Streaming Roundup: From 'Adolescence' to 'Paradise'
I'm catching up on my stories.
All of the hay is in the barn on my coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft. If you’re not following my work over on the myriad of other platforms I’m putting in work for, I’ll just sum it up by saying this: it’s been a busy month. I’ve spent a high volume of hours sitting at my desk or at my coffee table grinding game tape and preparing that draft guide we have over at Stacking The Inbox. But, I always have to have something going in the background to keep me from burning out when I’m putting in long hours. This draft cycle, I churned through six different shows (well….almost). Since I turn everything I do in my life into content, I figured “why stop at football? why not do a write-up on what I’ve been watching?” And, here we are.
Streaming Roundup: What I’ve Watched this Month
Adolescence - Wow, what an uplifting show! I feel so much better about the prospects of having children after watching this one. In all seriousness, Adolescence is dealt like a heavy blow. I had to sit with my thoughts for a few moments after every episode. The show does a fantastic job of genuinely putting you in the moment and feeling what this family is going through. The subject matter is quite intense, and the performances from the cast really hammer that home. It’s a sobering watch, but extremely well-acted, well-made, and is certainly thought-provoking for parents. 4.5/5
Bad Monkey - I’m curious about how viewers who weren’t familiar with author Carl Hiaasen took to this show. Hiassen wrote Bad Monkey back in 2013 - I haven’t finished his full catalog, but it’s among the best I’ve read so far. It’s a pretty simple formula, but it translates well in a television series. Sometimes, film adaptations of books can leave a lot to be desired. The longer format of a full series allows the story room to breathe. So, I liked it. I thought it was true to the spirit of Hiaasen’s work, a winding plot with the setting of South Florida serving as a sort of character in its own right. Vince Vaughn’s charisma was the perfect fit for the show’s lead. It was a fun, easy watch for fans of Hiaasen’s work, or Vaughn’s for that matter. 3.5/5
Daredevil: Born Again - I’ll say it point blank. They Disney-fied Daredevil. I was a huge fan of the original Netflix series…every season, in fact! Banger after banger. It was so gritty and so different. We got a small taste of that in Daredevil: Born Again, but I couldn’t help but feel the box-checking that Marvel has become known for in their films permeate in this series. It was like watching bizarro versions of Daredevil, Kingpin, and The Punisher. Something just felt off. Nonetheless, it had that signature Daredevil action, good performances, and an interesting enough plot to keep things moving. The cliffhanger ending leaves a little bit of anticipation for the next season, but at times, this thing felt like a mess - all over the place. 2.5/5
Paradise - You’re really going to have to take a walk with Paradise to get anywhere with it. It’s one of those shows that seems innocent enough on the surface, but at the end of the first episode, they drop a bombshell on you that you’re either going to vibe with, or it’ll ruin the entire experience. By the time we made it to the grand finale, I couldn’t help but feel like this would’ve played better as a book, where we can really flesh out the characters and the tension between them, more than a television series can. Still, Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden deliver solid performances as complex characters. Points for repeated use of that cover of the Phil Collins song, too. 2.5/5
Reacher, Season 3 - Wait, I don’t think I’ve actually finished this one yet. I shouldn’t be writing about it. Oh well - I make no apologies for having an affinity towards watching Alan Ritchson beat up bad guys. It’s an easy watch. 2.5/5 (so far)
The Righteous Gemstones, Season 4 - Danny McBride is at it again. The Righteous Gemstones has become one of the quintessential comedies of the last decade, and they’re going out on a high note in the final season. The season finale is set for Sunday, and I will be seated. Season 4 has all of the iconic characters and that trademark raunchy dialogue, but they’ve added a layer of depth to the show with a plot that actually has some real heart to it. Seriously, *no spoilers* that shot at the end of last week’s episode….MAN! 4/5 (so far)
What are you streaming this weekend? Let us know in the comments. TGIF, baby!