Story Stream: 11/14 - 11/20

Hello friends,

Kind of a light week on my end. I feel like I had a fair amount more actual work to do this week, which made streaming time a bit lower than normal. That, and the sheer volume of Christmas music I have playing at any given moment of the day, which I left off here as it would cause the list to be far too long. It's... a lot. And that will likely continue to be the case for weeks to come. This feels like the only time of year where the rest of society is on the same page as I live pretty much year round, so I want to enjoy it! Anyway, here's what I streamed this week.
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MOVIES

Home Sweet Home Alone (2021)

I was very bummed when I heard this was happening, as the original remains, in my humble opinion, one of the very, very best movies ever made. That may sound like an exaggeration, but I assure you it's not. I love it so much. I held out a little hope that this one would be better than Home Alone 3-5, which were all awful, but I knew it wouldn't compete with Home Alone or Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The hope I felt was because of the new lead, Archie Yates, who was truly phenomenal in Jojo Rabbit (2019), as well as the rest of the cast. Namely: Ellie Kemper, Rob Delaney, Pete Holmes, Kenan Thompson, and of course Devin Ratray (Buzz McCallister from the originals). I was right about where it falls in the order of best Home Alone movies. However, I was way off with regard to the margin between Home Alone 2 and this one. This is VERY disappointing, even with my low expectations. There were a couple moments that were funny-ish, but for the most part, this was just... not great. It will not be making it into my rotation of must-watch-and-rewatch holiday movies. Not at all. Streaming on Disney Plus. (5/10 - Not Recommended, (except MAYBE once with kids))
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TV

Ted Lasso (Season 2, Episodes 11 & 12)

I'm finally all caught up on Ted Lasso, and while I maintain that Season 2 isn't as good as Season 1, it's still good enough for me to rate it 10/10. The characters they've developed and how they're all evolving, the multiple storylines, complete with misdirects, the phenomenal writing... there is so much to love. There were two throwaway episodes this season: one which I'd keep, and one which I'd cut if I could. If you've watched the series and know me at all, you probably know exactly the episodes I'm referring to. All in all, I loved Season 2 only slightly less than Season 1. Streaming on Apple TV Plus. (10/10 - Most Highly Recommended)

Survivor (Episodes 8 & 9)

I'm more into this season than I expected, even while I'm not quite as into it as my wife. I've mentioned previously, but I'll reiterate: this is a very different season than what I've seen in the past. I'm not a HUGE Survivor fan, but I have seen quite a bit of the series as I have so many folks around me who LOVE it. And Season 41, as advertised, is a whole new show. A better show. Kudos to them for remaining creative more than two decades into producing this show. Streaming on Paramount Plus. (8/10 - Highly Recommended)

I Think You Should Leave, with Tim Robinson (Seasons 1 & 2)

Yes, I watched it again. Yes, it was in a single sitting. I reject any judgment for it though. My friend, patron, and cousin-in-law, Caleb, has watched bits and pieces of the show at my nudging, and has thoroughly enjoyed it. So, we decided weeks back that when his wife was out of town next, we'd binge the whole series straight through (it's only 12 episodes, and they're only 15-17 minutes long). This was the week, and it was glorious as ever. My wife still claims to hate the show, but between you and me, she laughed out loud multiple times throughout the viewing. So I'm not sure I believe her. Streaming on Netflix. (10/10 - Most Highly Recommended)
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PODCASTS

Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi - "When Will I Get Over My Breakup?" and "How Many Friends Do I Need?"

This was our Listening Session show for the week. We had the privilege of chatting with Mona about her work on this show, and it was really great. This show uses scientific data analysis to answer it's title question: am I normal? Mona is an excellent host, and I genuinely love the premise of this show. I also love the episode length. It's very digestible. It's also very well-produced, without feeling over-produced. Streaming on the various podcast listening apps. (7/10 - Recommended)
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And... that's it, friends! As always, I'd love to hear any recommendations you may have. Especially holiday-related recommendations. I'm very much in that headspace right now. I'll also be traveling home to Fort Worth this week, where my mom will WITHOUT QUESTION have campy Hallmark Christmas movies playing non-stop. So, be prepared: next week's Story Stream is going to be a corny mess. See you then!