The worlds of TV and film are poised to come roaring back during what we hope is the tail end of the pandemic. Certainly, TV’s done better over the past year than film, but get ready because March will see some highly anticipated movies (Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Godzilla vs. Kong from HBO Max, Cherry on Apple TV+) land on streaming services. Those blockbusters shall hit your living room, but when you’re done watching two monsters beat the stuffing out of each other, and Jared Leto’s Joker loses his shock value, you’re gonna need some March TV shows.
Fortunately, the small screen is rallying. Production got back underway on many shows months ago, and we can now reap the benefits of those efforts, even more so than last month’s respectable turnout, all things considered. We’ll see superheroes of the conventional and not-so-conventional senses, warring bikers, mesmerizing docuseries, a horror show, a beloved returning animation series, and plenty more. We’ve dug through the schedule and found these must-see (or at least, “must try”) selections for you.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: Season 1 (Disney+ series streaming on March 19)
After WandaVision proved that Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige could still bring their A+ game, even on the small screen, we’re getting the (begrudging) buddy comedy that fans of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes have wanted since they bickered over a back seat in Captain America: Civil War. The dudes will spend a good chunk of the season taking down Baron Helmut Zemo (the big bad portrayed by Daniel Brühl), but what Marvel viewers will truly love to see is the return of Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp), who’s kicking ass in the above trailer and making her aunt’s Peggy’s spirit proud. “Who will be the next Cap?” might be the question on everyone’s mind, but I’d like to know the answer to this inquiry, too: “What does Sharon really think of Steve Rogers going back in time to be with Peggy?” I want to reply to that one, and the rest of this goodness will be gravy.
Mayans M.C.: Season 3 (FX series on March 16, next-day streaming on Hulu)
This biker drama’s second-season finale aired in late 2019, and we’ve been waiting all this time to find out the identity of the SAMCRO member who was killed at the Vatos Malditos party. EZ is now a fully-patched member, so he can stress out even more this season, and basically, the whole club starts this season a few months after that party (and the purposeful killing of Dita) in a rough place. Fortunately, this season looks to be a lot less about personal conflict and more about club maneuvering that could lead to war. Not only are the two rival M.C.s coming no closer to peacefully coexisting, but the Galindo cartel is essentially f*cked in multiple ways, and real-world issues intrude to make a fine mess for all characters. Showrunner Elgin James is officially taking the show into the post-Kurt Sutter era of the Sons Of Anarchy franchise, and he’s promised plenty of fallout involving one of my favorite words, “reckoning.” Let’s ride.
Zoe’s Extraordinary Playlist: Season 2 back from hiatus (NBC series on 3/28, next-day streaming on Hulu)
At first glance, this series might seem a little too twee to check out, but if you fall into that assumption, you’re missing a real treat. A luminous Jane Levy plays a computer coder who finds that she can suddenly hear the thoughts of those around her. However, there’s a twist: those thoughts materialize through popular songs. This leads Levy to believe that she might be losing it, but nope, she’s gaining everything. Zoe’s Extraordinary Playlist is a refreshing series (with fine emotional pacing) that more than lives up to its high concept while also tackling the heavy cultural issues of our times on an occasional basis. The show might also make you forget that Levy became a household name as a scream queen because she’s clearly capable of so much more, and this series should put her on the map as one to watch for the rest of her career.
Invincible: Season 1 (Amazon Prime series streaming on 3/26)
The Walking Dead creator and comic book writer Robert Kirkman is finally getting a chance to shine on TV outside of the post-apocalyptic, zombie-fueled realm. Well, the same streaming service that brought us The Boys pulls no punches here, either. This show is bloody and brutal with an all-star voice cast, including Sandra Oh, Seth Rogen, Gillian Jacobs, Zazie Beetz, Walton Goggins, Jason Mantzoukas, Zachary Quinto, and the one and only Mahershala Ali. Also, there’s a little TWD flavor with Steven Yeun voicing 17-year-old Mark, whose father happens to be Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), the greatest superhero on the planet. As Mark begins to come into and develop his own powers, he discovers some shady sh*t about dad, and expect the first three episodes to arrive at debut with weekly installments following from there until April 30.
