Scorchin' Summer Streamin' 26 - Squid Game 오징어 게임 - Season Three/Series Finale

The third & final season of the South Korean dystopian survival thriller television series Squid Game, marketed as Squid Game 3 & created by writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk, was released on Netflix back in June last year.

I have finally caught up! Starring Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon, Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-shim, Jo Yu-ri, Lee David, & Roh Jae-won. 

In the final season, Seong Gi-hun and the players fight for survival in ever-deadlier games. In-ho welcomes the VIPs while his brother Jun-ho continues the search for the island, unaware of a traitor in their midst. 

A failed rebellion, the death of a friend, and a secret betrayal. Picking up in the aftermath of Season two’s bloody cliffhanger.

Squid Game stops for no one, so Gi-hun will be forced to make some important choices in the face of overwhelming despair as he and the surviving players are thrust into deadlier games that test everyone’s resolve. With each round, their choices lead to increasingly grave consequences. 

Meanwhile, In-ho resumes his role as Front Man to welcome the mysterious VIPs, and his brother Jun-ho continues his search for the elusive island, unaware there’s a traitor in their midst. 

So how'd one of Netflix's biggest ever series wrap up? Well with the body count continuing to rise with a very random Australian cameo at the very last moment!

After destroying the records room, No-eul considers suicide but finally doesn't. 

With only Gi-hun, Myung-gi, and the baby remaining, Myung-gi plans to win by taking the baby and throwing it off before Gi-hun can cross, but Gi-hun manages to cross. A struggle follows and Myung-gi falls to his death, which does not count since the game has not officially started. 

Gi-hun then begins the game and chooses to sacrifice himself, throwing himself off the platform. His death shocks the VIPs and leads In-ho to rescue the baby as the island is evacuated before its destruction, as the coast guard was approaching. 

Jun-ho, the VIPs, No-eul, and the staff escape in time. 

Six months later, Gyeong-seok reunites with his daughter and meets No-eul, who plans to travel to China to find her own daughter; Cheol reunites with his mother; and Woo-seok is released from prison and plans to reopen Gi-hun's fortified hotel. 

In-ho leaves the baby and the prize money with Jun-ho, then visits Gi-hun's daughter in Los Angeles to inform her of his death and give her his blooded tracksuit and remaining winnings, later witnessing an American recruiter playing ddakji, revealing the games' existence in America.

It's Australia's very own Cate Blanchett as the American recruiter.

This series was a massive cult sensation. Getting a Macca's burger and becoming a favourite Halloween costume. Squid Game has been huge! 

I enjoyed the previous two seasons. There was emotion, human connection and more realness than if this was a US series. Great job Netflix for having this shows back. It really was one of a kind!

Scorchin' Summer Streamin' 26 - Power Book IV: Force - Season Three/Series Finale

Power Book IV: Force, the latest Power series has now concluded. Force is a sequel and third spin-off to Power created by Courtney A. Kemp.

Last June, it was announced that the third season is going to be the final season. Premiering last November all ten episodes have now streamed on Stan.

Fan-favorite character Tommy Egan, played by Joseph Sikora, after he cuts ties and puts New York in his rearview mirror for good. 

As Tommy leaves New York after losing Ghost, LaKeisha and the only city he's ever known, he makes a quick detour to close an old wound that’s been haunting him for decades. 

What was supposed to be a quick stop turns into a labyrinth of family secrets and lies Tommy thought were long buried.  

One step leads to another and Tommy quickly finds himself in Chicago's drug game, inserting himself between the city's two biggest crews. In a city divided by race, Tommy straddles the line, ultimately becoming the lynchpin that not only unites them - but holds the power to watch them crumble. 

I did enjoy the first season a lot more. I can't really remember season two, however season three was beginning to feel like a chore. With Power now living on across the universe for over a decade, we still have the final run of prequel series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan to come. With Power: Origins currently filming.

So how did Book IV: Force come to its conclusion?

Well if you are not up to date on Stan, stop reading here.

Drug boss Tommy not only surviving but thriving in the hour's final moments. After fending off hits from a Jenard-led CBI and a Vic-hired assassin, Tommy and Miguel received intel about CBI's real whereabouts. So they ambushed the rival gang there. And though Miguel took a bullet in the leg, Tommy's men came out on top.

Later, the surviving CBI members voted no-confidence in Jenard by walking out and joining up with Tommy. 

