June is upon us, even as a recent arrival, Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi is still getting started. There’s a trend to this month, though. Between The Boys, The Umbrella Academy, and Ms. Marvel, there’s a whole lot of superpowers at work, even though two of these shows happen to be subversive while the other’s full of glee. Hey, TV can bring the blockbusters as well as (and sometimes even better) than the theater can do.
In addition, followup seasons for streaming hits will arrive in plentiful supply. Only Murder In The Building and Physical represent two choices from that category, and South Park is making a streaming-only turn, too. Don’t knock the cable channels, though, because The Chi and P-Valley will offer up fresh seasons to satisfy their loyal fanbases. Oh, and those violently delightful robots shall return, too, because those hosts never really die. Here are the must-see shows coming your way in June.
South Park: The Streaming Wars (Paramount+ special streaming 6/1)
Few people could have predicted that this unapologetically raunchy animated show, which skewers every issue possible, would one day still be running while approaching its 25th anniversary. That momentous occasion will arrive on August 20, but first, the Paramount+-exclusive specials will continue. The streaming wars are a righteous mess already, so expect Trey Parker and Matt Stone to address the chaos appropriately, while Cartman’s got a beef that could endanger the existence of South Park.
Physical: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series streaming 6/3)
Rose Byrne and leg warmers continue front and center here while her Sheila Rubin’s still riding high from the success of her debut fitness video. This leads to even greater obstacles while personal and professional worlds collide. Is her husband too attracted to someone else, and can Sheila manage to construct a full-on fitness empire (with competitors and everything) while dealing with some disaster at home? Expect the neon lights to shine bright while addressing these dilemmas.
The Boys: Season 3 (Amazon Prime series streaming 6/3)
Homelander is most decidedly not okay after the events of the Season 2 finale, so plenty more increasingly sadistic behavior will soon arrive on that end. He’s got competition in the “hero of heroes” department, though, because the ripped and exhausted Jensen Ackles climbs aboard as Soldier Boy (a Captain America parody), and not only will we see the “Herogasm” episode, but we can all look forward to The Deep doing things that made Chace Crawford wondered if he’d work again. If we’re lucky, we’ll see more exploding heads and hopefully some followup on Homelander’s solo performance atop a skyscraper. Thank god the boys (and girls) are back in action.
P-Valley: Season 2 (Starz series returning 6/3)
The darkness has enveloped Chucalissa, Mississippi, and everyone’s survival is on the line. All the while, this strip-club tale is weaving the pandemic into the story while the locker room and the casino aren’t about fun times but, instead, about danger at every turn. Things get super political out there, too, and The Pynk is not immune to the peril with Autumn (Elarica Johnson) and Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan) attempting to keep their footing amid a sea of stilettos.
Ms. Marvel: Season 1 (Disney+ series streaming 6/8)
This series brings us Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a Pakistani American teen from Jersey City. She’s a fan-fiction enthusiast and loves the Avengers, including Captain Marvel. Kamala somehow ends up with superpowers of her own (apparently sourcing from the same cosmic energy as Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers), and this show’s a roaring ball of glee that will help to set up The Marvels, which will not only include Kamala and Carol but also Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Paris) from WandaVision.
For All Mankind: Season 3 (Apple TV+ series streaming 6/10)
Joel Kinnaman and Shantel VanSanten return along with much of the rest of the ensemble cast , and this season keeps the alternate history going while moving into the future. The new frontier in the Space Race happens to be Mars, and the U.S. and Soviet Union find a third party who isn’t about to stay quiet. It’s a pressure cooker of a situation while the very future of mankind could be at stake, and one should expect plenty of loyalties to be tested amid mounting confrontations and clashes of national egos.
