5 best – From the Duffer Brothers-backed horror The Boroughs to The Chi’s eighth-and-final season and Apple TV’s Tatiana Maslany comedy-crime twist, here are five standout shows arriving to stream May 18-24.
New streaming drops this week come with a promise of momentum—and, in a few cases, a goodbye. Whether you’re drawn to fresh horror, a long-running series winding down, or an action-thriller follow-up, May 18-24 is packed with options.
If you’ve been waiting for something from the creators of “Stranger Things,” “The Boroughs” is front and center.. Meanwhile, Paramount/Showtime’s “The Chi” steps into its eighth and final season after a brutal cliffhanger.. Prime Video also keeps the momentum rolling with “Jack Ryan: Ghost War,” a film-length wrap-up continuing John Krasinski’s story.. And beyond the prestige drama corners. there’s Adult Swim’s return of “Rick and Morty” for Season 9 and Apple TV’s new “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. ” led by Tatiana Maslany and Jake Johnson.
“The Boroughs” (Netflix)
Horror fans get a new jolt with “The Boroughs.” The series is executive produced by “Stranger Things” creators The Duffer Brothers. and it brings a stacked cast that includes Alfred Molina. Alfre Woodard. Geena Davis and Bill Pullman.. The premise centers on an unlikely group at a retirement community that discovers something otherworldly is haunting the place.
“Rick and Morty” Season 9 (Adult Swim)
“Rick and Morty” is back for its ninth season on Adult Swim.. What to expect can be hard to predict exactly. but the series has a habit of turning sharp sci-fi turns into something unexpectedly heartfelt by the time the dust settles.. This time, the titular grandfather/grandson duo jumps from one sci-fi minefield to the next.
“The Chi” (Paramount, Showtime)
After eight seasons, “The Chi” is ending.. The previous season left off on a cliffhanger: one character was dead. while two others were wrongfully arrested with blood on their hands.. Now the final season begins as the South Side faces its harshest winter in years. with life and death decisions mounting before the last credits roll.
“Jack Ryan: Ghost War” (Prime Video)
Prime Video is extending its “Jack Ryan” universe with “Jack Ryan: Ghost War.” It continues the story from “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. ” which ran for four seasons on Prime Video.. Instead of producing a traditional fifth and final season. John Krasinski returns as Jack Ryan to close out his character’s arc in a film format.
“Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” premieres on Apple TV May 20 (Apple TV)
Apple TV is adding another new series to the mix with “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed,” premiering May 20.. The show stars Tatiana Maslany and Jake Johnson and follows a suburban mom juggling her kids. soccer practices. and a messy divorce—until she becomes convinced she accidentally witnessed a murder.. From there, she gets pulled into the crime world while trying to keep everything else from falling apart.
The week’s lineup has a clear pattern of finality and momentum: “The Chi” closes after eight seasons. “Jack Ryan: Ghost War” arrives as a wrap-up after four seasons. and “Rick and Morty” begins another chapter in its long run as “The Boroughs” and “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” introduce entirely new stories.
For viewers, that mix means you can either dive into something fresh—like the otherworldly retirement community horror of “The Boroughs”—or pick a series with built-in urgency, from winter-stakes decisions on “The Chi” to a story designed to tie up loose ends with “Jack Ryan: Ghost War.”
The Boroughs Rick and Morty The Chi Jack Ryan: Ghost War Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed streaming May 18-24 Netflix Adult Swim Showtime Prime Video Apple TV