episode flows well and gives viewers insights into the human experience without being too heavy-handed. The Sec Unit frequently reflects (through Skarsgård’s amusingly matter-of-fact voiceover) ‘Why would anyone want to be human at all?’ His constant bafflement about humans’ emotionally driven behavior is the funniest part of the show. Like any great sci-fi, it offers keen social commentary and cleverly raises the question, ‘What does it really mean to be human?’

The show really knows how to change up the tone without being jarring. It’s packed with humor, but it also wraps up with some serious melodrama and a touch of poignancy. I won’t give anything away, but the finale is set on a space station in the Corporation Rim. It’s no surprise that Dastmalchian’s Gurathin is the human character who undergoes the most significant change in his feelings towards Murderbot. Skarsgård and Dastmalchian have always had a bit of a rocky relationship that’s fun to watch; however, there’s a truly touching moment between them near the end. You’d never expect the phrase ‘I need to check the perimeter’ to hit you right in the feels.

The ending is a perfect setup for a new reality for Murderbot, so I’m thrilled that the show’s been renewed for a second season!

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Have you seen either of these series? Let me know what you think!