Winter TV Watch List: Nicolas Winding Refn Returns, Christian Bale Solves a Murder and Yellowstone Says Farewell for Now

The winter finale of Yellowstone and a documentary devoted to Yacht Rock air this week No images? [Click here]( ID=167008;size=700x180;setID=556351;uid={EMAIL}7194393;click=watch-list; [TheWrap - SUMMER TV WATCH LIST] Week of December 31 – January 6 New Year, new you, new TV. Enjoy the last vestiges of your holiday break by downing a ton of great new content this week, from a new series from “Drive” director Nicolas Winding Refn to a documentary on yacht rock to a new season of “Star Wars” cartoon “The Bad Batch” to a brand-new movie with Christian Bale (from the director of “Crazy Heart!”), there really is something for everyone as we head into 2023. Hopefully the rest of the year will be just as strong! On with the television! [Premiere of the week] “Copenhagen Cowboy”Thursday, January 5, Netflix [Copenhagen Cowboy] Photo: Netflix Nicolas Winding Refn, the master of mayhem and the man behind singular masterpieces like “Drive” and “The Neon Demon,” is back in Denmark for the first time since the conclusion to his “Pusher” trilogy back in 2005! This time around, Refn is charting the journey of a young woman named Miu (Angela Bundalovic) as she seeks revenge after devoting much of her life to a mysterious criminal organization. Chances are that we’re going to get everything we’ve come to expect from a Refn joint up until this point: evocative lighting (most likely neon), a propulsive electronic score (co-engineered by Refn regular Cliff Martinez), bursts of horrific violence and a somewhat dreamy, nonlinear narrative (the official synopsis says she will traverse “the ominous criminal netherworld of Copenhagen through a natural and supernatural odyssey”). Should be a ton of blood-soaked fun. Also worth noting that Refn’s daughter, Lola Corfixen, co-stars in the series. It’s a family affair! [[TRAILER](] ID=167008;size=300x250;setID=492280;uid={EMAIL}7194393;click=watch-list; [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Yellowstone”Sunday, January 1 at 8 p.m., Paramount Network [yellowstne] Photo: Paramount Network This Sunday marks the “winter finale” of “Yellowstone,” and lingering questions abound. Will Beth really join Rip on his journey south? (And will that journey end up with the gang reconnecting with Jimmy and jump-starting the long-awaited “6666” spin-off?) What is going on with Jamie’s attempt to bring down his father? And seriously are we not going to get any resolution on the whole dead wolf subplot that has been occupying too much of the season (and, clearly, too much of our imagination)? Chances are not all of this will be revealed this week, but some of it will likely find some resolution. Yee-haw! [[TRAILER](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “The Pale Blue Eye”Friday, January 6, Netflix [The Pale Blue Eye] Photo: Netflix Based on Louis Bayard’s terrific 2003 novel of the same name, “The Pale Blue Eye” is one of those speculative historical thrillers that pairs a real-life figure with a fictional creation. In this case the year is 1830 and a veteran detective named Augustus Landor (Christian Bale) is drawn into a macabre mystery at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where several students are murdered and their bodies mutilated. In order to conduct his investigation he teams with a young student by the name of Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling). Pretty good set-up, right? Adapted and directed by Scott Cooper, “The Pale Blue Eye” is a gripping, snow-drenched mystery with a great supporting cast (including Gillian Anderson as a shrill mother and Robert Duvall as an occult researcher) and just enough Poe-centric Easter eggs to keep the most jaded English major on high alert. If you’re looking for an atmospheric, twist-filled period thriller, “The Pale Blue Eye” is probably for you. [[TRAILER](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Sometimes When We Touch”Tuesday, January 3, Paramount+ [Sometimes When We Touch] Photo: Paramount+ Subtitled “The Reign, Ruin and Resurrection of Soft Rock” (and named after the 1977 Dan Hill ditty) this three-part documentary chronicles the rise of what we now refer to as “Yacht Rock” – that specific strain of a.m. radio-friendly pop rock that was popularized in the late 1970s and early 1980s. (As someone who pretty recently saw Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross in concert at the Hollywood Bowl, this documentary really speaks to me.) Expect plenty of your standard talking head interviews with musicians and cultural critics and expect to be grooving to the music (have