By Shannon Devy
2022 has blessed us with some flipping fine TV so far. And with winter setting in, it’s time to hit the snack cupboard and install yourself under the duvet for a good old series binge. Here’s what we’ve been obsessed with this month!
Severance
At Lumon industries, employees can opt into a medical procedure called “severance” which separates their work selves and memories from their after-hours selves and memories. The story follows Mark, a severed employee at Lumon, as he slowly uncovers a dark and insidious conspiracy on both sides of the 5pm divide.
Starring Adam Scott, the series is beautifully written and exquisitely shot, with enough twists and turns to have you feverishly hitting that “skip intro” button.
The Staircase
One for the true crime fans among us. In 2001, crime writer Michael Peterson is accused of murdering his wife Kathleen, who is found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home. A French documentary team gains exclusive access to Michael as he and his family try to beat the charge, and the result is the acclaimed 2004 documentary, also called “The Staircase”.
This fictionalised version of the true story stars Colin Firth and Toni Collette, and it is absolutely jaw-dropping. With the freedom that fiction allows, “The Staircase” examines new angles and possibilities in the famous case, including new information, new theories and more context. Did he do it? You decide!
Stranger Things
The final instalment of the Netflix smash hit our screens this month, and it does not disappoint! Once again, our favourite rag-tag band of kids have to come together to save Hawkins from a dark new threat in the Upside Down. Packed with nostalgia and full of surprises, it’s a fantastic watch for anyone keen on sci-fi and horror.
The White Lotus
Set in a tropical resort called The White Lotus, this series follows the exploits of guests and staff over the course of a week and trust us – there’s trouble in paradise. Brilliantly written and infinitely watchable, the series unpeels the polished veneer of a lavish resort to show the darker, complex human underbelly. Added bonus: the glorious Jennifer Coolidge.
This is going to hurt
Who doesn’t love a great medical drama? “This Is Going to Hurt” follows an exhausted young obstetrics doctor, Adam Kay, as he tries to survive the gruelling halls of a public NHS hospital while navigating a tricky personal life. Often hilarious, more often bittersweet, this is a wonderful meditation on the meaning of a true calling and what it really means to care for others.
Workin’ Moms
Don’t knock this one ‘till you try it. Four very different thirty-something working mother friends try to balance their jobs, family lives and love lives in modern-day Toronto, to hysterical effect. This is a feel-good, uplifting show with quick 20-minute episodes that will leave you totally entertained.
Bonus
The Mandalorian
With the recent release of Disney+ in South Africa, we’ve been given a whole new arsenal of movies and series we can watch, in particular the Star Wars series! The Mandalorian has been a hit success and whose heart doesn’t melt when they see Baby Yoda! The series follows a Mandalorian bounty hunter that finds and rescues an infant child of the same unnamed race as Yoda. If you’re a Star Wars fan, then you need to put this on your watch list!