While Star Wars gets the royal treatment for May the Fourth, you can catch everything in the galaxy far, far away on Disney+. Meanwhile, from real crowns to fake crowns to terror towns and pandemic panics, here are your streaming recommendations for this weekend!
The Coronation of His Majesty the King - DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, fuboTV, Sling TV and more
Picked by Growth Associate Keara O’Driscoll
On Saturday, we will get to watch a future episode of The Crown in real life! His Majesty King Charles III will be crowned with his wife Camila, who will henceforth be known as the Queen Consort. The historic ceremony will begin on May 6 at 11 am on-site in London (6 a.m. ET/ 3 a.m. PT).
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story - Netflix
Picked by Senior Editor Dina Ross
If you're more into fictional royalty, today's the day you've been waiting for, Bridgerton fans: this season we learn how the catty, manipulative, and somehow still loveable Queen Charlotte came to power. The prequel to the beloved Netflix series, which typically follows the regal Bridgerton family as the oldest children demand to marry for love, this time follows a young Charlotte as she presumably does the same. Or will she? I don't know yet, but I can't wait to find out.
From - MGM+
Picked by Reporter Alex Vuocolo
The second season of the cult horror series From is now airing on MGM+ every Sunday night. The first season introduced viewers to a town where the residents don't know how they got there and are unable to leave, and every night they must defend themselves against monsters that come out of the forest. That probably sounds confusing — and it is — but the show does a great job of gradually pulling back the curtain on the mysteries and ratcheting up the tension. It's also consistently scary in a way that few dramatic television shows pull off. The monsters are truly horrifying, and their uncertain origins only add to the dread.
Sweet Tooth, Season 2 - Netflix
Picked by Digital Editor Mike Nam
The dark, yet somehow charming, post-apocalyptic story of animal-human hybrid kids, scapegoated for a deadly pandemic that is rapidly killing off the non-hybrid population, is back for a second season after a cliffhanger end to the first. The new binge-worthy batch of episodes picks up where it left off nearly two years ago and it does a good job of wrapping up a number of storylines. However, I do have some caveats. First, it does have a lot of sequences that may remind people of the global pandemic we've been living through already, so it could be triggering. Secondly, it ends with another set of questions and a new adventure on the horizon — but the current writers strike could once again delay the show quite a bit if it returns at all! So, while it's absolutely an amazing show (better than the graphic novel it's based on to be frank), watch at your own risk!
Throwback Pick:
Ballers - HBO Max
Picked by Lawrence Banton
This week, I'm throwing it back to a show that peaked before the streaming era but still stands the test of time. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a retired NFL player-turned-professional agent. The series, which spanned five seasons, gives a glimpse into the lives of professional football players — on and off the field — from balancing relationships, the glitz and glam that come along with being a high profile athlete, and navigating workplace politics within their own organizations. And HBO was NOT cheap with the budget. Aside from the good storylines, the show is visually appealing as well.
Podcast Pick
Decoder Ring: The Curious Case of Columbo’s Message to Romania, Parts 1 and 2 - Podcast Providers
Picked by Newsletter Writer Graison Dangor
There's something delightful about a journalist investigating a trivial mystery, like when the late, great Mystery Show doggedly sought the truth of Jake Gyllenhaal's real height. Slate's Decoder Ring carries on some of that spirit with deep dives into pop culture history. Their new two-part episode gets to the bottom of a Cold War mystery: Did Peter Falk, aka Columbo, prevent an armed uprising against Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu? You don't need to be a fan of the rumpled lieutenant for this story to speed up your commute, workout, or weekend chores.
