TV and movies I’ve been watching (Lockdown progress report for April 5, 2020)

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You would think that spring break, combined with stay-at-home orders, would lead to a whole lot of television binging for me. But it really hasn’t.

(It’s going to look like I have been binging when you see the list below, but I swear I haven’t had a single day where I sat on the couch all day and just zoned in front of the TV.)

I’ve watched a few shows half-heartedly, but I haven’t been super excited about anything that’s come out lately, unless you count The Walking Dead season 10.

Here’s a run-down of what I’ve seen since the pandemic started, in no particular order, just in case you’re looking for something new to watch.

Feel Good

Where I watched: Netflix
Did I finish? Yes (only six episodes and they’re all 30 minutes long)
Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5
F/F rating: 5 out of 5

Feel Good is a lesbian rom-dram set in Britain that features quirky, insecure, and awkward ex-junkie and stand-up comedian Mae as she navigates her relationship issues (and addiction issues) with partner George.

I loved this show, even though it made me incredibly uncomfortable and emotional at times because watching Mae’s life was essentially like watching my own life on screen, if only I was an ex-junkie and a stand-up comedian (LOL).

I often complain that masculine-of-center lesbians are rarely portrayed in mainstream media. Even The L Word mostly ignores truly butch women in favor of soft butches like Shane. I find that so frustrating. I loved that Feel Good tackled butch identity head-on, including the mind-f*** that gender identity issues do to us that never truly go away. Mae’s story and issues with her girlfriend are so uncannily similar to my own story that the show made me incredibly raw at points, even though it’s supposedly a comedy. I definitely recommend it!

The Walking Dead, Season 10

Where I watched: AMC app
Did I finish? Hells yeah (well, I will when the season finale comes out)
Overall rating: 6 out of 5
F/F rating: 3 out of 5

I’ve had an intimate long-term relationship with TWD for going on ten years now. It’s been there for me even as my life has shifted and changed and rearranged itself. I was starting to get to the point, though, where I watched only out of loyalty and nostalgia. Season 8, season 9… they weren’t amazing. I was getting bored. But season 10?! Isn’t it great when a show can still surprise you and provide amazing episodes even so many seasons later?!

If, like many people, you used to watch TWD and gave up, get caught up and give it another chance. I really don’t think that season 10 will disappoint you.

Kingdom

Where I watched: Netflix
Did I finish? Not yet
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
F/F rating: 0 out of 5

As long as we’re talking zombies, Kingdom is a zombie apocalypse tale set in fourteenth-century Korea. It’s cinematically beautiful, unique in the zombie genre, and generally well-done. I can’t say for sure why I haven’t watched all of it yet, because I do like it. I will probably get back to it eventually.

Letter for the King

Where I watched it: Netflix
Did I finish? Yes
Overall rating: 2.5 out of 5
F/F rating: 0 out of 5

From Kingdom to kings: Letter for the King is a campy, young adult, epic fantasy in which an underdog boy finds himself thrust into the position of being a hero when he is given a message to deliver a letter to the king that could possibly save the entire kingdom.

If it sounds a little like every overdone fantasy trope ever, you’d be right.

It’s bad. I ain’t gonna lie. There’s a surprise twist at the end that gave me hope for the show, but it was handled so poorly that I ended up even more disappointed than I would have been if they’d just stuck with being incredibly predictable.

Netflix keeps trying out fantasy to imitate HBO’s GoT success, but Netflix is failing miserably at it. The Witcher was so awful I couldn’t even get through it. This is just as bad, but for some reason I watched it all the way through. I don’t know why. Probably because I had time on my hands.

Skip it unless you’re bored and desperate for epic fantasy.

Medici

Where I watched: Netflix
Did I finish? Only season 1
Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5
F/F rating: 0 out of 5

The Medici family was one of the most important dynasties in Europe during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and in many ways was responsible for all of the Italian art and architecture that we associate with that time period, as well as the rise of the merchant class.

I don’t usually go for historical dramas, but I have really enjoyed Medici so far, mainly because I’ve always been interested in the history associated with the family. Definitely a drama worth seeing.

Motherland: Fort Salem

Where I watched: Hulu
Did I finish? No, I’ve only seen the first episode, and it hasn’t all been released yet
Overall rating: 3 out of 5
F/F rating: 3.5 out of 5

The concept behind Motherland is this: During the American Revolution, the Americans won only thanks to the help from Salem’s witches. Ever since then, witches have run the U.S. military, and with magical ability passed down mother-to-daughter within certain families, it’s up to the same few matriarchal lines to continue to save America’s butt. Lately, there’s a terrorist organization of witches trying to take the U.S. down.

Motherland is okay. It reminds me of every urban fantasy successor to Buffy ever produced by the CW. Think Teen Wolf, The Originals, Vampire Diaries, etc. All of those shows are… fun, I guess, as long as you don’t think too hard about them or expect too much of them.

There is a relatively significant f/f subplot in Motherland, so I’m sure the show will keep me watching for that alone, ha! When I first saw the three main POV characters, I immediately thought of one of them, “Oh yeah, she gay.” I was right. I also suspected there was something fishy about the girl she was into, and I turned out to be right about that, too. Anyway, I will probably keep watching it for now, but I don’t love it. It’s… alright.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Where I watched it: Hulu
Did I finish? No, it’s a movie that I just started last night
Overall rating: Don’t know yet
F/F rating: 5 out of 5

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a lesbian drama that won Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival. I’ve only watched about half the film so far, but it is absolutely gorgeous from a cinematic point of view. It has a slow pace; there is a lot of silence in the film and it is not in a rush to tell its story. I’m drawn into it, for sure, so I will probably finish it today as I eat my lunch. However, I don’t think I’m going to know how I feel about it until I actually finish.

What’s everybody else watching?

C’mon, be honest — you’ve watched a lot of television during the pandemic, right?! Don’t leave me all alone on this one. Tell us what else to watch!