What to Watch Instantly on Netflix? (and now all streaming services)

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

My wife and I have been binging Ozark the last few weeks. Currently on S3E7, so almost done. I really enjoyed the first season, but feel like it maybe jumped the shark in season 2. I really haven't cared for season 3, but perhaps the last few episodes will redeem it.

S1 & S2 were great. I do agree S3 went down somewhat but don't think it jumped the shark yet. The S3 finale had good tension.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

My wife and I have been binging Ozark the last few weeks. Currently on S3E7, so almost done. I really enjoyed the first season, but feel like it maybe jumped the shark in season 2. I really haven't cared for season 3, but perhaps the last few episodes will redeem it.

I think the problem with binge watching 3-4-5 seasons of a show is it becomes repetitive. I think if you watched them a season at a time, or an episode once a week like old school, it seems less formulamatic. If thats a word

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Edward64

S1 & S2 were great. I do agree S3 went down somewhat but don't think it jumped the shark yet. The S3 finale had good tension.

The final scene was great

[panerd]

Debating between these 4 choices (note the theme that I didn't have time before to invest but now have a LOT of time and they are all loved)...

Try Ozark again. (Gave up around mid-season 1, some say it gets better later)
Try Westworld again. (Gave up around mid-season 1, some say it gets better)
Try Mad Men again (Gave up pretty early on, but have heard it gets good in later seasons)
Try The Crown (I really enjoyed Downton Abbey)

Wasn't sure if I just wasn't into these or if they all did start out slow and got better. Favorite shows if this helps The Wire, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Succession, Treme...

[JPhillips]

The first two seasons of The Crown are great, the third is fine, but didn't have the season-long arc of the first two seasons.

I loved the first season of Westworld. The ending shows are great.

[ISiddiqui]

Westworld Season 1 is the best by far. Season 2 was terrible. Season 3 is better. It's been renewed for Season 4.

I love the Crown. It's fantastic stuff. I don't like the third season as much, but I think it's more because the new actress for the Queen isn't as good as the previous one (they basically have the same cast for 2 seasons and then recast, since they are moving through a bunch of decades). On the other hand, the new Prince Phillip is perfect (though I've always really liked Tobias Menzies).

Mad Men is excellent.

[Jas_lov]

I'm just finishing Season 3 of The Crown. I also don't like the new actors as much as the ones in Seasons 1 and 2. What I don't get is why they changed actors. Season 2 ended in 1963 after JFK's assassination and Season 3 started in 1964. So they aged 20 years in 1 year?

And I like Michael C. Hall in Dexter and Six Feet Under but he was a horrible JFK. Didn't look or sound like him.

[grdawg]

Originally Posted by panerd

Debating between these 4 choices (note the theme that I didn't have time before to invest but now have a LOT of time and they are all loved)...

Try Ozark again. (Gave up around mid-season 1, some say it gets better later)

I was in this same boat, but with the lockdown and no sports, started watching again 6 weeks ago and finished all the episodes in about a week and really enjoyed it so I'd recommend going back to it.

[panerd]

Sounds like I can't go wrong with any of them. Probably go Crown (since I've never even seen it) and then Ozark/Westworld because they are shorter and finally Mad Men.

What's crazy is 10 years ago I could watch Lost, Breaking Bad, Dexter etc all at the same time (with the once a week episodes) but now I feel like I have to stream one show to it's completion at a time. Like I couldn't watch an episode of all 4 and then cycle. Does that make sense? (I don't even try the Hulu/Showtime/HBO once a week ones until they are done with their seasons) Am I crazy or do you guys feel the same way?

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Jas_lov

I'm just finishing Season 3 of The Crown. I also don't like the new actors as much as the ones in Seasons 1 and 2. What I don't get is why they changed actors. Season 2 ended in 1963 after JFK's assassination and Season 3 started in 1964. So they aged 20 years in 1 year?

Season 3 went from 1964 to 1977. Claire Foy definitely didn't look like QE2 in the 70s. They are going through the 80s with these actors. Season 4 is going to have Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by panerd

What's crazy is 10 years ago I could watch Lost, Breaking Bad, Dexter etc all at the same time (with the once a week episodes) but now I feel like I have to stream one show to it's completion at a time. Like I couldn't watch an episode of all 4 and then cycle. Does that make sense? (I don't even try the Hulu/Showtime/HBO once a week ones until they are done with their seasons) Am I crazy or do you guys feel the same way?

It's because they are made for binging as opposed to airing every week. The pacing is different for shows based on how they are intended to be aired.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by panerd

Sounds like I can't go wrong with any of them. Probably go Crown (since I've never even seen it) and then Ozark/Westworld because they are shorter and finally Mad Men.

