While you might think that my level of activity would ease up after the curtain comes down on LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER CHICAGO right before Mother’s Day, the season of summer is also conference season, and work actually ramps up in a direction that approaches complete insanity. It’s for that reason that I have to make really good viewing choices, because the time I have to pay attention to what’s on the television is almost non-existent.
Season 2 of “Grace and Frankie” started streaming on Netflix a couple of months ago, and I didn’t get to watch it until last week.
In case you’re not familiar with the premise, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star as former rivals who become the best of friends after finding out that their long-time husbands (Robert and Sol) had been cheating on them for two decades, with each other. Jane’s vodka-swilling, retired business owner Grace is about as uptight as you can imagine and Lily’s pot-smoking artist Frankie is completely hippie dippie. Of course, they end up perfectly balanced in their friendship. Season 2 sees the twosome continue to deal with Robert and Sol’s marriage, Frankie’s attempts to get her lube produced for the masses, Grace’s reunion with a long-ago boyfriend, and a brief visit from an inspiring old friend. I binged the entire season and, when it was over, became a little angry that I have to wait until next spring to see season 3.
*shakes fist at Netflix*
WHY, NETFLIX, WHYYYYYYY?
It’s so good. The writing on this show is on point, the characters are diverse, and I can’t think of another show that has made being in one’s 70s look like this much fun since “The Golden Girls”.
Other titles I’ll be catching up on this summer:
Jane the Virgin: This is a quirky romantic comedy about a woman who learns she’s pregnant as a result of a medical error. It stars Gina Rodriguez (who won a Golden Globe for the role) and I was literally ordered to watch this by my friend Lisa. With exclamation points. She’s really demanding. I’m glad both seasons are on Netflix right now, and it’s next on my list.
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru: This Netflix original documentary goes behind the scenes at motivational speaker and powerhouse Tony Robbins’ major annual event. I have always been fascinated by Robbins and so when I saw this pop up I added it to my list immediately.
Special Correspondents: Another Netflix original film, this stars Ricky Gervais (so how could I go wrong) and Eric Bana as a radio team that invents phony reports from a combat zone after they lose their passports. I’m intrigued.
The Big Short: This one will be an encore for me, when I sit with it this summer. It’s a film about how a few opportunists saw the housing market crash coming and used that information to make a fortune by battling the banks. This dark comedy is based on truth and stars Ryan Gosling, Steve Carrell, and Christian Bale. The story is amazing and scary, and while it’s not a happy movie by any means, the presentation is excellent and completely fascinating. I saw it twice at the theater–once with friends and once with Jim, the first time feeling like I didn’t understand it and the second with so much more clarity–and I’m looking forward to catching it again.
Shameless: Starring Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy, this is a dramedy about a Chicago-based group of siblings and their struggles with their alcoholic father. I saw it in my Facebook newsfeed–another recommendation from a friend–and decided to add it to my list and give it a shot. Netflix is streaming seasons 1 through 4 right now.
Will I get through all of these great shows and films by Labor Day? I’m not sure, but I’m definitely going to give it a shot. Have you see any of these? Do you have other Netflix recs for me? Leave it all in the comments. I’ll have more Stream Team goodness for you next month!
