I was desperately in need of a new computer for my office. I’m not even sure how long I had my old desktop, but some of the software would no longer update. So at the beginning of the year, I went computer shopping and came home with a new Apple computer, lining up with what I use for school; in reality, I’ve had loyalty to Macintosh computers for a long time.
With the purchase came a free year-long subscription to Apple TV+, a new streaming service that had debuted back in November. I thought I might as well sign up; maybe there would be something on there that was decent.
As I found out, not just something and not just decent! Nearly everything I’ve watched on Apple TV+ has been fantastic! After writing last week about cutting the cable cord and focusing more on streaming, I thought I might take this week to share about this streaming service that I have found to be very entertaining.
Compared to other streaming networks, Apple TV+ is relatively cheap, going at $4.99 a month. For that price, you can watch a lot in one month! Actually, I think you can get a one-week free trial, probably long enough to sample a lot or to binge a season of a show. Let’s go through in order from worst to best to see what Apple TV+ offers!
The only true dud I’ve tried is called Trying, a supposed comedy about a couple trying to start a family. Granted, I didn’t watch the entire first season, but I just didn’t find it funny, so I gave up. It was a bit depressing more so than funny.
A show with a good premise and not a great follow through is See. Jason Momoa stars as the leader of a clan in a world where a virus killed many people and left the survivors blind. (I really hope that’s not next on the 2020 bingo card.) It’s an interesting concept with everyone being blind and finding new ways to survive and even thrive. Naturally, part of the conflict is people who are suddenly born with sight and aren’t viewed favorably. The problem with this first season was they tried to show too much of the world instead of guide the viewers slowly through it. If a second season arrives, I’ll probably give it a shot.
A fun show that had me laughing was Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet. It’s set up in the offices of the world’s biggest online multiplayer immersive video game. The boss is egotistical and his employees all have unique quirks that lead to entertaining conflicts episode after episode. This show does a nice job of having new ideas each episode while also giving just enough to ongoing plotlines. They really nailed a special quarantine episode with all of them working from home; the very end will have you cheering out loud!
I recently watched an original movie called Greyhound. Tom Hanks stars in this World War II flick based on the Battle of the Atlantic and involving real people and actual battle situations. I enjoy a good historical movie, and if you enjoy war movies, you must watch this. After the first five minutes, it’s basically full alert for incoming U-boats as the Nazis try to sink as many ships in the American convoy as they can. Hanks does a marvelous job as the captain of the main protective ship.
I enjoy outer space shows. For All Mankind delivers with a “What If?” story dealing with a history where the Russians landed on the moon first. The space race continues with women in space and placing a base on the moon. If you enjoy history, this is a good show. They do a nice job of recreating the world of the 60s and 70s with some of the changes that would be natural if the course of events had been changed by Russia beating us to the moon.
Every time I finished an episode of Defending Jacob, I would tell Michelle how awesome it was. This is a one-season show about a teenager accused of murdering a classmate; the twist is that his dad, played by Chris Evans, is the assistant district attorney assigned to the case initially, at least until his own son comes under suspicion. Every episode is emotional and draining, but it’s hard not just to go on when an episode ends. Evans puts on a deep, believable performance. This one might be worth a second watching.
But the best show I’ve seen on Apple TV+ was the first one I watched, the one touted by the network from the start, The Morning Show. Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, and Reese Witherspoon all star in a behind-the-scenes look at how the biggest morning talk show on television deals with controversy. Carell’s character has been accused of sexual misconduct, a torn-from-the-headlines plot. All three headliners put in stellar performances, and a second season is eagerly awaited.
And with new television production halted because of the pandemic, it seems unlikely that second seasons of any of these shows that had planned them will arrive on time; November was when they were supposed to start showing. But at that low price and with such quality fare, I might have to re-up when I come due in February. After all, I got a whole year’s head start for free!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is hyponym, which means a more specific term in a general class, as in, “Apple TV+ was one of many hyponyms of streaming television.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!