If We Controlled Your Remote… 9/9/18

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Kyle’s Choice #1

What would happen if you took Dexter and added elements of a dark rom-com? You’d get Lifetime’s new series YOU. Joe (Penn Badgley, Gossip Girl) is the manager at a small local bookstore and on the surface seems like your average nice guy next door. His neighbors in the apartment across the hall are always going at it, so Joe keeps young Paco (Luca Padovan, Super Wings!) company when he is alone and scared in the hallway. However, there is a darker side to Joe. When he crosses paths with aspiring writer Beck (Elizabeth Lail, Dead of Summer, Once Upon a Time), he quickly becomes infatuated with her. He utilizes the internet, social media, and good old-fashioned peeping Tom techniques to stalk her, learning every intimate detail of her life. His goal is to get her to fall in love with him, and so he arranges for serendipitous meet-cutes and manages to ease his way into her life. However, there are still some obstacles in their relationship, and he plans to remove them no matter what it takes. The series is based on the based on the novel of the same name by Caroline Kepnes and is produced by Greg Berlanti (responsible for the majority of The CW’s lineup) and Sera Gamble (The Magicians) and also features Zach Cherry (Crashing, Search Party), Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars), and a special guest appearance by John Stamos.

I got to see tonight’s premiere back in June at the ATX Television Festival and have been anxiously waiting for the series to air – it was probably my favorite of the new shows I saw at the festival. It is disturbing, very dark, and sometimes a bit funny and romantic. I had oddly conflicting feelings while watching. Joe can be incredibly charming, and you kind of root for him to succeed as he and Beck would make a fun couple. However, at the same time, he’s a complete psychopath, so you don’t really want him in Beck’s life. In the pilot we just scratch the surface of the dastardly things he’s capable, and I can’t wait to see how this thrilling story plays out.

On tonight’s premiere, “Pilot,” Joe meets Beck, falls in love, and goes down a social media rabbit hole to learn everything about her. He becomes so obsessed that he tracks her IRL (and they meet again). This might be a real shot at real love. But there are some things standing in the way…like her ex, Benji.

Meet Joe and Beck tonight on Lifetime at 10/9c.
 
Jump with us to see else we think you should watch.
 

Phoebe’s Choice

One of the most consistent shockingly-gross-yet-funny shows of the last decade by far has been Shameless. The American version, cause really I have never seen a single episode of the UK version. But tonight season nine starts, so in case you forgot where the fun ended last year, I got you with a recap of last season’s finale. It started with Lip waking up in bed with Sierra. He’s also been sleeping with Eddie (a hawt woman) from his bike shop, so he’s sort of reluctant to say “I love you too” to Sierra as he leaves. He means it, just not in the way she wishes he did. Liam has been stealing keys in his sleep and then lying down in the backyard till morning. Svetlana has kidnapped an old hooker friend of hers to take her place in her wedding to an old senile, super rich man. Frank recommends an arsonist to help get rid of the squatting tenants in her building who are suing her for 3 million dollars.

Liam cases a friend’s house for Frank to rob it. Debbie’s baby daddy, Derrick, asks for joint custody, and she tells him to sod off. Kev & V intercept the real bride’s mom at the airport so they can drug her for the wedding. Kassidi handcuffs Carl to the bed to try to keep him from getting to military school the next day. Ian is deeeeeply on the lam for blowing up a van the prior episode. Trevor finally tracks him down and pleads with him to turn himself in before they close down the LGBT youth center. Liam’s sleep disorder strikes again, but it enables Carl’s escape as he wakes up unlocked.

Fi finally goes to meet Frank’s “firefly” guy to see what he can do. Liam leaves on vacation with his rich young friend. Fi uses a smoke bomb to flush out the squatters in her building. She tortures them by burning money in front of them then buys them out with 3800$. Ian stages a “God is Gay” rally outside the LGBT center as a huge public stunt for turning himself in. Lip confesses to Sierra that he is not as in love with her as she is him. She doesn’t take it that great. Kev, V, & Svetlana pull off the wedding scam. However, there is a pre-nup they didn’t know about!

Frank finds out that Liam screwed him; he gave him a fake password for the alarm system of the house he tries to rob. He hides in the underground sewage part of a port-a-pot to evade the cops though. This is the Icccccckkkkkkk moment of the season I reckon. Lip returns to work to find out Eddie has skipped town and left her niece Xan for CPS to pick up. Lip decides to let her stay at the Gallagher’s till Eddie comes back. Carl makes his bus to Military Academy on time. Roll credits.

This season is going to kick serve ass, and I am sure it will be disturbing and hilarious.

On tonight’s episode, “Are You There Shim? It’s Me, Ian,” Frank gets into trouble with the Hopkins Academy PTA; Fiona struggles with her decision to bail Ian out of jail, while he continues his Gay Jesus antics inside.

See how the season starts tonight on Showtime at 9/8c.

I will also be watching Get Shorty, The Venture Bros., Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, & Ballers.
 

Kyle’s Choice #2

Also premiering tonight is the new series Kidding on Showtime. Jeff (Jim Carrey) has been the beloved host of the Mr. Rogers-like children’s television show “Mr. Pickles’ Puppet Time” for the past 30 years. Parents who grew up watching his show now share his clean-cut kindness and wisdom with their own children. Jeff suffered a major personal loss but has never dealt with the after-effects of the tragedy. The loss of their son caused Jeff and his wife Jill (Judy Greer, Archer, Arrested Development) to eventually separate. Jeff wants to talk about loss and death on his series, but his father/producer Sebastian (Frank Langella, The Americans) doesn’t want to bring those kinds of topics onto the popular children’s show. So Jeff continues to bottle up his feelings, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s going to implode. The series also stars Catherine Keener as co-worker Deirdre.

I have never really been a fan of Jim Carrey – his wacky, face-pulling, over-the-top kind of comedy has never been my thing. However, I have enjoyed some of his more dramatic roles over the years. Carrey delivers a really strong performance in this role as the Fred Rogers-like character who is struggling to keep up his calm public demeanor while dealing with his suppressed grief. In tonight’s premiere, we see the cracks starting to form and the pressure building. I found the premise of this series and characters to be really interesting, and the supporting cast contains an amazing group of actors. I’m looking forward to seeing how more of this story plays out and anxiously awaiting the moment that Jeff loses it.

On tonight’s premiere, “Green Means Go,” Jeff Pickles decides it’s time to talk about death on “Mr. Pickles’ Puppet Time.” His executive producer, Seb, feels that Mr. Pickles, the persona, and Jeff Pickles, the person, need to remain separate. Meanwhile, Deirdre punishes her daughter Maddy for not eating her veggies.

See a more serious side of Jim Carrey tonight on Showtime at 10/9c.

I’ll also be watching/recording Big Brother, Rel, Fear the Walking Dead, and Worst Cooks in America.

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