The Hulu show you must see
And comedy series canceled after 12 seasons
What to watch
Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg have done it again. Following up on a sprawling, six-season achievement like The Americans was no easy task, but they’ve proven themselves to be no one-hit wonders — by wisely flying in a different direction. They created The Patient, a laser-focused, one-season miniseries, set in modern day, that’s mostly a two-handed chamber piece between Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson.
Now on Hulu in full, this propulsive, chilling, and deeply emotional drama follows a therapist (Carell) who has been taken hostage by a serial killer (Gleeson) looking to reform himself. It’s an ingenious premise created by Fields and Weisberg, who, despite this not being based on a true story, use the genre trappings of true crime to engross and surprise the audience. True crime stories, which are every where these days, have given us certain expectations for stories like these, but just when we think we know where this show is going, Fields and Weisberg show us a more truthful path. To that end, The Patient has one of the best finales this year; it is a remarkable and powerful thing in which the writing, editing, and performances from Carell and Gleeson come together in thrilling and shocking harmony.
Carell and Gleeson are astonishingly good, each giving career highlight performances. They take already fantastic material and elevate it to a place rarely seen on TV. Were this a movie, each would be in award conversation — not just for their deftness at playing suspense and psychosis, but for tapping into the rich humanity provided by Fields and Weisberg. The Patient will have you on the edge of your seat and make you cry within mere moments of each other. You will not be able to stop watching and then be gutted when its 10 episodes come to an end.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!
What to know
James Cameron is ready to end things with Avatar 3, if the sequels aren’t successful… This is interesting because Cameron is usually bullish on his movies doing well. He famously knew Titanic would be a hit when many doubted him. It’s also worth noting that Avatar 4 and 5 are already in production, so Disney would be throwing away some cash if Jim shuts it down after 3. All that said, I don’t think James Cameron has anything to worry about, Way of Water is probably going to crush. 🌊
Westworld cast will still be paid for another season… Getting paid to do nothing? Not too bad. Deadline reports that the cast had a play-or-pay deal for season 5, and because HBO canceled the show, it’s going to be pay. I guess it made sense for WBD to pay them approx $10-15M rather than produce another season for $100M (plus marketing costs). 🤖
Latest iteration of Whose Line Is It Anyway? to end after 12 seasons… Did you know the Aisha Tyler-hosted version of Whose Line has been airing on The CW since 2013?! I thought they had just brought it back like last year. Anyway, the improv show is ending again, but will live in reruns and streaming somewhere, I bet. Did they ever find out whose line it is? 🎭
YouTube Shorts coming to a TV near you… It makes sense for YouTube to make this popular new product available on all screens, but I shudder to think about a future of short-form, vertical video becoming the dominant at-home entertainment experience. 📺
As profits soar, the Disneyland and Disney World magic is dying… This is a great and comprehensive breakdown of the park experience right now. Things have changed sine the last time you went. 🏰
Jimmy Kimmel to host the 95th Oscars… A very safe choice for what will likely be a very safe and traditional show. 🏆
Gears of War video game becoming movie and animated series at Netflix… Netflix keeps looking for that recognizable IP. 🎮
Seth Rogen saw Spielberg cry dozens of times while making The Fabelmans… Bring your tissues. 😭
Netflix renews Ryan Murphy’s Monster and The Watcher… True crime, it’s a thing. 🍿
Daniel Kaluuya to voice Spider-Punk in Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse… Nice! 🕷
Manny Jacinto and Carrie-Ann Moss join The Acolyte Star Wars series… Double nice! ✨
What’s new
Zootopia+ — Nov 9 | Disney+ animated series | 🍅
The Crown s5 — Nov 9 | Netflix drama series | 🍅 67%
Mythic Quest s3 — Nov 11 | Apple TV+ comedy series | 🍅
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Nov 11 | Marvel movie in theaters | 🍅
Tulsa King — Nov 13 | Paramount+ drama series | 🍅
Yellowstone s5 — Nov 13 | Paramount Network drama series | 🍅