Pick of the week
The Diplomat
The diplomatic corps is unanimous: apparently “Russians don’t bomb London”. But when season one of this drama ended, it seemed they had done just that. As we return, the fallout from the attack – personal and geopolitical – threatens to overwhelm the UK government. For now, Keri Russell’s US ambassador Kate Wyler has matters close to home to attend to: her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) is in hospital after being caught in the blast. And the behaviour of abrasive British PM Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) is deeply suspicious – exactly what did he know about the attack? Without quite reaching West Wing levels of grandeur, The Diplomat remains undeniably gripping.
Netflix, from Thursday 31 October
***
Lioness
This belligerent, female-powered, US special forces thriller returns for a second season – and it is brilliantly mindless fun. Zoe Saldaña is Joe: lethal army operative, dedicated wife and mother, all-round badass. This time, she’s plunged into a crisis that’s half diplomatic and half military. The military half – involving rescuing a kidnapped congresswoman from hostile territory – is gripping. But the diplomacy, which involves secretly gathering intel on possible Chinese involvement in terrorism, is taxing. And that’s before Joe even gets to consider returning home to her family in time for Christmas.
Paramount+, from Sunday 27 October
***
Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour
A giddily triumphant home-town set from Olivia Rodrigo’s recent world tour. Filmed by James B Merryman at LA’s Intuit Dome, it showcases a performer who, two albums into her career, is already incredibly good at working a crowd. Alternating between sombre ballads and strident, enjoyably snarky pop-punk anthems, this show suggests that her trump card is actually her sincerity and resistance to showbiz contrivance – the slower songs carry a real ache while the guitar-heavy jams rock hard and recall 90s legends like the Breeders at their poppiest.
Netflix, from Tuesday 29 October
***
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
A glossy, breezy sequel series to teen sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place, this comedy catches up with Justin Russo (David Henrie) who has placed his books of spells aside in favour of a quiet life of domesticity. However, when he’s faced with the arrival of a powerful but headstrong young wizard, Janice LeAnn Brown’s Billie, he’s tempted out of retirement. Billie is a charming but occasionally troublesome protege with a tendency to “cast first and ask questions later”. Can Justin teach her to use her considerable supernatural abilities for good?
Disney+, from Wednesday 30 October
***
Tú También Lo Harías
The title translates as “You Would Do It Too” – and there’s a moral dilemma at the heart of this Spanish thriller. When a bus is held up by armed robbers, a hooded vigilante emerges from among the terrified commuters and brutally saves the day. However, the police are not entirely sympathetic to this murderous dispenser of instant justice and launch a hunt for the killer. Accordingly, the six other passengers are interviewed – but in an apparently clear-cut case, their affinities are opaque and their versions of events inconsistent. Intriguing.
Apple TV+, from Wednesday 30 October
***
Paris Has Fallen
A small-screen spin-off for the apocalyptic action franchise: this time it’s the turn of Paris to have its landmarks threatened by a formidable terrorist organisation. It’s another white-knuckle ride, with melodramatic, explosive tropes familiar to anyone who has seen the films – albeit distinguished by the presence of the brilliantly icy Sean Harris as Jacob Pearce, a disillusioned former legionnaire seeking revenge after being betrayed by the French state. Protection officer Vincent Taleb and MI6 operative Zara Taylor must join forces to foil his dastardly plans.
Prime Video, from Friday 1 November
***
The Palace
A promising drama (original title Der Palast) set in Germany at the end of the cold war. When Marlene visits a show at East Berlin’s Palace dance theatre in 1988, she’s amazed to see her doppelganger on stage. Inevitably, she investigates and discovers a twin sister from whom she was separated at birth. Soon, the women decide to periodically swap lives in order to experience each other’s very different realities in their divided nation. But their new closeness brings challenges when troubling family histories emerge and Germany’s political reality begins to change.
Channel 4, from Friday 1 November
