I love reading stories, but the dominant storytelling medium today is television. I thought I would share what I’m watching and what makes it worthwhile.
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
A Star Wars series with a spaghetti western feel. It follows the adventures of a young Mandalorian bounty hunter as he has an attack of conscience after taking a job involving a baby (maybe you’ve seen the toys). It’s hooked the whole family and we’re re-watching the first season before the second drops on October 30. Highly recommended, worth the price of a month’s subscription on its own.
The Expanse (Amazon)
Based on the best-selling space opera by James S.A. Corey. This series centers around the chaos that ensues when three human factions (Earth, Mars, and the Belters) discover alien tech and fight each other (and themselves) to possess it. I like this series more than the books (which makes me something of a heretic in writing circles) and love the show’s take on Belter culture and that it adheres to a harder set of sci-fi rules (no phasers, WWII-style space fighter dogfights, or immunity from the effects of long-term zero-G). I still need to watch season 4 before season 5 drops on December 16.
The Boys (Amazon)
Put the kids to bed before watching this one. A dark comedic commentary on the superhero genre that plays the “what if” game with super powers and collateral damage. The Boys is about a team of regular humans who take revenger on the supers who have wronged them, with mixed results. It’s a show that reminds us about the temptations on power in all its forms and it stars Karl Urban, who steals every scene he’s in. I finished season one and have yet to crack season two which is available right now.
Classic Dr Who (Pluto TV)
I know. This is my guilty pleasure when everyone’s out of the house or when nostalgia strikes. Pluto TV has episodes running 24/7 will all the Doctors from William Hartnell to Sylvester McCoy. Be warned, it has commercials, but on the other hand, Pluto TV is a free service. While you’re there, you can also check out channels dedicated to Star Trek, James Bond, The Walking Dead, Dark Shadows, Naruto, MST3K, and Rifftrax too.
Ted Lasso (Apple TV)
This isn’t sci-fi or fantasy, just a damn fine show with a mix of humor and heart I rarely see together. The show is about a football (soccer) owner hiring a football (American) coach because she wants to burn the team to the ground to spite her ex-husband. Enter the titular Ted Lasso, who seems doomed from the start but somehow makes it work.
One of these Days….
On my someday list: (because I can only watch so much TV, and can’t subscribe to everything)
Game of Thrones. (HBO) Yes, really. I left off at season 3 and even though I know how it ends, I still want to see how it got there.
Westworld (HBO). I remember the original movie and have seen the first 3 episodes of season 1. The series looks like my kind of weird.
The Witcher (Netflix). I’m also the oddball who doesn’t have Netflix right now. When I do re-subscribe, this is on my list. Loved the books and have heard good things about this adaptation.
Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access) A reader recommended this animated Star Trek series about a starship’s support crew, filled with in-jokes and references that long-time Trek fans will love. Many say it’s better than Picard and Discovery.
What shows am I missing? Did I hit on any of your favorites?
