The Weekend Binge: Cringing Over 'And Just Like That', 'Succession' Creator's New Movie, Is Jessica Biel 'The Better Sister'? A Pinot Noir for James Bond

And Just Like That....It's the weekend!

What a bittersweet weekend this is! The Handmaid’s Tale is OVER (the final episode aired this past week), The Last of Us and Hacks both had their season finales (but don’t worry — both have been renewed).

And so streaming continues with the season three opener of And Just Like That (keep scrolling for my review) and the much-anticipated Jesse Armstrong (creator of Succession) project, Mountainhead, starring Steve Carell. Also on my watchlist this weekend is Dept. Q from the writer/director of The Queen’s Gambit, now streaming on Netflix, starring Matthew Goode as a brash but brilliant detective.

Also for nostalgia: If you haven’t streamed the entire catalogue of films from Alfred Hitchcock or James Bond, you’ll find them this month on Netflix and MGM+, respectfully .

• And Just Like That: Season 3 (HBO Max)

• Mountainhead (HBO Max)

• The Better Sister (Prime Video)

• Dept. Q (Netflix)

• The Handmaid’s Tale: Series Finale (Hulu)

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And Just Like That: Season 3, Episode 1 Review

I once wrote an article for Movieline magazine (remember them?) where I named the 20 best series on HBO. I got a lot of hate from male readers because I put The Sopranos at #2 and Sex and the City at #1. I love the OG Sex and the City that much to put Manolos over the Mafia. To be fair, I have always gone in watching And Just Like That, knowing that it is meant to be an evolution of these women in their fifties, and not them still parading around Manhattan like tipsy twenty-year-olds with a Cosmopolitan in one hand and waving a taxi cab for a one-night stand with the other. However, at some point, I have to stop giving this series an “A” for effort. The writers are dragging these girls down beneath a steaming NYC manhole cover.

I realized two scenes into the first episode of the new season, which aired on Thursday, that I’m pretty much here to see what Carrie Bradshaw is wearing (loved her pink sheer Simone Rocha dress in the opening scene). There was so much to wince at in this opening episode. The writers were trying to add quirky storylines about life in NYC, but the punchlines never landed. I know all the actors have matured, are older, but also the energy feels low, and so quirky doesn’t pan out; it falls flat, and just ends up being a cringeworthy moment aka Carrie and Aidan having phone sex. And P.S. is a horny guy living in the country really what we want for Carrie at this point? New idea for AJLT, hear me out — Shoe, the kitten, escapes and befriends a struggling bodega owner, and together they turn his nearly shuttered shop into a social media sensation, the most popular bodega in Manhattan. Carrie Bradshaw comes into the shop for wine once a week, so we can see her outfits.

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From The Vault: The Alfred Hitchcock Collection Coming to Netflix June 1

I love Alfred Hitchcock films. In one of my screenwriting classes at UCLA, I had to dissect Strangers on the Train (a gem!) page by page. For writers, directors, Hitchcock films are great for studying your craft — they are filled with imagery, symbolism, and the art of suspense. Vertigo is my favorite Hitchcock film, but Rear Window is a very close second. Stream all these and more on Netflix this month!

• Vertigo (1958) – A retired detective with acrophobia is hired to follow a woman who may be possessed by a spirit.

• Rear Window (1954) – A photographer confined to his apartment spies on neighbors and suspects one of murder.

• Frenzy (1972) – A serial killer is on the loose in London, and a wrongfully accused man must prove his innocence.

• The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) – A couple’s vacation turns into a nightmare when their child is kidnapped to silence them.

• Family Plot (1976) – A phony psychic and her partner get entangled in a complex criminal scheme while searching for a missing heir.

• The Birds (1963) – A coastal town is mysteriously attacked by flocks of aggressive birds without warning or explanation.

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Here’s Everything New Streaming This Weekend

Netflix Tudum: A Live Event - Saturday, 5pm PDT

Netflix is going live with a special event that celebrates your favorite shows and movies. Expected to be star-studded, this live global fan event will have special performances and exclusive reveals. Expected Appearances: Sofia Carson, Lady Gaga, Finn Wolfhard, Jenna Ortega. Streaming Time: 2 hours.

🍷Pair with: Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Champagne

Also New On Netflix - Alvin and the Chipmunks: New Season, A Widow’s Game, The Heart Knows, Lost in Starlight, Dept. Q, Mad Unicorn, Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders, Mike Birbiglia: The Good Life

Netflix’s Top 5 Weekend Streams (TV/Movies)

1. Sirens / The Wild Robot

2. Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders / Instant Family

3. American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden / Fear Street: Prom Queen

4. Tyler Perry’s She The People / Pig

5. Mike Birbiglia: The Good Life / Despicable Me 4

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Adults: Season 1

This comedy series from FX takes an ensemble cast of twenty-somethings, codependent and sharing house, navigating all the angst of adulthood despite their personal flaws. Streaming Time: 8 episodes.

