Recent Hulu/FX round-up:
The Bear -- a triumph, one of the best shows of the year so far. About an up-and-coming James Beard Award-winning chef who returns home to run his family's small sandwich shop. Hard to define. I guess a "dramedy" -- 30ish-minute episodes that lean more into drama, and dark humor when they do lean into comedy. Not an easy show to watch, it doesn't spoon-feed info, just expects the viewer to pick up subtle clues (it doesn't even explain its odd title until the final episode). But an engaging story told by a believable cast of mostly unknown actors, with perfect editing (episode 7 plays out as a single, continuous 20-minutes scene). And though I've never been to Chicago, it was clearly shot on location, the show is a love letter to the city. Even the dark, grimy parts look inviting. Makes me want to fly out and visit my niece.
The Old Man -- old CIA agent on the run story. Not surprisingly Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow are incredible, elevate what would otherwise be a drawn-out Liam Neeson/Borne movie. The show is definitely a slow burn but the two leads are magnetic on screen so you watch until the inevitable explosion of action. I keep thinking that if they're involved there must be a twist coming to make this show more unique than it seems, but in the meantime a perfectly watchable "Dad show."
Pistol -- a history of the Sex Pistols, told primarily from Steve Jones' perspective. (Maybe to show it's not Sid & Nancy, Sid doesn't even join the band until the end of episode 4 out of 6). Directed by Danny Boyle and it has a lot of that Trainspotting energy. Hasn't really engaged me like I had hoped, but like a lot of FX shows (The Americans, Snowfall) its strength is in creating a lived-in, "real" version of its era. The actor playing Johnny Rotton and Jojen Reed from Game of Thrones as the manager are the stand-outs. Worth a look if you're into the music or Boyle.