I’m watching a few things. We’re finishing up Hannibal which is delightfully diabolical and probably the best cooking show ever. And, of course, WandaVision has been a real treat.
What are you watching? Any good TV shows or movies you’d recommend? Any new movies I should check out? Let me know…
yes! Hannibal is amazing. I'm rewatching Kingdom on Netflix (Frank Grillo version about MMA) and it's an incredible blend of storytelling, drama, and action. Also Re-watching Sherlock because Benedict was at his absolute best in it
I tried my best to get through Hannibal but I only got about halfway through season 2. I’m currently really enjoying Warrior on HBO. Former Cinemax show. I really hope HBO decides to continue production on it. From the same person/people who created Banshee (an excellent show).
What's Warrior about? Hannibal is a very odd show. I liked how they wrapped up S2, but I really don't like S3 so far. I hear the second half of S3 is worth watching though.
I liked Hannibal at first but it started to feel a little too “network idea of edgy” for me after a while. It also felt like they were more interested in crazy set pieces than any attempts at realism. Maybe it’s meant to be a supernatural take on the character? I may give it another whirl.
A crime drama that takes place in the latter half of the 19th century during brutal gang wars in San Francisco's Chinatown, it follows martial arts prodigy Ah Sahm, a Chinese immigrant who arrives in the City of Lights under mysterious circumstances. Once he proves his prowess as a fighter, Sahm becomes a hit man for one of Chinatown's most powerful organized crime families. As he is mentored by the son of the crime family's leader, learning the ins and outs of gang warfare, Al Sahm wins the confidence of brothel madam Ah Toy, eventually revealing to her his true intentions. "Warrior" is based on the writings of martial arts legend Bruce Lee and features a largely Asian cast.
The cinematography is great and the performances are strong, especially Jude Law and Silvio Orlando. If not anything else it’s interesting to see cardinals with modern amenities such as iPads in the Vatican.
Yeah I grew up in Bozeman so that show was a must-watch for me (though it's nothing like that in real life, all the crazy violence and whatnot). I'm all caught up on it and waiting eagerly for the next season (Season 3 ends on a massive cliffhanger). It's kind of like Sons of Anarchy, very much an action soap opera in disguise haha.
My cousin has helped me fall down the rabbit hole of Dark Shadows, which I have to imagine is to vampires what Walking Dead did for zombies: there were plenty of movies with vampires before Dark Shadows, but no serial storylines, let alone daily "gothic soap operas." The filming style is so vastly different from today's TV — one-take multi-camera scenes, flubs frequently glossed over, focusing on only a handful of characters each episode — it almost feels like a series of bottle episodes and the focus and attention to detail is really fascinating. I'm kind of hooked.
I've also been revisiting Strangers with Candy, which just freaking makes me laugh out loud so much.
Back in the modern day, I've been following Your Honor. It's unabashedly "like-Breaking Bad-but-what-if-this-instead..." and yet I still find it engaging. The entire cast completely works and there's a lot of wonderfully tense scenes, even if the breakneck pacing and plot is ludicrous at times.
And... ha! Speaking of cooking shows, I hardly ever watched any in my life, but my wife and I have fallen into a rhythm of watching old seasons of Top Chef. We had been streaming some heavier drama series, so it's a nice change of pace for a little while. The chefs on the latest season, the Kentucky season, are so freaking cute and have each others' backs so much, it's really refreshing for a competitive show.
I haven't heard of Dark Shadows. Sounds interesting. I was curious about Your Honor also, though a little bummed when I saw reviews weren't great. Weird how little Bryan Cranston has done since Breaking Bad.
* Hannibal - I was obsessed with season 1.. Season 2 was ok. I can't get through season 3 though..
As an aside - wondering if you have seen the 1986 file 'Manhunter'. It is the original Red Dragon movie and was excellent (at the time). I have been trying to get hold of a copy but can't find it anywhere. Love the books too.
* Fargo - Recently watched Fargo Season 1 and it was excellent. I had previously black-listed it because I loved the movie so much back in the day and couldn't imagine why a series was required.. But it was awesome. Haven't moved forwards yet.. Each season is a different story (mostly, I think) so that is good too - you don't get trapped.
* Queens Gambit - nice / different
* Umbrella Academy - very entertaining
* Ozark - enjoyable / great acting. Love Ruth
* Cobra Kai - I know this show is ultimately very average, but I love the old characters so much and cannot believe how they managed the redemption of Jonny Lawrence. Also some funny parts.
