Keeping Up With The Tiny People On My Screen
My June 2025 TV watches and what I would rate each 📺
Hello again, Previously On-ers! It has been two thousand degrees on the East Coast, and I have spent the last month drenched in sweat. You would think I was in the sauna from Challengers.1
As expected, it was a slower month for television, but it was honestly refreshing to sit back and relish in the few shows that were airing. I watched this season of The Bear over a week, rather than bingeing it in a day. Like everyone on the internet, I wish that Hulu had tested out weekly releases for the show, but that’s simply not their standard.
Per Variety, Étoile was canceled. It initially received a two-season order, but never quite reached the right audience to justify another season. If I had a nickel for every time that an Amy Sherman-Palladino show about ballet got canceled, I would only have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird it happened twice.2
Meanwhile, I am still over here asking the more important question: “Where is the Overcompensating season two renewal?” Promote Holmes to a full-time cast member, and we are good to go! My other wish is that we could move the show to another streaming platform. I don’t pay for the account that I watch on, but I still don’t want that demonic bald-headed newlywed to get my views. Soap2Day, you are so missed.3
The reunion for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives aired, and I finished it wondering if the entire thing could have been an email. Or a TikTok. They had to remain tight-lipped about so many topics to avoid spoiling the forthcoming, already-filmed third season. Couldn’t we have just waited and let the tension build? Demi wasn’t even there, and half of the drama revolved around her. She was at Disneyland, and quite frankly, I don’t blame her. I wouldn’t want to be questioned by Nick Viall either. He’s not far off from a Disney villain himself.4 If anyone has any ideas on how we can deplatform him, comment below.
**Beware of some spoilers below! Don’t say I didn’t warn you! You can always jump around to what you are caught up on or take note of shows you want to watch!**
Rating Scale:
*some combo of: how much I enjoyed the show + how much I recommend that you watch*
📺 📺 📺 📺 📺 = Loved it! Run and press play now! Go!
📺 📺 📺 📺 = A great watch, but it can wait until you have time.
📺 📺 📺 = In the words of Sheree Whitfield, “It was cute! I liked the beat.”
📺 📺 = See for yourself, but I would save my time on this one.
📺 = Oh! She’s here too!
This Month’s Watchlist:
New Watches in June:
Next Gen: NYC (Season 1)
I started watching this right before I sent out the last issue of KUWTTPOMS, but I could not find the will to write about one episode, so I decided to save my debrief for this month. The show was barely on my radar, to be honest. I was not that enthused by the premise, and I had no real idea who the cast members were beyond the four Housewives children. Thankfully, I pushed through my initial apathy and decided to press play on a whim. Color me shocked that I am genuinely enjoying the shenanigans.
There are issues that a lot of Bravo shows run into. The main cast is way too large, with people that we have barely met by the fifth episode. I want more of Emira! She seems really cool, and I like that she doesn’t seem to be afraid to speak her truth. If the show gets a second season, I hope they trim the main cast and demote people to friends (or cut them completely xoxo). I should try my hand at producing because every episode I am brainstorming how to make the show better. More focus, please!
The show seems to want the main character to be Brooks, but he isn’t all that engaging. His major issue is that he is afraid of confrontation, and it’s way too obvious on camera. It’s okay to tussle now and then! The real breakout stars have been Ariana Biermann and Riley Burruss, who are becoming a dynamic duo. Charlie is a big loser. I don’t feel bad for him when he continues to be an asshole to everyone around him. Don’t make your daddy issues everyone else’s problem.
Watch it on Bravo or Peacock.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 Ginny & Georgia (Season 3)
The show is ridiculous, it’s true. I won’t deny that the tone can be jarring and that the storylines can feel like elevated CW plots from 2007, but this season had so much more depth than the last two. Antonia Gentry and Brianne Howey are great at straddling that line. I appreciated that Georgia was forced to reckon with her actions this season and realize that although she isn’t alone, it’s up to her to make better choices. It feels like Ginny is finally being allowed to thrive after having a thousand stones thrown at her throughout the season. I wish I could say the same for poor Austin, who seems to be dealing with a wallop of trauma.
I came to understand Marcus this season and his struggles. Before, he just seemed moody and angsty, but his depression and alcoholism really shaded his character this season. I feel like the storyline was handled with care and given room to breathe. Not to pile on to a girl who tried to put herself out there creatively, but Maxine did annoy me during the first half of the season, but once we were given a peak into her mind, I finally understood her struggle. As someone who has also been called extra, I understand the idea of being “too much” as a way to overcompensate.
Overall, this season did a surprisingly good job of letting us into the world of the supporting characters while also juggling a murder case. It didn’t always gel perfectly, though. Certain threads didn’t get explored nearly enough and there were choices that did not fully feel earned or explainable, but I am excited to see where THAT cliffhanger picks up next season. I just hope that we don’t have to wait another three years for it.
