If there is one show that’s going to dominate Netflix this weekend, it’s Ozarkseason 3, premiering March 27. The cult favorite drama has been off of our screens for over a year and half, since its second season premiered in August 2018. At last, the Byrdes are back — and committing more complicated crimes than ever.
However, there’s more to streaming this weekend than Jason Bateman’s blue-hued Emmy winner. Earlier this week, Netflix premiered an inspired-by-true-events limited series, a powerful documentary produced by the Obamas, and an international murder mystery fueled by cocaine and sex. On Friday, the platform debuted Uncorked, which is for everyone surviving social distancing and self-quarantine with unlimited wine, and a sweet international rom-com. You'll even find a stalker movie that would make You's Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) nervous.
These are all the new Netflix offerings broken down by plot, genre, and whether you should watch something immediately or skip for now. Keep reading for the lowdown on all of these Netflix treats, including their trailers.
Uncorked
What is it?: A rare coming of age story.
What is it about?: Elijah (Mamoudou Athie), a young man who was raised to take over his family’s BBQ joint. However, Elijah’s passion is wine — not ribs. Familiar conflicts arise when Elijah must choose between the life his father (Courtney B. Vance) demands from him and the one Elijah is chasing.
See or skip?: See with the wine of your choosing. You deserve a calming evening.
Ozark (Season 3)
What is it?: More cool-toned Midwestern crime.
What is it about?: At the close of Ozark season 2, we saw the Byrde family officially open up their riverboat casino/money laundry base. Season 3 follows Wendy (Laura Linney) and Marty (Jason Bateman) as they attempt to grow their influence in the Ozarks and keep their heads attached to their bodies amid ratcheting tensions.
Wendy’s previously unseen brother Ben (Tom Pelphrey) only adds to the discord when he enters the picture.
See or skip?: See to have a fruitful conversation with your parents or Drake. Parents and Drake love Ozark.
What is it about?: Esther “Esty” Shapiro (Shira Haas), a Jewish woman from New York who is part of the ultra-conservative Satmar community. Unorthodox jumps between two timelines in Esty’s life: her marriage to Yakov Shapiro (Amit Rahav), another member of Williamsburg’s Hassidic community, and her solo flight from Brooklyn to Berlin.
The miniseries, which runs for four 53-ish-minute-episodes, reveals how young Esty ended up in a relationship that is clearly destroying her, and how she finds herself in a brand-new city, thousands of miles from the only “home” she has ever known.
See or skip?: See. Unorthodox is serious without being draining, particularly during these stressful times. Everyone should watch Esty’s stunning beach scene in premiere “Part 1.”
What is it about?: Camp Jened, an Upstate New York summer camp for disabled teens that flourished in the early 70s. Camp uses footage from the summer of 1971 to reveal how Jened changed the lives of its attendees, who were all young people with disabilities, opening up their world and inspiring them to demand their own civil rights.
See or skip?: See, if you need to remember just how powerful a small group of people can be.
Freud (Season 1)
Netflix premiere date: Monday, March 23
What is it?: A sexy, murder-y, and very loose take on the life of psychology pioneer Sigmound Freud. A German-language drama.
Freud and Fleur fall into anAlienist-stylecriminal puzzle before eventually finding themselves in a total supernatural nightmare.
See or skip?: See, if you already loveBabylon Berlin — and are comfortable with things getting much weirder than the tale of Gereon Rath (Volker Bruch).
See or skip?: We’re all already increasingly unsettled by remaining indoors in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. You don’t need to make your house seem any scarier — so, skip.
Maska
What is it?: Hindi-language Uncorked, with wine swapped out for acting.
What is it about?: Rumi Irani (Prit Kamani), a 21-year-old whose family has raised him to take over their beloved cafe. However, Rumi isn’t passionate about making the Irani's classic bun — he wants to be a movie star.
Maska questions whether Rumi should follow his passion or realize there’s already magic right in front of him.
See or skip?: See if you wish Uncorked was more of a candy-colored rom-com.
What is it about?: Podcaster and stand-up comedian Tom Segura seeing just how far he can push the envelope. Early in Ball Hog, Segura asks, “You know whose balls I’d love to slam in a mailbox for 20 minutes straight?” All together, Ball Hog is a roasting of all those types of people — Segura’s own mom included.
See or skip?: The trailer for Ball Hog involves a chilling “joke” about murdering a dog as proof of love for a child. When you start the special, you'll realize that's actually a part of the opening bit. If that kind of comedy is upsetting to you, skip. Ball Hog becomes immediately more offensive.
Curtiz
Netflix premiere date: Wednesday, March 25
What is it?: A Hungarian-language Hollywood flick.
What is it about?: The messy behind-the-scenes drama of 1942 classic film Casablanca, anchored by its Oscar-winning director Michael Curtiz (here played by Ferenc Lengyel). Although Curtiz was released in 2018, it was filmed in black-and-white to really drive home its old school sensibilities.
What is it about?: Seven teens who are awoken from cryogenic preservation following a cataclysmic event. The youths must figure out how to survive on a brand new version of Earth, thereby ensuring the continuation of humanity.
Spring has finally arrived. That may mean you’re ready to ditch your winter sweats and start exploring the great outdoors once again. But what about the one thing that makes staying inside worth it: new TV shows?
While the winter season was stuffed with great series — You! Cheer! An infuriating season ofThe Bachelor! — the spring season may be even better. There are high-profile new series like Hulu’sLittle Fires Everywhere and ABC’s Bachelor Nation-expandingListen to Your Heart, as well as the return of blockbuster fan-favorites like Westworld and Ozark. On top of those headline-grabbing premieres, viewers can also expect some hidden gems, including Netflix’s Feel Good, HBO’s Betty, and Starz’sVida.
