Just in time for the Memorial Day Weekend, get ready for the return of Eleven on "Stranger Things" and Ewan McGregor alongside Hayden Christensen in "Obi-Wan Kenobi." Look back at the golden age of music journalism with Ben Fong-Torres. Watch life through the eyes of Michael Che. Tackle crime in LA with Bosch or see the criminal justice system from the other side with Riz Ahmed. And maybe save "Empire Records" from being bought out by Music Town.
Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 - Netflix
Picked by Growth Associate Keara O'Driscoll
It's time. Almost three years after Season 3’s wild finale, I know I definitely needed a refresher. To bring you back up to speed, here are some questions that you might have had (besides just WTF did I just watch?) when finishing last season. What happened to El’s powers? What about Hopper and Billy? Will the Byers return to Hawkins, Indiana? And how can I get a mullet like Billy Hargrove’s? Fear not! Answers are coming. Stranger Things Season 4 premieres Friday on Netflix with Volume 1 (the first seven episodes). The final two episodes will be available on July 1, 2022.
Obi-Wan Kenobi - Disney+
Picked by Digital Editor Mike Nam
Ewan McGregor reprises his role as the Jedi Master, now watching over Luke Skywalker as he grows up. The Disney+ series will also be notable for bringing back Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. The series premieres Friday, May 27.
Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres
Picked by Digital Editor Mike Nam
Ben Fong-Torres, the Chinese American son of immigrants, always had a story to tell. But this time, the story is about him. Fong-Torres helped build the magazine Rolling Stone into an institution as its music editor, somehow carefully threading the needle between access and ethical journalism. Legendary figures from Annie Leibovitz to Elton John talk about their appreciation for the music journalist's journalist.
That Damn Michael Che - HBO Max
Picked by Producer Jack Gallop
In the pilot episode of That Damn Michael Che, the very first line comes from Saturday Night Live co-star Cecily Strong, playing a suburban-housewife-type, where she awkwardly references America’s racial climate and says to Che in an elevator, “Sorry about everything going on in the country right now.” I immediately knew I was in good hands. That Damn Michael Che is a comedy series where scenes switch between SNL-like sketches and Che simply talking about the world. Like the scene I mentioned earlier, the show uses a less filtered, SNL-style humor to give you a look at today’s America through the lens of Michael Che. In Season 2 — which dropped Thursday — Che will be adding his stand-up and more celebrity cameos, including Weekend Update co-anchor Colin Jost, so the new season looks poised to top the acclaimed Season 1.
Bosch: Legacy - Freevee on Amazon Prime Video
Picked by Reporter Alex Vuocolo
Bosch is back. Who is Bosch you might ask? Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch, played by Titus Welliver, is a Los Angeles homicide detective turned private eye who lives by the principle that "everybody counts, or nobody counts." The original Bosch series ran for seven seasons on Amazon Prime Video, and for those of us in the know, it was one of the best police procedurals since The Wire. This new series, which premiered on Freevee earlier this spring, picks up where the last one left off. Harry is settling into life as a civilian, and his daughter, Maddie, has just joined the LAPD. Like its predecessor, the show does a masterful job of balancing multiple intriguing plotlines, all set within a richly textured Los Angeles. It makes sense that the quality of this revival series is on par with the original because all the same creators are involved, from showrunner Eric Overmyer (who produced The Wire) to the same line-up of ace TV actors.
The Night Of - HBO Max
Picked by Producer Lawrence Banton
If there is one thing HBO is going to do, it's to knock a limited series out of the park! The Night Of hits so hard for so many reasons. If you grew up in or around New York City or even had the chance to visit, then you know that what happened to 'Naz' Khan, played by actor Riz Ahmed, is a very real possibility. Khan, after a night out on the town, finds himself locked up on Rikers Island for a brutal murder. A lazy police investigation of the crime and Khan's inability to afford proper representation in court is the same story many New Yorkers — past and present — can relate to. Most famously, Kalief Browder. Watching this HBO series will give you a firsthand account of how a lack of wealth and the indifference of NYC's corrections system can tragically change a person you once knew.
THROWBACK PICK
Empire Records - Showtime
Picked by Sr. News Editor Dina Ross
I was looking for a good throwback and Empire Records really hit the spot. The star-studded cast (Renée Zellweger! Liv Tyler! Ethan Embry! Debi Mazar!) and music of my formative years brought me joy this week. The teen employees at an independent music store spend the day trying to stop a greedy owner from selling out to the fictional Music Town chain. The shallow movie just skims some deep topics like self-harm, drug use, and gun violence, but spends much more energy focused on youthful hijinks and cool tunes. You can imagine my surprise when I realized this movie is not beloved by all, with just a 29 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. So, watch at your own risk, but I think it's worth the gamble, particularly if you dig the '90s. Damn the man, save the Empire!
