The Week ’s guide to what’s worth watching
Our Planet II
Will the world ever tire of breathtakingly shot nature series narrated by Sir David Attenborough? The latest is a sequel to a 2019 docuseries and focuses on migration stories, ranging from the grand voyage of pronghorn antelope across the American West to the humbler journey of tiny red crabs that must elude countless predators to travel from the ocean shore to the safety of a nearby forest. Wednesday, June 14, Netflix
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Critics everywhere agreed that this Star Trek prequel series cracked the code of the original last year, and now the crew is back for Season 2. The wonderful Anson Mount (Hell on Wheels) plays Christopher Pike, Capt. James Kirk’s predecessor as captain of the USS Enterprise, while Rebecca Romijn portrays Pike’s second-in-command, and Ethan Peck is the young Mr. Spock. Longtime fans can look forward to the return of Klingons and other familiar foes, and the season also promises a quirky crossover that will bring aboard the crew of the animated comedy series Star Trek: Lower Decks. Thursday, June 15, Paramount+
Extraction 2
Chris Hemsworth doesn’t need to be swinging Thor’s hammer to be an action hero. In this sequel to a hit 2020 Netflix movie, Hemsworth again portrays heavily armed black-market mercenary Tyler Rake, who nearly died in the violent original thriller when he put his life on the line for a teenager he’d been hired to bring home. This time, Rake is taking on a complex new mission: rescuing the imprisoned family of a ruthless Georgian gangster. Friday, June 16, Netflix
Stan Lee
It’s hard to imagine what popular culture would be like today absent Stan Lee and the superhero factory he built. This superb documentary traces Lee’s life and career from its humble beginnings in 1920s New York City. With his knack for storytelling, he rose to the top of the company that would become Marvel Comics while co-creating the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, the X-Men, Black Panther, Spider-Man and a host of other heroes who populate 21st-century Hollywood’s richest franchise. Friday, June 16, Disney+
The Righteous Gemstones
Praise be, the Gemstones are back. As Season 3 begins for Danny McBride’s hilarious spoof of televangelism, John Goodman’s Dr. Eli Gemstone is stepping back to allow his three immature adult children to lead the global salvationhawking enterprise he has built. But the spotlight that falls on McBride’s Jesse, Edi Patterson’s Judy, and Adam Devine’s Kelvin exposes their excesses and ineptitude, making the empire a target of a revolt. Sunday, June 18, at 10 p.m., HBO
Other highlights
How Do You Measure a Year?
This Oscar-nominated short film creates a coming-of-age portrait of the filmmaker’s daughter by stringing together interviews she sat for on her first 17 birthdays. Wednesday, June 14, Max
Swiping America
A new dating show pulls four singles out of New York City and sends them on a tour of other cities to see if a change of environs helps any of them find lasting love. Thursday, June 15, Max
The Walking Dead: Dead City
The zombie series that wouldn’t die spins off a new show that sends old adversaries Maggie and Negan off to battle the undead hordes of Manhattan. Sunday, June 18, at 10 p.m., AMC