What a short rise, followed by a perpetually long fall for Michael Flynn, who may be a QAnon cheerleader no more. The retired lieutenant Army general served as Trump’s national security advisor for a whole month, after which he was convicted for his lies to the FBI and later banned by Twitter for spreading wacky QAnon nonsense. Now, it seems that Flynn’s on the bad side of QAnon and is being forced to step up and clarify that, no, he is not a Satanist and is not down with Lucifer. Wait, what?
Granted, the accusation from QAnon that a public figure might be down with Satan is not unusual. After all, a former follower of the right-wing group recently apologized to Anderson Cooper for believing that the CNN host ate babies. Such bizarre (and frequently harmful) conspiracy theories are kind-of QAnon’s thing, and everything started to go wrong (again) for Flynn when he apparently (as detailed by the Daily Beast) delivered a sermon (for a Nebraska church) that used language that left QAnon followers scratching their heads:
“We are your instrument of those sevenfold rays and all your archangels, all of them. We will be the instrument of your will, whatever it is. In your name, and in the name of your legions, we are freeborn, and we shall remain freeborn, and we shall not be enslaved by any foe.”
It was the “sevenfold rays” and “legions” language that caused problems, which led Flynn to find himself speaking with an obscure YouTube channel called Truth Unveiled TV to defend himself. Host Paul Oebel asked Flynn whether claims that he’s “flipped on the side of the devil” have any truth to them.
Flynn wasn’t having it. “All of these people that talk about turning to whatever…” he declared. “People need to stop overthinking what everybody is saying.” So… not exactly a denial? I kid, I kid. Yet this is a perfect example of how QAnon is turning on their own, all after Flynn endured Jimmy Kimmel’s ridicule for coming forward as a QAnon fanboy and promptly forgetting the words to the Pledge of Allegiance. What a messy story, but it sounds like Mike Flynn needs to find a new right-wing group with which to hang because, seemingly, not even QAnon is buying what he’s been selling.
Halloween doesn’t arrive until the end of the month. You know that you’re already in the mood for candy, though, and similarly, the streaming services are all-in already, hopefully with few tricks and a lot of treats. To that end, Netflix knows what you’re craving this week, and apparently, this includes the weirdest dating show in existence and Dave Chappelle’s supposed final comedy special on Netflix, along with a spooky WWE-themed special and the final season of a fan-favorite series that stars one of TV’s most infamous tough guys, all for your binging pleasure.
That is to say, if you’re not still rewatching Seinfeld episodes (Seasons 1-9), which came to the streamer last week, then here’s what you will want to check out. Sexy Beasts puts personality above looks with a second installment that covers contestants in elaborate prosthetics and makeup. A romantic comedy series arrives to distract you from the whole world, and the same goes for a series full of crime-bound sports figures and their representatives acting very badly. Not only that, but Pokémon fans and baked-goods aficionados will enjoy these offerings for the sweetest of impossibly constructed treats. Dig in because there will be more new offerings on tap next week, too.
Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.
The Closer (Netflix comedy special streaming 10/5)
Dave Chappelle’s stand-up comedy run with Netflix has been a lucrative one for both parties. This combined body of work includes The Age of Spin, Deep in the Heart of Texas, Equanimity, The Bird Revelation, and Sticks & Stones, and the supposed final chapter is called The Closer. There’s no telling whether Chappelle and Netflix’s common goodwill (after CEO Ted Sarandos helped him receive The Chappelle Show license back, along with millions of dollars) will result in a re-upping of a deal beyond this sixth stand-up special, but for now, the The Closer (with returning, Emmy-award winning director Stan Lathan) is closing things out.
Sexy Beasts: Season 2 (Netflix series streaming 10/7)
Well, no one expected this show to return so soon, so I guess that one could consider it a… force of nature? It’s a nightmare of a concept, and one can’t look away from the trainwrecky aspect of people going into hours of prosthetic work to go on a date. And I’m not sure, really, if these contestants find it more or less hurtful to be rejected without any consideration of looks? That’s either so much better or so much worse than the usual dating hell out there. Yet obviously, someone did this poor rabbit dirty. Will Rob Delaney return as well? Surely, he can’t let the bunny down.
