TV preview: Summer season premieres tease gripping narratives filled with crime, horror

This post was updated July 4 at 9:52 p.m.

Television screens are blazing hotter than ever this summer.

Along with the heat waves, this summer’s TV selections will leave audiences anything but cool. Whether viewers watch them at home or on the go, the epic finales of critically acclaimed series and the return of New York’s favorite paranormal roommates and crime investigators are sure to be sizzling.

Read on for the Daily Bruin’s binge-worthy picks that will burn bright this season.

“Only Murders in the Building” season two (Hulu)

Hulu’s favorite true-crime trio is returning for another season of sleuthing.

A year after season one’s finale cliffhanger, the second season of the mystery-comedy series, “Only Murders in the Building,” is set to premiere Tuesday. As viewers last saw, season one ended with Mabel (Selena Gomez) covered in blood and looming over Bunny’s (Jayne Houdyshell) dead body, with Mabel’s knitting needles in the victim’s back. Mistakenly thinking they are in the clear after solving a former tenant’s murder, podcasting pals Oliver (Martin Short) and Charles-Haden (Steve Martin) are arrested along with Mabel for the crime.

Joining season two’s cast are fresh faces Cara Delevingne as Alice, Mabel’s new love interest, and Amy Schumer, who will play an exaggerated version of herself. The upcoming season will also follow the same format as the first, as the three leads try to solve Bunny’s murder, but the stakes are higher than ever given that they are the prime suspects in the investigation. Despite the severity of the accusation, the trailer highlights the same lighthearted, satirical tone and electric chemistry that viewers witnessed in the first season.

Armed with a sharp wit and a sharper pair of knitting needles, this unlikely trio is sure to keep viewers on their toes this season.

– Megan Fu

[Related: Film preview: Summer movie batch offers new spin on established franchises, genres]

“Stranger Things” season four, volume two (Netflix)

The fate of Vecna’s clock is ticking on the Hawkins gang this summer.

The first volume of “Stranger Things” season four ended with a major plot twist by revealing that the kind orderly that had been helping Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is not only the lab’s first patient, 001, but also Vecna – the monster who has been terrorizing Hawkins’ residents all season. Premiering Friday, the second volume will consist of two feature-length episodes, picking up with the gang trying to save Hawkins from Vecna’s destruction.

Set to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” volume two’s trailer depicts the Hawkins crew preparing to face their most sinister threat yet as Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) warns Eleven that her friends are not ready for the fight against Vecna. Characters Robin (Maya Hawke) and Will (Noah Schnapp) hint at a possible fatality-filled season, with suggestions that they might not all survive Vecna’s wrath.

Channeling ’80s horror classics, an action-packed montage of fight scenes and explosions teases this finale to be the gang’s greatest challenge yet.

– Megan Fu

“Better Call Saul” season six, part two (AMC and AMC+)

It’s all coming to an end for Jimmy McGill.

“Better Call Saul” is ending its run with the second half of the sixth and final season, beginning July 11. The “Breaking Bad” spinoff-prequel tracks the descent of lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) into the sleazy criminal lawyer he is known to be in the original series as well as his increasing involvement with the drug cartels.

The midseason finale left Jimmy and his wife and partner-in-crime Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) stunned by the deadly consequences of their own plan to ruin their ex-colleague Howard Hamlin’s (Patrick Fabian) life. Based on previews, the series’s conclusion will answer questions as to how the law-breaking duo picks up the pieces left from their botched plan as well as how Jimmy became an anonymous Cinnabon worker fearful of being recognized after the events of “Breaking Bad.” Meanwhile, the battle of the cartels will continue as drug ring competitors Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) and Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) go head-to-head, with Lalo seeking to uncover Gus’ massive meth lab operation.

With multiple complex storylines converging, viewers are in for a thrilling and bittersweet finale.

– Breanna Diaz

[Related: TV preview: Spring sees colorful lineup of new TV releases]

“What We Do in the Shadows” season four (FX and Hulu)

It’s time to party with vampires this summer.

On July 12, the fourth season of the vampire mockumentary “What We Do in the Shadows” hits televisions once again. Season three ended with the main cast of characters going their separate ways, but this installment picks up one year later – leaving viewers wondering what happened in the meantime.

The trailer promises another season full of vampire shenanigans among the main characters. Throughout the new season, Nandor (Kayvan Novak) will continue his unsuccessful journey to find love while his human familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) may abandon all hopes of becoming a vampire. On the other hand, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) can be seen on the prowl for the blood of rich humans as her husband Laszlo (Matt Berry) attempts to mold their roommate Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) into a less boring vampire. As with previous seasons, viewers can anticipate lighthearted comedy and glimpses into the world of vampires in this newest volume.

Already renewed for two more seasons ahead of the season four premiere, “What We Do in the Shadows” shows no sign of stopping.

– Breanna Diaz

Email Fu at [email protected] or tweet @megsfu.

Email Diaz at [email protected] or tweet @breannadiiaz.