Just in time for Valentine’s Day, a roster of television shows about deception, betrayal, healthcare and the vulgarity of wealth. February TV includes the return of an HBO darling, a whimsical adult animation, the tale of an influencer-con artist and a vibrant nature docuseries. Everyone’s definition of romance is different, after all.
‘Common Side Effects’
OFFICIAL TRAILER: Common Side Effects | February 2 | adult swim – YouTube
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The animated comedic thriller is not a genre you see every day. This show from creators Joe Bennett (“Scavengers Reign”) and Steve Hely (“Veep,” “The Office”) is about a scientist who discovers a rare mushroom with unprecedented healing power. He is soon pursued by members of the DEA and U.S. insurance companies, who do not want news of the miracle plant to spoil their profits. The “most refreshing” part of this series — which delves into the corruption of Big Pharma and America’s failing healthcare system — is that, despite its deadpan nature, it “manages to tell a pointed, conspiracist story without cynicism or despair,” said The New York Times. (Feb. 2, Adult Swim and Max)
‘Apple Cider Vinegar’
Apple Cider Vinegar | Official Trailer | Netflix – YouTube
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Australian influencer Belle Gibson was an early practitioner of anti-science wellness advice. She amassed fans by “falsely claiming to have mitigated multiple cancer pathologies via a range of dietary tricks and alternative medicines,” said The Guardian, and eventually launched an empire surrounding her all-natural lifestyle. There was just one problem: Gibson never actually had cancer. Her wild story is fictionalized in “Apple Cider Vinegar,” a Netflix drama starring Kaitlyn Dever, “who portrays Gibson as corrupted and parasitical but also desperately needy and in denial about the true gravity and consequences of her actions.” (Feb. 6, Netflix)
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‘Yellowjackets’
Yellowjackets Season 3 | Official Trailer | Paramount+ With SHOWTIME – YouTube
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This mystery-thriller series deals in two timelines: One set in the Canadian wilderness where a high school girls’ soccer team is stranded after a plane crash, and the other set in New Jersey following the present-day lives of the crash’s survivors. The adult versions of the girls are played by powerhouse actors Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis, all back for this third season.
The series’ first season was shocking, boasting acts of cannibalism and troubling pagan rituals; season two revealed “how the characters remain warped by their teenage traumas and betrayals,” said The New York Times. (Who blames them?) God only knows what season three will bring. (Feb. 14, Paramount+)
‘The White Lotus’
The White Lotus Season 3 | Official Trailer | Max – YouTube
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Each season of Mike White’s dark comedy series “The White Lotus” features a new cast and a new exotic locale for the titular resort — but certain themes carry over. Rich people behaving badly, disgruntled blue collar employees, the inability of wealth and excess to elicit lasting happiness. The third season is set in Thailand and stars Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Parker Posey and Natasha Rothwell. (You may remember Rothwell as the neglected spa manager who befriended Jennifer Coolidge in season one.) “The first season we highlighted money and then the second season is sex,” White said to Vulture. The third season will be a “kind of satirical and funny look at death in Eastern religion and spirituality.” (Feb. 16, Max)
‘The Americas’
Tom Hanks Narrates an Extraordinary Journey | The Americas | NBC – YouTube
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The team behind the BBC’s seminal nature docuseries, “Planet Earth,” has set their sights on the Americas — 8,700 miles in total, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. The series is narrated by Tom Hanks. “We asked ourselves, who is the American version of David Attenborough?” said Toby Gorman, the president of Universal Television Alternative Studio, to The Hollywood Reporter. “We agreed internally there was a list of one.” “The Americas” took five years to shoot and the resulting 10 episodes cover “The Atlantic Coast,” “Mexico,” “The Wild West,” “The Amazon,” “The Frozen North,” “The Gulf Coast,” “The Andes,” “The Caribbean,” “The West Coast” and “Patagonia.” (Feb. 23, NBC)
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