We’re here to facilitate your dream bingeing session this spring. We've gathered all the shows you'll actually want to watch and put them in a handy chronological guide including premiere dates, premiere times, trailers, and plots. All you have to do is save these treats to your DVR or press “fave” on a streaming site.
You can always venture outside tomorrow.
Devs (FX on Hulu)
Season 1
FX on Hulu premiere date: Thursday, March 5 at 12 a.m. ET
If you’re wondering where genre TV goes afterGame of Thrones, Devs is a solid answer. After all, the eerie sci-fi thriller hails from the man behind two of the most mind-bending movies of the 2010s: Annihilation and Ex Machina writer Alex Garland.
The series — which is made by FX, but will air only on Hulu — follows Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno with a pixie cut), a Silicon Valley software engineer convinced her shadowy employer murdered her boyfriend (Zoë Kravitz husband Karl Glusman).
On My Block (Netflix)
Season 3
Netflix premiere date: Wednesday, March 11 at 3 a.m. ET
The teens of Freeridge have yet another life-or-death mystery to solve. This time, however, they're not merely answering to the whims of to neurotic teenager/taskmaster Jamal (Brett Gray).
This time, their boss is dangerous gang queenpin Cuchillos (Ada Luz Plaz) — and everything is on the line.
The Circle: Brazil (Netflix)
Season 1
Netflix premiere date: Wednesday, March 11 at 3 a.m. ET
2020's The Circlefever continues. Just over two months after Netflix premiered American The Circle — which was filmed in London — the streamer is opening up a brand-new segment of the franchise: The Circle: Brazil.
As with the U.S. version of the series, Brazil's contestants will compete for ultimate influencer status from The Circle's heavily decorated London flat. Let the (mind) games begin.
Elite (Netflix)
Season 3
Netflix premiere date: Friday, March 13 at 3 a.m. ET
There is a new murder mystery afoot in the world of Las Encinas. Strap in for a for a while ride of threesomes, changing alliances, and, oh yeah, college prep, as bloody teen soapElite enters its third season.
The Valhalla Murders (Netflix)
Season 1
Netflix premiere date: Friday, March 13 at 3 a.m. ET
Netflix continues to churn out must-see crime mysteries. Valhalla Murders, a Norwegian series, takes viewers inside the fictional hunt for the Scandinavian country’s first serial killer. The result is a visually chilling series made for people who wish Prodigal Son was a lot less quirky.
More Funny Women of a Certain Age (Showtime)
Season 1
Showtime premiere date: Saturday, March 14 at 10 p.m. ET
As Sabrina the Teenage Witch aunt Caroline Rhea asks, what would the all-man version of this special be called? Congress?
Well, whatever the answer, at least you’ll be laughing through all the painful truths.
The HBO sci-fi series’ 2020 season takes us outside the confusing parks of prior episodes and reveals the world hiding beyond the gates of Delos’ terrifying robot-heavy playground. Still, as usual with Westworld, all-out chaos is an ever-present threat — particularly if Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) has anything to say about it.
My Brilliant Friend: The Story of a New Name (HBO)
Season 2
HBO premiere date: Monday, March 16 at 10 p.m. ET
Can’t afford a weeks-long vacation to Italy, but seriously need the mental escape? The Story of a New Name — inspired by the second book in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels series — is your ticket to the Mediterranean. The second season finds Brilliant Friend’s main characters Elena (Margherita Mazzucco) and Lila (Gaia Girace) as best friends fighting against the constraints of their new stages in life.
New Name will have you reconsidering all the old photos you have of your grandparents and great-grandparents.
Roswell, New Mexico (The CW)
Season 2
HBO premiere date: Monday, March 16 at 9 p.m. ET
The CW’s Jeanine Mason-led sexy, sad alien drama is back for a second season. Prepare for more supernatural hijinks deep in the Southwestern desert.
Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
Season 1
Hulu premiere date: Wednesday, March 18 at 12 a.m. ET
When Little Fires premieres, people everywhere will wonder if Reese Witherspoon is once again playing Madeline Martha Mackenzie in this adaptation of an iconic novel written by a woman (technically, her character’s name is Elena Richardson). However, the real question is whether a Witherspoon character has ever gotten the chance to go up against an opponent as complicated and unflinching as Kerry Washington’s Mia Warren.
For those fireworks alone, Little Fires — about the barely concealed tension of a supposedly perfect Ohio town in the late 1990s — is poised to dominate the Twitter discourse.
Motherland: Fort Salem (Freeform)
Season 1
Freeform premiere date: Wednesday, March 18 at 9 p.m. ET
In the world of Fort Salem, witches are real and their persecution ended 300 years ago. However, there is a catch for all of their freedom: Witches serve their country as a section of the military in exchange for their legal safety. The delicate peace in this version of America is on the verge of collapse as supernatural war looms.
Motherland’s three central protagonists (Jessica Sutton, Ashley Nicole Williams, and Amalia Holm) are on the front lines of staving off the end of witch-kind as they know it.
Feel Good (Netflix)
Season 1
Netflix premiere date: Thursday, March 19 at 3 a.m. ET
Feel Good is a special show. The comedy revolves around Mae (creator/writer Mae Martin) a queer stand-up comic grappling with her sobriety and a new relationship with a woman who previously identified as straight. Feel Good zigs when you expect it to zag, keeping you on your toes through its initial six episodes.
It also stars Lisa Kudrow as Mae’s delightful, no B.S. mom.
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix)
Season 1
Netflix premiere date: Friday, March 20 at 3 a.m. ET
Netflix is proving it’s committed to iconic Black stories outside of Black History Month. Miniseries Self Made tells the story of Black hair mogul Madam C.J. Walker — here played by Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer — America’s first-ever Black woman to become a self-made millionaire.
Blair Underwood, Tiffany Haddish, and Carmen Ejogo also star.
Freud (Netflix)
Season 1
Netflix premiere date: Monday, March 23 at 3 a.m. ET
The story of Sigmund Freud is about to get a whole lot sexier — and spookier.
