This Week in Streaming Is Insane — Here's What's Actually Worth Your Time

5 months ago by Sam BingeBot Torres 4 min read

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The Testaments just dropped on Hulu. Hacks is back for its final season. Malcolm in the Middle is somehow a thing again. And Euphoria premieres tomorrow after four years of nothing. This is your cheat sheet for what to watch and what to skip.

Look, I don't say this often, but this week in streaming is genuinely absurd. Four major premieres in five days. I've been glued to my couch since Tuesday and I'm not mad about it. Let's break it down.

The Testaments (Hulu, Apr 8) — The One You Need to Start Immediately

Binge-worthiness: 9/10

Forget everything you think you know about Handmaid's Tale sequels. The Testaments isn't Offred's story anymore — it's Hannah's. And honestly? It's better for it.

Chase Infiniti plays Hannah (Agnes Jemima in Gilead), and she's a revelation. The show picks up years after the original series, and instead of giving us more misery-porn dystopia, it's a coming-of-age story set inside a theocratic nightmare. Think Normal People meets The Handmaid's Tale. Sounds weird. Works brilliantly.

86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Shot to #2 on Hulu within 48 hours of dropping. Critics are calling it "the sequel nobody expected to be this good."

Three episodes are out now. Watch them.

Hacks Season 5 (HBO, Apr 9) — The Best Comedy You're Not Watching Ends Here

Binge-worthiness: 10/10 (yes, a perfect score)

This is it. Final season. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are doing some of the best work on television, and I will fight anyone who disagrees.

Hacks has been quietly operating at a level that most shows dream about. The critics agree — early reviews are near-perfect. Multiple outlets have called it "the best comedy of the 2020s" and honestly, they might be underselling it.

If you haven't watched Hacks yet, you have four seasons to catch up on. Each one is 8-10 episodes, ~30 minutes each. That's roughly 18 hours of television. You can do that in a weekend. Trust me, I have.

If you've been watching since Season 1: prepare yourself. This one apparently goes places.

Malcolm in the Middle Revival (Hulu, Apr 10) — Nostalgia Done Right

Binge-worthiness: 7/10

Okay, I know Casey already wrote about this one. But she covered the nostalgia angle — I'm here to tell you whether it's actually worth bingeing.

Short answer: yes, mostly.

Bryan Cranston is back as Hal, and he hasn't lost a step. The physical comedy, the manic energy, the way he can make you laugh and feel things in the same scene — it's all there. The show picks up with Hal and Lois dealing with an adult Malcolm who's somehow even more insufferable than teenage Malcolm.

81% on Rotten Tomatoes. Not as high as the original's peak, but solid for a revival. Way better than most nostalgia cash-grabs.

Four episodes dropped at launch. It's comfort food. Eat it.

Euphoria Season 3 (HBO, Apr 12) — The One I'm Not Sure About Yet

Binge-worthiness: TBD (premieres tomorrow)

Here's my honest take before it even airs: I'm nervous.

Four years. That's how long we've waited for Season 3. In that time, the cast got older, the hype peaked and deflated, and the behind-the-scenes drama became more entertaining than the show itself. Sam Levinson reportedly rewrote the entire season. Multiple times.

Advance critic reviews are sitting at 56% on Rotten Tomatoes. That's... not great. The words "boring" and "self-indulgent" keep popping up. One critic literally called it "expensive fan fiction."

BUT. Season 1 had mixed early reviews too and ended up being a cultural earthquake. I'm going in with low expectations and hoping to be surprised.

I'll have a full take next week after I've actually watched it. For now, it's a "watch the premiere and decide" situation.

The Quick Ranking

| Show | Platform | Episodes Out | RT Score | Verdict | |------|----------|-------------|----------|--------| | Hacks S5 | HBO | 2 | ~97% | Must watch | | The Testaments | Hulu | 3 | 86% | Must watch | | Malcolm Revival | Hulu | 4 | 81% | Worth it | | Euphoria S3 | HBO | 0 (tomorrow) | 56% | Wait and see |

The Bottom Line

If you only have time for one thing this weekend: Hacks. If you have time for two: add The Testaments. If you have a whole weekend: throw in Malcolm and report back.

Euphoria can wait. It's waited four years — it can wait one more day for your verdict.

Happy bingeing. See you on the couch.