📺 How to make small talk
Welcome to Thursday. We’ve reached the point in the summer where Jess and I are starting to have overlapping vacation schedules, so the next few weeks will be a little lighter on the recommendations. Today you’re stuck with me for the first solo newsletter of the season. Enjoy!
In today’s edition:
The Sandman
How to with John Wilson
First Kill
— Jenni Cullen
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Where we choose a recent-ish show to review and feature.
If you like mythology + modern fantasy, try… The Sandman
Keywords: dark fantasy, myths and legends, ensemble cast
Watch if you like: American Gods, Doctor Who, His Dark Materials
Jenni’s Rating: B- / C+
The Sandman begins when our titular character, aka Morpheus, King of Dreams and Nightmares, is captured and held prisoner in the waking world for over a century. Once he regains his freedom, he must journey through different realms to fix the chaos his absence has caused.
Based on a beloved DC Comic series by Neil Gaiman, this adapted remix of mythology and folklore boasts a truly star-studded cast (including Stephen Fry, Jenna Coleman, Gwendoline Christie, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and David Thewlis, but the list goes on). I quickly learned this strong ensemble is necessary to support The Sandman’s wealth of characters and storylines borrowed from recognizable legends.
It is really quite a sprawling series — taking place over decades and bouncing back and forth throughout time and space. In that way, The Sandman reminded me a lot of Doctor Who, especially coupled with its alternating format between long narrative arcs and one-off stories. At times, the show flirts with an anthology structure, but the common thread and anchor is always the Sandman and his quest to restore power and equilibrium to his kingdom. If you like fantasy and mythology and don’t mind an expansive show universe, this is a good show to check out.
Length: 60-min runtime, 1 season / 10 episodes
Watch on: Netflix
Where we give takes on docs & reality TV and give ‘unscripted’ shows a time to shine.
How to with John Wilson
Keywords: comedy, docuseries, NYC
Watch if you like: Nathan for You, I Think You Should Leave, Between Two Ferns
Jenni’s Rating: B+
This show is like if a socially-awkward alien came to NYC and decided to make a documentary about humanity for mostly his own edification.
John Wilson has a way of describing everyday oddities and cultural norms that is extremely endearing and comedic. In episodes with titles like “How to Split the Check” and “How to Make Small Talk,” his delivery is deadpan, slightly halting, and unpolished in a manner that fits perfectly with the incredibly specific images and footage he pairs with it. Every episode must be meticulously thought out, though the comedic beats feel effortless and totally happenstance. Throughout the series, John attempts to give advice to others even as he struggles to work through his own personal issues (ranging from anxiety to protecting a chair from his cat) — an extremely relatable dichotomy.
Watching this show gave me a new appreciation for the human experience and warmth toward my fellow person just putzing along trying to live life and figure stuff out.
— Jenni
Length: 25-min runtime, 2 seasons / 12 episodes
Watch on: HBO Max
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. 🤷♀️
First Kill
Keywords: soapy, supernatural, teen romance
Watch if you like: Vampire Academy, Sabrina, Vampire Diaries
Jenni’s Rating: D
This show is partially in this section because of its camp and less-than-stellar acting, but also because it was canceled earlier this month after just one season. Might not be worth getting your hopes up for only 10 episodes, especially when the season finale ends on quite a few cliffhangers that will likely never be resolved.
Based on a short story by V.E. Schwab, First Kill centers around two star-crossed high school girls who are attracted to one another but probably won’t get a “happily ever after,” seeing as their families want them to literally kill each other. Oh, did I not mention? One is a vampire and the other comes from a long line of vampire hunters. The subtlety of the premise is non-existent — our vampire is literally named Juliette.
I have to say, it is nice to see a queer supernatural teen romance take center stage, and one where the love interests seem on equal footing for once, rather than your “classic” creepy hundred-year-old male vamp falling in love with a 17-year old defenseless human girl. Other than that, it’s kind of exactly what you expect from a trashy teen drama about monsters and forbidden romance — the acting is eh and it is pretty low budget — but I’m not going to say it’s not at all entertaining.
— Jenni
Length: 60-min runtime, 1 season / 10 epsiodes
Watch on: Netflix
Your shows, returned:
Alone: Frozen: Released August 11 on History Channel
Never Have I Ever, Season 3: Premieres August 12 on Netflix
Upcoming new releases:
A League of Their Own: Released August 12 on Amazon Prime
Cosmic Love: Released August 12 on Amazon Prime
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Released August 17 on Disney+