It’s time for the biggest showdown of the year — and you can really take your pick, because there’s plenty of clashes across new TV this week. We’ve got Pokémon trainers and NFL teams and puppies and superheroes and Witch’s Cult members and even the very nature of truth. In terms of things I’ll be keeping my eye on: the puppies for sure. But Invincible season 3 is certainly up there in terms of big premieres, and it’s kicking off with a three-episode premiere. While we all await this week’s Severance — also a big one! — that will tide us over.
Here’s the best new TV premieres to watch this week.
Pokémon Horizons season 2
Genre: Pokémon
Release date: Feb. 7
Liko and Roy (and their Poké partners Sprigatito and Fuecoco) are back and on the hunt for the remaining six Hero Pokémon — and, as the subtitle The Search for Laqua would suggest, the legendary land of Laqua. But first up: Tera training! The foursome will be honing their Terastallization skills by (you guessed it) battling gym leaders. What mysteries will they uncover along the way?
Genre: Scammer Cinematic Universe
Release date: Feb. 6, with all episodes
Showrunner/creator: Samantha Strauss
Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Aisha Dee, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and more
Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever) is a living miracle: She’s an Australian wellness influencer who managed to cure her terminal brain cancer through health and wellness. It’s an incredible story — or it would be, if it were true. This is the based-on-a-true-story adaptation of a total lie that blossomed in the early days of Instagram, and how the global followers that Belle and her friends fooled were tricked into believing her lie.
Genre: Live sports event
Release date: Feb. 9 at 6:30 EST
Halftime show: Kendrick Lamar
It’s Chiefs vs. Eagles; the game is on. But also (perhaps more importantly), Kendrick Lamar is playing the halftime show. How many times will he play “Not Like Us”? Tune in to find out!
New shows on Animal Planet
Genre: Superior live sports event
Release date: Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. EST
Cast: Puppies!
Kendrick Lamar is not playing this one, but the players themselves more than make up for it: It’s the Puppy Bowl, baby! There’s a lot of strong players this year — an easy tune-in if there ever was one.
Genre: Superhero adolescence
Release date: Feb. 6, with three episodes
Showrunner/creator: Robert Kirkman
Cast: Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, and more
Mark (Steven Yeun) is back and getting stronger. Like, really strong. Which is just in time for a new threat — or threats, really. Take your pick: Cecil (Walton Goggins) is telling Mark they can be “good guys or the bad guys who save the world.” There’s new monsters popping up. And Oliver, Mark’s little brother, is big enough to start being a superhero of his own. Which situation will drive Mark to his darker side (and his blue-and-black suit)?
Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World season 3B
Genre: Fantasy
Release date: Feb. 5
Studio: White Fox
The Counterattack Arc — eight episodes of season 3’s total 16 — is about to kick off, with Subaru and co. launching their fight against the Witch’s Cult members. Now that they have some idea of what they’re up against, and each member’s abilities, Subaru will feel more up to snuff. But given how strong the first half of the season was (and how relatively brief this season is overall), suffice it to say: This season is about to be packed.