Made For Love (HBO Max series) — HBO Max recently struck dark-comedy gold with The Flight Attendant, and the WarnerMedia streamer is poised to do so again with Cristin Milioti maneuvering around a premise that’s even more dizzying than that of Palm Springs. Cristin stars as Hazel, and Ray Romano plays her father, who’s attempting to help her flee from a god-awful marriage with a guy (Billy Magnussen) who’s implanted a chip in her brain so that he can track her every move and emotion. It’s such a cynical spin on relationships, and it’s terrifying, all of it, to consider, but heck, this show will suck you into its compelling vortex. Did we mention that dad is a widower with a “synthetic partner”? Oh boy.
Concrete Cowboy (Netflix film) — Idris Elba in a cowboy hat should be enough of an attraction here, but assuming that you want to know about the all-important plot, here we go. A troubled teen (Caleb McLaughlin) spends the summer in North Philadelphia, where he’s torn between diving into a life or crime or embracing the urban-cowboy subculture that’s embodied by his estranged dad (Elba). The story’s based upon Ghetto Cowboy, the novel by G.Neri, and the film co-stars Jharrel Jerome, Byron Bowers, Lorraine Toussaint, and Clifford “Method Man” Smith.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+ series) — After WandaVision proved that Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige could still bring their A+ game, even on the small screen, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes are here for the buddy action-comedy that fans have dreamed of. Last week, the show mined the depths of systemic racism with a side of couple’s therapy, and Sharon Carter still hasn’t showed up, but she got a shoutout last week, so hopefully, we’ll see her kicking butt soon. Oh, and it’s Zemo time this week, so that should be plenty confrontational.
SNL (Saturday, NBC 11:29 p.m.) — Daniel Kaluuya hosts with musical guest St. Vincent.
Supermarket Sweep (Sunday, ABC 8:00 p.m.) — Leslie Jones and every bit of her enthusiasm will host contestants in this revival of the grocery-shopping game show.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (Sunday, NBC 9:00 p.m.) — Jane Levy continues her leading-lady musical turn by celebrating Zoey’s 30th birthday. Party time gets interrupted by coping with unresolved relationship feelings, though.
The Walking Dead (Sunday, AMC 9:00 p.m.) — The bonus episodes of Season 10 continue with the Negan origin story. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s real-life wife, Hilarie Burton joins the show to portray Lucille, who’s also the namesake of Negan’s famed (and murderous) baseball bat.
Q: Into the Storm: Episodes 5 & 6 (Sunday, HBO 9:00 & 10:00 p.m.) — You’ve heard all of those wild QAnon conspiracy theories, and this weekend, this six-part documentary series continues to chart the movement’s evolution. Filmmaker Cullen Hoback drives into the rabbit hole to reveal how the mysterious “Q” wields conspiracies as information warfare to manipulate thinking and influence American culture.
The Gloaming (Sunday, Starz 8:00 p.m.) — Molly’s feeling increasingly suspicious about Freddie in regards to the Moxley murder.
Shameless (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Kevin and V are about to make a big announcement, and Lip might actually come close to selling the Gallagher family abode. Meanwhile, Ian and Mickie are attempting to adjust to West Side life, and Liam is telling things straight to Frank.
City On A Hill (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Season 2 of this Kevin Bacon show continues with Decourcy pressing the DOJ, and Jackie looking into his rival’s romantic past for dirty. Meanwhile, Siobbhan wants to plan a family, and Jenny receives an unsettling call that makes her think again about her mother.
Gangs Of London (Sunday, AMC 10:15 p.m.) — AMC+ viewers already enjoyed the first season of this series and may even be tempted to revisit the turbulent power struggle all over again as it hits the traditional TV schedule. Fans of the beloved Peaky Blinders, as well, should pay attention because this new series makes Peaky seem like a pleasant walk in London’s Hyde Park. Warring gangs and a power vacuum and a city on its knees are only part of the attraction here. The rest is down to character-based writing and a wonderful cast that embodies a decidedly unglamorous take on warring criminal elements, all of which will prove to be addictive for anyone who loves The Sopranos or any of Marty Scorsese’s mob pictures.
Last Week Tonight (Sunday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — Everyone’s favorite sarcastic and satiric late-night host is here to throw down, and not a moment too soon. Can’t wait to see who he skewers this week.
Here are some more fresh streaming picks:
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (Disney+ series) — Emilio Estevez is back in this new-generation revival of the classic films. Co-starring Lauren Graham and Brady Noon, the Mighty Ducks junior hockey team is now a powerhouse in its division, and it’s brutal in selecting who can make the cut. Estevez is still the Ducks’ original coach, and he’s helping a new team of underdogs after the New Ducks boot a 12-year-old boy named Evan. Rude!
Godzilla vs. Kong (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — As you are well aware, we’ve seen a very long year without blockbusters (or almost any movies at all) in theaters, but a mega-blockbuster has arrived in both streaming and theatrical formats. It’s quite literally an actioner of gigantic proportions in a battle (starring Alexander Skarsgard and Rebecca Hall) for all of the ages. Not only does Kong punch Godzilla, but Godzilla punches back. It’s not quite Fast 9 in terms of ripped dudes with one-liners, but damn, it’s one hell of a movie event.
WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn (Hulu documentary) — Hippie-messianic leader Adam Neumann’s story gets the spotlight, along with the rise and fall of a venture-capitalist bubble-bursting for the ages. Former WeWork members, journalist, and experts come together to tell the tale of how this venture transformed into a unicorn investment while much more was going on behind the scenes.
The Serpent (Netflix series) — This series is inspired by real events with entirely scripted dialogue, all to bring viewers the saga of a serial conman, Charles Sobhraj, and law enforcement’s attempt to nab him. He and his girlfriend, Marie-Andrée Leclerc, became prime suspects in a serieas of murders of tourists, and they also carried out crime sprees in Asia during the mid 1970s. It’s up to a junior diplomat to help set off a chain of events to eventually help Sobhraj transform into the subject of arrest warrants around the world, which in turn makes him Interpol’s most wanted man.
Invincible (Amazon Prime series) — This animated romp drops a new episode and pleases both fans of The Boys and The Walking Dead, and the latter reference has everything to do with the source material by Robert Kirkman. Invincible is an ultraviolent deconstruction of the superhero, and yes, we’ve seen plenty of dismantling already, but this story has heart. Stephen Yeun makes a fantastic leading man here, and the cast (J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Seth Rogen, Walton Goggins, Jason Mantzoukas, Zazie Beetz, Zachary Quinto, Mark Hamill, and several TWD names) is ridiculously good.
Creepshow: Season 2 (Shudder and AMC+ series) — The spooky anthology show returns with many, many featured players on board, including Ali Larter, C. Thomas Howell, Ted Raimi, Kevin Dillon, Anna Camp, Josh McDermitt, Adam Pally, and Ashley Laurence. Just FYI, the Marilyn Manson episode got axed following Evan Rachel Wood’s allegations against the so-called shock rocker.