Hannibal is a top notch series, absolutely riveting. It's difficult to believe it was on network television!
Try pairing it with Mindhunter on Netflix.
Another favorite featuring disturbing men committing atrocious crimes is The Fall, from 2014. Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan are both riveting in their roles as police detective and serial murderer, respectively.
And finally, on my second rewatch of Fringe, quite possibly the most brain-twisting sci-fi ever. Once you give in, you'll never give up.
Thanks! I'm still at Forbes also but I wanted to stretch my wings a bit, do some different stuff, expand horizons and whatnot. I never did watch Fringe (I think an episode or two but it didn't click for me) but maybe I should go back and give it another shot. I loved Mindhunter and I'm so sad it's been cancelled....
sadly i haven't seen anything new, with the exception of the expanse which others here have referenced. but fringe is still kind of silly and fun, while the expanse is very gritty and intense, more along the lines of a battlestar galactica.
honestly i have several series that i simply rewatch. i. might be on my 8th viewing of mindhunter :-) but there are so many great suggestions on this thread!
I find the older I get the more my appetite for gore diminishes and for a network show I found Hannibal to be exceptionally violent. (And I say this as a huge Mads Mikkelsen fan.)
I just finished HBO's The Undoing and quite enjoyed it. I ditched The Third Day. (That's my belated New Year's Resolution; learning to quit on shows I don't like. A lesson I learned from the execrable The Flight Attendant.)
CBS' The Stand started out very strong and since episode 4 or 5 has stumbled badly.
I'm very much enjoying WandaVision. In fact, I'm getting ready to watch episode 5 right now.
The only thing I'm watching at the moment is 'GATE', an anime on Netflix. It's quite...interesting?
(gate to another world opens up, medieval/classical era-type + fantasy enemies go through and rampage into modern Tokyo, they're beaten back by Japan's Self-Defence Force. The JSDF then go through the gate...)
Recently, it's mostly been anime of the 'isekai' genre that I've been watching, and all on Netflix: Konosuba and Bofuri stand out. The former is hilarious, as it makes fun of the genre, and I'm not sure if the latter is actually 'isekai', but it's pretty good (and 'wholesome').
I've been meaning to watch Star Trek Discovery's 3rd season. And some other stuff on Netflix, I guess...but I'm just really into EVE, at the moment. I have been watching 'GATE' while semi-afk mining in EVE, so, I'll probably get around to it.
New movies? I don't remember the last movie I watched. Probably something on Netflix. :P
Stuff I'd recommend?
- for anyone who's into space opera, I'll always recommend the 'Legend of the Galactic Heroes' anime. It may start slowly, and the number of episodes (110, but only around 20+ mins each) may be daunting, and it IS OLD (I recommend the 80s one, over the recently released remake), but the story, characters and overall work is, IMHO, worth it. It's not on Netflix, sadly.
- live-action stuff in space? Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Farscape.
My new favorite show is Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Just a blast to watch with some good characters. I've also recently started the Queen's Gambit and am enjoying that. And I can't say enough about The Umbrella Academy. I think they deal with the uniqueness of each character quite well.
I've been watching Blown Away (on Netflix here in South Africa). It's a competition to find the best glass blower. The contestants really want to win so they can stop making those trinkets and paperweights you find in gift shops.
If you’ve not seen Banshee (Cinemax) I can’t recommend it enough. I’ve never been more surprised by how much I enjoyed a show. My expectations were Cinemax level and I was blown away at how much I liked it
yes! Hannibal is amazing. I'm rewatching Kingdom on Netflix (Frank Grillo version about MMA) and it's an incredible blend of storytelling, drama, and action. Also Re-watching Sherlock because Benedict was at his absolute best in it
Kingdom is fabulous. Korean, with subtitles.
not the one I meant - that's why I specified the MMA one starring Frank Grillo!
Cool, I haven't heard of this one. I'll look it up. (I did enjoy the Korean Kingdom a lot, though clearly they're not at all the same type of show!)
The Expanse
I just had someone else recommend this one as well
Finally picking that back up where I left off on season 4.
I tried my best to get through Hannibal but I only got about halfway through season 2. I’m currently really enjoying Warrior on HBO. Former Cinemax show. I really hope HBO decides to continue production on it. From the same person/people who created Banshee (an excellent show).
