BINGE WATCH BINGE WATCH
We’re still spending a lot of time at home, so here’s some more of the best streaming TV shows to feast on.
Watchmen
One series, HBO / Amazon Prime If you still haven’t got your fill of superheroes and vigilantes in a dystopian world, tune in to this nine-part series that takes up the dark story of a group of morally questionable crimefighters in an alternate 21st century 34 years after the original DC comics story. It ties in well with current events around the world, with a group of white supremacists in Tulsa, Oklahoma, waging war on minorities and the city police who are forced to wear masks to hide their identities. The 2009 film of this cult comic book story was dreadful, but this enjoyable series can be viewed as a standalone story that gives enough background explanation, and leads to a satisfying conclusion that doesn’t hint at a follow-up. Great if you want to cram it all into one week of viewing.
THE COMEY RULE
One series, Now TV / Amazon Prime Now that Trump has finally left the White House, we can sit back and watch this interesting two-part miniseries with a little less worry that the events depicted will be repeated. Based on the memoirs of former FBI Director James Comey (played by Jeff Daniels), it examines the relationship between the head of the intelligence agency and Brendan Gleeson’s subtly portrayed Trump, and reveals just how out of step with reality the former US President was when it came to law and order, diplomacy and the workings of State organisations. Comey faced an unenviable task in trying to keep Trump in line on issues of national security, with his hand forced by the insistence on an investigation into Hillary Clinton, allegations of the president’s ill-advised dealings with Russian oligarchs, and a repeated demand for loyalty over national interests, before he fell foul of the President himself and was stepped down. If even half of what is depicted in this series is true, the world got away lightly.
HISTORY OF SWEAR WORDS One series, Netflix During these difficult times, sometimes all you want is to watch Nicolas Cage swear loudly at you, and this six-part series fits the bill nicely. Cage oversees proceedings from a comfortable professor’s chair, but there is actual scientific thought brought in through interviews with experts in etymology, popular culture and history, with each episode looking into the origins, usage and impact of specific words on
ourselves and other people (for example, swearing helps us endure stress or pain for longer). Alongside the experts, there are contributions from comedians including Sarah Silverman, Nick Offerman and Jim Jefferies to remind us not to take things too seriously. If you have any interest in word origins, or just want to sit back and watch people cursing, you can’t go far wrong with this.
FIRECALL SPRING
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