Summer Streamin' 24 - Tulsa King - Season Two

Tulsa King was one of those shows, I just embraced the first season. However the second season of this Taylor Sheridan series, just didn't quite grab me as much as the first.

Streaming on Paramount+, the series stars Sylvester Stallone as Dwight "The General" Manfredi. Episode one kicks off with in jail, Dwight meets Harlan, who has been incarcerated for an energy scam in which he gambled away $12.7 million grant money for a wind farm he owns. 

The next day, in the courthouse Dwight manages to negotiate a bail for himself, with Tina paying $300,000 for his bail. Back at the casino, Mitch introduces Dwight to his cousin, Bigfoot, who Dwight hires as his bodyguard. 

Dwight also tells the group about Harlan's wind farm scam, and decides to invest in it to power up a new weed farm, to which everyone agrees. While visiting the ranch, Margaret tells Dwight about a charity function organized by Cal Thresher, the biggest medical marijuana supplier in Tulsa, and invites Dwight to meet him. Dwight then visits Stacy at her home and tells her that he doesn't hold grudges over how she had him arrested. The next day, Dwight and the gang attends the function. 

However, when Dwight meets with Thresher, Thresher shows Dwight disdain for encroaching into his business and even intimidated Dwight. Dwight, now feeling hostile, decides to leave the function. Cal then calls upon Bill Bevilaqua and inquires about Dwight, also telling him that Dwight has now officially stepped into Bevilaqua's territory of Tulsa.

The series rolls on with violence, pot selling and a few new enemies.

Dana Delany stars as Stallone/Dwight's lady friend, Margaret Devereaux, the owner of Fennario horse ranch.

Season two also adds singer, Jelly Roll alongside, Annabella Sciorra as Joanne Manfredi, Dwight's younger sister, Neal McDonough as Cal Thresher, corrupt businessman, large producer and distributor of marijuana, an oil tycoon and Frank Grillo as Bill Bevilaqua, boss of the Bevilaqua family of Kansas City.

Shortly after premiering, Tulsa King was renewed for a second season, which premiered mid-September. Apparently a third season and a spin-off series are both in development. With Sheridan's success across the Paramount Network & Paramount+, I don't doubt this is more than just a Wikipedia edit.

Sheridan has also just launched, yet another series on Paramount+, Landman with a double episode. This alongside Lioness, means Sheridan is almost single handedly programming the streaming platform.

Next up the finales of Fisk alongside a large number of "Fall" finales. Yep the US series are going to sleep for a bit. Found, Doctor Odyssey and Greys Anatomy all go on break this week.

Meaning Summer Streamin' 24 will all be about the catch ups. The series I have missed in the past, the recent series I hadn't gotten around to. So keep your eyes peeled as 2024 is seriously heading towards a close. Bring on 2025, where the highly originally Summer Streamin' 25 blog series will launch.

Summer Streamin' 24 - Plum - Season One

Plum is another Aussie series that has just streamed all six episodes on ABC iView. Landing on iView last month, the six part series created & written by Brendan Cowell. Plum follows Peter Lum, a retired former rugby league player who is diagnosed with a brain disorder following years of concussions he suffered on the field. All while being filmed in the Shire, in Sydney.

The story is inspired by Cowell's novel of the same name. After a career in rugby league career, Peter Lum is diagnosed with a brain disorder, but does not reveal it to family and friends. 

However when his wife becomes very concerned with erratic behaviour and his son Gavin, who loves the game being head hunted by rugby league teams, he starts to realise his father is not the same person he used to be, and the game might be to blame.

It kicks off its short run with Peter ‘Plum’ Lum (Brendan Cowell) a living legend in Australian sporting terms. Now retired and reeling towards 50 with all the back pain and ailments a footy player can expect, he lives a humble life in Cronulla. 

The simplicity of this life is exactly what he wants - kicking the ball with his teenage son Gavin (Vincent Miller), dinner on the deck with girlfriend Charmayne (María Dupláa), followed by a few too many beers at the local pub with his mates Brick (John Tui), Squeaky (Josh McConville) and Magic Matt (Wayne McDaniel). 

It looks like Plum is living the dream until an accident at work reveals he has a brain disorder as a result of the hundreds of head injuries and concussions he’s suffered on the field. The new diagnosis doesn’t have its intended effect, as Plum would sooner hide, run and head to the pub for drinks with the boys and pretend everything is peachy than confront things. 

But hiding from the truth isn’t easy when your ex-wife (Asher Keddie) cares too much and your son comes to realise the father he worships is falling off his mantle and the game they love might be to blame.

And just as you'd expect Asher Keddie slays as Plums next of kin.

Keddie has had a top notch run of Aussie shows. Strife and Fake were outstanding. Her reconnection with Cowell, following their run in the excellent Love My Way. Keddie is a smaller player in this series, however with every scene she is in, she steals it.

