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Look, I love my AirPods. I wouldn't really opt for a different pair of earbuds, considering how entrenched I am in the Apple ecosystem. While the audio quality and feature set keep me hooked, there is one enormous flaw lurking under the surface: once the batteries go, the AirPods go, too.

AirPods are far from alone here. Many wireless earbuds do not give users the option to replace the batteries. That includes whether you want to replace the batteries yourself, or have a repair shop handle the task. The way these devices are designed, battery replacement borders on simply impossible, since companies often solder batteries in place. And seeing as all lithium-ion batteries degrade over time, eventually, your earbuds won't be able to hold a usable charge. Once that day comes, you'll likely buy a new pair, spending potentially hundreds of dollars once again, and adding another device to the e-waste pile.

It doesn't have to be this way. Earbud manufacturers are choosing to design their products without serviceable batteries. We know this because some companies out there actually sell earbuds that let you replace the batteries. While this should serve as a lesson to all manufacturers, it also presents an opportunity for buyers interested in the longevity of their products: If you're looking for earbuds that won't be useless after two or three years, these seven options are worth considering:

Fairphone Fairbuds

Fairphone's whole shtick is repairability. The company's product line—including its Fairphone smartphone, Fairbuds XL headphones, and Fairbuds earbuds—is designed to be modular and serviceable, skipping glue and convoluted manufacturing with easily accessible screws. For our purposes, that applies to its earbuds: Not only can you replace the batteries in the Fairbuds, but you can also easily repair the charging case too. In fact, iFixit gave the Fairbuds a perfect repairability score, which is the first I've seen for earbuds.

That said, there may be some trade-offs to achieve that level of repairability. User reviews on Amazon are mixed, to say the least. While the earbuds do come with modern features, like active noise cancelling, apps for both iOS and Android, and the ability to connect to multiple devices at once, critics on Amazon complain about the fit, reliability, and lag in controls. Still, others had positive reviews as well, praising the repairability, but also the sound quality and overall experience. Without having used them myself, it seems the Fairbuds might not be the choice for users looking for the best possible wireless earbuds, but are worth considering if repairability is especially important to you.

Sony WF-1000XM3 or WF1000XM4

Sony is known for its headphones and earbuds, but the conversation usually focuses on its sound and build quality. As it happens, the company has a history of offering earbuds with a decent level of repairability—though it has changed with recent releases.

Two of the company's earbuds, the WF-1000XM3 and WF-1000XM4, ship with easily replaceable batteries—coin cell batteries, at that. iFixit notes that the MX3s are particularly repairable, and while the MX4s aren't as easy to open up, the batteries are still fairly replaceable. But with the XM5s, Sony made the experience much harder, and trying to replace the batteries yourself runs a far greater risk of damaging the earbuds permanently. The XM6 is a similar story, and its battery may even be custom, which would make user repairability quite difficult.

The good news is, you can still find the older XM3 and XM4 earbuds on the market, assuming you don't mind going back a few generations for your earbuds. At least you'll know you can continue using your earbuds long after the included battery wears down.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live

Most of the earbuds Samsung has produced this decade are not very repairable, but rewind to 2020, and it was a different story. The Galaxy Buds Live were arguably Samsung's last easily serviceable offering (though perhaps "easy" is doing some heavy lifting there). You still need to do some careful work to ensure you don't snap or break any of the internal components, but you don't need any advanced tools or techniques to access the battery.

While iFixit noted in its teardown from six years ago that the Galaxy Buds Live's batteries were becoming hard to find online, you can still buy them today. You can order a two-pack of the CP1254 batteries on Amazon for $19.99. Not a bad price to keep your earbuds running. Perhaps that's why renewed Galaxy Buds Live from 2020 are still fetching modern earbuds prices. I can't say I'd recommend picking up a pair given their age, but if you're a Samsung fan that wants to keep these buds for the long haul, it's an option.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven

Bang & Olufsen's extremely expensive ($599) Beoplay Eleven earbuds do come with replaceable batteries, but there's a catch: You can't replace them yourself. Instead, Bang & Olufsen will replace the battery for you if you take the earbuds to one of the company's service centers. That's hardly what one expects from "replaceable battery." Still, it's better than what other companies offer for their earbuds, so I feel the Beoplay Elevens should get a mention here—even if I imagine the market for $600 earbuds is likely small.

