Streaming is the right word, because the tap never runs dry. It’s unleashing a flow of new TV shows and movies to watch this weekend on Netflix, Max, Prime Video and more top streaming services.
The weekend slate is led by returning favorites The Witcher season 3 volume 2, Good Omens season 2 and Harley Quinn season 4, as well as the revival Futurama season 11. Fans of these shows are really in for a treat that will (hopefully) help them beat the heat.
On the movies side, The Beanie Bubble features Zach Galifianakis and Elizabeth Banks in the hottest genre these days: the corporate biopic.
Here’s our guide on what to watch this weekend.
TV Premieres
The Witcher season 3 volume 2 (Netflix)
Henry Cavill makes his final appearance as the title character, Geralt of Rivia, in the second part of The Witcher season 3. He’s leaving the role, with Liam Hemsworth taking over in the fourth season. How that happens and whether it’ll be explained is unknown.
For now, though, Cavill’s Geralt is in trouble — literally held at knifepoint by Dijkstra (Graham McTavish). Geralt and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) have discovered they made a mistake in identifying Stregobor (Lars Mikkelsen) as the mage behind the experiments taking the powers of half-elvens like Ciri (Freya Allan). The real mastermind is Vilgefortz (Mahesj Jadu). Now, Geralt and Yennefer must race against the clock to stop him. Check out our The Witcher season 3 volume 2 review to see what we thought.
Streaming now on Netflix
Good Omens season 2 (Prime Video)
We saw some long hiatuses throughout the pandemic, but the four years between Good Omens season 1 and 2 might take the cake. The fantasy buddy comedy from creator Neil Gaiman (based on a book he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett) finally makes its much-anticipated return with its two leads: Michael Sheen as fussball angel Aziraphale and David Tennant as mercurial demon Crowley.
After preventing the apocalypse, the frenemies are once again living among humans in London. Aziraphale gets a rude awakening one day when the archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) shows up on the doorstep of his bookshop — fully nude. He has no memory of who he is or how he got there. Aziraphale calls on Crowley to help him figure out this mystery, all while Heaven and Hell are breathing down their necks.
Streaming now on Prime Video
Harley Quinn season 4 (Max)
One of our favorite on-screen couples is back, as much in love as ever but fighting on opposite sides. Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) has given up her life of crime and is do-gooding alongside the Bat-family, while Batman himself is serving time in prison. Meanwhile, Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) is commanding the Legion of Doom under the nefarious Lex Luthor (Giancarlo Esposito).
What happens in the streets of Gotham doesn’t stay there, though, and their work begins to come between Harley and Ivy. That’s not the only complication in this set-up, as Harley’s new teammates Batgirl (Briana Cuoco), Nightwing (Harvey Guillén) and Robin (Jacob Tremblay) struggle to get used to her chaotic style.
Streaming now on Max
How to With John Wilson season 3 (HBO)
The docu-comedy’s return is bittersweet since this is the final season. John Wilson’s quirky personality, anxiety and blunt communication style have made his “investigations” all the more relatable, endearing and moving.
Wilson has one more go-around in New York City as he continues his journey of observation, exploration and self-discovery. He encounters some unexpected twists and turns as he takes on the topics of how to find a public restroom, how to work out, and how to clean your ears.
Airing Friday, July 28 at 11 p.m. ET on HBO and Max
Dark Winds season 2 (AMC)
If you didn’t see this underrated drama the first time around, you really missed out. This is your chance to catch up on season 1, then tune into season 2 as it unfolds weekly. The on-screen representation of indigenous people has been growing in the last few years, thanks to shows like this one.
Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) reunites with Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), his former deputy turned private eye, to chase a killer in the desert of Navajo County. The suspect turns his sights on them, challenging Leaphorn's moral and professional code. With the help of Sgt. Manuelito (Jessica Matten), they must capture their would-be assassin and restore harmony to the reservation.
Airing Sunday, July 30 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC (via Sling or Fubo)
Streaming next day on AMC Plus
Futurama season 11 (Hulu)
Welcome Futurama back from the dead (again). Matt Groening’s animated sci-fi comedy has been canceled and revived approximately a million times. The latest reboot features the original voice cast and will air for at least 20 episodes.
Futurama continues to follow the adventures of slacker pizza delivery boy Philip J. Fry (Billy West), who initially falls into a cryogenic pod on January 1, 2000, and wakes up a millennium later. Season 11 kicks off with another time jump, to the year 3023. And while it may be the future, topics like cryptocurrency, cancel culture and streaming TV are all still very relevant.
Streaming now on Hulu
Movie Premieres
The Beanie Bubble (Apple TV Plus)
This has been the year for corporate biopics. On the heels of Air, Tetris and Flamin’ Hot comes this dramedy about the Beanie Babies craze of the mid-’90s. You know, those cute stuffed toys (mostly animals) that somehow, overnight, became the must-have item for every kid and adult.
The movie chronicles how the craze came about. After Ty Warner (Zach Galifianakis) creates Beanie Babies in 1993, he’s disappointed to find sales so sluggish. Three female colleagues (Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Snook and Geraldine Viswanathan) help him come up with an ingenious plan that briefly made Beanie Babies as valuable as gold. But the key word is “briefly,” as a rapid rise is almost always followed by a hard fall.
Streaming now on Apple TV Plus
