Stream or Skip: Early Winter 2023 TV Shows and Movies

We’re starting a new series on our blog called Stream or Skip. We’re going to share with all of you the TV shows and movies we’ve watched recently and whether we recommend watching them or not.

This time we’re talking about the movies and TV shows we watched in December 2022 and January 2023. Have you watched any of the shows or movies listed below? Let us know in the comments.

This blog post is all about which TV shows you should steam or skip this winter.

December

1. After Ever Happy

After Ever Happy is the fourth installment in the After series and the movies are based on the best-selling books by Anna Todd. We’ve watched all of these movies now and we have to say, each one is worse than the last. We actually found the first movie intriguing (not the book though) and the second movie to be decent because of Dylan Sprouse as Trevor.

But wow are the third and fourth movies bad. The plot hasn’t changed at all. It’s just about Tessa and Hardin fighting and making up. Over and over and over again. Now there’s going to be a fifth movie? Seriously, just avoid this romance series, which gets more toxic the longer it goes on.

Verdict: Skip

2. Emily in Paris

Emily in Paris season 3 released on Netflix on December 21, 2022. We couldn’t wait to follow Emily after the major cliffhanger in season two. Emily has been in Paris for about nine months and has had her ups and downs. In season 3, she juggles both a love triangle and a work triangle, meaning there are two companies fighting over her.

Like always though, the show is fun and full of Emily’s crazy antics. We love seeing all the beautiful sights of Paris in the show, which happens to be one of our favorite cities. And this season, Emily ventured to Provence as well.

If you haven’t started this show yet, give it a try. While it may be stereotypical at times, it’s also a show guaranteed to make you laugh and grab your passport.

Verdict: Stream

3. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

We’ve been waiting for Knives Out 2 ever since we watched the first movie in theatres. The second installment follows another ensemble cast as they make their way to a remote island in Greece.

When someone gets killed mysteriously, detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is there to solve it. But it’s more complicated than just a typical whodunit. Why would Blanc be invited to a friend reunion in the first place? And who has the most to gain from this insane game?

If you enjoyed the first movie, we guarantee that you’re going to like the second one. It’s another fun mystery with plenty of twists.

Verdict: Stream

4. National Treasure Edge of History

National Treasure Edge of History hooked us from the first episode. Now, we’re only one episode away from the season finale and we already know we need a season two ASAP. We weren’t sure about watching it when we heard about its release, but it’s an engaging show and much darker than we anticipated.

Jess Valenzuela is 21 and just trying to figure out her life with her three best friends. One day at work she comes across a mystery, leading her to the beginning of a treasure hunt that involved both her parents and some very dangerous people.

Jess doesn’t know who she can trust. All she knows is that she finally needs some answers about her family, her past and her heritage. This mystery has everything so far: an intriguing plot, interesting settings, twists, a compelling backstory, high stakes and a love triangle.

Verdict: Stream

5. The Recruit

Noah Cintineo is branching out from teen romance movies. In The Recruit, Cintineo plays Owen Hendricks, a CIA lawyer. We were a little unsure about the show at first, but it starts to get really compelling in the second episode.

Owen never expected his job to be so exciting and intense in the first few weeks. On his first day, his assignment is to go through threats made against the CIA and see if any are credible. While most are insane, there’s one that stands out, made by a Russian woman who is currently in Arizona.

Season one is a whirlwind, where Owens explores cities such as Beirut and Vienna to figure out what is really going on and to prevent the leak of classified information. The season keeps getting better as it goes and the show has already been renewed for a season two.

Verdict: Stream

January

1. Ginny & Georgia

Netflix really annoyed us…we had to wait almost two years for a second season of Ginny & Georgia. Well, we’re happy to report that it was worth the wait.

Season two takes places right where season one leaves off, with Ginny and Austin taking off on a motorcycle at night. We see them in Boston, choosing to stay with Ginny’s dad Zion. Everything has gone crazy with the main characters, causing many secrets to come out. Life in Wellsbury, Massachusetts will never be the same again.

Season two is more serious than season one, even though there are still some hilarious moments. We don’t want to spoil anything, just know that season two leaves us with an even bigger cliffhanger than season one. Netflix, please don’t make us wait almost two years for season three.

Verdict: Stream

2. How I Met Your Father

We’ve been anticipating season two of How I Met Your Father for many months. Now that we’ve had a chance to watch the first two episodes of the season, we’re so excited to see where this season goes.

Sophie is still trying to figure out her career and love life. After some romantic disasters, she’s decided to stay single and focus on her photography business. That doesn’t mean that crazy things won’t happen along the way.

Season two is 20 episodes long, instead of 10 like season one. Tune into Hulu for an episode weekly until June. Spoiler alert: Niel Patrick Harris is reprising his role as Barney Stinson.

Verdict: Stream

3. Kaleidoscope

Sadly, we couldn’t get through the first episode of Kaleidoscope. We really tried to like it and the premise sounded interesting, it just wasn’t done well. It’s about a heist group in New York City with an ensemble cast.

We found that there were too many characters introduced at once, making it hard to follow. Also, we kept doing other things, letting us know the program couldn’t hold our attention. While we always try to give shows a chance by getting through a few episodes, we just decided that it wasn’t the right show for us.

Verdict: Skip

4. That 90s Show

While not as good as That 70s Show, That 90s Show gave us all the nostalgia. Most of the original group are back and now they’re parents to a new generation, who are excited to call the basement their home for the summer.

Leia Foreman is bored of her life in Chicago. A summer with her grandparents, Red and Kitty, is just what she needs. Over the summer she makes friends, has fun and falls in love. She comes to understand why Point Place, Wisconsin is so special.

Red and Kitty are the true stars of the show and haven’t changed a bit. We enjoyed the full season overall and we hope we get another summer with the new basement crew.

Verdict: Stream

5. The Watchful Eye

We’ve only watched the first two episodes of The Watchful Eye, which premiered on Freeform on January 30th. BTW, you can also stream it on Hulu.

Elena Santos is ecstatic to get a job as a nanny for a wealthy family in Manhattan. But nothing is as it seems. First of all, dark and mysterious things keep happening in this elite apartment building. Also, Elena is actually a con artist, who is trying to steal something from the family with her boyfriend.

So far, this new show is full of mystery and intrigue. Most of the characters are morally gray and have a secret to hide. There’s so much to unpack here and we can’t wait to watch the rest of the season.

For Gilmore Girls fans, Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore) is a supporting charcter.

Verdict: Stream