Must Watch reviews: East of Eden, Pierre and Brothers

Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.

This week, Hayley Campbell and Scott Bryan join Naga Munchetty to review East of Eden, Pierre and Brothers.

What do the Must Watch reviewers make of them?

East of Eden is a seven-part period drama on Netflix, based on John Steinbeck's acclaimed novel. Starring Florence Pugh, Mike Faist and Christopher Abbott, the family saga explores love, jealousy, morality and the battle between good and evil, centring on two brothers whose lives are shaped by their father's favouritism and the arrival of the enigmatic Cathy Ames.

Both Scott and Hayley think East of Eden is a Must Watch.

Scott admits that his initial reaction was to wonder whether East of Eden would have worked better as a film, but says, “I kind of really fell in love with that pace.”

Discussing the adaptation, he notes that “the book is nearly 700 pages, it weaves in an awful lot”, adding that “as it went on, I became more thankful that we're seeing it in this form”.

Scott argues that “they have really tried to make it as accessible as possible” and that, “as a result, it becomes extremely watchable”.

He also compliments the wider cast, saying, “I've always been a big fan of Mike Faist” and adding, “he's a fantastic actor.”

Hayley says East of Eden is a Must Watch.

She is especially impressed by the portrayal of Florence Pugh's character, arguing that “she's given her way more layers, rather than just being plainly monstrous”.

Hayley believes the adaptation succeeds because “her story is far more than just being one note”, adding, “it's about freedom, and she was complicated.”

Hayley highlights how the drama fits into a wider trend of stories examining women's experiences, saying, “I thought it was interesting that this isn't the only TV show out at the moment that's trying to look at female rage, murder and freedom.”

All seven episodes of East of Eden are available to watch now on Netflix.

Pierre is a new six-part crime drama on Channel 4, starring David Harewood in his first leading television role. The series follows a London duty solicitor struggling to keep his practice afloat as retirement looms, but his life takes an unexpected turn when he becomes embroiled in a troubling case that leads him to suspect a police cover-up, forcing him to confront corruption, injustice and the limits of the legal system.

Neither Scott nor Hayley gave Pierre a Must Watch, but both found it promising and were keen to watch more.

Scott admits there are elements audiences will have “seen before”, but he believes the programme rises above them thanks to its strong performances and engaging themes.

Praising the lead performance, Scott says, “David's acting was just superb.”

He also enjoyed the depth given to the central character, arguing that “you really found out about his life, his family and the challenges that he's facing as he's coming to the end of his career”.

Scott was particularly drawn to the show's examination of justice and inequality, saying that the character “is firmly in the belief of how the legal system is not equal”.

He adds that “he has a real belief in trying to help young Black British boys who he believes are being victimised”, which gives the drama a strong emotional and social focus.

Discussing the wider themes, Scott says, “I liked the exploration of the subject matter”, adding that the series “wove in important issues around police corruption and racism” while remaining “first and foremost, a drama that has a focus on the plot”.

However, he argues that “it only really felt like it was getting going properly in the last 15 minutes”.

Hayley says she's “putting this down as possibly a Must Watch”.

Discussing the series' star, she notes that “it does feel like an event”, given that it marks David Harewood’s first leading role after a 40-year career.

Hayley is particularly interested in the central premise, saying, “he's playing this guy who's ruining himself to stick up for the people that no one usually sticks up for.”

She adds that “it's clearly going to be a story about corruption, race, bigotry, mortality and the kind of people who fall through the cracks”.

However, she felt the opening episode leaned too heavily on familiar crime drama tropes, arguing that “the first episode was too much of the standard crime show story that I'm used to”.

Despite those reservations, Hayley believes the show has potential, saying, “I think this is promising”, and that “it became promising at the end of the first episode”.

Pierre is available to watch on Channel 4 now.

Brothers is an Apple TV+ comedy series that follows best friends Matthew and Woody. Their close bond is put to the test when their families move in together at Matthew’s Texas ranch following a wedding disaster, leading to a chaotic mix of family tensions, culture clashes and heartfelt moments.

Neither Scott nor Hayley gave Brothers a Must Watch.

Scott says this is “not for me”.

He praises some of the comedy, noting that “there are one-liners and little moments that did make me laugh”.

However, Scott's biggest issue with the series is its tone, describing it as “a very schmaltzy show” that often feels like “we are now here to pull at your heartstrings”.

Scott does give the series credit for avoiding one common pitfall, saying it “does not manage to fall into the trap of being too smug” with its celebrity leads.

Ultimately, though, he felt somewhat disconnected from the show, arguing that it “sometimes does feel like they're having much more fun than you are actually watching it”.

Hayley says Brothers is “not a Must Watch”.

For Hayley, “it's basically just an excuse to watch them hanging out”, which she admits can be entertaining at times.

One aspect she particularly enjoyed was the pair's willingness to poke fun at themselves, saying, “what I really liked was their ability to take the mickey out of themselves.”

She praises McConaughey in particular, noting that “McConaughey can be so, so earnest. And in this, he really plays on that”, including jokes about his own public persona and memoir.

She concludes that “it's endearing, but it's not essential”.

Comparing it to other Apple TV+ productions, Hayley suggests, “this was made because they have a lot of money, and everyone had a nice time”, but adds that “it's not going to change anyone's life.”

The first three episodes of Brothers are available to watch on Apple TV with a new episode out every Wednesday.

Listen to the full reviews of all three programmes on BBC Sounds.

But before all that, why not contact Must Watch with the shows you’ve been loving, loathing or both on mustwatch@bbc.co.uk.

We used AI to transcribe and summarise our Must Watch feature. This article was then written and reviewed by a BBC journalist. More on how the BBC uses AI.