Weekend Preview: ‘1883’ And ‘The Witcher’ Bring Cowboys And Monster Hunters To Streaming

The Witcher: Season 2 (Netflix series) — It’s time to go on another swashbuckling rampage through destiny as Henry Cavill’s wig returns for more monster hunting on The Continent. The show’s got a lot to live up to, given that it defied expectations during its debut, and it’s still a banger. That is to say, the Humble Bard is cranking out his angst in song, Geralt has less time to be grumpy, and Ciri is in training mode. The monsters are better, the emotions run higher, and we’ve got two new kids on the block: Killing Eve‘s Kim Bodnia (as Geralt’s mentor, Vesemir) and Game Of Thrones‘ Kristofer Hivju (in highly unflattering prosthetics, and we’ll leave it at that).

1883: Season 1 (Paramount+ series) — This Yellowstone prequel follows up on Taylor Sheridan’s runaway sensation series. This series, however, stars Sam Elliot, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Billy Bob Thornton. The story goes back to the travels of the O.G. Dutton family moving through the wild west on the way to Montana. Basically, this is all about the search for America’s promised land, which will likely yield bittersweet discovery with welcome callbacks to the beloved series that brought those fans here in the first place.

Here’s some regularly scheduled programming:

Rolling Like Thunder (Friday, Showtime 8:00pm) — Freight train graffiti culture gets the spotlight here, going back to the days before street art took a mainstream turn. The art form’s rich history and mythical nature are only some of the facets explored in this documentary, but don’t forget about the inherent risk involved with putting one’s mark on the moving world.

How To With John Wilson (Friday, HBO 10:00pm) — The “anxious New Yorker” (as he refers to himself) and documentary filmmaker returns for more slice-of-life, refreshingly funny accounts of existing in the Big Apple. This season promises some unexpected moments with unyielding honesty at every turn. Don’t worry, you’re in good hands.

SNL (Saturday, NBC 11:30pm) — Host Paul Rudd and musical guest Charli XCX.

And Just Like That… (Sunday, HBO 8:30pm) — The first two episodes that already aired on HBO Max are coming your way. Get ready for plenty of emotions and complicated realities in life, along with still-ridiculous hats.

Dexter (Sunday, Showtime 9:00pm) — The new season is a bloody good time, and this week, Dexter’s working against another serial killer while transitioning from predator to protector. Weird!

Hightown (Starz 9:00pm) — Renee’s risking plenty in order to completely change her life while Alan goes about setting a trap.

Yellowjackets (Sunday, Showtime 10:00) — The birds and the bees are quite the obstacles for the Yellowjackets, all while DIY surgery is very much a thing. In the adult realm, there’s blackmail and bunnies afoot.

Insecure (Sunday, HBO 10:00pm) — Issa Dee and Molly are still cleaning up their lives while this series moves into wrap-up stages.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Sunday, HBO 10:30pm) — “Igor, Gregor & Timor” is the episode title, so cast your grumpy-Larry David-involved guesses accordingly.

Here are some more streaming picks:

Swan Song (Apple TV+ film) — Mahershala Ali stars as Cameron, a husband and dad who receives a terminal diagnosis while expecting a second child with his wife, Poppy, portrayed by Naomie Harris. His doctor, played by Glenn Close, comes up with an alternative remedy for his family’s grief, which is unorthodox, to say the very least.

Mother/Android (Hulu film) — Chloë Grace Moretz plays Georgia, who’s attempting to survive a Terminator-esque war with A.I. She’s also pregnant while fleeing with her boyfriend, with whom she must travel through an A.I. stronghold known as No Man’s Land on the way to give birth. Yikes.

The Hand Of God (Netflix film) — Academy Award winner Paulo Sorrentino (The Young Pope) returns to HBO with this story of tragedy and unexpected joys, along with how fates intertwine. It’s a story about young Fabietto Schisa and the arrival of a football legend on the scene. Ultimately though, Sorerentino’s telling this story from his own hometown (Naples), so expect a deeply personal (and of course, achingly beautiful) experience.

MacGruber: Season 1 (Peacock series) — This past spring, Will Forte told us that he was patiently waiting for Peacock to officially greenlight the MacGruber TV show, and it’s happening, approximately 11 years after the MacGruber film, which was (of course) based upon Forte’s recurring SNL sketch. The raunchiness of the film, co-starring Kristen Wiig as MacGruber’s sidekick (Vicki St. Elmo), surpassed the network incarnation of the sketch, but sadly, the title character’s sitting in prison these days, and only he can save the world. It’s no wonder that Forte once promised fans that that this series (written by Forte) was too “filthy” for network TV.

Finding Magic Mike: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — Producers Steven Soderbergh and Channing Tatum bring their Magic Mike-themed reality series to life while zeroing in on a bunch of dudes who want to recapture their own mojo, so they go to a stripper bootcamp and let it all hang out. No word whether Ginuwine’s “Pony” will make an appearance or if we will see Tatum, but guest hosts will include Whitney Cummings, Nikki Glaser, and Nicole Scherzinger. Lighten up and enjoy this one from afar as these guys compete for a cash prize and notoriety aplenty.

Firebite: Season 1 (AMC+ series) — Finally, we’ve got a new vampire series, and this one looks highly original and stars Yael Stone from Orange is the New Black. The story goes down in Australia and follows indigenous hunters who want to take out the only remaining vampire colony in the South Australian desert, which sounds wild because, you know, sunlight.

Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss (HBO, 8:00pm) — This documentary film takes a verité approach to charting rapper Juice WRLD’s rise to superstardom, a ride that was cut short when he passed away only a few years after his breakout hit. Expect a dive into drug abuse and mental health, both of which complicated this artist’s raise to fame.

Station Eleven: Season 1 (HBO Max limited series) — This post-apocalyptic drama series revolves around survivors of a flu, and hopefully, their society is faring a lot better (at least in terms of cooperating with each other) than real life.

And Just Like That…: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) are back, along with the Big Apple, y’all. No Samantha will be found, given that Kim Cattrall declined to return, but at least Samantha isn’t dead, unlike a certain other character who bit the dust in the premiere. *Cough*

Anne Boleyn (AMC+ limited series) — Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim) stars in this reimagining of Tutor England’s era of King Henry VIII, and history will tell us that Anne, his second wife, did not fare well, given that no male heir surfaced from the marriage. The story leans toward psychological thriller rather than period drama, and the patriarchal society gets a feminist twist here.