Escape The Undertaker (Netflix interactive special streaming 10/5)
Following Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend, and You Vs. Wild: Out Cold, this new interactive special features WWE Superstars aplenty. Uhhh, The Undertaker’s living in an extreme haunted house and The New Day tag team is simply trying to survive his wrath. I’m not gonna lie, this is awfully perplexing stuff, but let’s go with the spirit of the season as the Costumed Gods would prefer.
On My Block: Season 4 (Netflix series streaming 10/4)
This coming-of-age comedy, filled with street-savvy teens and Emilio Rivera as Uncle Chivo, takes one final trip around the inner-city block. An unburied secret causes more conflict, but the friends will have to band together and learn not to avoid the past.
Bad Sport: Season 1 (Netflix series streaming 10/6)
Sports and crime intersect in this show, which dives into personal accounts from athletes, coaches, and law enforcement. Expect to see the 2002 figure skating scandal (out of Salt Lake City), a weed-smuggling scandal surrounding an Indycar driver, a horse hitman committing insurance fraud, a basketball point-shaving scheme, and more bad boys who fell from grace.
Here’s the latest food competition series, and this one arrives with creative and innovative bakers who team up with engineers to build truly wild culinary creations. The judging criteria is tough, too, and it includes not only taste tests but also engineering stress tests. Yes, there’s an edible skyscraper involved.
Emily Osment stars as Chelsea, who’s recovering from a recent dumping, but she’ll be alright because she’s Harvard educated and soon-to-be a successful novelist, right? Also, she moves in with four roommates, all of whom aren’t terribly intelligent (everyone from her own bubble-headed sister to a lawyer-turned-healer to an Instagram influencer and a rather vacuous personal trainer), but they’ll end up becoming her new family.
Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (Netflix film streaming 10/8)
Heck, why not? Ash and Pikachu encounter Koko, who grew up alongside Zarude in the jungle. There appears to be an environmental bent here with Koku realizing that his home might be under threat from humans.
Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:
Avail. 10/3 Scissor Seven: Season 3 Upcoming Summer
Avail. 10/4 On My Block: Season 4
Avail. 10/5 Escape The Undertaker
Avail. 10/6 Bad Sport
Baking Impossible
The Blacklist: Season 8 Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things
The Five Juanas
Love Is Blind: Brazil
There’s Someone Inside Your House
Avail. 10/7 The Billion Dollar Code
Sexy Beasts: Season 2 The Way of the Househusband: Season 1 Part 2
Avail. 10/8 A Tale Dark & Grimm
Family Business: Season 3 Grudge / Kin
LOL Surprise: The Movie
My Brother, My Sister
Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle
Pretty Smart
Avail. 10/9 Blue Period
Insidious: Chapter 2
And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:
It’s been four years since Bonobo’s epic 2017 Grammy-nominated Migration came out. Now this week, the much-anticipated follow-up, Fragments, has been announced.
It features yet another sterling list of featured artists that shows Bonobo’s Simon Green ability to keep his finger on the pulse. Out January 15 on Ninja Tune, the Fragments tracklist include collaborations with Jamila Woods, Joji, Kadhja Bonet, Jordan Rakei, O’Flynn, and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson.
Green calls the Woods collaboration the “centerpiece” of the record and that working with arranger and strings player Atwood-Ferguson helped the album’s musical themes emerge, saying in a statement, “Recording orchestral musicians in actual studios helped bring the songs ‘out of the box’ even more.
The lead single, “Rosewood,” is out now and it’s very clearly inspired by the Detroit techno of producers like Moodymann and Theo Parrish. In fact, Green says much of the album is about the dance floor, but that “the positivity isn’t just in the uptempo rhythms: even the most introspective and melancholic pieces have joy in them.”
