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In “The Essex Serpent,” the residents of Aldwinter might all be whispering amongst themselves about some mysterious force lurking in the water just beyond their town’s shores. They mourn the missing and some of their own still living, both feared lost to the ravages of a beast that preys on those who have strayed, either from the path of righteousness or into the chilly waters that wash up against the east England coast.

In some ways, this adaptation of Sarah Perry’s 1890s-set novel hovers above it all. Quite literally in the case of the aerial views of the coves and inlets dotting the area around Aldwinter, but also in the way that it shows each of its main characters (both Aldwinter residents and visitors) as just as listless as the tides themselves.

There’s Cora Seaborne (Claire Danes), a recent widower looking to use her newfound mobility as...

The barest bones of “The Essex Serpent” make up a familiar enough story, whether taking place today or, as this new limited series does, in the late nineteenth century. An ambitious and attractive woman, seeking answers about what she should do next with her life, leaves the big city for a small town, where she meets an equally attractive man and finds that everything is more complicated than it seems. It’s a narrative with huge potential to bore, but Anna Symon’s adaptation of the Sarah Perry novel (premiering May 13 on Apple TV+) carefully layers it with more probing questions about love, loss, and faith. In its most distinctive moments, “The Essex Serpent” is far richer than skimming along its briny surface might otherwise suggest. In its weaker ones, it indulges a vein of melodrama that doesn’t quite suit it.

After her abusive husband dies, leaving her with...

Spoiler Alert: Do not keep reading if you have not finished Season 5 of “The Last Kingdom.”

“The Last Kingdom” is coming to an end.

Although a two-hour movie followup is currently filming, Season 5 of the Netflix historical drama wraps up the story of its central character, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, played by Alexander Dreymon, in a very satisfying way — as the sins of Uhtred’s past collide head on with his present and the future of England.

Uhtred finds himself in an unusual place at the beginning of the season — unable to be with Aethelflaed (Millie Brady), the woman he loves and the Lady of Merica, he presides over a Mercian border town at her request. But strange things are in the air, as Brida (Emily Cox) is determined to have her vengeance once and for all and the enemies of the House of Wessex are gathering.

Variety spoke with Dreymon...