FX
"Legion"
My TV recommendations for the next few weeks are on the darker side, fitting in well with the April showers mentality. But I predict these shows will keep you interested and on the edge of your seat. From the harsh The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) to HBO’s dark adventure drama Westworld, there are plenty of big, textured stories to occupy your mind. Just remember to take breaks and watch something goofy, like FXX’s animated adult comedy Archer.
Legion (FX, returning April 3)
While Legion is another superhero-centered television show, it’s a really good one. Legion is a part of the Marvel Universe, a splinter of the X-Men series. The show stars Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) as David, the son of Professor X. He was originally diagnosed with schizophrenia, and he has trouble harnessing his psychic abilities and their full effects. The show’s mode of storytelling is unique, with distorted and artistic cinematography. Legion is a great show for people who enjoy their superhero drama with a little more creative filmmaking.
6 Balloons (Netflix, premiering April 6)
Spoiler alert: The trailer for 6 Balloons alone is enough to elicit some uneasiness, as well as intrigue. The film is written and directed by Marja-Lewis Ryan, a filmmaker who is at the helm of the upcoming sequel to The L Word. 6 Balloons stars Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) as a young woman whose brother, a drug addict (Dave Franco, The Disaster Artist) has resumed using heroin. This is notably darker material for both Jacobson and Franco, who have made their name as successful comedic writers and actors. Jacobson’s character enables Franco’s by continually covering for him with various friends and family members, only to run out of patience when she realizes his choices have an impact on the others around him. I am curious about this film, which comes out as opioid use and overdoses are at an all-time high.
Westworld (HBO, returning April 22)
HBO’s dystopian drama Westworld is finally coming back for a second season after premiering in fall of 2016. Based on Michael Crichton’s (Jurassic Park) 1973 film of the same name, Westworld is about a theme park for the very rich where guests interact with humanoid robots against the backdrop of the gorgeous Wild West. The guests (most of whom are idiotic and self-centered) brutally rape and/or kill the robots because they can (each day resets for the robots, and there are, at most, minor consequences for guests). Problems surface when the robots begin to remember the terrifying abuse, start thinking for themselves and begin to achieve consciousness. The show has a great cast, led by Evan Rachel Wood (True Blood), Ed Harris (Apollo 13) and Thandie Newton (The Pursuit of Happyness). I was slightly lukewarm on the first season, but I think there’s much more still to be explored. If you need a refresher on season 1 and the show overall, watch this video from YouTuber Alt Shift X that explains some of the more in-depth and complicated themes of the show.
Archer: Danger Island (FXX, returning April 25)
Entering season nine, the animated adult comedy Archer continues to bring inappropriate, gut-busting humor to television. The show centers on Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin, Bob’s Burgers), a spy-slash-detective who rocks black turtlenecks and would rather be drinking martinis and looking at himself in the mirror than doing work. He’s joined by the razor-sharp Aisha Tyler (Criminal Minds) and Jessica Walter and Judy Greer, both of Arrested Development. This show is outrageous, fun, sexy and more. After several years, Archer is still keeping things fresh with Danger Island, reimagining its characters and setting by transporting the cast to a small island in the South Pacific for more antics, schemes and (effed up) adventures.
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu, returning April 25)
The Handmaid’s Tale returns for its second season, having won an Emmy for best drama series. The show is based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, and centers on what would happen if women lost all their rights and lived as servants and/or baby incubators in a totalitarian society. The series is led by a number of talented women, from the always excellent Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) to Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls) and Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black.) Season 2 will take the plot of the story beyond the book, a novel which was released in 1985 but is as salient as ever. This show is stark and startling — but it’s worth pushing past the discomfort to watch.
