Weekend Watching

I actually had some time this weekend so I spent it catching up on things and watching some new things. While I don't want to do a full review but I wanted to tell you what I would recommend and what I wouldn't in this new segment called Weekend Watching!

I have never heard of Anne Lister, which is weird because I tend to know about all these random people in history that no one knows about. Anne was a lover of travel and women. She also kept a diary most of her life which included incredible detail about her life - the mundane and her sexual exploits.

Lister, known as Gentleman Jack around her town, was a women of status in Halifax in the 1800's. People loved, feared, and respected her. Everyone knew she loved women but it usually wasn't an issue for her. Usually. When Anne falls in love with Ann, her world changes.

It's interesting because Anne kept diaries with over 4 million words written in them that detail everything from getting the rent from her tenants, which was a man's job at the time, to who she met with on her extensive travels. Most of what she wrote was in code and is still being decoded to this day. In a behind the scenes video I saw on YouTube they talked about how newly translated pieces were being brought to the writers all the time.

This series, from the BBC but on HBO in America, will satify your craving for LGBTQ drama with a really cool period piece. Suranne Jones, who plays Lister, is beyond fantastic and I would be shocked if she doesn't receive a BAFTA nomination.

Conclusion: If a look into the life of an open lesbian in the 1800's sounds like your cup of tea I would highly recommend this.

I absolutely loved season one of Mindhunter on Netflix. In fact I talked about it on my podcast We're All Friends Here in episode one. I watched patiently for season two so imagine my surprise when I happened to see someone talking about it on Instagram. I had no idea the new season had come out and I stopped what I was doing to binge watch it.

This season focuses more on Tench and Dr. Carr than Holden. It's a nice change from last season but we still get glimpses into Holden and his behavior. Tench spends this season dealing with a tragedy in his family and Carr opens up more more about her sexuality. Of course there are murderers that they interview including Charles Manson and Son of Sam but really the season is about them applying their new knowledge about these killers in the field as they help track a child murderer in Atlanta.

As a lover of true crime and being slightly and weirdly obsessed with serial killers, Mindhunter is the perfect show for me. It has drama, personal issues, serial killers - what more could you possibly want?!? I'm excited for the next season as the BTK killer has started killing and Tench has started showing an interest in him. I'm currently reading a book about the BTK killer and it will be interesting to see what the behavioral science department will do with him.

Conclusion: Season 2 is just as good, if not better, than season one and I really hope Netflix keeps it around. (We all know Netflix can't count to three)

I've been hearing about Euphoria for a while but I didn't have a desire to watch it. It didn't seem like something I would be interested in. Euphoria is about Rue, played by Zendaya, and her life after her OD and rehab stay. It focuses on a group of people all connected to Rue as told by Rue.

The best way I can describe Euphoria is that it is like Degrassi on drugs, literally. It focuses on drug and alcohol abuse, sexuality, and how you are just as messed up as everyone else. There is a lot of drug use and underage sex, which is something I find strange. I know all the actors are over 18 but they are playing 16-18 year olds and seeing them naked and having lots of graphic sex is off putting to me. But that's the point.

I love Zendaya and I remember watching her on Disney's Shake It Up so seeing her drugged out and talking about dick pics is shocking but in the end I laughed, cried and felt a weird connection to these characters. Was I like this at 16? Absolutely not. I grew up with a cop and when I was 16 I was babysitting my 6 year old sister a lot. This was not my high school experience but I loved Euphoria. You can find someone or something to connect to.

Conclusion: It's really good but can be very graphic at times. It makes me feel very old but it's something that I think a lot of younger kids are dealing with. It's a great look at what kids these days might be going through.

I loved Rocko's Modern Life when I was younger. I watched it every time it was on and I still remember the ending of the show. Static Cling takes place 20 years after the last episode, side note: god I'm old, and deals with Rocko and the gang dealing with the changes to O-Town.

If you don't know how Rocko ended, spoilers!, the gang was sent into space and doomed to spend the rest of their life floating in space. It was fine because they still had their VHS copy of The Fatheads. When the VHS tape malfunctions and they find a way back to Earth, Rocko finds out The Fatheads have been off the air for years. He makes it his mission to bring them back.

Static Cling is a great reminder about how different life is in just 20 years. I was 11 when this show ended and while it doesn't seem like a lot has changed, Static Cling reminds me that it really has.

Conclusion: This 45 minute special is a great nostalgia trip and I didn't want it to end. If you loved Rocko's Modern Life then I 100% recommend this Netflix special.

#Mindhunter #euphoria #RockosModernLife #GentlemanJack #Netflix #HBO #BBC