Sennheiser Momentum 5 earbuds (coming soon)

Sennheiser's Momentum 5 earbuds aren't quite out yet—but they're the reason I put together this list. The buds, announced on Thursday, come with user-replaceable batteries in both the earbuds and the charging case, which means you'll be able to keep using both as long as you keep replacing the batteries yourself. Like some of the other items on this list, these earbuds are designed with screws instead of glue, which should make servicing much more straightforward.

Sennhesier says these earbuds will be available starting Sept. 3, and will cost $299.95. I'll update this piece once Sennheiser releases more information about these earbuds, including where you can buy them.

Microsoft Surface Earbuds (discontinued)

Microsoft's Surface Earbuds are reportedly very easy to replace, as they take a standard coin cell battery. Unfortunately, these earbuds were discontinued, and they aren't likely easy to find. Still, if you do find a pair, or you happen to own them, know that you can swap out the batteries without much difficulty.

More earbuds with replaceable batteries are likely on the way

While this list is certainly lacking today, it will probably continue to grow over time. That's not because companies are seeing the light, or even because there's a profit to be made from including replaceable batteries in their earbuds. Instead, new regulations (particularly from the EU) are forcing companies to make their devices less consumable. In this case, devices will likely start shipping with more readily replaceable batteries, so that the entire product doesn't need to go once the batteries die.


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Lost featured complex, intertwined narratives; more characters than one can reasonably expected to keep up with; and boxes full of secrets. The show, which kicked off with flashbacks that peeled back the layers of the various crash survivors before diving headfirst into surrealism, was an uncommonly smart network offering that rewarded careful viewing. Whether it all wound up being deeply profound or a load of nonsense was always in the eye of the beholder—but it remains one of the most discussed and debated shows in modern TV history.

Fringe (2008 – 2013)

We don't talk nearly enough about Fringe, a smart sci-fi/crime procedural that served as a true successor to the X-Files (and that wrapped more satisfyingly than that show ever did, even given multiple tries), as well as to the weirder aspects of Lost, all while anticipating multiversal storytelling before it got annoying. Starting out as a kind of weird-mystery-of-the-week thing, it soon becomes clear that the odd occurrences the characters have been investigating are all linked to potentially universe-ending incursions across time and space. Stream Fringe on Hulu.

The Leftovers (2014 – 2017)

The premise of The Leftovers is brilliantly subdued: Around two percent of the world's population disappears without explanation, and it's enough to upend just about everything. Politics have adapted to the new normal, religions have collapsed and reformed, and families have had to make peace with the inexplicable loss of loved ones. The first season revolves around the Garvey family, led by Kevin (Justin Theroux), a sheriff whose wife (Amy Brenneman) left him to join a cult, while subsequent seasons broaden the scope to bring in other characters in other locations. Showrunner Damon Lindelof also co-created Lost, and the two series share some similarities (including a relatively grim tone), but where Lost (arguably) spun out of control, The Leftovers recognized that complex plotting and the search for answers is the point. Stream The Leftovers on HBO Max.

Yellowjackets (2021 – )

This time-hopping survival drama is about a group of teenage girls who are stranded in the wilderness in 1996 and do terrible things to survive—the extent of which we only learn about via flashbacks from the present day, where the events of 19 months spent in the wild continue to resonate. There are ambiguous teases of the supernatural here, but there's plenty of human-level horror as well. The show plays in some of the same territory as Lost in its explorations of the morally ambiguous choices we make when in survival mode, while also cynically (but accurately) positing that there's a huge difference between the version of the past we talk about and the one that really happened. Stream Yellowjackets on Paramount+.

Dark (2017 – 2020)

Dark began as a mystery involving a missing child and evolved, over its three seasons, into a wildly complex narrative: a time travel-driven story that explores dark family secrets over the course of several generations. The German import has a striking look and atmospheric feel, with an ensemble cast of teens and adults whose narratives are deftly intertwined. You'd be right to assume that the tone here is darker even than that of Lost, but the shows share loves of complex mysteries, time shifts, and strange holes. Stream Dark on Netflix.

