OK so the latest Ted Lasso spends almost the entire episode on Coach Beard in its most unusual, dream-like episode ever. I didn’t hate it (and I know it’s one of the two episodes added to the mix after Apple said it wanted 12 episodes instead of the 10 the writers had already sketched out. The Christmas episode was the other), but I wish we had actually gotten to know Beard a little better. “I listen more than I talk” seems like a line that could be his mantra.
The Morning Show is back and honestly the first episode seemed rushed to get certain characters to do specific things we as the audience know they must do in order to have a show at all. I’ll stick with it for a bit, remembering that this was a show that took a little while to find its groove in season 1, but the first offering felt a little more chaotic than usual. Billy Crudup keeps me coming back, to be honest; he makes Cory such a likeable weasel.
This week’s trailers include a dysfunctional family, a serial killer, a carnival charlatan, and a classic musical. Never let it be said that I don’t try to add some variety to these roundups.
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Succession
The squirmiest show on streaming about awful rich people (yes even more awful than you, White Lotus) is returning for a third season and the Roy family has never looked more dysfunctional. The fallout from the bombshell Kendall delivered in last season’s finale appears to be a central plot line as the Roys decide which side they’re on and how to keep the family business— toxic as it may be— from going under. Cousin Greg is as awkward as ever in this trailer as he informs Kendall he is the “number one trending topic ahead of tater tots.” And Logan is as angry as ever, shouting that he’s ready to go “full fucking beast.” God I missed this show. Adrien Brody, as a billionaire activist investor, and Alexander Skarsgard, as a tech founder and CEO, have joined the show for the upcoming season. Jeremy Strong, Brian Cox, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Nicholas Braun, Matthew Macfadyen, and J. Smith Cameron return in the third season of Succession, coming to HBO Max October 17th.
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Hawkeye
So I was not aware this would be a Christmas show but sure, let’s roll with it. Hawkeye picks up after the events of the Avengers: Endgame movie, with Clint Barton just trying to enjoy the holidays in New York City with his family when he discovers there’s a new bow-wielding vigilante in town. The trailer has a decidedly jocular tone, which is kind of a new thing for this character. Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d’Arcy James, and Alaqua Cox star in Hawkeye, which comes to Disney Plus on November 24th.
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You
Netflix’s show about the serial killer/stalker next door who found his perfect match in season 2 returns for a third season, and Joe and Love are now parents which seems a little problematic? Joe of course has fixated on a new target for his obsession and Love is not super happy about it. Penn Badgley, Victoria Pedretti, and Saffron Burrows return for season 3, which adds Tati Gabrielle, Dylan Arnold, Shalita Grant, Travis Van Winkle, Scott Speedman, McManus, Shannon Chan-Kent, Ben Menhl, Chris O’Shea, and Christopher Sean to the cast. You comes back to Netflix October 15th.
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Nightmare Alley
Based on the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham, Nightmare Alley is not a supernatural film, director Guillermo del Toro said in an interview with Vanity Fair. Given his body of work, it’s not a surprise people might make that assumption. The story revolves around a con man and former carnival worker who convinces people he can read minds. The all-star cast includes Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, and David Straithairn. Nightmare Alley comes to theaters December 17th.
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West Side Story
We got a teaser for Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story in May, but this is the first official trailer and I am a little perplexed that it focuses on the plot— of perhaps one of the most famous American movies based on a Shakespeare play which is itself very famous— instead of the songs? At least we get to see snippets of the dance numbers and some words of wisdom from Rita Moreno: Anita in the original 1961 film, who has a small role in this remake and served as a consultant to Spielberg. Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Josh Andres Rivera, Ana Isabelle, Corey Stoll, Brian d’Arcy James also star in West Side Story, which comes to theaters December 10th.
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Bonus: Foundation first look trailer
With less than a week to go before this massive series hits Apple TV Plus, we get a first-look trailer with commentary from stars Jared Harris, Leah Harvey, Lee Pace, and Lou Llobell, and writer David S. Goyer, who calls Foundation (the book) “the greatest science fiction work of all time.” Adapted from the Isaac Asimov books, Foundation drops its first episode on September 24th.
