What I've Been Watching
Hello all! This past month or so I’ve been binge-watching a lot of new shows. And really enjoying most of them. My tastes lately have been geared towards either Marvel shows on Disney + (I loved WandaVision with my whole heart and Falcon and The Winter Soldier was pretty good too) or fantasy shows. I don’t know about anyone else but my brain hasn’t been in the mood lately to deal with gritty dramas steeped in reality. Nope. It wants to watch something that takes it somewhere else. Somewhere fantastical. While still enjoying shows that are smart and well-written.
Jupiter’s Legacy - Netflix
This show is based on a multi-volume graphic novel series (the first season focuses on the first book) about a group of superheroes and their children, who inherited their parents’ powers. It deals with the themes of the older generation attempting to impose outdated ideology onto modern issues, living up to parental expectations, the question of if violence is ever the answer, and changing political landscapes. Of all the shows on this list, this one is perhaps the most realistic in its setting and view of the modern world. Just think of what this world would be like if it had a group of legendary superheroes. Superheroes who refuse to kill and refuse to get involved in politics or any world crisis. How would that look or play out today? Would we applaud them? Or would we find them antiquated and useless? These are all the questions the show asks. This first season does move a bit slow but it is worth watching and the cliffhanger and massive reveal at the end makes me excited to see where the show goes in its second season.
The Nevers — HBO Max
Of all the shows on this list this is the one I was the most excited for. And it hasn't disappointed. I am a huge fan of the lead actress in the series, Laura Donnelly, after her turn on Outlander as Jamie Fraser’s sister. She is a force. And she brings all of that power to her role as Amalia True. A woman who runs an “orphanage “ or safe house for the “touched”. And is “touched” herself (and maybe quite a bit more than that). The series centers around the people - mostly women - who are affected by the particles left behind by an alien ship that flies over Victorian London. No one remembers seeing the ship (though everyone did in fact see it) but people wake up with powers or having been “touched”. The majority of the people who wake up with strange abilities and powers are women, POC, and immigrants. And as you might imagine in 1800’s England this creates a power dynamic that the upper class cannot abide. The underlying theme behind this show is fear of the unknown, fear of the “other”, and the extremes powerful people will go to to retain power.
Debris - NBC
Speaking of Aliens! Lol. Debris ALSO deals with aliens. But in current or perhaps near future (?) times. It centers around an alien spacecraft (or crafts?) that has left “debris” around the US. The debris affects those who come in contact with it in various ways (a woman gets stuck in a time void, a farm becomes terraformed, for example) A duo of investigators, one from the UK, and one who is an ex-Marine, liaise over the debris that is found. The show functions much like a procedural with each episode centering around a new piece of “debris”. But there is an overarching mystery - two in fact - that the show also deals with that leaves you excited to see what happens next and what it all means.
Shadow and Bone - Netflix
I am still finishing this show up. I stopped watching it for awhile and so I am behind a few episodes. But I have seen enough to know that this show is fantastic. If you are on the fence on whether to watch it I have two words for you: Ben Barnes. That’s it. That’s all you need to know. You’ll figure out the rest.
What shows have you been watching lately? Any recommendations on what I should watch next? Let me know in the comments!