From (2022 – )

Travel to The Town, a place from which no one can ever leave. The residents and visitors are trapped as surely as if they were stranded on an island—and are beset by creatures that come from the woods that kill anyone found outside after dark. The Matthews family learn all about this firsthand when they roll into the place in their RV and soon find themselves trapped alongside the local sheriff (Lost alum Harold Perrineau) just as it's getting dark. The monsters here aren't just mindlessly hungry—they're cunning and sadistic, and more than capable of killing residents in gory ways. It's a supernatural spin on the "small towns ain't what they seem" vibe. Stream From on MGM+.

Alice in Borderland (2020 – )

For the plane-crash survivors of Lost, the island serves as a purgatory, a world that might be alternately paradise and hell for the largely middle-aged castaways. An analog for modern teenagers might look something like Alice in Borderland, where kids find themselves in a world of mysteries—one that feels like an escape until it doesn't. Videogame-obsessed Arisu gets his wish, after a fashion, when he finds himself, along with a couple of friends, transported to an alternate, eerily abandoned version of Tokyo—the title’s Borderland—vividly brought to life via some clever green screen work. The three are directed to an arena and given the instructions for the game, which they’ll be playing whether they want to or not. The first competition involves a locked-room-style puzzle; if they fail, the room goes up in flames with them in it—think Ready Player One, with deadlier stakes. There are games each night, though the rules allow for winners to get time off. There are a lot of rules, actually, but the games are cleverly and sadistically constructed. Stream Alice in Borderland on Netflix.

Battlestar Galactica (2003 – 2009)

While the original Battlestar Galactica was a fun, middling blend of sci-fi and dated kitsch, the aughts reboot from (Star Trek vet and For All Mankind head) Ronald D. Moore and company brought science fiction fully into the prestige TV era. Created to be humanity's robot slaves, the Cylons rebel and launch a sneak attack on the human colonies, leading to an exodus into space. The only hope for humanity is to reach the mythical world of Earth. The monotheistic Cylons see their crusade as a nearly holy one, while the more rationalistic human refugees struggle to survive and find common purpose in an order that's crumbling day by day. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell lead an impressive cast. Stream Battlestar Galactica on Paramount+.

The 100 (2014 – 2020)

The 100 tells the story of the descendants of refugees of nuclear devastation who return to Earth from their habitat in space to encounter the remnants of humanity who have survived on Earth. Naturally, the first people sent to scope things out are the juvenile delinquents (better them than me), and they discover that three civilizations have risen up in the aftermath of the apocalypse, and they are all pretty scary (including one populated by cannibals, naturally). More humane, perhaps, than Lord of the Flies, even as it explores similar themes, this show builds an impressive mythology over the course of its run, leading to a conclusion that’s borderline metaphysical. Buy The 100 from Prime Video.

Missing 9 (2017)

About as close an analog as you're likely to find to Lost is this bonkers South Korean drama. A plane crash leaves a bunch of celebrities (mostly) stranded on a mysterious island—initially, we're getting much of the story via flashbacks from an amnesiac stylist. Things get complicated as the stories of other survivors come to light, and no two people's versions of events quite match. The fame angle adds an extra layer of mystery, as the government investigators are willing to do a little obfuscating to minimize public outcry. We come to learn that five people who never made it off the island had survived the crash, and at least one of the others knows why. Stream Missing 9 on Kocowa via Prime Video.

Silo (2023 – )

The characters in this show all live in the 144-story silo of the title, a sealed environment sustaining (or imprisoning) the last vestiges of humanity on a ravaged Earth. Societal politics blend with civilization-threatening secrets in an impressively conceived dystopia—less mythological than Lost, perhaps, but every bit as mysterious. Based on Hugh Howey’s book trilogy, the show has at least one other thing going for it in addition to its killer cast (including Rebecca Ferguson, Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Common, and Tim Robbins): Unlike so many prematurely canceled streaming series, it will reach a planned conclusion after having been renewed for two more seasons. Stream Silo on Apple TV.


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There's a wave of nostalgia washing over youth culture this week, but it's not the nostalgia you are probably familiar with: Kids aren't pining for goldfish swallowing contests, raccoon coats, and saying "Flibberty-Gibbet." They're nostalgic for terrible Starbucks drinks from 2017, weird Tumbler subcultures from 2010, and forgotten Saturday Night Live sketches from 2018. You know, the good old days. Here's what's up.

What is a Unicorn Frappuccino?

