What Should You Watch This Weekend? (August 7-9)

A mystery lover’s guide to what’s new to streaming this weekend.

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New and Returning Mystery and Thriller Series

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The Shards
(FX)

From Ryan Murphy and FX, this is the splashy new adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ recent novel about a killer stalking the privileged, debauched youth of 1980s LA. The book was dark and fantastic; the show looks a little soapier than maybe some were expecting, but there’s no doubt that the A-team at FX has been called in for this one, with a strong cast and a lot of strong buzz surrounding the premiere. FX is signaling that it’s in it for the long haul with The Shards, so better to start in with it now and take the ride. And if you haven’t read the book yet, it’s as good a time as any to pick that up, too.

Lioness, season 3
(Paramount+)

Zoe Saldaña is still out there doing international espionage in this blow ’em up Taylor Sheridan created adrenaline kick. You may have been in on season one and since lost track of the show. I may have done that, is what I mean. But Zoe Saldaña is always worth watching.

Anna Pigeon
(USA)

The new team at USA is kicking things off with their version of a park ranger mystery. This one’s based on the Nevada Barr novels. If you’re in the mood for some wilderness investigations, this is your next stop.

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Movie Night

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For movies, your options among the newer selections are pretty scarce again this weekend. Everyone’s still going to the theaters to see The Odyssey, plus now Spiderman. Hollywood doesn’t want you at home. But if you’re couch-bound and, say, re-sleep training your sleep-regressed baby (yes, I messed that up, but I’m going to fix it…), you’re going to need some streaming options, so I’m here for you. On the one hand, you could try Pressure (Peacock), the new movie about how weather projections with the D-Day invasion hanging in the balance. Yes, that’s right, I said weather projections. Kind of a cool angle, right? Or you could give The Sheep Detectives (Prime) a shot. This is the one with Hugh Jackman and a bunch of sheep that talk. I’ll be honest, there’ s no chance in hell I’m going to watch The Sheep Detectives, but my wife saw the trailer at the theater a while back and for some reason it absolutely cracked her up and every once in a while she’ll still mention those two minutes and how funny they were. That’s got to mean something, right?

Plus 5 new additions to the libraries…

Erin Brockovich (2000) (Tubi)
Widows (2018) (Tubi)
The Presidio (Pluto)
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and (1999) (Prime)