End of Feb Watchlist: Political Intrigues, War Fare, Spy Games, Social Pettiness & Oscars (Oh My!)
It's doomsday on the streamers. Relax. It's not as bad as it sounds.
Political Intrigues, War Fare, Spy Games
Alt Title: The last 5 minutes of the 1st episode’s GOTCHA moment hooks you
🏝️ Paradise on Hulu | (2025) | [Trailer] | Showrunner: Dan Fogelman (This is Us) | Season 1 (8 episodes)
Paradise is a misnomer in this quasi-Dystopian sci-fi political conspiracy thriller that will have you on the edge of your couch while simultaneously belting out slow-mo covers of 80s ballads, of which there is at least one per episode. 🎵 My favorite song moment so far is James Marsden singing Phil Collins’ classic “Another day in Paradise.” Hearing Marsden, who can seriously do no wrong, because as a good friend captured it, “Like Tom Cruise, he always delivers,” sing this in the season premiere was perfection, especially given the show’s name. The entire ensemble, helmed by a strong lead actor in Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction, This is Us) and Janet Planet’s Julianne Nicholson, comes together for an impactful performance here.
How do you explain it? /Or That Je Ne Sais Quoi Quality: It’s very much a show in the vein of, “You think you know…But do you really know?” In other words, don’t trust anyone’s motives or allegiances here.
Good for Fans of Lost, The Walking Dead, 24
Telling quote:
“I swear I’m not a monster.”
“It’s funny. Most people that say that usually are.”
BONUS: For More of James Marsden in Jury Duty, in a very different role, where he basically plays a very exaggerated version of himself, speed ahead to minute 2. It’s hilarious.
⚠ Zero Day on Netflix | (2025) | [Trailer] | Showrunners: Eric Newman; Noah Oppenheim; Michael Schmidt | Season 1 (6 episodes)
What is going on inside Robert De Niro’s head in this political thriller about a cyberattack that threatens to bring down humanity? Your guess is as good as mine, but you won’t be able to turn away from this. Like Paradise, there’s the idea that you never really know what’s going on. Here, you also have the unreliable narrator that is DeNiro’s Mullen character, a former President, brought back from obscurity to head up a commission to deal with the Zero Day event and surrounded by yes-men sycophants, or perhaps the chief one in the Jesse Plemons’ character Roger. This is a very thinly veiled cautionary tale of what happens when the government abuses its power.
Here’s evidence that speaks to my current obsession with this show and my “working memory” inability to recall character names:
Chances Are: If you like Paradise, you’ll like this one too.
🎵 Can’t get you out of my mind: The Sex Pistols’ “Who Killed Bambi” [Link] figures prominently in the storyline. I can’t really make heads or tails of it. Well, scratch that. Mind control is a consideration here, too.
🪖Rogue Heroes on MGM+ | (2022-Present) | [Trailer] | Showrunner: Stephen Knight | Season 2 (6 episodes)
Based on a true story of the SAS regiment during WW2, made much pulpier and poppier by Showrunner Stephen Knight’s (Peaky Blinders) hand here.
Great for fans of period/war dramas with larger-than-life premises and those who enjoy discerning UK accents.
Social Commentary: Pettiness and Intrigue
The White Lotus on Max | (2021-Present) | [Trailer] | Showrunner: Mike White | Season 3 (2 episodes released) | Location: Thailand
Mike White first came to my attention with Pushing Daisies, but his understated yet fabulous boyfriend, Ned Schneebly, of Sarah Silverman in School of Rock cemented his humor for me. Of course, Enlightened with Laura Dern is a cult classic. So it is no surprise that The White Lotus is a homerun, scathing social satire and commentary on what power and privilege can do to “the 1%” and how ugly it can turn.
For those looking for HBO prestige appointment TV, this show is it.
💧Water Cooler Chat: Drop into the chat to discuss the show, as episodes drop weekly. [Chat away]💬
🪦 Shows That Have Past Their Expiration Dates & That I May Consume at a Later Date (at my own risk)
Prime Target on Apple TV+ - The show that tried to make all of us non-Math geeks care enough about Math enough to Google “prime numbers - why are they such a big deal,” but then failed to ultimately deliver a compelling plot in that vein to pay it off. (by Ridley Scott)
Night Action on Netflix - This show isn’t terrible. It’s decent enough when there’s nothing else on. It was just supplanted by the more alluring Surface, Season 2 on Apple TV+, two episodes before the finale. See trailer 👇
OSCAR’S! 🎭
Of course the Academy Awards are on everyone’s minds. They are this weekend!
Catch up with a few of this year’s Best Picture contenders with these reviews of two films I think are in a heated competition to take the top honor, unless Anora delivers an upset:
To witness FilmStack in action, check out the Oscars Round Table Zine produced by the talented
. I weigh in on my top picks for “Makeup,” “Director,” and “Film” along with many fabulous FilmStackers’ picks. It’s a must-read before Sunday’s big show. [Direct Link to Zine]
Dirty Dancing Flashback
It’s not too late to relive the magic of Baby and Johnny. [See what our readers had to say about this beloved classic here]
Gone But Not Forgotten - In Film/TV News…
In the past 24 hours, pop culture has been set ablaze with disheartening news about the deaths of Michelle Trachtenberg, a child actress known for her breakout role in Harriet The Spy, and who later matured into roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl.
Film star Gene Hackman, his wife, and dog were also found dead earlier today. While Hackman’s roles in The French Connection, Superman and The Conversation may have solidified his eminence in the annals of film history, my favorite role of his will forever be as he coach in Hoosiers and Royal Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums.
Does White Lotus pick up? The first episode was a bit slow.
Zero Day trailer did not inspire tho I love Jesse Plemmons.
Rogue Heroes sounds intriguing. We watched Plan A last night. Another WW II movie based on a true story. Very good.
Thx for the round up.
Enjoying The White Lotus v much. Watching Prime Target, which is kind of silly, full of Maths whiteboard montages and epiphanies, but it has the Leo Woodall factor and I’m committed to it now. Agree Conclave was perfect. Thank you for the round-up!