Trashy TV/ Addictive TV

Shrinking season two starts this week on AppleTV. I can't wait!

I watched Penelope on Netflix. It's a YA thing about a teenage girl who runs away to the wilderness. The cinematography is gorgeous. There's not a lot of dialogue because, alone in the wilderness. I found it very soothing.

I just finished "The Perfect Couple" on Netflix. I'd read the book years ago (I think I've read all of Elin Hilderbrand's) and even though I couldn't remember anything from what I read I enjoyed the show. It was a decent mystery with a fair amount of drama and slightly twisted humor.

I also just wrapped up season 2 of Slow Horses, which I am loving. Gary Oldman's character initially appalled me and now he's one of my favorites.

If I'm not watching Slow Horses with my husband I'm watching Young Sheldon, which I have grown to love. I remembered Skwigg mentioning it a while back and then one day I asked my son what he was watching and he said "Young Sheldon." I hadn't seen or heard of it up until then (apart from Skwigg's mention) and now I love it. Such a fun show!

My adult son is back living at home after completing his master's degree so the three of us are watching season 4 of The Boys. It is SO violent. Normally I don't want to watch something that violent and graphic but it's really good too. We watched S4E1 yesterday and will probably string it out - maybe an episode or two a week. I'm watching Love is Blind UK - guilty pleasure kind of show. The put out 4 episodes a week - next 4 drop on Wed.

There has been lots of fun talk of meditation in Skwigg's journal (and I am so grateful for that!) but I wanted to switch gears and pop over here to inquire as to whether or not anyone has watched or is watching Presumed Innocent?

I appear to be fairly particular about which shows are able to suck me in and this one has me hooked. It's not often I finish an episode of anything and find myself feeling compelled to roll into the next. I need my husband to hurry and catch up (which he can't do while away) so that I have someone to talk with about it. Last night I sat in the dark basement and nearly jumped out of my skin 3 times. It's not really even a jumpy show but I think I was spooked and then I kept telling myself, "LOOK AWAY!" and then decided I "needed" to start the next episode to ease my fears and it didn't help. Anyway, I'm about 5 or 6 episodes in and also just discovered it's a novel from 1987 so I might have to read it, too.

When I need to come back down to earth I put on old episodes of Beat Bobby Flay 😂

I find myself enmeshed in America's Sweethearts, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. I'm keeping an open mind about it and go back and forth between wondering why the hell I'm investing my time in this and loving every moment of the guilty pleasure it is. I've never been a fan of American Football, but I told my family I might have watch some Cowboys games now that I have a better understanding of all the work and effort that goes into the cheerleading performances. Although my husband says that as a TV spectator we don't get to see as much, which I find disappointing. I'm LOL to myself that our conversation included me talking about how much I wanted to watch the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders and my husband telling me that no one pays any attention to the cheerleaders and they're all there to watch a football game.

The Bear, season three. I enjoyed it. I'm a little annoyed that it ended as it did. It felt like there should have been five more episodes in the season.

My husband and I are watching Catastrophe. The episodes are 24 mins long and 6 ep per season so they’re quick and pretty funny. Be forewarned, however, the humor is pretty raunchy. There is a lot of LOL over here but we definitely don’t watch it anywhere near our kids. 🙉 It’s not a new show so I might be a few years behind with this..

I'm sure you all want to know that I finally finished Killing Eve. :) I think since I was expecting a not great ending I was okay with how it ended. The plot throughout the series is convoluted and my enjoyment of the show depended on me letting go of it making sense. If you are okay with a lot of brutal killings and blood I recommend it. It's worth is simply for Jodie Comer's portrayal of Villanelle. She's great. Taking a break from watching shows together so next one is TBD, but we'll figure it out by next week.

We still have 2 episodes to go in Season 4 of Killing Eve. So far I'm still liking it but I had to let go of any notion of the plot making sense. I'm just enjoying the characters. Maybe I'll hate it once I see how it ends. But as long as I don't try to follow the plot too closely it's a fun watch. I just looked back at my previous post and it didn't make sense to me during Season 2 either, but here we are. lol

We are halfway into season 2 of Killing Eve after almost quitting a few episodes into season 1. I went back and forth between liking Eve and really disliking Villanelle and vice versa. The plot makes no sense but I'm enjoying it if I don't think too hard. I've heard that it really goes downhill after season 2 so maybe we'll stop there unless anyone thinks there's value in continuing.