Tommy called Mireya, who'd left town in order to keep herself and the baby safe, and let her know that everything had turned out OK. 

And Tariq, who'd come to Chicago when Tommy called for backup ahead of the ambush, presented his "uncle" with a proposition: "Come to New York and move your powder with me." 

Yep following Power Book II: Ghost conclusion a couple of years ago, Tariq is back baby. It almost looked like Starz was waiting to intro a brand new series. The finale really felt more like a pilot/launchpad for the Power series to live on.

Does it need to though? Power was a great series. Power Book II: Ghost was a good follow up, but I feel like the Power series is running low on gas.

In the age of no new ideas, spin-offs and constant sequels, prequels, I reckon there is way more of Power to come on Starz in the future.

In coming weeks, we will get to see the finale of horny, bloody, Spartacus: House of Ashur, whilst still waiting for those wild strippers from P-Valley to return for the third season.

NOT another streaming Movie - No Other Choice/어쩔수가없다

Back to the movies! After a pile of TV catch ups, let's get back to the big screen. NOT another streaming Movie is my 2026 series of all the cinema I take in, in 2026.

Next up, No Other Choice (Korean: 어쩔수가없다). The South Korean satirical black comedy thriller film co-written, produced, and directed by Park Chan-wook. 

Based on The Ax by Donald Westlake, the film stars Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, & Cha Seung-won. 

It is the second film adaptation of the novel, after the 2005 French-language feature The Axe directed by Costa-Gavras, to whom No Other Choice is dedicated in the closing credits.

No Other Choice follows a desperate paper industry expert who decides to kill off his competition to be assured of the job he seeks to maintain his way of life.

The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 29 August 2025, where it garnered critical acclaim. 

At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Lee Byung-hun). 

It was also selected as the South Korean entry for the Best International Feature Film category for the 98th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist.

No Other Choice had its domestic premiere as the opening film of the 30th Busan International Film Festival on 17 September, followed by its theatrical release in South Korea on 24 September by CJ Entertainment.

As I near the end of my Squid Game journey, it was good seeing Lee Byung-hun in another role.

This showed South Korea really delivers some sensational, original and thought provoking cinema.

Loved by critics, winning and nominated for loads of awards, the Friday evening (last night) session I saw was near full. Yes it was a smaller cinema, however people are wanting an alternative to Avatar or whatever the other Western blockbuster is screening right now.

With some quirky lines, some interesting themes explored, this was an interesting Friday watch.

Whilst it won't be everyone's cup of tea, I enjoyed this. 3 Stars. Stay safe Sydney, from last weeks heatwave on Saturday, to a stormy Saturday WTF climate change!

Scorchin' Summer Streamin' 26 - Palm Royale - Season Two

Palm Royale is based on 2018 novel Mr. & Mrs. American Pie. Originally set out as a miniseries, the Kristen Wiig lead comedy/drama just concluded it's second season. Apple TV usually has high standards, however this series is a little on the woeful side.

The second season continues to follow, Maxine Dellacorte (Wiig) in this wild romp. The cast is exceptional, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Carol Burnett, Amber Chardae Robinson, Jordan Bridges, Kaia Gerber, & Julia Duffy. Camp icon, Patti LuPone also plays, Marjorie Merriweather Post.

So with those names, it should be amazing right? Wrong! Very wrong. 

The season opens, in the aftermath of the disastrous Beach Ball, Maxine is temporarily institutionalised, believing she is at the Palm Royale. Linda is mistaken for the would-be assassin by Tom and arrested, but Virginia has her institutionalised to protect her, revealing she is an undercover FBI agent. 

Norma is restored as the grande dame of Palm Beach, and Evelyn reclaims the Rollins mansion with Eddie. With Linda's encouragement, Maxine escapes the facility and finds a comatose Robert at the hospital, hiding when Norma arrives. 

Realising that Norma wants her dead, Maxine is returned to the facility but warns Douglas. Discovering Mary hiding in the mansion's bootlegger tunnels, Evelyn promises to protect her, while Linda refuses to help Norma frame Maxine. Still in love with Perry, Dinah finds Axel dead, secretly murdered by Norma to conceal her own past, and Robert reawakens. 

Pressured by Norma to divorce Maxine and marry Mitzi — allowing their child to unlock the considerable Dellacorte generation-skipping trust — Douglas fails to bring Maxine home. She calls Evelyn instead, becoming unlikely allies against the rest of Palm Beach high society.