Spotify and/or Shazam ready) in your living room. Boat hats optional. [[TRAILER](] ID=167008;size=300x250;setID=492280;uid={EMAIL}7194393;click=watch-list; [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Too Old to Die Young”Prime Video [Too Old to Die Young] Photo: Prime Video Nicolas Winding Refn, who we have established is returning with a new Danish Netflix series (see above), hasn’t made a movie since 2016’s “The Neon Demon.” If you’re wondering what he’s been doing since, well, look no further than his 2019 Prime Video series “Too Old to Die Young.” It stars Miles Teller as a police detective who descends into Los Angeles’ bizarre criminal underworld, full of assassins, cartel killers and Yakuza operatives. Co-written by Refn and hard boiled comic book legend Ed Brubaker, “Too Old to Die Young” isn’t for everybody – it’s extremely violent and grim and the episode lengths are all over the place (some are feature-length and some are barely longer than a regular sitcom). But if you are looking for something wilder and woollier than the normal streaming fare, this one fits the bill (or if you’re looking for more after binging “Copenhagen Cowboy”). And rest assured, it’s 100% NWR. [[WATCH](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Kaleidoscope”Sunday, January 1, NetflixHow’s this for some inventive, Netflix-y nonsense? “Kaleidoscope” is a heist series designed to be enjoyed in any order, besides the finale (which is the actual heist). Pretty fun, no? Created and largely written by Eric Garcia, whose novels inspired Ridley Scott’s “Matchstick Men” and Miguel Sapochnik’s “Repo Men,” “Kaleidoscope” has a great cast that includes Giancarlo Esposito (how did he have the time???), Paz Vega, Rufus Sewell, Jai Courtney and Tati Gabrielle and the randomized episode order idea is pretty fun (we’ll see if it actually works in implementation). What order will you watch it in? [[TRAILER](] “Paul T. Goldman”Sunday, January 1, PeacockLord knows when “The Rehearsal” will return, but at least we have “Paul T. Goldman.” This new six-episode Peacock series directed by “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” filmmaker Jason Woliner is full of meta weirdness. It’s based on a self-published memoir by the aforementioned Goldman, who then turned his book into a screenplay. The TV show is the filming of that screenplay, which casts Goldman in the lead role (as himself) and watches as he begins to tinker with his own narrative. Watch it with someone you’re comfortable squirming in front of. [[TRAILER](] “The Lying Life of Adults”Wednesday, January 4, NetflixThe Elena Ferrante renaissance continues! After “My Brilliant Friend,” HBO’s multi-part adaptation of the first three Neapolitan novels, wrapped up in 2022, we have this new Ferrante adaptation of her novel “The Lying Life of Adults” (first published in 2019 and in America in 2020). According to the official site: “The six-episode Italian-language series directed by Edoardo De Angelis stars Giordana Marengo as Giovanna, whose turbulent transition from childhood to adolescence against the backdrop of 1990s Naples drives the plot.” Sounds good to us! Let the good Ferrante adaptations roll! [[TRAILER](] “Star Wars: The Bad Batch”Wednesday, January 4, Disney+This animated “Star Wars” series, a spin-off of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” was created by Dave Filoni and features a band of misfit Clone Troopers who get into all sorts of wacky adventures. This is “Star Wars” fun for the whole family! [[TRAILER](] “The Rig”Friday, January 6, Prime Video“The Rig” is a supernatural mystery created by David Macpherson and filmed entirely in Scotland. When an oil rig unleashes something, it’s up to the crew to figure out what they’re up against and to defeat it before it threatens anybody else. Iain Glen from “Game of Thrones” and Emily Hampshire from “Schitt’s Creek” star. And perhaps most excitingly, the soundtrack is provided by Blanck Mass, one half of brilliant experimental British drone band F*ck Buttons. [[TRAILER](] [- - -] That does it for this week’s edition of The Wrap’s Winter TV Watch List. If you aren’t a subscriber, you can fix that by [signing up here](. Any suggestions for an upcoming premiere, finale or re-watch? [Drop us a line!](mailto:inquiries@thewrap.com) [- - -] [Update your profile]( | [View our privacy policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( Sent from: TheWrap | 1808 Stanford Street | Santa Monica, CA, 90404 | attn: Email Coordinator [TheWrap]( ID=167008;size=700x180;setID=556352;uid={EMAIL}7194393;click=watch-list; This email was sent to {EMAIL}. If you are no longer interested you can [unsubscribe instantly](.