Stream-worthy TV watches for February
Your week in roundup: HBO Max and Netflix
I don’t know about you, but February feels like it’s come in with a bang. Tons of snowfall throughout the country, unprecedented cold temperatures and snow in Texas, and hibernation in full swing in the Northeast, unless you’re inclined to ski (not me) or skate (also not me).
With hibernation comes an innate desire to park yourself in front of a screen and consume content. Sometimes this TV gazing is accompanied by a beverage or food of choice, a partner who can be human or feline/canine, and a general sense that this is your break time. It’s a distraction from the rest of the work you put into your day.
I go thru phases with my TV watching that are directly influenced by the state of stability in the world, the political climate, and my energy for TV that will tax me on emotional levels. This is likely why earlier in the pandemic I would only entertain comedies, and less of the dark ones. It got pretty bad. Let’s just say I watched an episode or two of The Neighborhood. Although, I made exception for Ozark, Season 3 because, well it’s Ozark after all and Jason Bateman, Laura Linney getting themselves into more and more impossible situations that they barely scrape themselves out of makes for really compelling TV. It is a dark show though, no reservations saying that out loud.
All that said, my TV genres of choice are usually mysteries, generally foreign fare, dark comedies, and sometimes, sci-fi. And I’ve realized lately, I sort of have a thing for unreliable or flawed antihero type narrators, think Usual Suspects.
Preamble complete, here are the shows on my radar.
Possessions (France, Israel) on HBO Max. Note to the wise: Do not attempt to watch this 6 episode limited series in dubbed English unless you need a good laugh or a cry. It is painful but OK do it once cause you will crack up in the first 5 minutes of the 1st episode from the mechanical dubbing of the French into English. There is a Reddit thread on how to bypass the dubbing and I suggest you read it before seriously watching the show. It’s also cathartic for those of us who suffered thru that experience to read from others venting. The native languages the movie is spoken in are French and Hebrew, btw.
Back to our show…The story here revolves around Natalie, a strange young woman, who seems to have a penchant for doing damage to her lovers. This particular instance and really the catalyst for the unfolding drama is that our bride Natalie, contrary to her mother’s warnings, goes ahead and marries a dude and then that same dude is stabbed to death in a pretty gruesome way multiple times during the cake cutting when the lights go out. Natalie is the natural suspect. She’s holding the knive after all and covered in blood. But as you learn more about her family and their culture, Natalie is not even the most peculiar of the bunch. Natalie finds an ally in Karim, a French diplomat, who goes to extreme lengths to ensure her protection while at the same time quasi doubting her, at least initially.
Verdict: It’s enough of a thrilling ride. Without giving a way too much, there are the classic tropes of Natalie being a femme fatale wrapped in a cloak of innocence, seducing all the men around her (just look at the trailer thumbnail above) That coupled with the superstitious Djerba background of her mother which gives rise to a whole lot of counter-logical behavior and antics is an explosive recipe. For those of you who speak French and Hebrew, it’s also fun to hear both languages in one show.
The Head (Spanish, HBO Asia) on HBO Max. This thriller is also a 6-episode whodunnit experience that follows a non-linear track where you as the viewer are actively putting together the pieces. In this case, we have two potentially unreliable narrators - one a survivor from the onslaught of murders who is left with T3 which is akin to PTSD and the other, well, you’ll have to see. Along the lines of Agatha Christie’s “And then there were none,” we have our ensemble of prickly characters assembled in a remote location who are all connected (for the most part) to each other thru something not so pleasant that has happened in the past. The locale here is Antartica, during the bleak darkness of Winter there which lasts a long time. These elements form the backdrop for what becomes a mind-bending, terror ride and an international cast that’s fun to watch.
Verdict: Yes please.
Call My Agent! (Dix pour cent - French) on Netflix. This show is soapy French fun. It lasted for 4 seasons and I wish it would keep on going. Centered around the goings-on inside a TV/film publicist agency, the characters are vibrant, real and touching. Each episode has a different French big-name actor that it centers around and some sort of crisis with that actor. I laughed every episode and cried on a few as well. The French do a great job of presenting the human condition in all its raw glory and Call My Agent is no different. It’s sometimes shameful, lots of times embarrassing, self-effacing, and never boring. Still not convinced? Check out this review.
Runner up to Call My Agent is Family Business. Also French, also funny. I’m watching that now but not with the same fervor. The common denominator is Liliane Rovere who shines bright in both comedies - at the ripe age of 88. Oh and btw, google her sometime. She’s had a storied past. She’s an Ellen Burstyn-grade actor in my mind, who incidentally is also 88 and receiving accolades and Oscar buzz for Pieces of a Woman, also on Netflix. Please leave a comment below if you’ve seen this movie and recommend it. I’m on the fence.
For the YA lovers out there (I’m one), I really enjoyed what I can only assume is the final installment of the Jenny Han “To all the boys I’ve loved before” series with our lovable, flawed protagonist, Lara Jean or LJ as her friends call her navigating her senior year and the lack of certainty that college presents. Will she and Peter stay together or will this be the catalyst for their breakup? Apart from the excellent ensemble cast and HGTV inspired home decor, and LJ’s gorgeous personal fashion sense not withstanding, this production had me jazzed.
Installment #3 - To All The Boys: Always & Forever dropped conveniently on Valentine’s Day weekend and it delivered big time. Apart from the 1st movie which I loved, this one was the best.
On subject of YA, Dash and Lily was one of the best YA Netflix shows that came out in 2020. It combines Christmas and the quest for love, perhaps of the rarest kind these days as our couples’ connection originates in an actual bookshop thru the aid of pen and paper. The cynical Dash doesn’t know quite what hits him when he encounters the writing of the ever-upbeat Lily. Similarly Dash helps Lily break out of her shell, but behind these facades, will they ever actually meet? And what will happen when or if they do?
Verdict: Slam dunk. I binged watch these episodes in a night and a half. There are eight of them too.
Last plug before I bid you all adieu. Season 3 of Good Girls just shipped on Netflix. I’m all caught up on this show from its original run on NBC but it’s so good. If you like Breaking Bad but only with real mom antiheroes who undoubtedly encounter their share of challenges in their valiant efforts to support their families and themselves, this is a must see.
