What To Watch This Weekend: Stream Our Top 8 TV and Movie Picks (February 17–23)

New on TV this week

This week’s What To Watch picks include a political thriller that hits too close to home, new seasons of Reacher and Surface, a pugilistic trip back to 1880s London from the creators of Peaky Blinders, another Suits spinoff, comedy specials from Rosebud Baker and Chris DiStefano, and a little documentary called Grand Theft Hamlet. Shalt we hitteth the couch?

Rosebud Baker: The Mother Lode | Netflix | Stand-up comedy

Special, Tuesday, February 18: Saturday Night Live writer Rosebud Baker filmed part of her stand-up special about motherhood pre- and post-delivery (no, not immediately after). That’s perfect, ‘cause the special covers the comic’s journey through miscarriages, fertility treatments, and giving birth. Here’s an ultrasound preview: “So finally, I was, like, ‘Alright, let’s do IVF. Let’s freeze our embryos, take the pressure off ourselves.’ And $20,000 later, my husband and I finally got pregnant—raw-doggin’ it while I had COVID.” And now Baker and her husband are proud parents. “It’s tough for anybody to lose a pregnancy, but we’re two comics, so we pride ourselves on our delivery.”

Reacher | Amazon Prime Video | Drama, action

Series three premiere, Thursday, February 20: Maybe it’s ‘cause I grew up watching ‘80s action movies, but I’m a sucker for action-packed shows featuring wise-cracking ass-kickers—like Reacher. One thing I’m not into, however, is how many ads Prime Video shoehorns into each Reacher episode. I haven’t counted (yet), but that show definitely has way more ads than I see on even the FAST services (e.g. Tubi, Plex). Clearly, Amazon wants to drive you insane, so you’ll pay the extra $2.99 a month to get rid of ads. So far, I’ve resisted the temptation. But, like I said, I’m a sucker.

Zero Day | Netflix | Drama

Limited series, Thursday, February 20: You wouldn’t happen to be a little nervous about the direction the U.S. is headed, would ya? This political thriller probably won’t ease your mind. Quite the opposite, actually—but imagine the immersion! Robert de Niro plays a massively popular former president who gets dragged back into service by the current prez (Angela Bassett). The assignment? Rooting out the source of a cyberattack that killed thousands. Here’s hoping life doesn’t imitate art. Connie Britton, Jesse Plemons, Lizzy Caplan, and Matthew Modine also star.

Chris DiStefano: It’s Just Unfortunate | Hulu | Stand-up comedy

Special, Friday, February 21: Okay, here’s a stand-up special about fatherhood, where Chris DiStefano talks about trying to be a good father and not always succeeding. “I’m proud to say I have … three Puerto Rican kids. Their names are Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria,” DiStefano says in the trailer. The comedian also examines the parenting prowess of his father, who’s now a grandfather: “My dad really is trying, okay? But he’s got a third-grade education. He’s like, ‘Listen to me. I’ve been doin’ the research, and they don’t throw sweet sixteens in the Latina culture. I’ve been talkin’ to my friends down at the bodega, and they throw the parties for the girls at 15. They call ‘em quesadillas.’” Like father, like son.

A Thousand Blows | Hulu | Drama

Series premiere, Friday, February 21: The creators of Peaky Blinders switch networks but still take us back to old London. We’re going way back in time again, too. It’s the 1880s, and two Jamaican buds are coming up in the bare-knuckle boxing scene. One of the guys does so well that he becomes muscle for a gang of female thieves—and also attracts negative attention from the current king of the boxing scene. Loosely based on real people, the entire six-episode series hits Hulu today.

Surface | Apple TV+ | Drama

Season two premiere, Friday, February 21: In the second season of this Apple TV+ amnesia thriller, Sophie (Gugu Mbatha-Raw)—still not fully recovered—is loaded and living in London. There, she mixes with the British elite until someone from her past appears with the news that, before Sophie’s maybe-it-was, maybe-it-wasn’t suicide attempt, the pair were investigating Sophie’s new pals. Phil Dunster, Joely Richardson, Gavin Drea, Rupert Graves, Tara Fitzgerald, Nina Sosanya, and Freida Pinto join the cast for season two.

Suits: L.A. | NBC, Peacock | Genre

Series premiere, Sunday, February 23, 9 p.m. ET: The second Suits spinoff series is set in a Los Angeles entertainment law firm and will feature a whole new cast—mostly. The producers tease some involvement from Gabriel Macht (the original series’ co-main character, Harvey Specter). Also, expect to see real-life celebs playing versions of themselves. Hopefully, Suits: L.A. will fare better than the first Suits spinoff, the one-season-and-done Pearson. After tonight’s premiere, expect 11 more eps—live on Sundays (NBC), streaming on Mondays (Peacock).