Let’s admit it. Amazon’s search function is the worst. And sometimes it makes it difficult to find good movies and (especially) shows to watch. Here are some of the best TV shows that are available on Prime Video.
Undone
Rosa Salazar and Bob Odenkirk star in this odd tale of a troubled young woman named Alma who is struggling with her sister, mother, and boyfriend-and then her dead father starts appearing to her with a request to master time travel. In a film starring actors and then beautifully rotoscoped for an air of surrealism, Undone will take you on a wild ride.
Invincible
The mature-audiences comic by Robert Kirkman is brought to (animated) life in this engrossing series. As a newly-minted superhero, Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) must cope with his abilities and the secrets of his father, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons). Just go a watch the first episode. You will either be horrified or hooked.
Wayne
The show revolves around a 16-year-old Boston native (Mark McKenna) with a code of conduct based on Conan the Barbarian, who hurls punches (or rocks) at anyone who offends him. In an effort to retrieve his gas-guzzling inheritance, Wayne discovers that his recently deceased father had a classic car unjustly seized by his estranged mother, her new husband, and their delinquent children. Deb (Ciara Bravo), a streetwise teen with her own family struggles, joins the ride. Wayne creator Shawn Simmons takes cues from a variety of sources, including the Coen Brothers and John Hughes, which results in a winning formula of teen angst and color. A second season may depend largely on people discovering the first.
The Boys
No matter how much you’ve seen of superheroes and superhero meta-analysis, you won’t want to miss The Boys. Eric Kripke’s adaptation of Garth Ennis’ comics imagines a world in which heroes are corporate tools, social media icons, and morally bankrupt. Homelander (think of an ethically destitute Avengers) leads the vaunted Seven, played with red-eyed menace by Antony Starr. The full scope of the hero industrial complex is revealed when mortal Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) targets Homelander.
Fleabag
The story centers on a downtrodden Londoner with a sister who is too perfect, a stepmother who intends to be wicked (Olivia Colman from The Crown), and an emotional crisis that demands hedonism in order to cope. Waller-Bridge interrupts the action to address the viewer directly, offering a biting running commentary on her own complicated state of affairs, including her crush on a priest (Andrew Scott).
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
A critically acclaimed and highly praised Amazon series, this dramedy stars Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a 1950’s housewife who takes the bold (for the decade) step of becoming a standup comedian. The show, which captures New York’s burgeoning feminism in the 1970s, vibrates with energy, as does Brosnahan. Don Draper would have a hard time getting a word in with Midge.
Goliath
The series stars David E. Kelley (The Practice), who portrays a downtrodden attorney (Billy Bob Thornton) who brushes up against his former law firm while trying to solve an accidental death case that turns into a sprawling conspiracy. Bill Thornton won a Golden Globe for his performance; William Hurt should have won something for his portrayal as the diabolical firm co-founder who keeps pulling Thornton’s strings from afar. In seasons two and three, Dennis Quaid co-stars as evil California farmer Wade Blackwood. The fourth and final season is expected.
Forever
In this half-hour series, the less you know, the better. Don’t let anyone tell you anything other than that Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph portray a couple in a troubled marriage. There is a lot more you have to discover on your own.
Homecoming
An acclimatization facility that helps soldiers transition to civilian life is the setting of this critically acclaimed drama starring Julia Roberts. An investigation reveals some startling truths about the program years later. It is Janelle Monáe who headlines season 2, which pushes the story forward.
Bosch
As the eponymous homicide detective in the Michael Connelly novels, Titus Welliver explores the seedy side of Los Angeles in an Amazon adaptation. Bosch succeeds as a police procedural in the Dragnet mold without frills or explosions. Despite the seventh and final season just premiering, it won’t be the end. A Bosch spinoff that stars Welliver, Mimi Rogers, and Madison Lintz will air on IMDb TV, which is available on Amazon Prime and other streaming services for free. The filming of this project will begin later this year.
