City on Fire (2023)

A bunch of different character storylines intersect across the sprawling city of New York in this series adaptation of Garth Risk Hallberg’s 2015 novel. The main plot point involves the shooting of an NYU student named Sam (Chase Sui Wonders) and the book sets this event against the backdrop of the famous blackout during a heatwave in July of 1977 that resulted in a huge crimewave. The series, however, moves the events to 2003, a time period more familiar to the show’s creators, who also brought us The O.C. and the original Gossip Girl. Sam is connected to everyone in some way, shape, or form, whether it’s a former high school classmate with an obvious crush, the rock band she follows, the crew of arsonists she hangs with, or the married man with whom she’s having an affair. There are even more coincidental connections within that group to convolute the mysterious crime even more, as we see in the flashbacks from prior to the shooting. And speaking of flashing, both Chase and Jemima Kirk flash is hints of skin, stripping down to their skivvies in separates scenes. We even see Chase step into the shower and though we only glimpse her bare back, it’s still totally hot.