So if that sounds whack, you wouldn't be wrong. 

After all the other Bridesmaids alumni doing great things at Apple. Maya doing Loot, Rose doing Platonic. This is sadly just a fail.

Hopefully in the series finale, Maxine and Evelyn attempt to dispose of Jed's body, but when Douglas suggests waiting to reconcile until the baby turns 18, Maxine angrily reveals that he is not the father. 

Dinah discovers the fabergé egg among Norma's trophies, giving it to Marjorie in exchange for making Perry mayor. Realising the FBI have blackmailed Tom into assassinating the mole, who has framed Perry, Maxine and her friends trick Tom into shooting Jed's corpse instead. 

Douglas calls off his wedding to Mitzi, but Maxine refuses his furious demand to return to their old life. Making amends with Norma, Maxine generously marries Robert to help him gain custody of his son; Evelyn informs Eddie that she wants her independence; Dinah chooses to stay with Perry; Mitzi leaves with Eddie; and a grateful Norma disappears. 

With Rafael legally a Dellacorte born to a "legitimate marriage", Robert and Maxine win the trust and share the wealth with Eddie and Mitzi, who gives birth to her child. Marjorie, the real mole, remains at large, while Rafael may not be who he appears to be, and Evelyn and Maxine reopen the Palm Royale, as Linda and Norma reconnect in Paris.

Well its over for now. If I could stop watching shows I start. But I just need to know how it all ends.

Speaking of, this afternoon at 6pm, Power: Force ends.... for good. Another Power series wraps before we head into the final weeks of Spartacus: House of Ashur on Stan. So much nudity, so much gore! It's all there on the revival of the Spartacus franchise.

Scorchin' Summer Streamin' 26 - Sunny Nights - Season One

An Aussie series, starring US leads Will Forte & D'Arcy Carden. That is Sunny Nights.

One of the latest series on Stan. Landing ahead of the brilliant Dear Life. However I just couldn't get into episode one, when I first jumped into this.

The comedic drama follows straight-laced Martin (Forte), who teams up with his loose cannon sister, Vicki (Carden), to set up a spray tan business in Sydney called Tansform. 

As Martin and Vicki attempt to turn their company from a start-up operating out of the back of a van into a multi-million-dollar empire, the siblings become tangled up in Sydney’s criminal underworld, and when a ruthless gangster begins to catch up with them, the two must figure out how to stay alive, out of prison, and in the black. 

Landing on Stan, back on Boxing Day,Sunny Nights also stars Willie Mason, yes the former Bulldog! Along with Rachel House as Mony, Jessica De Gouw as Susi, Miritana Hughes as Kash, Megan Wilding as Nova, George Mason as Dreadlock Pete & Ra Chapman.

Rachel House was a total standout for me. Willie Mason wasn't half bad too.

So to be honest, once I got into the second episode, I got a little more hooked.

Episode one was a little dull, not a strong start. But the series did really pick up the pace. It also leaves it open for a second season. Nothing is confirmed. Much like the rest of Stan's ongoing dramas. No word on Black Snow, co-pro, Ten Pound Poms, the surprisingly good, C*A*U*G*H*T, Scrublands, Population 11, Thou Shalt Not Steal, Critical Incident, Invisible Boys and finally The CW co-pro Good Cop/Bad Cop.

Sunny Nights was a good little summer watch. Honestly there is some strong Aussie content right now. I just took a look at Run, that also looks decent. The F Ward, Co-pro also on Stan, Lord of the Flies & Gnomes.

Next up the dreadful finale of Palm Royale. Seeya!

Scorchin' Summer Streamin' 26 - Dept. Q - Season One

From the writer and director of The Queen's Gambit, Matthew Goode stars as DCI Carl Morck - a brash, but brilliant detective leading a cold case unit in Edinburgh. 

Dept. Q , a nine-part crime procedural series, created by Scott Frank and Chandni Lakhani, based on the book series Department Q by Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen. 

Another May 2025 series I missed when it originally streamed on Netflix.

Last August, it was renewed for a second season. Thank gosh, cause hot damn, season one was Scottish fire!

Top-rated detective Carl Morck is returning to police work. He has recently been involved in an ambush shooting, in which he was badly wounded, his colleague and friend James Hardy was paralysed and a young uniformed police officer was killed. 

