📺 New TV To Watch: The Brothers Sun, Marvel's Echo, Fool Me Once...

plus The Great Pottery Throw Down and 4 new shows + 3 new movies

Happy almost Friday. We’ve got a big weekend ahead! Not only is it a 3-day weekend for many people, but the previously delayed Emmys air on Monday (on Fox, 8pm ET), and HBO Sunday Nights are coming back with the premiere of True Detective: Night Country. Jess has already seen the first episode and let’s just say, you will want to mark your calendar for this one.

In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
Fool Me Once (Netflix)
The Brothers Sun (Netflix)
Echo (Disney+ and Hulu)
The Great Pottery Throw Down (Max)

— Jenni Cullen and Jess Spoll

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We keep an eye on all of the new streaming content that is set to premiere. Here’s a list of new shows and movies to watch this week.

• Boy Swallows Universe (Limited Series) — This Australian production is based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Trent Dalton. In 1980s Brisbane, a precocious boy and his selectively mute brother embark on a suburban odyssey of love, redemption and retribution after their family is torn apart by a drug lord.
  Watch on Netflix: January 11 (all 8 episodes)

• Ted (Season 1) — Serving as a prequel to the 2012 film of the same name, this series was created by Seth MacFarlane, who also returns to voice the titular stuffed bear. The series will explore the early life of of the sentient toy as he lives with teen Max Burkholder, previously portrayed by Mark Wahlberg.
  Watch on Peacock: January 11 (all 7 episodes)

• Lift (Movie) — Kevin Hart and his crew plan to lift $500 million in gold from a passenger plane at 40,000 feet. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Billy Magnussen, and Sam Worthington also star.
  Watch on Netflix: January 12

• Role Play (Movie) — Kaley Cuoco plays a contract killer masquerading as a normal suburban wife, a secret that her husband (David Oyelowo) discovers when the couple decide to spice up their marriage by role playing.
  Watch on Prime: January 12

• Self Reliance (Movie) — Jake Johnson writes, directs and stars in this comedy-thriller about a man who gets the chance to win $1 million by participating in a game in which hunters attempt to kill him for 30 days. Anna Kendrick, Natalie Morales, Mary Holland, Emily Hampshire, Christopher Lloyd, Wayne Brady, and Andy Samberg also star.
  Watch on Prime: January 12

• True Detective: Night Country (Season 4) — The newest installment of this crime anthology series follows two local police officers (Jodie Foster and Kali Reis) as they investigate the disappearance of eight scientists who have been working at an Arctic research centre.
  Watch on Max: January 14 (1 of 6 episodes, then weekly)

• Death and Other Details (Season 1) — Set on a luxurious ocean liner in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, this locked room mystery series follows a woman who becomes a suspect in a murder investigation and is left with no other option than to side with a prestigious detective whom she despises (Mandy Patinkin).
  Watch on Hulu: January 16 (2 of 10 episodes, then weekly)

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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. 🤷‍♀️

Fool Me Once

Photo: Netflix

Keywords: Harlan Coben, mystery thriller, British, limited series
Watch if you like: The Stranger, Hold Tight, Stay Close
Jess’s Rating: D+

Netflix struck a massive deal with prolific mystery author Harlan Coben back in 2018, which is why you can find no less than eight of his adaptations on the streamer. The newest is Fool Me Once, a British limited series based on the 2016 book of the same name. This is one of those twisty suspense stories that is better the less background you have going into it; all you need to know is that it follows a woman who sees her recently murdered husband in the footage from her nanny cam.

If you’re a fan of books from authors like Coben, Dean Koontz, Particia Cornwell, Tom Clancy, etc, then this might be up your alley. The plot is relatively easy to follow, there are plenty of red herrings and cliffhangers, and it requires very low emotional engagement. If you don’t subscribe to that genre, you can steer clear. The plot is overstuffed with subplots that explore PTSD, terminal illness, war crimes, and pharmaceutical malpractice. None of the characters are developed beyond a one sentence descriptor, i.e.: “bad-ass former military mom” or “rich lady with a secret.” If you make it through to the eighth episode, your reward is a half-baked reveal that mostly ties everything together.

Admittedly, I have a decently high tolerance for this sort of mindless mystery. It’s something to pass the time with while I’m on the treadmill, and the cliffhangers make it easy to keep watching. While the dialogue is occasionally stilted, the actors are all doing a commendable job with what they’re given. Unless you fall into the camp that I mentioned above, however, I would recommend this as background noise at best.

— Jess

Length: 50-min runtime, Limited Series / 8 episodes
Watch on: Netflix

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Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.

The Brothers Sun

Photo: Netflix

Keywords: action, comedy drama, gang politics
Watch if you like: Chuck, Barry, Rush Hour