Q Wave’s Watchlist: March 2023
"There's nothing to watch" is not a phrase that should exist in a world drowning in content. Join us every month to get curated content - from the latest and greatest to revisiting oldies - we'll help you avoid the dreaded “Netflix Block” and find something to watch!
The Night Agent (Netflix)
Shawn Ryan is an Emmy-nominated screenwriter and television producer who was involved in creating cop dramas like the acclaimed series, The Shield, and S.W.A.T. He’s back serving up a new action thriller series for Netflix called, The Night Agent.
Based on a best-selling novel of the same name by Matthew Quirk, The Night Agent is centred around Peter, a low-ranking FBI agent. Peter is stuck in a dead-end office in the basement of the White House manning a phone that never rings. Lo and behold, when it finally does, Peter is launched into a wide-ranging, fast-moving, dangerous conspiracy that goes all the way up to the Oval Office.
Being a US political thriller, the show is set in Washington, DC. However, eagle-eyed viewers who spend time out west might notice some familiar landscapes. That’s because the show was shot in Vancouver, B.C.
The Night Agent will be available on Netflix on March 23rd.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Slow Horses, Jack Ryan, The Recruit
Runtime: 10 episodes
Genre: Political thriller
Daisy Jones & the Six (Amazon Prime)
Nothing provides drama like a band making an album, blowing up, and touring together. Now add in the fact that the two lead singers attracted to one another. That’s a recipe for a spicy story served in Daisy Jones & the Six.
If you’ve never heard of it, Daisy Jones & the Six is based on a best-selling novel of the same name that follows a fictional band, although the story is directly inspired by Fleetwood Mac. Set in the 70s, Daisy Jones & the Six is narrated by the members of the band years after they split, with each character giving their account of events in a tell-all interview. The band was on top of the world, rising to fame and becoming one of the biggest musical acts in the world, only to call it quits at the height of their popularity, in no small part due to the tortured romance between the bands two leads; Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dune (Sam Claflin).
Riley Keough brings a rock n’ roll pedigree to the show, as she is the granddaughter of the King himself, Elvis Presley. The band from the show even recorded a full-length album titled, Aurora, set to be released on March 3rd, the same day the show premieres on Prime Video.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Almost Famous, Nashville
Runtime: 10 episodes
Genre: Historical fiction, drama
The Woman King (Crave)
As you know by now, the Oscars are right around the corner, and while the Academy has elected to nominate some of 2022’s best, as always, some great films got snubbed. The Woman King has the rare distinction of being one of last year’s best films not to receive any nominations.
Based on actual historical events, The Woman King tells the story of the Agojie, an all-female unit of warriors who protected the African kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s. Dahomey was one of the most powerful African states at the time, and the Agojie were known for their elite skills and ferocity, unlike anything the world had seen at the time. The film follows General Nanisca (Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of warriors and readies them for an epic battle against an enemy attempting to destroy their way of life.
The film was conceived when actress Maria Bello visited Benin, where the kingdom used to be, in 2015 and learned the story of the Agojie. Bello produced the film and helped get it made, despite several studios passing on it due to financial concerns. Those studios are likely kicking themselves now. The film became an instant box-office success and currently holds a 94% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, proving to be a hit with audiences and critics alike.
The Woman King is currently available to stream on Crave.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Gladiator, The Last Duel
Runtime: 135 minutes
Genre: Drama, action
The Mandalorian (Disney Plus)
This is the way. The show that brought us “Baby Yoda” is finally back for a third season! This time, Mando and his little green child/foundling/sidekick are headed to Mandalore, the homeworld of the Mandalorians. Now that Grogu isn’t being trained as a Jedi (which doesn’t appear to have stopped him from using his Force powers to swipe candies off Greef Carga’s desk in a recent teaser), it is Mando’s responsibility to train him in the ways of Mandalore. Based on the final trailer, expect to see a wide variety of Mandalorians (and their distinctive helmets), familiar faces, and even (maybe) a flashback to the events of Order 66 (the destruction of the Jedi).
The return to Mandalore is significant, as Mandalore featured heavily in the events of the Clone Wars. It is a common thread that links characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Darth Maul to players like Bo-Katan Kryze (last seen in season 2) and Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). It also opens the door to new stories and characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger (rumours of a Thrawn/Ezra live-action show have not been settled…yet).
Pedro Pascal is returning as the Mandalorian/Din Djarin, hot on the heels of his performance as Joel Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us. Disney Plus smartly capitalized on the marketing and success of TLOU and aired their first teaser trailer for The Mandalorian shortly after TLOU premiered. We can also expect to see more of Amy Sedaris as Peli Motto, Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze, and Carl Weathers as Greef Carga.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Star Wars, The Last of Us
Runtime: 8 episodes
Genre: Drama, action
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
There’s nothing worse than when your favourite show overstays its welcome, starts reaching for outlandish plot points and becomes a chore to get through. That’s what makes Ted Lasso so refreshing. The show was always conceived as a three-season venture, and this month we reach a conclusion to the story.
It’s been a minute since we checked in with the AFC Richmond soccer team and their affable head coach, with season two wrapping up in October 2021. We left off with Ted (Jason Sudeikis) dealing with his mental health crisis and assistant coach Nate Shelly entering his villain era, fully turning on his mentor by leaking the details of said crisis to the press and accepting a head coaching gig with rival club West Ham United.
To say the show has been a hit for Apple would be an understatement. Upon its initial release, it became an immediate success. Far and away the most-watched series on the platform, the series has been nominated for a whopping 40 Emmys across the first two seasons, winning eleven. Everybody has been chomping at the bit to ride the wave of the show’s success, with the fictional AFC Richmond team being available in the video game FIFA 23 and Nike coming on board to be the official uniform designer for the team in the final season.
The first episode of the final season will be available March 15th, with new episodes dropping weekly.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Shrinking, Welcome to Wrexham
Runtime: 12 episodes
Genre: Comedy