Stream Scenario

TV dos and don'ts. Plus, Neil Diamond and Mr. Ed.

Dec 09, 2022

I’m going to be honest with you: I’m still struggling to get the jumble of thoughts in my head out onto the little white space between the title above, and where it says “clickable” below—and the clock is tickin’ on a Friday night here in Paris. I guess I’m just feeling more “Silent Night” than “Santa Tell Me” (or you, rather) these days. Blame it on all the TV I’ve been watching. So! In the spirit of Lists Season, and the fact that my input seems to be higher than my output, here’s my take on series or films I watched recently:

Do Stream These:

Bad Sisters/Apple+ - Best thing out there. Ding dong The Prick is dead.
White Lotus (Season 2)/HBO - I have no idea who killed who, but I’m in it for the Sicilian sex workers and Stifler’s Mom.
Stutz/Netflix - Already want to watch it again. Inspiring, bittersweet, and educational doc from Johan Hill.
Welcome to Chippendales/Hulu - Half-naked men, dancing, and Juliette Lewis in bellbottoms? Yes, please.

Maybe Don’t Bother With these:

Yellowstone (season 5)/Paramount - Enough with the politics and Beth’s boozy teenage antics. Just give us cowboys Kaycee and Rip.
Spirited/Apple+ - Love me a musical, but this Christmas film was overly hokey. Did appreciate the Dame Judy cameo, though.
Sex Lives of College Girls (season 2)/HBO - Mindy Kaling is a smart and funny writer, but it’s like she rebooted the same storylines.
Pachinko/Apple+ - The plot is important and the acting is masterful, but the telling of it felt disjointed and harried.

With all I watch, you’d think I were a recap writer at Vulture. Now that I think about it…new goal for 2023! Happy streaming, everyone. Tell me what you’re watching in the comments. And I’ll do my best to come up with something more meaty before the end of the year. Thanks for sticking with me. xx — Sara

Clickable

Tasting menus have gone to pot. | Grub Street
A fond farewell to an NYC apartment. | Curbed
The makings of a Lifetime Christmas movie. | Vulture
What happens when a journo answers all PR pitches for a day? | Slate
When writers date writers: “words are loudest on the page.” | The Guardian
The best time to buy a house is… | The New Yorker
Bhutan, you seem lovely. Who wants to take a hike? | National Geographic

Watchable

The trailer for the forthcoming Apple+ series Shrinking leaves little to be deserved in the plot department, but I love the song and trampoline-jumping. Also, it’s got a stellar cast with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford.

This gave me chills. Man, I love the theater.

Currently Overthinking…

…that gas-y smell in my house and whether it’s something worrisome like, er, carbon monoxide. It’s silent, but is it not smelly, too??? Also: what to wear for a black tie dinner in the French Alps and whether my waterproof hiking boots will do the trick in the snow…!

Souvenir: Mr. Ed

While we didn’t see any horses during our stay at Daylesford Farm in the Cotswolds last week, Mom and I did meet a lot of animals, which got me thinkin’ about their personalities, which got me thinkin’ about everyone’s favorite talking horse, Mr. Ed! While the show debuted before my time, it’s still a part of my pop culture lexicon thanks to my parents. Did you watch?