What I'm Watching Now: Jumbo Holiday Edition

written by Betsy Flak on 2016-12-28

Ok, so this is the time of year where I watch a lot of tv. First, there's all those movies that Hollywood was saving for the holidays. Secondly, I typically take the full two weeks around Christmas and New Years off, leaving me with an abundance of free time. And finally, I make my annual pilgrimage to Michigan, also known as the "please distract me from noticing I'm trapped on a plane for the next five hours" trip. So, yes, the three of these result in me watching a ton of tv, which results in a ton of reviews to share with you!

Without further ado, here's what I've been watching:

In the theater:

• Rogue One
  • In a nutshell: The latest Star Wars movie. Duh.
  • Watch if: Star Wars is your jam!
  • Skip if: Hmm, how to say this without spoilers...Nope, I can't. I'll go for the spoiler-free reason: You only watch Star Wars for the sweet light saber/Jedi fights. None of that in this one.
  • My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (I liked it)
  • Disclaimer/Notes: My rating might be a little low because I hated the ending, even though I saw it coming.


• Passengers
  • In a nutshell: In the future, humans colonize other planets and go into stasis to get there. With ninety years left in their journey, two people (played by Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence) wake up early...
  • Watch if: You like futuristic space travel + Chris Pratt + Jennifer Lawrence. Not gonna lie, that's pretty much why I saw it.
  • Skip if: You don't like ninety minutes of set-up for about thirty minutes of action. There was also a cringeworthy moment of overacting in there.
  • My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (I liked it)
  • Disclaimer/Notes: I'm a sucker for a little romance, and I really like both of these actors, so I might be biased. That said, the SO actually liked it more than me.


• Arrival
  • In a nutshell: In what looks like the present day, UFOs land around the world. Humans make contact but struggle to communicate with them. The world then has to decide whether the aliens are hostile or not. Amy Adams stars.
  • Watch if: You like alien stuff + Amy Adams. That plus a recommendation from my in-laws was why I went to see it. It did have a mind-bending twist.
  • Skip if: You're looking for action rather than drama in your alien movies.
  • My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (I really liked it)
  • Disclaimer/Notes: Ever since Enchanted, I've been a huge Amy Adams fan. Also, I like the academic science-y side of the film (and am predisposed to like it as a former engineer/scientist).

TV:

• Man in the High Castle
  • In a nutshell: What would have happened if the Axis had won World War II instead of the Allies?
  • Watch if: Watch it. I don't care who you are. Watch it.
  • Skip if: See note above. :p On a serious note, I suppose you can skip it if you hate historical fiction with a bloody passion.
  • My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (I loved it!)
  • Disclaimer/Notes: I actually haven't seen the recently released Season 2 yet, since I decided to rewatch Season 1 before starting Season 2. But, let me tell you, Season 1 was even better than I remembered upon a second watch. I just hope my expectations aren't too high for Season 2.


• House of Lies
  • In a nutshell: Comedy/Dramedy about unscrupulous management consultants.
  • Watch if: You love witty dialogue that makes you listen to every word.
  • Skip if: Adult themes aren't for you (lots of swearing, sex, alcohol, drugs...you name it, they do it. On screen.).
  • My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (I loved it!)
  • Disclaimer/Notes: First, I love dramedies, easily my favorite genre of television. Secondly, another one of my all-time favorite actresses stars on this show (Kristen Bell). Also, this show was cancelled this year after five seasons (at least three of which were superb, though I wasn't a huge fan of Season 4).


• Vampire Diaries
  • In a nutshell: Vampires. Love triangles. The usual.
  • Watch if: You, like me, love you some vampires.
  • Skip if: You want an actual quality show. :p
  • My rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ (It's ok)
  • Disclaimer/Notes: Don't get me wrong. I love Vampire Diaries. That said, it is most definitely a guilty pleasure (and one that I like to write off as "market research"...which, let's be real, I just enjoy watching it). Side note: I'm about to start season 5, so I'm still several seasons behind. I have no idea if it gets worse with time.

I also watched several movies on the plane (two each way), but none of them were anything special. Jason Bourne was just another Bourne movie (though I do enjoy them), and Captain America: Civil War was another Avengers/Marvel movie. Sister with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey was better than I expected, but nothing to write home about, especially when factoring in my low expectations. The same with Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, though it was easily the most unique movie amongst the four.

All right, I'm off to start Season 2 of Man in the High Castle! You should too (if you haven't already).