‘Wheel of Time’ Turns Again, ‘Disenchantment’s Final Spell, More Power to ‘Force,’ New Horizons for ‘Heels’

The epic fantasy The Wheel of Time returns for a second season. Also back for a second round: the violent Starz crime drama Power Book IV: Force. Matt Groening’s animated fantasy spoof Disenchantment ends with a battle between mother and daughter for the future of Dreamland. The wrestling drama Heels brings the Duffy Wrestling League into the streaming world.

'The Wheel of Time' Season 2
Courtesy of Prime Video

The Wheel of Time

Season Premiere

After a nearly two-year hiatus, the epic quest fantasy based on Robert Jordan’s book series returns with its young heroes scattered across the land while “Dragon Reborn” Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) continues to seek his destiny. As the wheel slowly and forever turns toward the Last Battle with the Dark One, sorceress Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), who plucked Rand and his friends from the Two Rivers, is left reeling from the loss of her powers, which also severed her connection with her trusty companion Lan (Daniel Henney). Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of magic to do.

Abbi Jacobson as Bean, Sharon Horgan as Queen Dagmar, Vip, and Vap in 'Disenchantment' Part 5
NETFLIX

Disenchantment

Season Premiere

For those who don’t take their fantasy all that seriously, The SimpsonsMatt Groening stages a mock-epic battle for the animated medieval spoof set in a mythical Dreamland. In the final chapter of 10 episodes, Princess Bean (Abbi Jacobson) laments, “I just wanna kill my mom and get on with my life. Is it too much to ask?” Her mom is the evil Queen Dagmar (Sharon Horgan), and to save the kingdom from her wicked intentions, Bean will need to learn to control her magic powers. Too bad discipline isn’t her strong suit.

Joseph Sikora in 'Power Book IV: Force'
Starz

Power Book IV: Force

Season Premiere

Power franchise mainstay Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora) is center stage in this violent spinoff, scheming to come out on top in Chicago’s never-ending drug and gang wars. With CBI gang leader Diamond Sampson (Issac Keyes) as his ally as Season 2 begins, Tommy capitalizes on the rivalry between two major suppliers while secretly working to avenge the death of his rival-turned-partner Liliana (Audrey Esparza). His path, naturally, is strewn with obstacles, including a federal task force and a vicious cartel associate.

Chris Bauer in 'Heels' - Season 2, Episode 6
Starz

Heels

Things may be looking up for the underdog Duffy Wrestling League in the surprisingly compelling sports drama. Jack (Stephen Amell), with brother Ace (Alexander Ludwig) and wife Staci (Alison Luff) at his side, takes a meeting that could put them in the spotlight of a new streaming service that’s looking for just their brand of entertainment. This promising opportunity sends Willie (Mary McCormack) and Wild Bill (Chris Bauer) down memory lane, remembering when Jack’s dad Tom Spade (David James Elliott) was presented with a similar offer back in the day.

INSIDE FRIDAY TV:

  • Family Law (8/7c, The CW): The Canadian legal drama closes its second season with back-to-back episodes, starting with a conservatorship case that echoes the Britney Spears debacle. In the finale, Abby’s (Jewel Staite) divorce finally goes to court, forcing her to make some major life and career decisions.
  • Secret Celebrity Renovation (8/7c, CBS): Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin works with the reno team to spruce up his beloved grandmother Portia’s home in Pittsburgh. While there, he revisits his gridiron roots by taking host Nischelle Turner to his Sto-Rox High School.
  • Minx (9/8c, Starz): While the women who run the erotic 1970s Minx magazine are at a corporate retreat, sidelined publisher Doug (Jake Johnson) begins to doubt new owner Constance’s (Elizabeth Perkins) intentions for the Bottom Dollar company. Will the bottom line prevail? We’ll find out in next week’s season finale. Followed by the season finale of Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham (9:30/8:30c), in which Outlander’s Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish finish their stay in New Zealand with a Hell’s Gate mud bath and a visual effects makeover from the folks who designed the Hobbit prosthetics.

ON THE STREAM:

  • God. Family. Football. (streaming on Amazon Freevee): Full hearts and can-do spirit fuel an inspirational six-part docuseries depicting the return of renowned football coach and pastor Denny Duron, who comes out of a 30-year retirement to guide the players of Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, Louisiana back to the top.
  • Love Is Blind: After the Altar (streaming on Netflix): Couples and singles from last season gather for a one-year anniversary to play flag football and reassess their relationships. (A new season of Love Is Blind subjects new players to the process starting Sept. 22.)
  • AMC+ Picks on Max (streaming on Max): In a possible window to a future when streaming services begin to share resources for more exposure, select AMC+ series are available to stream on Max for 60 days. Titles include Fear the Walking Dead (Seasons 1-7), the first seasons of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire and Dark Winds, two seasons of Gangs of London, five seasons of Ride With Norman Reedus, all three seasons of A Discovery of Witches and all four of Killing Eve.
  • One Piece (streaming on Hulu): Not to be confused with the live-action version that just dropped on Netflix, seasons 9 and 10 of the Japanese anime adaptation of the popular manga series (dubbed in English) are now available for streaming on Hulu. Also new to Hulu: all seven seasons of ABC’s revisionist fairy tale Once Upon a Time.
  • Perpetrator (streaming on Shudder): A feminist twist on the classic high-school slasher thriller stars Kiah McKirnan as Jonny, who learns on her 18th birthday that she has a special empathic power that could help her catch the killer claiming victims at her new school. Alicia Silverstone co-stars as her witchy Aunt Hildie.