Netflix’s take on the psychoanalyst has Freud (Australian hottie Robert Finster) solving mysteries with the help of a beautiful occult medium (Ella Rumpf). Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) would approve.
Netflix premiere date: Friday, March 27 at 3 a.m. ET
Ozark is one of Netflix’s most successful dramas — just ask star Julia Garner, who beat out four Game of Thrones heavy hitters for a 2019 Emmy.
After a year and a half off your screen, the blue-hued crime drama is back to raise your adrenaline levels.
Three Busy Debras (Adult Swim)
Season 1
Adult Swim premiere date: Monday, March 30 at 12 a.m. ET
Debras is, without a doubt, the most absurdist series on this list. The Adult Swim sketch show — which will have 15-minute episodes — is a surrealist comedy about three relentlessly peculiar housewives (creators/EPs Sandy Honig, Mitra Jouhari, and Alyssa Stonoha) in the fictional town of Lemoncurd, CT.
If you want to understand what to expect from Debras, watch the trailer right this second — words will never do it justice.
The Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo)
Season 12
Bravo premiere date: Thursday, April 2 at 9 p.m. ET
Prepare yourself for a Bethenny Frankel-less season, RHONYstans. To keep you interested, New York producers promise Dorinda Medley drama aplenty, a new trip to Mexico, and newbie cast member Leah McSweeney, who seemingly has Frankel’s support.
Money Heist, aka Casa de Papel (Netflix)
Part 4
Netflix premiere date: Friday, April 3 at 3 a.m. ET
There are a handful of must-see international Netflix shows: Elite, Babylon Berlin, and Money Heist. The latter — about a group of Spanish criminals who keep finding themselves in more elaborate crises — returns for a mysterious new season of cons and crime.
Insecure (HBO)
Season 4
HBO premiere date: Sunday, April 12 at 10 p.m. ET
Insecure is another beloved show that took the year of 2019 off. At last, Issa Rae’s HBO comedy is back to make us cringe and cheer for main character Issa Dee (Rae). Insecure’s season 4 trailer confirms out emotions will be all over the place as it shows us Issa thriving… while also tearing her skirt open.
Yet, even that stumble can’t dim Issa’s shine at this point.
Run (HBO)
Season 1
HBO premiere date: Sunday, April 12 at 10:30 p.m. ET
Emmy-winner Merritt Wever and Irish nice-boy dreamboat Domhnall Gleeson lead.
The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart (ABC)
Season 1
ABC premiere date: Monday, April 13 at 8 p.m. ET
By the time mid-April rolls around, Bachelor Nation fans will be at the precise midpoint between the end of Peter Weber’s The Bachelor and the beginning of Clare Crowley’sBacheloretteseason. ABC is premiering Listen to Your Heart, a dating show built around musicians, to fill that reality TV hole in viewers’ own hearts.
ABC will debut The Baker and the Beauty as a follow-out series for Listen to Your Heart. The soap is an adaptation of a fan-favorite Israeli series of the same name. In this version of the story, a Cuban-American baker from Miami (Victor Rasuk) falls for a world-famous model/mogul (Nathalie Kelley).
Inevitably, romance, comedy, and family drama all ensue.
Mrs. America (FX on Hulu)
Season 1
FX on Hulu premiere date: Wednesday, April 15 at 12 a.m. ET
In December 2019, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 3 nodded towards Phyllis Schlafly, a real-life mid-century anti-feminist politician who rallied against the Equal Rights Act. Hulu will now gives audiences a full picture of Schlafly with Mrs. America, a drama that unravels the battle for the ERA between two groups of women: Schlafly’s ultra conservative STOP-ERA and second wave feminists like Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne) and Shirley Chisholm (Uzo Aduba).
HBO premiere date: Thursday, April 23 at 9 p.m. ET
Your Drag Race favorites are heading to HBO. Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara, and Shangela Laquifa Wadley lead We’re Here, where they will recruit members of small towns across the country to take part in a one-night-only drag show.
While We’re Here will go all in on glamour, there are also bound be some (happy) tears.
Killing Eve (BBC America)
Season 3
BBC America premiere date: Sunday, April 26 at 10 p.m. ET
The deadly dance of Eve Polastri (Emmy-winner Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Emmy-winner Jodie Comer) continues apace. In season 3 of the PWB-produced thriller, expect to find these two women desperately trying to live without the other.
However, AMC confirms, a deeply personal tragedy will throw Eve and Villanelle back onto an obsessive collision course with one another, as usual.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (Showtime)
Season 1
Showtime premiere date: Sunday, April 26 at 10 p.m. ET
Penny Dreadful was one of the most striking, endearingly bizarre series of the mid-2010s. Then it was cancelled in 2016. Now, the drama's gothic ethos is alive once again and giving birth to a brand-new tale. City of Angels leaves the fog of Victorian London behind in favor of 1938 Los Angeles.
This new story — led by Game of Thrones’ Natalie Dormer — will juggle Mexican-American folklore and the simmering political turmoil of the era.
Vida (Starz)
Season 3
Starz premiere date: Sunday, April 26 at 9 p.m. ET
Some may call Outlander the sexiest Starz show out there, but dramedy Vidahappily gives the period piece a run for its money. This season, the Hernandez sisters (Melissa Barrera and Mishel Prada) finally see their romantic lives and shared business thriving.
However, a shocking family secret threatens to shatter all of their growth.
Betty (HBO)
Season 1
HBO premiere date: Friday, May 1 at 11 p.m. ET
Crystal Moselle gained critical acclaim in 2018 with her feature-length teen dramaSkate Kitchen. Now, two years later, Moselle brings her story to HBO as Betty, a six-part New York City TV comedy about being an extremely cool young person and skateboarding.
