This week starts off with revenge and ends with mindfulness and Zen. In between is a multiverse of possibilities. It’s what you’d expect from the Man from Toronto who writes #SetTheVCR.
Monday, June 20
The Northman (Anytime / Peacock)
A young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: KHAN-CENTRIC STAR TREK EPISODES (ANYTIME / PARAMOUNT+)
Bringing the celebration to viewers at home, Paramount+ is curating a special selection of Khan-centric and “revenge”-themed Star Trek episodes.
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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is celebrating its 40th anniversary. While back in the day; I found the first Star Trek movie slow and dull; this second one was a radical improvement. And set up a fine Star Trek movie tradition: all the even movies are the best ones. Khan Noonien Singh was introduced on February 16, 1967 in the Original series episode Space Seed. He proved to be a formidable Moriarty to Sherlock’s Kirk (sorry Spock …that makes you Watson…it was the logical conclusion to that analogy.) And now Paramount+ is celebrating Star Trek II’s 40th with a unique selection of Khan-centric and “revenge-themed” Star Trek episodes while the actual movie will be released in cinemas on September 4. 40 years is impressive considering the Original series struggled to find an audience. Star Trek is so inspiring it proves yet again you “KHAAAN!” do it if you believe it.
Tuesday, June 21
Watergate: High Crimes in the White House (Anytime / Paramount+)
An original two-hour documentary of the break-in at the Watergate Hotel and office complex, takes viewers inside the extraordinary story of crime and scandal that took down President Richard Nixon.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE OLD MAN: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / HULU)
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Thomas Perry, The Old Man centers on Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges), who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since.
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Spies don’t retire…well I mean they get retired. “The Old Man centers on Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges), who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.” That’s classic spycraft. Season 1 is 7 episodes and airs weekly on FX on Thursdays, though all the episodes are ending up on Hulu. That’s some good intelligence in case you want to launch a clandestine operation and watch this TV show.
Wednesday, June 22
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi – Episode 6 (Anytime / Disney+)
The latest invitation to return to a galaxy far, far away: the story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat comes to end.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY: SEASON 3 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)
After putting a stop to 1963’s doomsday, the Umbrella Academy return home to the present, convinced they prevented the initial apocalypse and fixed this godforsaken timeline once and for all.
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Turns out all their 1963 adventures have had an impact on this present. The Umbrella Academy prevented the apocalypse (that’s good!) but somehow broke this universe (that’s bad!). It’s okay though…what the Umbrella Academy failed to do and get right; the Sparrow Academy will save the day! (who???)
Thursday, June 23
The Orville: New Horizons – Episode 4 Gently Falling Rain (Anytime / Hulu & Disney+ Canada)
Set 400 years in the future, The Orville: New Horizons finds the crew of the U.S.S. Orville continuing their mission of exploration, as they navigate both the mysteries of the universe and the complexities of their own interpersonal relationships.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (ANYTIME / DISNEY+)
Dr Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens a portal to the multiverse. However, a threat emerges that may be too big for his team to handle.
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Wanda Maximoff goes on full Scarlet Witch following her temper tantrum in WandaVision. Now a full on MCU villain: narcissistic and unaccountable Doctor Strange must traverse the multiverse to find the power to stop her latest rampage. With Sam Raimi as the director this horror-ish movie is the first appearance of the beloved Marvel Zombies. So that’s fun. Did you enjoy the latest MCU movie?
Friday, June 24
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (Anytime / HBO Max)
This powerful documentary tells the story of the disaster and its far-reaching ripple effects entirely through extraordinary, immersive footage, shot on site in the hours, days, weeks and months following the accident.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE MAN FROM TORONTO (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)
A case of mistaken identity forces a bumbling entrepreneur to team up with a notorious assassin known as The Man from Toronto in hopes of staying alive.
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I’m writing this as a…Man From Toronto. The title is odd until you see the credits and know there is also The Man from Miami and The Man from Tokyo. Another action comedy from Kevin Hart. This seems to be his formula: like Central Intelligence he’s in over his head while an action star handles the ruckus. And with it being on Netflix I’m certain you’ll be Along For The Ride.
Saturday, June 25
Sing 2 (Anytime / Crave)
Buster Moon and his friends must persuade reclusive rock star Clay Calloway to join them for the opening of a new show.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: LOOT: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / APPLE TV+)
Maya Rudolph is Molly Novak, a billionaire ready to save the world.
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“After divorcing her husband of 20 years, Molly Novak must figure out what to do with her $87 billion settlement. She decides to reengage with her charitable foundation and reconnect with the real world—finding herself along the way.” I wanna see what Maya Rudolph can do with a comedic premise like that. This almost sounds like an Adam Sandler movie.
Sunday, June 26
Westworld: Season 4 (Anytime / HBO Max & Crave)
A dark odyssey about the fate of sentient life on earth.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE SESSIONS: DRAYMOND GREEN (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)
Draymond Green’s ongoing quest for mental well-being under the spiritual guidance of the iconic Deepak Chopra and master healer Devi Brown.
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Produced by Religion of Sports (which gifted us the Tom Brady’s Man In The Arena) this is 4 time NBA champion Draymond Green reflecting on his mental growth and journey. Though this is a bit more Oprah-ish than NBA-ish the NBA is a mental game. You can get a shooting coach so your shots are good; you can hire a chef to get your body right…NBA players can (and should!!) do a number of things to be physically ready to ball. But mentally…how do you prepare? How do you develop the right mindset? (Especially for director Gotham Chopra who roots for the Boston Celtics. Sucka!) Something kinda NBA to watch now that the season is over. May we all become mental…Warriors.
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