The artwork for the “Rosewood” visualizer and for the album cover are by Neil Krug, who also designed the visual concept for Migration.
Listen to “Rosewood” above, and below, find the Fragments art and tracklist, as well as Bonobo’s upcoming tour dates.
02/18/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Wildhorse Saloon
02/19/2022 — Newport, KY @ PromoWest Pavilion at Ovation
02/20/2022 — Columbus, OH @ EXPRESS LIVE!
02/21/2022 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
02/25/2022 — Brooklyn, NY @ Great Hall
02/27/2022 — Boston, MA @ Royale
02/28/2022 — Washington, DC @ Echostage
03/02/2022 — Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
03/05/2022 — Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
03/06/2022 — Montreal, QC @ Mtelus
03/09/2022 — Toronto, ON @ History
03/10/2022 — Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Hall
03/11/2022 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
03/12/2022 — Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
03/13/2022 — Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
03/15/2022 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Palace
03/17/2022 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
03/18/2022 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
03/19/2022 — Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
03/21/2022 — Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum
03/22/2022 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
03/24/2022 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
04/20/2022 — Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS Live
04/21/2022 — Hamburg, DE @ edel-optics.de Arena
04/23/2022 — Berlin, De @ UFO im Velodrom
04/24/2022 — Cologne, De @ Palladium
04/25/2022 — Munich, De @ TonHalle
04/26/2022 — Zurich, CH @ Xtra
04/28/2022 — Paris, FR @ Le Centquatre
05/03/2022 — Brighton, UK @ The Brighton Centre
05/04/2022 — Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
05/06/2022 — Manchester, UK @ Victoria Warehouse
05/07/2022 — Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy
05/08/2022 — Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
05/16/2022 — London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall
05/17/2022 — London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall
05/18/2022 — London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall
Fragments is out 1/15 via Ninja Tune. Pre-order it here.
As all the members of the former powerhouse girl group, Fifth Harmony, slowly begin to make their way toward solo careers, Lauren Jauregui is more than ready to start her own. Following in the footsteps of her peers, Camila Cabello and Normani — who recently turned heads with her “Motivation” follow up, “Wild Side,” featuring Cardi B — Lauren has released the introductory single for her brand new solo project Prelude tonight.
We’ve heard a little bit from Lauren before, with singles like “Expectations,” “More Than That,” and “50ft,” but with her new single, “Colors,” she’s introducing an EP for the first time. Of the track, Lauren said she’s having an actual conversation with herself in the song.
“When you paint a wall, you have to paint over what is underneath. The song is a literal conversation. When everyone is gone, it’s just you and I. You can paint on the wall, but you can’t erase them all. I’m letting myself know that no matter what is going on, I need to be okay with myself. You can’t run away from yourself, because all of your layers are still going to be there. You need to learn to see them and accept them.”
Check out the new song above and look out for more from Lauren coming soon.
Two years removed from his fourth album Assure Form, which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album, James Blake is back in action with his fifth full-length release, Friends That Break Your Heart. The 12-track album is highlighted by a soothing appearance from SZA on “Coming Back.” The song showcases the aftermath of a lover’s attempt to depart from a past relationship. Regret and humility fill Blake’s voice as he comes to the realization that what he was running away from is actually what he needs. Despite this, SZA plays the woman in question as she uses her verse to reveal the concern she has with a second try at love.
Blake’s new album also features appearances from JID, Swavay, and Monica Martin, in what lands as a more solo effort in comparison to Assure Form. during an interview with British GQ last month, Blake explained the title of his fifth album. “It’s a Ronseal title,” he said, adding, “It feels relevant to the moment — if I may say so myself — because a lot of us had to contend with friendships where we weren’t getting what we needed out of them. Maybe we were moving on or people were moving on without us.”
You can listen to Blake and SZA’s collaboration in the video above.
