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Saturday, January 03, 2026

viewing reviews 2026


Another year, same obsession-- here's every series or movie (and maybe a live performance or two!) I've watched this year. 


19. 4/29/26
Prime
I want to believe that this was as real as the show's creators purport it to be, but dang dude, it is super hard. The 'patsy' this season was just toooo good, falling into planned story lines and setting the actors up perfectly again and again. Would a random person be that dedicated as a temp worker, for real? I had to just let my disbelief go and enjoy the ride, because this was pretty entertaining. It certainly looked fun to be a part of! 



18. 4/11/25
Send Help (2026)
Dorm Room illegal streaming service
This comedy/horror flick was over the fucking top, and I kinda loved it, even when I was yelping and covering my eyes (but secretly still peeking!). It was Moms Weekend for the middle kid, and she and I joined one of her closest buddies in her dorm room, along with her mom and girlfriend, to hang out and watch a movie. When this was chosen, I was a little prepared, knowing the basic plot, but goddamn, I was not ready for the level of gore and grossness! Blood, guts, vom, you name it-- it was all sparying and splashing and squelching everywhere. Every plot point was played to an extreme-- the boss is an absolute asshole, the main character is incredibly meek and awkward, the terrible events they live through are unbelievably awful... as are the things they do to each other. But that over-the-top aspect is what also made it hilarious, so ultimately it was a win for me!



17. 3/24/26
Netflix
This documentary was entertaining from start to end, especially the shock factor of how long they were able to keep visiting/living in a secret space in an open, functioning mall in Rhode Island. Honestly, I can't believe that I never really heard about this before! I don't know if the people involved made as strong a statement as they may have thought they were, since it was pretty clear that they had a ton of resources and spent significant money on making this work. I'm not sure I really got the whole thing as a piece of art, but the doc was interesting to watch.



16. 3/22/26
The Lincoln Theater
Oh, Mae, how I utterly adore you. To have sat just five rows from you on stage was an absolute delight, and I laughed nonstop. I brought my BFF, and even they loved it! Mae was a jack-of-all-humor for this show, first doing some traditional stand-up interspersed with pulling questions from the audience. Ours didn't get picked, tho. :( After a short intermission, they came back out with an old friend and the two of them performed some improv based on more questions pulled from the bucket of submissions. Mae's friend (Matthew? I hate that I forgot his name...) was so damn good at the improv, and it was clear that they both were having a blast. As if that wasn't enough, Mae then came out with their guitar and sang four songs. While I was disappointed that they didn't perform any of their own songs from I'm a TV, it was still awesome to hear them sing some covers, and their voice was as clear and lovely as on their album. Perfect night.



15. 3/22/26
Netflix
Fucking hell, this show was really hard to watch, especially one of the later episodes with some pretty graphic violence depicted. I often needed a distraction while watching, because if I focused too hard, I was freaked out way too much. Claire Danes was at top Claire Danes here-- the shivering chin, the particular cadence, the big eyes-- I loved it all as much as I always have loved her. But Matthew Rhys, JFC, I'm okay if I never see him on screen again, because he is terrifying. This whole show was pretty predictable, but I couldn't have thought of the level of violence that would be depicted. 



14. 3/18/26
Seasons 1-3, Netflix
It took us a ridiculously long time to actually finish the three seasons that were available on Netflix, because Hubby was hot and cold with the show. I did find some of it slow, but I was always brought back to loving it any time Alan Tudyk came out with another banger of a line or silly face or other outrageous physical humor. Lord, that guy slays me. We rushed to finish it before we lost access to Netflix, and then we discovered that the final season wasn't even on there. So, we still have to figure out how to watch the final season, because I absolutely want to know how it all ends.



13. 3/18/26
Netflix
Taylor Tomlinson's style is right up my alley, and this special with so much of its focus on growing up in a religious family and recorded in a church, fit the bill perfectly. Hubby and I were cracking up the entire time, and I think she has such incredible stage presence.



12. 3/14/26
Season 1, Netflix
Yes, this show is created by Lisa McGee, the comedic genius who brought us Derry Girls, and yes, this is definitely funny, but this series is NOT a follow-up or in the same vein, other than the fact that there are a wild assortment of hilariously ridiculous side characters. It doesn't seem to matter what she makes, though, because this is another brilliant show that held my attention even after I turned it off. I wanted to binge as fast as life would allow me, and now I want to watch it again, because by the time you get things figured out, you realize your perspective had been a bit skewed the whole time. I loved it, and I hope McGee makes something else again soon. 



