10 Best Shows of 2025 So Far

In many ways, the NBA is the face of basketball. They don’t just develop athletes, they create superstars—idols that people turn to for hope and inspiration. But even though the NBA is technically American, it’s never been more populated with international players than today. When it comes to the Olympics, that means fierce and exciting global competition. It’s hard to capture the enormity of all that, but Court of Gold succeeds with flying colors. The show strays from run-of-the-mill narration and generic footage. Instead, it gives us what we want: inside access into what goes down behind the scenes. We follow the top four teams in the games—USA, France, Serbia, and Canada—and hear from the athletes themselves. Kevin Durant, Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokić, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are some of the representatives who stand out the most. Some of these interviews and fly-on-the-wall moments prove to be even just as (if not more) exciting than the showdown on the court. But the latter is undeniably thrilling. It doesn’t matter that you know who takes the gold, or even that you care enough about the game. Court of Gold is a well-made example of showmanship and athleticism, as well as a wonderful attempt at humanizing larger-than-life stars.

Part court drama, part medical procedural, and part detective mystery, The Apothecary Diaries is the sort of anime that easily handles multiple genres and does it so well. With the insatiably curious Maomao investigating certain court ailments as a poison tester, it naturally creates a new mystery of the week, all deduced from her apothecary beginnings and her life in the red light district. It’s also integrated well into the main plot, as Maomao’s whole promotion starts from her sense of justice, with each mystery carefully revealing the court dynamics, various motivations each player has, and how the overall world of this Imperial China-inspired court operates. The Apothecary Diaries ties it all together with excellent writing.

When it was announced that actors Lee Min-Ho and Gong Hyo-Jin were going to star together in a spaceship romance drama with a hefty budget, fans hoped that When the Stars Gossip was going to be good. It’s a pretty unique premise– how many K-dramas have you seen in space?– and to its credit, the show maximizes on the production design and cinematography. It’s also refreshing to see a more lighthearted project for Lee in particular. But the show juggles way too many plotlines with uneven humor, with an exciting space mission strained with the weight of Kong Ryong’s overelaborate backstory. And with a rumored 50 billion won budget, we’re not sure this spaceflight was worth the cost.

Given the 40 minute runtime of each episode for four episodes, we’re not quite sure why The Breakthrough decided to make this into a series format. Breaking the real life case into four parts doesn’t seem to add suspense or thrill, given the especially slow pace of the first half, but with the real life investigation having lasted sixteen years, the slow pace is somewhat apt, stretching the doubt and frustration everyone involved was experiencing. It certainly won’t be the most exciting true crime series Netflix has ever created, but if you truly have nothing to watch, The Breakthrough isn’t bad… But it’s not spectacular enough to recommend.