Nostalgia Without Nuance: A Four-Show TV Review Roundup

Four recent TV entries—Paramount+’s The Varnell Hill Show, the Furious finale, Lanterns, and FX/Hulu’s Adults season 2—receive a mixed verdict: The Varnell Hill Show is nostalgic and stylish but fails to justify its premise or modern relevance; Furious remains gripping and thoughtful about power, trauma, and revenge, though its setup for future seasons risks simplification; Lanterns ambitiously reimagines John Stewart’s origin as a race- and family-centered drama with strong turns, yet its prestige-drama heft can feel heavy; Adults season 2 sharpens its Gen Z ensemble into a tighter, consistently funny eight-episode arc that proves how a short season can still land big laughs.