Friends That Break Your Heart is out now via Republic. Get it here.
This year has brought new beginnings for a number of artists and that includes former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson. She originally joined the band when they were formed on The X-Factor in 2011, and after nine years with them, Nelson decided a solo career was best for her future. She officially kicks off a new chapter in her career with her latest single, “Boyz” alongside Nicki Minaj. The track is carried by a sample of Black Rob, Mark Curry, and Diddy’s “Bad Boy For Life,” and just like the trio did on the 2001 track, Nelson and Minaj show unwavering support for the bad boys around them.
The new song is also supported by a visual that presents Nelson and Minaj as quite the nuisance in a new neighborhood they just moved into. Between loud music and obnoxious golf swings from their roof, the duo is an undeniable disturbance in the area. Their antics become such a problem that Diddy, who appears in the video as a bothered neighbor, is forced to stop by Nelson’s house to lay down the law on noise and who can and can’t throw parties on Fridays.
The track comes after Minaj made her first public appearance in over two years at Lil Baby’s tour stop in Los Angeles. “Boyz” also continues a streak of guest features from Minaj that includes BIA’s “Whole Lotta Money” remix and Polo G’s “For The Love Of New York.”
On Wednesday night, Jay-Z took a trip to London for the premiere of The Harder We Fall. The film, which premieres on Netflix on November 3, is produced by the rapper himself and directed by Jeymes Samuel for a tale that captures the rivalry between Black cowboys. It’s this plot that prompted a rather unique question for Jay-Z during his red carpet appearance at the London premiere. “You need to be able to make sure that you can actually do what you’re asking the actors to do,” a reporter said before asking, “So Shawn, can you ride a horse?”
Jay cracked a smile at the question and replied, “I can ride a Porsche,” referencing the German-bred car model before adding, “It got horsepower.” In the rapper’s defense, the reporter’s question technically didn’t specify which type of horse Jay could ride.
Ahead of its premiere on Netlflix, Jay-Z also spoke about his excitement towards the official release of The Harder We Fall. “I’m super excited for Jeymes [Samuel], who’s actually from London,” he said about the upcoming film. “Just the idea of him releasing his major debut, because he’s done film work and he’s done music. But for him to be releasing in London, a place where he’s from, it has to be a dream for him. So I’m super proud of my brother.”
In addition to producing the film, Jay also has an upcoming collaboration with Kid Cudi titled “My Guns Go Bang” that will appear on the soundtrack for the movie.
You can watch the moment between Jay-Z and the reporter above.
Straight out of Jacksonville, Florida, Nardo Wick has certainly earned his breakout moment in 2021. The rapper’s brash and confrontational winter 2021 single “Who Wants Smoke?” delivered a brighter spotlight to the young spitter, and since then, he’s done nothing but work to improve his stock in the game. That hustle has proved beneficial and he now returns with a remix of the track with G Herbo, 21 Savage, and Lil Durk. It’s an effort Wick has been teasing for quite a while, and now, fans of the respective rappers can rejoice and dive into new verses from them thanks to the new song.
If Wick’s name looks familiar to you, it could be because of his appearance on the soundtrack for Judas And The Black Messiah. The rapper contributed “I Declare War” to the project in a move that surely helped to boost his popularity to hip-hop fans all over the world.
As for the rappers that joined him on the remix, the new version of “Who Want Smoke?” comes after G Herbo stood beside BIA for her “Besito” single. He also delivered a boastful video for “Stand The Rain (Mad Max).” 21 Savage recently stood beside Young Nudy for their “Child’s Play” video while Lil Durk was spotted in videos for FaZe Kaysan’s “Made A Way” and Rod Wave’s “Already Won.”
You can press play on the track in the video above.