What's Warrior about? Hannibal is a very odd show. I liked how they wrapped up S2, but I really don't like S3 so far. I hear the second half of S3 is worth watching though.
I liked Hannibal at first but it started to feel a little too “network idea of edgy” for me after a while. It also felt like they were more interested in crazy set pieces than any attempts at realism. Maybe it’s meant to be a supernatural take on the character? I may give it another whirl.
I can see that. It just gets kind of too out there sometimes, but like...with characters acting in really weird ways.
Gonna lazy copy-paste here 😝
A crime drama that takes place in the latter half of the 19th century during brutal gang wars in San Francisco's Chinatown, it follows martial arts prodigy Ah Sahm, a Chinese immigrant who arrives in the City of Lights under mysterious circumstances. Once he proves his prowess as a fighter, Sahm becomes a hit man for one of Chinatown's most powerful organized crime families. As he is mentored by the son of the crime family's leader, learning the ins and outs of gang warfare, Al Sahm wins the confidence of brothel madam Ah Toy, eventually revealing to her his true intentions. "Warrior" is based on the writings of martial arts legend Bruce Lee and features a largely Asian cast.
Sounds good!
Warrior managed to find some good martial artists who are also compelling enough actors. That can be rare! 😊
Just finished a rewatch of The Young/New Pope. Worth a watch if you’re looking for a change of pace.
I wondered if that was any good. Looked pretty interesting.
Strange, but really good
The cinematography is great and the performances are strong, especially Jude Law and Silvio Orlando. If not anything else it’s interesting to see cardinals with modern amenities such as iPads in the Vatican.
We’re in the middle of season 2 of Yellowstone and it’s really good. Highly recommend.
Yeah I grew up in Bozeman so that show was a must-watch for me (though it's nothing like that in real life, all the crazy violence and whatnot). I'm all caught up on it and waiting eagerly for the next season (Season 3 ends on a massive cliffhanger). It's kind of like Sons of Anarchy, very much an action soap opera in disguise haha.
My cousin has helped me fall down the rabbit hole of Dark Shadows, which I have to imagine is to vampires what Walking Dead did for zombies: there were plenty of movies with vampires before Dark Shadows, but no serial storylines, let alone daily "gothic soap operas." The filming style is so vastly different from today's TV — one-take multi-camera scenes, flubs frequently glossed over, focusing on only a handful of characters each episode — it almost feels like a series of bottle episodes and the focus and attention to detail is really fascinating. I'm kind of hooked.
I've also been revisiting Strangers with Candy, which just freaking makes me laugh out loud so much.
Back in the modern day, I've been following Your Honor. It's unabashedly "like-Breaking Bad-but-what-if-this-instead..." and yet I still find it engaging. The entire cast completely works and there's a lot of wonderfully tense scenes, even if the breakneck pacing and plot is ludicrous at times.
And... ha! Speaking of cooking shows, I hardly ever watched any in my life, but my wife and I have fallen into a rhythm of watching old seasons of Top Chef. We had been streaming some heavier drama series, so it's a nice change of pace for a little while. The chefs on the latest season, the Kentucky season, are so freaking cute and have each others' backs so much, it's really refreshing for a competitive show.
I haven't heard of Dark Shadows. Sounds interesting. I was curious about Your Honor also, though a little bummed when I saw reviews weren't great. Weird how little Bryan Cranston has done since Breaking Bad.
Gomorrah on HBO MAX & Spiral on MHZ
Huh haven't heard of either of those.
Gomorrah is Italian, best viewed with subtitles. Spiral is French. Also subtitles are best.
Nice. I'll look them up.
The Korean Kingdom is on netflix. It’s a terrific zombie story.
Yeah this “Kingdom” is terrific. It’s largely a Korean Game of Thrones with martial arts. Highly highly recommend.
* Hannibal - I was obsessed with season 1.. Season 2 was ok. I can't get through season 3 though..
As an aside - wondering if you have seen the 1986 file 'Manhunter'. It is the original Red Dragon movie and was excellent (at the time). I have been trying to get hold of a copy but can't find it anywhere. Love the books too.
* Fargo - Recently watched Fargo Season 1 and it was excellent. I had previously black-listed it because I loved the movie so much back in the day and couldn't imagine why a series was required.. But it was awesome. Haven't moved forwards yet.. Each season is a different story (mostly, I think) so that is good too - you don't get trapped.
