BRIEF ENCOUNTERS
Time to catch up on shows with short(er) seasons
NOW’S the time to catch up on some binge-worthy shows — before the rush of the New Year kicks into high gear.
Granted, not everyone has 60 hours to spend catching up on “Game of Thrones,” but there are plenty of shows that require less of a commitment. Here are some series that you can stream, or watch on demand, in a single weekend. “AMERICAN VANDAL” (Netflix) This eight-episode whodunit is a clever, surprisingly heartfelt spoof of shows such as “Making a Murderer” and “The Night Of.” It revolves around the mysterious vandalizing of cars in the faculty parking lot of a high school. It’s light and funny, and while it’s been renewed for a second season, you can get away with watching only Season 1. “GUERRILLA” (Showtime) This six-episode ‘70s-era drama is set in London during the Vietnam War. Idris Elba and Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”) play lovers in a time of political unrest. “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO) This Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated series is just seven episodes long, but longer on star power. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Laura Dern play mothers in this dark comedy about murder in
an affluent suburb. It’s been renewed for a second season, but the Season 1 finale is satisfying all the same. “WORMWOOD” (Netflix) This true-crime drama’s six episodes examine the mysterious death of CIA scientist Frank Olson in 1953, and the government’s subsequent coverup spanning several decades. Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Olson in his final days, is interspersed with archival footage and interviews. “CLAWS” (TNT) Niecy Nash (“Scream Queens”) stars in this comedy about a group of Florida manicurists who inadvertently enter the world of organized crime when they start laundering money. It’s just 10 episodes long — one for each fingernail! “LEGION” (FX) “Downton Abbey” heartthrob Dan Stevens is nearly unrecognizable as a young man diagnosed with schizophrenia, only to learn that his illness may actually be his superhero abilities. Just eight episodes long. “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” (Hulu) In case you missed reading the Margaret Atwood novel in high school, it’s been turned into a 10-episode series. Elisabeth Moss plays the oppressed handmaid of the title in this dystopian world. “AMERICAN GODS” (Starz) This eight-episode first season loosely covers the first third of Neil Gaiman’s classic fantasy novel of the same name. It’s a colorful ride packed with a who’s who of today’s best character actors — including Ian McShane and Cloris Leachman. “THE DEUCE” (HBO) Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Franco star in this eight-episode period piece about the 1970s sex industry in Times Square. “THE SINNER” (USA) Jessica Biel gives the best performance of her career as a troubled woman who, in the first of this series’ eight episodes, commits a seemingly random murder.