‘Secret Invasion,’ ‘The Bear,’ and Everything Else You Need To Watch This Week
Our long national nightmare is over: Carmy is back, babies. Season 2 of The Bear arrives—in full—on Hulu this week, just in time to fill the “haunted hotties working under pressure in the family business”-shaped void in our hearts left by the end of Succession. If for whatever unhinged reason The Bear is not your jam, there are plenty of other shows and even a couple of movies to watch this week. Oh, and also And Just Like That.
June 19
Take Care of Maya (Netflix)
Following its recent premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, Take Care of Maya arrives on Netflix. It isn’t true crime, per se, but it should satisfy that itch. The new documentary tells the harrowing story of 10-year-old Maya Kowalski, whose trip to the emergency room for symptoms related to a rare illness resulted in her mother being accused of Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
June 20
Armageddon Time (Amazon Prime)
If you don’t have Peacock or didn’t catch its run there, Armageddon Time is now available on Amazon Prime. The latest film from James Gray (Ad Astra) is inspired by his own childhood and features plenty of Acting from Jeremy Strong, Anne Hathaway, and Anthony Hopkins. Armageddon Time is a coming-of-age drama set in Queens, New York in 1980, and follows Paul, a young Jewish-American kid and aspiring artist who befriends Johnny, an African-American classmate.
June 21
Watercooler watch: Secret Invasion (Disney+)
Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn reunite for Marvel’s latest Disney+ series, Secret Invasion. Jackson and Mendelsohn’s chemistry as Nick Fury and Talos in Captain Marvel was easily one of the best parts of an otherwise underserved film (alien cat notwithstanding), so even if this spinoff/side-quel underwhelms, we can count on these two to hold our attention. Did I mention Olivia Colman is in this series? Olivia Colman is in this series. How can we not watch it?
Pride month viewing: The Stroll (HBO / Max)
The Stroll, which premiered at Sundance back in January, explores the history of New York’s Meatpacking District through the eyes of the transgender women of color who worked there. The area, once known as “The Stroll,” was a popular spot for sex workers and attracted trans women who were excluded from the conventional workforce. Co-director Kristen Lovell is one of them, and she speaks with several current and former sex workers about the gentrification and violence that created the modern Meatpacking District.
Weekly check-in: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX / Hulu)
Over on Hulu, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia continues its 16th (SIXTEENTH!) season, which has so far given us an astonishing revelation about Charlie and Frank’s apartment, a shooting, and the return of Charlie and Mac’s moms.
June 22
Must watch: The Bear (Hulu)
After knocking us all on our asses last summer, The Bear returns for season 2 on Hulu. The first season followed chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) as he returned to Chicago and his family’s restaurant, The Original Beef of Chicagoland, after a traumatic career in high-end dining and the death of his brother, Mikey (Jon Bernthal). Carmy brings in a new sous chef, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), and butts heads with his cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who wants to keep the restaurant as is. I’ll spare you further details if haven’t seen season 1 yet, but it ends with an excellent setup for season 2.
Hate-watch: And Just Like That… (HBO / Max)
If you’ve chosen to skip And Just Like That…, you’re probably a very smart, very cool person who doesn’t laugh at videos of kids getting knocked over by basketballs. I, however, am an immature trash goblin and Che Diaz enthusiast, and I need my nom-noms. Season 2 of And Just Like That… premieres on June 22 and while I know Justice for Steve is a pipe dream, I’ll still be tuning in to see how these girlies embarrass themselves this time. The trailer promises a very drunk Charlotte, the return of Aidan (a.k.a. the voice of Applebee’s), and Carrie’s adventures in oven settings. If you don’t think of it as Sex and the City canon—I don’t—it’s fine garbáge.
You can also watch: A new episode of Silo, one of the year’s best new shows and an excellent piece of dystopian sci-fi starring Rebecca Ferguson, arrives on AppleTV+. Netflix is offering some And Just Like That… counter-programming with Glamorous, a new original series starring Kim Cattrall, and the new animated series Skull Island, featuring King Kong & Co.
(featured image: Disney+ / Hulu)
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