Blame it on better weather and the privilege of going out rather than staying home, but it’s hard for me to engage with any streaming entertainment these days. I’ve started dozens of shows, abandoned them after an episode or two, and never returned. Are recent shows not quite to my taste? As my colleague James Poniewozik describes it, has television become boring? Or more seriously: Have I finally and irrevocably reached the outer limits of my attention span?
There’s nothing to see, it’s not a big tragedy – go hiking! Watch the sunset, why not! — but being deeply involved in a show is one of the chief consolations of ardent consumers of culture. When algorithms fail and queues dry up, the world becomes a cold and unwelcoming place. Recently, when I opened my eyes at 3 a.m., I reached for my iPad as I always do, looking for something to watch, something distracting enough to encourage me to stay asleep. I stared at the grid of shows on the Netflix app for an hour, and the grid stared back at me, each option equally unappealing.
So I was relieved to find out this week that our critic Mike Hale had released a list of 30 shows to watch this summer. I’m not going to lie and say I’m sure something on this list will get me reconnected with the streaming bandwagon, but I’m hopeful. There are a lot of suspense shows in particular that seem designed to grab my anemic attention and hold on tight.
David E. Kelly’s new film based on Scott Turow’s legal thriller “Presumed Innocent” opens Wednesday. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a prosecutor suspected of murdering his lover, played by Renate Reinsve from The Worst Man in the World. If the show is entertaining enough, I’m willing to forget that I know how the story ends (you’ll remember the 1990 film version, starring Harrison Ford). Kelly’s most recent addictive shows include Big Little Lies and The Undoing, so I feel like this one has a lot of promise.
In July, Natalie Portman played a 1960s newspaper reporter in the film adaptation of Laura Lippman’s novel “Lady in the Lake.” Investigate two mysterious deaths. The series, which also stars Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit), Ilan Noel (Insecure) and McGee Madison (Better Things), is directed by Darling Written and directed by Alma Hael.
Another book-to-screen project I’m eyeing in August: Carl Hiaasen’s 2013 novel Bad Monkey , which Janet Maslin called a “comedy Miracles,” is getting a new lease of life in a series co-created by Bill Lawrence. Creator of “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking”. Vince Vaughn stars as a detective turned restaurant inspector who gets his life back on track after a fisherman’s horrific discovery of a severed arm. Vaughn is one of those actors who seems to make everything about himself cooler, funnier, and weirder. I look forward to spending time with him.
Speaking of Duffy, I’m having second thoughts about the insane appeal of Murder in the Building , but I saw the trailer and it looks like these three unlikely gumshoes are headed to Hollywood for Season 4. Maybe it’s just my fond memories of L.A. Story and Bowfinger, but I’m glad to see Steve Martin stumble into the star-making establishment in Los Angeles. The new season will arrive at the end of August.
Oh, it’s not suspenseful per se (although those choreographed montages of kitchen staff assembling orders with exquisite precision did take my breath away), but I will be tuning in to watch Bears Season 3 on June 27th, and I think you should do the same. It’s one of those shows that everyone seemed to love when it first came out – it won tons of awards and its stars became huge stars – but now I hear a lot of critical complaints that it’s overrated. I’m going to ignore this, not just because I’m hungry for something to watch, but because I insist that the show’s earnest depiction of the rewards of collaboration makes for extremely satisfying viewing, and that Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edbiri So weird and compelling, I couldn’t stay away.
Other big stories
cultural calendar
🎥 “Brain Teasers 2” (Friday): We last saw Riley in 2015 as the teen hero in Pixar’s Inside Out. The first film described Riley’s inner life by imagining a command center of souls that included joy, sadness, and anger, among others. In this sequel, new characters appear: anxiety, burnout, embarrassment, and more. The Golden Age of Kara was not centered around romance. Considering these new emotions don’t include sexual desire, Inside Out 2 looks to be another one. But how long do we have to wait for “Inside Out 3: Perimenopause”?
Recipe of the week
Coconut Dill Salmon
If you didn’t go grilling over Memorial Day weekend, now’s the time to do it. Yewande Komolafe’s Coconut Dill Salmon with Green Beans and Corn is a great place to start, especially if grilled fish makes you nervous. Instead of dealing with a fish basket or worrying about delicate fillets sticking to the grill, Yewande wraps the salmon in heavy-duty foil and places it over the fire; the foil allows the fish to marinate in a sauce of coconut cream, mustard, vinegar and dill. Steamed in aromatic seasonings. Then she roasts the green beans in an individual foil package on the side. To serve, toss salmon and green beans with corn, tomatoes and more seasonings. This is the perfect meal to cook for a crowd.
real estate
hunt: After years of renting a house in Dubai, a French woman decided to put down roots. Which house did she buy? Play our games.
What you get for $700,000: A three-bedroom apartment in a converted Gothic Revival church in New Haven, Connecticut; an 1873 townhouse in Lambertville, New Jersey; or a 1938 bungalow in Atlanta.
sell: The pink single-story home in Louisville, Kentucky, where Muhammad Ali grew up, is for sale. It’s listed with two neighboring properties for $1.5 million.
Live
Lost Art: Film photography is experiencing a renaissance, but some new photographers are leaving something behind: negatives.
old lover: The breakup rumors between Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are a reminder of the stress and chaos of rekindling love.
Unplug: A writer chronicles her trip to Costa Rica as a girl without a mobile phone. (She used pen, paper and a disposable camera.)
Father’s Day: Looking for something for Dad? T Magazine’s picks include colorful watches, Japanese tool boxes and mini synths.
Advice from wire cutters
Bring your own chair
Every summer, the earth beckons to me: picnics, beach trips, and campfires. If you need back support like I do, I recommend a small foldable camping chair. One of my favorites from Wirecutter is a permanent fixture in my bag. It’s so lightweight and compact that it slips right into my handbag. Taking a walk with a friend? Who knows where we will end up! Quick coffee? why not! This chair sets up in seconds and is more portable than bulky beach chairs or even picnic blankets. If you prefer to be closer to the ground, my colleague Elissa Sanci highly recommends this legless chair. — Harry Potter
Game of the week
NBA Finals Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics: The core of this Celtics team is young — Jayson Tatum is 26, Jaylen Brown is 27 — but the team is extremely successful. In seven seasons with the Celtics, Tatum and Brown reached the Eastern Conference Finals five times. They haven’t won a championship yet, but this could be the year: The Celtics have the best record, the best offense and one of the best defenses in the NBA this season.
They easily defeated the Mavericks in Game 1 on Thursday. The most eye-catching stat from that game: Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic had just one assist, the lowest of his career in the postseason. Game 2 will air Sunday at 8pm ET on ABC
