Apple TV+ Is Free This Weekend — Here’s What to Watch
Here’s a little treat to start the New Year right: Apple TV+ will be streaming all its shows for free this weekend, January 3 – January 5, 2025. The worldwide special is available on any device where Apple TV+ is available, per a press release. All fans need is an Apple ID.
This is an obvious smart move from the streamer, which has a back catalogue of great shows, but doesn’t tend to market them very well (or at all). The option is clearly timed, at least in part, to get people hooked on “Severance,” which will return for its long-awaited second season on January 17, 2025 — Apple would really, really like you to watch the well-reviewed hit. (The Dan Erickson-created series concluded Season 1, starring Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Christopher Walken, and more, in April 2022, which is genuinely nuts.)
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On the movie front, you simply must first watch “Fly Me to the Moon,” a Scarlett Johansson/Channing Tatum rom-com by Greg Berlanti that is a very charming film about the space race. It’s kicky and easy to view hungover by self (sad!) or with parents, teens, or friends. Truly something for all.
If you haven’t yet dove into all of Apple’s TV shows yet, you really are missing out. Below are five of the best to stream first with your 72 free hours.
1. “Severance”
This sci-fi tale about a group of office workers who have severed their inside the office and outside the office lives is an eerie “what if” for our capitalistic, workaholic times.
From IndieWire’s review: “Both an excellent premise for a conspiracy-thriller and an eerily believable bit of science-fiction, the practice of severance is just one brilliant idea in a series built from many. Created and executive produced by Dan Erickson, the Apple TV+ series showcases its own exciting imagination, from building a unique office environment to fitting a sinuous story into nine expertly calibrated episodes. Ben Stiller directs six of those entries (notably, the first and final three) with an unsettling symmetry; balancing and unbalancing compositions in order to undercut the inherent comforts of routine and uniformity. Paired with the surprising particulars of Lumon’s culture (nothing can prepare you for the parties) and meaningful narrative twists, ‘Severance’ condemns a hellish corporate culture while remaining suspenseful, enlightening, and oh so much fun.”
2. “The Afterparty”
Season 1 of this murder mystery is such a fun delight, with a murderers’ row of comedy television favorites playing high school friends who meet up again at their reunion — where one of them is killed. Sam Richardson, Zoe Chao, Tiffany Haddish, Ben Schwartz, Ilana Glazer, Zach Woods and more star in the “Rashomon”-esque show that tells the story of the infamous reunion night from each characters’ unique perspective (while also spoofing various kinds of films, from noir to rom-com).
Created by Christopher Miller, the 2022 first season is an imminently bingeable eight episodes.
3. “Bad Sisters”
This one is a murder mystery, albeit one with some very, very black comedy. It’s probably not for everyone, but if you give it a moment, you’ll be rewarded with a memorably off-kilter family story and a real jerk who gets what he probably deserved.
From IndieWire’s review of Season 1: “This quartet [of sisters] feels like they’re losing their fifth sister Grace (Anne-Marie Duff) to the emotional leech that is John Paul (Claes Bang), her husband and biggest bully. “Bad Sisters” begins with him lying dead, stiff in a casket. The remainder of the ten-episode season is devoted to two major questions: How did he end up there and what does the truth behind his death mean for the rest of the Garveys? So begins a roller-coaster collection of mishaps, cover-ups, and tense family dinners playing out in two parallel timelines. One follows the twisting path to JP’s demise, as the other four Garvey sisters, one by one, come to the realization that all their lives would be better if he were simply…taken care of.”
Starring Sharon Horgan and Eve Hewson (“The Perfect Couple”), the show recently wrapped its second season.
4. “Bad Monkey”
Based on the book of the same name, this swampy Florida murder mystery stars Vince Vaughn doing his best smart aleck-y Vince Vaughn. It’s a murder mystery (sensing a pattern yet?), but it’s also got a full cast of wild, shady characters.
The first season (the program was recently renewed for a second) follows Vaughn as a down-on-his-luck detective who stumbles upon a very weird murder. Convinced if he solves the case he’ll be back in the police department’s good graces, he sets out on a wild adventure that finds him running into ancient curses in the Bahamas, exes on the run from the law, and even new love interests and friends. All that, plus one titular (not so bad) animal.
5. “The Morning Show”
Look, if you’re someone who defines yourself by your highbrow tastes, this soapy melodrama about a morning news show isn’t going to be for you. But you’ll be missing out on one of the most genuinely entertaining programs on any network.
Starring a truly astronomical amount of famous people, including Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Billy Crudup, Jon Hamm, Steve Carell, Greta Lee, Holland Taylor, and many, many more, this program has never once thought a topic might be “outside the purview of the show.” They tackle #MeToo, abortion, cancel culture, January 6, the red/blue divide, gender politics in the workplace, and so much more. Do they cover them all well? Of course not. The best way to tackle this show is to watch Season 1, then look up the big spoiler for Season 2, and then skip Season 2 and watch Season 3, where the program ultimately settles into its melodramatic, soapy groove.
I’ll absolutely watch until the bitter end.
Need even more? Don’t forget about favorites like “Ted Lasso,” “Slow Horses,” “Presumed Innocent,” and “Disclaimer.”
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