What's crazy is 10 years ago I could watch Lost, Breaking Bad, Dexter etc all at the same time (with the once a week episodes) but now I feel like I have to stream one show to it's completion at a time. Like I couldn't watch an episode of all 4 and then cycle. Does that make sense? (I don't even try the Hulu/Showtime/HBO once a week ones until they are done with their seasons) Am I crazy or do you guys feel the same way?

Have you tried Peaky Blinders?

5 seasons, 6 episodes per. Excellent acting and storylines and the music is amazing.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Have you tried Peaky Blinders?

5 seasons, 6 episodes per. Excellent acting and storylines and the music is amazing.

Had it in my queue but kept seeing the 5 seasons and never really thought that as a British show that would only be 30 episodes and not 100 like the US. Will definitely add that to my list!

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by panerd

Had it in my queue but kept seeing the 5 seasons and never really thought that as a British show that would only be 30 episodes and not 100 like the US. Will definitely add that to my list!

I do recommend watching with subtitles. The accents are a bit thick.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

It's because they are made for binging as opposed to airing every week. The pacing is different for shows based on how they are intended to be aired.

Yeah and I get that for the newer shows but I even feel that way rewatching older shows like a Mad Men or Sopranos. I think streaming + my short attention span has changed how I watch tv.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by panerd

Yeah and I get that for the newer shows but I even feel that way rewatching older shows like a Mad Men or Sopranos. I think streaming + my short attention span has changed how I watch tv.

Ahhh, that's interesting. When I watch older shows, usually I'm fine watching one or two shows a night and watching something else along with it. Like the wife and I have been watching Picard and Killing Eve back to back just about every weekend - KE was on cable and Picard kind of feels like it (with even strange cut to black between non-existent commercial breaks).

It's different watching something on Netflix or Amazon made for streaming, which just leads you into the next episode.

[sterlingice]

We just started our free trial for CBS to watch Picard. Enjoying it 3 eps in - kindof TNG meets Blade Runner. It's not super awesome but it's good enough that we'll easily watch it all the way through.

What's the consensus on Discovery?

SI

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

What's the consensus on Discovery?

SI

Personally, I thought Season 1 was very good - takes a while to get the story going but once it does it's great. Season 2 was terrible - a muddled mess with an incoherent plot.

[sterlingice]

Considering we have a 4 year old so we don't get to watch TV much, maybe just watching 1 season is the way to go. We'll see if we even get that far with only a month to watch.

SI

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Westworld Season 1 is the best by far.

Yeah. If you don't like season 1, I doubt you'd like seasons 2 or 3.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by panerd

Am I crazy or do you guys feel the same way?

Varies here.

Some things work better for straight binges, other stuff we do maybe 2 eps at a time & then come back after watching some other things in between before a couple more.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

The first two seasons of The Crown are great, the third is fine, but didn't have the season-long arc of the first two seasons.

Yup, really enjoyed The Crown. S3 not as much because different actors/actresses but thought the Charles story telling was pretty good.

[Kodos]

Loved season 1 or Westworld, didn't enjoy season 2, and after 1 episode of season 3, wife is ready to give up. Me too, most likely.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Loved season 1 or Westworld, didn't enjoy season 2, and after 1 episode of season 3, wife is ready to give up. Me too, most likely.

Same here except we didn't even make it through season 2 before we bailed.

[Edward64]

We watched Upload s1 this past week. I enjoyed it more than my wife. Its a neat concept and enjoyed the little "realism" with bugs, torrents, hacks etc.

[Lathum]

I don't think I have ever been so disappointed in a final season of a show as I was with Brockmire. It was just so out there. Other shows have had worse final seasons but you could see it coming. This one was just out of left field. Pun intended.

[Atocep]

The Plot Against America is really good. It's a slow burn that leads up to an incredibly tense final episode. The casting is great. Amazing performances by Zoe Kazan, Morgan Spector, and John Turturro. I'm not sure how it compares to the book, but it made for a great series on HBO.

[stevew]

Anyone using Quibi? Some of these “shows” look kind of interesting

[JPhillips]

The clips I've seen from the Girl with the Golden Arm are amazingly awful.

[GrantDawg]

Just finished the first season of "Sunderland Till I Die." Wow.

[BigDPW]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Just finished the first season of "Sunderland Till I Die." Wow.

I really enjoyed this series. Both seasons were excellent (to watch). Would be tough to be a Sunderland fan.

[JPhillips]

lol

I also watched that over the past two weeks. I was trying to think of an American equivalent and I thought maybe Buffalo?

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by BigDPW

I really enjoyed this series. Both seasons were excellent (to watch). Would be tough to be a Sunderland fan.

I agree, but I love the passion. Heck, it makes me want to be a Sunderland supporter. Lord knows, I am quite familiar with hard luck teams.

[Groundhog]

Watched season 1 of Into the Night, really enjoyed it. It's a french 6-part series disaster/post apocalypse movie set mostly in a passenger plane as a small group of survivors need to frantically keep a plane in the air as long as possible for reasons revealed in the first episode, however I won't spoil it.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by Critch

Not sure why but Netflix has been suggesting "Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories" as something I might like for a while, I guess it noticed I watched "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" a year or two ago. Finally gave it a try on friday.

