May 8, 2020

Shows to watch (or not watch) this weekend

Here's a list of what we've found via streaming in the last few weeks. Some I recommend. Some...I do not.



(Hulu)

I was initially really excited about this. I loved Reese's take on Big Little Lies, even though it was quite different from the book. This started out promising but then it just got kind of weird. While I didn't mind Mia's character at first, it quickly became evident that Kerry Washington was playing one disgruntled note over and over again and she was too different from the Mia in the book. She was so mean to everyone. Literally. She liked no one, and only seemed to care about Pearl because she was "hers". 

Bosch (season 6) | YEP
(Amazon Prime)

We watched seasons 1-2 in Colorado and watched seasons 3-4 when Wells was a newborn. I tried to get into season 5 last spring but couldn't do it. We picked it up again two weeks ago and then started season 6. I really enjoy this show. It just pulls you into the detective world. Though, my least favorite character: Maddie. 

Waco | NOPE
(Netflix)

Admittedly, I knew nothing about Waco so we did some Googling when we watched. I mean, it was fine? I thought things in that compound looked awfully modern for 1993. Also, it was done from *quite* the anti-establishment/government angle. Which, I get that, but I felt nothing but sympathy for the Branch Davidians. While it definitely made its point that they were living their own lifestyle, it didn't really hammer home the fact that it was a CULT and that people and children were being abused. Scott kept reminding me of this every time I started in on how awful the ATF was...Which, I also knew nothing about the ATF prior to this.
I think it created too much empathy for a cult, and I just felt awful by the end and wished I hadn't watched. 
Unless you are a modern history buff or have a connection to Texas/Waco, I would skip it.

(Netflix)

This was cute and funny. Laugh out loud hilarious, actually. This is Mindy Kaling's project and, if you read her first book years ago, she describes growing up in an Indian family in LA a lot like what happens in this show. She wrote about it in a really funny way too. Angela Kinsey is in this and it's reason #534 why Angela is always better than Jenna Fischer: she's a real actress who plays characters who aren't exactly like her. Jenna always plays a version of herself. Lame. (If you listen to The Office Ladies podcast, you'll get what I'm saying here.)

(Netflix)

I just finished this yesterday after initially starting it in January. I listened to the True Crime Obsessed take on it last week and was motivated to finish the 3-episode series. 
I have many thoughts but, really, it was just such an interesting story. And I don't know what rock I was living under in 2013, but I had no idea any of this ever happened. It's also possible that, due to my own NFL biases, I heard "New England Patriots..." on the news and automatically tuned out. I've never liked them. 
Also, I didn't even know he was dead. Neither did Scott, because I told him this the other day and it was new information for him. 
Anyway, I have very strong feelings about kids playing football because of this and the permanent injuries that can be sustained. Though, we could argue that Aaron was the product of terrible, passive-aggressive and abusive parenting, and maybe he was also just a sociopath, considering that it was a pattern of events, not just one murder.


Better Call Saul | A thousand times YEP
(Netflix)

Ugh. I wish I had access to all of season 5. I added the AMC app after we finished season 4 on Netflix but they only had the most recent 5 episodes so there was no point. It's SUCH a good show. Vince Gilligan is a genius. To put together a prequel like this isn't something many would attempt, let alone master. 
If you don't like Saul Goodman (we did not in Breaking Bad), just watch anyway. It's not about Saul. It's about Jimmy. 
I hear the upcoming season 6 is the last one which makes me sad. I need more BB spinoffs.

Homeland | Meh
(Showtime/Hulu)

I loved the first 2-3 seasons of Homeland. Then...they started killing off all the good characters. Soon, only Carrie was left (or that's what it seems like anyway). Scott is the one who watches and I try to care. In fact, there's one more episode on Hulu in the series and we haven't watched yet because I haven't reminded him that it's there. 


Shameless (season 10) | Yes, with caution
(Showtime/Hulu)

This show, as I've said before, will make you feel disgusting but it's really well done. My two former coworkers and I loved it and talked about it often. 
Season 10 started taking it to a whole new level with a few particular triggers for me...I won't spoil it. But I knew enough to just not continue with it right now. It's not bad. It's just not for me during this exact time. 

If you've read here for awhile, you may know that I love good TV the way some people love music or movies (I don't like music or movies that much, oddly). I'll take all of your TV recommendations!

6 comments:

  1. Waco was a mind trip to me because I was like, Why am I feeling bad for these people? ... It was interesting to think that the full story wasn't out - & I dont think that's the full story either... like most things, we'll never really know.
    I'm 3 episodes in Little Fires Everywhere & yeah, I know what you're saying- Kerry Washington's character just irks me... that half smirk GLARE to everyone who says anything to her.
    I gotta get back to Better Call Saul - I watched the first season & then missed the rest - I need to rewatch it & remind myself what was going on

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  2. Great post! I actually just started Waco and had someone else mention the anti-establishment angle of it. Keri Washington's acting bugged me in Little Fires Everywhere. The facial expressions! And there was really NOTHING likable about her character. I watched the first season or two of Homeland. If it's on Hulu I want to get in to it again!

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  3. I loved the book Little Fires Everywhere, but haven't gotten around to watching the show. Chris doesn't seem super interested in it, so it will be one I have to find time to squeeze in on my own. I got bored with Homeland after a few episodes. We watched a little bit of Better Call Saul, need to get back to it, it was good.

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  4. The Killer Inside probably would be fascinating - I don't know much about the story either. I do want to check out Never Have I Ever, because it sounds fantastic. I loved the show Dead to Me on Netflix if you haven't watched it yet - the second season just dropped Friday, so I need to start watching that!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  5. Hm. I watched about 2 minutes of Never Have I Ever before turning it on because though it was by Mindy Kaling (who I adore), it just seemed too young. I'll give that another shot. I binged Dead To Me S2 which I loved, and watched the latest Seinfeld special, which I laughed out loud during. I also started Modern Love on Amazon Prime and while about halfway through, I've really enjoyed what I've watched so far.

    SO. Little Fires Everywhere. Before I get into it, I felt the same about Reese/Big Little Lies completely. But I also agree with you on this review. I actually read a Q&A with Ms. Ng re: the changes between the two. She felt she couldn't write Mia as a black woman bc that's not her experience, though she did want it to have more diversity. Race played such a huge role in the TV adaption, it overshadowed nearly everything else. And then Izzie as a lesbian/bi character also threw me for a loop. AND THAT ENDING. I don't understand why they couldn't have kept it true to the book. It overall just felt like a complete departure from the book IMO, and not in a good way.

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  6. The Killer Inside is on my list to watch. True crime junkie! Have you watched The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez on Netflix? EXTREMELY upsetting and disturbing, but well done. Evil Genius is another Netflix one that I would highly recommend.

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