With the Thanksgiving break approaching fast, many students are looking forward to taking some time off from classes to consume copious amounts of food…and television.
If your semester has been anything like mine, you’ve had to cut back your “Netflix and chill” time and cover your ears while the entire campus chats about the new season of “Stranger Things.” No, I haven’t finished it yet. It can be difficult to keep up during the semester with so many great shows out there. Unless you want to continue being exiled from the conversation during dinner in Mainfare after the holiday, here’s what you should watch next week.
After a breakout first season, “Stranger Things” returned to Netflix for its sophomore run on October 27th and was immediately binged by audiences around the world. The second season manages to take the best aspects of the original season and then some as it maintains a well-paced mystery while raising the stakes by unleashing more monsters on the town of Hawkins …oops, spoiler?
Golden Globe-winning actress Winona Rider and the rest of the cast return to Hawkins, Indiana in 1983 as dark, supernatural forces from the upside down continue to loom over the small town. Our four favorite friends are still playing Dungeons and Dragons and we are introduced to a new list of characters as Will combats the side effects from his time in the upside down. These new characters includes tomboy Max and her older step-brother Billy, a woman named Kali connected to Hawkins Lab, Joyce’s new boyfriend/Radio Shack manager Bob Newby, and Murray Bauman, a disgraced journalist-turned-conspiracy theorist.
Hulu showed up to this year’s Emmy’s in a big way taking home five awards for “The Handmaiden’s Tale,” including Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actress in a Drama, and Writing for a Drama Series. While the second season of “The Handmaiden’s Tale” is set to premiere this coming April, the streaming service is straying away from drama, having just released their new show “Future Man,” this past Tuesday, November 14. The show is produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the minds behind “Superbad,” The show stars Josh Hutcherson (“The Hunger Games”), as Josh Futturman, a janitor who leads a pretty boring life.
When he’s not cleaning floors, Futturman spends his time sitting back in his recliner playing video games. Futturman’s world changes suddenly when he completes a game that has been deemed “unbeatable” when gamers around the globe failed to win. After he beats the game, mysterious visitors from the future arrive, requesting his help. They tell him that the world is in danger and Futturman is the only person who can save it. He assembles a team to assist him as he travels through time with these new companions, completing various missions as he does whatever he can to try to save the world from an extraterrestrial danger. Headed by two producers with a history in comedy gold and an awareness of its goofy plot, the show succeeds in staying light on its feet and remains fresh throughout its 13 episode run.
Netflix has managed to carve out their corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with their hit superhero shows, including “Dare Devil” (2015) and “Jessica Jones” (2015). Having become an instant fan favorite as part of “Dare Devil’s” second season, Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Frank Castle, a.k.a. “The Punisher,” in his self-titled series premiering this Friday, November 17.
After exacting his revenge on those responsible for the deaths of his wife and children, Castle uncovers a conspiracy that runs deeper than New York’s criminal underworld. Having been dubbed “the Punisher,” by the people of Hell’s Kitchen, he must look into the conspiracy and discover the truth about the injustices against the people of New York City. The anti-hero is joined in his fight by his best friend Billy Russo, who runs private military corporation “Anvil,” and former NSA analyst Micro, who shares common enemies with Castle and helps him as part of a so-called “marriage of convenience.” While early reviews praise Bernthal’s performance and highly orchestrated action scenes, the series may suffer as a show that features flagrant gun violence and praises a murderous hero. Following a year of devastating mass-shootings across the country, “The Punisher” may be the wrong hero and the wrong time.