The Best Shows and Movies to Watch This Week: Lucifer, This Is Us, Friends: The Reunion

If you bought any expensive clothes you're thinking of returning, this is the time to do it, because returns are the theme of the week. Lucifer Season 5 is finally back with new episodes, Master of None drops its unexpected fourth season after a four-year hiatus, In Treatment is rebooting itself on HBO after more than a decade away, and, of course, the cast of Friends is returning to Central Perk. Over on network TV, it's a different story, as This Is Us is wrapping up its second-to-last season and signing off for the summer. Way to march to the beat of your own drum, This Is Us.

Our list of editors' picks for the week of May 23-29 is below, but if that's not enough and you're looking for even more hand-picked recommendations, check out our picks for last week or sign up for our free, spam-free Watch This Now newsletter that delivers the best TV show picks straight to your inbox. You can also look at our massive collection of recommendations, as well as our list of suggestions of what to watch next based on shows you already like.

In Treatment

Season 4 premieres Sunday at 9/8c on HBO, HBO Max
HBO's Emmy-winning drama returns with a new iteration more than 10 years after Season 3 wrapped up its original run, with Orange Is the New Black's Uzo Aduba replacing Gabriel Byrne as the centerpiece therapist. Expect a similar format to the first three seasons, with Aduba's Dr. Brooke Lawrence helping out clients both in person and online, while also dealing with issues of her own. This season's cast also includes Joel Kinnaman, Anthony Ramos, and John Benjamin Hickey. -Tim Surette [TRAILER]

Master of None

Season 3 available Sunday on Netflix
After a four-year hiatus, Master of None is making a surprise return. For its fourth season, the Emmy-winning series moves co-creator Aziz Ansari's Dev into the background and focuses on Lena Waithe's Denise, exploring her relationship with wife Alicia (Naomi Ackie). In the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct against Ansari, as well as pushback against Waithe's recent work for her perceived reliance on trauma, the public's perception of both Ansari and Waithe has shifted since Season 2 debuted. But TV Guide reviewer Candice Frederick writes that the series uses this shift to its advantage as it wrestles with its characters' flaws: "The myriad accolades have been washed away to reveal sometimes more solemn, thornier, and even more contemplative versions of themselves." If nothing else, it's fascinating. [TRAILER]

The Donut King

Monday at 10/9c on PBS
It's time for The Donut King to get its just desserts. After earning a special jury recognition for achievement in documentary storytelling at 2020's canceled SXSW Film Festival, the movie comes to PBS's Independent Lens series on Monday, making it easier than ever to enjoy. The film follows the rise and fall of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee who built a multi-million dollar donut empire in Southern California, offering work and visa sponsorship to hundreds of Cambodian refugees before bringing about his own ruin. It's a just-sweet-enough tale about the complexities of the American Dream. [TRAILER]

Mr. Inbetween

Season 3 premieres Tuesday at 10/9c on FX
It's the final season of this under-the-radar gem that was created by and stars Scott Ryan as assassin-for-hire Ray Shoesmith. His occupation makes good use of his natural violent tendencies, which only cause problems in his personal life as he tries to be a good father to his daughter with his ex-wife while also caring for his sick brother. Mr. Inbetween has all the dark comedy that you'd expect in a show about a hitman -- there is plenty of laugh-out-loud violence -- but also has a tremendously huge heart as Ray works on becoming a better man to his family. -Tim Surette [TRAILER]

This Is Us

Season 5 finale airs Tuesday at 10/9c on NBC
This Is Us will cap off Season 5 on Tuesday, the final episode before the NBC drama dives into its final season in 2022. As with any big episode of This Is Us, tissues should be on hand and fans should prepare themselves for some heartbreak as we find out if Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Madison (Caitlin Thompson) make it down the aisle or if Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan) have what it takes to weather the current storm in their marriage. There's also the matter of the flash-forward, which we haven't seen in a while, to find out who the father of Deja's (Lyric Ross) baby is, and why Miguel (Jon Huertas) isn't the one sitting at Rebecca's (Mandy Moore) bedside. -Megan Vick [TRAILER]

The Bold Type

Final season premieres Wednesday at 10/9c on Freeform
Prepare to say goodbye to the fashion closet as The Bold Type kicks off its fifth and final season. And there's no time to waste; this season is just six episodes long. That's tighter than a deadline at Scarlet. The new episodes find Kat (Aisha Dee), Sutton (Meghann Fahy), and Jane (Katie Stevens) living together — finally! — while working through their relationship drama, as Sutton tries to move on from Richard (Sam Page), Jane tries to avoid an inappropriate office relationship, and Kat and Adena (Nikohl Boosheri) start to heat up again. What perfectly fitting life advice will they get from Jacqueline (Melora Hardin) this time? [TRAILER]

 

Friends: The Reunion

Thursday on HBO Max
It's the one you've been waiting for. All six friends — that is, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc — are reuniting on camera for the first time since the sitcom's 2004 finale, and from the glimpses we've gotten so far, it seems to safe to say that you can expect tears, trivia, and answers to the question that has been plaguing our mortal world for years: Were Ross and Rachel on a break? There will also reportedly be appearances from a truly wild list of guest stars that includes David Beckham, BTS, Lady Gaga, and Malala Yousafzai. Friends is clearly the great uniter, so pour yourself a cup of coffee and settle in for the greatest nostalgia play in recent memory. -Allison Picurro [TRAILER]

Lucifer

Friday on Netflix
Talk about divine intervention. The first half of Lucifer Season 5 finally brought God (Dennis Haysbert) to Earth in one hell of a midseason finale cliffhanger. Expect Part 2 to find Lucifer (Tom Ellis) dealing with some of those daddy issues, but as usual, the show will be having plenty of fun along the way. The eight-episode second half of the season will also feature a musical episode (guest starring Debbie Gibson!) and the return of Eve (Inbar Lavi). Here's everything else we know about Lucifer Season 5, Part 2. [TRAILER]

 

Plan B

Friday on Hulu
Natalie Morales makes her feature directorial debut with this funny, raunchy teen comedy about two girls — the straight-laced Sunny (Kuhoo Verma) and her slacker best friend, Lupe (Victoria Moroles) — on the hunt for contraception in the American heartland. It's your typical high school quest movie, aside from the noteworthy fact that it focuses on characters who don't usually get the spotlight in a typical high school movie. Filmed entirely during the pandemic, Plan B is a grade A trip. [TRAILER]