Dickinson returns and Marvel Studios explores its Legends
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Friday, January 8, and Saturday, January 9. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Dickinson (Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m., season premiere): Apple TV+’s sleeper hit returns for season two with three episodes today, followed by a new episode every week. The series follows Emily Dickinson (Hailee Steinfeld)—still heartbroken over the marriage of her brother Austin (Adrian Enscoe) to her best friend and soulmate Sue (Ella Hunt), as well as the death of Ben Newton—as she is pulled out of her private literary life and thrust into the public eye. The cast includes Jane Krakowski, Anna Baryshnikov, Toby Huss, and Wiz Khalifa, and this season will also see notable appearances by Nick Kroll, Finn Jones, Ayo Edebiri, and Timothy Simons. Dickinson creator Alena Smith discussed the new season with A.V. Club TV editor Danette Chavez, including how the pandemic factored into writing it. Look for our season review on the site later this morning.
Marvel Studios: Legends (Disney+, Friday, 3:01 a.m., season premiere): Marvel begins 2021 by diving deep into its cinematic universe’s important heroes and villains, exploring iconic MCU moments, and setting the stage for a bevy of originals that will begin streaming on Disney+ this year. The first episode of Legends acts as a refresher for the stories of Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson), and Vision (Paul Bettany), in anticipation of WandaVision’s premiere next week.
Regular coverage
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1, Friday, 8 p.m.)
Vikings (Amazon Prime Video)
Wild cards
Herself (Amazon Prime Video, Friday, 12:01 a.m.): “To leave an abusive household is an uphill battle in many advanced societies, where the courts and laws can put victims at a heavy disadvantage. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd (The Iron Lady), from a script by Malcolm Campbell and star Clare Dunne, Herself approaches the subject gracefully, and with an unexpected degree of hope. In an era when neighbors often turn on neighbors, the film’s optimistic ‘It takes a village’ perspective risks hokeyness.” Read the rest of Anya Stanley’s B+ review of this film here. Herself stars Clare Dunne, Ruby Rose O’Hara, Molly McCann, Ian Lloyd Anderson, and Harriet Walter.
A Discovery Of Witches (Sundance Now and Shudder, Saturday, 3:01 a.m., season premiere): Adapted from Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy, A Discovery Of Witches’ second season follows Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana (Teresa Palmer) as their romance faces new threats in Elizabethan London, where they must find a powerful witch to help Diana control her magic.