Long live the queens — Elizabeth II, Barbie and Taylor Swift. They headline the biggest new movies and shows to watch this weekend. As usual, Netflix, Max, Hulu and other streaming services are unveiling a fresh slate of content for your viewing pleasure.
As mentioned, this weekend brings the conclusion of The Crown (time to meet Kate Middleton!), the Max debut of Barbie and the premium VOD release of the extended edition of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour movie.
Plus, Reacher season 2 brings back the hulking ex-military vigilante, while Archer says farewell in a finale special. Check out our guide on what to watch this weekend.
TV Premieres
The Crown season 6 part 2 (Netflix)
Long live the Queen … in our memories. As we all know, Queen Elizabeth II died last year after reigning for seven decades. And with her passing comes the final chapter of Peter Morgan’s fictionalized version of her story.
Part 1 of season 6 dealt with Diana’s tragic death; in part 2, Prince William (Ed McVey) and Prince Harry (Luther Ford) will grapple with their loss. We’ll also witness romance blossom between Will and Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy) when they meet at St. Andrews University.
While Morgan hasn’t stated how he’ll close out the series, our guess is that it’ll run up to year 2002, which saw the deaths of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret and the celebration of Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee.
Streaming now on Netflix
Reacher season 2 (Prime Video)
Jack Reacher, the hulking former military policeman, is hitting the road again to apply his very particular set of skills to a new crime in a new location involving new people. Lee Childs' books are essentially an anthology, and the series creator Nick Santora has indicated he will keep to that structure.
Season 2 will adapt Bad Luck and Trouble, the 11th book, which plunges Reacher into a conspiracy that is killing old friends. Robert Patrick (Terminator 2) joins the cast as Langston, an ex-NYPD officer now working for a defense contractor.
Streaming now on Prime Video
Such Brave Girls (Hulu)
This BBC co-production comes from the wickedly funny mind of British comedian Kat Sadler. She also stars in the series, alongside her real-life sister Lizzie Davidson and veteran actress Louise Brealey. Josie, Billie and their single mum Deb are navigating life with nothing but poor judgment and self-esteem issues tied to people who couldn’t care less about them. They’re also vain, narcissistic, selfish and heavily in debt. Even so, they’re still trying to claw their way toward a better life and the all-consuming love they crave.
Premieres Friday, Dec. 15 at 12:01 a.m. on Hulu
Notable New Episodes
Archer: Into the Cold (FX)
The world’s greatest spy has one final mission to carry out. The long-running raunchy animated comedy is concluding after 14 seasons with a series finale event that will send off Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin), Lana (Aisha Tyler), Cyril (Chris Parnell) and the rest of the characters into the sunset.
Plot details are thin on the ground, but season 14 ended with The Agency learning that the U.N. had declared all private spy organizations illegal and ordered them to shut down within 30 days. We have a feeling that something or somebody nefarious will imperil the world within that time period and Archer and Co. will have to save the day yet again. And they’ll curse up a storm doing it.
Premieres Sunday, Dec. 17 at 10 p.m. ET on FX and FXX (via Sling or Fubo)
Streams next day on Hulu
Movie Premieres
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Extended Version) (PVOD)
Are you ready for it? Taylor Swift has had quite the year, as appropriately celebrated by Time magazine giving her their Person of the Year designation. Her Eras tour ran for 60 shows across North and South America and earned a record-breaking $1.04 billion in gross ticket sales — and that’s just the start of it. The tour will continue on to Japan, Europe and back to the U.S. But if you were one of the many fans who couldn’t score tickets (hi, it’s me), you can catch the next best thing with this hi-def concert movie that broke records of its own. The extended version that’s available on premium video on demand includes three songs that weren’t in the theatrical release. Long live Taylor Swift!
Streaming now via premium rental on Amazon or Apple
Barbie (Max)
Come on, Barbie, let’s go party … on Max. Greta Gerwig’s fever dream of a film turned an iconic doll into an iconic movie character, spawned a million memes and made over a billion dollars worldwide. Theatrical screenings turned into communal experiences, and now you can enjoy the adventure from the comfort of your couch.
A Barbie-themed movie could’ve gone in any number of directions, but Gerwig decided on surreal, cheeky and giddy-yet-slightly-menacing. Barbie (Margot Robbie) has the perfect life, with her dream house and dream boyfriend Ken (Ryan Gosling). Then, an existential crisis sends Barbie to the outside world, which she discovers is very different from her own.
Streaming now on Max
The Family Plan (Apple TV Plus)
Mark Wahlberg’s latest action comedy sees him playing a devoted husband, father of three and successful car salesman in quiet suburbia. But decades earlier, he was an elite government assassin who took out the world’s deadliest threats. Now, enemies from his past have tracked him down, so Dan takes his unsuspecting wife (Michelle Monaghan) and kids on an impromptu cross-country road trip to Las Vegas. He’s determined to protect them while giving them the vacation of a lifetime, all while hiding his identity and fending off the bad guys.
Streaming now on Apple TV Plus
