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What the ‘225 Dine’ team is binge watching this week

As we head into the weekend, we’re all still consuming all the TV, movies, books and podcasts we can like we’re still under quarantine.

We still all need escapes. So if you’re looking for ideas on how to pass the time, a new show to get into, or some fresh tunes to put in your earbuds for your next run—we’ve got you.

Read on for what the 225 Dine team is into right now.


For a mystery/thriller binge

‘Homecoming’ on Amazon

“The first season gave us Julia Roberts as a social worker helping military vets transition back into civilian life. What she slowly uncovered was that the powers-that-be at her facility were actually testing out a new drug to erase the vets’ traumatic memories. The second season starts with Janelle Monae waking up in a boat in the middle of lake, not sure where she is or who she is. Has she been drugged with the same chemical used on the soldiers? And why did her military tattoo rub off in the sink? It gets weirder from there as she begins to unravel her own story. The second season applies the same winning combo of slow-burn mystery and retro-modern aesthetics with a cast that includes the insanely good Hong Chau, Chris Cooper, Joan Cusack and Stephan James. It’s worth a binge watch!”

—Benjamin Leger, managing editor


For a guilty pleasure binge 

‘Love Island (UK)’ on Hulu

“I never thought I’d be the type of person who enjoyed watching strangers fall in love on TV. But here I am three seasons into Love Island (UK), loving every bit. Maybe it’s their accents or their funny British lingo, but there’s something about the UK edition of Love Island that makes the cast so lovable. On the show, a group of single young men and women are flown out to a villa on an island to find love. At the end, the winning couple can choose to split $50,000, or one of the partners can take the money and the other will be left with a broken heart. The big question is: What’s more important—love or money?”

—Cynthea Corfah, staff writer


For a fun an farcical binge

‘Space Force’ on Netflix

“The new Netflix show Space Force is funny, fresh and full of familiar faces. Steve Carell plays a military general who has to balance being a father to a teenage daughter with a new government mission. He and a group of scientists are in charge of establishing the United States Space Force, and while it’s pretty far-fetched, it’s still fun and easy viewing. Definitely a great weekend binge!”

—Julia-Claire Evans, contributing writer


For learning more about the effects of systemic racism

‘Just Mercy’ and ’13th’

“As America grapples with police brutality and systemic racism, a stat has stopped me—and many others—in my tracks: About 1 in 1,000 black men can expect to be killed by police. Black men are also disproportionately arrested for crimes, a topic explored in the 2019 film Just Mercy. It chronicles the true story of civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson and the beginnings of his nonprofit, the Equal Justice Initiative. The movie focuses on his fight to exonerate Walter McMillan, an Alabama death row inmate who was wrongly convicted of the murder of a young white woman. Stevenson is also featured in the documentary 13th, which examines why prison populations have exploded over the last several decades—and how that mass incarceration has disproportionately affected black Americans. My husband and I watched them back to back this past weekend, after both films were released for free this month. Watch Just Mercy on Amazon, Google Play or YouTube, and watch 13th on Netflix and YouTube.”

—Jennifer Tormo, editor