Two of today’s newer hip-hop acts have come together as an unlikely combination for quite the fiery track. Tyla Yaweh and Morray connected for their new single, “Hands Up,” and it’s an effort that sees them take a stance against a high-power that being the police force. The duo’s track is accompanied by a visual that finds them pushing back against the cops after a loved one is taken away from them. Their fight spills into the streets where Yaweh and Morray, thanks to help from some of their friends, bring their resistance to a new level as their friend tries effortlessly to break free from the grasp of the police.
Both Tyla Yaweh and Morray have a single project to their names. Yaweh’s lone effort arrived back in 2019 with Heart Full Of Rage, a body of work that delivered ten songs and guest appearances from French Montana and Pnb Rock. As for Morray, his debut arrived earlier this year with Street Sermons, a 12-track project highlighted by his breakout single “Quicksand.”
As for what’s next, Yaweh is currently preparing his sophomore album, Rager Boy, for release. The project is supported by singles that include “Stuntin On You” and “Tommy Lee.” Morray, on the other hand, just released his “Bad Situations” single and is currently on tour with 21 Savage in support of J. Cole’s The Off-Season Tour.
You can press play on the video for “Hands Up” above.
A survival-thriller series that surprised the world and crashed the Internet, a final installment from a comedian in a streaming partnership, and a group of iconic Muppets. You might not need more than that this weekend, but the good news is this: there’s a lot more on tap from the various services. This week, Netflix takes the top prize in the battle of the streaming services, because they’ve got both quality and quantity happening. This includes the ragingly popular Squid Game and Dave Chappelle’s newest effort, along with leftover Midnight Mass, new Sexy Beasts, and too much more.
Next up, Disney+ (with those muppets), Amazon Prime (with Blumhouse), and Discovery+ (with Eli Roth) bring some early Halloween scares for you to stock up throughout the month with both tricks and treats. Meanwhile, Apple TV, HBO Max, Paramount, and Hulu keep the variety coming with offerings of their own. Here’s the best of the new streaming selections for this weekend.
Netflix
Netflix
Squid Game: (Netflix series) — This Korean show’s on track to be the streamer’s most-watched show ever and has been topping the charts in 90 countries in counting. It’s not real stuff, but the show tells the story of hundreds of desperate contestants who play a deadly survival game, all to win billions of prize money, at the best of… who? (That aspect is mysterious until you watch.) The consequence of losing the games-within-the-games is certain death, and people truly can’t get enough of the premise or the show’s execution (pun fully intended), along with a blistering critique on capitalism.
The Closer (Netflix comedy special) — Dave Chappelle’s stand-up comedy run with Netflix has been a lucrative one for both parties, and it’s sixth-and-final chapter time. Expect plenty of controversy and line-crossing (he defends J.K. Rowling and DaBaby, for example), as is customary for the man on the mic to deliver. And there’s no telling whether Chappelle and Netflix’s common goodwill (after CEO Ted Sarandos helped him receive The Chappelle Show license back, along with millions of dollars) will result in a re-upping of a deal beyond this installment, but for now, the comedian (with returning, Emmy-award winning director Stan Lathan) is closing things out.
Midnight Mass (Netflix series) — Get ready, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor addicts, because creator Mike Flanagan’s back to cause us more horror fits. This happens to be his favorite project so far and revolves around an isolated community that lives on spooky Crockett Island, which gets even spookier due to a charismatic priest’s arrival. Naturally, a whole lot of supernatural shenanigans are afoot, but human nature (as we are currently experiencing in-real-life these days) can often be scarier than the ghosts that people can dream up. It’s dark, real dark.
On My Block: Season 4 (Netflix series) — This coming-of-age comedy, filled with street-savvy teens and Emilio Rivera as Uncle Chivo, takes one final trip around the inner-city block. An unburied secret causes more conflict, but the friends will have to band together and learn not to avoid the past.