Susie Porter also has a small role as Plum's sister.

This was A grade ABC drama. Let's hope in their up fronts later this month they have a healthy serve of new drama in 2025. SBS failed to deliver much in the way of drama at their recent presentation. Not surprisingly the three free to air commercial networks also opted for reality over drama in 2025 too.

Channel Nine actually canned one of their few ideas, Blood on the Tracks.

Last of the ABC's programming to conclude, Fisk. Which concludes it's week-to-week run on Sundays. Sadly for fans of the show, its popular appeal means it gets dragged out to weekly. Plum was a little more niche, but very important viewing. With a similar theme to the recent, American Sports Story.

Next up, Tulsa King and we head to the movies for the film version of Wicked!

Summer Streamin' 24 - American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez - Season One

Ryan Murphy season continues with, American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez.

American Sports Story serves as the fourth instalment in the American Story media franchise, streaming on Disney+ in Australia, on FX in the former democratic states of the USA.

The first season, is focused on the rise and fall of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez. The series started off mid-September, with the season being based on the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc. from The Boston Globe and Wondery.

Over ten episodes (might have been tighter storytelling with eight episodes), the series explores the disparate strands of Hernandez's identity, his family, his career, his suicide and their legacy in sports and American culture.

With principal photography beginning in April, filming was suspended in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, then later resuming in December. Filming continued further in March 2024 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

The latest American Story, stars, Josh Andrés Rivera, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Lindsay Mendez, Tony Yazbeck, Jake Cannavale, & Catfish Jean.

Whilst the show does focus on NFL and sports, it really does have a lot of crime across the ten episodes.

It is also rather sexy at times. It wouldn't be a Ryan Murphy show without a bit of spice right?

Overall the show does deliver some strong messages. Injury occurring during contact sports are rough. The implications for a players future are vast and varied.

Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez is excellent. However where will Murphy go after this first season? Will American Sports Story return for a second run? Now this has finished I have jumped straight into a similar series with less crime, Plum on ABC iView.

See how they compare at the end of the year, early 2025 in RATED for Summer Streamin' 24.

Summer Streamin' 24 - Sweetpea - Miniseries

Sweetpea AKA Rhiannon Lewis (Ella Purnell) is a downtrodden wallflower, ignored and neglected by many people in her life. 

The six part miniseries that streams on Binge, it is a British dark comedy/drama, created by Kirstie Swain. The series is an adaptation of the book of the same name by CJ Skuse.

In episode one, Rhiannon also suffers from the psychological effects of childhood bullying by classmate Julia Blenkingsopp (Nicôle Lecky).

As a result, Rhiannon occasionally entertains murderous thoughts. Her father, Tommy, is the only person who recognises her attributes and encourages her to stand up for herself. However, Tommy suddenly dies, leaving Rhiannon bereft. 

In the aftermath of his death, Rhiannon suffers a series of setbacks - she is passed over for a promotion at work by her ignorant boss, Norman; her sister Seren informs her she's selling their family home; and Julia, now an estate agent, returns to town. 

Rhiannon is distressed upon learning Seren has asked Julia to handle the property sale. Furthermore, Rhiannon's dog Tink dies in a hit-and-run when Rhiannon is distracted by a billboard of Julia's face. 

Angry and drunk, Rhiannon goes to confront Julia but is rudely rebuffed. Afterwards, Rhiannon gets into an argument with a stranger and finally snaps about being invisible, resulting in her stabbing the stranger to death in a rage. Disposing of the body, Rhiannon leaves the scene, finding that murder has inspired her with newfound confidence.

Ella Purnell as Sweetpea is exceptional. This series landed last month from Sky Atlantic in the UK, while airing on Starz in the USA.

I liked the headline for this series, a coming of rage story. A tight six, action packed episodes. It shows, after a childhood of bullying, Rhiannon/Sweetpea's quiet life as an admin assistant at a local newspaper, living with her father and dog. 

However, her father's death leads to a chance encounter with a stranger that changes everything. Once the change happens, it is all drama and violence.

This was a highly enjoyable watch, with a banging girl powered soundtrack. From Billie Eilish to Icona Pop/Charli XCX, Labi Siffre and the Spice Girls.

If you need a new binge, go to Binge for Sweetpea!

Summer Streamin' 24 - The Penguin - Miniseries

The Penguin is a direct spin-off from the 2022, The Batman film.

The HBO series (moved from HBO Max) that explores the Penguin's rise to power in Gotham City's criminal underworld. 

