📺 Watching: The Bear, My Lady Jane, Land of Women...
plus 'Interview with the Vampire' Season 2
Thursday is here again. And so is The Bear S3! Though supposed to drop at midnight last night (this morning?) Hulu blessed us with an early premiere at 9pm ET yesterday, so we’ve already made some headway in the new season. Check out the first section below for our initial thoughts and catch all 8 episodes for yourself on Hulu!
In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
The Bear - S3 (Hulu)
My Lady Jane (Prime Video)
Land of Women (Apple TV+)
Interview with the Vampire - S2 (AMC/+)
— Jess Spoll and Jenni Cullen
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Below is a selection of new shows and movies premiering this week. Our full list of June releases, including theatrical releases and streaming debuts, is available here and published monthly for our premium subscribers.
My Lady Jane (Season 1) — This British series is adapted from novels that provide a historical reimagining of the life of Lady Jane Grey in the 16th century. After she narrowly avoids the executioner's axe, Lady Jane has a fun and fulfilling life, full of romance and adventure.
Watch on Prime Video: June 27 (8 episodes)The Bear (Season 3) — This Emmy-winning comedy drama about a kitchen staff returns to follow Carmy, Richie and Sydney as they work to elevate the titular restaurant, transformed from a gritty sandwich shop to a fine dining destination.
Watch on Hulu: June 27 (all 10 episodes)That 90s Show (Season 2) — The daughter of Eric and Donna from That 70s Show is back in Point Place with her grandparents for the summer in 1996.
Watch on Netflix: June 27 (8 of 16 episodes, the rest on October 24)A Family Affair (Movie) — Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Joey King star in this Netflix romcom about a young woman who discovers her self-absorbed Hollywood star boss is having a secret romantic relationship with her widowed mother.
Watch on Netflix: June 28Fancy Dance (Movie) — Lily Gladstone stars as a woman living on the Seneca-Cayuga Nation Reservation in Oklahoma who is caring for her niece after the disappearance of her sister. The pair hit the road to find the missing woman before they lose custody to the girl’s grandfather.
Watch on Apple TV+: June 28
Our initial reactions to anticipated new series or seasons.
The Bear - Season 3
Jenni: I’m almost halfway through the season already and ooh boy do I have thoughts. That first episode almost entirely comprised of quiet flashbacks in Carmy’s head?? What a vibe. It was a little disorienting and dark, and definitely felt more like a middle-of-the-season episode than an opening act. But it was also cool, artsy, and bold, and the fact that the second ep settled right back into a cadence I was expecting made me kind of dig the unorthodox choice. Overall thoughts so far? The banter and rhythm of the kitchen — everyone talking over one another in chaotic crescendo — is perfect as always. I love this show, I love these people, and I can’t wait for everyone to make up and like each other for a few minutes again before more shit hits the fan. Take us there, Bear.
Jess: I’ve seen the first 3 episodes so far, and I’m feeling fine, but I was expecting to feel over the moon. The first episode was like someone saying: Oh, your anticipation is overflowing and your energy is high? I know how to fix that — here’s 40 minutes of hypnosis-inducing meditation. That’s not to say that I disliked it entirely, and I appreciate that Storer is venturing into more experimental styles, but it makes me nervous that he might be resting on his laurels and getting too comfortable in knowing that the world will watch (and hype up) the show no matter what. The cult following is so rabid that I’m nervous to even express anything besides enthusiastic praise. However, episodes 2 and 3 were more of a return to form, and I’m optimistic that the pieces will all fall into place.
Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.
My Lady Jane
Keywords: historical fantasy, comedy, adventure
Watch if you like: The Princess Bride, The Great, Ella Enchanted, Catherine Called Birdy
Jenni’s Rating: B
Based on a series of young adult novels written by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows, My Lady Jane blends historical fiction with fantasy in a whimsical reimagining of the life of Lady Jane Grey. Great-granddaughter to Henry VII and short-lived queen of England, the real-life noblewoman was known to be well-educated and strong-willed and was tragically executed at the age of 17 for political gain. In this retelling, however, Jane avoids the axe and leads a life of romance, magical mishaps, and adventure.
