What to do this summer?

As the heat of summer approaches CONSTANTINOS PSILLIDES suggest six shows to stream and cool down with

Just like Glenn Frey predicted back in 1984, the heat is on, and summer is once more upon us. May, June, and July is the blockbuster season for the film industry and 2023 doesn’t disappoint, whether you are a fan of sombre, world-altering stories of people forever haunted by their inventions or if you want to check out Ryan Gosling in pink. But cinema releases are for another time, as today we will be checking out summer releases coming to streaming services, to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home!

The Crowded Room (Apple TV)
This miniseries tells the famous story of William Milligan, the first person in the United States to mount a successful defence in court pleading insanity, after having been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. A total of 24 distinct personalities were identified, each one taking over when a certain task was at hand. Having multiple personalities has long been a movie trope but modern psychology now casts doubt on the diagnosis, with Billy’s case being perhaps the most famous one. Fresh off his web-slinging days, Tom Holland stars as the troubled Billy, and Amanda Seyfried as the psychologist tasked with evaluating his mental state. This is not the only recent production of this case, following Netflix’s 2021 documentary Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan.
The Crowded Room will drop on June 9.

Witcher Season 3 (Netflix)
Everyone’s favourite monster hunter/father figure/grunting machine is back for his third and final season! Well, final for Henry Cavill who decided to drop out of season 4 as back in 2022 he was assured he would be needed as Superman in a soft relaunch of the DC universe. Cavil handed over the Witcher medallion to Liam Hemsworth, a casting decision that was met with heavy criticism. All that is in the future though as season 3 picks up right where season 2 left off, with Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri on the run from the demonic Wild Ride. “For the first time I feel fear,” Geralt says in the trailer that suggests we would not want to meet what makes a monster hunter scared. Something to note: the third season will be released in two batches, the first five episodes released on June 29 and the rest on July 27th.

Good Omens Season 2 (Prime Video)
David Tennant and Michael Sheen return as the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale in a season that nobody believed possible, despite the success of the first one. The series is based on a book Neil Gaiman co-authored with Terry Pratchett and as the latter is no longer with us, many were surprised when Prime announced a season 2. Turns out Pratchett and Gaiman were working on a sequel, called 668: Neighbour of the Beast and it is from there that season 2 will draw its plot. Season one wrapped up with the two best friends averting the apocalypse. They are now looking for their place in the world.
Premieres July 28.

Black Mirror Season 6 (Netflix)
The mega-successful sci-fi anthology series returns with five new episodes, written and directed by series creator Charlie Brooker. He told audiences the series strives to re-invent itself with every season, going as far as mysteriously stating that the new season will see him do things he swore he would never do. While we don’t know yet what is brewed in Brooker’s twisted imagination, season 6 has put together an impressive cast and made use of that Netflix money to increase production value.
Expected to be released sometime in June.

Bear Season 2 (FX)
A sleeper hit for FX last year, Bear returns and throws us back into the chaos that is a restaurant kitchen. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmen, an award-winning chef who dropped out of the glamorous world of fine dining to run a sandwich shop in Chicago, owned by his now deceased brother. In this new season, Carmen and his crew will need to step up their game and transform their sandwich shop into a proper restaurant before the official opening date and finally learn how to work as a team together. And all while battling their personal demons.
Premieres on June 28.

The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC)
Just when you thought they were done, boom, they pop back up again. Dead City is the first spin-off show of the TWD universe, following the conclusion of the core series. AMC has at least three similar shows lined up and considers this one a test: have people finally had enough of zombies?
As far as the plot is concerned, Maggie and a reformed Negan find themselves in New York, looking for Maggie’s kidnapped son. It is not long before they predictably come across dangerous undead and even more dangerous survivors, as per the standard TWD recipe.