Ten New and Returning Shows to Watch on Netflix in May 2021

It's been a while since new content has been outweighed by returning favorites on Netflix, but the streamer's May haul is set to even the scales a bit with new (and in some cases final) episodes for Master of None, The Kominsky Method, Lucifer and more. Also this month, Ryan Murphy bows a stylish new limited series starring Ewan McGregor as the iconic 1970s designer Roy Halston Frowick.

Here are the new releases we're most looking forward to this May:

Selena: The Series, Season 2

The second part of the biographical limited series concludes Selena Quintanilla’s journey to becoming the Queen of Tejano Music. Hitting the big time (and eventually earning the title of most successful female Latin artist of all time), Selena (Christian Serratos) grapples with all that fame brings before her story ends in tragedy.

Available May 4

The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness (NEW series)

After exploring Ted Bundy, the Night Stalker, and the Yorkshire Ripper, it is not surprising to see a Son of Sam docuseries land on Netflix. But unlike those previous true-crime entries, Joshua Zeman’s four-part tale looks into whether police ignored evidence to claim the case had been solved. David Berkowitz’s arrest did bring the 1970s New York nightmare to an end, but loose threads (and Berkowitz himself) suggest he may not have been working alone. Journalist Maury Terry has spent decades chasing this story, but has he fallen down a rabbit hole with no concrete answers?

Available May 5

Jupiter's Legacy (NEW series)

Based on the graphic novels by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely, this adaptation follows the world’s first generation of superheroes passing the torch on to their children, who struggle to live up to their parents’ legacy. Josh Duhamel and Leslie Bibb star in the new drama, which couples relatable dynamics with the fantastical side of a most unusual family business.

Available May 7

The Upshaws (NEW series)

Co-created by Regina Hicks and Wanda Sykes (who also co-stars), The Upshaws is a new family comedy following a working-class family in Indianapolis. Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps) is a mechanic trying to step his game up to support his wife Regina (Kim Fields), their three children, and his teenage from another relationship.

Available May 12

Halston (NEW series)

Ewan McGregor stars as the eponymous designer in Ryan Murphy's latest high-glam limited series. Halston’s meteoric rise (and subsequent fall) sees Studio 54 as a backdrop for his signature brand of skin-tight, backless, and often plunging attire worn by the New York glitterati. Halston designs were worn by the A-list including Jackie Kennedy, Anjelica Huston, and Liza Minnelli, and even influenced costume designer Patricia Norris’ work on Scarface. Rory Culkin is playing future director Joel Schumacher in a series that seems destined to be a sartorial dream.

Available May 14

Love, Death & Robots, Season 2

Renewed in 2019, the adult animation anthology series from Tim Miller and David Fincher finally returns with a second batch of eight out of this world episodes. Telling stories from different creatives that range in genre from existential philosophy to dark comedy make this an innovative animated series worth waiting for.

Available May 14

Master of None, Season 3

Season 2 of Aziz Ansari’s critically acclaimed series arrived with great fanfare in 2017, but a complicated sexual misconduct accusation in January 2018 led the comic to take a self-imposed break. Ansari co-wrote and directs the show's third season, subtitled Moments in Love, which sees Lena Waithe’s character Denise taking center stage alongside The End of the F***ing World's Naomi Ackie as her partner Alicia. Falling in love and the challenges that come from romance are depicted in this intimate portrait.

Available May 23

Special, Season 2

Creator and star Ryan O’Connell adapted his memoir I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves in 2019 for Netflix and the comedy is back for a second and final outing that sees episodes expand from 15 minutes in length to a half-hour. Ryan is a gay man with mild cerebral palsy who decides to rewrite his identity and go for the life he wants. O’Connell recently told The Hollywood Reporter that the story would pick up a few months after the events of the semiautobiographical first season.

Available May 20

The Kominsky Method, Season 3

The Golden Globe-winning comedy series returns for a final season that sees Sandy Kominsky (Michael Douglas) without his BFF Norman Newlander (Alan Arkin is not returning), leaving him to navigate the arrival of his ex-wife Roz Volander (Kathleen Turner) alone. Returning guest stars include Lisa Edelstein, Emily Osment, and Haley Joel Osment.

Available May 28

Lucifer, Season 5B

If you thought Lucifer's first batch of Season 5 episodes were dark, producers are promising yet more darkness as the show picks up where it left off, with the arrival of God (played by Dennis Haysbert). The series recently wrapped production on its sixth and final season, which is expected to arrive later this year.

Available May 28

Emma Fraser has wanted to write about TV since she first watched My So-Called Life in the mid-90s, finally getting her wish over a decade later. Follow her on Twitter at @frazbelina.