📺 What to watch: 'The Afterparty', 'Foundation', and more
murder mysteries, a sci-fi epic and a few new seasons to check out
Happy Thursday, everyone. In strike news, negotiators for the WGA and AMPTP met on Tuesday to discuss the latest counteroffer from the studios, although sources say that a resolution is not imminent. It’s been over 100 days since the strike began, and we’re hoping for the writers and actors to be given a fair deal as soon as possible.
In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
The Afterparty - Season 2 (Apple TV+)
Foundation - Season 1 (Apple TV+)
— Jenni Cullen and Jess Spoll
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This newsletter was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the shows being reviewed here wouldn't exist.
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.
Only Murders in the Building (Season 3) — There’s a new death to investigate in the Arconia! Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are back as an unlikely trio of amateur detectives and podcasters determined to get to the bottom of things…just as soon as they finish getting tangled up in them. Once again, there are gags and twists and impressive guest stars galore; this season boasts national treasures Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd. If you enjoyed the first two seasons, this is more of the same — albeit with slightly less emphasis on the podcasting and more focus on the murder.
Watch on Hulu: 3 episodes of 10 available nowKilling It (Season 2) — Craig Robinson and Claudia O’Doherty are back for another season of trying to achieve the American Dream in the swampland of Florida, this time trading hunting pythons for harvesting berries. The first season was a surprise delight, with just as much heart as humor, and hopefully this follow-up lives up to its predecessor.
Watch on Peacock: August 17 (all 8 episodes)Harlan Coben’s Shelter (Season 1) — Harlan Coben is well known for his twist-laden mystery novels, and this marks the 12th time that one of his books has been adapted into a TV show or movie. Shelter is the first book in his YA action-thriller series following a high school student who becomes tangled up in the mysterious disappearance of a classmate.
Watch on Prime Video: August 18 (3 of 8 episodes)
These popular shows came back with new episodes. Here’s what we thought and where you can watch them.
The Afterparty - Season 2
Keywords: comedy, murder mystery, genre-hopping
Watch if you like: Only Murders in the Building, Psych, Poker Face
Jess’s Rating: B
The first season of the mystery-comedy series The Afterparty asked the question: “who killed Xavier (Dave Franco) at the high school reunion afterparty?” By the end of the eight episodes, we had an answer. In this follow-up season, Aniq (Sam Richardson) and Zoë (Zoë Chao) return, and unluckily for them, bear witness to another murder. Tiffany Haddish also returns as Detective Danner to investigate. The rest of the suspects and key players are different, with the new crop including Zach Woods (The Office), John Cho (Harold and Kumar), Paul Walter Hauser (Black Bird), and Ken Jeong (The Hangover).
Arguably the best aspect of the series, the genre-hopping gimmick is even more fun this time around. While the first season took inspiration from broad genres like action, musical, and rom-com, this season goes a little more niche. One episode is a play on a Wes Anderson movie, another is inspired by film noir, another by heist movies à la Oceans Eleven. Part of the enjoyment of watching is figuring out the inspiration behind each episode. Of course, the downside to this device is that you’ll like some episodes more than others depending on what genres you prefer. (I found the Wes Anderson episode to be delightful, the film noir episode, less so). And, although fun, the reinforced commitment to leaning into these very specific genres results in an increased feeling of outlandishness and thus a greater sense of detachment from the characters.
Genre-hopping device aside, the core of the series is the whodunnit, and that is improved in this season. In the first, the mystery felt somewhat stale after the first few episodes, as the same sequence of events was retold from a different character’s perspective. This time, each episode brings a new set of clues to the investigation, keeping things fresh. What was really excellent about the first season, though, was the comedy, and that’s lacking here in comparison. With an incredibly funny cast of comedic actors, they’ve managed to lose much of the humor amidst the mystery and genre exploration. I would’ve happily given up some of the genre adherence for more comedy in this season, but The Afterparty remains an entertaining, cozy watch.
— Jess
Length: 30-45 min runtime, 2 seasons / 18 episodes (7 of 10 episodes in S2 available now)
Watch on: Apple TV+
Foundation - Season 1
Keywords: sci-fi, drama, epic
Watch if you like: The Expanse, Babylon 5, The Man in the High Castle
Jenni’s Rating: C+
The second season of Foundation premiered a few weeks ago, so I finally decided to catch up on the first to see if it’s a series worth following. The show is loosely based on Isaac Asimov’s epic book series of the same name. It chronicles the thousand-year saga of The Foundation, a group of exiles who aims to save civilization from an impending dark age threatening the Galactic Empire.
If that sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. With timelines taking place across the solar system and stretching millennia — crossing over one another, hurtling toward each other — the plot is at points thrilling to dissect, but at others, frustrating and confusing. There is also a lot of “lore” to follow throughout Foundation, almost more ‘epic fantasy’ than ‘sci-fi’ in nature. If you’re a fan of both genres, this might be the perfect crossover for you with its focus on prophecies, heroes, fate, and the corruption of power. But it’s also got, you know…spaceships.
While I can’t speak to the success or closeness of the adaptation (apparently they’ve tweaked quite a bit of the source material), I can speak to the quality of the visuals. If nothing else, this show is stunning. Each planet is entirely its own and feels real. You can tell a good chunk of the $45 million budget went to the sets and visual effects. Another slice of the budget was well spent on TV powerhouses Jared Harris and Lee Pace. As a certified Lee Pace stan since Pushing Daisies, I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to find out he plays a major role in this series.
All in all, the first season was interesting enough to keep me watching through to the finale, but I’m not rushing to start the next anytime soon.
—Jenni
Length: 50-min runtime, 2 seasons / 15 of 20 episodes out, new on Fridays
Watch on: Apple TV+
Your shows, returned:
Killing It, Season 2: Premieres August 17 on Peacock
The Upshaws, Season 4: Premieres August 17 on Netflix
Invasion, Season 2: Premieres August 23 on Apple TV+
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, Season 2: Premieres August 23 on Netflix
Upcoming new releases:
Harlan Coben’s Shelter: Premieres August 18 on Prime Video
Star Wars: Ahsoka: Premieres August 23 on Disney+
Who is Erin Carter?: Premieres August 24 on Netflix
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