Since I am always on the lookout for a new great series and love to see what others are watching (and why!) I thought that I may share my recent favourites with you.
Because maybe you are the same. And because I do love to watch a good TV series. More than movies these days and I cannot even imagine how things were before Apple TV. Can you? With all the commercials and being ‘on time’ on your sofa and all that stuff.
And, it is rather relaxing to end the day with a good show. To make sure we are not getting lost with all the stuff (Netflix produces a new show every hour it seems), twice a week we do a ‘talk talk‘ evening session with my husband. To discuss anything on our minds and things that need to be done.
But anyway, let’s get back to the point. I am writing these shows down in alphabetical order because there is no way I could give them a listing. I love them all… for various reasons as you will see:
(by the way, I wanted to get this article out earlier this week but it took longer than expected, and since it is not so much about kids, I think it fits quite well on a Friday – not a 100% Genuine Friday but it is quite personal actually because most of these series actually touched me very much)
Dead to me
This show was only launched at the beginning of this month and I think I finished the first season in 2 days, 3 max! I love dark humor and there is plenty! And these two ladies, Christina Applegate stars with Linda Cardellini, are absolutely fabulous. The general story is: A widow is searching for the hit-and-run driver who mowed down her husband and befriends an eccentric optimist through shared grief. And everything is so real, natural, full of emotions that I can relate to, and touching!
Also the topics! There is a lot in the plot, but they are all very important: dealing with grief, mum guilt, being in your 40s, miscarriages, breast cancer, and friendship.
Be warned, there is a good amount of swearing and I know that this put some people off. But this is not a show for children and, to be very honest, I can kinda relate. Jen (CA) has so much on her plate. Her husband died, she has two teenagers and a business to run. And when listening to heavy metal (love that part, can relate to that too!) and swearing helps to navigate your life a bit better, then that is fine. It is all still very raw and new, it will not last forever! And yes, I would love to have a friendship like Jen and Judy (LC) share, because they both allow each other to feel what they need to feel.
By the way, the two seem to really enjoy each others company in general. Love it:
My sweet @lindacardellini you know how I feel about you. But tonight I miss you. I love you with all of my heart. Thank you for being my friend. Till the end @deadtome pic.twitter.com/8OfzgXzBKB
— christina applegate (@1capplegate) May 4, 2019
Image: Netflix
Dynasty
This is the total opposite of Dead to me. And the only reason I actually watch and love it. This soap opera reboot based on the 80’s series is all about glitz, wealth, the corrupt world, and backroom deals. The storyline is totally over the top B U T the main character, Fallon Carrington, is sassy, outspoken, obnoxious and sports the sharpest eyeliner in history. Together with the best outfits! There you go, for me, it is all about the costumes, the styling, the fashion! It is just so good! Once a week I have my Dynasty moment and then I am glued to the TV waiting for a new outfit to pop up. And since the show is recorded at the moment, all the pieces are from current collections! And to top it all, you will see lots of Gucci, Louboutin, Prada, and co. But there is also space for some smaller brands and new designers. That is why each outfit is so interesting. And, yes another ‘and’, the men. They do dress the men in the coolest outfits too. Jeff Colby actually has such a bad a** wardrobe! To sum up: Bold, structured, feminine with a twist, modern, cheeky and always just so on point! Love it! You should try it too if you love fashion…
Also, you absolutely have to follow Meredith Markworth-Pollack on Instagram, the stylist of the show. A genius!
Killing Eve
Another show with two ladies as the main characters. And this one is just never dull, always well observed, made with great attention to detail, and most importantly so much fun.
Eve is a bored MI5 security officer whose desk job does not fulfill her fantasies of being a spy. Meanwhile, Villanelle is a fearsome assassin clinging to the luxuries her violent job affords her.
When Eve is tasked with tracking down Villanelle before she can strike again, the two women are thrown into a cat-and-mouse game that turns the traditional spy-thriller on its head. I love some good crime (also in terms of books) but this is another level. Sophisticated and fantastic acting! Season 2 aired in the US and I am impatiently waiting to get access here in the UK.
Patrick Melrose
This one is intense! And Benedict Cumberbatch is the show. To be honest, I am not sure I would have adored it as much if somebody else would have played that role. He is just such a great actor. The show is based on semi-autobiographical novels about Britain’s upper class by Edward St Aubyn. And about a man from a very privileged yet traumatic childhood in the 1980s. Patrick’s father was abusive, and Patrick’s mother put up with his behavior. He went into addiction and severe substance abuse in New York. The 1st episode is a very accurate description of what it means to be an addict. But the story quietens down and deepens after that, so please do not give up after that start.
The biggest message is that even so, you have given up substances/ drugs, your past will not automatically disappear too. So touching to see Patrick self-sabotaging and still believing that he is not a good person. His mum is played by Jennifer Jason-Leigh who is also extraordinary. Definitely a show that lingers in your memory long after.
Image: Sky Atlantic
This is Us
Another one with deeply affecting emotional messages! About the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frames.
And a whole lot of important topics as well: Mental health, loss, homosexuality, premature babies, adoption, addiction, and finding your path in life.
This family is surely not perfect and this is what makes it perfect after all. For me! It is so simple and yet so complicated, heartbreaking, sweet and also brutal.
They start to make you adore Jack, the father. The one that is perfect, loved and does everything and cheers everyone up. But episode after episode (especially in the last season)we see more about their lives, what they dealt with and slowly realise that it was actually Rebecca, the mum, who kept everything and everyone together. And it reminds us, that what you see (or want to see) is not always the reality. And that there is more to a story.
It is deep and especially the grieving part feels very close to me. Because losing a very close family member is not something that you eventually “get over”. But instead, that loss becomes an integrated part of your life going forward. And in ‘This is Us’ we can see how every character in this series is dealing with it in very different ways. I think we often believe that grief is temporary, and only allow expressions of it in that first few months or maybe a year. And yet there will always be moments of wishing that loved one was still around. To me, that show was/ is really some form of grief counseling.
