RAS: Recent Awesome Streaming

 


So here I present to you a new series here on the blog, RAS, which stands for Recent Awesome Streaming. When I've had chunks of time, like the past week and a half or so, where I set forth on a many, many hours journey to numerous wonderful imaginary worlds brought to me on my 50-inch SCEPTRE, I think it's worth noting.

Started off with my return to Apple TV +, specifically to view the release of the first episode of the second season of Foundation. As of this writing, got in the season premiere and this week's episode, and this season is shoring up to be even better than the first.

Caught up with the entire third season of For All Mankind which I'd originally missed due to being away from Apple TV + for more than a year. Superb. What more can I say. Totally caught off guard by the big twist of who the first person on Mars actually turned out to be. 

Lulled by the pre-show promo offered before several episodes of either of the above two shows, I checked out Silo next. Another winner here. Man, Apple TV + turns out, is quite the venue for high quality television in this arguably new golden age of television. Only one season so far, but what a cliffhanger! Can't wait for season 2.

Next another show where through each episode you keep asking yourself "WTF is this?" and being amazed at the intricate world building, even though for this show, the world seems to be relegated and populated by mainly long white corridors. Of course I'm talking about Severance. Again only this first season available, left salivating for season 2. In the meantime all these shows have subreddits thankfully, and I'm all in, constantly reading post after post, when I'm not watching more stuff like this...

Hijack. Here the plot isn't as mind-bending, it's more fascinating watching our main protagonist figure things out as they proceed along with Incredible wit and intuition. This one's still on going. Have to wait till next Wednesday for the next episode in this already awesome for season. Just because of the story itself undoubtedly being limited as to how long it can go on, I don't expect this to be more than one season.

The last two are movies. The first one still on Apple TV +, Cherry, is all about the performances. Everyone on cast gave it their all and you can tell. Especially our lead Tom Holland. He's the new generation's Daniel Day Lewis or Joaquin Phoenix for sure.

And as far as these great actors I've mentioned here, here's another one I put in the same category of awesomeness, Adam Driver. The last movie on this list, it's actually on Netflix: White Noise. What new age David Lynch/Wes Anderson-ness this is! Not knowing what to expect, I was giving the film the dubious 2 minute count within the first 10, but then it hit me. What at first seems to be pretension, is actually part of the whole presentation. We are treated to a millennial version of a stoned Woody Allen existential angst piece with a heavy dose of parody mocking our anxiety-riddled times. All under the glaring fluorescent lights among the well-stocked shelves of our Barbie-life supermarkets. It's stylized as if it were set in the 80s, but it's really about now, what we should be calling the 20s.