The 10 Best TV Shows of February 2021

The mysterious disappearance of college student Elisa Lam is explored in Netflix’s four-part docuseries Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. The sad story of Lam serves as the narrative backbone of the series, but the bizarre history of LA’s deadliest hotel is a fascinating tale that feels like it’s straight out of a Stephen King novel. The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel is far from a perfect documentary, but the peculiar cast of characters and wild conspiracy theories combine to create an entertaining series for true-crime fanatics to binge. — Josh Sorokach

Stream Crime Scene: The Vanishing at The Cecil Hotel on Netflix

Few shows have a better understanding of the complexities of female friendship or the eroticism of the creative process than Losing Alice. Starring Ayelet Zurer, Lihi Kornowski, and Gal Toren, the drama follows the life of a director who doesn’t realize she’s past her creative prime. That changes once she’s given a script from an adoring fan and commits herself to making this film, no matter the cost. That’s where the electricity of Losing Alice stems from — there’s always a cost. This psychological thriller rewrites creativity as a beast that constantly needs to be fed. Whether or not indulging it was worth its steep price is another matter entirely. — Kayla Cobb

Stream Losing Alice on Apple TV+

Narrator James McAvoy’s Scottish brogue is the secret MVP of HBO Max’s new reality competition show, The Bridge. Set in the beautiful British wilderness, the show features 12 strangers from all over the UK who are brought together to build an 850-ft long log bridge (in just 20 days!) which will lead them to the prize money of 100k. What they don’t know is that only one of them can walk away with the loot. With plenty of twists, turns and big personalities, The Bridge is just as entertaining as it is captivating. — Karen Kemmerle

Stream The Bridge on HBO Max

After making a huge splash in the UK on Channel 4, the groundbreaking mini-series It’s a Sin arrived in the US on HBO Max—and we were not ready. Showrunner Russell T. Davies pulled off the impossible by creating a show that’s both bright, camp, and celebratory of the queer experience—and it’s also dark, emotionally draining, and essentially a mournful mediation on the life that queer people led before the AIDS crisis. But both of those tones complement each other beautifully. Watching these bright lights dim only hurts so much because Ritchie, Roscoe, Colin, and their crew are so lovable and recognizable. It’s a Sin is a hard watch, but it’s a must watch. — Brett White

Stream It's a Sin on HBO Max

There’s no way to avoid it: Ginny & Georgia has big Gilmore Girls vibes. The show’s secret pull, though, is how it deconstructs those comparisons at almost every turn. Antonia Gentry and Brianne Howey star as the titular daughter and mother, trying to make their way in a picturesque small town. However, Brianne Howey’s Georgia isn’t a quirky cool lady, but a scheming black widow. After saving herself from a childhood of abuse, Georgia has ferociously tore through life with only her children’s fortunes in mind. Ginny & Georgia balances dark humor, silly fun, and a true love of its characters, making it an addictive delight. — Meghan O’Keefe

Stream Ginny & Georgia on Netflix

If you’re not watching M. Night Shymalan’s horror drama then you’re missing out. Last season revolved around solving the mystery of Jericho, the mysterious baby who replaced Lauren Ambrose and Toby Kebbell’s reborn doll. In its second season Servant is no closer to answering that question. Instead, it’s that infuriating lack of answers that has fueled this entire installment. As Ambrose becomes more and more of an irredeemable villain, the series examines the exorbitant lengths parents will take to protect their children. Each half hour will leave you asking who’s right: Ambrose’s Dorothy or Nell Tiger Free’s Leanne? There’s no clear answer. But that mystery is haunting enough to leave you hooked. — Kayla Cobb

Stream Servant on Apple TV+

As Kayla Cobb said in her breakdown of the first episode of this explosive new HBO docuseries: “Mia and Dylan Farrow have long told one side of this story, and Woody Allen another. In its first episode Allen v. Farrow has proved that its goal isn’t merely to let the Farrow family tell their version of this story. It also wants to open this case up to more direct public criticism.”

Where to watch Allen v. Farrow

It’s hard to believe that Apple TV+’s genre-breaking Dickinson pulled off a second, perfect season, particularly as a weekly release and a mystery structure changed things considerably. But it worked, and the back half of the season that streamed in February included multiple stand-out moments, from Emily’s (Hailee Steinfeld) invisibility, to Austin’s (Adrian Enscoe) emergence as the steadiest member of the Dickinson family, to Lavinia’s (Anna Baryshnikov) hilarious spider dance. But it’s the finale that sealed the deal, finally revealing everything that’s been going on with Emily and Sue (Ella Hunt) throughout the season, leading to a declaration of undying love like no other. The resolution may have taken longer than fans would have wanted, but it was worth it — and a rewatch of the entire season is in order, just to revisit all the moments that led to this show-changing point. — Alex Zalben

Stream Dickinson on Apple TV+

As Meghan O’Keefe said in her review of the show: “Firefly Lane is a show for the softies. Hardly the cynical fare associated with the prestige era of TV, Firefly Lane wears its heart on its sleeve. It’s a decade-spanning ode to the power of friendship chock full of emotional twists and heartbreaking moments. It’s also a powerful showcase for its leading ladies. Stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke (along with the actors playing the younger versions of their characters, Ali Skovbye and Roan Curtis) bring besties Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey to vivid life. Even if melodrama isn’t your thing, you have to bow down to these performances. Netflix Firefly Lane is irresistibly addictive, even for the hardest of hearts — even if it definitely falls into the predictable pitfalls of the genre.”

Stream Firefly Lane on Netflix

It was WandaVision all along! Honestly, could any other show be our top show for February? After a kooky start last month, Marvel Studios’ first-ever TV series took a right turn towards WTFville—a cul-de-sac populated by a long lost brother who looks totally different for some nefarious reason, and one scene-stealing witch backed with the bop to end all bops. But mind-blowing reveals and catchy songs aside, WandaVision doubled down on what it does best with an intense confrontation between Wanda and Vision. This show is about how we use pop culture to process our grief and to either dwell in or move past our pain—and WandaVision made that point clear with a supercharged showdown between two Avengers in 1980s outfits on a version of the Family Ties set. What is this show, and where is it going?! We can’t wait to find out! — Brett White

Stream WandaVision on Disney+