Netflix's Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender Reimagines the Animated Series

Looking for your next binge-watch, or just need to fill an hour? Welcome to Your Weekly Watch List, our curated collection of the best shows on television. Here's what to watch from Sunday, February 18 through Saturday, February 24.

Science fiction dominates TV this week as Netflix debuts its long-awaited, live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Constellation tracks an astronaut's difficult reacclimation to life on Earth, and alien surgeons put their skills to good use in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy. Those looking for a dose of realism (or maybe not?) can find it in the True Detective: Night Country finale, which delivers one twist after another for 80 minutes.

True Detective: Night Country Finale

Sunday, 9:00 PM ET on HBO

After getting off to a slower start, True Detective Season 4 kicked into high gear in its penultimate episode with a shocking death. The finale, "Part 6," takes place in the immediate aftermath as detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) return to the Tsalal Arctic Research Station in hopes of solving the mysterious deaths of eight scientists and Indigenous activist Annie K (Nivi Pedersen), cases they have since realized are connected. As they put the pieces together, Danvers and Navarro are forced to confront the evil lurking among them, which manifests in surprising ways throughout the supersized episode.

Night Country heaped a lot onto its plate in just six episodes, but showrunner and director Issa López sticks the landing with a satisfying conclusion that brings together the season's mysteries and larger themes. For more, check back Sunday night for our interview with Isabella Star LaBlanc and Anna Lambe, who play Danvers' stepdaughter Leah and Kayla Prior, respectively, breaking down the finale's many revelations.

Constellation

Wednesday, Apple TV+

Apple's library of space dramas expands with Constellation, a psychological thriller starring Noomi Rapace as an astronaut who survives a disaster at the International Space Station. Upon her return to Earth, the traumatized Jo comes unglued and begins to question her reality, including her relationship with her husband (James D'Arcy) and daughter (Davina Coleman), prompting her to investigate what really happened up there.

Constellation's practical effects are impressive enough on their own — astronaut Scott Kelly served as a consultant, lending the space scenes a dose of authenticity — but Jo's unraveling and the conspiracy she soon finds herself wrapped up in give the show a propulsive energy. Viewers will have to wait a bit to learn the truth about the secret history of space travel (and what Jonathan Banks' identical twins are up to), but in the meantime, buckle up for a wild ride. Three episodes drop Wednesday, followed by one every week through March 27.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Thursday, Netflix (Full Season)
*Our must-watch pick of the week

Netflix has spared no expense bringing the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender to live action. Originally announced in 2018, the sci-fi epic hews closely to the plot of Nickelodeon's animated series about a young airbender tasked with saving the world from the militaristic Fire Nation. After awakening from a 100-year freeze, 12-year-old Avatar Aang (Gordon Cormier) discovers he's the last living person capable of bending all four elements — water, earth, fire, and air — and thus, the last hope to restore harmony among the four nations. With the help of his new friends Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio), Aang learns to master the elements and prepares for battle against the Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim), but with exiled Crown Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) determined to capture him, Aang's journey is marked by dangerous and unexpected obstacles.

With so much source material to draw from (in addition to the original series, there's sequel The Legend of Korra, a 2010 film, comics, and more), showrunner Albert Kim has the potential to take ATLA in dozens of possible directions, making it a prime candidate for a multi-season run on Netflix, even if the streamer has ordered just one, eight-episode season for now. The only question is whether fans of the franchise will embrace Netflix's take or spurn it — though with a reported budget of $15 million per episode, those viewers can rest assured that the live-action show will maintain the spectacle and creative artistry of the original.

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy

Friday, Prime Video (Full Season)

There's no shortage of big-name talent in animated comedy The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy. Created by Cirocco Dunlap (Russian Doll), the new series follows two best friends and renowned surgeons, Dr. Sleech (Stephanie Hsu) and Dr. Klak (Keke Palmer), as they take on the galaxy's most difficult cases. But Drs. Sleech and Klak aren't dealing with your average medical nightmares: Each of their cases have the potential to destroy the alien race, making their groundbreaking work even more high-stakes.

Sleech and Klak may be talented, but saving lives is a team effort, and a roster of A-list actors step in to voice their colleagues. That wide-ranging list includes Natasha Lyonne and Maya Rudolph (who also serve as executive producers), Kieran Culkin — joined by his brothers Macaulay, Rory, Christian, and Shane Culkin — and Sam Smith, as well as guest stars ranging from Bowen Yang to John Waters. All eight episodes of the comedy's first season drop Friday on Prime Video.

If You Have...

An Hour

All Creatures Great and Small Season 4 Christmas Special: Sunday, 9:00 PM ET on PBS
Monsieur Spade Finale: Sunday, 9:00 PM ET on AMC and Streaming on AMC+
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Season 11 Premiere: Sunday, 11:00 PM ET on HBO
Will Trent Season 2 Premiere: Tuesday, 8:00 PM ET on ABC
The Good Doctor Season 7 Premiere: Tuesday, 10:00 PM ET on ABC

An Evening

James Brown: Say It Loud: Monday–Tuesday, 8:00 PM ET on A&E
Can I Tell You a Secret?: Wednesday, Netflix
The Family Stallone Season 2 Premiere: Wednesday, Paramount+
30th Screen Actors Guild Awards: Saturday, Netflix

A Full Day

Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend: Wednesday, Apple TV+
Expats Season 1 Finale: Full season available to stream Friday, Prime Video
Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 6: Friday, Netflix

Up Next

The Woman in the Wall Finale: Sunday, February 25 on Showtime (Streaming beginning Friday, February 23 on Paramount+)
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live: Sunday, February 25 on AMC and AMC+
Shōgun: Tuesday, February 27 on Hulu
The Tourist Season 2: Thursday, February 29 on Netflix

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.