Sexy Beasts: Season 2 — Well, no one expected this show to return so soon, so I guess that one could consider it a… force of nature? It’s a nightmare of a concept, and one can’t look away from the trainwrecky aspect of people going into hours of prosthetic work to go on a date. And I’m not sure, really, if these contestants find it more or less hurtful to be rejected without any consideration of looks? That’s either so much better or so much worse than the usual dating hell out there. Yet obviously, someone did this poor rabbit dirty. Will Rob Delaney return as well? Surely, he can’t let the bunny down.
Escape The Undertaker (Netflix interactive special) — Following Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend, and You Vs. Wild: Out Cold, this new interactive special features WWE Superstars aplenty. Uhhh, The Undertaker’s living in an extreme haunted house and The New Day tag team is simply trying to survive his wrath. I’m not gonna lie, this is awfully perplexing stuff, but let’s go with the spirit of the season as the Costumed Gods would prefer.
Bad Sport: Season 1 (Netflix series) — Sports and crime intersect in this show, which dives into personal accounts from athletes, coaches, and law enforcement. Expect to see the 2002 figure skating scandal (out of Salt Lake City), a weed-smuggling scandal surrounding an Indycar driver, a horse hitman committing insurance fraud, a basketball point-shaving scheme, and more bad boys who fell from grace.
Disney+
Disney+
Muppets Haunted Mansion (Disney+ special) — After several Muppets-themed Christmas offerings, it’s about time that we’ve received a spooky installment, and let’s face it, more Miss Piggy is always a good thing. Gonzo takes center stage here while attempting to survive the evening in (according to the synopsis) “in the most grim grinning place on Earth.” The special’s actually inspired by all four of the Disney Haunted Mansion attractions that are scattered around the globe, and three original songs (“Rest In Peace,” “Life Hereafter” and “Tie The Knot Tango”) will surface, along with plenty of celebrity cameos along with the all-star Muppets cast.
Among The Stars: Season 1 (Disney+ series) — This show takes space fans behind the a vital NASA mission of fixing the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), a tool that hopes to reveal the universe’s origins, although the job comes with a $2 billion price tag.
LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales (Disney+ special) — The witching hour has arrived for Star Wars characters too, and you know what that means: Luke Skywalker’s heading to the dark side of the Force. This animated is full of haunting moments, including a crime boss that messes with Darth Vadar’s castle, and a misadventure for Poe Dameron and BB-8. There’s an ancient evil threatening to rise, and expect iconic villains from across the vast Star Wars canon to make an appearance.
What If…? (Disney+ series) — We’re in the multiverse, baby. Enjoy this show full of alternate realities that stand separate from the existing canon (thus far), including Agent Carter taking the super-soldier serum, T’Challa materializing as Star Lord, Doctor Strange feeling some real pain, and Black Widow and Nick Fury taking on a murder mystery while Tony Stark eats a donut. Will Tony Stark die again? Probably so.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
Justin Bieber: Our World (Amazon Prime movie) — Bieber’s New Year’s Eve 2020 concert is ground zero for this documentary, which covers his first performance following a three-year, full-concert hiatus. Given the whole pandemic thing, he only played in front of 240 guests, but now, you can enjoy the show in your own living room, along with taking a trip behind the curtains.
Welcome to the Blumhouse: Madres/The Manor (Blumhouse films on Amazon Prime) — This week’s Hallowee-themed double dose follows a Mexican-American couple (in 1970s California) who are weathering a troubled pregnancy while being besieged by horrific visions, which might be part of a legendary curse. Then, a woman moves into a famous nursing home, where a supernatural force might be controlling all residents. Naturally, she’s unable to escape her confines, and no one believes her. This sounds like hell on earth.
Welcome to the Blumhouse: Black As Night/Bingo Hell (Blumhouse films on Amazon Prime) — Last week’s double feature shines a light on vampires in the Big Easy, who are the next big threat since Hurricane Katrina. Of course, they’re taking up residence in a French Quarter mansion and must be defeated. Speaking of damn funny, a feisty, board-game loving senior citizen arrives to save the day and the lives of her friends, all with the realization that there’s a sinister presence lurking that’s far more dangerous than mere gentrification. Naturally, there’s a whole lot of social conscience at work.
