Welcome to the Wednesday edition of Internet Insider, where we tell you what you should be watching this week.
TODAY:
- The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window falls flat
- Carrie Coon gets a juicy new role in The Gilded Age
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REVIEWS
There’s no reason for a parody of The Woman in the Window
Has enough time passed for a parody of 2021 Amy Adams thriller The Woman in the Window to exist?
Realistically, no. The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window, out Friday, comes less than a year after Netflix’s poorly received The Woman in the Window, in which Adams tries to escape a clumsily plotted thriller about an agoraphobic, wine-guzzling woman named Anna.
In this new original series from Gloria Sanchez Productions, Kristen Bell stars as a grieving woman also named Anna, who (also) likes a heavy pour and develops a fixation on widowed neighbor Neil (Tom Riley).
Once the series stops leaning on how much Anna drinks as the main source of dramatic tension and the investigative action starts, it picks up. And Bell is certainly capable, offering a more emotionally shattered Veronica Mars.
The series is obviously parodying a certain strain of psychological thrillers. But I almost wish the creators had just gone full Scary Movie here, because as is, TWITHATSFTGITW feels like an undercooked casserole of soapy tropes and mediocre writing. For a satire, it’s lacking any real comedy. And for a murder mystery, it’s awfully predictable.
When the trailer debuted in December, a lot of people apparently didn’t know it was parody. Unfortunately, that’s still not very clear.
The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window debuts Jan. 28 on Netflix.
—Audra Schroeder, senior writer
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When your fave becomes problematic
It’s time to talk about the Joss Whedon problem. Sure, we all have a problematic fave when it comes to the TV shows and movies we love, but is love really that blind? Can Buffy survive Joss Whedon?
To watch or not to watch—the choice is ultimately yours, but you don’t have to make it alone. Here are a few suggestions on how you can comfortably and consciously indulge in your problematic fave.
NOW STREAMING
I’m watching The Gilded Age for Carrie Coon
One of my favorite early pandemic watches was The Leftovers. I watched the pilot of the HBO series when it first premiered in 2014, but that was it. My partner convinced me to watch the entire series in 2020 when we suddenly had a lot of time at home. (One of our staff writers also watched it and recapped it for this newsletter.)
Besides having one of the best finales to a TV show that I’d ever seen, I couldn’t stop thinking about another great aspect of the show: Carrie Coon. She made Nora Durst—a complex, grieving woman who lost her entire family—come alive. The Leftovers turned me into an immediate Carrie Coon fan. The Gilded Age, HBO’s new series from the creator of Downton Abbey, gives Coon a juicy new role.
Set in New York in 1882, it depicts a clash between rich people—the old money vs. the new money. Coon’s character falls into the new money category and, without giving too much away, isn’t well-received by her neighbors. The first episode, which premiered on Monday, was promising, and I recommend watching it even if you had no interest in Downton Abbey. The show has an amazing cast—Christine Baranski! Denée Benton!—but my main reason for watching it is because I want to see Coon try to take everyone down.
The Gilded Age airs Mondays on HBO Max.
—Tiffany Kelly, culture editor
DAILY DOT PICKS
- Amy Poehler’s documentary on Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz debuted at Sundance, and hits Amazon in March.
- Hulu vs Netflix. Who is winning the streaming wars? This side-by-side comparison can help you decide.*
- The Euphoria High School memes won’t quit.
- After an iffy season 1, And Just Like That… might get a season 2.
*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.
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