Binge on these new shows

Published 3:45 pm Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Adam Scott and Britt Howler in a scene from “Saverance,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

Sometimes the best-laid plans fall apart. Luckily given the events of the past two years, we as a society have gotten really good at pivoting.

I had every intention of bringing you a review of “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness” this week, but my streak ran out, and I finally came down with COVID.

That being the case, no movie theater experience could happen. My travels would only consist of the dozen or so steps it takes to get from my bed to my couch, where the world of new series I hadn’t had the time to binge-watch awaited.

A plethora of new streamable shows have dropped across various platforms, so if you find yourself in isolation for the recommended five days (or more), here are a few of them to check out:

“Outer Range,” Amazon Prime — This is not spooky “Yellowstone.” It is a slow-burning and weird, supernatural Western starring Josh Brolin as patriarch Royal Abbot on the Abbot ranch in Wyoming. The Abbots are the kind of normal ranching family that seems to survive on a day-to-day basis. But one of those days, Royal discovers a mysterious and seemingly bottomless hole on the property’s west pasture which coincides with the arrival of an equally mysterious backpacker named Autumn (Imogen Poots) who calls on the ranch. The further the series goes, the weirder things get and while it has all the hallmarks of a traditional neo-Western drama, it turns into something closer to “Twin Peaks” in terms of storytelling and the mysteries at stake.

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“Julia,” HBO Max — A delightfully delicious serio-comedy about Julia Child and the creation of her television phenomenon “The French Chef.” The series is perfectly cast with Sarah Lancaster as the titular chef, David Hyde Pierce as devoted husband Paul Child, and includes a marvelous supporting cast as well. Along with the creation of the TV show, the series also homes in on the changes seen in the 1960s including feminist, civil and gay rights movements. And of course, there’s always something scrumptious being made to salivate over.

“Our Flag Means Death,” HBO Max — What starts out as a silly, irreverent pirate show turns into an incredibly heartfelt love story by the season’s end. Rhys Darby stars as “gentleman pirate” Stede Bonnet, a wealthy, foppish member of the upper class who decides one day to leave his family and become a pirate on a ship he had built. He assembles a quirky crew of misfits to plunder the high seas, but Stede is a bit too afraid of killing and pillaging to do much damage. That is until the infamous Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) meets up with Stede, and they slowly begin to change each other’s worlds. Featuring a vastly diverse cast, the show is unapologetically silly and sweet.

“Moon Knight,” Disney+ — While this latest Marvel show suffers the same issues that all the MCU TV series do when it comes to pacing, it eventually pays off, but in a way you may not be used to from the franchise. Starring Oscar Isaac as a man with dissociative identity disorder, which includes Steven Grant, a nebbish British Egyptology nerd and Mark Spector, a hired assassin. The two sides don’t know about each other, and the Mark side is currently acting as the avatar of the ancient Egyptian god Konshu as he tries to stop another god, Ammit, from rising to power with the help of her avatar Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke). It is wonderful to see Egyptian history and culture not be relegated to stereotypes and be richly depicted as it is. The show itself is slow to start off with, but Isaac makes it worth the slog to the good parts.

“Our Great National Parks,” Netflix — Not just about our parks stateside, this series executive produced and narrated by President Barack Obama highlights the world’s national parks and protected areas. With stunning photography of animals, plants and landscapes from the earth and sea and the dulcet tones of the former president, the series is informative and thought-provoking, further driving home the fact that the planet is worth saving.

“Severance,” Apple TV+ — The sci-fi thriller is one of the best new shows of the year. In it, Mark (Adam Scott) agrees to his company’s severance program where non-work memories are separated from the ones associated with the job. But there is more to his company than meets the eye as Mark slowly uncovers more sinister work at play. The cast also features Christopher Walken, John Turturro and Patricia Arquette and is directed by Aoife McArdle and Ben Stiller.

Don’t forget these new and final seasons of other shows: “Ozark” final season (Netflix), “Grace and Frankie” final season (Netflix), “Russian Doll” season two (Netflix), “Undone” season two (Amazon Prime), “Bridgerton” season two (Netflix), “Better Call Saul” final season (AMC), “Call the Midwife” season 11 (PBS Passport), “Barry” season three (HBO Max), “Picard” season two (Paramount+).

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