Where Are All the Good Summer TV Shows? Plus, the ‘Lioness’ S3 Teaser and ‘Star City’ Episode 4.

Summary of Where Are All the Good Summer TV Shows? Plus, the ‘Lioness’ S3 Teaser and ‘Star City’ Episode 4.

by The Ringer

58m•June 15, 2026
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Overview of The Watch

Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald open with some light banter about sports, World Cup fever, and New York’s celebratory energy before moving into a TV-heavy episode covering trailer/news updates, the state of the summer TV release calendar, a horror-movie detour inspired by Widow’s Bay, and a deep recap of Star City episode 4, “Dark Forest.” The conversation is equal parts industry analysis, pop culture riffing, and enthusiastic recommendations.

TV News and Industry Updates

Lioness Season 3 Teaser

  • Andy is very enthusiastic about the new teaser for Lioness season 3.
  • He describes the show as Taylor Sheridan’s darkest, most cynical project and suggests it feels like the most “pure” version of his style.
  • The season appears to continue the tense marriage storyline between Zoe Saldaña and Dave Annable’s characters.

Sheridan-verse Expansion

  • They discuss reports that the Sheridan universe may expand into video games.
  • Chris jokes that Lioness would be the most obvious fit for a game because it already feels like a “Call of Duty” style story.

Legacy of Spies Casting

  • The upcoming John le Carré adaptation Legacy of Spies is adding more cast.
  • Hugh Laurie will reportedly play Control.
  • Joe Alwyn has been cast as Jim Prideaux, which they see as an especially interesting and potentially make-or-break choice.

The Summer TV Schedule and the Emmy Problem

Are we in a late-summer TV dead zone?

  • The hosts wonder if television is entering a kind of “1994-style” late-summer slowdown.
  • They note that many prestige shows are concentrated in the Emmy window, which leaves a noticeable lull later in the year.

Emmys vs. scheduling reality

  • Chris argues that streamers and networks may be over-optimizing for Emmy attention.
  • He suggests the industry may be overcorrecting by crowding the first half of the year with awards-bait releases.
  • Their broader point: in the current attention economy, staying in the conversation matters as much as winning awards.

Shows coming soon

They mention a few upcoming titles they’re watching for, including:

  • House of the Dragon
  • The Bear
  • The Agency
  • Lanterns
  • Lucky
  • Elle
  • The Hawk
  • Harry Potter (as a major future release)

Horror Corner: Andy’s First Steps Into the Genre

Weapons as a gateway

  • Andy watched Weapons after being gradually eased into horror by Widow’s Bay.
  • He says he enjoyed it and was surprised by how much he could handle when the emotional stakes felt real.
  • Chris uses this as a springboard to build a “horror 101” list for horror-averse viewers.

Horror recommendations

Chris suggests:

  • Shaun of the Dead
  • Cabin in the Woods
  • Scream 3
  • The Invitation
  • Red Rooms
  • The Empty Man
  • It Follows
  • Strange Darling
  • Green Room
  • 28 Years Later / 28 Years Later: Bone Temple

What makes horror work for them

  • They emphasize that movies feel easier to handle when the characters feel human and emotionally grounded.
  • Andy notes that having control over the viewing environment at home made it easier to tolerate the intensity of Weapons.

Star City Episode 4: “Dark Forest”

Overall reaction

  • Both hosts are very high on the episode.
  • Chris says it’s among the best things released this year.
  • They praise it for being patient, visually elegant, and unusually confident in its storytelling.

What the episode does well

  • Uses long, cinematic scenes instead of rushing exposition.
  • Trusts visual storytelling rather than over-explaining.
  • Balances spycraft, emotional tension, and character-building in a way that feels old-school and effective.

Standout elements

  • The revelation of how Valya was turned by U.S. intelligence is handled with style.
  • Chief Designer continues to anchor the show with warmth and subtlety.
  • A new character, Lakshmi, is introduced effectively.
  • Irina’s investigation into the heat-conducting coil and the perfume clue is singled out as especially elegant spy writing.
  • Anastasia’s arc and the fireworks sequence are described as both moving and beautifully shot.

Big-picture read

  • The show is praised for making its world feel expansive while keeping the drama intimate.
  • Chris and Andy think it rewards patience and benefits from its slow-burn structure, even if the runtime can feel intimidating at first.

Final Takeaway

This episode is a mix of TV industry talk, enthusiastic genre advocacy, and a strong endorsement of Star City’s fourth episode. The core ideas are:

  • Prestige TV is increasingly shaped by award-season strategy.
  • Lioness looks set to continue Sheridan’s dark, militarized storytelling.
  • Andy’s horror education is progressing, thanks to Widow’s Bay and Weapons.
  • Star City is emerging as one of the most impressive shows on TV right now.

They close by promising a special Widow’s Bay finale episode later in the week.