Hello, friends! Happy Friday. It's a bit muggy here in Boston today, but the forecast for the next five days looks glorious. Full sun, 80-90 degrees - ideal beach weather.
Before I share this week's top picks, let's talk about what's coming up:
- Monday, June 7 - We are just four days away from the premiere of the new season of The Bachelorette, starring Katie Thurston as the woman seeking love. Chris Harrison is out as the host, replaced by franchise alums Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams.
- Wednesday, June 9 - Season two of LA's Finest hits Netflix. This cop show co-stars Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba. I raced through season one.
- Friday, June 18 - Have you watched the Spanish high school drama Elite on Netflix? It's like Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars, set in Spain. Season four is coming up quickly, so catch up now ahead of the premiere.
- Wednesday, June 23 - One of my favorite CW shows, In the Dark, returns! Perry Mattfeld stars as Murphy Mason, a blind woman entangled with some very dangerous drug dealers. Casey Deidrick plays her incredibly handsome love interest, Max.
Now, thanks to the horrible (rainy, cold, raw) weather last week over Memorial Day weekend, I did a lot of streaming. Like, a lot, a lot. Which means, I have five brand new recommendations for you today.
1. Special (Netflix) - My favorite thing I watched last week was Special, created by Ryan O'Connell. I first discovered Ryan when he was writing for Thought Catalog. One of my friends and I used to email each other his posts, calling out our favorite lines. We thought he was brilliant.
Well, he has taken that wit and humor and turned it into a scripted series on Netflix, inspired by his own life. Much of the show is about his experience living with Cerebral Palsy. The early episodes cover his first job, his first solo apartment and his first time on dating apps.
Ryan plays himself, Jessica Hecht plays his helicopter mom and Punam Patel plays his fabulous best friend, Kim.
Season two was just released, making this a delightful binge. I watched both seasons in two days and was sad when it was over.
2. Pink: All I Know So Far (Amazon) - I had no intention of watching this documentary, but I'm so glad I did. It is one hour and 39 minutes of pure inspiration.
The film follows singer, dancer and gymnast Pink as she tours all over the world with her husband, Carey Hart, and two kids, Willow and Jameson.
It feels like a mix of a few things - a live concert, musings on her career journey, advice on how to be a strong, female leader, the juggle of work and motherhood and the gift of being a role model.
There were many times where Pink would say something and I'd think, "Wow. Yes. I have to write that down." I was surprised how much I loved every minute of this. Even if you don't know her music, you will still enjoy it.
3. Kid90 (Hulu) - At the recommendation of a friend, I watched Kid90, a documentary produced by Soleil Moon Frye, the actress who played Punky Brewster.
Throughout her tween and teenager years, Soleil always had a video camera. She has incredible footage of her early years in Hollywood, featuring everyone from Brian Austin Green to Mark-Paul Gosselaar to David Arquette and even Charlie Sheen.
The film is part reflection and part mental health advisory. Soleil shares the stories of many friends who took their own lives (eight are featured).
While the closing note of the film is very sad, in the first half, you get to relive the glory days of 1990s. For me, having grown up at that time and been such a fan of those TV shows and movies, it was like opening the most accurate time capsule.
4. Plan B (Hulu) - I learned about this movie on Jameela Jamil's podcast, when Natalie Morales was the guest. Morales directed Plan B, a comedy about two best friends in search of the morning after pill.
Kuhoo Verma plays Sunny and Victoria Moroles plays Lupe. Sunny is panicked after the first time she's had sex and Lupe is doing everything she can to help her, while also preparing to meet her crush in person for the first time (after non-stop texting).
I wanted to love this movie, but I found it to be quite long (one hour and 47 minutes) and a little bit absurd.
5. High On The Hog (Netflix) - Many of the chefs I follow on Instagram were promoting this four-part documentary series about the history of African American food, so I decided to give it a watch. The show is hosted by Stephen Satterfield, a sommelier and food and cultural anthropologist.
Episode one takes place in the African country of Benin. It's a very emotional hour, as Satterfield retraces the steps of the slave trade.
Episode two brings us to South Carolina, shining a light on the Gullah Geechee community and their food rituals.
I have two more episodes to go and I'm very much looking forward to it.
There you have it! This week's streaming suggestions. I'll be back next Friday with a fresh round.
*Images courtesy of Unsplash, Entertainment Weekly, PEOPLE, Variety, Teen Vogue and Eating Well.
