What to watch this weekend.
We have entered into quite the busy season when it comes to new TV shows and movies. Last weekend was a monster of a list, and a lot of the stuff that dropped is ongoing, with new episodes streaming weekly. While some of the shows I’ve been watching, like Dexter: Original Sin, have come to an end, new ones keep popping up. It’s hard to stay on top of it all!
That’s where I come in, of course, with your friendly neighborhood streaming guide. Each week, I scour the internet and all the myriad streaming services we subscribe to these days for the best and newest and, yes, sometimes the worst new offerings out there. This weekend is another one filled to the brim with fun new shows to watch.
If you have any tips or I missed something, shoot me a message on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. You can check out last weekend’s streaming guide right here.
What’s New & Notable This Weekend
Zero Day (Netflix)
I’ve been really excited to see Robert De Niro in his first ever TV role, but Zero Day is not faring well with critics or audiences, with a 55%/48% on Rotten Tomatoes respectively. I’m still going to give it a shot since I love De Niro and I love political thrillers, but from what I’ve read this sounds like a big miss, at once too self-serious and not nearly as smart as it pretends to be. The limited series follows an ex-US president (De Niro) who was apparently really popular with everyone when he was in the White House (yeah right, some things are beyond plausible!) and is called back to figure out what happened when a massive cyber attack led to mass casualties and chaos.
Reacher Season 3 (Prime Video)
I’m still working on my Reacher Season 3 review, but I’m happy to report that what I’ve seen so far is much, much better than the really dreadful second season. This is definitely a return to form for Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) and Amazon. It’s based on a better Lee Child novel, for one thing, and the show’s creators really seem to have learned from their mistakes in Season 2. If you’re looking for a good action-packed series that’s plenty gritty but never too serious, look no further.
1923 Season 2 (Paramount+)
Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren return for the second season of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel, 1923. Somehow, I never got around to watching the first season though it’s been on my list for ages. I’ve heard great things and love the cast, so I’ll probably lasso this one onto my playlist soon. The story follows the events of 1883 and reveals the origin story of the Dutton family’s Yellowstone ranch in Montana. Admittedly, I am pretty burnt out on Yellowstone, and didn’t even finish the final season, but this looks more like my cup of tea. Or whiskey.
Win Or Lose (Disney+)
Pixar’s first TV show follows middle school softball team, The Pickles, as they gear up for a big championship game. Each episode follows a different character, from the kids to their parents, exploring their fears and insecurities as they prepare for the big game. Each episode also features “uniquely animated perspectives.” It looks charming. A great family pick for the weekend, showing the same events from different perspectives, revealing hidden struggles for each of these intertwined characters. It currently has a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
A Thousand Blows (Hulu)
From Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders, SAS: Rogue Heroes and tons of other shows, A Thousand Blows is about the true story of the all-female crime syndicate, Forty Elephants, and their clash with the illegal world of bare-knuckle boxing in 1880s London. If that sounds like fun to you, the show also has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and has already been renewed for a second season.
The Screen Actors Guild Awards (Netflix Live)
Awards Season never really ends, so if you’re not sick of all these awards shows by now, you can tune into the 31st Annual SAG awards this weekend on Netflix. The awards go live on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (Paramount+)
The third Sonic The Hedgehog movie continues the series excellent run and proves that video games can actually be adapted into surprisingly fun, faithful movies. The movie is available now on Paramount+.
Nosferatu (Peacock)
I really loved Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu (my review) but it’s been a little divisive among both critics and audiences. I think it’s a tremendously well-made period piece with some genuinely scary, twisted moments and a tone that I can best describe as at once somber and campy. If you enjoy Eggers as a director and his weird brand of historical horror, please watch it. If you’re not familiar with his work, prepare for the unexpected.
What I’m Watching Weekly
I’m slimming down this section this week and focusing on shows I’m currently watching that I think you should also be watching (though sometimes I cover shows I dislike on a weekly basis, like Fear The Walking Dead or Rings Of Power also).
We’ll start with the very best thing on TV . . .
Severance Season 2 (Apple TV)
Far and away my favorite show currently airing, Severance follows the split lives of “innies” and “outies” in their work and personal lives, following a controversial severance procedure that splits a person’s consciousness in half. Most of the episodes are directed by Ben Stiller, and the show features some of the best cinematography, acting, writing and music of anything out there. It’s fascinating, funny, mysterious and just incredible all around. Read my review of the latest episode right here.
Yellowjackets (Paramount+)
I have such mixed feelings about Yellowjackets. I thought the first season was television gold. I often pointed to it as one of the best female-driven shows out there, with a cast of complex characters that defied a lot of modern tropes like the annoyingly ubiquitous “girlboss” trope. Then Season 2 was a massive disappointment in just about every way, which made me deeply skeptical about Season 3. So far, Season 3 seems to be a step up from the last season and the the third episode was actually pretty good! (My review).
Like FROM, this is a “Lost-like” series about a high school soccer team that crashes into a remote wilderness where things are very strange and terrifying. It also follows the adult survivors of that crash as they navigate the modern world, while their pasts come back to haunt them. It’s a great premise but at times it feels like the people making the show have no idea where they’re going.
The White Lotus (HBO / Max)
The White Lotus is the best thing on HBO at the moment. Mike White’s character dramedy is in its third season and at its third swanky location. We started in Maui, then moved to Italy for Season 2 and now our cast of rich, miserable guests finds themselves in Thailand. Season 3 is focused on “Wellness” though like both previous seasons it also deals with sex, death and wealth, as well as culture clashes. Some familiar faces return from past seasons, and a new cast including Walton Goggins, Parker Posey, Jason Isaacs and more already have me super excited to see where this all goes. Read my review of Episode 1 right here.
Beyond these shows, I’m also catching up on the excellent animated superhero series Invincible which is currently airing its third season on Prime Video and saving up episodes of The Pitt to binge (my review). That’s a really excellent medical drama on HBO/Max that I highly recommend, but I enjoy knocking out at least two or three episodes at once. It has a cool 24-like format where each hour of the ER shift is in real-time.
I also finished the final episodes of Cobra Kai and am working on a review. The short version is that I was incredibly impressed and pleasantly surprised by how Netflix wrapped up the Karate Kid spinoff. They tied everything up really nicely and everything from the fights to the emotional payoff was on-point. Bravo!
Further Reading From Yours Truly:
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What are you watching these days? What should I put on this list or add to my backlog? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook.
