📺 Don't call it a comeback
...but we are back with more tv reviews this week.
Howdy. Happy final week of the Winter Olympics & happy belated Galentine’s Day to all you beautiful, tropical fishes. If you need some good news, Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca) confirmed that season 3 of Ted Lasso begins filming next month. 🙌
In today’s edition:
A fresh take on the superhero genre
Amazon’s attempt at Game of Thrones success
Kristen Bell being bafflingly un-funny
A copycat killer
— Jess Spoll and Jenni Cullen
Take your pick
We each choose a recent-ish show to review and feature every week.
If you like vigilante stories but you’re burned out on the Marvel universe, try… Peacemaker
Keywords: comedy, violence, superheroes
Similar to: Deadpool, The Boys, Watchmen
Jess’s Rating: B+
This new series sees John Cena reprise his role from The Suicide Squad (2021), in which he was easily the least likable character. I know what you’re already thinking, but hear me out. Peacemaker is overly violent, yes, and I close my eyes a lot. But it’s also frequently laugh-out-loud funny, it has a compelling plot, and it has a lot of heart. The hateable character from the movie now a distant memory, John Cena’s character shows vulnerability and gets a backstory that makes it impossible to not root for him.
If you’re used to Marvel’s superhero stories, this will certainly feel different — more violent, more profane, less polished, and arguably more fun. If nothing else, watch it for John Cena’s comedic delivery, but I think you’ll also have to admit that you like it more than you expected to. (And if REALLY nothing else, please watch it for the opening credits).
Note: I’d recommend that you watch The Suicide Squad (streaming on HBO Max) before watching the show, but the plot of Peacemaker will still make sense if you don’t.
Length: 40-min runtime, 1 season / 8 episodes
Watch on: HBO Max
If you’ve re-watched LOTR too many times this year already, try… The Wheel of Time
Keywords: fantasy, quest, ensemble cast, visually compelling
Similar to: Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, Game of Thrones (ish)
Jenni’s Rating: C+ (with room to grow…or tank)
An adaptation of the epic fantasy series by Robert Jordan, Wheel of Time is set in a world where only women can wield magic (without going insane) and follows the well-worn trope of “unassuming young villager finds out they have hidden powers and are destined to save the world”. Except, in this case, there are five possible heroes, so there’s also an element of ~intrigue~.
This was a decently fun weekend watch for me. If nothing else, the scenery was incredibly beautiful; shout out to the Czech Republic for some excellent mountain ranges. As someone who has never read these books, I went in with zero expectations except those of swooning over Rosamund Pike (who plays the powerful magic-wielding woman, Moiraine, i.e. the Gandalf of this series as far as I can tell). My ignorance made it easy to suspend any disbelief at what would have otherwise been some weird plot choices or even plot holes, because I could shrug it off with a “welp, I don’t know the rules of this world, so I guess that makes sense?” and move on.
Does the show somewhat overuse typical fantasy plot devices? Sure. Is the character development at times underwhelming? Definitely. But that being said, if you’re a fan of the fantasy genre by any stretch, I’d recommend you give the first few episodes a try before counting it out completely.
Length: 50-min runtime, 1 season / 8 episodes
Watch on: Amazon Prime TV
We watched so you don’t have to
Where we feature a show that you may have been tempted to check out, but we’re here to tell you…it might not be worth it. 🤷♀️
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Keywords: parody, comedy, thriller
Similar to: Girl on the Train if it were an SNL sketch
Jess’s Rating: D-
The funniest thing about The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is its title — an intentionally satirical combo of titles of dark female-led murder mysteries i.e. Girl on the Train and Woman in the Window. The second funniest thing is that apparently people are watching it without realizing it’s a parody of the genre, and not a serious murder mystery. But therein lies the problem.
TWITHATSFTWITW doesn’t know what it’s trying to be. It’s not consistently funny, and some episodes seemed like they could be from a legit murder mystery series rather than a parody of one. This could have been a pretty funny 5-minute SNL skit, but instead I was subjected to 4 hours of lukewarm comedy with no discernible point of view about the genre that the show is parodying. Even Kristen Bell can’t save this one.
— Jess
Length: 30-min runtime, 1 season / 8 episodes
Watch on: Netflix
Previously On
Where we highlight shows that have long-since ended or been canceled, that are well-worth digging back up.
Castle (2009-2016)
Keywords: crime, comedy-drama, mystery, police procedural
Similar to: Bones, Chuck, Elementary
Jenni’s Rating: B-
A bored, celebrated mystery novelist, Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion), teams up with NYPD Homicide Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) to solve a case of a serial killer re-creating murder scenes from Castle’s books. Detective Beckett is initially infuriated at the idea of working with the arrogant, yet annoyingly charming writer, but their partnership works better than either of them expected.
I started watching this show in 11th grade for Nathan Fillion (to fill the Firefly-sized hole in my heart) and stayed for the budding romance between Castle and Beckett. This show was the perfect blend of light-suspense, romantic intrigue, and crime-solving comedy. I know that sounds like a lot, but it makes a very binge-able show. There are storyline through-arcs within seasons, but each episode is generally an individual case to be solved. You can easily pick an ep at random and enjoy yourself.
— Jenni
Length: 43-min runtime, 8 seasons / 173 episodes
Watch on: Hulu
Your shows, returned:
The Walking Dead, Season 11 (Part 2): Returned February 13 on AMC+
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 4: Premieres February 18 on Amazon Prime
Space Force, Season 2: Premieres February 18 on Netflix
Killing Eve, Season 4: Premieres February 20 on AMC+
Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Season 3: Premieres February 20 on Bravo
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Season 9: Premieres February 20 on HBO Max
All American, Season 4 (Part 2): Premieres February 21 on The CW
A Million Little Things, Season 4 (Part 2): Premieres February 23 on ABC
Law and Order, Season 21: Premieres February 24 on NBC
Station 19, Season 5 (Part 2): Premieres February 24 on ABC
Grey’s Anatomy, Season 18 (Part 2): Premieres February 24 on ABC
Legacies, Season 4 (Part 2): Premieres February 24 on The CW
Big Sky, Season 2 (Part 2): Premieres February 24 on ABC