First, a sincere thanks to the tens of thousands (?!) of you who read my recaps for The Crown: Season 5 on Collider. If you missed them, I’ve included links to all ten at the end of this email.
If you read them and are now new here, allow me to welcome you to The Sunday Stream, the answer to what has become one of the most challenging questions of our time:
What Should I Watch Tonight?
Every Sunday morning, we send the best things to watch straight to your inbox. No think pieces, no pretense; just one or two recommendations, along with the what/why/who/where (what is it about, why should I watch, who’s in it/made it, and where can I stream) because no one should waste their free time on bad content.
This week we have two recs for your streaming pleasure, both troubling albeit in very different ways: one existentially and the other paranormal-ly. Now let’s get to it.
Fleishman Is In Trouble
What It’s About: Based on the bestselling book of the same name, a 41-year-old man (Jesse Eisenberg) navigates life in New York as a recently divorced dad as he dates, rekindles old friendships, and reviews what went wrong with his marriage to his ex-wife (Claire Danes).
Why You Should Watch: For mid-life crises, existential debates on the validity of marriage, satire of the New York elite, and the preposterous spectacle that is Jesse Eisenberg swimming in ass.
This type of dramedy built around a middle-aged protagonist’s life being turned upside down by divorce is not new. What’s fresh is the structure: at first it’s all through the POV of the eponymous Toby Fleishman, but eventually switches to that of his wife Rachel, proving there are two sides to every story and two guilty parties in every divorce. It’s full of self-effacing humor, surprisingly horny, and is perfectly cast. Eisenberg and Danes each do what they do best (resentfully smart neuroticism and tough-as-nails iciness), and Lizzy Caplan and Adam Brody are a treat to watch as always. Just be prepared to be vindicated or horrified depending on your thoughts on marriage.
Who’s In It, and Where You Probably Know Them From:
Jesse Eisenberg - As Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network (a movie more relevant than ever), or potentially as Lex Luthor (did you all forget?) in the recent Batman/Superman movies.
Claire Danes - Depending on your age, it could be My So-Called Life, Baz Luhrman’s Romeo and Juliet, The Family Stone (the holiday season is upon us), or, most recently, Homeland.
Lizzy Caplan - Freaks and Geeks, Mean Girls, Hot Tub Time Machine, Party Down, or Masters of Sex.
Adam Brody - Do I even need to say it? CAL-I-FORNNNNIA, HERE WE COMEEEE!
Who Made It, and What Else Have They Done: The series was written by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, who penned the book on which the show is based. The first season has a variety of directors, including a few notable ones who were behind Little Miss Sunshine, episodes of Succession, and interestingly some classic music videos like the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Californication” and The Smashing Pumpkins’ “1979.”
Where You Can Watch: Hulu
1899
What It’s About: In this epic mystery-horror show, a crew and passengers aboard a ship to New York in 1899 encounter paranormal and mysterious events when they find a second vessel adrift on the open sea.
Why You Should Watch: For period piece mystery, trippy otherworldly visuals, general spookiness, and Nolan-esque ominous WAAHHHSSS.
Ghost ships! Mystery boxes! Creepy children! All on an epic scale, vast as the Atlantic itself. 1899 is one of those shows that is just as fun to watch as it is to dissect: I’m sure there are already multiple subreddits dedicated to picking apart the various riddles, hidden insignia, and easter eggs within the show (HER EARRINGS ARE PYRAMIDS!!!). It’s impressive to see what the creators can do with more budget (no doubt thrown at them after the surprise success of Dark), and have used all that Netflix money to give 1899 an expansively immersive feel and unearthly atmosphere. The series has just started but it’s sure to be wild ride as we all discover what’s laying at the bottom of the sea.
Who’s In It, and Where You Probably Know Them From:
The cast is mostly comprised of foreign actors, most of whom haven’t appeared in many English-speaking films. You might recognize some familiar faces if you also watched Dark.
Who Made It, and What Else Have They Done: Baran Bo Odar and Jantje Friese are the co-creators - they also brought us Dark, oft-dubbed the “German Stranger Things.”
Where You Can Watch: Netflix