My go to when I need a little dose of Friends is to watch the YouTube clip of Monica and Ross doing The Routine. So funny. My other favorite clip is when all the friends (except Ross) know about Monica and Chandler and Phoebe is pretend trying to seduce Chandler.

I wrote about it in my journal but thought I'd also mention here that I'm really loving season 10 of Alone. DH and I are also watching The Gentlemen on Netflix. It's a Guy Ritchie show and if you don't like his style you won't like it. Actually I can't really say I'm a fan of Guy Ritchie but I am enjoying this show.

I never finished the last season of The Morning. show and there wasn't anything else I immediately wanted to watch on Apple so I let my subscription lapse. But I'll probably go back and finish it if I subscribe again.

I finally finished Friends and I'm missing my daily dose of belly laughs. To make it up I started watching PBS's All Creatures Great and Small. Not the same kind of laughs but still a nice dose of the feel goods.

YES to LOL at Friends! I was just re-hashing the episode where Chandler starts taking bubble baths and somehow all of the friends end up in the bathroom while he's in the tub surrounded by bubbles. I know it may not be "kid friendly" but there are certain episodes I don't mind them watching (mostly my 13 year old). Chloe's favorite is still the one where Joey and Chandler leave "the baby on the bus." It is always my go-to on gloomy days and/or nights when I'm home by myself.

I told my husband about the newest season of True Detective and he was a) shocked he didn't know about it (which secretely made me gleeful) and b) excited to start watching. I can't handle more than one show at a time (unless I'm throwing on a Friends episode) and right now where halfway through the second season of The Killing.

I couldn't handle The Bear. Somehow I got through it, but I always felt so high-strung and stressed out when I watched. I do think the acting was incredible.

I'm almost finished with Blue Zones, and I dig it. The areas featured have a holistic system, what we in the Veterans Health Administration would call "Whole Health". It isn't just the food we eat, the activity we do. It's also our social connections, a feeling of purpose and meaning, and a community where its members respect and care for one another. Pretty cool stuff!

I am almost finished with Spy Ops on Netflix. If anyone is into secret-squirrel spy stuff like me, you'll enjoy it. The first episode was "eh," but starts picking up steam with the Panama Invasion. Then the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul episode is simply bonkers. One of the proposed theories is that it was really a cardinal within the Vatican who ordered the hit. And that's the least crazy aspect of it.

ETA: Because of the writer's strike, I'm leaning into Korean dramas and just finished Juvenile Justice. That was so dark and overwrought, but I loved it. And I usually want to stick with fluffy and comedic tv shows, so it must have reeled me in.

I watched a docuseries on Netflix called “Living to 100 - Secrets of the Blue Zones.” I remember reading the book years ago and getting a lot out of it. So, it was nice to watch a documentary and actually see the people and places. I love that so many of them do no formal workouts and don’t diet or take supplements. It’s more like wellness is baked into their environment. They aren’t going to a gym, but the village is steep, or they walk everywhere, or they garden. So much of what these long-lived residents have in common is community, purpose, faith, and joy. They also eat a variety of traditional whole foods. I had several favorites, but I loved the 100-year old Costa Rican cowboy who is still saddling up his horse and working every day. I was also amazed by the Greek man who moved to the US, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer at age 66 and given a few months to live. He went home to the Greek islands to die. After like 40 years of laughing, dancing, and drinking wine he was still vibrant and healthy.

We are maybe 4 episodes into The Bear, which I always want to call "the chef show" and it's pretty good so far. The first episode was a little bananas - I felt like I was having heart palpitations with the chaos in the kitchen and all the yelling but it definitely gets better. Like Skwigg said, it's a combination of food, a decent story line, and various character development.

I'm almost finished with season 1 of Firefly Lane...it's been pretty decent so far. I've heard season 2 is better so I'l keep going with it.

Your opinion of "And just like that" sounds like me with Ted Lasso. I loved season 1, season 2 was ok, and by season 3 I was glad I watched it but also glad it was over.

I just started watching The Bear on Hulu. Wow! It’s intense and wonderful, like nothing I’ve ever seen. A talented chef moves home to take over the dysfunctional family burger joint. Lots of intense kitchen drama, good food, and crazy employees. I got Hulu just to watch it and I’m not regretting it at all. I can’t wait to watch more.

