If you’re in the U.S., it’s election week. This late in an election year is never fun, really; there’s a lot of anxiety tied up in this race for people, and as more locales use mail-in voting, it’s unclear how soon the race will actually be decided (let alone the fallout from there). Which is all to say these are uncertain times, with a certain level of baseline apprehension. There’s plenty of television you could watch — to fill time, or distract, or just to give yourself a little burst of joy. Dan Da Dan, Ranma 1/2, Abbott Elementary, and Dragon Ball: Daima all drop new episodes this week, for starters.
Netflix’s Arcane season 2, The Penguin finale, and more new TV this week
Plus: Dropout TV’s Very Important People
Image: Fortiche/Riot Games
Zosha Millman (she/her) manages TV coverage at Polygon as an entertainment editor, but will happily write about movies, too. She’s been working as a journalist for more than 10 years.
And they’re not alone: Perhaps the biggest drop of the week is the first three episodes of the second (and final!) season of Arcane. It’s been three years since the last season aired, and — at least judging from the trailer — it will be well worth the wait.
Here’s the best new TV premieres and finales to watch this week.
New shows on Netflix
Arcane season 2
Genre: Steampunk League fantasy
Release date: Nov. 9, with three episodes
Showrunner/creator: Christian Linke
Cast: Ella Purnell, Hailee Steinfeld, Katie Leung, and more
Piltover and Zaun are in disarray. And it’s even worse now that Jinx (Ella Purnell) launched a weaponized gemstone at the Piltover council meeting just as they were considering Zaun’s independence. The roiling inequality and resentment finally blew up in the season 1 finale, and season 2’s three acts promise to bring even more unrest — and, hopefully, good fucking TV.
New shows on Max
The Penguin season 1 finale
Image: Max
Genre: Batman villain drama
Release date: Nov. 10
Showrunner/creator: Lauren LeFranc
Cast: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, and more
We always knew it would come down to this — a showdown between Oswald (Colin Farrell), “The Penguin,” and Sofia (Cristin Milioti), “The Hangman.” After seven episodes, we know better what Sofia has been through to find herself in this situation, and seen what Oswald has done to bring this situation upon himself. There were ways both could’ve avoided it, but that’s not the Gotham way. Who’s going to come out on top as the ruler of the underworld? (At least, until The Batman has something to say about it.)
New shows on Dropout TV
Very Important People season 2
Genre: Comedy talk show
Release date: Nov. 7, with one episode
Showrunner/creator: Vic Michaelis
Guests: John Early, Kate Berlant, Paul F. Tompkins, and more
One of Dropout’s funniest additions to its packed lineup of laugh-out-loud comedy shows returns with a second season. In Very Important People, the hilarious Vic Michaelis plays a version of themself as a public television interviewer, talking to an array of bizarre guests. These guests — mostly comedians — have been given a complete makeover by the VIP team, and have to come up with a character on the spot for the interview. Chaos ensues, and with this season’s star-studded guest lineup, it’s gearing up to be another great time.