* Queens Gambit - nice / different
* Umbrella Academy - very entertaining
* Ozark - enjoyable / great acting. Love Ruth
* Cobra Kai - I know this show is ultimately very average, but I love the old characters so much and cannot believe how they managed the redemption of Jonny Lawrence. Also some funny parts.
Will check out some stuff from the comments.
Hannibal is a top notch series, absolutely riveting. It's difficult to believe it was on network television!
Try pairing it with Mindhunter on Netflix.
Another favorite featuring disturbing men committing atrocious crimes is The Fall, from 2014. Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan are both riveting in their roles as police detective and serial murderer, respectively.
And finally, on my second rewatch of Fringe, quite possibly the most brain-twisting sci-fi ever. Once you give in, you'll never give up.
Congrats for making the move to Substack!
Thanks! I'm still at Forbes also but I wanted to stretch my wings a bit, do some different stuff, expand horizons and whatnot. I never did watch Fringe (I think an episode or two but it didn't click for me) but maybe I should go back and give it another shot. I loved Mindhunter and I'm so sad it's been cancelled....
I often reminisce about Fringe and what a great show it was. Have you watched anything similar since that you would recommend?
sadly i haven't seen anything new, with the exception of the expanse which others here have referenced. but fringe is still kind of silly and fun, while the expanse is very gritty and intense, more along the lines of a battlestar galactica.
honestly i have several series that i simply rewatch. i. might be on my 8th viewing of mindhunter :-) but there are so many great suggestions on this thread!
Just finished The Stand
I find the older I get the more my appetite for gore diminishes and for a network show I found Hannibal to be exceptionally violent. (And I say this as a huge Mads Mikkelsen fan.)
I just finished HBO's The Undoing and quite enjoyed it. I ditched The Third Day. (That's my belated New Year's Resolution; learning to quit on shows I don't like. A lesson I learned from the execrable The Flight Attendant.)
CBS' The Stand started out very strong and since episode 4 or 5 has stumbled badly.
I'm very much enjoying WandaVision. In fact, I'm getting ready to watch episode 5 right now.
Happy viewing!
The only thing I'm watching at the moment is 'GATE', an anime on Netflix. It's quite...interesting?
(gate to another world opens up, medieval/classical era-type + fantasy enemies go through and rampage into modern Tokyo, they're beaten back by Japan's Self-Defence Force. The JSDF then go through the gate...)
Recently, it's mostly been anime of the 'isekai' genre that I've been watching, and all on Netflix: Konosuba and Bofuri stand out. The former is hilarious, as it makes fun of the genre, and I'm not sure if the latter is actually 'isekai', but it's pretty good (and 'wholesome').
I've been meaning to watch Star Trek Discovery's 3rd season. And some other stuff on Netflix, I guess...but I'm just really into EVE, at the moment. I have been watching 'GATE' while semi-afk mining in EVE, so, I'll probably get around to it.
New movies? I don't remember the last movie I watched. Probably something on Netflix. :P
Stuff I'd recommend?
- for anyone who's into space opera, I'll always recommend the 'Legend of the Galactic Heroes' anime. It may start slowly, and the number of episodes (110, but only around 20+ mins each) may be daunting, and it IS OLD (I recommend the 80s one, over the recently released remake), but the story, characters and overall work is, IMHO, worth it. It's not on Netflix, sadly.
- live-action stuff in space? Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Farscape.
My new favorite show is Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Just a blast to watch with some good characters. I've also recently started the Queen's Gambit and am enjoying that. And I can't say enough about The Umbrella Academy. I think they deal with the uniqueness of each character quite well.
I've been watching Blown Away (on Netflix here in South Africa). It's a competition to find the best glass blower. The contestants really want to win so they can stop making those trinkets and paperweights you find in gift shops.
The Loudest voice since Vikings are unwatchable
If you’ve not seen Banshee (Cinemax) I can’t recommend it enough. I’ve never been more surprised by how much I enjoyed a show. My expectations were Cinemax level and I was blown away at how much I liked it
Have you seen Starz' Black Sails?
That's been one I keep telling myself to watch and just never started. It's good?
YES! Well, my husband and I thought so ... seems like something that might be up your alley.
Nice, we'll give it a go!