@skwiggs I often think about going back to watch Shrinking again I enjoyed it so much. I finished Workin Moms on Netflix, Ted Lasso (I may or may not have shed a tear or two) and next on my list is Platonic! I'm more than happy to watch something funny and nutty, and I love Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne.

My husband and I just finished Bad Sisters and I can't decide if I loved it or if it gave me an ulcer. 😁 I really enjoyed all of the sisters characters, but the husband was so evil and appalling and I really let him rile me up. Anyway, I think Platonic is in order after that series along with the book "Drowning" I just finished about a plane that loses its two engines and has to land (crash) in the water off the coast of a Hawaiian island. It was an excellent read but I had to get through it as quickly as possible. I lost (more) sleep for days - ha!

Has anyone watched Firefly Lane? I have a friend who keeps telling me I have to see it so it's on my list but keeps getting pushed to the bottom by other newer shows.

Also no spoilers, but I feel like the 4th season of Barry shouldn’t have happened. It’s like they didn’t know when to quit.

I loved every second of Ted Lasso and Mrs Maisel.

I’m currently enjoying Platonic with Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne on AppleTV+. It’s funny and nutty. It’s about a couple of 40-something former best friends who reunite after he gets a divorce. She’s a married stay-at-home mom and he’s a bar-owner party dude. Chaos ensues.

I also watched the first episode of Shrinking on AppleTV+. It was great! I can’t wait to watch more.

No spoilers here but just wanted to say that I loved the way Succession ended and hated the way that Barry ended. Will probably re-watch all of Succession again at some point. Barry was a wild ride but I think once was enough. lol

Yes! I just saw Somebody Somewhere has a new season soon and I’m very excited about that. I’m going to resubscribe to Apple as soon as Ted Lasso is over and then binge it and all the other great shows there. Lol

I LOVED Shrinking on Apple! We just started Ted lasso and I am flying through Sex Education on Netflix. It makes me both cringe and laugh hysterically and I’ll be sad when it comes to an end. I might have to check out the Sisters show.

The best 3 shows I have watched lately are all on Apple TV………. So so great, Bad Sisters, Shrinked and Dear Edward

I got that notice too. I currently have Discovery+, so I guess it will save me some bucks when they merge. I’m really excited for Barry! And Mrs Maisel, and Somebody Somewhere. My days off are coming. It will be nice to have some quality TV to watch this week.

I forgot to mention that I've been watching the current season of The Bachelor. I'm not really sure why but it's mindless guilty pleasure. I used to watch the the Bachelor/Bachelorette seasons every one but I finally lost interest about 10 years ago except for the random episode here and there. I think why I'm into it this year is because I also found a Youtube channel with funny recaps and some sleuthing from the previews. So it's kind of fun - actually I could just watch the Youtube channel by itself - no need to watch the show, but we're almost done. Anyway the funny thing about this season if you're totally off the Bachelor radar is the guy's thing is no drama and any women who show a hint of drama don't last long. But he ends up being the biggest drama instigator of them all. It's also kind of funny to me that he's only a year older than my son and I really just can't imagine that!

I think this was on Paramount or Amazon Prime, something called Top Gun Training where Tom Cruise takes James Corden flying in fighter planes and scares him to death. It was pretty funny. I had no idea Tom really flew fighter jets, but of course he does!

We are caught up on Last of Us so now just waiting for the finale. I'm pretty sure both Succession and Barry have new seasons starting within the next month and I can't wait. I got the free trial of Showtime so I could watch Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. Woah - the first half was out of control. Not really my thing and too frenetic. But then it got better. Dh's friend had encouraged him to watch it and she said she watched it twice she liked it so much. We both thought now way can we watch that again. But I keep thinking about it and hmmmm, perhaps I could watch it again. lol

As for really trashy, I've watched the whole Bachelor this season. I've been watching a Youtube fan account too so I don't think the end will be a surprise but we'll see. Total guilty pleasure. :)

Late to the bandwagon, but we are one episode away from finishing season 1 of Stranger Things and I am hooked!

