Series Snapshot ~ 7/3/25

By: [email protected] on Thu, 07/03/2025 - 15:23

Welcome to the Series Snapshot, a weekly deep dive into the shows topping the streaming charts.

Squid Game season three has taken the number one spot at Netflix this week.

The new season of the Korean action-drama hasn’t been a total success however, of the three existing seasons, it’s scored the lowest, and many viewers are feeling that the writing is inconsistent and had an unsatisfying series finale. Others praise the show for its critique of contemporary South Korean society and the rising pressure to compete for success. Squid Game stars Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, and Wi Ha-joon, and was directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk.

Over at Hulu, one of their most popular originals, The Bear, launched its fourth season, which stars Jeremy Allen White as award-winning chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, and is the platform’s most watched of the week. The new season has been well received with both critics and audiences scoring it higher than season three, and praising the lead performances and sharp writing. The Bear was also recently renewed for a fifth season.

HBO’s top watched list is basically a repeat from last week, Rick and Morty, And Just Like That…, and The Gilded Age have stayed consistently in their respective spots. The Gilded Age continues to reel in great reviews, and is “bingeable” due to its short episode list. The show gets praise for its writing, acting, (particularly Carrie Coon’s performance) special effects, and attention to detail in 1880’s New York. The Gilded Age comes from series creator Julian Fellowes, and stars Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski. No official news yet on whether there will be a season four.

Amazon Prime’s original series We Were Liars continues its stay as the number one most watched this week. Despite its high viewership, the teen drama is getting mixed reviews. Some feel the writing is weak, and dub it a watered-down substitute to Succession and Pretty Little Liars. Season one left audiences on a cliffhanger, but thus far, there has been no confirmation of a potential season two. We Were Liars stars Emily Alyn Lind, Caitlin FitzGerald, and Mamie Gummer.

A new series, titled Smoke, has “smoked” the competition at AppleTV this week, taking the “most watched” title. The new crime drama series stars Taron Egertonand Jurnee Smollet, who play a pair of detectives faced with catching serial arsonists, as they navigate deceptive twists and turns. The series is being released weekly, with episode two set to air July fourth. There’s only one episode so far, so it will be interesting to watch reviews as the series progresses, and it’s a testament to Smoke’s bravado to have taken the number one spot with just a pilot episode. Smoke comes from series creator Dennis Lehane, author of Shutter Island, and is directed by Kari Skogland.

Finally, long running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy moves over this week, as a new Disney original takes the number one spot on Disney Plus. Ironheart, a MCU series, and spinoff of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, features Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, who is reprising her role from the film. Despite being the most watched show this week, Ironheart is being received poorly by some audiences, currently sitting with a 3.8 rating on IMDB. However, Marvel fans have some praise for the show, particularly its thrilling season finale. Ironheart also stars Anthony Ramos, Lyric Ross, and Alden Ehrenreich.