6 things to watch on TV this weekend
Pachinko finally returns to Apple TV+, Netflix drops a high-school comedy, and more
Photos: Apple TV+, Netflix
Welcome to the weekend edition of What’s On. Here are the big things happening in TV from Friday, August 23 to Sunday, August 25. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekly edition of What’s On publishes on Sundays.]
1. Pachinko makes a remarkable return
Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: A hidden gem in Apple TV+’s slate of star-studded originals, Pachinko, based on Min Jin Lee’s acclaimed novel, is just as moving and immersive in season two as it was the first time around. The eight new episodes continue Sunja’s (Kim Minha) story in 1945, when she’s forced to hide in the Japanese countryside during World War II. Meanwhile, an elder Sunja (Youn Yuh-jung) tries to reconnect with her grandson in 1989. The cast includes Jin Ha, Anna Sawai, Lee Min-ho, Sungkyu Kim, and Jimmi Simpson. Here’s a bit from The A.V. Club‘s review:
Pachinko’s expansive saga feels intimate because it distills historic events through the lens of one woman and her loved ones. What is the impact of a global catastrophe on the day-to-day lives of the people who live through it? It’s a big question that Pachinko masterfully tries to answer.
2. Party on with Incoming
Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: Remember that unforgettable high-school rager? Tap into that nostalgia with Incoming, a coming-of-age comedy from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia‘s Dave and John Chernin. The film centers on four freshmen whose only mission is to get through a big bash unscathed, with a cast featuring Kaitlin Olson, Bobby Cannavale, Mason Thames, Ramon Reed, Raphael Alejandro, and Isabella Ferreira.
3. The City Of God saga continues
HBO, Sunday, 8 p.m.: A followup to the brilliant 2002 Brazilian crime film City Of God, HBO’s new TV show is set two decades later. Wilson “Rocket” Rodrigues (Alexandre Rodrigues), who has achieved his dream of becoming a photojournalist, returns to his working-class neighborhood to document the daily lives of its people, police, politicians, and mafia.
4. Dig into The Supremes At Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
Hulu, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: Aunjanue Ellis, Sanaa Lathan, and Uzo Aduba lead The Supremes At Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat as three best friends dubbed, yup, “The Supremes” whose lifelong bond is tested when tragedy strikes. Tati Gabrielle, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Mekhi Phifer, and Russell Hornsby round out the cast. Check out The A.V. Club‘s review.
5. John Woo remakes The Killer
Peacock, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: John Woo reimagines his famous 1989 film The Killer through a contemporary lens. In Paris, assassin-for-hire Zee (Nathalie Emmanuel) refuses to waste a blind young woman, which makes her the target of the notorious gangster Jules Gobert (Eric Cantona). Omar Sy, Diana Silvers, and Sam Worthington also appear.
6. South Korean thriller The Frog hits Netflix
Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: In the new mystery series The Frog, the owner of a remote house in the country rents it to a woman whose arrival brings on a whole bunch of supernatural threats and upends the lives of locals.