Kelly Lawler

TV Critic at USA Today

TV Critic, @USATODAY. I'm so tired.

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Articles

'Matlock' boss talks finale twists, Season 2 shocks: 'Secrets will be revealed'

1 week ago | usatoday.com | Kelly Lawler

Spoiler alert! The following contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of CBS's "Matlock."Madeline "Matty" Matlock (Kathy Bates) can go back to practicing law in her 70s, can win over juries and uncover injustice with her eyes closed. But can she survive losing a friend or opening up her family? Those are the big questions left hanging for CBS' remake of "Matlock," which aired its Season 1 finale April 17.
Netflix's try-hard western 'Ransom Canyon' is a far cry from 'Yellowstone': Review

1 week ago | usatoday.com | Kelly Lawler

It takes more than a sad sap story, a couple of Stetsons and a "yee-haw" to make a "Yellowstone" competitor. But somehow Hollywood keeps thinking that the key to a Western is all in the aesthetics and accents, rather than a strong sense of place or smart storytelling. It's as if the fantastic performances from the likes of Kelly Reilly in the Paramount Network juggernaut mean nothing, or that B-list action heroes have the same star power as Kevin Costner.
Netflix's 'Adolescence' is a bigger British breakout than 'Baby Reindeer.' Here's why.

1 week ago | usatoday.com | Kelly Lawler

If you haven't heard of Netflix's "Adolescence" yet, it's only a matter of time. The blockbuster British limited series was released on the streaming service March 13 and has been a fixture in its top 10 list ever since.
The 5 best 'Black Mirror' episodes, ranked (including 'U.S.S. Callister')

2 weeks ago | usatoday.com | Kelly Lawler

Are you ready to stare into the "Black Mirror" again? Netflix's dark and cynical sci-fi anthology series, all about the dangers of technology, returns for a seventh season (now streaming) to warn us to get the heck off our phones and turn off all those A.I. chatbots for our own safety. The new season has the series' first sequel episode, a tragedy tied up with those oh-so-familiar subscription fees and a sentimental hour featuring none other than Paul Giamatti.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 finds its horrors but loses the plot: Review

2 weeks ago | usatoday.com | Kelly Lawler

The beauty and the horror hasn't worn off yet in HBO's "The Last of Us" as it returns for a long-awaited second season. It's gory and gorgeous, viciously violent and vividly brought to life. It is the prestigious, mature series fans loved in Season 1. But it also feels like there's something missing this time around. The critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated series starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey has a lot to live up to in its sophomore year.
Shonda Rhimes' 'The Residence' is a deflated balloon of a whodunit

1 month ago | ca.news.yahoo.com | Kelly Lawler

If I happened to be a Netflix honcho, and megaproducer Shonda Rhimes came to me with a pitch for a "Knives Out"-style murder mystery set in the White House, I would have said yes immediately, just as the real streaming service did. What's not to love about the idea? You've got Rhimes, the prolific TV creator responsible for "Grey's Anatomy" and "Bridgerton," plus the kind of silly/serious whodunit that has served Netflix very well with director Rian Johnson's "Knives" film series.
Hulu's Natalia Grace series 'Good American Family' is pure exploitation: Review

1 month ago | ca.news.yahoo.com | Kelly Lawler

There has rarely been a child whose life has been so publicly examined as Natalia Grace's. The Ukrainian adoptee with a rare form of dwarfism generated international headlines over the past decade after her adoptive parents, Indiana couple Kristine and Mark Barnett, convinced a court to change her legal age from 8 to 22, and then abandoned her in an apartment.
The 10 best TV shows to devour this spring: 'Last of Us' Season 2 to 'You' finale

1 month ago | ca.news.yahoo.com | Kelly Lawler

Daylight has been saved, flowers are blooming and spring has sprung, so you know what that means: TV is about to get really good. March, April and May have quickly become the best time of year for prestige, awards-worthy TV, because the deadline for Emmy Awards eligibility is May 31. So just as some of the best movies of the year are released in December, some of what are sure to be the best TV shows of 2025 arrive in the next few months.
Review: Disney+'s 'Daredevil: Born Again' is a flat rerun of the Netflix show

1 month ago | usatoday.com | Kelly Lawler

Heroes come and heroes go, years pass, but some things stay the same. It's been a decade since Charlie Cox first donned the red-horned mask of Daredevil, the crime-fighting Marvel hero who makes up for his lack of sight with other preternaturally heightened senses and reflexes, on the dark and bloody Netflix series.
'Paradise' finale recap: Who killed Cal? What does it mean for Season 2?

1 month ago | usatoday.com | Kelly Lawler

Spoiler alert! The following contains details from the Season 1 finale of "Paradise."The biggest mystery is finally solved in the Season 1 finale of "Paradise," Hulu's post-apocalyptic thriller about the slice of humanity that survived a mass-extinction event in a bunker built by billionaires. We now know who killed President Cal Bradford (James Marsden), an act of violence that started to unravel the delicate balance of power and secrets in the underground town.