Peaky Blinders: Season 6 (BBC One/Netflix series streaming 6/10)
This season’s been sitting pretty for months now across the pond, but stateside viewers will finally get to see Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby kicking ass and fending off new rivals as he preps to head toward North America. The family’s missing its matriarch now (due to actress Helen McRory’s death), and it’s all coming down to a final batch of a half-dozen episodes, although one should expect some movies and spinoffs to eventually arrive. Dig that cockney rhyming slang!
Dark Winds (AMC and AMC+ series streaming 6/12)
(Mostly) Native American writers are doing the thing here as based upon Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee book series and the two 1970s Navajo cops (at a remote area near Monument Valley) who embark upon apparently unrelated crimes including a double murder case. In the process, they see things that make them think twice about their spiritual beliefs. The forces of evil swirl while the cops’ personal demons could actually be the key to emerging back into salvation territory. Are you intrigued? Good.
Rutherford Falls: Season 2 (Peacock series streaming 6/16)
This Michael Schur sitcom makes a return to follow up on his outings in Scranton and Pawnee. Ed Helms will return as Nathan Rutherford (yep, that has a ton to do with this town’s history), and he’s still accompanied by his best friend, Jana Schmieding’s Reagan. Expect more offbeat magic from The Good Place creator while the leading duo finds more romantic and professional obstacles to conquer. Let’s hear it for lifelong BFFs and knowing how someone will always have your back, no matter how absurd a situation or conundrum might be until things get ironed out.
The Umbrella Academy: Season 3 (Netflix series streaming 6/22)
Ghostly Ben (Justin H. Min) ain’t so ghostly anymore, and he’s also not sweet and devoted to simply antagonizing Robert Sheehan’s Klaus anymore. The Sparrow Academy aims to be front and center, and the O.G. Hargreeves siblings must adjust to this strange new timeline where their common Bad Dad Reginald’s other kiddos exist. Oh, and there’s another rift in the universe, which actually leads Elliot Page’s Viktor to unite with a character who acted fully like an enemy last season. Gerard Way’s comic book series keeps on giving good adaptation, and hopefully, there will be more dancing to go with yet another apocalypse.
The Bear (FX on Hulu series streaming 6/23)
Jeremy Allen White can’t leave Chicago, it seems. The Shameless actor’s now portraying a chef who ends up back home and attempting to helm a sandwich shop for his family. There’s a highly emotional reason for this, and the actual realities of running this business turns out to be quite the challenge. In the midst of everything else, there’s a sense of humanity in how this show portrays relationships, while White’s character (Carmy) transforms his own sense of self and learns to find a second family.
The Chi: Season 5 (Showtime series returning 6/24)
This season fives into the highs and lows (but ultimately the highs) of Black love. That would include issues involving co-parenting and newfound parenting as well as diving into romantic relationships of many varieties. Meanwhile, Jada’s navigating her post-cancer life with a fresh eye toward what she really wants in life, and also importantly: careers and the sense of self ride high here. Oh, and Trig might be running for political office, just to make things even more chaotic when it comes to learning how to achieve a work-life balance.
Westworld: Season 4 (HBO series streaming 6/26)
If you completely didn’t understand the third season of this show, you’re definitely not alone, but the Westworld hasn’t confusion is part of the appeal here. It’s been over two years since Evan Rachel Wood’s Dolores apparently went out of commission, but a death obviously isn’t a death when it comes to this show, as we’ve seen over and over again with these hosts. HBO promises that this season will present “a dark odyssey about the fate of sentient life on earth.” Thandiwe Newton, Ed Harris, Tessa Thompson, Jeffrey Wright, and Aaron Paul are all back for more robot drama.
Only Murders in the Building: Season 2 (Hulu series streaming 6/28)
The dream trio of Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short will return after sticking the landing on their first season finale, and now, they must deal with the homicide investigation turning against them. The show turned around a second season in warp speed (less than a year after the show’s August 2021 debut), and expect a competing podcast to shake things up even more for the show’s sophomore round. Their neighbors have turned against Mabel, Charles, and Oliver, too. Madness!
