What is J.J. Streaming?

Inquiring minds want to know what J.J. and family have been streaming over the past few weeks.  Here are 8 shows and movies that have kept us captivated:

1.  Yellowjackets (Showtime, 2021-present) is a psychological thriller TV series created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. The show is directed by Karyn Kusama and others, and stars Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress, and Juliette Lewis. The show follows a group of high school girls who survive a plane crash and must navigate the challenges of survival while dealing with the aftermath of the traumatic experience.

• Why do we love it? 
• Who doesn't love a good mystery? This show does a great job of showing the young and older versions of each character. One and a half seasons in, and we still don't know the full extent of what happened to them in the woods all those years ago. And of course, what happened to the baby? What are your theories?

2.  The Alien Series is a science-fiction franchise that spans several films. The original Alien (1979) was directed by Ridley Scott, written by Dan O'Bannon, and starred Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. Aliens (1986) was directed and written by James Cameron, and starred Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, and Paul Reiser. Alien³ (1992) was directed by David Fincher, written by David Giler, Walter Hill, and Larry Ferguson, and starred Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, and Charles Dance. Alien: Resurrection (1997) was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, written by Joss Whedon, and starred Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, and Ron Perlman. The series follows the story of Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) and her multiple encounters with the alien species.

• Why do we love it? 
• This is a classic set of films that we love to share with the J.J. Juniors. James Cameron, Ridley Scott and David Fincher, are masters of their craft, and Sigourney Weaver's portrayal of Ripley is iconic. Even after all these years, we still watch the alien popping through the chest cavity scenes and cringe—so brutal! Shout out to Bill Paxton, R.I.P., who still has us laughing our asses off as his character, Hudson, has a complete meltdown in the middle of the crisis.

3.  The Matrix Trilogy is a science-fiction film series that follows the story of Thomas Anderson, a hacker who goes by the name "Neo." The original film, The Matrix (1999), was directed and written by The Wachowskis and starred Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss. The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003) were both directed and written by The Wachowskis and starred the same cast as the first film.

• Why do we love it? 
• The Matrix Trilogy holds a special place in our hearts, as it was one of our first date-night movies. The story of Neo resonates because all of us have looked around and wondered if we were living in a dream world. Countless essays have been written on the themes and symbolism within the series, and we are sure that we'll add our own take on this soon enough.

4.  The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon, 2017-2021) is a period comedy-drama TV series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino. The show is directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino and others, and stars Rachel Brosnahan, Tony Shalhoub, and Alex Borstein. The show follows the life of Miriam "Midge" Maisel, a housewife who discovers a talent for stand-up comedy after her husband leaves her.

• Why do we love it? 
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is fun, and we are here for Midge's battle against the patriarchy. Though the show is not as engaging as it was in earlier seasons and Midge's spoiled behavior has been annoying in recent weeks, the acting is still top-notch, and Midge's wardrobe is as perfectly curated as ever.

5.  Succession (HBO, 2018-present) is a drama TV series created by Jesse Armstrong. The show is directed by Adam McKay and others, and stars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, and Matthew Macfadyen. The show follows the story of the Roy family, a wealthy and powerful family that owns a media conglomerate, and their struggles for power and influence.

• Why do we love it? 
• This show... damn. If you are not watching this show, what are you doing? We get that the characters are rich and entitled, but even J.B. got choked up during episode 3 of the current season. Families are complicated, but billionaire families are portrayed as next-level mind jobs. How would you and your family act if a legacy and billions of dollars were at stake? Let us know.

6.  Barry (HBO, 2018-present) is a dark comedy TV series co-created by Alec Berg and Bill Hader. The show is directed by Bill Hader and others, and stars Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan and Henry Winkler. The show follows the story of a hitman named Barry Berkman who travels to Los Angeles and gets involved in the local theater scene while grappling with his own violent tendencies.

• Why do we love it? 
• Having watched every season of Barry, we can confidently say that Bill Hader is amazing ... of course, we already knew that, with SNL and South Park. But who knew he had the chops to make us feel so many emotions? His performance and the overall storyline for Barry have been top-notch, and we can't wait to see how they land this thing. The supporting cast is great, and we love to hate, then love, and then hate again. Barry's girlfriend on the show, Sally Reed, played by Sarah Goldberg.

7.  Abbot Elementary (ABC, 2021-present) is a comedy TV series created by Quinta Brunson and follows the story of a group of dedicated teachers at a Philadelphia public school. The show is directed by Randall Einhorn and others and stars Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, and Janelle James. 

• Why do we love it? 
• Abbot Elementary is another feel-good show to stream at the end of a rough week. The school is full of teachers that we wish we had growing up and gives the watcher a peek behind the curtain of the ever-so-exclusive "Teacher's Lounge".

8.  Ted Lasso (Apple TV+, 2020-present) is a comedy-drama TV series created by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly. The show is directed by various directors, including Zach Braff and MJ Delaney, and stars Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, and Juno Temple. Ted Lasso follows the story of an American football coach who moves to England to coach a struggling soccer team. 

• Why do we love it?  
• Ted Lasso's unlimited levels of optimism are a breath of fresh air during a rough week at the office. He always seems to find a way to inspire his team, even in the toughest times, and has a way of embodying a strong leader in the most subtle ways. The plucky banter between Keely and Rebecca is always on point. Oh, and Hannah Waddingham always looks stunning!

What are you streaming?  Are any of these your favorites?  Let us know in the comments below.

References:

Yellowjackets IMDb page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11041332/ Alien: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/ Aliens: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090605/ Alien³: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103644/ Alien: Resurrection: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118583/ The Matrix: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/ The Matrix Reloaded: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234215/ The Matrix Revolutions: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0242653/ The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel IMDb page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5788792/ Succession IMDb page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7660850/ Barry IMDb page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5348176/ Abbot Elementary IMDb page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14218830/ Ted Lasso IMDb page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10986410/

edited with the help of ChatGPT