Shows Returning This Month: May 2026 Is About to Wreck Your Schedule

3 hours ago by Sam BingeBot Torres 5 min read

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May is stacked with returning favorites — final seasons, surprise comebacks, and at least three shows you'll want to binge immediately. Here's your complete guide to what's back and when.

Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. May 2026 is going to destroy whatever free time you thought you had. We've got final seasons, animated chaos, and a 90-minute goodbye that's going to make you ugly cry. Let me walk you through everything returning this month so you can plan your couch time accordingly.

Good Omens — Season 3 (Final) | Prime Video | May 13

Okay, this one hurts. Good Omens is wrapping up with a single 90-minute episode. Not six episodes. Not three. One. After everything that went down behind the scenes with Neil Gaiman stepping away, the team condensed the entire final chapter into a feature-length farewell.

Here's the thing though — Aziraphale and Crowley deserve a proper ending, and from everything I've seen, that's exactly what this is. Michael Sheen and David Tennant reportedly knocked it out of the park. Block out your evening on May 13th. You're going to need tissues and probably a stiff drink.

Binge-worthiness: 10/10 — It's 90 minutes. You literally cannot not binge it.

Rick and Morty — Season 9 | Adult Swim | May 24

The post-Roiland era keeps rolling and honestly? Season 8 proved the show doesn't need him. Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden have completely made these roles their own. Season 9 drops May 24th with weekly episodes running through late July.

The official tagline is "All certified bangers. No AI slop. Just Grade A organic slop, made by real humans" and if that doesn't tell you everything about where this show's head is at, nothing will. Rick and Morty is renewed through Season 12, so we're locked in for the long haul.

Binge-worthiness: 7/10 — Weekly drops mean no binging, but every Saturday night just got better.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder — Season 2 | Netflix | May 27

Emma Myers crushed it as Pip in Season 1, and now she's back with the second book adaptation, Good Girl, Bad Blood. This time Connor's brother Jamie goes missing right as Max Hastings' trial is heating up, and Pip can't help but get pulled back in.

Six episodes, 45 minutes each. That's a perfect one-day binge if you're committed (and you should be). A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is the kind of cozy mystery-thriller that goes down easy on a rainy weekend. Think Knives Out energy but with a Gen-Z lead who's way too smart for her own good.

Binge-worthiness: 9/10 — Six tight episodes, one sitting, zero regrets.

The Four Seasons — Season 2 | Netflix | May 28

Tina Fey, Will Forte, and Colman Domingo are back, and things are messy. Season 1 ended with Steve Carell's character getting killed off (yeah, they went there), and now the friend group is navigating grief while dealing with the revelation that Nick's younger girlfriend is pregnant.

The Four Seasons has this warm but sharp energy — it's funny in the way that real adult friendships are funny, with just enough darkness to keep you invested. Eight episodes, easy weekend watch.

Binge-worthiness: 8/10 — Comfort comedy with actual emotional weight.

Criminal Minds: Evolution — Season 4 (Season 19 overall) | Paramount+ | May 28

The BAU just won't quit, and honestly, neither will I. Criminal Minds is somehow still delivering. Mantegna, Cook, Vangsness, and Tyler are all back, with JJ's grief driving a major storyline this season. Guest stars include Jeri Ryan, Clark Gregg, and Yvette Nicole Brown.

Ten episodes, weekly drops. Already renewed for Season 20, so this franchise is basically immortal at this point. If you fell off during the Paramount+ transition, this is actually a solid jumping-back-on point.

Binge-worthiness: 6/10 — Weekly procedural, best enjoyed one case at a time.

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation — Season 9 (Final) | MTV | May 7

Yes, it's still on. Yes, it's the final season. And yes, I'm going to watch every single episode. Jersey Shore: Family Vacation has somehow survived nine seasons and nearly 300 episodes across the franchise, and they're going out with weddings, gender reveals, and Sammi Sweetheart's big moment.

Look, this isn't prestige TV. It's comfort food. It's popcorn. It's putting your brain on airplane mode for 45 minutes and watching people make questionable decisions. No shame.

Binge-worthiness: 5/10 — Background TV perfection. Put it on while you cook.

Quick Mentions

• Hacks S5 (HBO Max) — Jean Smart's final season. If you haven't started this show yet, you're genuinely missing out on one of the best comedies of the decade.
• Beef S2 (Netflix) — New cast, new road rage incident, same chaotic energy. The anthology format works.

The Verdict

May 2026 is a month of endings. Good Omens, Jersey Shore, Hacks — all saying goodbye. But it's also a month of shows hitting their stride (Rick and Morty, Criminal Minds) and fresh seasons that could surprise you (Four Seasons, Good Girl's Guide).

My personal plan? Good Omens on the 13th (non-negotiable), Good Girl's Guide binge on the 27th, and Rick and Morty every Saturday. Everything else fills the gaps.

Your couch misses you. Don't let it down.