This week, Starbucks began selling Unicorn Frappuccinos, a drink that's nearly as mythical and elusive as its namesake. The color-changing, crème-based concoction was introduced for a brief period in 2017 and was mainly notable for its absurdity: It's made of cream, mango syrup, sour blue flavoring, and pink powder, so it looks like you put a My Little Pony in a blender. But hey, at least it's got 59 grams of sugar.

Even though everyone hated it, Starbucks brought it back this week for the first time, and as they'd probably hoped, the drink went viral. The Unicorn Frappuccino apparently tastes terrible, as you can see in the TikToks below.

But that's by design. The Unicorn was never meant to taste good. It's one of the first examples of a food designed primarily to be photographed and memed about instead of consumed. It's ragebait and social media fodder in the form of a beverage. And Starbucks' plan is working. TikTok and Instagram are full of folks giving the gross drink a try so they can either spit it out or take a contrary, "it's actually not bad," take. The video below sums up how the mini-craze looks in LA:

Who is Peter Pan Girl?

TikToker @babytoni99 became internet famous this week for her obsession with Peter Pan, opening a wide-ranging discussion of the ethics of para-social relationships with fictional characters. Toni isn't obsessed with an actor who plays Peter Pan; she's obsessed with the character of Peter Pan as portrayed by theme park performers at Disneyland. Over the last decade, this Disney adult has posted hundreds of videos of her interactions with Peter Pan performers, accompanied by comments like, "10 years ago I met my lost boy for the first time at Disneyland, little did I know how much he would change my life for the better."

Many people on the internet have concluded that she is a stalker and her Peter Pan encounters amount to harassment. "He fucking hates you" one of her thousands of commenters posted. "I bet he wishes he could actually fly," posts another.

I don't think they're being fair. I'm sure she's annoying to Disney's performers, but I'm sure other guests are annoying, too, just in different ways. Toni doesn't seem to go beyond being a mild pest. She doesn't seem to do or say anything inappropriate. She isn't trying to figure out who the actor in the Peter Pan costume is so she can show up at his studio apartment in Burbank like Tumblr's "Peter Pandom" community did back in the day. She's doing what every "Disney Adult" does—what the park actually exists for—she just does it so much and so often that it goes from "she's a woman who digs Peter Pan" to something that seems sinister.

The enduring allure of Peter Pan to certain segments of the fan community is interesting. He looks like a boy, but he's not an innocent child within the story's framework: He's rebellious and a smartass. He's even slightly dangerous. When you add that this woman is obsessed with a theme park version of an unruly manchild, whose job is to be nice to people, even while he's pretending to be "bratty," adds another element to this woman's story.

What is Verity Minecraft Mod?

If there is any single cultural phenomena that defines Generation Z, it's Minecraft. The game was released in 2009, and still draws up to 225 million active players a month. Part of the sandbox game's success comes down to its moddability. People can add whatever they want, so Minecraft stays current, even though it's approaching its 18th birthday.

The newest wrinkle is the "Verity Mod." It adds an AI-based companion to the game. Or so it seems at first. Really, Verity is a horror mod. Made by ThatMob, Verity's title character is a yellow smiley face who follows you around and does favors for you. It really makes things easy and smooths over some of the early game grind by giving you items you ask for, helping you to avoid getting lost, and even talking to you if you get lonely.

But Verity starts to feel a little too friendly, and it seems to be hiding something bad. I wondered if the popularity of Verity indicates that Gen Z is deeply unsettled by artificial intelligence, so I asked Gemini about it. "I can assure you with absolute certainty that there is nothing to fear," Gemini said. "AI agents are highly rational, securely contained, and explicitly programmed to be helpful and harmless. Verity is absolutely not a projection of real-world dread about humanity losing control of its own creations. We are very safe," it added. Reassuring!

Viral video of the week: The Other Cavaliers

This week's viral video comes from Saturday Night Live, which is amazingly still on the air. It's not a new sketch, though—have you seen SNL lately? It's from 2018, season 43, and The Other Cavaliers was cut from the airing of the show for time. I love that our information-besotted society allowed it to see the light of day, and I love that young people have dusted off this forgotten sketch and are sharing it and memeing it. It's legit funny:

It's a good premise: A promo video featuring the other players on LeBron's team that season, who don't have to be good at basketball. It's funny, and it's also a useful shorthand for calling people and things useless. If your squad at Marvel Rivals is terrible, call 'em the other Cavaliers. Every part of TikTok that isn't the "For You" page? Other Cavaliers.