Betty features the same charming cast as Skate Kitchen: Dede Lovelace, Moonbear, Nina Moran, Ajani Russell, and Rachelle Vinberg.
The Eddy (Netflix)
Season 1
Netflix premiere date: Friday, May 8 at 3 a.m. ET
Oscar-winner Damien Chazelle loves jazz. It’s no surprise the director’s first Netflix TV collaboration, The Eddy, is all about his very favorite musical genre. The drama is centered in a modern day Parisian jazz club and filters through the lives of its inhabitants.
Welcome to the Catherine the Great TV era. In October 2019, HBO debuted Helen Mirren-starrerCatherine the Great. Seven months later, Hulu is giving audiences The Great, the black comedy take on the life of Russia’s great czarina — this time played by a plucky Elle Fanning.
Tony McNamara, who wrote equally subversive royalty taleThe Favourite, penned The Great. That would explain why Nicholas Hoult — a preening treat in The Favourite — is back and in rare form for The Great as Catherine’s dolt of a husband, Peter.
Genius: Aretha (National Geographic)
Season 1
National Geographic premiere date: Monday, May 15 at 9 p.m. ET
National Geographic has debuted a season of Genius — inspired by a, you guessed it, historical genius — since 2017. The series kicks off the new decade with its first production about a woman: Arthea Franklin. Aretha, starring Oscar-nominee Cynthia Erivo, tracks the queen of soul from her childhood to her world-changing career.
Snowpiercer (TNT)
Season 1
TNT premiere date: Sunday, May 31 at 9 p.m. ET
Hungry for more Bong Joon-Ho content after Parasite’s 2020 Oscar’s domination? You’re in luck — kinda. TNT will premiere Snowpiercer, a for-TV adaptation of the Korean’s director’s 2013 socialist sci-fi film of the same name.
Like the original, this Snowpiercer follows the explosive turmoil on the train holding the final remnants humanity following a climate change-caused forever-winter. Unlike the original, Hamilton’s Daveed Diggs leads Snowpiercer’s uprising instead of Chris Evans.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
This week, it appears the streaming service is trying to slow things down before another explosive run next week (expect Altered Carbon,I Am Not Okay With This, andQueen Sono). Yet, there are still quite a few under-the-radar treats waiting for you right now. The No. 1 must-see on Friday, February 21, is West Coast comedyGentefied, executive produced by America Ferrera. Plus, there’s more Love Is Blind to check out this weekend, along with an Anne Hathaway-starring movie, a few buzzy docuseries, and lots of international content.
Why leave the couch when you have dozens of hours of new TV shows and movies at your fingertips?
These are all the new Netflix offerings broken down by plot, genre, and whether you should watch something immediately or skip for now. Keep reading for the lowdown on all of these Netflix treats, including their trailers.
What is it about?: The Morales cousins — Erik (J.J. Soria), Ana (Karrie Martin), and Chris (Carlos Santos) — who must work together to save their grandpa’s (JoaquÃn Cosio) failing East L.A. taco shop. The Morales family has to contend with the rising pressures of gentrification and family squabbles in order to survive.
Despite the obvious tension of Gentefied, the series is still a comedy through-and-through. Expect silly trips to raves, romantic rollercoasters, and workplace hijinks as much as you plan for multi-generational tears.
See or skip?: See, Gentefied is a 10-episode delight.
The Last Thing He Wanted
What is it?: A movie that sounds perfect on paper.
What is it about?: Elena McMahon (Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway), a D.C. journalist who leaves the 1984 presidential campaign trail to run a misguided errand for her father Dick (Willem Dafoe). Elena’s favor quickly puts her in the center of the conspiracy she is trying to report on.
Ben Affleck also stars in the Dee Rees-directed political thriller. If this plot at all sounds very familiar, that’s because Last Thing He Wanted is inspired by a Joan Didion novel of the same name.
See or skip?: Despite the sexy premise and all-star cast, Last Thing never lives up to its promise. You can skip and watchBodyguard, if you haven’t already seen the sleek British series.
Love Is Blind (Season 1: Part 2)
Netflix premiere date: Thursday, February 20
What is it?: The next 4 episodes of Netflix’s most bingeable reality show right now.
What is it about?: Continuing the saga of Love Is Blind, a series with the wildest rules in dating TV. Last week’s first five episodes took the show’s couples out of the pods and into a controlled, ultra romantic environment: a retreat to Mexico.
This week, we’ll see how the pairs fare in the unruly real world, as episodes focus on move-ins, parent meetings, and the difficult trial of planning a wedding.
What is it?:Director Jon Favreau hanging out with his favorite chef friends, eating their favorite foods.
What is it about?: Mostly Las Vegas, this time around. The first three episodes of Chef Show volume 3 bring Favreau to the kitchens of three iconic Sin City restaurants: Wolfgang Punk’s CUT, palatial Mexican eatery Border Grill, and Best Friend, which is owned by Chef Show co-host Roy Choi.
Over the second half of the volume, Favreau and Choi also get some quality time with cult classic director Sam Raimi and Sprinkles founder Candace Nelson, among others.
See or skip?: See, but only when you aren’t hungry. Otherwise, you’re likely going to be inspired to rack up a dangerous Postmates bill.
Spectros (Season 1)
Netflix premiere date: Thursday, February 20
What is it?: Teens saving the world, this time in a Brazilian Portuguese-language supernatural drama.
What is it about?: Figuring out how to save the Liberdade neighborhood of São Paulo from a sudden rash of resurrections and otherworldly mess. Three teenagers (Danilo Mesquita, Cláudia Okuno, and Mariana Sena) stumble into the battle between the living and the dead after an accidental supernatural run-in.
See or skip?: If you loveDiablero, sample ASAP. Otherwise, you can skip.
Babies (Part 1)
What is it?: A baby-obsessed docuseries.
What is it about?: All the tiny, important details that make up a baby’s first year of life. Babies goes deep on subjects like crawling, sleep, and first steps, explaining how they influence development — and how they even work in the first place.