Watch it on Netflix.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺The Real Housewives of Miami (Season 7)
The third episode pissed me off. Julia Lemigova, if you have zero haters, the universe has officially taken me out. I think that throwing a drink on another person is disgusting. It was diabolical for the other ladies to sit there and let Guerdy be assaulted by Chicken Coop Karen. Guerdy, these ladies are NOT here for you. They are not your friends. Get your check this season and run. You do not need this disrespect! I also find it funny that all of the women egg on the idea that Guerdy is too much when Alexia has a breakdown every episode, Larsa sucks the air out of a room, and we have been forced to listen to Julia “singing” “opera” against our will.
I hope that there is an apology tour on the way because that entire interaction soured the season for me. Something feels a bit off in the air. I miss Dr. Nicole being there to mellow out the dramatics. We need a voice of reason, and she always brought that. I hope she comes back next season as an ally for Guerdy (if she stays). I am still eager to see what the new housewife, Stephanie Shojaee brings to the table. She seems like she might shake things up, which feels necessary right now. I wanted to tell you to tune in, but the show is on ice for me right now. Let’s see what has transpired by next month and if they can reclaim a better rating.
Watch it on Bravo or Peacock.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 The Bear (Season 4)
I don’t believe this show will ever fully recapture the magic of the first two seasons, which might be an unfair expectation. Sometimes you have to work with what you are given, rather than how you would have told the story! However, the third season was missing most of the necessary ingredients! I stand by it! That’s why I was so pleasantly surprised by this season. I know many people are still cool on it, and I certainly get the critiques, but I thoroughly enjoyed what felt like a return to what made the show so captivating; an emphasis on family, both blood and chosen.
I don’t think that this season felt slow either. The argument that nothing happened makes no sense to me. I would argue that there were MAJOR things that advanced the plot. The finale pushed the narrative forward in an important way and recentered the show around the characters outside of Carmy, specifically Sydney (and Richie). As reported by Deadline, the show will return for a fifth season, and I expect it to revolve around Sydney taking the lead. I will always be seated for Ayo Edebiri at the helm.
My hope for next season is that we get more of Tina and Marcus, who felt a little lost in the mix this season. I loved that Ebra finally got what felt like a fleshed-out storyline this season, and I want to see his idea to open more sandwich windows come to fruition. I want further expansion of the supporting characters that make the show come to life, and I trust that the show can deliver on that. I would also love an eventual spinoff with Sydney and her extended family, with Danielle Deadwyler returning as a series regular. Please and thank you!
Watch it on Hulu.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Season 2)
The first season felt more fleshed out than this second one, but I thought that it was still incredibly compelling. I could watch twenty more seasons of this show, as there is new material to touched on annually. I think it can remain fresh as the times change and we meet new rookies. Jada and Armani were my absolute favorites this season. I was happy to see them spotlighted this time around, and it was empowering to see them fight for higher pay, even if it meant they wouldn’t reap any of the benefits beyond knowing they made things better for future generations. It was a true testament to their integrity, and I wish them bright futures.
I think Kelli and Judy did a better job of taking the feedback they got and trying to implement it. I can still see them stuck in the rules of the institution but slowly wiggling their way out of the worst parts of it. It’s somewhat of a low bar, but they have certainly come a long way since the toxicity that existed on Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making The Team. I hope they continue to advocate for the women even more and really hear them out when they are struggling. I am not sure if there will be a third season, but I will certainly be tuning in if so.
Watch it on Netflix.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 Ongoing Watches from May:
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (Season 10)
Bracket One and Two, you are so loved. Bracket Three, I am so sorry I was not your mother. Denali and Acid Betty, you deserved so much better. Production ruining this entire season was probably inevitable, but I didn’t expect them to show their hand so obviously. They didn’t need to plan such an elaborate to crown someone who has been on the show thirty times. It’s no hate to Ginger Minj, either. She is talented and knows the mechanics of the game better than most. It just makes for a boring semi-final, knowing the riga morris that is about to ensue.
This rating is probably a little low because they irritated me, but I will reserve full judgment for the next few episodes. I need to know who will be chosen as the wild card. I am hoping for Acid Betty🤞.
Watch it on Paramount+.
My Rating: 📺 📺 And Just Like That (Season 3)
Why do I keep watching? I have free will, but every Thursday, that goes out the window, and I press play on a show that rivals The Morning Show in terms of nonsense. Michael Patrick King has written quality television before, so is he fucking with us on purpose? The writers have to be in on the joke. I refuse to believe they don’t understand how these storylines come across to the audience. I need to animorph into a fly and make a home in the writers’ room to figure out what is going on.
