The 9 Best TV Shows Of July 2020

Full disclosure, right up front: I did not love the first season of The Umbrella Academy. While the cast was uniformly great, and there were fun sequences throughout, it struggled to balance the family drama, superheroics, and inherent weirdness of Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s comics in a cohesive manner. Add in hour-plus running times, and the whole season suffered from your regular round of Netflix bloat.

Not so with the just debuting Season 2, which finds the Hargreeves family stuck back in time in Dallas, Texas mere days before the Kennedy assassination… And another global apocalypse, seemingly caused by the family themselves. Everything about the transcendent second season is a delight, from the comfort of the actors in the roles, to the intense ties between the family — gone is the self-imposed rift they struggled with in the freshman season — to a willingness to *gasp* allow them to use their superpowers.

Each member of the main cast has their own, excellent arc — stand-outs include Emmy Raver-Lampman, who gets sucked into the bubbling civil rights movement, and Ellen Page’s Vanya, who finds herself stuck on a farm and on a progressive journey of her own — but the true testament is how tightly plotted Season 2 is; and how much fun it is to watch, from the explosive opening minutes, to an ending that will make you beg for Season 3.

And a nice bonus? Every episode is around 45 minutes long, meaning it’s a breezy, 10 episode binge. What are you waiting for, an invitation from Reginald Hargreeves? Go watch The Umbrella Academy Season 2, right now. — Alex Zalben

Stream The Umbrella Academy on Netflix

The secret’s finally out, Yellowstone fans. This batch of July episodes finally revealed why Beth hates her older brother Jamie so much and, boy, are her reasons justified! Along with this revelation that rocks the Dutton family, the arrival of Market Equities CEO Willa Hayes (played by The Morning Show scene stealer Karen Pittman) further threatens their ranch. It’s a good thing that we have the Bunkhouse boys and girls (standouts Eden Brolin, Hassie Harrison, and Jennifer Landon) to bring a little levity (and midnight buffalo riding) to the proceedings. With only 4 episodes left, Season 3 of Taylor Sheridan’s saga of the modern West remains as compelling as ever. — Karen Kemmerle

Where to watch Yellowstone

It turns Netflix doesn’t need sweaty singles or elaborate social experiments to make a reality/romance show engaging. Enter: Say I Do, a far cary from the drama of Love Is Blind and the stupid mess of Too Hot to Handle. The couples in Say I Do are already together, already in love, and already committed to each other. The catch? They need a little bit of gay magic in order to turn their dream day into a full-blown fantasy. Because of the fabulous glow-ups pulled off, both inside and out, this show more than earned is Queer Eye for weddings. We’re getting all misty just thinking about it—especially Randy and Skyler’s episode! — Brett White

Stream Say I Do on Netflix

During a time when none of us are able to travel, Zac Efron has generously offered to take up the task. The result is his very chill travel show, Down to Earth with Zac Efron, in which the High School Musical actor shares his passion for exploring the environment. Efron and his travel buddy, wellness expert Darin Olien, journey across the globe, seeking out different sustainability techniques from Iceland to Puerto Rico. Efron can be a little too bro-ey sometimes, but it’s always a charming, informative ride, wherever he takes us. — Greta Bjornson

Stream Down to Earth With Zac Efron on Netflix

This season of Below Deck Med is like a fine wine that only gets better with age. June may have brought the departure of Lara and Pete’s persistent sexism, but this month’s batch of episodes ratcheted up the drama even more. Between Hannah’s overall DGAF attitude, Sandy’s micromanaging, Bugsy’s growing frustration with the interior staff, and Kiko’s all-out collapse in the galley, a five-alarm fire is brewing onboard the Wellington, and it’s only a matter of time before the season goes up in flames. — Claire Spellberg

Where to watch Below Deck Mediterranean

Expecting Amy on HBO Max gave me the best cry I’ve had this month (and there have been a few!). It was one of the most honest and revealing and important docuseries I’ve ever seen and likely millions of men and women are currently thanking Amy Schumer for her service, for bravely showing what women go through, before, during, and after birth. This three-part series will open your eyes, fill you with love, and have you recommending it to everyone in your life. — Lea Palmieri

Stream Expecting Amy on HBO Max

Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries puts a new spin on an old favorite. While the original series tackled multiple mysteries an episode, the new iteration focuses on just one, resulting in six enthralling cases that have deeply resonated with viewers. There’s no shortage of top-notch whodunnits available to stream, but Unsolved Mysteries remains the gold standard as the iconic franchise continues to produce extemporary true-crime television. If you devoured the first six episodes, you’ll be happy to know that six more will be premiering on Netflix later this year. — Josh Sorokach

Stream Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix

The case of the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, is one that should be known to anyone with even a passing interest in true crime. But director Liz Garbus elevates this series of crimes into something more than shocking by focusing on the civilian who devoted her life to the EAR’s capture, Michelle McNamara. Throughout McNamara’s depressingly short career the author revolutionized the true crime genre, adding humanity and compassion for victims to a literary world often known for reveling in scandal. By focusing on this remarkable writer and investigator alongside the East Area Rapist’s reign of terror, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark transforms this somber story into an empowering narrative about the victims who survived this monster and the everyday heroes who never stopped trying to bring him to justice. — Kayla Cobb

Stream I'll Be Gone In The Dark on HBO Max

Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne and Stacy are back, and not a moment too soon. Netflix adapted the children’s novels from author Ann M. Martin—who is also a producer on the new series—for the modern-day, and it is absolutely perfect. Rather than a condescending commentary on cell phones and emoji use, creator Rachel Shukert created a refreshingly empathic coming-of-age story for the modern era. Yes, I cried when Mary Anne said trans rights, and when Claudia faced hard truths about her grandmother, and when Stacey wore her insulin pump with pride. Every single episode of this nine-episode season gives 110 percent. The Baby-Sitters Club really didn’t need to go that hard, but it did, and it will go down as one of the best shows of 2020 as a result. — Anna Menta

Stream The Baby-Sitters Club on Netflix