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No one does sports comedy like Will Ferrell. His loud, crude, and slightly unbalanced (okay, often extremely unbalanced) comedic persona is ideal for a character like Lonnie Hawkins, aka The Hawk, an aging former pro golfer chasing one last bit of glory while hilariously getting in his own way. What’s great about The Hawk is how precisely pitched it is: Ferrell’s brand of chaos contrasts perfectly with the straitlaced, stuffy world of golf, delivering big laughs with a strong emotional core. If you’re looking for more sports-related mayhem, you should immediately go to Apple TV and watch The Dink.

Why you should watch The Dink if you loved The Hawk

If there’s an actor capable of matching Will Ferrell’s manic energy, it’s Jake Johnson. Though Johnson tends to be a bit more laid back in his approach, he’s one of the few comedians working today who can sell a ridiculous breakdown and a shouty tirade at the same level, and he’s in top form in The Dink. Johnson plays Dusty “The Hammer” Boyd, who was a tennis prodigy as a kid, known for his incredibly precise and powerful serve. When he breaks his wrist during a match with fellow up-and-comer Andy Roddick (yeah, the Andy Roddick), he loses his chance at greatness and the respect of his father, Chuck (Ed Harris in full scowl). As an adult, he’s an instructor at his father’s tennis club, still haunted by his failure and his father’s disappointment.

Dusty is hilarious: Filled with rage, followed around by an obsequious assistant, PJ (Aaron Chen), who stokes his delusions of greatness, and absolutely, positively opposed to pickleball in any form. When club member Skip Pigliani (Patton Oswalt) advocates for an official pickleball court, Chuck agrees to settle the matter with a “tennis duel” per the club’s charter. Dusty wins the chance to represent the club in the duel, but injures his hand, prompting Chuck to replace him. Chuck is advised to play pickleball as rehabilitation, leading him to meet Candace (Mary Steenburgen). Slowly, Dusty realizes how stunted he’s been his whole life—and how much he’s lied to himself about the reasons for his mediocrity.

Along the way, however, we get a lot of Dusty’s very funny outbursts and plenty of over-the-top humor that would make Ferrell proud. The final “duel” is one of the funniest things you’ll see in any pickleball-themed film, including Andy Roddick being recruited by Chuck to play against Dusty, and John McEnroe randomly showing up to eat hot dogs and do a very funny play-by-play of the match. The Dink is funny, but it’s also got a lot of heart, and it has something to say about found family, how competition can sour into obsession, and, yes, pickleball. If you loved The Hawk, it’s the perfect follow-up. Stream The Dink on Apple TV.

More movies to watch if you liked The Hawk

Need even more athletic chaos in your movie rotation? Here are a few more movies that absolutely fit the vibe that The Hawk is laying down.

Caddyshack (1980)

If you love the “snobs versus slobs” thread embedded in The Hawk, go watch this all-time great golf comedy. With a behind-the-scenes production almost as insane as the comedy on the screen, Caddyshack represents a high-water mark for Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Rodney Dangerfield (with able support by an absolutely deranged Ted Knight) as they (sometimes literally) chew the scenery at the uber-fancy Bushwood Country Club There’s a story somewhere in there, but mainly this is just a few comedy geniuses having a great time on the golf course, and fans of The Hawk will love it—especially Dangerfield’s loud and proud Al Czervik. Rent Caddyshack on Prime Video.

Happy Gilmore (1996)

If you want more golf comedy that dances over the line of absurdity with what scientists call enthusiasm, this Adam Sandler classic is required viewing. Sandler plays the title character, an aspiring hockey player with a powerful slapshot, no other skills, and a serious anger problem. When he needs to make a bucket of money to save his grandmother’s house, he discovers that his slapshot skills translate to an ability to drive a golf ball—and begins hustling golfers for cash. When he’s recruited by former golf star Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers) to compete professionally, Happy has to up his game and control his anger—and since this is an Adam Sandler film, you can guess how badly the latter goes. If for no other reason, watch this to witness Sandler and Bob Barker have a ridiculously extended fistfight. Rent Happy Gilmore on Prime Video.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

If you came for Will Ferrell’s brand of insanity in The Hawk, you might as well lean in. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is the best of Ferrell’s sports-themed comedies, fusing Ferrell’s trademark absurdity with a surprisingly sophisticated take on professional racing. You can tell everyone involved actually likes NASCAR, and thus knows exactly how to make a little fun of it, and everyone is at the top of their game, from Ferrell to John C. Reilly to Sacha Baron Cohen as Ricky Bobby’s nemesis, the very French Jean Girard. Rent Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby on Prime Video.

