Since it was one of the top picks on Netflix and everyone’s talking about it, I started watching Manifest and got five episodes in before I realized it was basically a version of Lost with a few wacky twists and I am not falling for THAT again. But the deeply weird and wonderful The Good Fight is back, and the pilot had Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald at their best, so I can’t wait to see what happens this season (although we said goodbye to two of the show’s best characters, boo). Also can we talk about Loki? We probably can’t without giving away spoilers but episode three gave us a LOT, most of which I suspect were attempts at misdirection.
I got so engrossed in writing last Sunday’s trailers post that I totally missed the new Ted Lasso trailer that dropped that day. Derp. Don’t worry, I’ve included it here (in case you haven’t already watched it 1,000 times like I have).
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The Harder They Fall
This trailer (sorry, it’s the official teaser) for a Western about rival outlaw gangs opens with a train heist where Regina King and Lakeith Stanfield free Idris Elba from captivity— with “Let’s Start” by Fela Kuti playing — and then proceed to shoot their way out in slow-motion. It’s almost too much cool to take in all at once. Our plot: Outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) and his gang Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz), Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi), and Jim Beckwourth (RJ Cyler) are rivals of the newly-released Rufus Buck (Elba) and his crew, Treacherous Judy Smith (King), and Cherokee Bill (Stanfield). Delroy Lindo and Damon Wayans Jr., also star in The Harder They Fall, (what a cast!) which is directed by Jeymes Samuel and is coming to Netflix soon (hurry up pls!).
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Ted Lasso
Ted unleashes his alter ego Led Tasso to be tough and mean to the floundering Richmond football club and it’s so goofy and ridiculous but so very Ted Lasso (lol he calls them “turd birds” what?). Jason Sudeikis and the rest of the crew are back in the second season, and we have less than a month to wait for new episodes, you guys (side note: you can buy Richmond jerseys at the Ted Lasso merch store). Season 2 of Ted Lasso premieres July 23rd on Apple TV Plus.
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The Suicide Squad
Is Idris Elba in every movie coming out this summer? (for the record I am very OK with this). James Gunn’s take on the band of supervillains led by Elba as Bloodsport (revealed at last!) has them taking on even badder bad guys on a remote jungle island. Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, Michael Rooker, Pete Davidson, Nathan Fillion, and John Cena also star in The Suicide Squad, which comes to theaters and HBO Max on August 6th.
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
We saw a teaser for this movie back in April, but this is the official trailer (and again, I don’t think there’s really much difference between teasers and trailers anymore, but I digress). Simu Liu plays Shang-Chi, trained as an assassin as a child, who is trying to escape to have a normal life. This latest movie in the Marvel cinematic universe has an almost entirely Asian cast, including its title character. And yes, the giant monster Shang-Chi is shown fighting in a cage match looks to be Abomination. Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, and Awkwafina also star in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, coming to theaters September 3rd.
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Schmigadoon!
Keegan Michael Key and Cecily Strong play a couple trapped in a musical until they find true love. OK, sure, why not. This six-episode series has an all-star cast of musical talent, including Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cummings, Fred Armisen, Jane Krakowski, and Martin Short. This feels like one of those flicks that is either going to be super funny or super cringe (although I did laugh at Strong’s character realizing that musicals kill people off all the time, so that’s a good sign). Schmigadoon! (I’ll let them have the exclamation point) comes to Apple TV Plus on July 16th, with new episodes every Friday.