🍷Pair with: Les Indigenes "Respirait" Organic Natural Grenache Noir, 2023

Also New On Hulu - Vanished in New Canaan: An ID Mystery, Tournament of Champions, Mysteries of the Museum: Season 4, House Hunters International: Season 18, The Seed and the Sacred Fig, Tower of God: Season 1, Re:Zero: Season 1, Rickey Smiley: Fool-ish, Into the Deep

Hulu’s Top 5 Weekend Streams (TV/Movies)

1. The Handmaid’s Tale / Georgia Rule

2. Gordon Ramsey’s Secret Service / The Last Showgirl

3. General Hospital / Into the Deep

4. Adults / Kingsman: The Golden Circle

5. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives / Kingsman: The Secret Service

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The Better Sister

Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks star in this mystery thriller where a murder sends shockwaves through a family, unveiling long-buried secrets. Streaming Time: 8 episodes.

🍷Pair with: McBride Sisters Red Blend, Central Coast

Also New On Prime Video - Good Boy, The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy: Season 2, September 5, The Fire Inside

Prime Video’s Top 5 Weekend Streams

1. The Better Sister

2. Clarkson’s Farm

3. Earnhardt

4. Motorheads

5. Over Compensating

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Destination X (NBC)

Jeffrey Dean Morgan hosts this adventure reality competition series where a group of contestants embark on mysterious road trips. They face challenges, offering location clues and turning their journey into a real-life game. Streaming Time: 8 episodes.

🍷Pair with: 1000 Stories High, Cabernet Sauvignon

Also New On Peacock - America’s Got Talent: Season 20 Premiere (NBC), Dog Man

Peacock’s Top 5 Weekend Streams (TV/Movies)

1. Law & Order: SVU / Trolls: Band Together

2. Poker Face / Grown Ups

3. Summer House / Love Hurts

4. Days of Our Lives / Minions: Rise of Cru

5. Law & Order: Organized Crime / Blended

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Bono: Stories of Surrender

A documentary where musician Bono shares life stories and U2 songs in an intimate show, exploring relationships with family, friends, and faith. Streaming Time: 1 hour, 26 minutes.

🍷Pair with: Bunratty Meade, Ireland

Also New On Apple TV+ - Lulu is a Rhinoceros

Apple TV’s Top 5 Weekend Streams (TV/Movies)

1. Your Friends & Neighbors / Fountain of Youth

2. Murderbot / The Gorge

3. Ted Lasso / The Family Plan

4. The Studio / Bono: Stories of Surrender

5. Severance / Wolfs

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Mountainhead

Jesse Armstrong returns to HBO with his first project since his award-winning Succession. Mountainhead is a film that reunites four friends during a worldwide economic turmoil. Stars Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, and Cory Michael Smith. Written and directed by Jesse Armstrong. Streaming Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes.

🍷Pair with: Chappellet Mountain, Cuvee Napa Valley

Also New On HBO Max - And Just Like That: Season 3, The Mortician: Docuseries Premiere, Down Home Fab: Season 3 (HGTV)

HBO Max’s Top 5 Weekend Streams (TV/Movies)

1. The Last of Us / Mickey 17

2. And Just Like That / Implosion

3. Hacks / Madagascar

4. Sherri Papini: Caught in a Lie / Final Destination

5. Pee-Wee As Himself / The Brutalist

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Scrublands: Season 2

This crime thriller, now in its second season, follows investigative journalist Martin Scarsden as he has to uncover the truth of the case of the killing of five parishioners by a charismatic, young priest. Streaming Time: 4 episodes (series total 8 episodes)

🍷Pair with: Truth & Valor Zinfandel, Paso Robles

Also New On AMC+ - Boglands (Crá)

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Captain America: Brave New World

Anthony Mackie returns as the new Captain America in this Marvel action film co-starring Harrison Ford. Sam Wilson (Mackie) finds himself in the middle of an international incident and must discover the motive behind a nefarious global plan. Streaming Time: 1 hour, 58 minutes.

🍷Pair with: True Heroes Malbec, Mendoza Argentina

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• Dog Man (Peacock)

• Me & Winnie The Pooh: New Episodes (Disney+)

• Lulu The Rhinoceros (Apple TV+)

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🍷 Goldeneye, Pinot Noir 2022 Anderson Valley, CA

In celebration of the entire catalogue of James Bond films streaming this Sunday and throughout the month of June, I’ve chosen Goldeneye as the wine of the weekend. GoldenEye is the name of the 1995 James Bond film starring Pierce Brosnan (the first Bond film that Brosnan starred in). In this film, Bond is assigned to stop a Russian crime syndicate from using a powerful secret defense system after it is stolen.

Now, I prefer another golden Bond film — Goldfinger. Just for the pure iconicness of it, this film stars Sean Connery as Bond and features the Bond girl who died from “skin suffocation” after being painted completely in gold. I actually was able to find the LIFE magazine from the sixties with her on the cover at a flea market. It was a great find!

Goldeneye is from the Duckhorn portfolio of wines. The winery was actually founded in 1996, a year after the release of the GoldenEye film. Their pinot noir from the Anderson Valley is a lovely wine perfect for binge-watching multiple Bond films. How many glasses of wine per Bond movie can you consume?

This wine has a variety of pleasing aromas — penny royal, ripe cherry and subtle hints of chanterelle mushrooms. With the first sip, you’ll relish in a beautifully balanced experience with smooth tannins and refreshing acidity, flavors of blackberry, leather, and breakfast tea. Retails for $47.

All 25 James Bond Films will stream on MGM+ beginning June 1