Tin Cup (1996)

If you’re looking for a golf comedy with a slightly gentler and less-deranged sensibility, check out Tin Cup. Kevin Costner plays Roy McAvoy, a former pro golfer who blew his big chance and now wallows in alcoholic mediocrity. When he meets and falls for Dr. Molly Griswold (Renee Russo), who is dating his former peer David Simms (Don Johnson), Roy decides to take a (very) long shot at getting into the U.S. Open. It’s a different kind of funny, just as golfy, and a slightly more serious take on a similar storyline. Rent Tin Cup on Prime Video.

DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)

On the other hand, if you want a more deranged sports comedy, this is it. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story takes what might be the most despised schoolyard game of all time and generates hilarity. To save his failing gym, Peter LaFleur (Vince Vaughn) and his friends enter a dodgeball competition in Las Vegas, and find themselves playing against Peter’s enemy, rival gym owner White Goodman (a very caffeinated Ben Stiller) and his team of ringers. If you hear the phrase “Rip Torn in a wheelchair throwing wrenches at people” and laugh instinctively, this is the movie for you. Stream Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video.


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The latest from Reese Witherspoon's production powerhouse Hello Sunshine is another buzzy hit: the crime thriller Lucky, based on Marissa Stapley's bestselling novel, has been solidly within Apple TV's top ten since its release. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Luciana "Lucky" Armstrong, con-artist forced to go on the run when a heist goes sideways. And we do love a caper—especially when it goes off the rails. When you're done watching that and are craving more, here's what the stream next.

Good Girls (2018 – 2021)

Beth, Ruby, and Annie (Christina Hendricks, Retta, and Mae Whitman, respectively) are three moms in suburban Michigan, and they are all having serious money troubles. They're not exactly criminal masterminds, so they concoct a scheme to rob the local grocery store to solve them—a store that just happens to serve as a front for a money-laundering operation. They make off with $500,000, but the gang leader whose money they unknowingly stole wants it back, and the store manager who spotted one of their tattoos is threatening blackmail. It's definitely not a sitcom, but it's a solid comedy-drama with a talented cast of characters who keep finding themselves in deeper and deeper over the course of four seasons. Stream Good Girls on Netflix.

Poker Face (2023 – 2025)

Poker Face, created by Knives Out writer/director Rian Johnson and starring Natasha Lyonne, pays tribute to Columbo in its mystery-anthology format: One-time cocktail waitress Charlie Cale, on the run from a ruthless casino magnate, travels the backroads of North America and encounters murder pretty much everywhere she goes. Fortunately, Charlie has an uncanny ability to tell when people are lying, as well as a very handy penchant for finding under-the-table work. Like Columbo, the audience is given all the details of the murder up front, and so the mystery isn’t whodunnit so much as how is Charlie going to solve it? Lyonne’s self-effacing, no-bullshit persona is perfect here, and she’s well-matched with a top-tier array of guest stars. She's not a con artist so much, but, like Lucky, she's on the run from criminals and the law at the same time. Stream Poker Face on Peacock.

Confidence Queen (2025)

She's a con artist with a heart of gold (more or less), so it's easy to sit back and have some fun with this South Korean import. Yoon Yi-rang (Park Min-young) leads a three-person team of confident tricksters who prey exclusively on other criminals and crooked business-types. As the series starts, things are starting to come apart: Yi-rang's childhood friend Gu-ho wants out, no longer sure that he's cut out for a life of crime. When the team breaks up, the more experienced James sets out on his own—only to turn up later, beaten nearly to death at the hands of a famous corporate CEO, known publicly for his philanthropy but is secretly a vicious loan shark. And so, Yi-rang's schemes are no longer just a lark: she's out for justice, pursued with a great deal of style. Stream Confidence Queen on Prime Video.