11. 3/10/26
Arrested Development (2006, 2013, 2018)
Seasons 1-5, Netflix
I don't remember when my middle kid and I watched the first three seasons, but it was definitely a while ago, and I thought we'd continue right through the two reboot seasons, but she wasn't interested. It took me a long time to come back to it, but I finally binged seasons 4 & 5 by myself. If I had to summarize this show, I'd seriously struggle, because it was literally all over the place. And if I thought the first three seasons were wild, the two reboot seasons made those look traditional. Things seriously made no sense, and I stopped trying to make sense of anything. The ride was mostly hilarious, sometimes terribly cringey, and occasionally pretty offensive. This was most definitely a unique sitcom.



10. 2/17/26
"The Choir of Man" performance
Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium
This one's a little different, because we viewed this live and not on a screen! Hubby and I went to this rocking, fast-paced show, and I'd purchased the tickets because I'd seen the show six years ago with my middle kid and L O V E D it. This was a different cast-- except for the bartender!-- and a couple different songs, but the heart of the show stayed the same, and it was just as fun the second time. Honestly, I would go again if I had the chance, because it's 90 minutes of pure fun, fantastic music, amazing choreography, and the complete opposite of toxic masculinity. 



9. 2/14/26
David (2020)
YouTube
This short film, directed by Zach Woods (yes, Gabe from The Office), runs for 12 minutes, and every single one of those minutes had me either laughing or crying. Not one minute is wasted in this storytelling, and the three actors, Will Ferrell, William Jackson Harper, and Fred Hechinger all give emotional performances, immediately pulling the viewer in to this layered story that is somehow so well told in only 12 minutes!! 



8. 2/13/26
Netflix
In only seven episodes, this limited series painted a very clear picture of a very fucked medical system, just fucked in a different way than the system we have here in the US, though for all the same old reasons why rich people stay rich and everyone else stays not rich. Ben Wishaw, who plays Dr. Adam Kay, the series lead, gave a spectacular performance as a sometimes charming, often abrasive ob/gyn doctor working in an NHS hospital in London in the early 2000s. The wildly stressful environment made for some heartbreak but also awe at how hard and dedicated the doctors, nurses, and staff all were. The storyline about the trainee doctor Shruti Acharya, portrayed heart-wrenchingly by Ambika Mod, emphasized the effects of working in a hospital that is consistently inadequately staffed, supplied, and managed, and the mental health and wellness of healthcare workers definitely needs more attention and care than it ever gets. Definitely not an uplifting watch, but engaging nonetheless.



7. 2/7/26
Hamnet (2025)
Theater
When I first saw that this movie had been made, I was reminded that I wanted to read the novel when it first came out and had never gotten around to it. At the end of the year, I bought the novel and I fell into it with my whole heart last month. I knew I wanted to see the film, because 1) Jessie Buckley can literally do no wrong, and 2) I always hope this time is gonna be the time I fall in love with a film adaptation. As I expected, I loved the performances here, and Jessie Buckley needs to walk out of the Oscars with a statuette. The visuals are beautiful and quite perfect, from the lush forest that holds so much of the magic of Agnes' life to the Tudor style house that envelops the family in close quarters, comforting to Agnes and the children, yet suffocating to Will. But the story told here differs by way of so much omission, the typical theme of my disappointment in adaptations. Having spent time with the Agnes of the book, it's difficult to see this depiction that is quite beautiful but is a kiddie pool compared to the deep end of the novel. I mean zero shade to Buckley, who brought Agnes to gorgeous life, just that there's not nearly enough time to portray all that we learn of Agnes in the pages. Sigh. Less of her inner life is known here, along with no real sense of just how disconnected her husband is from the family. Time isn't clearly described, and I found myself emphasizing to my husband and kid just how long he spent away from the family, because to them, it felt unfair when she accuses him of not being there when the children got ill. Focusing on what was amazing, I have to mention that the labor scenes felt utterly authentic in ways that are rare on screen. As we watched her husband struggle with his desire to write and his feelings that he just couldn't get it all down, I was reminded of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, which got me thinking down a path that is in no way unique or new, but still felt frustratingly real and sad. Like William Shakespeare and Alexander Hamilton, we know of men throughout history who had an atypical genius in them that became evident through their never-ending toiling. What we speak about less is how they were able to work tirelessly... how they weren't confined to kitchens and nurseries and hearths, how they didn't spend their days caring for children, tending to their elders, preparing meals, laundering clothing and linens, how they were granted the freedom to explore the depths of their brilliance by the nature of their sex. Fuck, how it hurts to think of all the brilliance throughout history that has gone unplumbed in people without the privileges that come with a particular sex, race, class, etc, etc. Like I said, no new revelations, just a familiar line of sad reality. Back to this specific story-- I think the movie is gorgeous, beautifully acted, and quite moving, but I definitely recommend reading the novel, regardless of before or after viewing the movie.