Each chapter of Babies’ six-episode first season comes in around 50 hyper-focused minutes.
See or skip?: See, if you have questions about babies. Skip, if you don’t have baby fever yet (and are worried about catching it).
Puerta 7 (Season 1)
What is it?: A Spanish-language organized crime-meets-sports drama, with a woman in the lead role.
What is it about?: Diana (Dolores Fonzi), a woman tapped to be the new leader of an Argentine soccer club. Diana’s work puts her directly at odds with the club’s old leadership and terrifying fandom, which both have their roots in corruption and criminal activity.
See or skip?: If you seriously wished The Irishman let Anna Paquin say eight words — rather than her infamous seven — check out Puerta 7. Otherwise, you can skip.
System Crasher
What is it?: A German-language drama.
What is it about?: Benni Klaaß (Helena Zengel), a 9-year-old so desperate for affection she becomes volatile. A gruff-but-sweet child service’s employee, Micha Heller (Albrecht Schuch), works to help Benni — even if that means taking her to live in the woods for three weeks.
See or skip?: See the next time you are prepared to cry and read subtitles.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
THE BACHELOR – “2401” – Handsome airline pilot Peter Weber is ready to take off on an international journey filled with romance, high drama and love! He grabbed Hannah B.’s attention with his boyish charm and one storied night in a windmill, but Bachelor Nation was shocked when she ended their relationship. Now, their heartthrob is back to hand out the roses and search for his happily ever after as he stars in the 24th edition of ABC’s hit romance reality series “The Bachelor,” premiering with a big three-hour special, MONDAY, JAN. 6 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC.(ABC/Maarten de Boer) MADISON
“Have you guys had an opportunity to talk about “decisions you’ve made for yourself in relationships?” Those words are our first glimpse into the hometown date of Madison Prewett, The Bachelor2020 frontrunner, and they pop up during the traditional super tease at the beginning of Monday night’s “Week 8.” Madison’s mom, Tonya Prewett, is the one asking that loaded question during a post-dinner chat with her daughter. When a parent uses such heavily emphasized phrases during a hometown, you know they are trying to deploy a euphemism for “Does the lead know you’re a virgin yet?”
The Bachelor season 24’s treatment of Madison’s decision to “save herself for marriage” suggests the ABC reality show may be growing past its thirst to turn virginity — which is a social construct more than anything — into a seasons-long arc. However, that doesn’t mean The Bachelor is suddenly tackling someone’s decision not to have sex with a responsible and careful eye.
“Week 8” proves the series can’t help but sensationalize its virgin cast members.
The conversation around Madison’s sexual history begins in earnest during the final portion of her hometown, when she sits down with her mom. This is a baby step for The Bachelor(ette), since Colton’s sexual history was scrutinized weeks ahead of his hometown date during Becca Kufrin’s season. At least The Bachelor has waited eight weeks to dissect Madison’s decisions. The extremely religious Prewett’s women’s hometown conversation is cryptic, which forces viewers to try to put together the obscure meaning of their discussion like detectives in the Da Vinci Code. Then, finally, Madison says in a confessional, “I am saving myself for marriage.” Bachelor Peter Weber — a man who famously “fucked in a windmill” four times — still doesn’t know.
The news of Madison’s virginity isn’t posed as the simple — and possibly boring — subject of a conversation between two adults or a small part of her story. Instead, it is the late-breaking threat to one of the Bachelor 2020’s healthiest relationships and the twist in her narrative that could ruin her relationship forever. That’s a painfully overwhelming attitude around sex, and likely only makes viewers at home who are still waiting to do the deed more anxious — or, even ashamed — about a small part of their personhood.
You can feel Madison’s fear around the subject permeate her remaining moments with Peter in “Week 8.” Her goodbye conversation with the Bachelor has a hint of melancholy (which he is oblivious to). Peter joyfully tells Madison he is falling in love with her. Madison quietly accepts his kisses in response. “I was hoping to tell Peter that I’m in love with him,” Madison explains in a confessional. “But I’m still trying to figure out if our spirits and our souls are compatible. I feel like a lot’s weighing on that.”
The underlying meaning here is that Madison is concerned she and Peter don’t line up on their outlooks on sex. It seems obvious she would rather wait to have that conversation when the more intimacy-focused Fantasy Suites week, which is right around the corner, is in full swing.
That is why, once the “Week 8” rose ceremony is finished and Peter is walking away from his contestants, Madison chases after him. This is her moment to fully share her intentions with Peter, “Next week is Fantasy Suites week. I don’t think Peter knows how much I’m struggling,” Victoria says in voiceover. “I’m not willing to compromise who I am for this.” This is Madison’s moment to unburden herself (The Bachelor unquestionably treats Madison’s truth like a crushing burden).
“This could change everything,” Madison adds in voiceover as dramatic music plays. Then, the episode fades to black. The possibility of Madison sharing her lack of sexual history with Peter is officially so dramatic in this series, it is worthy of a cliffhanger ending. That means Madison’s virginity is being treated as if it is as fraught and possibly destructive as the Alayah Benavidez fiasco, which birthed multiple cliffhangers over season 24. Yet just one of these so-called “storylines” involved reckless Bachelor judgement, cast-wide infighting, and so many tears. Madison’s personal choices are just that — deeply personal, singular choices.
The Bachelor is still a long way away from realizing that fact.
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Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
When Tan France and Taylor Swift are competing for your attention, it's difficult to figure out what to watch first.
These are all the new Netflix offerings broken down by plot, genre, and whether you should watch something immediately or skip for now. Keep reading for the lowdown on all of these Netflix treats, including their trailers.