It's strange, 30 minute self-contained episodes, each one focusing on a different customer or two at a small overnight diner in a side street of a busy nightlife district of Tokyo. There's one character who appears in every episode (The Master, the diner's chef), and a handful of recurring characters (an old guy who sits at the bar, three gossiping women), but the main characters in each episode only appear in their own story then aren't seen again.

The further it's gone, the more I've liked it, I've got 1 episode to go in season one and Netflix has a second season.

Two thumbs up from me.

I watched a handful of these recently, and enjoyed them.

[Sweed]

I'm watching "A French Village" on hulu. WWII story about the German occupation of a small French town near the Vichy border. Almost through the second season, finding it pretty good.

[Lathum]

Season 4 of Workin Moms has really delivered. Such a quality show and Reitmans daughter is phenomenal.

[stevew]

“Dave” on FXX is steaming on Hulu and is really raunchy funny. Created by the guy who created The League and Lil Dicky.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by stevew

“Dave” on FXX is steaming on Hulu and is really raunchy funny. Created by the guy who created The League and Lil Dicky.

So a few weeks ago we were sitting around waiting to leave to go somewhere and threw Dave on to kill time. 4 episodes later we were leaving an hour later than originally intended.

On a side note, Barry is one of the few shows that starts off with a strong first season and then gets even better in season 2. It may be the best season of television I've watched this year.

[stevew]

Oh yeah. Barry is awesome. Def one of my faves.

Also watching “The Great”. It’s fairly decent.

[GrantDawg]

I loved "The Great." It was crazy fun. Just don't go in expecting any kind of historical accuracy. I think the only thing accurate is they have most of the names right, and it was in Russia.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by stevew

“Dave” on FXX is steaming on Hulu and is really raunchy funny. Created by the guy who created The League and Lil Dicky.

I would watch a series based on the movie "Dave"

[Edward64]

I really hope the series turns out great.

Not exactly sure what is planned for the US Space Force (other than launching secret satellites). It may be premature right now but there will likely be a need in the future as China, India and others are ramping up.

The Netflix Show The Pentagon Can’t Stop Talking About - POLITICO

The United States Space Force can’t catch a break. The newest branch of the American military, first championed by President Donald Trump two years ago, tried to generate some serious headlines this month with its first recruiting commercial, an otherworldly 30-second spot summoning volunteers “to plan for the possible while it’s still impossible.”

Instead, it was ambushed by the trailer for Steve Carell’s much-awaited Netflix series “Space Force,” which came out just hours earlier (the recruiting ad racked up 17,000 likes on Twitter compared with the trailer’s 48,000).

In a country stuck at home watching TV, starved for new content, the absurd comedy is one of the more exciting cultural events of the season, a “The Office”-style lampooning stuffed with big names—Carell, Lisa Kudrow, John Malkovich, Jane Lynch, Noah Emmerich and Jimmy O. Yang of “Silicon Valley.” It’s fair to say that the first new military branch in 73 years is at serious risk of being eclipsed entirely by a workplace parody.

It might seem like the real Space Force, which has already been the target of more than its share of memes and jokes, would groan and dismiss it, but no: The show is already the watercooler chatter of the year among Pentagon brass and at the far-flung bases where the real Space Force is being carved out of the Air Force. Watch parties are being planned, and the real head of the Space Force recently even had some advice for the show, mainly that Carell should get a haircut.

[Umbrella]

Originally Posted by BigDPW

Would be tough to be a Sunderland fan.

As a Newcastle fan, I agree!

But also as a Newcastle fan, I've been avoiding this one. I just don't know if I could watch a documentary about our most hated rival. But I'm missing sports so much I'm starting to consider it.

[Edward64]

Been watching Netflix Van Helsing, currently at s1 ep8. Not zombies taking over the world but the next best thing with vampires. It isn't great acting but the story line is fun for me.

[Lathum]

E Network has been showing reruns of Las Vegas. Such a great show

[Edward64]

Unfortunately I've been reading early critiques that "Space Force" is a disappointment.

[tarcone]

Been reading that about Space Force as well. But will try it.

Decided to get a free 7 day trial of HBO from Amazon because I wanted to watch Contagion.

I have been binging on some good movies. Hobbs and haw was really good. Finally watched the Deadwood movie. That was okay. Finally got to see Atomic Homefront which is absolutely chilling. I cannot believe the EPA is going to let that place do what it will eventually. And the clusters, oh my.
Joker was really good.

Those are the movies that stuck out. Good thing for Summer and having an excuse to stay at home.

[Lathum]

Watch Chernobyl while you have HBO.

[Edward64]

Just finished Space Force ep 1. Didn't think it was that bad. It has promise and may get better.