A Billy Joel doc, ‘Quarterback’ and more to watch this weekend
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Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who still needs to binge some of the Emmy contenders before TV’s biggest night.
The nominations for the 77th Emmy Awards were announced earlier this week and Apple TV+’s “Severance” lead the pack with 27 nominations. If this week’s breaking news headlines kept you too occupied to see how your favorite TV show fared, check out the list of nominees here. Plus, our awards czar Glenn Whipp weighed in on this year’s snubs and surprises. We also had some fun and thoughtful conversations with nominees: Noah Wyle (“The Pitt”), Adam Scott (“Severance”), Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (“The Studio”), Jeff Hiller (“Somebody Somewhere”), Tony Gilroy (“Andor”) and the “Adolescence” team.
But if you’d rather watch TV than read about it, we’ve got that covered too. This week’s streaming recommendations include a sprawling two-part documentary on the life of musician Billy Joel that’ll surely change your commute playlist before the workweek starts again, and the return of Netflix’s behind-the-scenes look at the lives, both on and off the field, of NFL quarterbacks.
Also in this week’s Screen Gab, actor Brittany Snow drops by to talk about her new Netflix thriller, “The Hunting Wives,” about a woman who moves to a small Texas town and gets drawn into the dangerous world of the wealthy and influential women in her orbit.
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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
“Billy Joel: And So It Goes” (HBO Max)
Over the decades, Billy Joel has created countless iconic hits that have cemented his legacy in pop music, but despite his rock star status, he’s always been a man of few words, preferring to let his songs do the talking. HBO Max’s new two-part docuseries, however, gives him the mic to tell the stories behind the music in his notable albums, including “Piano Man,” “The Stranger” and “Storm Front,” exploring how his upbringing, marriages and addiction shaped his creative works. Part 1 of the series, premiering Friday at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT, is notable in how it reframes the narrative around his relationship with his former wife and manager Elizabeth Weber, explaining how she was instrumental in guiding his career and helping him become a superstar — and how songs like “Big Shot” and “Stiletto” were inspired by the rocky times in their marriage. (You’ll want to tune in to Part 2 next week as well.) It’s a compelling and nuanced portrait of an imperfect person who created timeless music and whose influence continues to reverberate. — Maira Garcia
“Quarterback” (Netflix)
After watching weeks of “Love Island” (Team Amaya Papaya 4eva!), I was in need of a palate cleanser. I found it in the second season of “Quarterback,” the seven-part series that follows three big names in the NFL’s most visible position. This year’s roster features the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow, the Detroit Lions’ Jared Goff (formerly of the Rams) and singing favorite Kirk Cousins, who appeared in the show’s first season as QB of the Minnesota Vikings before moving to Atlanta — and then the bench. Football nerds will geek out on the play calling, but what makes the show such a must-watch is seeing the human side of the pros. Watching fashionista Burrow pick out what designer items he loved and also talk about iguanas and fossils made me kind of infatuated with my football enemy. As for Goff, I really want to pet his dog Quincy. Cousins is again the star. He ups his suburban every-dad vibe by getting a haircut at Great Clips (and shows the stylist his roster photo for inspiration) but the highlight is the music. We see him explain his love of Celine Dion, find out which Tom Petty song gets him fired up and watch him rehab an Achilles injury as he sings “Put One Foot in Front of the Other” from Rankin/Bass Christmas classic “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.” However, the show’s obvious highlight is watching him sing Cher’s “Believe” while waiting in a drive-through. If Cousins retires from the NFL, I will be first in line to buy a ticket for his Vegas cabaret. — Vanessa Franko
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
With her recent turns on TV, Brittany Snow has leaned into characters with some mystique. Earlier this year, she appeared in the second season of Netflix’s “Night Agent” as Alice, a new partner and mentor to the show’s central character Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) in his first mission after joining the highly classified counterintelligence program. Without spilling spoilers, let’s just say viewers were left with many questions about the character. In her latest series, “The Hunting Wives,” Snow plays Sophie, an East Coast transplant with a mysterious past who steps into an elite Texas circle where power struggles, jealousy, betrayal and murder lurk beneath the surface. Available to stream on Netflix beginning Monday, the soapy thriller is based on the book by May Cobb. Snow stopped by Guest Spot to discuss the intrigue of playing an outsider, her upcoming role as a journalist and the reality competition series she savors watching. — Yvonne Villarreal
Sophie is a complex character wrestling with her past, as well as her attraction to socialite Margo (Malin Akerman), and all she represents — the freedom to do what she wants, with little concern for social mores or the law. What intrigued you about playing her? And what would Brittany Snow, unencumbered by image or expectations, be doing?
