I consume a fair amount of television. It’s not like I’m watching it all day though. It happens at night time. When we finally get the kids down and have a couple hours to unwind. Do I use it as a way to put off actually going to sleep? Probably. But when the days seem so short as it is, I find myself making that time where “I get to relax” last as long as possible.
I’m also a bit of a television snob. What can I say? I’m a Virgo and I have high standards 💅 Truthfully, I can get on board with some cheesier stuff, as long as it’s the right kind of cheese, if ya know what I mean.
Anyway, I’m sharing a list of this month’s shows and movies that I watched so that you can check them out too if you’re looking for a little late night sleep revenge. Here goes; my personal July TV Guide!
The Righteous Gemstones, Season 3
We’ve been watching The Righteous Gemstones from the start. When I saw Danny McBride and Walter Goggins at it again (post Vice Principals) for a show that makes fun of mega churches, well, I knew it’d be the show for me.
Fun fact: I went to a mega church once. ‘Twas a wild ride. Looked like a strip mall, everyone was wearing Tom Hardy, there was a Christian rock band playing, and I saw people get baptized in hot tubs on a big screen. A truly stark contrast to the Catholic church experience I was much more familiar with growing up. Don’t even ask me why I was there in the first place… 😅
Anyway, season 3 still brings it with the laughs, the sick humor, and the ratchet dynamic between Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin Gemstone. All of the characters are hilarious in their own way, with Baby Billy as my own personal and forever fave. 10/10 recommend.
Cruel Summer, Season 1
Ok, admittedly I got sucked into this one. It looked cheesy, kinda is cheesy, but still, every episode ended on a juicy cliffhanger that left me wanting more. And it was surprisingly better than I thought it was going to be. There are more seasons to this show and I only watched the first. I’m not sure I love it enough to watch more but for a show that gets your mind off the world and keeps you mentally distracted engaged, I’d say Cruel Summer wasn’t half bad.
It takes place in the early 2000s as well, so the nostalgic part of me enjoyed the aesthetic, music selections, and more. I’d give Cruel Summer a solid 7/10 because sometimes ya just need a good filler show like this.
Marrowbone
This movie was advertised to me on some social media site. It stars Mia Goth and a few other famous folks from before they got a bit more popular in more recent years. It’s a spooky film with a twisted plot. Kinda reminded us of The Others. I liked this one. I cried at the end, just couldn’t hold it in, lol. As a person with siblings who I hold near and dear to me, I really loved how that family dynamic was presented in the film. 8/10 recommend.
Maggie Moore(s)
We rented Maggie Moore(s), a dark comedy, one night when we were looking for something to watch. It’s not one I’d probably watch again or highly recommend but I was entertained the whole time and enjoyed the plot and actors overall. In the same vein of Cruel Summer, it’s a great movie to put on, if you’re looking for something to put on.
I appreciated that it takes place in Arizona and that one of the suburban houses in the movie looks almost exactly like what you can expect at many a house in the suburbs here. I also thought it was interesting how it touched on themes of toxic masculinity and antisemitism. Overall, not too shabby. I’d give it a 7/10.
The Bear, Season 2
I gotta say, I don’t love this one as much as everyone else seems to. It’s good, but it’s also a bit boring and obnoxious. Many of the characters are actually annoying. And I get that’s what they’re going for with the whole working class Italian family in Chicago thing but I didn’t find the incessant banter charming. It felt overdone, with Richie and Donna’s characters especially. Richie redeems himself during the last few episodes but yeah….
Also, the long gazes between Carmie and Claire were way too much for me 😂 I’m sorry, just too corny. There’s a way to pull off the whole dreamy thing, and this duo didn’t do it for me. Annoying.
The final episode mostly redeemed the season for me, but overall, I see The Bear as a filler show. Not one I look forward to, but ok enough to put on as I unwind at night and there’s nothing else. I give it a 6/10.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 5
Ok, I like this one, it’s true. I’ve been a fan since Season 1. It’s a light, fun show and sometimes that’s exactly what I need. I love that it’s a Jewish show too and centers a Jewish woman and family. It can be a little over the top and stereotype-y but it also feels like that’s done in a loving way? The show has received criticism for those reasons and because the main actress, Rachel Brosnahan, isn’t Jewish.
Overall, I felt like the series wrapped up nicely with Season 5. You can’t help but love Mrs. Maisel, even when she is a bit out of touch or annoying. She’s cute, she’s funny, she’s ambitious, and she’s ultimately a feminist. This one gets a 7/10 from me.
But I’m a Cheerleader
I think I saw this one somewhere on IG and I wondered to myself how in the world I missed this during my adolescence? It’s starring so many actors from that time; Natasha Lyonne, Michelle Williams, Rufio from Hook, Melanie Lynskey, Clea Duvall, the list goes on. These weren’t huge actors at the time, but still…
(I did wonder if I missed it because it’s about being gay and as much as I’d like to think the 90s were a more open time, this could have played a role in why I missed it back then, whether due to lack of not noticing it myself or lack of it being presented to me in my environment).
For a film made in the 90s, I felt like it actually holds up well as far as problematic stuff and relevance for current times go, but maybe others in the LGBTQ+ community would feel differently.
I thought this one was really cute. It’s kitschy, alternative, campy, and a sweet coming of age love story to boot. I loved it. 8/10 recommend.
Platonic
We just finished this new Apple TV show starring Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne. Gotta say, I’m a fan of this one. It’s a well done, light-hearted comedy about two friends who reconnect after one of them goes through a divorce. I had a lot of good laughs and even if I didn’t anxiously await the next episode, I looked forward to the new episodes coming out and happily finished the first season.
If you’re not into scary stuff or shows that are super heavy, this is a great one and a 9/10 for me.
And Just Like That
I’ve watched about half of these episodes so far. Something about this crew just annoys me now. The fact that they’re so wealthy and out of touch, perhaps? The storylines just don’t hit like they used to either. The episode where Charlotte desperately wants to know if she made the “hot moms” list at her kids’ school is a prime example. Like why? And what? Anyway, big meh here. Wish they woulda left this one in the 90s. And just like that, I give it a 5/10.
And look, I’m no actor or director or any type of creative in the film industry. I know it must be hard to pull off a great show. These are just one consumer of entertainment’s opinions so please feel free to take or leave ‘em <3 I hope you enjoyed my July TV guide!
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