So I watched the last episode of Servant and can’t decide whether it’s the slow pace or the suspension of disbelief (how long can Julian and Sean maintain the central plot of the plot before doing real damage to Dorothy?) to prevent it from being genuinely scary. I won’t spoil the last episode, but it seems that, despite all the bewildering camera angles and Dorothy’s bizarre behavior, this week’s episode didn’t move the needle much. I’m holding on, but I think the show needs M. Night Shyamalan to increase the fear a little.
This week’s trailers include some science fiction, some teen empowerment and the third in circle of fire franchise, this time an anime movie.
The Nevers
A group of women in Victorian London develop special powers and fight the forces of – yes, OK, yes, I get it. In the program’s language, women are called Tocadas and considered weird. Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, is still credited as a creator and executive producer, although he left production and HBO in November, amid an investigation into his conduct as director of Justice League. Laura Donnelly, Olivia Williams and Ann Skelly star in The Nevers, which debuts on HBO Max in April.
Pacific Rim: The Black
I’m trying to think of another film franchise where the first two were live action and the third is anime (I don’t think Into the Spider-versand it satisfies that description, but man, I loved this movie. Anyway!). The world of circle of fire– Jaegers and Kaiju – returns with the story of two brothers left behind after Australia was invaded by Kaiju, while the two search for their missing parents. Pacific Rim: The Black is a series of seven 30-minute episodes, which hits Netflix on March 4.
Punky Brewster
The original iteration of this show was about a brave orphan who is taken by an older and grumpy guy who needs a little bit of joy in his life. In other words, a very 1980s sitcom with a very cute boy. The new version of the show has Soleil Moon Frye reprising the role of Punky, this time as a divorced mother of three who meets an adopted son who – a twist in the sitcom story – reminds Punky of herself as a child. Sure, why not. Cherie Johnson repeats her role as Punky’s best friend, Cherie, and Freddie Prinze Jr. stars as Punky’s ex-husband. Punky Brewster arrives at Peacock on February 25.
Moxie
Based on the novel by Jennifer Mathieu, Moxie about the shy high school student Vivian (Hadley Robinson), whose mother (Amy Poehler) was a rebel at that time (“When I was 16, all that mattered was destroying the patriarchy”). The boys at Vivian’s school are rude idiots who evaluate girls based on their appearance. She and the other girls at school finally get tired and Vivian publishes a zine called Moxie to expose bad behavior. You bet. Poehler also directed Moxie, which hits Netflix on March 3.
February 7, 4:01 pm ET correction: This story was originally published with an incorrect title for “Pacific Rim: The Black”. We’re sorry for the error.