@sarah too We only have 2 more episodes of White Lotus season 2 left and I am already bumming hard about it. There's something so pleasurable about watching so much dysfunction. 😂 It truly has been one of my favorite shows ever. I'm not sure if I like season 2 better than the first, but definitely just as much. I really loved the Australian hotel owner from the first season, but the characters from this one are awesome, too. Not to mention the scenery and language. I feel like I could listen to them speak Italian all day long.

I am getting sad about it coming to an end as I don't know what else to watch either. My husband suggested I watch House of Cards so I might start with that.

We finished season 2 of White Lotus. So good! I liked it better than season 1 even.

Need another good show to watch with my husband. Has anyone seen Severance?

I stumbled upon Manifest on Netflix and while I almost passed because I don’t generally enjoy sci-if or paranormal stuff I am totally hooked. My husband and I had started watching “In the dark,” which we are both enjoying but I’m having to put that on hold while I watch Manifest. It takes me a while to get through a show and I think there are about 4 seasons of Manifest so hopefully I’ll get back to it ITD one day. I’m also eager to watch the new season of White Lotus - I loved the first one. I think the dysfunctional characters made me feel so much better about myself 😂

My husband and I have been marathon watching the UK show Taskmaster. It’s basically a bunch of comedians, actors, and/or musicians having loads of fun together through meaningless competition. It’s better to just watch it rather than try to explain it. :D If you are looking for fun and laughs, I recommend it! The show has become so popular that now there are loads of spinoff series in other countries around the world, but so far, we have only watched the original UK version. You can check out the first 10 series/seasons on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Taskmaster/playlists

Anyone jumped on the Severance bandwagon yet? So good. One of the best shows I've seen this year.

I also binge-watched The Boys in four days. It was so entertaining; I had a good time watching it.

I'm currently watching Forensic Files II because I'm super interested in True Crime. I listen to a lot of TC podcasts. 😬

If you have any interest in the UFO phenomenon, Unacknowledged and Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind are two fantastic documentaries about UFO history, government disclosure, weird science, and the nature of consciousness. They're on Amazon Prime.

Barry was so good! Definitely something that dh and I could enjoy together. We don't always have the same tastes. Now two episodes into The Flight Attendant. We're hooked. However all her drinking makes me anxious. I guess that's part of the vibe. Anyway, since there's only 2 seasons (I think) we're trying to savor this one.

Only Murders in the Building is back on Hulu this week for season 2. 😊

Julia on HBO was so fantastic. It was renewed, so I look forward to season two.

@skwigg I love Barry. It's so well done. Bill Hader is a terrific writer, director, and actor. I caught up and then binged S3. Wild and fantastic.

I'm trying to get into Peaky Blinders now and I can see the appeal but the first couple are sloooow. I'm also rewatching Everybody Hates Chris. It has some cringe moments but it's really funny and the cast is stellar.

People told me I had to keep watching Barry. I’m glad I did. It’s wonderfully nutty, as well as dark and violent. Laugh out loud funny, then murder, then romance, then jaw-dropping plot twists. I like that they are short episodes and only 8 per season. I finished season one and understand the buzz now.

Thanks Renee I recommend on Hulu Better things PEN15 highly recommend

On my iphone I see the oldest message first. Is there any way to change to see newest first like on my computer?

We finished Ozark last week and as hooked as I've been on the show I was happy to see it end. Although, was it just me or did it seem as though they left it open for more...? I feel like the older I get the more sensitive I become to violence, and the disturbing nature of the show really got to me towards the end. With that being said, it did not diminish my love of Jason Bateman at all 😁

I started "Call the Midwife" on Netflix last week. So far it's been good but I might die of old age before I finish all 11 seasons. I just needed something different.

I accidentally ruined Ozark for myself by reading a huge spoiler with six episodes left until the series finale. Oops! It was still pretty fun. I just wonder what my experience would have been if I'd had no idea what was coming.

I loved the mid-season finale of Better Call Saul. It was an appropriately shocking cliffhanger, but the episode was also funny, suspenseful, dramatic, all the good TV things, plus there was an hour of therapy afterward with "Talking Saul" or whatever they call the discussion show.

Now, I don't know what to watch. I tried three episodes of Barry on HBO about a hitman who becomes an actor (while still working his hitman day job). I had such high hopes for this. The reviews are great. I just couldn't get into it though. Does it get better?

Then, I went for Stranger Things Season 4, but the first episode of cliche teenager stuff really dragged along. I'm about ready to fall back to stupid decorating and reality shows. Bargain Block is back this week, I think.

