What to Watch on Wednesday: The Matrix Resurrections brings the sci-fi franchise back online

The Matrix Resurrections

HOW/WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on HBO Max

The Wachowskis had every reason not to make another Matrix movie, despite some fierce pleading from Warner Bros. to make one happen over the past two decades. The filmmaking duo didn't want to do a cash grab. Sure, there were things like The Animatrix short films, comic book stories, and a few video games. But in their minds, the core franchise had come to its natural end with the original trilogy. But Lana Wachowski found a way in that fulfilled her as an artist and as a human being; she spoke in the past about how returning to characters like Neo and Trinity helped her bear the grief of losing her parents. Now, here's a story, The Matrix Resurrections, about how this iconic pair of sci-fi action cinema, who died during the events of the earlier movies, find themselves back inside the Matrix. How did they survive? How did they get back in there? How do they get out? These are all questions that make the sequel so compelling, timely, and a true joy to watch. —Nick Romano

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• Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss resurrect a 20-year love story with The Matrix 4.0
• Jonathan Groff thought he peed himself while shooting a Matrix 4 scene as Smith
• Back in Black: How The Matrix 4 resurrects the original film's unforgettable style

Emily in Paris

HOW/WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Netflix

Season Premiere
Emily est revenue! Mais oui, the Netflix rom-com about a Chicago marketing exec fumbling her way through and falling in love in Paris is back with its second season — and things are getting out of control for the usually very-in-control Emily (Lily Collins). The season 1 finale saw Em hook up with her hot neighbor Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), whose plans to leave Paris changed in the last minutes of the finale. Add to the equation Gabriel's ex (and Emily's new friend), Camille (Camille Razat), who's hopeful for a romantic reconciliation. C'est compliqué! "Emily is reeling from the night before, and grappling with this triangle she's found herself in," Collins tells EW. "She's left in an awkward position and has to make the best of it." Adds creator Darren Star, "Her life is in chaos. I don't think she's a person who's ever been involved in any sort of messy relationship. And the more she tries to control things, the more they actually get out of hand." Mon dieu! We're ready to gobble this up as swiftly as a basket of buttery croissants. —Ruth Kinane

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• An American (still) in Paris: Inside Emily in Paris season 2
• I'm not defending Emily in Paris getting an Emmy nomination, but…
• Author claims Darren Star didn't adequately credit her for Emily in Paris contributions

Hear more on all of today's must-see picks in EW's What to Watch podcast, hosted by Gerrad Hall.

What ELSE to Watch

8 p.m.

The Price Is Right at Night — CBS

The Masked Singer Christmas Singalong — Fox

It Takes a Christmas Village (movie) — Lifetime

The Challenge: Spies, Lies, and Allies (reunion, part 1) — MTV

9 p.m.

The Real Housewives of Orange County — Bravo

The 44th Annual Kennedy Center Honors — CBS

10 p.m.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (season finale) — FXX

Hard Knocks in Season: The Indianapolis Colts — HBO

Streaming

Hawkeye (season finale) — Disney+

Movies

Grumpy Christmas — Netflix

*times are ET and subject to change

We know TV has a lot to offer, be it network, cable, premium channels, or streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and others. So EW is here to help, guiding you every single day to the things that should be on your radar. Be sure to listen/subscribe to our What to Watch podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, or via your own voice-controlled smart-speaker (Alexa, Google Home).