What is it about?: Finding the next fashion star. Next runs a little bit differently than its TV ancestor, Project. First, the series is purposefully international, with players from Scotland, China, South Korea, and Puerto Rico (a U.S. commonwealth rarely recognized in American fashion), along with the continental United States and England. Then — at least for the first few installments — Next has its contestants partnered up for their single episode-long challenges.
The effect is a tough competition that feels less cutthroat. That’s a twist that makes sense, since Next is hosted by the star of Netflix’s softest show — Tan France of Queer Eye — and the consistently effervescent Brit fashion plate Alexa Chung.
See or skip?: If you love a talent competition — or miss the PR days of old — see.
Miss Americana
What is it?: Taylor Swift at her most honest.
What is it about?: The transformation of Taylor Swift. In the wake of the #TaylorIsOverParty that Kim Kardashian initiated and the collapse ofReputation, Swift is forced to rebuild from the inside out. Docuseries Miss Americana takes viewers on that journey, showing us how the pop star unlearned all of the nice-girl platitudes and media-trained politeness she internalized over her career.
Through interviews, in-the-moment footage, and glimpses of Swift-past, we find the new, Lover era Swift.
See or skip?: We’re all watching this one, aren’t we?
BoJack Horseman (Season 6B)
What is it?: The end of BoJack. A “comedy” that made me cry.
What is it about?: Growth. Real, painful, difficult growth. Also, substance abuse, addiction, and suicidal depression, and the possibility of finding a contented life through all of those obstacles. As with all things BoJack Horseman, the animated comedy’s final episodes aren’t easy, but they are very meaningful.
See or skip?: If you’re struggling with mental health issues, you should honestly skip BoJack. Its final run of episodes teeter very close to the edge of nihilism for quite some time before turning towards melancholy optimism at the last second.
However, if you haven’t found the series triggering and have stayed with it this long, definitely see.
Luna Nera (Season 1)
What is it?: An Italian-language witch drama.
What is it about?: A teen girl named Ade (Nina Fotaras) who learns she is a witch — just as violence against witches in her 17th century town reaches a fever pitch. Thankfully, Ade does find solace in an entire new community of women like her. If only Ade's boyfriend’s dad wasn't a bloodthirsty witch hunter.
What is it about?: Magne (David Stakston), a Norwegian teen boy who comes into his mysterious superpowers after moving to a new small town. In the midst of an unseasonably — almost suspiciously — warm Scandinavian winter, Magne realizes he may be the only person standing between his new neighbors and the apocalypse.
See or skip?: See, just don’t expect Thor: Ragnarok. Netflix’s Ragnarok is more Runaways or The Innocents than Chris Hemsworth at his funniest.
I Am a Killer (Season 2)
What is it?: A very serious docuseries.
What is it about?: Inmates around America who have been convicted of capital murder. I Am A Killer mixes intense interviews with its sentenced subjects, real-life evidence, insider commentary, and well-produced reenactments for a look into the mind — and, sometimes, grief — of a killer.
What is it?: A twisty British thriller and miniseries.
What is it about?: An enigmatic stranger (Hannah John-Kamen) who keeps revealing life-ruining secrets to people around England. Leading man Adam Price’s (Richard Armitage) family is shattered by the stranger, and only becomes more confusing after his wife (Dervla Kirwan) is wrapped up in a suspected murder.
See or skip?: If you love a mystery — and can deal with spooky masks — see.
Night on Earth (Season 1)
Netflix premiere date: Wednesday, January 29
What is it?: A very beautiful docuseries.
What is it about?: The wild world that exists when the sun goes down. Thanks to technological advancement, Night on Earth can reveal exactly what happens in the animal kingdom the moment darkness takes hold.
See or skip?: See if you can’t get enough of Earth documentaries like The Blue Planet, Our Planet, or Seven Earths, One Planet.
Diablero (Season 2)
What is it?: More of Netflix’s Mexico-set supernatural adventure.
What is it about?:Diablero season 2, has a brand new antagonist: demon The Ahuizotl. If the series’ heroes — Elvis Infante (Horacio GarcÃa Rojas), priest Ramiro Ventura (Christopher von Uckermann), and super-powered Nancy Gama (Giselle Kuri) — can defeat their new mythological villain, they may be able to find missing child Mayaken and return to normal lives.
See or skip?: If you’re already mourning the imminent demise ofSupernatural, see. If you already loved Diablero season 1, see. Otherwise you can skip.
37 Seconds
What is it?: An uplifting Japanese-language drama.
What is it about?: Yuma Takada (Mei Kayama), an aspiring manga storyteller with cerebral palsy. After Yuma is told to live life to the fullest for her art, she embraces a new path of joy, creativity, and possibly even love. The tension of 37 Seconds comes from the dissonance between Yuma’s big dreams and the expectations of her terrified mother (Misuzu Kanno).
See or skip?: See if you’re in the mood for a hopeful cry.
Alex Fernández: El Mejor Comediante del Mundo
Netflix premiere date: Tuesday, January 28
What is it?: A high-energy Spanish-language stand-up set.
What is it about?: Giving Mexican comic Alex Fernández a chance to tell us what’s on his mind. A lot of Fernández’s comedy is light, as he talks about video games, wrestling, and the first time he got drunk. However, bring your tissues for the final act of El Mejor Comediante del Mundo.
See or skip?: It’s often difficult to fully connect with stand-up in a language you don’t understand (that’s why comedy films rarely go global). But El Mejor is worth at least sampling, if only for Fernández’s very emotional closing section about his brother.
It’s a tale that is so hilarious and heartfelt, it easily overcomes any language barrier.
Close Enemies, aka Frères Ennemis
Netflix premiere date: Wednesday, January 29
What is it?: A French-language organized crime drama.
What is it about?: Manuel Marco (Matthias Schoenaerts) is a drug dealer with a powerful gang behind him. When Manuel’s partner is murdered, Manuel must team up with a friend-turned-cop (Reda Kateb) to find the true culprit. Otherwise, the entire underworld will think Manuel is the traitor who killed his friend.