I know many people have jumped ship, and you are all much stronger and braver than me. I am weak, and my fingers will continue to open HBO Max (or whatever it’s decided to be called today) and watch Carrie put the ugliest table ever in her kitchen and fight with a neighbor she didn’t know existed. Perhaps I just enjoy complaining about this show and commiserating with others! And Just Like That… I realized that maybe that was enough for me.
Watch it on HBO Max.
My Rating: 📺 📺 Poker Face (Season 2)
Okay, they might have reeled me back in. The writers are letting Charlie Cale remain in NYC, for now at least. I am here for Patti Harrison’s Alex as a companion for Charlie. Loneliness as her motive for wanting to be friends was too real. It feels honest to the experience of being an adult and trying to find community. I think it’s an intriguing refocus on Charlie’s gift, as Alex is honest to a fault.
I had wondered if they would find a way to keep the show going, and I think this is a good reset for the time being. I could see it getting old over time, but I am good to settle down and build a new environment for the show that stays put. I assume the show will get a third season, but it would be interesting to see if they have Charlie leave eventually. Maybe Alex will continue as her partner on the road.
Watch it on Peacock.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 The Real Housewives of Atlanta (Season 16)
We still have to see what happens at the reunion, but overall this was a decent season. It was a period of rebuilding, with the ratings reflecting that. I would be okay with half of the current cast not returning, which makes it sound like I did not enjoy the season. I am mostly ambivalent about Shamea, Porsha, Phaedra, and Kelli and could take them or leave. With her lawsuit and skipping the reunion, Brit will not be returning. I have nothing to add 🦗 🦗 🦗.
Now Angela Oakley? I need her back and in the center with her peach. I love her friendship with Drew, which is authentic and fun. Their scenes together are a breath of fresh air and make me laugh. She isn’t afraid to air out her dirty laundry and doesn’t take things too seriously. She will gladly let us know that her five properties are in foreclosure. Some of the other women WISH they could be as transparent as her. I am interested in what direction they will go after this season of trial and error. Who will they keep? Who might they add? Someone old, someone new?
Watch it on Bravo or Peacock.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 On the Watchlist for July:
New Releases:
Such Brave Girls (Hulu) — Premieres July 7th
Too Much (Netflix) — Premieres July 10th
The Real Housewives of Orange County — Premieres July 10th
For anyone who has started Ironheart, should I watch it? I tapped out of the MCU a while ago (and we thank the heavens for that), but I feel like this could be the right show to dip my toes back in (and then exit the water immediately after). Let me know!
I might revisit some older shows that I missed and perhaps rewatch some Real Housewives. I will continue to update my opinions and ratings on any ongoing shows!
Not TV-related, but exciting nonetheless! I was also lucky to be featured in this amazing article about Sunset Blvd, written by
for Bustle. I had a great time talking to Kerensa about my love for the show and was honored to have some of what I yapped about included. Huge shoutout to for making the connection after reading my NYC newsletter.I was also inspired by the NYT’s “The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century” list, specifically the 10 movie ballot, to think about my Top 10 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century. It would be fun to collaborate on a newsletter, where we share our picks and discuss a few of them. Would anyone be interested? Feel free to comment or DM me.
ANYWAY, What shows did you enjoy in June? Did you catch up on anything in your TV backlog? What are you looking forward to watching in July?
Drop them down in the comments!
Where I would much rather be 🙂↕️
*waves hands in air* REVIVE BUNHEADS!
I still remember the day that it shut down 🪦🕊️♥️
no disrespect to Miss Ursula
I just finished The Bear and completely agree! I also think part of the reason it doesn’t have quite as much grit and bite (pun intended) as the first 2 seasons is because the characters are finally starting to heal and not self sabotage. They’re making better decisions for themselves and figuring things out. So it’s a bit less angsty but I think that’s intentional. That scene Ayo did in the hospital made me cry, she really got a chance to show off. I remember thinking in season 2 this show was setting Sydney up to take the lead. Initially I was pissed off at Carmy’s decision in the s4 finale but looking back, it makes perfect sense. I hope Sydney is leading the restaurant by the end of s5 and I’d consider that a great series ending.
next gen NYC is such a fun little treat to me, i find ariana and riley becoming friends again so sweet!! charlie is a potentially jax level demon in the making and unfortunately rn i can't look away. fascinating how he seems to have a huge grudge against the housewives kids yet he's a jobless trust fund baby.......
i need julia off my screen and guerdy to get behind me immediately! i hate that truly no one is standing up for her. but the lisa / larsa fighting does make me lol, production really killed it with forcing them to ride in a car together in milan.
i was loving the all stars bracket format so much but now i'm just pissed for denali. i'm enjoying ginger more than i thought, but i'm quite over queens coming back more than once when there's so many to pick from (or, get this, don't do an all stars every single year).