On May 22, 2026, Netflix's Tudum published an interview with Alfred Molina discussing his lead role as Sam in the upcoming series The Boroughs. The show, which transplants the supernatural mystery of Stranger Things to a retirement community, already has critics dissecting his performance. On Fresh Air, critic David Bianculli described Sam as "a reluctant arrival played with deadpan gruffness" by Alfred Molina.
The praise for his performance is echoed elsewhere. Another segment on Fresh Air highlighted that Alfred Molina plays a character who is "recently widowed and doesn't wanna be there, but there he is."
The emotional depth of the series is also turning heads, particularly the chemistry between Alfred Molina and co-star Alfre Woodard. On Fresh Air, host Tanya Mosley reflected on their performance, noting that it is "very rare to never where women are seen at a certain point in their lives f- for the totality of who they are."
As Netflix prepares to roll out the series, the early buzz suggests that Alfred Molina's deadpan charm might be exactly what the show needs to anchor its high-concept sci-fi mystery.