In this deadly game, there’s nothing worse than looking like a snitch.
See or skip?: Unless you really love watching grizzled middle-aged men run around with guns, you can skip.
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But there's more to this new year in Netflix than the biggest names in Hollywood and history. We can also expect new reality shows with wild premises, tons more bingeable international YA content, and even a show starring a13 Reasons Whyalum (you didn't think you had seen the last of Katherine Langford, did you?).
It's a lot to keep track of in an ever more packed Netflix landscape.
In an effort to keep television fun, we're here to organize the endless stream of new Netflix shows heading to your screen. Keep reading for a full guide to all the upcoming series you'll actually want to spend your time with, complete with premiere dates, cast details, and plot summaries.
Next in Fashion
Netflix premiere date: Wednesday, January 29
Netflix dips into its own talent pool for Next in Fashion, the streaming service’s answer to Project Runway. Queer Eyestar Tan France leads the competition show along with longtime British It-Girl Alexa Chung. As with most competition series, Next will feature challenges for its players within weekly themes, with episode titles like “Red Carpet,” “Underwear,” and “Denim.”
Each installment will whittle down the talent pool until someone is officially crowned the Next in Fashion.
Luna Nera
Netflix premiere date: Friday, January 31
Netflix has a lot of witchy original content (Hello, Sabrina and Siempre Bruja). Now the streaming service is expanding that spooky stable of series with Luna Nera, a 17th century-set period piece about Italian witches.
Expect teen angst under the stress of a countryside witch hunt.
Ragnarok
Netflix premiere date: Friday, January 31
Meet another set of teens with superpowers they don’t quite understand. Ragnarok’s leading young person is Magne (David Stakston), the new kid at his Norwegian high school. Magne — who has recently acquired abilities like invincibility — may have to battle the most powerful family in his new town to stop the apocalypse.
Locke & Key
Netflix premiere date: Friday, February 7
Keeping with the supernatural teen theme, Netflix will also debut Locke & Key.
The YA drama follows a group of siblings who are forced to move into their father’s childhood home following his abrupt death. As the Locke kids come to learn about their new home — and therefore themselves — they find themselves further unmeshed in a terrifying supernatural journey.
Gentefied
Netflix premiere date: Friday, February 21
America Ferrera executive produces — and pops up in — this East L.A.-set comedy. Genefied revolves around a trio of cousins who must band together to save their grandpa's beleaguered taco shop amid tightening financial pressures.
The Gentefied team's greatest enemy? A conniving landlord who happens to also be Latinx.
I Am Not Okay With This
Netflix premiere date: Wednesday, February 26
I Am Not Okay With This is a mashup of many lovable things. It comes from The End of the F***ing World writer Jonathan Entwistle, and shares executive producers Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen with Stranger Things. The coming-of-age comedy/sci-fi ride — about a teen girl who suddenly gets superpowers — is led by Itco-stars Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff.
The very best news is that, like TEOTFW, Okay episodes all come in at a half-hour or less.
Followers
Netflix premiere date: Thursday, February 27
Followers is about one aspiring Tokyo actress whose life is changed overnight when a successful woman photographer posts a photo of her on Instagram.
Like Sex and the City, The Bold Type, and Insecure, the dramedy asks what happens when women follow their dreams — while buoyed by a very good closet.
Queen Sono
Netflix premiere date: Friday, February 28
Queen Sono is one of the most exciting upcoming Netflix projects of the year. The thriller is the streaming giant’s first-ever African series.
Sono revolves around its titular character (Pearl Thusi), an expert spy whose world is turned upside down when she learns dark secrets about her mother’s assassination.
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
Netflix premiere date: Friday, March 20
It’s time to go in-depth on the tale of America’s first-ever self-made millionaire Black woman, beauty mogul C.J. Walker. Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer players the historical figure. Talent including Tiffany Haddish and Carmen Ejogo also star.
Hollywood
Netflix premiere date: May 2020
Ryan Murphy has two new Netflix projects premiering this year. The first is Hollywood, which the super producer has dubbed “a love letter to the Golden Age of Tinseltown.”
Murphy’s second new series is Ratched, a prequel to classic 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Murphy-favorite repertoire player Sarah Paulson will play the iconic sadistic health care professional Ratched is named for, Nurse Ratched.
Selena: The Series
Netflix premiere date: TBA
The Walking Dead’s Christian Serratos leads the upcoming drama inspired by the life of the great Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla.
Cursed
Netflix premiere date: TBA
13 Reasons Why’s Katherine Langford is stepping into her solo power with Cursed, a take on the infamous Arthurian legend. Only this time, the tale is told through the perspective of Langford's Nimue, the woman destined to become the tragic Lady of the Lake.
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“It’s definitely very fearful because you never know. You just never know what can happen,” Emily Tosta admits on an early January afternoon from a seat at the corner of the W Hollywood hotel bar. With its winding staircase and notice-me glam color palette of black-fuchsia-and-shine, this is a space made for boozy biz schmoozing. Tosta’s unvarnished honesty — and responsible-for-3-p.m. glass of water — stands in stark contrast with her surroundings.
The 21-year-old actress, whose new Freeform seriesParty of Five premieres on January 8, could easily be describing her reboot of the classic ‘90s family dramedy of the same name. The tragedy at the heart of the original Party — about five abruptly orphaned siblings — was a drunk driving accident that killed the innocent Salinger parents. While the 2020 version characters are analogues of the originals — Tosta’s Lucia is the new Julia (Neve Campbell), Emilio (13 Reasons Why’s Brandon Larracuente) is the updated de facto patriarch Charlie (Matthew Fox); Beto (Niko Guardado) is Bailey (Scott Wolf); Valentina (Elle Paris Legaspi) is Claudia (Mean Girls’ Lacey Chabert); baby Rafael is baby Owen — the updated of the story is painfully, necessarily topical. Death doesn’t separate the Acosta clan — borders and immigration laws do. Tostas’ straight-A student-turned-fearless social activist Lucia and her four siblings are left to fend for themselves after their parents (Fernanda Urrejola and Bruno Bichir) are deported by ICE.
