“Pachinko”, Zoë Kravitz's “Blink Twice”, and the K-pop docuseries “Pop Star Academy ”top this week's Must List

Also, ruthless "The Challenge" eliminations and Percival Everett's book of sonnets round out our picks for the weekend of Aug. 23.

We here at EW make it our job to know as much about pop culture as possible so we can guide our readers toward what we think is worth their time. But a few days ago I was exploring Paramount+ and realized I'd missed the launch of season 2 of CBS' game show Lingo. The RuPaul-hosted word game became post-Survivor viewing for me and my friends during season 1 and we'd eagerly awaited its return. So it was a shock that we'd somehow missed that new episodes arrived in May! I will never join the chorus saying "there's just too much TV," but in this case I'll agree it's almost impossible to keep up. —Patrick Gomez, Editor-in-Chief

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Pachinko

Season 2 of creator Soo Hugh's stunning Apple TV+ series adaptation of Min Jin Lee's novel sees young Sunja is in the throes of World War II, scraping by in Osaka with her two sons Noa and Mozasu and sister-in-law Kyunghee. Meanwhile, in 1989 Tokyo, Sunja's grandson Solomon is still reeling from his disastrous land deal. Past and present collide to continue this aching story of identity, love, and family — one that makes no guarantee of a happy ending. —Jessica Wang, Staff Writer

Watch Pachinko season 2 trailer here

Blink Twice

This may be Zoë Kravitz's directorial debut, but you'd never know it. Bold and thrilling, Naomi Ackie, Adria Arjona, and the movie's other female stars will have you cheering in their fight against a band of menacing men led by Channing Tatum. —Gerrad Hall, Editorial Director

Read EW's interview with Blink Twice director Zoe Kravitz

Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE

Making the Band meets The Hunger Games in this riveting Netflix docuseries that chronicles HYBE Geffen's creation of a new girl group, Katseye, using a K-Pop-style training camp. Hearts will break watching as fresh-faced hopefuls' dreams get dashed. With only six slots in the group, the odds are rarely in their favor. —Kristen Baldwin, TV Critic

Sonnets for a Missing Key: And Some Others

Your favorite writer's writer, Percival Everett, is now everyone's fave thanks to American Fiction, the Oscar-nominated film adaptation of his book Erasure. His latest, a lyrical book of must-read sonnets, remixes Chopin and Tatum in startling, elegiac new shapes. —Ryan Coleman, News Writer

The Challenge

Season 40 is the most epic lineup of any season yet, and already it's the most ruthless after this week's episode (on MTV) featured eight headbanger eliminations. It's sad to lose so many powerhouse — and dramatic — players so soon, but now the game can really begin. —Sydney Bucksbaum, Staff Writer

Read EW's exit interviews with recently eliminated contestants in an early shocking twist

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.