The much anticipated third season of Ted Lasso finally got a premiere date of March 15th. The bad news is that that date is still three weeks away. The good news is that if you’re in possession of an Apple TV+ login and a need for new programming, you should be set. The four shows below are:
- Fantastic
- Totally binge-able prior to the new season of Ted Lasso. Provided, of course, you’re willing to ignore friends, family, and loved ones for a few hours a day. And honestly, you could make worse life decisions.
Bad Sisters
Bad Sisters is stupendous. Sharon Horgan from Catastrophe and Game Night (and who is amazing) adapted the Belgian limited series Clan, helped write all ten episodes, and stars as the oldest of the bad Garvey sisters. The show is about sister Grace’s terrible husband JP (The Prick), and how Grace’s sisters all want to kill him (they’re right to). The first episode starts at JP’s funeral so at least we know there’s a happy beginning (seriously, I’m a pacifist and prison abolitionist who believes capital punishment is evil, and I want this guy as dead as we can possibly make him. Dig him up and kill him again. Dead.)
Horgan remains a very serious crush.
I’m a pacifist and prison abolitionist who believes capital punishment is evil, and I want this guy as dead as we can possibly make him. Dig him up and kill him again.
Loot
Speaking of women I love, Maya Rudolph. I mean, really, Maya GD Rudolph. I generally feel like meeting celebrities would actually be a disappointment because they’re just people, and I’ve met people before. I want Maya Rudolph to be my best friend.
The show stars Rudolph as the wife and business partner of billionaire tech bro Adam Scott (sidenote: this version of Adam Scott is a little too far over the Nerdy/Scummy line for me to be attracted to him, but just barely). After their divorce, Rudolph decides to recommit herself to the non-profit organization she set up much to the dismay of everyone actually trying to work at said organization (including Michaela Jaé (MJ) Rodriguez, Nat Faxon, and Ron Runches). Rudolph plays out-of-touch without being horrible about it while her best friend/assistant Joel Kim Booster adds the small bits of horrible we really need.
Also, for fans of The Good Place, this happens and I literally clapped.
Shrinking
This one is basically cheating because it’s a series created by Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Cougar Town, and also, oh right, Ted Lasso), written by Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent himself), but this time it’s starring an entirely different Jason.
Jason Segel plays therapist Jimmy who is recovering from the unexpected death of his wife, and struggling to care for and connect with his teenage daughter. Christa Miller and Ted McGinley play his neighbors who’ve helped step in to raise Jimmy’s daughter, and Jessica Williams and Michael Urie play Jimmy’s friends trying to get him through his grief. Luke Tennie plays one of Jimmy’s patients, and I would like to see Luke Tennie in many, many more things. He’s great.
Oh, also fucking Harrison Ford is there. Harrison fucking Ford. Brett Goldstein apparently described the character Paul as a “Harrison Ford type,” and then got Harrison Ford to take the role they were sure he wouldn’t be interested in. Brett Goldstein. He’s here, he’s there, he’s signing Harrison Ford. Amazing.
Mythic Quest
It’s a testament to what a masterpiece the first season of Ted Lasso was that Mythic Quest wasn’t my favorite show of 2020. That being said, the workplace comedy centering on a massive online multiplayer game put out the two best episodes of TV that year in “A Dark Quiet Death” and “Quarantine.” Sidenote: “Quarantine” is the only time the “doing a show remotely in lockdown” actually worked for me. I could spend pages talking about “Everlight” and how it’s better than all of the Hobbit movies put together.
I could spend pages talking about “Everlight” and how it’s better than all of the Hobbit movies put together.
I love this goddamn show.
If you’d told me five years ago that Rob McElhenney, aka Mac from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, would create a show that would make me sob uncontrollably several times, I’d gently explain that you’re a jabroni. If you were worried this would be “It’s Always Sunny In World Of Warcraft,” please reconsider.
Yes, it does have mean jokes and yes, people are assholes (delightfully so in the case of Jo and Brad), but it’s also one of the most touching shows I’ve seen in years and I don’t care for touching (not that kind at least). It’s a thing I don’t like and should actively continue disliking it, only here I am. Watching and loving a show while being all kinds of touched.