I related a lot to Sophie when I read the scripts for “Hunting Wives.” I spent my 20s being very careful, shy and afraid of people’s perceptions of me. In my early 30s, I really did have an awakening of some sort which challenged my childhood beliefs of needing to be “good” and “perfect.” I started realizing who I wanted to be and the woman I already was. I finally felt “in” my body, and I didn’t need to necessarily fit in. Sophie is having that awakening as well, in a different way, but one I could very much relate to.
Margo represents a side of Sophie that she has shut herself off from, mostly because she’s scared of that side of herself and perhaps scared of taking up that much space. At first, the power of Margo is alluring to her because it makes her more aware of her own. As the series continues, you see Sophie realize who she really is, which creates the disillusionment of Margo and what Margo represents. I loved that aspect of the script and I loved playing a character who has a complete transformation by coming back to herself.
I think this show is the very embodiment of what I would be doing if I were unencumbered by image or expectations. It’s fun, brave and I worked hard to have the confidence to do a show like this. It’s all very full-circle for me.
The series brings Sophie into an elite and conservative social circle in Texas. You can sense both her discomfort and curiosity. What was it like having the character explore that world?
I am always drawn to characters who are curious. It’s in my nature to sit back and observe closely. Sometimes to my detriment, I do it too well. I think the interesting thing about Sophie is her immediate curiosity as opposed to an immediate judgment. It would be a different show if she was unwilling to understand the atmosphere she’s been put in. Because she’s trying so hard to fit in and understand, she gets in over her head. It then takes some unraveling for her to see the truth and hold firm in her opinions.
I, myself, am pretty opinionated but I am also very understanding. I think this show has a great duality of seeing both sides with an open lens — a viewpoint that is fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
You recently completed filming on Hulu’s series about the Murdaugh murders. You play Mandy Matney, the real-life journalist who helped unravel the family’s unsolved mysteries. What kind of research did you do for the role? And what struck you most about Mandy’s journey?
I was so honored to play Mandy. She is a force, and I admire her greatly. I was already familiar with her podcast [“Murdaugh Murders Podcast”] and had listened to the show when it first came out. When I found out I would be playing her, I reached out to her directly and asked if we could have conversations about the murders but more importantly, about her life. We talked on the phone, hung out, had dinners, drinks and became friends. I read her book and listened to every episode of her podcast again, as well as every interview I could get my hands on. I learned so much about her, but mostly what a strong and fierce woman she is and continues to be. Her story is so much more than the Murdaugh murders, it’s about overcoming so many hardships and spearheading a new way women were perceived in her field.
What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?
After David Lynch’s passing, I wanted to go back and rewatch all the classics. We started with “Blue Velvet” [Pluto TV, Tubi], “Eraserhead” [HBO Max], “Lost Highway” [VOD], “Mulholland Drive” [Philo] (my favorite), then read all the complicated articles after. I know you are never supposed to truly “get” that movie, but after a couple rewatches, I do sort of feel like I “get” it and what happens, in my own way. I love figuring out movies like that. Figuring out the puzzle and how it fits, only to me. I recommend everyone going back and doing that again with all his films.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the film or TV show you return to again and again?
“Top Chef” [Peacock]. I’ve seen every single episode multiple times and it truly relaxes me. Chefs have this elegance and clear intention in making great dishes. It makes me appreciate food more. When I watch it, sometimes I eat dinner as well and I eat in the most lovely and present way. It also weirdly makes your food taste better. I can’t explain it.
