It’s the weekend and so it’s time for me to give y’all as many possible show recommendations as I can for your upcoming binges. Since Stranger Things came out last week (was it last week?! I’m still recovering from that), I looked back at some old blog notes from years ago that I never posted. Take a look below and let me know what you think of these oldies but goodies!
The much awaited season 3 of Stranger Things just premiered on the Fourth of July. I don’t know what your plans were, but mine were to be attached to my iPad all day. One, because we were driving to visit family and had the time, and two, because I was way too terrified to watch it on any screen bigger than an iPad. I kid you not, I was even watching on my phone on the way to Fourth of July fireworks. I have issues.
If you haven’t watched GREEK yet, you need too. I watched it when it first came out years ago, then watched it again, and as we got closer to the ATX Television festival, I started rewatching it for a third time. It’s one of those shows where you can pay attention the whole time, or you can just let it play in the background.
It’s been about a week since the ATX Television festival started, and I have SO much to talk about!! I’ve been to this festival twice in the past so this was my third year going, and their eighth year putting it on. I just happen to be lucky enough to live in Austin Texas where it was all taking place. This was also the first time witnessing a couple actual fan freak outs (like this one guy that was so in love with Zendaya he ran up to the microphone after the premiere of the first episode of HBO’s Euphoria and begged her to go on an ice cream date with him). Don’t get me wrong, I had my own fan freak outs, I just have them more internally.
Lucifer holds a special place in my heart. Okay, not the actual devil obviously, but this show. Okay and the actor that plays Lucifer (that accent!!). Seasons 1-3 gave us a weirdly comforting show. You wouldn’t think a show about the Devil could be comforting. But he is just so charming, and he has a good heart, promise! Plus, it was one of those shows that you could just jump in whenever if you wanted to, because there was a different crime to solve every episode.
Spoiler-free review of Netflix’s What/If
This past Friday, one of my favorite days of the week, I got a chance to binge Netflix’s newest original series, What/If. I love Fridays not just because it means it’s the weekend, but because Netflix always dazzles us with a new movie or, my personal favorite, a Netflix original series worthy of a binge. They released a 10 hour limited series (I love how they always say limited series, like no, you are definitely going to get people obsessed and ask for more seasons just like you did with Big Little Lies). The series stars Renee Zellweger (woah! Where has she been hello), who plays an evil venture capitalist named Anne. To be honest, this whole thing reminds me of the movie from 1993, Indecent Proposal.
Looking for something to watch this week? Check out my list of current “Crossover Shows” below! These are shows that at times put characters from other shows in episodes. Like everyone from Chicago Fire, PD, and Med going to the same bar one episode, etc. Eh, you’ll get what I mean once you watch these, hard to explain.
They never really used to do crossovers with TV shows before, but I think it was a really smart creative way to get people to watch the other shows with other characters in them interact with the show you currently watch. ANYWAY, here’s the list below of some crossover shows on TV right now, they’re shows you can watch without having to use too much brain power. (AKA it’s not reality TV side of the spectrum which requires zero brain energy, but it’s also not at the other spectrum of, say, something you have to really involve yourself with like Westworld).
Station 19 is surprisingly good. I like that a lot of shows now are doing crossovers, just like Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med do where they sometimes combine the show or have characters from the other shows appear. If you’re a fan of any of those shows, you’ll like this one. Station 19 introduces itself as crossover as well, with Miranda Bailey from Greys Anatomy and her husband who is now a firefighter at Station 19. At first I was worried this show was going to rely too much on the popularity of Grey’s Anatomy instead of standing on it’s own, but thankfully, it delivered. I love how the main character, Andy, plays this strong female role where she’s stuck between working as hard as she can, taking risks, but also living in the shadow of her father, the former Fire Chief. She’s trying to prove herself to everyone all the time which makes for an exciting action-packed show since she’s always taking risks (plus, her love triangle is particularly entertaining). And who doesn't like hot firefighters? I mean...
