My 2020 Summer Watch-list

With fall just around the corner, I thought I would share my summer watchlist of shows I've watched these past five months. Here we go!

Station 19 Season 1 (ABC)

I will go into more detail in another post, but I finally had the chance to watch the first season of Station 19, the third spinoff of Grey's Anatomy. I was hesitant to watch this series from the start, but after watching the first season, I thought it was good but not great.

The one thing that kept me watching was the characters, while some of the stories felt a bit overly dramatic. The one thing I didn't like was just before the end of the scene; flashforward scenes of what was coming next ruined some of the surprising moments for me. Jaina Lee Ortiz (playing Andy Herrera) was excellent in this series (so far). I'm considering watching season two, as I give season one a 7/10.

Hunter Season 1 (Peacock Streaming Service)

This summer, I got to watch the new Peacock Streaming Service, and there have been a few new series I've got a chance to watch and a classic. One is the 80's cop series Hunter, starring Fred Dryer.

Dryer plays Hunter, a cop who goes with his instincts rather than what his boss wants him to do. It's the Los Angeles of Miami Vice, with Dryer co-starring with Stephanie Kramer as Dee Dee McCall. The first season was so filled with action, drama, and gritty scenes at times that I was all in for the next two days watching this series. I give this series an 8.5/10.

The Capture Season 1 (Peacock Streaming Service, BBC One)

I've already written my thoughts on this series, but I want to discuss it again. The Capture is another Peacock Streaming Service original, also a BBC series, that won me over in storytelling, characters, and the performance from Callum Turner, who steals the show. This series leaves you on the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end of the last episode and asks, "Did he deserve it?" 9.5/10.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix)

I must thank my brothers for getting me to watch this series from beginning to end. My brother grew up and loves Avatar the Last Airbender, so when Netflix finally gets to stream the complete series, he called me to sit and watch it.

I finished watching that series in four days, with season two done in one day. I loved it, loved it, loved it! The show has dark adult themes for a kid's series that aired on Nickelodeon. While Aang might be the popular character, I'm a fan of Katara, Toph, and Uncle, and I think water bending is the coolest bending in the Avatar world.  10/10.

Quarantine Quitchen (YouTube)

Since the pandemic of COVID-19 was hitting the United States, YouTube has had a lot of shows to distract from the overwhelming news coverage. There was one show that helped me through the stresses, and that was Quarantine Quitchen. 

It is hosted by Alton Brown and his wife, Elizabeth, as it's just a night with the Browns, including their dogs, while they cook up something on the spot. And yes, there will be cocktails to make as well. It's fun entertaining, and you learn to cook something, even a cocktail. 9/10.

America's Got Talent (NBC)

The show that I can rely on the most this year is America's Got Talent, for a lot of things. This hasn't been the best summer or year, no matter what's been going on, but America's Got Talent gives us hope and inspiration that in the darkness, there's always a light at the end, and it's been proven to be what this season has shown.

This season has been one of the strangest performances at home or on stage that have been taped; it has gone so well than I could have expected. And Simon Cowell's absence is missing after his accident, but the fill-in judges from Kelly Clarkson and Kenan Thompson have been excellent. Who will win? It's too early to call, but I expect it will be magical and extraordinary. 9/10.

The Capture Season 1

If there's one original series to watch on the Peacock Streaming Service, it would be The Capture.

The Capture is a brilliant and on-the-edge-of-your-seat crime drama thriller that leaves you asking yourself repeatedly whether the person you are pursuing is guilty or not. Season one opens up with a former U.K. Special Forces solider, Lance Corporal Shaun Emery, acquitted of a war crime in Afghanistan; he finds himself in hot water when accused of kidnapping and murdering his lawyer CCTV. 

Detective Inspector Rachel Carey, who fast-tracked to the homicide and serious crime unit, begins to uncover a complex conspiracy surrounding Emery that puts the footage into question on whether it's him or someone else. The season ends with a concussion that's more right than wrong.

One of my anticipated series to watch since I saw the trailer last year and was even thrilled that NBC Universal acquired to stream it on their streaming service. I binge-watched all six episodes in one day and loved it. 

It's a solid character-driven series with Holliday Grainger playing DI Rachel Carey, who I thought was brilliant. But it was Callum Turner, who played Lance Corporal Shaun Emery, who stole the series. His portrayal of the character had me going back and forth on whether he was the killer. Even the performances from Ron Pearlman and Famke Janssen were excellent as well. While I think that season one ends Emery's storyline, I can't wait to see what happens next in season two and what DI Carey will get into this time.

Overall, I give this series a 9.5/10.

You can catch The Capture streaming now on Peacock Stream Service.