Morck receives a muted welcome since his colleagues generally regard him as arrogant and asocial (which he is). Morck is also required (against his will) to attend therapy sessions for the after-effects of the shooting.

The Scottish government has decided to temporarily concentrate on unsolved crimes, believing that successful outcomes will generate good headlines that improve public opinion regarding the police force. Morck's hard-pressed and under-resourced commander, Moira Jacobson, is offered a substantial budget to set up a new unsolved crimes unit. 

Preferring to use most of the budget for her own department and current cases, she assigns Morck as the sole officer dealing with a large number of cold cases. Morck is given a semi-derelict basement office/bathroom to work in, the former Shower Quarters of the police station, thus the Q in the series title.

Civilian employee Akram Salim, a Syrian former policeman looking for more challenging work, quietly insinuates himself into Morck's basement and is tasked with organising case files. 

While doing that, he suggests investigating the missing Crown Office solicitor Merritt Lingard. Joined by a recovering Hardy and young constable Rose Dickson, the misfit team begin looking into Lingard's disappearance – the main case investigated during the first season of the series.

This season was totally addictive. A number of people recommended this to me, so now is my time to finally catch up!

If like me you are late to the Dept. Q party. Do NOT read on.....

In the ninth (and final episode) a video of the deeply disturbed Lyle's youth counselling sessions reveals that his unstable mother often locked her sons in the chamber. 

Cunningham, who always believed that Lyle killed Merritt, finds her and is furious to discover they have kept her in a hyperbaric chamber for four years. 

When Cunningham says he cannot let this go, Lyle bludgeons him to death. Dept. Q questions William, who identifies Lyle both as his attacker and the man in the cap. 

The real Sam found Lyle to make amends, but Lyle killed him, staged his death as a climbing accident, and assumed his identity. 

Lyle and his mother abandon Merritt in the chamber with rising pressure, but Carl and Akram return to Mhòr and search the Jennings' property. Finding Cunningham's body and the chamber, they are ambushed by Lyle, and Carl is shot protecting Akram, who disarms and kills Lyle. 

Merritt is rescued and reunited with William, while Ailsa shoots herself to escape police on the ferry.

Three months later: In return for his silence on Burns' corruption, Carl blackmails him into increased funding for Dept. Q, a new car, and making Akram an official detective. 

Carl meets Merritt, choosing not to reveal his identity to her. James returns to work, now walking on crutches, as Moira considers assigning him to the still unsolved Leith Park shooting.

So bring on season two. I haven't watched many Scottish series before, but this was fire! Tomorrow Palm Royale wraps its disappointing second season, while Power: Force concludes Tommy's Power tale. Then Sunday, Landman wraps its brilliant second season. With more Demi Moore, this season has had it all. Great!

See you soon besties.

Scorchin' Summer Streamin' 26 - It's Florida, Man - Season Two

Come here on vacation, stay on probation, that's a tagline for the second season of HBO's original comedy series It's Florida, Man .

Season two started late November on HBO Max, concluding a Friday or so ago. The second season guest stars an all-star line up across six episodes Adam DeVine, Edi Patterson, Tiffany Haddish, Haley Joel Osment, Bert Kreischer, Nick Swardson, Johnny Knoxville, Shea Whigham, Taika Waititi, Rita Ora, Holmes, David Koechner, Joel Kim Booster, Chet Hanks, Milan Carter, Nick Thune, Swoozie Kurtz, Johnny Pemberton, Ryan Mirvis, Brian Sacca, Ping Wu, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Frankie Quiñones, Hassie Harrison, Joseph Ruud, and Michael McDonald.

They really went jumbo on season two with the stars! Unlike most HBO series, this one has not yet been renewed.

Today Industry returns, next Monday, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms commences and here are the remaining new titles to drop in 2026. DTF St. Louis, Half Man, Lanterns, Rooster & War.  That's a stacked line up right! 

So hopefully, they have room on their late Friday night slot for more It's Florida, Man! Come on HBO, you just renewed more Bill Maher.

So how does the Joel Kim Booster starring finale wrap? After traveling to Orlando to meet her online goth prince, a sheltered Jacksonville girl narrowly survives a chilling mishap. Alongside Kim Booster, Frankie Quiñones, Ping Wu, Taika Waititi, & Rita Ora also appear.

This was a funny look at how real life is sometimes way madder than what Hollywood can come up with.

No wonder Netflix and Paramount want to buy Warner Brothers (which includes HBO)