Hi, friends. We made it to the weekend. The weather in Boston has been miserable, making it easy to hunker down and stream.
Before I get into this week's picks, let's talk about a few things coming up:
- Friday, November 5 - Netflix drops its first holiday movie about the season, Lovehard. Will it be terrible? Probably. Will I watch it anyway? Definitely.
- Wednesday, November 17 - I can't believe I am typing this, but Tiger King is returning to Netflix for a season two. I haven't decided if I'll watch.
- Friday, November 19 - I am oddly fascinated by Blown Away, the glass blowing competition on Netflix. They are releasing a holiday season with five all stars. Should be fun!
- Wednesday, November 24 - The day before Thanksgiving, Netflix will drop the new season of Selling Sunset. I am obsessed with this show, which follows the high fashion women of the Oppenheim Group as they sell some of the most luxurious homes in Los Angeles.
I have two recommendations for you this week. One comedy and one documentary.
1. Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) - For the past two or three weeks, it felt like everyone I talked to was watching Only Murders in the Building. It's a 10-episode comedy written by Steve Martin. He stars, alongside Martin Short and Selena Gomez. The three of them play neighbors in a Manhattan condo building, trying to solve the murder of another tenant.
Each episode focuses on a new suspect or lead. While the dialogue itself isn't laugh out loud funny, the slapstick, physical comedy is. There's a scene where Steve Martin's leg gets repeatedly sandwiched between the elevator doors and I was howling.
The supporting cast of the show is incredible too - Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Tina Fey - just to name a few.
Each episode is about 30 minutes long and they go by super quickly. I watched the entire season in two sittings.
The finale episode ended in a way that definitely left the door open for a season two. I hope they get it!
2. Bad Sport (Netflix) - It was late on a Sunday night and I was mindlessly scrolling through Netflix when I discovered Bad Sport. It's a new documentary series about scandals in professional sports.
I've watched two episodes so far. The first was about the 2002 winter Olympics and the major media frenzy that erupted after Jamie Sale and David Pelletier were awarded the silver medal in pairs skating, when most judges and the entire ice arena believed they deserved to win gold.
My mom, my sister and I were obsessed with figure skating at the time and I remember this so clearly. I was a senior in high school at the time. It was amazing to watch it back, spliced with commentary from the skaters themselves, their coaches and the journalists who were covering the story at the time. If you wind up watching the episode, treat yourself to this "Where are they now?" article about Jamie and David after you finish.
The second episode I watched was about the Italian soccer club Juventus. The owner of the club, Luciano Moggi, was accused of fixing games and bribing referees. The episode follows the journalist, attorney and police officer who tried to expose his criminal behavior. Warning: this entire episode is in Italian, so get ready for sub titles.
There are three additional episodes - basketball, racing and horse racing. Those seem much darker, so I am not sure if I am going to continue.
There you have it! This week's must-watch shows. More to come next week.