I might get AppleTV for Elizabeth Moss in Shining Girls. I think Disney+ has some new Star Wars.

What is everybody watching?

I finished Julia on HBOMax, and loved it! Sarah Lancanshire does a marvelous job as Julia Chile, but I was so excited to see David Hyde-Pierce and Bebe Neuwirth back. They’re wonderful here, too.

I started watching the Baby on HBO, which is about a killer baby. It sounds so absurd, but I can’t stop watching it. Other than that, I have my regular appointment tv viewing (my wrestling shows, 😆).

You're right - unless their parents are radicals lol kids don't do anything alone now. Like you I was walking to school by myself or just with other kids and not adults when I was in kindergarten or 1st grade. My son is 23 and I remember 10 was kind of the dividing line between being able to do more things alone. I think I've put that show in my list so will need to check it out. Also really enjoying Julia but I think I have more episodes to watch.

I'd really like to watch Severance but don't want to pay for another service so I think I'll wait on that until Ted Lasso is back and I can binge them all at once. They said cutting the cable cord would be cheaper and it was for awhile but now if you buy all the different streaming services to get what you want it probably adds up to more. lol

I always appreciate this thread as I don't watch more than one show at a time but when I finish it I'm always champing at the bit for another. Somebody Somewhere seems appropriate - I'm finishing up The Woman in the House across the Street from the Woman in the Window, which has both scared me and made me laugh. I have one episode left and then I think I'll watch Somebody Somewhere.

We also finished Pieces of Her not long ago, which I really enjoyed (enjoyed as in, it also somewhat terrified me and yet I couldn't stop watching). I guess "terrified" is the wrong word - there were some pretty gory parts where I found myself with a blanket over my head. The show is based on a book by Karin Slaughter and while I haven't read Pieces of Her I've read a few others and liked them.

Anyway, I have my list, thank you! :)

I’ve heard good things about Everything Everywhere All at Once. After watching Somebody Somewhere on HBO, I kept trying to find more things like it. Amy Schumer’s Life & Beth on Hulu was another good dramedy, finding-yourself kind of series with wonderfully quirky characters. Today, I saw Little Evil on Netflix, which has Bridget Everett in it from Somebody Somewhere. A man begins to suspect that his 5 year-old stepson is the antichrist. Hilarity ensues. It was wonderfully, brilliantly dumb, like a Shaun of the Dead take on The Omen. I laughed out loud a lot. Bridget Everett was awesome in it.

I haven’t seen Yellowjackets but my husband watched it and gave me a very detailed synopsis. It did sound REALLY good. We finished the latest season (I think it’s split into 2 parts) of Ozark, which never fails to completely blow my mind. Jason Bateman is my favorite - his level of calm in the face of total chaos is astounding. We also recently watched Stay Close, which is another Harlan Coben series on Netflix. We watched The Stranger and really enjoyed it, this most recent one was decent. I’d marked in Goodreads that I’d read the book “stay close” but couldn’t recall anything about it and I didn’t rate it very highly. I thought the show was pretty good. Other than that I’ve been watching reruns of Modern Family, Friends, and older movies like The Hangover and This is 40 to keep things light. Paul Rudd is also my favorite. He always makes me laugh 😊

My latest fluff viewing includes the Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window, with Kristen Bell. It's quite the earnest and deadpan parody of thrillers, with no out-loud, "haha" moments. It's a lot drier than I expected. But I got sucked into it because it takes the subject matter very seriously, and yet, it's not. I love mystery-thrillers, even when they're played for laughs.

Other than that, though, I'm looking for tv shows to watch. I finally saw Squid Games and loved it. But I'm feeling adrift, and maybe I should tap more into my HBO Max. I haven't seen Rick and Morty in AGES, ever since my cable cut Cartoon Network/Adult Swim from our plan a few years back, so I might catch up on that show.

I’ve never heard of the Sparks brothers! I’m going to check out that documentary.

I’ve found a guilty pleasure—-Love is Blind on Netflix. I watched season 1 when it came out a few years ago and they finally have season 2. It has a Bachelor/Bachelorette vibe except the editing is better so it doesn’t drag. Good thing they didn’t release the whole season at once or I would’ve been up all night. I watched the first 4 yesterday evening and the next (last?) 4 are out this Friday.