Spring TV Watchlist: 'Black Mirror' Is Finally Back, Chris Hemsworth Kicks 🍑 and 'Outlander's Swan Song Begins

Week of June 10 – 16 Summer is fully upon us and, if you’re in an area where the sun is already blasting down and going outside has become a hazardous activity, you’re in luck. Because there are plenty of reasons to stay inside, crank the air conditioning and order your favorite take-out. There are new episodes of “Black Mirror,” “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and “Outlander;” a feature-length documentary on Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee; Chris Hemsworth in a new “Extraction” movie; and much, much more. Beat the heat the best way we know how: by watching some TV. On with the television! Black Mirror Thursday, June 15, Netflix Source: Netflix Last time we were jacked into the bleak alternate future of creator Charlie Booker’s “Black Mirror” it was the summer of 2019. Since then, the planet has suffered through a global pandemic, exacerbating our reliance on technology and our lack of human connection (two themes that loom large in the “Black Mirror” universe). The stage is set for perhaps the most unsettling season of “Black Mirror” yet – five installments of technological terror and horrifying social commentary. And based on the trailer, these new “films” (as Netflix calls them) center around our addiction to streaming television, our uncomfortable closeness with true crime, the loneliness of space travel, the queasy relationship between celebrity and paparazzi. There’s also “Demon 79,” which looks like a period horror movie (complete with film grain and other evidence of it being an unearthed artifact, recently rediscovered). Actors appearing this season include Annie Murphy, Salma Hayek, Rob Delaney, Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Cory Culkin, Zazie Beetz and Danny Ramirez. Will any of these new installments reach the classic status of some of the very best “Black Mirror” episodes? (See below.) And will you be able to do anything besides stare blankly at the wall once they have concluded? The only way to find out is to tune in. [[TRAILER](] Bar Rescue Sunday, June 11 at 10 p.m., Paramount Network Source: Paramount Network For the season 8 finale hosted by the infamously hostile Jon Taffer, he “must save a former travel agent turned bar owner and her family business before it crashes and burns” (according to the official synopsis). Sounds about right! Will the bar get an Orange Door entertainment system? What about a new, completely inappropriate sign that can be seen from miles away? Will Taffer scream so loud that someone either quits and/or cries? We’re guessing yes to all of the above. And don’t worry, if you miss the premiere episode it will no doubt be re-run for the rest of the summer. That’s one of the things that we love most about “Bar Rescue” – it’s one of cable’s remaining comfort foods. [[CLIP](] Extraction 2 Friday, June 16, Netflix Source: Netflix In 2020, in the early days of lockdown, we gathered around the hardened hero Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) and thrilled at the direction of Sam Hargrave, a stunt performer and second unit director that worked on huge projects like “Atomic Blonde,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “The Mandalorian.” While the first “Extraction” was exemplified by its lengthy action sequences punctuated by “unbroken” shots of extreme mayhem, the sequel ups the ante considerably. The centerpiece of the film is a 21-minute “unbroken” shot, which is even more elaborate and brutal. If you’re wondering how Hemsworth is back considering the end of the the firs tmovie, well, that is explained away in the opening moments. His injuries were life threatening but not life-ending. And this time his gig is personal. We don’t want to spoil anything about the new movie’s storyline, except to say that you will be on the edge of your seat for the entire runtime. If you’re worried about Rake this time around, put your fears aside – this feels like the beginning of an entirely new franchise. Bring it on. We can’t wait for more “Extraction” goodness. [[TRAILER](] Stan Lee Friday, June 16, Disney+ Source: Getty This feature-length documentary by David Geib (“Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” Disney+’s recently removed, very excellent “Wolfgang”) charts the life and career of Stanley Martin Lieber aka Stan Lee, the colorful and controversial comic book writer, editor, publisher and producer. Lee passed away in 2018 at 95 and left behind one of the greatest legacies in the history of the comic book medium. He also had a fair amount of adversaries, thanks largely to what was perceived as taking too much credit for the characters and