Playful and irreverent, this show feels like a cross between The Princess Bride and The Great in tone. The few serious moments of plot are well-balanced with sharp or silly humor, and the whole production does a great job of shepherding along that energy. With the supporting cast — including Anna Chancellor, Rob Brydon, Dominic Cooper and Jim Broadbent — doing a lot of the comedic heavy lifting, there is plenty of room for Emily Bader’s bright and enchanting take on Jane and Edward Bluemel’s dashingly brooding portrayal of her major love interest. A jaunty narrator rounds out the crew, breaking the fourth wall every so often to guide us through a world that is at once both familiar (through history books, at least) and wonderfully strange.
As a “new-adult” fantasy adventure comedy, My Lady Jane is pretty successful — it’s escapist, romantic, and funny. And while the 8 episodes of this first season do move quickly (sometimes hurtling past what could be better character- and relationship development for the sake of the romp), it seems like a pointed choice by the writers. If you like swashbuckling heroes, deadpan villains, and surprising twists in anachronistic, fantastical historical dramas, My Lady Jane might be the perfect summer viewing for you.
— Jenni
Length: 45-min runtime, 1 season / 8 episodes
Watch on: Prime Video
Land of Women
Keywords: soapy, drama, feel-good
Watch if you like: Sweet Magnolias, Virgin River, From Scratch
Jess’s Rating: C-
Eva Longoria returns to television in Land of Women, a dramedy that blends fish-out-of-water comedy with heartfelt family drama. Based on Sandra Barneda's bestselling novel, the series follows Gala (Longoria), a New York socialite who flees to rural Spain with her daughter and mother after her husband's financial misdeeds catch up with him. Once there, Gala clashes with the locals, uncovers family secrets, and finds her way in a new world.
The series serves up very predictable but mildly charming scenarios as Gala adjusts to rural life. A woman in stilettos tripping in the mud — how novel! With lush cinematography that showcases the beauty of Northern Spain, the show’s visual appeal is undeniable, and this helps to compensate for a so-far uninspired narrative. Despite its good intentions and moments of warmth, this is nothing that we haven’t seen before.
That said, if you're in the mood for light, escapist fare with a dash of romance and family drama, Land of Women offers a pleasant, if formulaic, viewing experience. Think Lifetime movie on an Apple TV budget. It's a series best enjoyed with a glass of wine and lowered expectations, good enough to serve as a mindless distraction from everyday life.
— Jess
Length: 45-min runtime, Limited Series / 2 of 6 episodes available, new on Wednesdays
Watch on: Apple TV+
These popular shows came back with new episodes. Here’s what we thought and where you can watch them.
Interview with the Vampire - Season 2
Keywords: queer romance, horror, gory, soapy
Watch if you like: The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Hannibal
Jess’s Rating: B+
As I wrote a few months ago, AMC’s first season of Interview with the Vampire was a sumptuous reimagining of the source material, and the series has proven to be popular with both devoted longtime fans and newcomers to Anne Rice’s “Vampire Chronicles”. Set across multiple timelines, the show follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) as he recounts his immortal life to cynical journalist (Eric Bogosian). The new season picks up in the aftermath of a betrayal, with Louis and his vampire "daughter" Claudia (Delainey Hayles) fleeing to war-torn Europe in search of others like them.
Building on the strengths of its predecessor, these new episodes center around The Théâtre des Vampires — a Parisian stage play in which vampires hide in plain sight — and further explores the complexities of living as an immortal being. Hayles, who joins the cast as Claudia following Bailey Bass’s departure, doesn’t miss a beat, bringing a new ferocity and existential ennui to the role. Anderson continues to shine as Louis, and his nuanced performance captures the internal struggles of a vampire grappling with his nature and eternal life. Still the highlight of the series, though, is the jaw-dropping production design, and the scenes at the Théâtre des Vampires perfectly blend classic horror with campy theatricality.
With its recent renewal for a third season and a wealth of source material to draw from, Interview with the Vampire proves itself a worthwhile addition to the vampire genre. For those who appreciate character-driven supernatural drama, it’s a must-watch.
— Jess
Length: 50-min runtime, 2 seasons / 15 episodes (7 of 8 episodes available in S2, new on Sundays)
Watch on: AMC / AMC+
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It might be because I spent most my career working in restaurants of all types, but I couldn’t get into The Bear after trying a couple times (partly because of anxiety/ptsd?) and was just about to try again in order to get into S3. After reading this, I’m gonna wait for your post-season thoughts before pressing play again.