Archer wraps, fave Christmas episodes, and more from the week on TV

It’s not easy for a TV comedy to earn an “everybody hugs” ending. And, to be fair, Archer doesn’t entirely try to—given that its title character dips out on the big heartwarming moment that arrives close to the end of its hour-long series finale. (He opts instead for a freaky cybernetic threeway … a ménage à trois ex machina, if you will.) But after 14 seasons of caustic spy comedy leavened with just enough heart to stop everyone involved from coming off as complete and unlikable assholes, it’s hard to imagine a crew of characters who might’ve earned that closing hug more. Archer has mutated in strange and surprising ways over its preceding decade and a half on TV, but its characters have always been its strongest asset—and Into The Cold, which dropped December 17, thankfully gives the vast majority of them a suitable send-off, sappy embrace and all. Read More

The series finale of A Murder At The End Of The World opens with an elevator to hell. Fifty meters below the Earth, a destination chosen because Ray determined that that’s the distance needed to avoid any nuclear fallout, Andy explains as he gears up for his showstopping reveal. It’s just a shame that Andy hasn’t figured out everything quite yet. Read More

Well, my prayers have been answered after last week’s exercise in wheel-spinning: Fargo gets back on track in episode six thanks to some clever writing around the complicated politics of who we choose as allies and enemies, and an absolute tour de force performance from Richa Moorjani from beginning to end. Read More

As December 25 fast approaches (how did that happen again, exactly?), we turn to that most essential of holiday traditions: rewatching Christmasy TV episodes while ignoring our families. Ace television shows—from The Sopranos to Lost to newbies like The Bear—dropping seasonally appropriate (and sometimes even sweet) installments is a tried-and-true tradition. So it’s high time we ask A.V. Club staffers and contributors, simply: What’s your favorite Christmas TV episode? Read More

Within Dr. Death’s second season, which premieres December 21 on Peacock, are two different TV dramas. One is a shocking and tragic case exposing the real-life crimes of Dr. Paolo Macchiarini (Edgar Ramirez). The other is a compelling but slow-moving saga about his personal life, mostly focused on his romantic relationship with journalist Benita Alexander (Mandy Moore). For the most part, the dueling aspects are each gripping in their own right, but they fail to unify in a way that makes the eight episodes a wholly satisfying watch. Read More

The Crown is dead; long live The Crown. After six seasons of reimagining the epic reign of Elizabeth II, creator and executive producer Peter Morgan has decided to bring down the curtain on his divisive Netflix royal drama series, penning what many have described as a love letter to the longest-reigning British monarch in history. Read More

When Disney+ announced that it was developing a new series based on Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson franchise, fans were understandably skeptical. They’d already seen a big Hollywood studio distort the source material into something unrecognizable with the 2010 film Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (that title alone—oof). Would this new streaming series be any different? Riordan, who was just as disappointed with the movie adaptation as the fans, vowed that it would be. In addition to serving as an executive producer on the series, he co-wrote the pilot and created a series bible for the writing staff. Read More

Apple TV+ quickly emerged as one of the most popular and reliable streamers with the breakout, Emmy-winning hit Ted Lasso. But the platform offers so much more, including comedies like Shrinking and powerhouse dramas such as Silo and Pachinko. Unsure about what to watch? The A.V. Club has assembled this guide to the best shows to check out, highlighting gems like the emotional horror series The Changeling and Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters, a thrilling TV show set in the Godzilla universe. Read More

Thanks to a growing roster of shows from Marvel (your WandaVisions) and the Star Wars camp (your Andors), along with a cache of beloved series, from Alias to Black-ish, there are plenty of gems on this streamer worth watching beyond classic Disney films. To help figure out where to start, we present the best ones on the platform right now, including the recently wrapped Loki and animated series What If...?, the second second of which arrives in December. Read More

Even with a whole new spate of fun, sexy Christmas songs from pop stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and more, sometimes you just can’t beat the classics. And if the state of the world or the fact that the snow just won’t come has you feeling a little less than festive, this particular classic may be the perfect antidote to raise your spirits. Read More