Apple TV’s Glossy Programming, ‘The Pitt’ S2E5, and How ‘True Detective’ S2 Explains the World

Summary of Apple TV’s Glossy Programming, ‘The Pitt’ S2E5, and How ‘True Detective’ S2 Explains the World

by The Ringer

1h 28m•February 6, 2026
Listen to Episode

Overview of Apple TV’s Glossy Programming, ‘The Pitt’ S2E5, and How ‘True Detective’ S2 Explains the World

This episode of The Ringer’s The Watch (hosts Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald) covers a mix of entertainment industry news and criticism: Apple TV’s recent slate and aesthetic, a close read of The Pitt (S2E5) and its characters (especially Dr. Robbie), a take on the new Muppet variety reboot, first impressions of Amazon’s heist series Steel, and why rewatching True Detective Season 2 matters now. They also touch on Disney leadership changes, delays for high-profile shows (like a Vince Gilligan series), casting and career trajectories (Anya Taylor‑Joy), and broader industry trends (location specificity, content volume).

Apple TV press day — the main takeaways

  • Apple’s slate (trailers/teasers rolled out) projects a consistent aesthetic: glossy, high‑production, frenetic pacing, big names attached.
  • Examples highlighted:
    • Friends & Neighbors S2 (June): soft reset tone, James Marsden joins; hosts have modest hopes (found voice improving vs. S1).
    • Lucky (Anya Taylor‑Joy): slick con‑on‑the‑run show; strong visuals piqued interest.
    • Imperfect Women, Margot’s Got Money Troubles, Shrinking, others — all share Apple’s polished “premium” look.
  • Critique:
    • The rollout felt like a content “tsunami” — high price, high polish, frequent release cadence. That style creates a brand identity but also a sense of sameness and cultural saturation.
    • Apple’s approach positions shows as easy, watch‑now entertainment (aesthetically friendly, advertorial within app), which can crowd out slower, more “slow‑food” TV aesthetics.
  • Industry context:
    • Some creators (e.g., Vince Gilligan) are taking longer to return with new seasons — patience vs. pressure to flood the market.

The Muppets reboot

  • Seth Rogen produced a return to The Muppet Show format (a straight variety show).
  • Positive notes:
    • Faithful to original spirit; strong variety performances with contemporary music (e.g., The Weeknd) landed well — particularly with younger viewers.
    • Good family viewing; hosts’ kids enjoyed it.
  • Concerns:
    • Voices (Kermit especially) feel different now — multiple successors have diluted the original vocal identity.
    • Single‑episode launch model — unclear vote of confidence for continuation.

The Pitt — Season 2, Episode 5 (main observations)

  • Robbie emerges as the season’s magnetic central figure: taciturn, on the brink — reckless but brilliant. Several beats suggest he’s “on the precipice” (physical risk, professional burnout, a love/office entanglement).
  • Storytelling shift vs. S1:
    • Season 2 evolves tension through incremental temperature increases (boiling‑frog approach) rather than the single catastrophic “Pit Fest” event of S1.
    • The structure lets pressure build across many smaller patient cases rather than an obvious doomsday setup.
  • New characters / dynamics:
    • Dr. Al‑Hashimi’s character (administrative foil) hasn’t clicked yet — performance not the issue, but writing hasn’t given her much to do beyond standing in opposition to Robbie.
    • Joy’s arc (background reveal of financial motivations) is a promising addition — adds human complexity beyond hospital procedural beats.
  • Craft notes:
    • The show’s technical choreography (handoffs, camera staging) remains elite and is one of its recurring pleasures.
    • A few tonal and character‑integration struggles exist, but overall S2 continues to deliver week‑to‑week engagement.

Steel (Amazon) — first episode impressions

  • Premise: stylish, high‑stakes daytime heist targeting a financial/pension firm.
  • Strengths:
    • Tightly directed pilot with good pacing and suspense; feels like a fun, well‑executed heist entry.
    • Sophie Turner has a looser, more natural presence compared with some of her earlier franchise constraints.
    • London location shooting is used effectively — drone/establishing shots give scale and specificity.
  • Broader point: UK shows currently capitalize more on location as a character; the hosts lament an American trend toward location‑non‑specific shoots (Vancouver/Atlanta/touristy establishing shots) that undercut place‑specific storytelling.

True Detective Season 2 — why rewatching matters

  • Reappraisal:
    • Andy rewatched S2 and argues it’s more resonant now: its bleak, cynical worldview — corrupt elites, cabals, moral rot — reads as predictive of several cultural currents.
    • The season’s intensity, morally compromised characters, and nihilistic tone map onto modern anxieties about institutional rot and conspiratorial revelations.
  • Aesthetic and authorship:
    • Pizzolatto’s voice is intense, micro‑focused on damaged men and moral collapse. The result is stylistically distinctive, sometimes overindulgent, but containing hall‑of‑fame performances (Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Colin Farrell praised here).
    • Comparisons to Season 1: different kind of alchemy (S1’s Carcosa mythos vs. S2’s urban‑corruption noir). Both have strengths; S2 may benefit from a second look in today’s context.
  • Cultural point:
    • True Detective tapped into a preexisting appetite for long online sleuthing, conspiratorial decoding, and the idea that there is always another, darker layer beneath surface reality.

Industry themes & meta observations

  • Content volume/branding: Big tech/media companies are positioning content as glossy, frequent, and brand‑consistent — which has benefits for discoverability but risks homogenization.
  • Location specificity: The hosts miss shows that make a city/place integral (Albuquerque in Breaking Bad; many current UK dramas). Film incentives and production shifts have diluted this in many U.S. productions.
  • Legacy properties and creators: Discussion around unmade projects (David Lynch’s rumored Wisteria/Unrecorded Night), posthumous works, and whether unfinished scripts should be published or adapted.
  • Talent trajectories: Anya Taylor‑Joy’s career post‑Queen’s Gambit has been uneven — praised performances but several films underperformed, creating an unusual post‑breakout path.

Notable lines & micro‑quotes

  • “Apple is selling the high‑test Peruvian flake and flooding the market with it.” — on Apple TV’s premium gloss and volume.
  • “This season feels like a frog in boiling water.” — describing The Pitt S2’s incremental tension.
  • “True Detective S2 is more right than wrong about the world now.” — on the season’s contemporary resonance.

Recommendations / Watch list (what the hosts spotlighted)

  • Apple TV: Friends & Neighbors (S2), Lucky (Anya Taylor‑Joy), Imperfect Women, Margot’s Got Money Troubles, Shrinking.
  • Disney/ABC: New Muppet Show episode (variety reboot) — available on ABC, then Disney+.
  • Amazon Prime: Steel (pilot watched; 6 episodes).
  • HBO/Back catalog: Rewatch True Detective S2 if you’re curious about its cultural relevance; revisit Season 1 for comparative context.
  • The Pitt: continue following week‑to‑week (S2E5 discussed in detail).

Final takeaway

This episode is part industry newsletter, part TV criticism. The hosts appreciate high‑craft TV (choreography, technical staging) while pushing back on the sameness that emerges when a platform aggressively brands a slate. They find The Pitt still rewarding (especially Robbie’s storyline), see Steel as an entertaining heist entry, and argue that revisiting True Detective Season 2 yields fresh, sometimes unsettling insight into how television both reflects and anticipates cultural anxieties.