Every month, all the top streaming services come out with exciting new shows. Some are more high-profile than others (think The Last of Us), while others fly under the radar ,but are worth watching. Whatever mood you might be in, whether it’s romantic because of Valentine’s Day, hopeful with the end of winter in sight, or stressed out as you delve full force into the New Year, February is a great month for sitting back, relaxing, and checking out a new show.
Next comes the question: What is there to watch that’s new? From exciting new shows that might end up becoming your new favorites to popular returning shows, February has plenty of great content to consider.
You season 4, part one (February 9, Netflix)
You won’t want to miss the first part of the fourth season of You this month. Penn Badgley returns as the troubled, yet also painfully charming Joe Goldberg. The serial killer finds the oddest, most twisted ways to justify his killings, which are always rooted in obsession over whatever woman has caught his eye this time. In season 4, that’s initially Marienne, who believed she escaped his clutches by moving to Paris. But Joe can’t be stopped that easily. Now posing as a professor, but still wearing his signature baseball cap disguise whenever he’s stalking his prey, Joe is seemingly falling, once again, into the same obsessive trap when he spots another attractive woman.
Season 4 may simply be repeating the same storylines in a new setting. But Joe’s compulsions and repetitive behaviors are precisely what makes the premise of You both believable (in some ways) and thrilling. What’s more, this season, Joe finds himself the hunted as much as he is the hunter, as someone appears to be taunting him amid the investigation of a string of murders.
Watch You on Netflix.
Star Trek: Picard season 3 (February 16, Paramount+)
Returning for its third and final season this month, with episodes released weekly, Star Trek: Picard continues the story of the now-retired Starfleet Adm. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Set 20 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, in the year 2399, Picard continues to mourn the death of his dear friend Data and the destruction of the planet Romulus.
But when he receives a visit from Data’s supposed daughter, he is compelled to head out on a new adventure to save her and her kind of synthetic beings. With his consciousness now housed in a synthetic body himself, Picard fights new enemies in season 3 while also reuniting with his old USS Enterprise crew.
Watch Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+.
Hello Tomorrow! (February 17, Apple TV+)
Billy Crudup always delights on screen, and in Hello Tomorrow! he is a salesman bursting with hopes and dreams about the future. Set in a retro-future world, the sci-fi dramedy follows his character, Jack, and other salesmen who are tasked with selling lunar timeshares to gullible and desperate customers.
Far from being a typical swindler, however, Jack himself truly believes in what he is selling, and his positive demeanor and faith spreads to his co-workers and customers, as well. However, he might be slightly too hopeful, which could lead Jack down a dark path toward disappointment when he comes to terms with reality.
Watch Hello Tomorrow! on Apple TV+.
Bel-Air season 2 (February 23, Peacock)
The precursor to the story of this modern reimagining might be the same as the original ’90s series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but Bel-Air is anything but comedic. It’s a dramatic take on the story of young Will, played by Jabari Banks, who, after one little fight on the streets of Philadelphia, is sent to live with his wealthy auntie and uncle in Bel-Air. But trouble follows Will to this new setting and life, and it’ll take more than a nerdy cousin and strict parental figures to help Will out of his messes.
Touching on serious topics of racial tension and culture shock, Bel-Air returns for its second season this month. Now at a crossroads in his life, and growing closer with his cousin Carlton, Will has some serious decisions to make and trust to rebuild with the family.
Watch Bel-Air on Peacock
Party Down, season 3 (February 24, Starz)
Party Down is remembered as one of the best short-lived, under-the-radar sitcoms that fans felt was canceled far too soon. The reason the show, which was partly created by Paul Rudd, was canceled was due to scheduling conflicts with its cast, which featured rising stars like Adam Scott, Jane Lynch (who left the show to star on Glee), Lizzy Caplan, and Jennifer Coolidge (before she visited The White Lotus). Now, more than a decade after the comedy about a catering team of wannabe actors working in Los Angeles ended, Party Down is returning for a third season revival.
Rudd is involved once again, while original cast members including Scott, Lynch, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen, and Megan Mullally have returned. There are also some new additions to the cast, like Jennifer Garner, Zoe Chao, and James Marsden in a recurring role. The story picks up a decade after the end of the original, with most of the group having moved on from catering, but getting together once again for a reunion. For fans of the original, Party Down‘s third season, which will be just six episodes long, is a must-watch this month.
Watch Party Down on Starz.