Here’s what ET is obsessing over the first full week of December!
Here at ET, we’re obsessed with a lot of things -- and here’s what we’re most excited about this week:
Why We're Obsessed With 'The Crown'
Picture this: A hard-partying heir to the throne gets engaged to someone employed in the arts -- Gasp! How common! -- while a royal baby is expected any day. Real life? Well, yes, thanks to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Baby Cambridge No. 3. But in a perfect case of life imitating art imitating life, all of these are also key subplots of the second season of Netflix’s The Crown. Emmy nominee Claire Foy -- in her final season of the series -- remains outstanding as Queen Elizabeth and is capable of seamlessly shifting her portrayal from a harried mother of four to queen of everyone, including you, you inept ingrate of a prime minister, by squaring her shoulders and steeling her gaze. Joining this season is Matthew Goode, who richly portrays Antony Armstrong-Jones, the perfect mess of a match for Vanessa Kirby’s Princess Margaret.
The Crown season two streams Dec. 8 on Netflix.
Why We’re Obsessed With ‘I, Tonya’
Margot Robbie first caught the eyes of audiences everywhere with her star-making performance, stealing scenes from Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street. Since then, Robbie has continued to shine -- single-handedly making Suicide Squad watchable -- and now, with an Oscar-worthy performance as Tonya Harding in I, Tonya. Telling the outrageous yet entirely true story of the disgraced Olympic figure skater, this biopic takes Harding’s troubling tale and makes it laugh-out-loud funny. Another reason to check out this sure-to-be Oscar-nominated flick: Allison Janney in a scene-stealing role as Harding’s heartless mother. Undergoing a transformation just as shocking as Robbie’s, Janney told ET earlier this year that the only way to get into the cruel mind of LaVona Golden was by donning her costume and wig -- then it would “all make sense.” The film’s attention to detail should also be noted -- the end credits offer a side-by-side comparison of the characters and their real-life counterparts. Kudos to director Craig Gillespie on getting everything just right.
I, Tonya is in theaters Dec. 8.
Why We’re Obsessed With ‘Dark’
At the center of Netflix’s first German-language series is a group of high school teens (and their families) dealing with the disappearance of a classmate in a small town nestled next to a nuclear power planet. There are even dark tunnels that lead to even darker places. And it’s packed full of nostalgic visual cues. Sound familiar? Yes, the show is garnering lots of comparisons to Stranger Things, but don’t let that fool you. Dark is a much darker, more complex mystery about interconnected families with secrets going back decades. In fact, if you were to compare it to anything, set your references to the likes of Twin Peaks, David Fincher stories (hey, Mindunter is also streaming on Netflix), The Returned or season one of Top of the Lake. Either way, spend the weekend taking in this mystery-box series that comes complete with revelations, twists and cliffhangers.
Dark is now streaming on Netflix.
Why We’re Obsessed With ‘Podcast: The Ride’
Pull up on the bar so the attendant can see it’s locked in place and now you’re ready for Podcast: The Ride, Feral Audio’s new series dedicated to theme park fandom. Hosts Mike Carlson (UCB, Screen Junkies), Scott Gairdner (Moonbeam City), and Jason Sheridan (Flulanthropy, UCB) use their collective knowledge to analyze details small and large about the amusement park industry. Across the series’ first eight episodes, the central topics range from notable individual rides (Botanicus, anyone?) to broader subjects that encompass multiple parks, such as their ranking of various stunt show attractions and diving into the ye ole Disneyland vs. Disney World debate. With rumors regarding Universal’s Nintendo Land and the highly anticipated debut of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 2019, the podcast also neatly coincides with an increase of theme park enthusiasts that we’re sure to see in the coming years.
Podcast: The Ride is now streaming.
--Additional writing and reporting by Ann Donahue, Joe Bergren and Rande Iaboni
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