Late July has its own quality — the heat is familiar now, the summer rhythm is set, and a good weekend on the couch feels earned rather than indulgent. Here's what we'd watch.
The Show Everyone's Sleeping On
Patriot (Prime Video)
A CIA officer tasked with a politically sensitive mission keeps getting derailed by the mundane disasters of actual life — a folk music career, a wrong-size pipe, an increasingly complicated cover story. It's an absurdist dark comedy disguised as a spy show, and it's unlike anything else in the genre. Two seasons, cancelled too soon, completely worth your time. If you liked Barry or Succession, this is your next show.
Best for: People tired of spy shows that take themselves seriously. Fans of dark comedy.
The Feel-Good Pick
Shrinking (Apple TV+)
A therapist processing his own grief starts just telling his patients what to do instead of following professional protocol. Jason Segel and Harrison Ford are both doing some of their best work. Warm, funny, and genuinely moving. The kind of show that makes you feel good about people. Season 2 is currently airing and delivering.
Best for: Any group, any energy level, you want to feel something good.
The Late Night One
Mindhunter (Netflix)
Two FBI agents in the late 1970s develop the practice of criminal profiling by interviewing serial killers in prison. David Fincher directed several episodes and his fingerprints are all over the visual style. Slow, methodical, genuinely unsettling. Two seasons available — Netflix cancelled it but both seasons are complete and the show is excellent. Best watched when the house is quiet.
Skip it if: You're squeamish or easily disturbed. This one lingers.
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