Now that Vampire Diaries is over, the final season of The Originals is still giving us our vampire fix. Although no longer a crossover show post-Vampire Diaries, this show follows the story of the original first vampire family, the Mikaelsons. The whole thing takes place in New Orleans so get ready for a show full of not just vampires but witches, voodoo, werewolves, and much more. Just as you think they’ve conquered their next battle, another conflict takes place. The family is either trying to kill each other, or rallying together to fight their next evil that comes to town. It’s weird. At the moment, this season shows the siblings separated on different parts of the world, because in order for them to kill the darkest evil they’ve ever encountered last season, they must stay apart. A part of that evil lives in each of them and when they are physically closer to each other, really creepy shit starts happening like flowers dying and beer spouts in bars turning to blood. Yeah. Not good. Plus, they’re also doing it to protect Klauss (vampire), and Hailey (vampires and werewolf)’s daughter, Hope. In fact, we’re finding out more and more the potential scary amount of power that Hope has, one can only imagine—I mean she IS the daughter of an original vampire and of a hybrid.
Supergirl pictured here with Arrow and The Flash (also great shows)
I’ll admit, when I first heard about the show Supergirl, I thought it was really stupid. I didn’t even think there was a Supergirl in the comic books and that they just made her up (did they?) But The CW network has pulled off this show really well. Supergirl is the cousin of Clark Kent, but she arrives to Earth after he did. When she lands on Earth she is adopted by a family, and now she works with her sister at the D.E.O. (which is basically where aliens and humans work to battle evil aliens). I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Superman and Supergirl are actually aliens from another planet. They're just….attractive..and not what I think of when I hear the world aliens. ANYWAY, definitely give Supergirl a chance. And expect some great crossovers with the shows Arrow and The Flash (also on The CW). Great cast and there’s a few seasons you can binge! (Oh, and spoiler alert—she also uses glasses as her disguise at work just like Superman does). Seriously, I don’t know how no one recognizes them….it’s just glasses…
Enjoy!
This is the one show (out of many, MANY that I watch) that I literally can’t wait for each week. I almost wish that since it’s a Hulu original series, it’ll follow what Netflix Originals due (like House of Cards) where they release the entire season at once. However, that is not the case. So week after week, I find myself refreshing hulu.com waiting and waiting for the latest episode to be posted. I’m serious, it’s that good.
Norman is in full form in this episode. He tells Pineview "I have reason to believe my mother is insane and might be killing people." (ahem, says the person who is the one in the mental hospital).
Cue flashback of Norma over his father covered in blood. This idea that the killer might be his mom is even starting to sound more and more real. But come on, we know it’s not.
Here we are again, another terrifying, intriguing, beautifully done season of a classic movie turned into a show, where both the iconic elements and the modernization of it all are intertwined ever so perfectly. Season three of Bates Motel begins with Sheriff Alex Romero burying a bloody dead man into a boat and then sinking that ship, as he rows away from it watching it on the horizon. This is a particularly significant way to open up the first scene, as we have observed the progression of Officer Romero’s struggle between good and bad, right and wrong, and now it just seems like he is at a loss at what to do at this point.
This week’s episode of The Leftovers was a powerful one, ending with two deaths that all left us in total shock. It begins with Kevin waking up handcuffed to the bed to find Norah and the baby gone, and Patti sitting in the chair talking to him, telling him this is going to be a really hard day for him.
The thought that’s on everyones mind after this weeks episode of The Walking Dead is of course, “was that Glenn on the walkie?!!!!” at the very end of the episode. In true Walking Dead fashion, they give us a seemingly slow episode only to cause an entire PANIC by having someone that sounds identical to Glenn saying “help” on the walkie as Abraham, Daryl, and Sasha are driving back to Alexandria.
The Internet almost broke when this aired. People all over were devastated (but I was somewhat less devastated because I thankfully mentally prepared myself for it). There's a lot of speculation over whether or not Glenn is actually dead...I mean people are even trying to measure the trajectory in the way that Nicholas fell off the dumpster and the way the intestines were getting ripped out on top of Glenn screaming and blood flying everywhere.
After an insane first season of honestly one of the best shows I've ever seen, I was so happy to hear it was coming back for a second season. The closest I can come to comparing it to another show is it reminds me a lot of LOST. There are a ton of bizarre scenes, unanswered questions that leave you hanging after each episode, but leave you wanting more.