Mr. Mercedes: Season 3 (Peacock exclusive series streaming 3/4)
The crime-thriller series that’s based upon Stephen King’s best-selling Bill Hodges Trilogy continues from executive producer David E. Kelley and director Jack Bender. Viewers know that this series brings us a very different Holly Gibney (as portrayed by Justine Lupe) than the one we witnessed on HBO’s The Outsider (as played by Cynthia Erivo), and this season was co-written by Kelley and King. Settle in as the murder of a beloved local author (and American icon) becomes the focus of Hodges, Holly, and Jerome, who find that this case is much more complex than mere cold-blooded killing. Unpublished novels have gone missing from the author’s home, and the principal trio learns that Brady Hartsfield’s depraved legacy is continuing long after he’s gone.
Q: Into the Storm (HBO series streaming on HBO Max on March 21)
You’ve seen all the recent headlines about the QAnon Shaman and wacky conspiracy-theory-loving Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and here’s a six-part documentary series that digs deep in an effort to unmask the actual “Q” behind the cult-like mind hive that helped organize a right-wing, MAGA-shouting insurrection upon the U.S. Capitol. Is Q an actual mastermind, given that this entity has managed to unleash informational warfare upon the foundations of democracy in the United States? That answer remains to be seen, and this weekly series is the culmination of a three-year investigation, all aimed at tracking the “Q” evolution (“devolution” is probably a more accurate term) of hijacking politics and manipulating minds to devastating effect.
The Irregulars: Season 1 (Netflix series streaming 3/26)
This series is set in 19th century London, where Dr. Watson and the elusive Sherlock Holmes enlist a group of misfits to solve supernatural crimes. Watson is said to be sinister in this series, and Holmes is simply mysterious, so this group is probably on their own to fight a dark power to save humanity, both in London and around the globe. Even though (as with the recent Enola Holmes) there’s no Millie Bobbie Brown, Henry Cavill, or Sam Claflin to be seen here, Netflix could launch a franchise with this very British series, so we’ll see how the viewing numbers and the social media interest shake out.
Solar Opposites: Season 2 (Hulu series streaming on 3/26)
This is arguably Hulu’s best animated series, coming back to us from co-creators Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan of Rick & Morty fame. The good news is that the show’s returning while many of us have had it with humanity, and the team of four-strong aliens aren’t feeling too differently. After crash-landing on earth and find themselves trapped in suburban America, the group can’t decide whether or not Earth is all that it’s cracked up to be. Roiland, Thomas Middleditch, Sean Giambrone, and Mary Mack voice these players, who can’t decide whether or not junk food and TV are worth the hassle of pollution and, well, people. It’s a tough call to make, but fortunately, clicking play will never be a tough decision for viewers of this show.
Murder Among the Mormons (Netflix documentary limited series streaming 3/3)
Salt Lake City is struck by a series of fatal pipe bombs in 1985, and it’s easily one of the most shocking happenings in the history of the Mormon community. A criminal mastermind is to blame, and clues spring from early Mormon documents and diaries found scattered amid a rare document collection that’s in possession of one of the victims. This is a three-part miniseries and a true-crime documentary that digs into territory seldom seen for a genre that tends to focus on spooks and serial killers. Here, the main crimes in question went down in broad daylight, but as the episodes unfold, the darkness of what sparked these stunning killings slowly rises to the surface.
City on a Hill: Season 2 (Showtime series streaming 3/28)
This underrated Boston-set crime drama is back with Kevin Bacon as a corrupt ex-FBI agent and Aldis Hodge opposite Bacon as an assistant district attorney. Both men are still circling each other’s orbits with an antagonistic bite that could turn into all-out war, and no one is immune from feeling the collateral damage. It’s not the most originally conceived series out there, but the leading turns are compelling, and Bacon appears as though he never feels more alive than when he’s playing a baddie onscreen.
