A run-down of the latest TV goodies available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime, and what you should be drinking with them.
The critics panned it, there are petitions out there to have the show cancelled, and it’s currently in hot water for suggesting that bisexuals don’t exist. Netflix’s latest offering Insatiable (the story of a former larger lady exacting revenge on her high school bullies with the help of a disgraced beauty pageant coach) has had a rocky start. But despite the bad press, viewers keep coming back for more and someone out there is propping up its IMDB and google rankings... Tacky, rude and deliciously addictive watching, you want to pair this one with a porn star martini – very baby-dynasty and only 100 calories.
Netflix’s award winning Better Call Saul is back. In the fourth season of the Breaking Bad prequel sequel, we start to see the timelines of the two shows overlap as Chuck’s death ramps up Jimmy’s transformation into Saul Goodman, and Hector’s hospitalisation prompts the rise of Gus Fring. Set to be tense and dark, it’s time to put away the light beer from seasons 1-3 and get yourself some hardcore bourbon. Hold the ice.
Want to see where it’s all going? All 5 seasons of Breaking Bad are available to stream on Netflix as well.
For those looking for a quick binge, both seasons of ABC’s The Catch are available on Amazon Prime. With our girl Shonda at the helm we know to expect kick ass female leads with gorgeous love interests who aren’t afraid of a strong woman and it delivers. Sort of. Although the premise is sound (P.I. gets conned by her fiancé and then vows to take him down), something is lost in the delivery. It lacks the punchiness of her other primetime hits, which perhaps explains why it didn’t get renewed for a third season. Still, there’s something mildly addictive about it. A sugar burst from a strawberry-lime cider will keep you bouncing along the plot line.
Billed by some as The Simpsons meets Game of Thrones, part one of Disenchantment is now out on Netflix. It’s fair to say that episode one doesn’t remotely live up to the hype (to be honest, it feels more like a saucy Simpsons special), but Groening’s acolytes encourage us to stick with it; apparently it warms up quickly. For this one we recommend Cava Rosado – sweet and bubbly, the pink fizz might just about keep you in the show’s unicorn popcorn princess mood long enough to get you through to the good stuff.
Sarai Walker’s debut novel, Dietland, has been serialised and is available to stream on Amazon Prime. Described by Walker as the female version of Fight Club, the series has remained pretty faithful to the book. Episode one introduces us to protagonist Plum, an overweight teen-magazine ghostwriter, who is recruited into an underground feminist organisation before the closing credits. By episode two we have guerrilla group Jennifer targeting rapists, and still it manages to be funny. This show is one to watch. Full of intrigue, it is anti-body shaming and delightfully sinister. Pair this dark comedy with an equally dark merlot.
Despite having not yet premiered (it comes out on 31 August) Amazon’s Prime Original adapted TV series Jack Ryan has already been renewed for a second season. John Krasinski brings his A Quiet Place gravitas to Tom Clancy’s eponymous lead – a CIA analyst thrust into the field – and early critics have pegged it as action packed with a “likeable” cast. Set in a post Trump era, it’s said to work hard not to fall too deep into the America Is Always Right mindset of its predecessors, although it can’t help but land there occasionally. Still, with Homeland’s eight season rumoured to be its last and a long way off to boot, we need to get our espionage fix from somewhere. Ignore the martini, this spy thriller should be paired with a cold beer.