Harley, Shyamalan, and Baby Yoda: What’s on this holiday weekend
Happy Thanksgiving weekend! Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Thursday, November 28 through Saturday, November 30. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Servant (Apple TV+, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., series premiere): The first three episodes of this horror series from executive producer (and pilot director) M. Night Shyamalan stream today. Here’s a bit of Randall Colburn’s pre-air review of the show, which has already been renewed for a second season:
Something seemed off about the dead-eyed baby in the first teaser for Apple TV+’s Servant. Because that baby, we learned in the series’ proper trailer, is a doll. Specifically, it’s a “reborn baby,” a term for an uncannily lifelike line of dolls that serve as keepsakes for some and therapy for others. For Dorothy Turner (Lauren Ambrose), it’s a lifeline, an illusion to help her process the death of her own child, Jericho, who died at 13 weeks. But the illusion is dangerous—Dorothy believes this lump of vinyl and hair is her living, breathing child. And the moment of cathartic realization that her husband, stay-at-home chef Sean (Toby Kebbell), hopes will come, remains elusive. He can’t stop her when she hires a nanny, Leanne (Nell Tiger Free), to care for it, and he can’t believe it when Leanne also begins treating the doll as if it’s both real and his son.
Spooky.
The Mandalorian (Disney+, Friday, 3:01 a.m.): Show us that face, Pedro Pascal, or we’ll have to keep cooing over Baby Yoda. Katie Rife, as ever, will recap. No episode trailers for this one, but hey, here’s why none of us can resist the gweat big ears on the widdle guy.
Harley Quinn (DC Universe, Friday, 9 a.m.): In case you missed Shannon Miller’s rave review of this new, extremely salty animated series, here’s a quick look—but do yourself a favor and click on through to read the whole thing:
It’s rewarding to see an animated riot like DC Universe’s Harley Quinn build itself so soundly on Harley’s potential instead of just her penchant for mayhem. By the end of the first episode, it becomes clear that the choice to score the series’ initial trailer with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ cover of The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s theme, “Love Is All Around,” was more than a case of juxtapositional comedy. When you get past the bloody bashing and the heists, Harley Quinn follows a woman who, much like Mary Richards, is determined to thrive on her own merits and engage the world as her own person. By slightly modifying her drive—namely, making the Legion Of Doom the center of her universe instead of her trash-ass boyfriend—the show gives fans a front row seat to all of Harley’s obsessive, high-risk tendencies in a story that is unequivocally about her, not who she’s dating. Add pitch-perfect comedic timing, a solid cast of comedy’s hardest hitters, and inimitable chemistry presented in the form of one of the most satisfying female friendships in a long while, and you have one of the best shows of the year, easily.
Wild card
The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show (Amazon, Friday, 3:01 a.m.): Kacey Musgraves made a holiday special! We are delighted! And we were delighted even before we knew this:
You can catch a little glimpse of the elf duds in this trailer.
Enjoy your holiday weekend! What’s On Tonight will return to its normal schedule on Sunday.