Streaming
Bad Vegan (Netflix): What if I told you that I could make your dog live forever? Would you believe me? I hope not. Watch this four-part documentary that Rotten Tomatoes has given a perfect rating. If you’ve enjoyed any of our other true crime suggestions in recent weeks, you’ll love this selection.
Fresh (Hulu): If you swipe right for horror films, you need to go ahead and queue Hulu’s hit film, Fresh. Fresh star Sebastian Stan is one of the hottest commodities in all of Hollywood after his recent work as Bucky Barnes (Marvel Universe) and as the wild-man drummer, Tommy Lee (Pam & Tommy). Fresh gives a glimpse into the horrors of modern dating and is just a better film than any recently released horror flicks.
Bloodline (Netflix): If you find yourself out of new shows and you’ve already binged everything suggested here at The Art of Binge Watching, check out this Netflix classic from 2015, Bloodline. “We weren’t bad people; we just did a bad thing,” are the first words we hear in the series, and those words echo through each of the three seasons. This show features two of my personal favorite actors. Ben Mendelsohn (Spider-Man: Far from Home, Captain Marvel) and Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights, Godzilla) star as brothers who are caught in the middle of an unthinkable crime with a massive fallout for the Rayburn family and their matriarch, Sally Rayburn (Sissy Spacek). This dramatic thriller gives the viewer a look behind the curtain of a contemporary American family with way too many dark secrets. Bloodline is one of the better television series that Netflix has to offer.
Sports
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (Thursday-Sunday, CBS & TBS): This is usually where I’d give some homer statement about why Kentucky would beat Purdue on Friday night. Come to find out, Saint Peter’s ruined all our plans and now we must watch the aftermath. My latest guess at the Final Four is Gonzaga, Kansas (gulp), UCLA (UNC if Jaime Jaquez Jr. doesn’t play for UCLA) and Villanova. I didn’t provide you with times to the games, but all Sweet 16 games will be played on Thursday and Friday with the Elite Eight being played on Saturday and Sunday.
Louisville (Women) vs. Tennessee (Saturday, 3 p.m., ESPN 2): The Cardinals are on the hunt for a national title but standing in their way is a Tennessee Lady Vols basketball program that’s filled with high-level recruits, prestige, and confidence heading into this matchup. Louisville bounced the Lady Vols from the NCAA Tournament in 2013 and 2017, so this is a bit of a revenge game for Vol nation. The Lady Vols survived a scare in the second round to Belmont and the Louisville Cardinals aren’t the team to turn things around against. I’m going out on a wire here and say Louisville dominates this one and wins by double digits.
UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Daukaus (Saturday, 3 p.m., ESPN): The UFC and ESPN have combined forces this weekend to provide us with six hours of mixed martial arts (for free) starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. The UFC is back with a Fight Night for the first time in the USA in front of a full capacity crowd, since February 2020. The card is stacked with familiar names if you’ve been keeping up with the UFC scene over the last few years. If you’re interested in seeing heavyweights try to knock the other out, it looks like this is your show. The card is packed with massive heavyweights and prospects on the rise.
NASCAR Cup Series: EchoPark Automotive Texas Grand Prix (Sunday, 2:30 p.m., FOX): There’s something that feels cool about anything being called ‘grand prix.’ I refuse to go back into detail about why Kyle Larson will win this week’s race after he’s left all of us here at The Art of Binge Watching hanging over the last couple of weeks. Chase Elliott is the oddsmakers’ choice this week and saw victory lane the last time NASCAR visited Austin, Texas. The Circuit of Americas track is a road course that features 20 turns and over 130 feet of elevation changes on the course. Fun Fact: Each corner is designed to mimic famous tracks around the world. Sunday’s race will be a hot one.
Cable
The Flight Attendant (Sunday, 9 p.m., TBS): Ahead of its second season premiering on HBO Max, The Flight Attendant will be shown on cable for the first time. Jump in on this wild ride as the first two episodes will play back-to-back Sunday night. This hit series is about a flight attendant (Kaley Cuoco) who wakes up beside a dead man with no memory of what happened. I know, you’re shocked that I’d suggest a show about a crime, but we aren’t done yet.
20/20 (Friday, 8 p.m., ABC): This episode has been dubbed “Dead Man Talking” as it spins a tale of a man who survived five tours of duty but did not fare near as well after being married to Wendi Davidson for only five months. 20/20 is one of the more consistently solid TV shows you’ll find on a Friday night.
Readers are encouraged to send suggestions for “The art of binge watching” and/or tell Jordan how you really feel about his what-to-watch picks via email at Jordanwillis5393@gmail.com.
