📺 Watching: Kaos, Dark Winds, The Terror, and Extras
plus 4 new movies & 3 new and returning series to watch this week
Happy Thursday. The upcoming long weekend is the perfect time to catch some rays and catch up on some binge-worthy TV. Whether you're looking for something new to dive into or just want to know what's worth your time, as always, we’ve got you covered with our weekly watchlist, reviews, and recommendations.
*Also a quick shout out from one half of Double Take to the other — it’s Jess’s birthday today!! HBD Jess, hope it’s a great one <3
In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
Kaos (Netflix)
The Terror (Netflix, AMC+)
Dark Winds (Netflix, AMC+)
Extras (Peacock)
— Jenni Cullen and Jess Spoll
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Below is a selection of new shows and movies premiering this week. Our full list of August releases, including theatrical releases and streaming debuts, is available here and published monthly for our premium subscribers.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season 2) — We return to the rise of Sauron in Middle-earth as familiar heroes and new adventurers confront ancient evils and forge powerful alliances. This season promises more sweeping landscapes and even grander battles than the first.
Watch on Prime Video: August 29 (3 of 8 episodes, then weekly)Kaos (Season 1) — Jeff Goldblum stars as Zeus, king of the gods, in this epic remix on Greek mythology from producer and writer Charlie Covell (The End of the F***ing World). When the all-powerful being becomes paranoid that his downfall is imminent, he recruits his dysfunctional family to keep humanity down so they stay on top.
Watch on Netflix: August 29 (all 8 episodes)Terminator Zero (Season 1) — This anime series set in the Terminator universe features a voice cast including Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, André Holland, Ann Dowd, and Sonoya Mizuno.
Watch on Netflix: August 29 (all 8 episodes)The Deliverance (Movie) — In this supernatural horror film, a single mother (Andra Day) moves her family to a new home for a fresh start, but something evil already lives there. Inspired by terrifying true events.
Watch on Netflix: August 30The Fall Guy* (Movie) — Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt star in this action-comedy about a stuntman who finds himself working on a massive studio movie directed by his ex when the film’s star mysteriously goes missing.
Watch on Peacock: August 30 (*Streaming Premiere)Kinds of Kindness* (Movie) — Yorgos Lanthimos is already back after his Oscar-winning Poor Things, this time delivering an absurdist dark comedy anthology of three distinct but loosely connected stories. Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, and Hunter Schafer star.
Watch on Hulu: August 30 (*Streaming Premiere)The Watchers* (Movie) — Written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan and produced by her father, M. Night, this supernatural horror film stars Dakota Fanning as an artist who gets stranded in an untouched forest in western Ireland.
Watch on Max: August 30 (*Streaming Premiere)
Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.
Kaos
Keywords: dark comedy-drama, fantasy, offbeat
Watch if you like: American Gods, The End of the F**king World, (a grown up) Percy Jackson
Jenni’s Rating: B+
Jeff Goldblum is a god. And now he finally gets to play one: Zeus, King of the Gods, in fact, in Kaos, the dark comedy-drama that premiered on Netflix today. Not unlike the Percy Jackson novels — though definitely more grown-up — this series breathes new life into Greek mythology by setting versions of the ancient stories in a modern, twisted world. Familiar characters like Orpheus and Eurydice are now a rock star and his introverted, weary wife and muse who prefers to go by Riddy. Ariadne, Ari for short, is still a daughter of royalty, but makes speeches in pantsuits and is tired of being defined by childhood trauma. Zeus, up in his Mount Olympus mega-mansion, is a bit tacky and deeply insecure, a ruler grappling with the terrifying prospect of his waning power. His paranoia sets off a domino effect of chaos that threatens to unravel the very fabric of existence.
The premise of a few humans taking down oppressive gods is already fun, but an impressive cast kicks the series up a notch. Goldblum, of course, steals the show as the egocentric yet vulnerable Zeus, but he’s surrounded by a host of equally great performances. David Thewlis brings a tired charm to Hades, while Janet McTeer’s Hera is a force to be reckoned with, blending elegance with an underlying petulant fury. Each actor brings a unique flavor to their role, making the humans feel like perfectly flawed heroes and the gods both larger-than-life and surprisingly relatable. The dynamic between the characters is electric, and it is thrilling to see how their interactions shape the familiar myths and new unfolding dramas.
The blend of absurd and dark humor along with old mythology shaped by modern-day elements makes Kaos an incredibly fun and addictive watch. The writing is sharp, the world-building is dynamic, and the pace so far has been perfectly measured to keep me wanting more. I’ve only had time to watch three of the available eight episodes, but I’m already hooked and excited to binge the rest over the long weekend.
— Jenni
Length: 40-min runtime, 1 season / 8 episodes
Watch on: Netflix
Where we choose a recent-ish show that we enjoyed (or a show that is returning soon) to review and feature.