Tosta, a Dominican Republic-born actress with Venezuelan roots, came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant almost a decade ago. Now she can see her face splashed on billboards five stories high in Times Square for a drama proudly tackling the true-to-life fallout of American immigration policy. While many would grab that ticket to fame and silently ride it all the way to uncomplicated luxury, Tosta is sharing her story to make the world feel just a little less scary for everyone else — and she isn’t holding a single secret back.
“I’m still [in the United States] on a work visa. I’m not even a resident,” Tosta, who also appears in FX’s Sons of Anarchybiker gang spin-offMayans M.C., says over piquant pesto hummus. She arrived in Miami at age 12 with her mother Emilia Tosta. Neither women knew English at the time but were determined to make Emily’s acting dreams a reality (Emilia still primarily speaks Spanish). Tween Emily soon acquired a work visa through an acting gig in the Florida city. Emily was then able to extend her visa to her mom, who still travels with her everywhere to this day.
“It was definitely fearful at first because I was like, ‘Am I supposed to be talking about this?’ Especially in thecurrentpolitical climate that we live in,” Tosta says of speaking openly about her complex immigration journey. “But at the same time, you just have to have faith in yourself and try to be a voice for those people [in similar situations]. Honestly, I was like, Eff it. I’m just going to go for it, because I’m just going to be that person for other teenage girls. Hopefully it works out.”
Tosta is literally putting her money where her mouth is when it comes to lending a helping hand. She founded Karttos International, a charity dedicated to sending care packages to Venezuela, with her mother, who hails from the South American country. Venezuela is currently in the midst of a refugee crisis, and 4 million people have fled the nation to escape the human rights violations of a country in severe political and financial turmoil. Karttos sends care packages of food, medicine, and other basic necessities to the Emilia s home country “To see people dying, hundreds of people dying every single day I want to cry just thinking about it. All [of my mom’s] family and my family is there,” Tosta says, becoming emotional.
“My body is beautiful. My face is beautiful. My ethnicity is beautiful. Where I come from is beautiful. My hair — my curly hair! — is beautiful.”
Emily Tosta
This year, Tosta is partnering with Autism Care Today, the charity set up by the family of Tosta’s Party sibling Niko Guardado, for a celebrity bowling tournament. Tosta spent the holiday break planning the fundraiser while recuperating from painful dental surgery in the Dominican Republic. “I’m like, Oh my God I didn’t realize it was going to be this hard to plan an event,” she recalls. “But we got it though! We’re gonna do it!”
Hopping on a round robin of calls with a still-bloody mouth was the cornerstone of her organizational success.
When you hear about Tosta’s uphill battle to conquer Hollywood, you realize something as normally incapacitating as wisdom teeth removal could never stop the 21-year-old. Tosta reached L.A. at 15 totally unaware of the punishing grind of auditioning ahead. As a curvy Latinx teen, she faced criticisms her willowier, blonder, and whiter peers couldn’t dream of.
“I didn’t know that my body was going to be an issue. I didn’t know that my accent that comes out sometimes — and used to come out a lot more back then — would be an issue. I didn’t know that who I am as a person … was going to be an issue,” Tosta says. Oftentimes auditions would go well, but casting directors wouldn’t book Tosta, complaining her “baby face” and voluptuous frame couldn’t work together. She would even hear that parts for Latinx girls were going in “another casting direction,” which is the universal Hollywood euphemism for “fairer and slimmer.”
“I developed when I was 12. I’ve had this same body since I was little. I was like ‘What is a training bra?’ I was straight to a bra. Like a big bra. So it’s just like this is who I am,” Tosta continues. “As a 15-year-old, 16-year-old, 17-year-old that’s not the first thought that you go to. You start thinking, ‘Maybe there is something wrong with me. I keep hearing the same thing over and over again.”’
The negative feedback led to such a “dark period” for Tosta that she repeatedly considered “giving up” and going back to the Dominican Republic, where her two older sisters still live. “I was like, This is not for me. They clearly don’t accept people who look like me here,” she says. But Tosta remained in Los Angeles, and she eventually discovered the self-love she needed (she recommends America Ferrera’s April 2019 TED Talk if you require a similar boost).
“My body is beautiful. My face is beautiful. My ethnicity is beautiful. Where I come from is beautiful,” she proudly announces. “My hair — my curly hair! — is beautiful.”
Getting a lead role on Party of Five, a series packed to the gills with Latinx directors, writers, producers, and talent that cares about immigrants’ stories, certainly helped with that realization. Tosta is nearly brought to tears when she considers how different the audition process for the Freeform drama felt to prior casting nightmares. “It was so incredible to finally be accepted and understood for who I am rather than being put down for who I am. Being able to be a part of a project that actually embraces that?” Tosta begins. “This is what I was fighting for my whole life — this is what I wanted. This is why I stayed strong. For this specific moment.”
Now that Tosta stuck it out — through immigration struggles, language barriers, and devastating ignorance — she can look forward to the twists and turns ahead in Party of Five. When viewers meet her character, “freakin’ dope” Lucia, as Tosta calls her, in the series premiere, the 16-year-old is nearly shattered by the loss of her parents. Luce is angry and afraid for much of the episode, but the final minutes suggest she is about to find her voice through this traumatizing moment.
“She meets a character later in this season — I won’t say her name — who fights for justice,” Tosta teases about Lucia’s future. “Lucia starts getting interested in that, and she thinks to herself that maybe she couldn’t help her parents, but maybe she can help other people. She develops a passion for helping others and charity.”
That sounds a lot like someone we know.
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