What We’re Watching

What We’re Watching on TV

Jessica Jones
After a two and a half year sabbatical, “Jessica Jones” has returned and she’s drowning in anger (and whiskey). After defeating her rival Kilgrave, Jones is now on the hunt to discover her past and confront who she really is, even if she can’t totally remember.

Atlanta
Back with a new name, “Atlanta Robbin’ Season” has reinvented itself yet again. Donald Glover’s FX series follows friend trio Paper Boi, Earn, and Darius who are trying to find fame in the not-so-glamorous streets of Atlanta. “Robbin’ Season” (the time right before Christmas in which robbery rates increase) is more formulaic than the first, but plays into the literal and metaphorical meaning of its name where the more you get, the more they take.

Love
In its third and final season, “Love” is coming to an end and we’re still not sure if Gus (Paul Rust) and Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) will live happily ever after. The two 30-somethings have been trying to make it work amongst a series of cringe-worthy fuck-ups and countless reconciliations, but can they commit and become real adults in a real-world relationship? We’ll see.

Sneaky Pete
Marius Josipovic (Giovanni Ribisi) is on a very different journey in season two, but he still has all his old tricks. As a con man who stole his cell mate’s identity in season one, the former Pete Murphy impersonator has now got bigger problems as thugs have kidnapped him thinking that he is, in fact, the real Pete Murphy. Now, he’s got to figure out how to ditch them but still take off with the money they say Pete’s estranged mother stole from them. $11 million to be exact. What poses an even bigger issue is that the lives of the Murphy family are on the line, people who we are supposed to believe Marius grew attached to in season one. But did he develop any real feelings for them at all? It looked that way to us, but then again you can’t trust everything you see.

Santa Clarita Diet
No one ever told us why Sheila (Drew Barrymore) became a flesh-eating zombie-realtor, but we accepted season one for what it was—an offbeat, undead comedy that actually brought a family closer together. In season two, “Santa Clarita Diet” delves into solving the mystery and explores the repercussions that ensue when the family finds out that Sheila can spread the virus.

Rise
NBC’s new musical drama “Rise” tracks the transformation of a typical high school theater department, and for those who loved “Glee” and “Friday Night Lights” — this is basically the best of both worlds. An English teacher-turned-theater director takes center stage (no pun intended) and shakes up the faculty, students and the small, working-class town in which the show is based.

What We’re Watching in Theaters

A Wrinkle in Time
After 54 years, the canonical novel “A Wrinkle in Time” has been brought to life by Disney. The film addresses the many injustices endured by its main character, Meg Murry, as she journeys through this fantasy world. Originally centered around Christian themes, the film today serves as a social commentary on inclusion, race, and equality.

Thoroughbreds
Cory Finley’s feature film debut tells the story of two young suburban girls, Amanda and Lily, who plot the murder of Lily’s stepdad. From early on, “Thoroughbreds” was a Sundance Film Festival favorite, and we can see why a dark twist on a coming-of-age tale went over so well.

A Quiet Place
Directed by John Krasinski and co-starring both he and his wife Emily Blunt, comes a highly-suspenseful horror movie about a family who is being hunted by monsters that feed off of sound. The duo and their children must figure out how to lead a happy life while totally isolated from existence.

Unsane
You know her from “The Crown,” but this time Claire Foy is playing the paranoid Sawyer Valentini actively on the run from her stalker. After seeking out counseling, she is forced into a medical facility (a.k.a. psych ward) where her stalker suddenly reappears. The tension then lies in whether or not he’s actually there, or if her paranoia has taken over.

Tomb Raider
Although the role of Lara Croft isn’t being reprised by Angelina Jolie, the “Tomb Raider” prequel starring Alicia Vikander is nothing to scoff at. The film is absent of pistols and booty shorts, and instead, paints Croft as an underdog who has distanced herself from her family’s fortune. This time, Croft is noticeably more serious, sentimental and the plot builds on the moment in which she transforms into the Tomb Raider.

You Were Never Really Here
Adapted from Jonathan Ames’ novella, a hitman (Joaquin Phoenix) is hired to retrieve a teenage girl from a child sex ring. Phoenix plays a shaggy-haired, anti-hero named Joe who is withdrawn from the world and faces demons of his own as he openly struggles with abusive flashbacks. He comes across as a stoical, dead-eyed (yet very compelling) character who prefers to kill with a hammer instead of a gun. There is some sort of satisfaction found in his rescue missions in which for a brief moment he can control the corruption around him. In his journey to find the girl, his fellow associates start to get picked off one by one and Joe soon realizes that it is kill, or be killed.

What We Can’t Wait For

Westworld Season 2 (April 22)
In its first season, “Westworld” introduced us to a futuristic theme park in which human guests could interact with lifelike androids. The twist came later when we as viewers realized our empathy lied with the androids, whose memories are erased daily but begin to retain fragment flashbacks of the horrors that are inflicted on them by the real-life guests. Going into season two, the first season now can be equated to a prequel to all the events that will begin to take shape. After a powerful uprising, new worlds will be introduced (as Westworld is one of six parks), new characters come aboard and Delos’ true agenda is possibly revealed.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 (April 25)
For those who read Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” you know there is no sequel. But after the spinoff show found success in its first season, Hulu has made a second one possible. The continued 13 episodes will follow Offred’s (Elisabeth Moss) journey after she’s been carted off in a van from her Commander’s home. We will also see more from Ofglen (Alexis Bledel) and as the trailer suggests, things for the women in Gilead will only go downhill from here.

 Avengers: Infinity War (April 27)
“Avengers: Infinity War” promises the showdown of all showdowns as the team comes together to battle purple-skinned menace, Thanos (Josh Brolin). For the Avengers and their superhero allies, the stakes are supposed to be higher with more stars on the screen than ever before and unexpected twists and turns along the way. It is rumored to be the biggest Marvel movie of all time.

Sweetbitter (May 6)
Based on the best-selling novel and real life of Stephanie Danler, “Sweetbitter” will be adapted into a new half-hour drama set to premiere on Starz. The show will tell the story of 22-year-old Tess, who after moving to New York, becomes caught up in its chaotic restaurant scene and explores a life filled with love, lust, alcohol, drugs, and fine dining.

Deadpool 2 (May 18)
Whether you consider “Deadpool” to be a comedy or superhero franchise, the highly-anticipated sequel is said to be darker, heavier and funnier than the original film. Directed by David Leitch (known for “John Wick”) fans will rejoice to see Ryan Reynolds on-screen again, fighting alongside new mutant enemies Cable (Josh Brolin) and Domino (played by “Atlanta’s” Zazie Beetz).

Ocean’s 8 (June 8)
This gender-flipped reboot of a reboot stars an all-female lineup where Debbie Ocean (played by Sandra Bullock and the estranged, fictional sister of Danny from the original films), assembles a team to pull of a heist at the Met Gala. The movie itself has generated a lot of buzz, but the hype mostly surrounds its star-studded cast including appearances by Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Kim Kardashian, and Katie Holmes.