November 20, 2025
Provided image/Apple TV+
Rhea Seehorn stars in the new Apple TV+ series 'Pluribus,' the latest from 'Breaking Bad' and 'Better Call Saul' creator Vince Gilligan.
Already binged 12 hours of Ken Burns? Fear not, for there's always more to stream — including another show for the history nerds.
Netflix skips over the Revolutionary War to the Gilded Age with "Death by Lightning," a limited series about the short-lived presidency of James Garfield. (There's an unmentioned Philly angle to this story.) Apple TV+, meanwhile, imagines a totally different America in the new sci-fi series "Pluribus."
Anyone in need of a good cry can put together a devastating double feature with "A Star Is Born" and "The Iron Claw," both newly available to watch. Here's our latest streaming guide:
It's best to dive into a show like "Pluribus" knowing as little as possible. So, here are the basic facts: It's a post-apocalyptic drama starring Rhea Seehorn of "Better Call Saul," and it comes from the brain of Vince Gilligan, who created that series and its predecessor "Breaking Bad."
The first episode takes viewers through the big event that changes everything, while the rest of the show explores the strange new world order through the eyes of Carol (Seehorn). Despite its weighty themes, "Pluribus" has a streak of dark humor running through it and all thrills you'd expect from the guy who dreamed up Heisenberg. New episodes air Fridays on AppleTV+.
The first frame of this Netflix series reads: "This is a true story about two men the world forgot. One was the 20th president of the United States. The other shot him."
Unfortunately for James Garfield, this cheeky prologue is all too apt. He assumed office two decades after the more famous assassinated president (Abraham Lincoln) but still several administrations away from the macho man who ushered in the 20th century (Teddy Roosevelt). That places him in a bit of a memory hole for most Americans, especially since he died only six months into his term. An unwell fan and con man, Charles Guiteau, pulled the trigger.
"Death by Lightning" tracks the pair from Garfield's candidacy to death, bouncing between their lives. With just four episodes, it's the rare streaming series that would benefit from more installments. But what's there is fascinating. Michael Shannon brings his typical intensity to the role of Garfield, and Matthew Macfadyen taps into the striver desperation he honed on "Succession" as Guiteau. The real treat, however, is Nick Offerman as a drunk henchman with mutton chops, aka Vice President Chester Arthur.
While few things can top Judy Garland belting "The Man That Got Away" in the 1954 "A Star Is Born," Lady Gaga gets pretty darn close in the 2018 remake.
The movie, Bradley Cooper's first as a director, hit Hulu earlier this month. It was kind of a big deal at the time, as evidenced by our own breathless coverage, and holds up seven years after the fact. If you're ready to get hurt again (and the soundtrack lodged in your brain), give it a stream.
Consider this fair warning: "The Iron Claw" is not a feel-good wrestling movie. The drama, newly added to Prime, is based on the real Von Erich family of athletes. The Texan brothers rose to fame in the '80s, and all but one of them died before the age of 35. Many speculated that a "curse" followed the family.
"The Iron Claw" doesn't spend much time on the origins of that rumor. (Though if you're curious, it has to do with patriarch Fritz Von Erich's unsavory persona in the ring.) Instead, it explores each brother's personal struggle to live up to the family name, and the genuinely touching bond between the siblings. Zac Efron leads a stacked cast that also includes Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Lily James.
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