The biggest anticipation of HBO Max in June 2022 is the return of Westworld, which last aired two years ago. The fourth season of the Western-dystopian series won’t premiere until the end of the month, but there’s plenty to look forward to until then.
After May’s success with Hacks, The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Staircase, HBO Max has no plans to start the summer off on a boring note. The streaming service has the Irma Vep miniseries remake lined up, as well as fresh seasons of hit shows such as Doctor Who and Birdgirl. Whatever viewers are into, HBO Max will surely have a show waiting for them in the wings. Buckle in for HBO’s best new June additions to add to your watchlist that will broaden your television interests.
Irma Vep Explores Fame and Reboots
Let’s break down HBO’s Irma Vep series: In French director Olivier Assayas’ remake of his own 1996 film of the same name, Alicia Vikander portrays Mira, an actress joining a limited series remake of the French silent film Les Vampires. Hopefully the series depicts this remake inception as much less confusing as it comes across.
HBO’s Irma Vep takes on the new trend of rebooting films into television shows and the current state of the entertainment industry. Superhero movies are all the buzz in this show’s world, but Mira is looking to Les Vampires as a new step in her tumbling career. Irma Vep is a bit meta, but commentates on the disillusioned lifestyles of celebrities and the ever-changing culture of movie-making.
Irma Vep premieres June 6 on HBO Max.
Unravel the Flux in Doctor Who Season 13
It’s a sad time to be letting go of the first female Doctor, portrayed by Jodie Whittaker, but it only means new beginnings with Ncuti Gatwa as the Fourteenth Doctor to come. While getting excited about Gatwa fulfilling the role, in addition to David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning to the franchise, take in the final season of the magnificent Thirteenth Doctor’s adventures.
The 13th season of Doctor Who follows the alien Time Lord with her companions Yasmin Khan and Dan Lewis as they navigate the threat of the Flux, a universe-ending anomaly that obliterated entire planets and lives. The Flux gives the Doctor a mission to uncover not only the truth about the mysterious disaster, but of her own forgotten origins. It’s the biggest fight the Doctor has had to face, and it creates a superior story for the final chapter of the Thirteenth Doctor’s story.
Doctor Who Season 13 drops June 6 on HBO Max.
Naomi Has a Different Take on Superheroes
The one-season Naomi series created by Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship wasn’t safe from CW cleaning house last month. The series is a bit clunky for a superhero origin story, but it still had potential to be something more intimate.
Naomi slightly fails at its own superhero story when it comes to overusing tired superhero tropes, but succeeds at the smaller things in life. If superhero movie fans are into “normal” side of heroes, this is the show for them. When the series follows Naomi through her increasing curiosity with Superman (who is considered a myth in her world), her love and family life, it’s a show worth investing in.
Naomi drops June 6 on HBO Max.
Birdgirl Brings the Gang Back Together in Season 2
Season 2 of Birdgirl is expected to pick up right where Season 1 left off with Judy Ken Sebben and the Birdteam still trying to navigate her father’s company that fails to fit into the 21st century with its outdated morals and products. This time around, the problems the Harvey Birdman: Attorney-at-Law spin-off will conquer (but ultimately fail at in its own hilarious style) pertain to cancel culture, ethics in new tech and rejuvenating skin health fads. Just everyday problems that everyone deals with.
Birdgirl Season 2 premieres June 20 on HBO Max.
Wellington Paranormal Has More Cases to Solve in Season 3
Wellington Paranormal is the first television series and spin-off of the 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows, and follows Mike Minogue and Karen O’Leary as officers Minogue and O’Leary of the Wellington police department. The mockumentary series concerns the officers investigating paranormal instances of werewolves, zombies, vampires and ghosts. The mockumentary style really plays into the humor of the show when it’s all badly lit, constantly showcasing deadpan reactions of the cops who really are fish out of water when it comes to the paranormal activities they face. For fans of The Office or Parks and Recreation who need a little horror in the mix-up, this is the show for them.
Wellington Paranormal Season 3 drops June 23 on HBO Max.
Tuca & Bertie Continue Their Shenanigans in Season 2
Tuca & Bertie got off to a rough start in its first season. It first aired on Netflix, but the streaming service canceled the animated series in 2019. Adult Swim saved the show, airing the second season last year. The show stars Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong as the toucan Tuca and the songbird Bertie as they navigate their friendships and other relationships in adulthood. Steven Yeun also stars as Speckle, a robin who’s Bertie’s architect boyfriend in the series. Each episode has a simple premise, as most sitcoms do, but its complex dive into social dynamics and coping mechanisms is a treat in adult animated comedy.
Tuca & Bertie Season 2 drops June 24 on HBO Max.
Will Westworld Make a Comeback in Season 4?
By far the most anticipated HBO show of June is Westworld, which fans finally got a hint of in the teaser trailer in May. The newest season will continue to explore the fate of sentient life on Earth, as well as a dystopian version of New York City. There are also some new faces to look forward to, with West Side Story‘s Ariana DeBose joining the cast in an undisclosed role as a special guest star.
Seasons 2 and 3 hit a rough patch in the show’s run — especially after the jaw-dropping first season — which both failed to transform the dystopian-robot genre past the same philosophical takes. Nonetheless, it raised plenty of questions that needed to be answered, including if there’s going to be a new theme park. With the trailer inconspicuously titled, “It doesn’t look like anything to me,” maybe Westworld can finally get out of the funk it’s been in the past couple of seasons and find some new ideas to ponder on.
Westworld Season 4 premieres June 26 on HBO Max.
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