Last week’s “What’s good on TV” saw us review “Buried by the Bernards,” and a lot of our readers seemed to be interested in the Netflix series. Eighty-four percent of the readers who answered our survey said they planned on watching the show in the near future.
We’re appreciative of all responses, so please don’t hesitate to fill out this week’s survey so we know what shows interest you.
For this week’s installment, we’re recapping and reviewing The CW’s “All American,” Netflix’s “Behind Her Eyes” and “Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell.” We’re also looking ahead and previewing “Coming 2 America,” which will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on March 5.
Disclaimer: Recaps may include mild spoilers.
All American
Recap: Inspired by the life of former NFL player Spencer Paysinger, this sports drama television series follows a standout high school football wide receiver named Spencer James (Daniel Ezra). James lives in Crenshaw, California, but he decides to transfer to a high school in Beverly Hills to play football and get more attention from college programs. Throughout the series, he deals with managing a double life, which often leads to drama.
Stuck between Crenshaw and Beverly Hills, James has to deal with a cast of characters pulling him back and forth between his old and new home — including his new coach, Billy Baker (Taye Diggs). In reality, all he wants to do is play in the NFL and move his single mom and little brother into a better situation.
Favorite Character: Tamia “Coop” Cooper is my favorite character because she grounds Spencer throughout the series. Coop grew up with Spencer in Crenshaw so they’ve known each other almost their entire lives. Anytime Spencer’s head gets too big, or if he’s in trouble, she is right there to help her best friend.
To me, Coop is the heart and soul of this show because she brings an energy and sense of relatability that no other character does. Every other character is rich, an athlete or a thug. She is also a talented rapper who wants to do better in life, just like Spencer, but minus the athletics. (JL)
Where to watch: Check out Season 3 of “All American” on The CW every Monday at 8 p.m. Seasons 1 and 2 are available on Netflix.
Behind Her Eyes
Recap: A young, Black single mother named Louise (Simona Brown) unknowingly begins an affair with her new psychiatrist boss, David (Tom Bateman), after meeting him in a bar before her first day at the mental-health clinic.
Louise soon becomes friends with David’s wife, Adele (Eve Hewson), after bumping into her on the street. Louise decides to keep their friendship a secret from David. “Behind Her Eyes” focuses on the love triangle and how it affects Louise psychologically. There are twists and turns throughout the six-episode miniseries, and secrets about all characters are revealed.
Thoughts: I didn’t know how to feel about this series when I first began watching it because it seemed bland. Once the psychological aspect is introduced, the show becomes a lot better because it digs into the mind of Louise and explores how she copes with being “the other woman.”
It’s a British TV series, so the accents took some getting used to, but I was hooked by the second episode. I had to see how the love triangle would end because it becomes toxic and weird.
Simona Brown is amazing as Louise, and I think she’ll become a household name in Hollywood. It’s interesting to watch Louise’s fascination with understanding Adele. While Adele lives a life of luxury, Louise is mom to a seven-year-old son and trying to make it day-to-day. (JL)
Where to watch: Stream all six episodes of “Behind Her Eyes” on Netflix.
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Recap: This documentary is a deep dive into the life of Christopher Wallace, better known as Notorious B.I.G. or “Biggie” — a rapper many refer to as the best to ever do it.
Footage includes interviews with close friends and family, including his mom and Sean “Diddy” Combs. They discuss influential moments in Biggie’s such as his Jamaican roots, how he got involved with selling cocaine, and his rise to become one of the greatest rappers. [Note: Biggie is part of the latest class of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.]
Makes you feel: Sad. While it’s nice to relive some of Biggie’s best moments and understand his impact on rap – the ending is, of course, tragic. His fallout with Tupac really affected him and was a motivator behind him going to California where he was eventually murdered.
It’s sad that his daughter and mother were left without him – and it’s sad to hear his mom talk about how little she knew about her son’s rap persona. She shares that she only listened to his album after his death. (BL)
Where to Watch: “Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell” can be streamed on Netflix now.
Coming 2 America (preview)
Premise: King Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy) is leaving Zamunda to return to America to find his long-lost son, Lavelle Junson (Jermaine Fowler), who will be his heir to the throne. The sequel to 1988’s “Coming to America” picks up 32 years later. Semmi (Arsenio Hall) joins his best friend on his journey back to America for more hijinks and fun.
Now married to his queen, Lisa (Shari Headley), Akeem has to not only find his son, but also face the woman he slept with decades ago. Akeem has to appease Lavelle’s mother, Mary (Leslie Jones), to build a relationship with his son.
What I’m looking forward to: “Coming to America” is a classic and one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, so I don’t expect the sequel to disappoint. Eddie Murphy is a comedic legend, who I’m happy to see reprise his role as King Akeem.
I’m also excited to see the other comedic characters created by Murphy and Hall, particularly soul singer Randy Watson and barbershop owner Clarence. New characters played by “Saturday Night Live” favorite Leslie Jones and comedian Jermaine Fowler should be entertaining.
All in all, even if the sequel doesn’t live up to the hypee, we still have the original to replay over and over again. (JL)
Where to watch: Stream “Coming 2 America” on Amazon Prime Video beginning March 5.
