Welcome back, weekend warriors. It’s another cold and wintry weekend here in the mountains. It appears the weather gods have deemed autumn unworthy and prefer to skip the season altogether. I wasn’t ready for snow, but what can you do?
Well, one reasonably decent idea is simply stay indoors! Get comfy on the couch with friends and family and stream some of the new releases out this weekend. To be fair, it’s a bit of a slow weekend but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything worth watching. In fact, one of my most-anticipated TV shows of 2024 comes out on Saturday.
Check out last week’s streaming guide right here.
Alright, let’s dive right in!
What’s New This Weekend
Arcane Season 2 (Netflix)
One of my all-time favorite Netflix shows is Riot Games’ Arcane based on the video game League of Legends. The really great thing about this video game adaptation is that you need absolutely zero knowledge of the game to enjoy it, which is good because I’m really not a League fan at all. But I love this show! Complex characters, great voice-acting, gorgeous animation, a thrilling plot filled with magic, action and adventure and deeply personal conflicts—what’s not to love? The first three episodes of Season 2 air Saturday with three more the next two weekends. This is the final season of this show, unfortunately. It’s also the most expensive animated show ever made. Wild! (This is not a “kid cartoon” either, it’s decidedly for older viewers).
Countdown: Paul vs Tyson (Netflix)
I’ll be totally honest here: I really don’t care about a boxing match between YouTuber Jake Paul and former heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson. It’s just a weird, reality-TV-ish thing that rubs me all the wrong ways. Tyson is old. Jake Paul is . . . well, the less we say about him the better. Shouldn’t he be fighting someone his own age, at least? In any case, the big fight isn’t until next weekend but Netflix released this three-part docuseries to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the fighters as they prep for the big fight.
Citadel: Honey Bunny (Prime Video)
Prime Video is taking an interesting approach to its Citadel franchise. The first series—simply called Citadel—was an American spy show and really kind of bombed with critics, doing only slightly better with audiences. I have to confess, I only watched an episode. Maybe I’ll revisit it sometime. Then came Citadel: Diana which was Italian, both in setting and language. Now Citadel: Honey Bunny is set in India. This is a genuine globe-trotting spy series at this point, and I think that’s actually pretty clever. Both the spinoffs have fared much better with critics, so give this a shot if you don’t mind dubs or subtitles.
Santa Tell Me (Peacock)
It’s not Christmas yet, but don’t tell that to Peacock. The streamer has a ton of Christmas stuff out this month, and a new Hallmark Channel movie for those of you who are into that kind of thing. The Erin Krakow-starring movie comes to Peacock on Sunday, and follows the story of a woman choosing between three suitors, all of whom are named Nick (I guess there’s a Saint Nick thing going on maybe). Not my cup of tea, but lots of people love this stuff, and as I always say: “To each their own!” May the best Nick win . . . .
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (In Theaters)
Another Christmas movie, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is based on the book of the same name by Barbara Robinson. The story follows the Herdmans—the “worst kids in the history of the world”—and their involvement in a Christmas pageant. This is a faith-based film from Dallas Jenkins (The Chosen) so be aware of that going in. Obviously your mileage will vary based on your own beliefs. But if you like “true meaning of Christmas” films, this might be just the heart-warming movie to go see with your kids this holiday season.
Streaming Weekly
The herd has been thinned considerably over the last two weeks when it comes to ongoing series that I’ve been following. Agatha All Along ended the week before last with a great season finale. I really enjoyed the Only Murders In The Building season finale that week also.
We also got the season finale for Peacock’s Teacup and I wrote my Season 1 review for that show. I definitely recommend it especially if you’re a fan of the classic horror movie The Thing. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s second season also ended, though with a whimper rather than a bang. What a shame.
There are still a few shows out there to check out, however. We’ll start with . . . .
Shrinking Season 2 (Apple TV)
I burned through the first season of Shrinking (having not watched it when it first came out) and am still catching up on Season 2. It’s really great, though I think the first season was stronger overall. That’s not really a complaint so much as an observation. I love the characters and they have so many great moments together as they hash out their differences. It’s super relatable in a lot of ways. I just hope they don’t drag it out beyond its natural arc a la Ted Lasso. New episodes drop Tuesdays on Apple TV.
The Penguin (HBO / Max)
I’m not recapping each week of The Penguin but I do need to write about it again soon because I’m genuinely enjoying it . . . for the most part. I have to admit that the most recent episode had a couple weird bits that I found a little jarring, but I can forgive some missteps when everything else is so good. Colin Farrell is fantastic as Oz Cobb, but it’s Cristin Milioti’s sublime performance as Sofia Falcone that really steals the show. New episodes land Sundays on HBO and Max.
FROM (MGM)
While I’ve mostly enjoyed FROM’s third season, I have to say that last Sunday’s episode was a real stinker. I hope things pick up for the rest of the season. I still highly recommend this show to anyone who enjoys horror or old fans of Lost looking for something similar. It’s dark and mysterious and a lot of fun—and even though it’s far from perfect, I’m always excited for each new episode. New episodes air on Sundays on MGM+ which you can subscribe to via Prime Video.
Sweetpea (Starz)
I just realized that I’m at least one—maybe two—episodes behind on Sweetpea. I’ve been super busy and even though my workload in terms of shows has gone down, I’ve been doing more video game stuff and just . . . life. You know how it goes. I need to catch up, though, because the Ella Purnell-led drama about a burgeoning serial killer is deliciously dark. New episodes land on Fridays on Starz. Read my thoughts on the series here.
What did I miss? Are you watching anything good these days? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
Further Reading From Yours Truly
It’s been a pretty crazy week what with the election. However you voted, whatever your opinions on the outcome, hang in there and remember: Be excellent to each other. Even though it’s really damn hard sometimes.
What are you watching? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