Goliath: Season 4 (Amazon Prime series) — If it’s taken you this long to consider testing out this show, then get with the freaking program. It’s got Billy Bob Thornton smoldering through a hard-boiled character who was once a force to be feared in the courtroom, but nowadays, he’s not such a prestigious attorney. This season, Thornton’s Billy McBride is going up not only against Big Pharma but also J.K. Simmons. That seldom turns out well for characters who aren’t played by J.K. Simmons, and both men have just the right degree of “I’m over this sh*t” to make it feel believable.
Discovery+
Discovery+
Eli Roth Presents: A Ghost Ruined My Life: Season 1 (Discovery+ series) — Eli Roth has so much going on over at Discovery+ this month (following his recent real-life horror/Shark-Week film on the streamer) that one has to wonder… is he running the joint? It’s a valid question, but more to the point, this series present personal accounts on those who have survived feeling like they’re been dragged through hell and fought their way back. One woman suspects that her home’s a portal to hell, and an abandoned asylum appears to be ground central for an evil presence while a demon curse follows a Mexican-American woman who wants the truth about intergenerational hauntings.
House Haunters: Season 1 (Discovery+ series) — Yep, this house is exactly what it sounds like: a play on the long-running House Hunters series. Join up with comedian Anthony Anderson and his mom, Doris, who inject some horror into the housing market by pranking the hell out of prospective buyers and their realtors alike.
The Haunted Museum: Season 1 (Discovery+ series) — More Eli Roth stuff. Here, he’s teaming up with Ghost Adventures host Zak Bagans for this scripted anthology series, in which they illuminate nine of the world’s most cursed artifacts. These relics are actually in display in Bagans’ Vegas museum, but here, you’ll get the historic commentary in addition to having the pants scared off of you.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+
Acapulco: Season 1 (Apple TV+ series) — Vacation-based shows are all the rage following The White Lotus and Nine Perfect Strangers, so get your next fix here with the story of a 20-something cabana boy in Acapulco’s most in-demand resort. Naturally, he discovers that the job is not all fun and games, given the demanding clientele and other demanding professional and personal circumstances. Get ready for a bilingual focus, too, with both Spanish and English coming in hot while the main character, Máximo Gallardo, also attempts to avoid temptations.
The Problem With Jon Stewart (Apple TV+ series) — Jon Stewart’s return to TV fast approaches, and it could be argued that he’s never been needed more on TV than this particular moment. The former The Daily Show host will be doing the current-events thing with an episode every two weeks, which isn’t as frequent as fans might prefer, but we’ll trust the process. According to Apple TV+, viewers can expect Stewart to go deep on a single subject per episode with a “solutionary” approach, and yes, there are jokes.
Foundation (Apple TV+ series) — Isaac Asimov’s classic novel gets a heady adaptation starring the always great Jared Harris and Lee Pace. The sci-fi story revolves around exiles who are working to rebuild civilization even as the galaxy falls apart, and surely, there will be plenty of parallels to real-life history here. As one can also see, a great deal of attention has been paid to the epic scale of the show, which Apple TV+ appears to want to be its Game of Thrones.
The Morning Show: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — The gang (Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Billy Crudup, at least) is back for a new round of attempting to evade the scandal-plagued nature of their business. This season, we’ll not only see more of Steve Carell but also Hasan Minhaj and Julianna Margulies as everyone’s positioning themselves, and they’re clawing at each other on their way to the top. Things will get intense, as well, with the continued #MeToo theme and also some edging into the systemic racism issue while barbs are thrown, both on-and-off camera.
Ted Lasso: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — First thing’s first: Everyone who’s caught a glimpse of this Bill Lawrence co-created and developed series loves it. Fast forward to the fresh hell that was 2020, and the show surfaced as one of the year’s lone bright spots. Ted Lasso is somehow both relentlessly and charmingly cheery, although there’s always the spectre of Led Tasso to consider.