The Terror
Keywords: historical fiction, horror, mystery, anthology
Watch if you like: The Head, Society of the Snow, Chernobyl
Jess’s Rating: B-
The Terror is an anthology series with its first season adapted from Dan Simmons’ 2007 novel of the same name, bringing to life the true (but heavily fictionalized) mystery of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, two British ships lost in the Arctic in 1845. The series, which originally aired on AMC in 2018 before making its way to Netflix this month, blends historical fiction with supernatural horror.
Setting out to find the elusive Northwest Passage, Sir John Franklin and his second-in-command, Francis Crozier, begin their ill-fated expedition but quickly become trapped in the Arctic ice. As their outlook becomes more dire and the crew faces the bleak and unforgiving environment, their desperation escalates into paranoia and panic. Soon, they discover that they’re not just dealing with dwindling rations and an increasing sense of claustrophobia — there also seems to be a menacing creature following their every move.
With its dark and moody tone and period-accurate attention to detail, The Terror’s production design is outstanding. But unlike similar horror movies that rely solely on gore and spectacle, the series balances those elements with the very real psychological and physical challenges faced by the men. As the layers of mystery surrounding the creature are peeled back, so are the complexities of the fraught relationship between Franklin and Crozier.
Reflecting the oppressive atmosphere of the Arctic and the incremental breakdown of the crew’s sanity, the pacing of the show is quite slow. Some might argue it effectively builds tension as the horrors unfold, but others might find it to be too sedate. If you can handle its leisurely pace and unrelenting grimness, The Terror is a worthwhile addition to the isolation horror sub-genre.
— Jess
Length: 45-min runtime, 2 seasons / 20 episodes
Watch on: S1 on Netflix, S1-2 on AMC+
Dark Winds
Keywords: western, noir, thriller, crime drama
Watch if you like: True Detective, The Old Man, Justified
Jess’s Rating: B
Adapted from Tony Hillerman’s mystery novels, Dark Winds is a gritty Western-noir set in the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley in the 1970s. The show boasts an impressive pedigree: creator Graham Roland previously wrote for Lost and Fringe and co-created Jack Ryan, while George R. R. Martin serves as executive producer on the series. The first season follows Lieutenant Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and his new deputy Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), officers in the Navajo Tribal Police, as they investigate a double homicide that is potentially linked to a recent armored truck heist. Murder doesn’t fall within their investigative purview, though, leading to a cultural clash and power struggle when FBI agents take over.
Joining the ranks of recent shows such as Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls, Dark Winds offers a (mostly*) authentic portrayal of Native American culture. The largely Native cast is led by McClarnon as the stoic, world-weary Leaphorn, a character who is made to feel like an outsider in the community he was raised in due to his choice of employment. Chee, his deputy, provides an interesting perspective as well, as he’s torn between following the Navajo traditions of his childhood and his ambitions to rise the ranks of the FBI. While the investigations into the homicide and robbery drive the plot forward, the burgeoning friendships and loyalties between the Navajo police officers keep the series from feeling like a rinse-and-repeat murder mystery.
Even though the show isn’t perfect in terms of its pacing, the central mystery is engaging enough, with a lot of moving parts and pieces to fit together. The six-episode format is tighter than many prestige dramas, which may be a selling point for some, but feels a bit too tight to fully explore the raised themes of traditional values vs. assimilation. All in all, Dark Winds is a binge-able mystery that marks a significant step forward in Native American representation on television.
*The show received some criticism after Season 1 from Navajo people for an exaggeration of Navajo spirituality and mysticism. AMC partnered with Navajo nation before Season 2, bringing in a cultural consultant to ensure the representation of Navajo culture be as authentic and nuanced as possible.
— Jess
Length: 45-min runtime, 2 seasons / 12 episodes
Watch on: Netflix, AMC+
Where we highlight shows that have long-since ended or been canceled, that are well-worth digging back up.
Extras (2005-2007)
Keywords: British, sitcom, satire
Watch if you like: Party Down, The Office (U.K.), After Life
Jenni’s Rating: B+
While The Office remains my favorite show to come from the partnership of Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, their 2005 sitcom Extras is a close second.
This sharp, underrated comedy delves into the world of background actors in the entertainment industry, offering a satirical glimpse into the absurdities of fame and showbiz. Gervais stars as Andy Millman, an aspiring actor who struggles to break out of his dead-end role as an extra, while Merchant plays his clueless but well-meaning agent. Ashley Jensen rounds out the series’ core cast as Andy’s slightly dim, but fun best friend Maggie.
Similar in structure to Party Down, every episode of Extras takes place on the set of a different project and features a new A-list guest actor. Performers like Daniel Radcliffe, Kate Winslet, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ben Stiller take turns playing fictionalized, exaggerated versions of themselves in joyfully subversive ways.
If you can’t stomach the dry, cringe-inducing comedy that has become a Merchant-Gervais hallmark, this series may not be for you. If you can handle it, however, you’ll find keen observations of human behavior woven into the awkward humor, along with a biting wit that makes Extras a real treat to watch.
— Jenni
Length: 30-min runtime, 2 seasons / 13 episodes
Watch on: Peacock
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Happy Birthday, Jess!