If your week began with The White Lotus finale, chances are the rest of it felt like a slow descent. But we’re here to cushion the fall. This is your weekly guide to all things film, TV, and hot takes you’re welcome to steal. This week we’re bidding farewell to two of the year’s most captivating shows — The White Lotus and Severance. We’re also unpacking Taylor Sheridan’s latest venture, Special Ops: Lioness, on Amazon Prime (Yellowstone fans, you’ll also want in.). Plus: did Loveyapa successfully translate the spirit of Love Today? And what role does “cringe programming” serve in our cultural diet? Yes, that hashtag says “basic” — but for good reason.

HYPE CHECK

The White Lotus wrapped up its season with a finale that creator Mike White warned would leave viewers with a lingering sadness. Post-airing, the internet exploded with memes—while others took issue with the show’s perceived lack of momentum. To this, White responded: “I’m edging you guys. If you don’t like it, get out of the bed.” Let’s just say he could’ve called it a slow burn like everyone else. But trust White to make it a sexual metaphor. This is, after all, a show that explores themes through the prism of sex and power.

From entitlement in Hawaii, to the transactional intimacy of Italy, to the spiritual confusion of this season, The White Lotus always checks out with its sheets metaphorically messy. Airing on JioStar, the series always opens with a body—and the promise of a mystery. But it’s less a classic whodunnit, and more a philosophical whydidIdoit. Think of it as an existential vacation—a lens on human behaviour when Wi-Fi is weak and the cocktails are strong.

The murder is just a narrative hook. At its core, this is a show about character studies—meant to be savoured, not binged. It puts us on holiday with the privileged, handing us front-row seats to watch (and judge) them… until we inevitably see ourselves reflected in their choices. And that’s the catch. When you spend seven weeks theorizing and speculating, the ending has little chance of meeting expectations.

ALSO READ:‘The White Lotus’ interview: Star Morgana O’Reilly on digital detox in Season 3

As for this season’s finale—I loved it. It was a thoughtful meditation on the paradox of faith, friendship, and family. It explored how privilege not only shapes belief systems but also distorts them. The title gave it away: Amor Fati—a Latin phrase embracing fate with love. The show reminds us that violence is often cyclical, that moral disengagement is a defense mechanism, and that sometimes, the only truth is that there is no neat resolution. Also worth noting: while anxiety and depression can be found across class lines, ennui remains a luxury only the wealthy can afford. So yes—you may need therapy, a vacation, and a crash course in existentialism to fully process it.

TV GOLD: Severance

If your work-life balance feels like a lobotomy, Severance on Apple TV+ takes it literally. The show follows employees at Lumon Industries who’ve undergone a surgical procedure to divide memory: their “innie” self exists only at work, while their “outie” self has no knowledge of it. Our protagonist Mark, grieving the loss of his wife, chooses the severance procedure—only to discover that his late spouse may not be as dead as he thought. Caught between Helly, his innie’s fierce partner, and Gemma, his outie’s lost love, Mark finds himself at the center of an unsettling triangle.

This season pivots toward that triangle, leaving regulars like Irving and Dylan somewhat sidelined. But Milchick is back—and sharper than ever. Even HR seems unsure what to do with this verbose, smooth-talking company man who, arguably, understands Lumon better than its leadership. Severance continues to expand its enigmatic world with slow-burning dread and meticulous world-building. Think Lost meets Dark—only more corporate. Yes, those infamous Lost numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) make a brief appearance in Lumon’s files. Yes, you should rewatch for the Easter eggs.

ALSO READ:Amid India’s long workweek debate, what ‘Severance’ teaches us about corporate indoctrination 

Mild spoilers ahead: the finale hints that Mark’s innie and outie may no longer be on the same page—especially after he chooses to return with Helly (not Helena, as clarified by director Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson). You know you felt it when Helly screamed, “They give us half a life and think we won’t fight for it!” So if you were on the fence, this is your sign. Both your selves will enjoy Severance.

HEADS UP

Taylor Sheridan returns with Special Ops: Lioness, a gritty espionage series on Amazon Prime featuring Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman, and Morgan Freeman. If Yellowstone explored the edges of civilization, Lioness dives into the clandestine world of covert CIA programs. The plot centers around women trained to infiltrate families of high-value targets—a concept drawn from real-life military initiatives.

Despite large-scale military sequences and shootouts, the show remains grounded in personal conflict. These women lead complex lives and make difficult choices—to protect others, often at great personal cost. Sheridan’s trademark pacing is intact: slow builds interrupted by sudden bursts of chaos. Both seasons are now available to stream.

Also worth checking out: Sheridan’s Tulsa King on JioStar, a mafia drama with Sylvester Stallone front and center. Don’t look for realism—this one’s pure guilty pleasure.

PRAISE BE

The Handmaid’s Tale returns to Prime Video with three episodes now streaming. This season seems set to shift the conflict inward, from the patriarchy to the women who’ve upheld it. The early episodes suggest a reckoning—where women must confront one another to define a new, post-patriarchal world. Conditioning may be the real villain here, and I’m curious to see how the power dynamics evolve when optics begin to matter more than ideology.

LATE CATCH-UP: Loveyapa

This week’s retroactive viewing: Loveyapa, the Hindi remake of the Tamil film, Love Today, misses more than a few marks. Adapted from Pradeep Ranganathan’s surprisingly clever original, Loveyappa flips the romantic script midway—but lacks the cultural grounding to pull it off. Unlike the small-town world of the original, Loveyappa takes place in a city but makes little attempt to reflect urban reality. The characters look out of place, and the performances, while sincere, are weighed down by awkward staging and visual gimmicks.

The tonal inconsistency—between juvenile rom-com and heavy-handed moral lesson—is more jarring here. What also doesn’t help? The star baggage. The leads feel like textbook cases of nepotism, robbing the film of the charm and authenticity the original enjoyed.

CRINGE ART: Ghotala

Yes, sometimes we review the so-bad-it’s-good. This week’s entry: Ghotala on YouTube. A low-budget spectacle packed with absurdity, offbeat profanity, and an energy that swings wildly between Anurag Kashyap and Karan Johar. It’s an unholy mix of scatalogical humor and social satire—veering between crass and endearing. Think Supermen of Malegaon, but if it got lost in a cloud of fart jokes. If you’re into the aesthetic of chaos and heart-on-sleeve sincerity, this one might just be your cup of bad chai.