Paramount+
Paramount+
Madame X (Paramount+ movie) — In this concert documentary, Madonna takes viewers on tour with her (from way back in January 2020, so pre-pandemic, obviously) all the way to Lisbon, Portugal. Her set included 48 onstage performers, including other musicians and dancers, and she’s here to share her vision with the rest of the world. Her statement on the film points towards reaching out to fans “at a time when music is so deeply needed to remind us of the sacred bond of our shared humanity.”
HBO Max
Warner Bros.
The Many Saints of Newark (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — David Chase’s The Sopranos prequel movie arrives in theaters and in your living room this weekend. The mob-movie cast (including Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Billy Magnussen, Ray Liotta, and Vera Farmiga) is almost too good. Notably James Gandolfini’s son, Michael, stars as Young Tony. He’s coming of age (and learning to be a mob boss) while rival gang warfare swirls around the family. Our own Mike Ryan enjoyed the film with some qualifiers while calling it both exhilarating and confounding, and Vince Mancini has rounded up the 10 episodes of The Sopranos that will refresh you before the film.
Doom Patrol: Season 3 (HBO Max series) — DC’s struggling misfit superheroes are back for another round. Brendan Fraser has received plenty of raves for his fury-filled Cliff Steele/Robotman, but don’t count out the rest of the crew. There’s Matt Bomer as the bandage-wrapped Negative Man and Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane, which is actually a role that requires Diane to play dozens of incarnations, including a very timely take on a Karen. This season, the sh*t hits the fan with a time machine.
Scenes From A Marriage (HBO limited series on HBO Max) — It’s season-finale time for this Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain-starring miniseries remakes Ingmar Bergman’s 1970s project original as directed by HBO regular Hagai Levi with a contemporary spin, including all of the love, hatred, desire, monogamy, marriage, and divorce that one would expect. Considering the Isaac-Chastain chemistry on hand, it’s a remake worth perusing.
One of Us Is Lying — The New York Times bestselling novel comes to life when a group of give teens (the brain, the beauty, the jock, the criminal, yes, this sounds like a John Hughes imitation) go to detention, and one of them (the outcast) does not emerge. Hey, it happens. Was the death an accident? Not likely. Naturally, the four remaining students all become suspects, and all of them are looking sketchy. Again, it happens!
Hulu
Hulu
Jacinta (Hulu documentary) — Intergenerational trauma is real in this real-life story of what happens when a mother and daughter both end up in prison. This is no Orange Is The New Black take, and both women are attempting to battle their own addictions and other demons while doing time at the Maine Correctional Center. It’s bleak, but it’s a valuable watch with director Jessica Earnshaw shooting with a verité approach.
What We Do in the Shadows (FX, 10:00 & 10:30pm) — Well, well, well. Guillermo turned out to be a vampire killer, which sure as heck came as a surprise to Nandor, Nadja, and Laszlo, and Colin. The four Staten Island roommates must figure out how to handle this conundrum, along with tackling the other challenges of this season. Those include dealing with wellness cults and gym culture, along with gargoyles, werewolves who play kickball, casinos, and more.
Baker’s Dozen: Season 1 (Hulu series) — Culinary competition series (very successful on Hulu following Taste The Nation) are so hot right now (yes, like Zoolander‘s Hansel), so watch out, The Great British Bake Off. Actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and chef Bill Yosses (who previously whipped up pastries in the White House) will judge amateurs as they face off with professionals.
Y: The Last Man (FX on Hulu) — The acclaimed graphic novel gets its due as a dystopian TV drama starring Diane Lane as the globe’s de facto president. Her son becomes, as the title suggests, the very last man on Earth following an apocalyptic event that pretty much obliterates the Y chromosome. FX recently made it known that although the Y appears to refer to the chromosome, the show will take a nuanced approach and not operate on a merely gender-binary level.
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