comic books he co-created or worked on. Lee was nothing if not a showman. This is evidenced by the frequent cameos he made in Marvel Studios films, almost up until the very end. And that kind of braggadocio usually hides something. How deep will “Stan Lee” go? It remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure – Lee was as complicated and contradictory than any of the heroes he created for the page. Let’s hope this documentary does him justice. [[TRAILER](] “San Junipero” (Black Mirror) Netflix Source: Netflix Perhaps the greatest episode of “Black Mirror” isn’t one that was directed by a high-profile filmmaker (it’s easy to forget John Hillcoat, Jodie Foster, Joe Wright and David Slade have all helmed installments) but rather one of the show’s regulars, Owen Harris. (Harris also worked on “Mrs. Davis,” one of this year’s very best new shows.) The premise of “San Junipero” is too good to give away, but it can safely be said that it is a love story between two characters played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis. Of course, this being “Black Mirror,” there’s an unexpected streak that runs through their relationship, one that is beautiful and deeply heartbreaking. This is, objectively, the very best episode of the show, and not just because it undercuts its cynicism with romantic hopefulness. It’s one of the most beautiful, moving single episodes of television you’ll ever likely see. Happy Pride! [[WATCH](] Source: Hulu “The Full Monty” Wednesday, June 14, Hulu “The Full Monty,” which was nominated for four Oscars including Best Picture when it was released back in 1997, mixed Mike Leigh’s humanism with the bawdiness of English TV and has had a surprisingly long life. Not only has it inspired two stage adaptations (one of them a musical), but it has also led to this, a sequel series created by the original writer Simon Beaufoy and featuring original stars Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy. (Hugo Speer was initially involved but was kicked off the show due to inappropriate conduct.) This new series looks really enjoyable, with the original performers relishing the chance to revisit characters that clearly meant a lot to them. Just remember to tip generously. [[TRAILER](] “Assembled: The Making of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” Wednesday, June 14, Disney+ Curious as to how they created “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” the big budget Marvel Studios extravaganza released earlier this year? Well here’s a documentary detailing how it all went down. (We imagine there are a lot of blue screens.) But will Jonathan Majors, the embattled star who appeared as Kang the Conqueror in the sequel, be featured at all? Or has the erasure already begun? [[TRAILER](] “Jagged Mind” Thursday, June 15, Hulu Let’s keep the Pride celebration going, with this queer psychological thriller starring Maisie Richardson-Sellers and Shannon Woodward as a couple who might be holding onto some very dark secrets. The trailer is very good and the movie, directed by Kelley Kali and written by Allyson Morgan (based off of her short film “First Date,” which appeared as part of Hulu’s Bite-Size Halloween programming in 2020), looks scary as heck. Cannot wait. [[TRAILER](] “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” Thursday, June 15, Paramount+ The new crop of “Star Trek” series airing on Paramount+ are uniformly enjoyable but if we had to pick out a personal favorite, it might be “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” a snappy, retro-futuristic romp (and a spin-off of “Star Trek: Discovery”) set before the events of the original “Star Trek” series and focusing on Captain Pike (played here by the devilishly handsome Anson Mount), the original captain of the USS Enterprise. It’s ridiculously entertaining, the episodes are pretty self-contained and everyone in the cast is clearly having the time of their lives. This season looks like a hoot, including the fact that the characters from the animated “Star Trek: Lower Decks” appear here in live-action form. [[TRAILER](] “Outlander” Friday, June 16 at 8 p.m., Starz The seventh season of this lusty time-travel adventure will be split into two parts; eight episodes will air this summer and the other eight sometime in 2024. (The eighth season will be the show’s last.) If you’ve never gotten into “Outlander,” there’s really no time like the present – the performances are top-notch, the story is engrossing (if occasionally a little hard to follow) and the entire world and mythology will immerse you whole. Also, the theme song is a lot of fun to hum along with. “Sing me a song of a lass that is bold …” [[TRAILER](] 2034 Armacost Ave. | Los Angeles, CA 90025 [Unsubscribe](