The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
‘Little Fires’ debuts on Hulu
Also consider checking out HBO’s new ‘Plot Against America’ and some oldies
I’m sure you’re way ahead of me. Hopefully, if you are able and responsible, you’re spending almost all your time at home right now — and that means time in front of the television. Still, I thought it couldn’t hurt to give you five suggestions about what to watch on these myriad platforms we have available to us in 2020. Most likely you don’t subscribe to every one of them — they all, of course, cost different monthly amounts, and those costs can add up quickly — but hopefully there’s an idea or two in here worth consideration. I’ve included some things old, some things new, and while nothing is borrowed, if you count Marge Simpson’s hair, there’s something blue. “LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE” (HULU) » The first three episodes of the adaptation of author Celeste Ng’s best-selling 2017 novel were released slightly ahead of the March 18 premiere date by Hulu. The show, like the novel, is set in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights. Reese Witherspoon (“Big Little Lies”) — whose company, Hello Sunshine, snatched up the rights before the book’s publication — stars as Elena Richardson, an affluent, socially liberal mother of four. She rents property to and soon hires to work in her own home Mia Warren (Kerry Washington, “Scandal”), an artist with a mysterious past and a teenage daughter. Neither of the first two episodes establishes what will become the central conflict of the eight-episode story, but the second installment sets up much of what’s to come. New installments are slated to debut on Wednesdays. “THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA” (HBO) » Here’s another noteworthy series that just debuted. It, too, is an adaptation of a book, in this case the 2004 novel of the same name by the late Phillip Roth. Like the book, the six-episode limited series tells an alternate-history tale in which the anti-war Charles Lindbergh challenges Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1940 election. The first episode, which debuted March 17, mostly sets the table for what’s to come. Because this show was created by “The Wire” tandem of David Simon and Ed Burns, I’m expecting some highly intelligent television here. Be warned, though: The parallels to today’s political landscape are laid on very thick by the duo — “America first” is a concept coursing through the show’s veins — but not without historical basis. The second episode is set to debut March 23.
“MIDSOMMAR” (PRIME) » It’s rare that I watch a movie that runs longer than two and a half hours and wish I’d held out for the longer director’s cut instead. That’s how engrossing I found Ari Aster’s not-yourtypical-horror-film horror film from last year. Wonderfully shot by the director of “Hereditary” and cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski, “Midsommar” sees a group of friends travel to Sweden for a mid-summer festival and find themselves embroiled in the bizarre rituals of a cult. It may be a bit of a stressful watch for right now, so consider filing it away for later. “THE WITCHER” (NETFLIX) » A lot of people have streamed the eight-episode first season of this fantasy series based on the books by Andrzej Sapkowski. If you haven’t gotten around to it, though, now may be the time to do it; while at times silly, the show can be a challenging watch because it is set in different timelines. (Various YouTube videos are around to help you sort things out if you get lost.) There aren’t a ton of recognizable faces in the cast, but Henry Cavill — who’s played Superman on the big screen in recent years — stars as Geralt of Rivia. The show’s titular witcher, he can use magic and fights monsters. More importantly, Cavill has a certain panache for his fairly frequent delivery of a certain four-letter word I won’t use here. A second season is slated for 2021. “THE SIMPSONS” (DISNEY+) » If you subscribed to Disney+ for solid “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian” or so you children could watch “Frozen 2” twice a day, try to spend some time revisiting one of the best TV shows ever made. Specifically, I’m advocating for a rewatch of the animated comedy’s fifth season. It’s chock full of classics, including “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet,” “Homer Goes to College” and “Homer the Vigilante.” Most importantly, it contains the show’s bestever episode, “$pringfield,” in which the town gets a casino. It’s unbelievably funny and quotable (“Begin the thawing of Jim Nabors!”), even after all these years.