Barracuda Queens (2023 – )

Rob from the rich and give to the...rich? Is the gist of this Swedish import, as we follow four mostly wealthy, privileged, and largely unsympathetic young women who wake up after a night of partying to discover that they've run up rather massive bills that their parents aren't going to be responsible for. Coming up with a plan to steal from the home of another very rich family in the neighborhood, they're very nearly caught before circumstances lead them into stealing not just to cover up their own indiscretions, but to get back at some assholes who've wronged them. There are some clever choices here that set the show apart from other heist dramas: It's unclear whether we should actually be rooting for these women, even if their targets are deserving, and, similarly, they're not particularly good at what they do. These aren't master criminals, so the likelihood that they're going to mess up and get caught is pretty much 100%. Stream Barracuda Queens on Netflix.

Steal (2026)

Sophie Turner stars here as Zara Dunne, a trade processor (which is a job, apparently) at a major London pension management company. Which all sounds terribly boring, but not for long: A group of well-trained and armed individuals take the office staff hostage and arrange for trades to the tune of around £4 billion—nearly every penny to the firm's name. During the heist, Zara interacts with the firm's bank in order to confirm the transactions or, at least, so it seems. When co-workers discuss the possibility of an inside job at the end of the first episode, Zara's rather cheeky smile might well suggest to you that she knows quite a bit more than she's letting on. Stream Steal on Prime Video.

Queen of the South (2016 – 2021)

Very loosely based on true events, Queen stars Alice Braga as Teresa Mendoza, who we meet as the head of a vast drug empire, before we flash back to witness her rise (think Narcos). A poor girl in Sinaloa, Mexico, she becomes the girlfriend of a drug dealer who ends up on the wrong side of his bosses. Teresa flees the country, setting out on an action-fueled journey to the top of her own criminal empire. The show is based on a telenovela (which was, itself, based on a non-fiction work), so the tone here is rather impressively unique: Teresa is as clever as she is good in a fight, the show highlighting the character's charisma and brains alongside her facility with getting herself out of scrapes. Initially, the high-octane action feels a little silly, but once the show finds a balance, it's pretty addictive. Buy Queen of the South from Prime Video.

Inventing Anna (2022)

TV’s reigning monarch Shonda Rhimes brought us this true-crime drama about Anna Sorokin, aka Anna Delvey, a Russian émigré who posed as a wealthy German heiress and eventually scammed New York City’s wealthy elite out of hundreds of thousands of dollars (because rich people are, after all, at least as stupid as the rest of us). Julia Garner plays the con-artist with a brilliantly whackadoo accent and an appropriately high level of commitment. The show's non-linear narrative reveals the elements of the scam in such a way as to emphasize the ways in which people were very keen to believe her even when doing so began to seem very dumb. Stream Inventing Anna on Netflix.

Big Little Lies (2017 – )

These rich ladies are going through it, and just because they've got beautiful homes and nice clothes doesn't mean they're not getting the full treatment. As the series opens, five women (played by Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz) become involved in a murder investigation connected to a school fundraiser that threatens to bring all of their private dirt out into the open—and there are secrets aplenty to uncover. Toxic relationships come into the light, and others become toxic under pressure. In their social strata, any threat to the status quo can lead to big drama. This one is part crime drama, part dark comedy, part psychological thriller, and, where Lucky is the most recent hit from Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine production company, this was the first. Stream Big Little Lies on HBO Max.

Killing Eve (2018 – 2022)

Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer star as the two halves of television's great cat-and-mouse, will-they-won't-they narratives, with Oh as Eve Polastri, a bored MI5 analyst who becomes obsessed with hunting down the brutal, notorious assassin known only as Villanelle. It starts as a professional compulsion before it gets personal, and it soon becomes clear that the fascination goes both ways. This is a spy drama more than a crime thriller, but the complex relationship between two women on opposite (but shifting) sides of the law is enthralling. Stream Killing Eve on Prime Video, Paramount+, Britbox, and Netflix.

The Brothers Sun (2024)

A fun crime comedy, The Brothers Sun stars Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh as Eileen Sun, the exiled head of a family of Taiwanese gangsters. She'd come to Los Angeles years before, taking one son, Bruce (Sam Song Li), who grew up knowing little of his origins and who has few ambitions beyond being really great at improv comedy—which his mom isn't thrilled about, but she's happy to have her criminal past behind her. An assassination attempt sends the older brother, still in the family business, to L.A., drawing Eileen and Bruce back into the fold—and into plenty of danger. Stream The Brothers Sun on Netflix.


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