6. 2/1/26
His & Hers (2026)
Netflix
Again, I started this series without knowing anything about the plot, but I added it to my list when it first appeared on Netflix simply because I saw Tessa Thompson in a lead role. I binged it pretty much in a day while doing chores (and taking breaks, because that damn shingles vaccine still has me hurting 2 days later). It all felt pretty basic, but I was drawn in because the leads were intriguing and interesting. I felt like it was all pretty predictable, so by the end, I felt a bit embarrassed by my smarminess. There wasn't quite the depth of a show like Task Force, which shares some DNA with this one at least with some of the characters' motivation and inner worlds, but the mystery part of it still kept me watching. 



5. 1/28/26
Soulmates (2020) 
Netflix
I honestly had never heard anything about this show before I began watching, so I didn't know it was an anthology series or truly a thing about the plot. The first episode was a pretty straightforward introduction to this universe where there is a test that people can take (presumably for a pretty price) to be matched with their soulmate, if they had also opted to take the test and are in the database. While the premise made me think of Black Mirror, the content of that first episode was presented as an emotional and realistic depiction of how such a test could break apart an otherwise averagely happy marriage. As the episodes go on, the BM-esque tone gets stronger, and then some episodes go off the fucking rails. I could have done without the final episode, I think, which got way darker than I expected. I appreciated that there was some gay representation, and another episode in which a religious perspective would, OF COURSE, exploit the cultural phenomenon. When searching for an image for this post, I learned that there is a 2024 film set in this same universe and also created by Brett Goldstein. I'd watch it, but I'm not sure I'm chasing it down. 



4. 1/23/26
Netflix
My friend had been telling me that he was seeing clips on social media of a comedian with long hair and glasses, and that the comedian had a special he wanted to watch. When my friend talked about this guy, I thought he was talking about this comedian that I enjoyed watching on social media, too-- Gabriel Rutledge, so I was excited to hear that he had a special. I was hanging out with this friend (and his partner, my other bff), and he suggested we watch the special. Imagine my surprise when this Dusty Slay guys comes on stage, because he is an absolutely different stand-up comedian, albeit with a very similar look. This special made me chuckle at times, but it wasn't groundbreaking or super memorable. I guess I'd watch more of him, but he wasn't my favorite.



3. 1/15/26
Seasons 1-3, Netflix
Even though I'd seen many clips of this wacky show over the years, I watched all three seasons during lunch breaks over a couple of weeks. I'm not sure why, but I started with season 3 and then went back to seasons 1 and 2. I just adore this uncomfortable comedy, and Tim Robinson is one of the few comedians who can pull this off. (Maria Bamford, I'm looking at you, too!) I just loved how I never quite knew what would come next or how long it would go on for. There are plenty of sketches to quote and call back to, and I get to with a couple of friends who loved this as much as I did. 



2. 1/8/26
Netflix
We watched this on a random weekday evening with dinner, because my middle kid and I were bored and it looked fine enough. She'll tell you it was awful, though I chuckled and was entertained for the tight 97 minutes. It was a Netflix movie with mostly-funny actors, so it was what I expected. Apparently there's a sequel, so I'll be pulling that up some afternoon or evening when I've got less than two hours to waste.



1. 1/2/26
Amazon Prime rental
Watched this with my two younger kids (18 & 19), and we paused a couple of times to quickly chat about our perceptions in that moment. I appreciated that there were layers here and not one easy 'right way' to view each character and their perspective. The satire is high here, so exaggerations are in place, but I can't imagine that many things were that great a stretch. Each and every performance was excellent. Jeffrey Wright is phenomenal, and Sterling K. Brown, too. I flinched at recognizing parts of myself in the liberal white women on screen, and I appreciate the chance to question myself, my intentions, and my impact. I can't claim to fully understand the complexities of emotion around representation for Black people as individuals and as communities in fiction, and I wish the scene with Jeffrey Wright's Monk and Issa Rae's Sintara was actually longer, because their conversation was the heart of the conflict for Monk's character. I didn't realize that this was a movie adaptation of a novel, but now I want to pick up Percival Everett's Erasure.


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