Colin Farrell stars as the Penguin, reprising his role from The Batman, alongside Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Deirdre O’Connell, Clancy Brown, Carmen Ejogo, Michael Zegen, Berto Colón, Scott Cohen, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Theo Rossi, James Madio, Nadine Malouf, Joshua Bitton, David H. Holmes, Daniel J. Watts, Jared Abrahamson, Ben Cook, Jayme Lawson, Aleska Palladino, Craig Walker, Tess Soltau, Marié Botha, Michael Kelly, and Mark Strong. 

The film's director, Matt Reeves, supervised the writing and was involved in hiring the creative team. 

The Penguin commenced it's short, eight episode miniseries, mid-September, concluding at lunch today.

The series has received positive reviews for its performances, writing, and direction. It also acts as a promo vehicle for the sequel to 2022's The Batman with Robert Pattinson.

Before I get into the finale (SPOILERS AHEAD), the Penguin is far from my favourite Batman villain. And in the recent The Batman film, I loved Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman.

That said Colin Farrell is remarkable in this series. HBO have also (across all platforms) reported massive ratings for the Batman spin-off.

So how did things wrap up in the finale in this miniseries ahead of the next film in 2026. Where Farrell will return!

In, A Great or Little Thing, using EMG therapy, Rush learns that Francis already knew about Oz drowning his brothers and tried to have him killed but could not bring herself to do it. Oz is brought to Sofia, who makes Francis confess the truth. 

When Oz fails to show any remorse for his actions, Francis disowns him before suffering a stroke. 

Oz escapes, kills the detective, and brings Francis to the hospital. Meanwhile, the local bosses abandon Oz for Sofia, who puts out a bounty for Oz as she prepares to leave Gotham. 

Victor arranges for the bosses to be murdered. Oz abducts Sofia, seemingly to murder her, but instead has his police contacts return her to Arkham. 

Oz and Victor visit Francis to celebrate, only to learn that she entered a vegetative state, causing Oz to break down. Deciding that Victor has seen too much, Oz strangles him to death. 

Meanwhile, Rush, who has returned to Arkham to care for Sofia, hands her a letter from her half-sister, Selina Kyle. 

Oz takes the vegetative Francis to a new penthouse suite, where he dances with Eve dressed as Francis, as the Bat-Signal shines in the sky.

It all ends in one tidy manner. This opens HBO open to showcase their 2025 programming. Let's just say it'g going to be huge. With returning favourites, shows returning after a year or so off, across Max and HBO, Foxtel better hope they get to keep this content on their streamer.

Returning next year, you ask....

The White Lotus, Peacemaker, Hacks (streams on Stan in Australia), The Last of Us, And Just Like That, The Righteous Gemstones, The Rehearsal and The Gilded Age.

Summer Streamin' 24 - Joan - Miniseries

Joan is a British crime drama miniseries, which had a rough broadcast in the US of A. Created by Anna Symon for ITV, Game of Thrones star, Sophie Turner plays real-life character Joan Hannington.

So this is like an English Underbelly with Hannington, a figure known as the Godmother by certain aspects of the British criminal underworld. 

Joan features Hannington's journey from housewife and mother, to petty offender, to diamond thief and criminal mastermind in 1980s London. Being the 80's it makes for a kickass soundtrack. Not to mention the fashion, FASHION! Joan Hannington however really gives me Princess Di vibes for some reason though.

In Australia Joan streams on Stan, alongside of the return of Yellowstone today! Yay!

Joan takes you on a wild ride of crime, the mother's love of a daughter and a jewellery store robbery gone wrong, ending with dire sequences.

I don't understand why The CW (in the USA) ever thought this was something their viewers would enjoy.

However this was a very fine, little English series, where you actually feel sorry for the crimminal. Joan is a real life Taylor Swift, Anti-Hero.

Post Strike Cinema 24' - Heretic

Heretic has been called the horror film of 2024. That is a big call since this year, we have had horror film after horror film land at the cinemas.

This however is in the niche sub genre of psychological horror, with a splash of religion in the mix for good measure.

Heretic was written + directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. 

Starring Hugh Grant, in a very, very different role to the usual rom-com affair. Honestly this could be the role of his career.

Grant was joined by, Sophie Thatcher & Chloe East.

The film follows two Mormon missionaries who attempt to convert a reclusive Englishman, only to realise he is more dangerous than he seems.

Getting its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, this A24 horror had advance screenings in Oz last Friday. 

Filming took place in Vancouver over 30 days from October 3 to November 16, 2023. However as it's largely filmed within a creepy AF house, it could have been filmed in any US or Canadian city.

Now with such a large volume of horror films getting released this year, Heretic goes up against strong competition this year.

However this does feel original, Grant's performance is excellent and I love questioning religion any day of the week.

This will not be everyone's cup of tea, however I was sold, the lady two seats down from me made a large scream at one point and jumped sky high. So it does scare audiences.

3.5 Stars. Hugh Grant, the unlikely new king of horror!