Welcome to Now See This, THR chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg’s weekly viewer guide newsletter dedicated to cutting through the daunting clutter of the broadcast, cable and streaming TV landscape! Comments and suggestions welcome at daniel.fienberg@thr.com.

'PEN15' Reduction

News broke this week that Hulu's PEN15 will be ending with the second half of the second season. Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle and Sam Zvibleman's coming-of-age series was a gloriously cringe-y tightrope act and these last episodes, which feature a bat mitzvah, a funeral and a fittingly uncomfortable exploration of the main characters' dating lives, is PEN15  at its best. The finale absolutely feels emotionally conclusive. Of course, if Erskine and Konkle want to return to the brand in their 40s as high school versions of themselves, I'm here for it. And definitely go back to listen to what the creators said about the show's challenges on a TV's Top 5 podcast episode from last spring.

Fever 'Dog'

I've seen a lot of reviews of Netflix's The Power of the Dog referring to writer-director Jane Campion's "return," as if she'd been gone forever and as if two seasons of Top of the Lake  didn't exist and weren't fantastic. They do! They're on Hulu! Anyway… Critics have raved about Campion's new western, especially the performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee, whom our David Rooney called "a stunning breakout."

Ain't No Mountain High, Ain't No Cave Low

It's a really good weekend for streaming documentary releases. One week after Disney+ rolled out Liz Garbus' Becoming Cousteau, the streamer is premiering The Rescue, Free Solo directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin's look at the 2018 rescue of a youth soccer team from a Thai cave. Our Frank Scheck says it's a real-life story that puts Hollywood to shame. At the other side of the spectrum, Netflix has  The Alpinist, Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen's look at climber Marc-Andre Leclerc, which boasts jaw-dropping photography but some narrative decisions I found strange. And if all you want is a good cry, head over to HBO Max to watch Adrienne, Andy Ostroy and HBO's tribute to Waitress creator Adrienne Shelly. 

Drop Me Off in 'Harlem'

Other weekend TV options are spottier. Our Lovia Gyarkye appreciated the potential of Harlem, a comedy about Black female friendship that Amazon had so much faith in that it set a review embargo hours after its premiere. I was mixed on HBO Max's animated holiday comedy Santa Inc. , which has great vocal talent — Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman lead the way — but isn't really as subversive as it thinks it is. Netflix's series of cinema-loving essays Voir  doesn't premiere until Monday — review to come — giving you plenty of time to catch up on several of its featured films, including 48 Hours (available on Amazon), Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Tubi) and Lawrence of Arabia (Amazon).

Honoring Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim, who created at least half of my 10 favorite musicals of alltime, died last week at 91. If you want to watch things about Sondheim, HBO Max has the documentary Six By Sondheim, while Bradley Whitford plays him in Netflix's Tick, Tick… Boom! The feature version of Gypsy, which Sondheim wrote with Jule Styne and Arthur Laurents,  is on HBO Max, but I prefer Tubi's filmed version of the spectacular London revival starring Imelda Staunton. Paramount+ has the Tim Burton adaptation of Sweeney Todd, if you don't care if your musical stars can sing. And while I don't usually use this newsletter to recommend pay-per-view, the twisty whodunnit The Last of Sheila, written by Sondheim and Anthony Perkins, is worth the $3.99.

This Week's THR Staff Pick 

Associate editor Abbey White raves, "Arriving two years after its last season, the final expedition of Netflix’s Lost in Space underscores why the underrated adventure remains a standout amid the vast universe of streaming TV. The show hits its pacing stride in season three, striking a perfect balance between episodic and serialized story arcs as the Robinsons — split up by age and space — navigate separate galactic challenges to reunite. And while the series' signature blend of comedy and action propel the show to its seemingly perfect ending, it's Lost in Space 's exploration of the meaning of family and the strength of the human (and alien robot) spirit that really proves this smart, heartwarming show has successfully completed its mission."