We wish it were Friday, too. ICYMI, Disney released a trailer yesterday for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi show that will premiere on Disney+ on May 25. You can watch it here.
In today’s edition:
A serious Adam Scott
Kat lady fever dreams
Gordon Ramsey’s horror debut
Veronica Mars with zombies
— Jess Spoll and Jenni Cullen
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Where we each choose a recent-ish show to review and feature every week.
If you’re in the mood for something dark and mysterious, try… Severance
Keywords: drama, mystery, suspense
Watch if you like: Black Mirror, Westworld
Jess’s Rating: A
You’ve probably heard about Severance by now, and if you aren’t already watching it, you should start. It could let me down — there are only 4 episodes out so far — but I’m already hooked and I want everyone else to experience it with me.
Severance follows a man (played by Adam Scott) who has elected to undergo a brain surgery in which memories of his home life and work life are permanently split. When he’s at work, he has no memories of his life outside of work. When he’s at home, he has no idea what he does from the moment he walks into his office until 5pm when he clocks out.
The hook is the show’s obvious satire of corporate life — the commentary on how we’re all wasting our lives away at a 9-5 job, especially poignant in this age of “the great resignation.” But the show becomes much more than its satire, as the tone of the show toes the line between horror and dark comedy. Over the course of the 4 episodes that are out so far, the atmosphere becomes eerier and the mystery of what the heck is going on starts to eat away at you.
Some may find the pacing to be rather slow, but I feel like they are giving us just enough each week to make it worth it. I really think this is the “sci fi - thriller” genre at its best.
Length: ~50-min runtime, 4 episodes out so far with new episodes on Fridays
Watch on: Apple TV+
If you’re in the mood for something light and fun, try… Dollface
Keywords: millennial comedy, female friendships, surreal
Watch if you like: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Younger, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Jenni’s Rating: C+
This sitcom about rekindling and maintaining relationships in your late 20s is light, fluffy, at times surreal, and easy to binge.
Dollface begins when Jules Wiley (Kat Dennings) is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend of five years and realizes that — due to her own neglect — she has no platonic support system to help her through it. In a dream sequence that follows, a literal Cat Lady (head of a cat, body of a woman) comes to help usher Jules back into singledom and the world of female friendships she left behind.
The wacky fantasy element of the show keeps things interesting and provides an easy avenue for commentary on topics like FOMO, brunch, and girl code; however, it’s clunky at times. What makes the series really work is the chemistry and charisma of its strong leading ladies: Dennings, Brenda Song, Esther Povitsky, and Shay Mitchell.
Some might argue that the storylines or stances are too shallow, but I think that’s part of the charm; the female friendships are the deepest thing about this show.
Length: 30-min runtime, 2 seasons / 20 episodes
Watch on: Hulu
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. 🤷♀️
Next Level Chef
Keywords: Gordon Ramsey, competition, reality tv
Similar to: The Voice, Top Chef
Jenni’s Rating: D
Gordon Ramsey’s latest competition cooking show is sort of like...a metaphor for capitalism? But not intended to be? If you’re looking for off-kilter gimmicks about hierarchy and a lot of screen time given to people messing up and being yelled at, this is your show. If you’re looking to see people actually cook, look elsewhere.
Here’s the gist: there are three kitchens stacked on top of one another. The upper level is equipped with state-of-the-art everything, the middle is standard commercial grade, and the basement is grimy with dull knives and sh*tty appliances. Each round, contestants are randomly assigned to a kitchen and an elevator platform with ingredients stops at all the levels starting with the top. I.e. the best kitchen gets first pick and the worst has to make their meals with the meager scraps that are left. All throughout, the mentors shout things like “Level up your dishes!!” and “Is that a next level idea??”.
The phrase “next level” was said over 16 times in 30 minutes. I counted. The emphasis of Next Level Chef is definitely on the “level” aspect and not so much on the “chef”. I know it sounds a little zany and interesting, but after one episode I had zero desire to see any more. Idk, I guess it would’ve been better as a movie. Oh wait.
— Jenni
Length: 40-min runtime, 1 season / 11 episodes
Watch on: Hulu / FOX
Where we highlight shows that have long-since ended or been canceled, that are well-worth digging back up.
iZombie (2015 - 2019)
Keywords: crime procedural, zombies, comedy
Watch if you like: Lucifer, Veronica Mars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Jess’s Rating: A
iZombie’s only hope for an audience is and always was word-of-mouth. The name of the show is just so, so dumb, and it was never marketed well. I didn’t and still don’t even like most zombie-related TV or movies. I only started watching it when it first premiered because the TV in my apartment in Sweden seemingly only offered Swedish game shows and The CW. But PLEASE listen when I say it’s worth your time.
The zombies of the iZombie world can behave exactly like normal humans, provided they get enough sustenance in the form of human brains. The show kicks off with the zombification of a young medical resident, Liv Moore (Rose McIver), at the start of the zombie virus outbreak in Seattle. Liv goes on to work at a police morgue where she helps to solve murders by leveraging the memories she obtains from the victims after she eats their brains. Liv also absorbs the personalities of the eaten victims, meaning she’s a frat bro in one episode and a pretentious artist in the next.
It sounds ridiculous, and it should. The tone is purposely a little campy and very tongue-in-cheek. It’s less of a zombie show and more of a comedy-drama that happens to have a zombie as its main character. My greatest wish in this world is that people would see past the dumb name and give it a chance.
— Jess
Length: 42-min episodes, 5 seasons / 71 episodes
Watch on: Netflix
📺 Want to share an opinion about a TV show that we reviewed? Reply to this email! You may see your thoughts in an upcoming edition of Double Take.
Your shows, returned:
Legends of Tomorrow, Season 7: Released March 10 on Netflix*
Charmed, Season 4: Premieres March 11 on The CW
Upload, Season 2: Available March 11 on Amazon Prime
Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Season 4: Available March 11 on Netflix
Dynasty, Season 5: Returns from hiatus on March 11 on The CW
Mr. Mayor, Season 2: Premieres March 15 on NBC (episode available on Hulu the next day)
Young Rock, Season 2: Premieres March 15 on NBC (episode available on Hulu the next day)
Temptation Island, Season 4: Premieres March 16 on USA (episode available on Hulu the next day)
*This show has previously aired on network television and is now being released to a streaming service