As the Halloween season peaks and then winds down, that doesn’t mean the fun has to dwindle. As you hunker down for a weekend in a candy coma, make sure you have a variety of options to keep rolling on your TV screen. This week on Prime Video, we’re keeping it weird while getting that last little bit of need for creepiness out of our system, and we’re venturing across the galaxy to explore a deep space mystery. Then, we’re headed to a quaint little town with the best name ever, because what better way to stroll into November than in a good mood, with a lot of laughs.
Have yourself some fun with friends this weekend, watching these three shows on Prime Video.
1
Them (2021)
In a nutshell, when a Black family moves from North Carolina to an all-white Los Angeles neighborhood in 1953, their idyllic home becomes ground zero for malevolent forces—both neighborly and otherworldly—to taunt, ravage, and destroy them.
An Amazon Original, Them is an anthology show that doesn’t just fixate on horror—it also features a fair amount of drama and suspense in its stories, and it delves deeply into themes of racism, trauma, and mental health. This means you can expect to be overcome by emotion, discomfort, fear, and unpredictability as you roll through these stories. Each season features varying characters and locations, as well as different aspects of the horror genre, making the show a must-see for entertainment-consuming enthusiasts.
What’s great about Them is its use of the horror genre to explore the real-life horrors that existed during the decade’s Great Migration. You’ll appreciate the show’s impressive use of cinematic quality and strong performances to enhance its portrayal of the levels of fear and violence experienced by Black people in that era. Most of what makes it so terrifying, though, is its otherworldly manifestations of American racism, which are also what make it so thought-provoking.
The cast includes Pam Grier (Bless This Mess), Deborah Ayorinde (Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Us), Ashley Thomas (The Serpent Queen), Alison Pill (Star Trek: Picard), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Liam McIntyre (Spartacus), and Christopher Heyerdahl, of Dark Winds.
Them
Release Date
2021 – 2024-00-00
Showrunner
Little Marvin
Writers
Little Marvin
2
The Expanse (2015)
If you’re looking for a worthy mainline binge this weekend and sci-fi is your jam, The Expanse is your solution. It started out as a SyFy series, but Prime Video quickly snatched it up after three seasons. Based on the series of novels by James S. A. Corey, the show is set in a future where humanity has colonized the entire solar system, and Mars has become an independent military power. That alone was enough to draw me in, but this plot gets better.
As tensions between Earth and Mars rise and push the two to the brink of war, the case of a missing woman brings together an unlikely group of people to find her: cynical asteroid belt detective Joe Miller (Troppo’s Thomas Jane), rogue ice freighter captain James Holden (Steven Strait, of Chicago Fire), along with his crew, and U.N. Security Council member Chrisjen Avasarala (The Penguin’s Shohreh Aghdashloo). As they slowly unravel in their race across the solar system, they unwittingly place themselves at the center of a conspiracy that threatens to shatter its fragile peace.
The Expanse features extensive set pieces and visuals, chilling music, superb acting and directing, and intense action that underscores its extremely well-written narrative. Don’t expect a high-octane thrill ride through space here—this is an extremely inquisitive, character-driven series. You can also bank on the inclusion of some alien technology that leads to multiple existential crises.
The Expanse
Release Date
2015 – 2022-00-00
Network
SyFy
Showrunner
Naren Shankar, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby
3
Schitt’s Creek (2015)
No, we’re not up Schitt’s Creek without a paddle—see what I did there?—but we are deep in the creek, with plenty of eccentric characters around us. The show is the perfect choice to stream when you’re seeking a quick laugh.
When the IRS shows up and confiscates nearly everything they own, the filthy rich, over-the-top ridiculous Rose family find themselves with one option: move to the town that patriarch Johnny (The Reluctant Traveler’s Eugene Levy) bought as a joke for his son. When they arrive in Schitt’s Creek, their new life of poverty proves to be quite the hilarious adjustment, as they’re forced to live out of the town’s only motel and mingle with the unspoiled have-nots.
Catherine O’Hara (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) stars as eccentric former actress and Rose matriarch Moira, and Levy’s biological children, Dan and Sarah, star as David Rose, Johnny’s son, and Twyla Sands, owner of the local diner. Emmy-winning actress Annie Murphy, of Nine Perfect Strangers, stars as David’s self-absorbed sister, Alexis. The show also includes Chris Elliott (Maggie), Emily Hampshire (The Rig), Jennifer Robertson (Ginny & Georgia), and Noah Reid, of Outer Range.
Schitt’s Creek is packed with humor and heart, and even if you can’t relate to having more money than you can spend, you will relate to these real-life struggles. The writing is intelligent and witty, full of social commentary and a touching lesson on what it means to grow, unite, and move forward as a family.
Schitt’s Creek
Release Date
2015 – 2020-00-00
Showrunner
Dan Levy, Eugene Levy
Writers
Dan Levy, Eugene Levy, David West Read
Because we’re at the beginning of a new month, that means new release schedules are out. Be sure to take full advantage of Prime Video’s content and check out their list of everything coming in November before you peace out for the weekend.
Subscription with ads
Yes, via Prime membership or $9/month
Simultaneous streams
3
Live TV
No
Price
Included with Amazon Prime subscription ($15/month or $139/year) or $9/month standalone
