Everything I Watched in May 2023

And what I thought about it all

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Back with another monthly watch list recap!

Once a month I send out a list of everything I watched the previous month to give you some ideas of things to add to your own watch lists, so I’m here to share the rundown of all of the stuff I watched in May.

Also note that I only include seasons of TV shows that I finished in any given month — if it’s still on or I’m still currently watching it, then I’ll include it when it’s over.

You’ll find that my reactions to things lean positive, because 1. I actively try to seek out stuff that I expect to be entertaining, has been well reviewed and/or has value to me — I’m not just going to watch the most popular show on Netflix because everyone else is if I don’t think I would like it — and 2. I’ve given myself more leeway recently to give up on shows that I’m not enjoying (here’s the list of all the shows I dropped last year). I used to force myself to finish things even if I hated them, which is truly unnecessary and a waste of time.

Keep scrolling for the list of everything I watched in May 2023 (and here’s the list from April if you want more ideas for things to watch):

Queen Charlotte (Netflix) 👍

I was cautiously optimistic about this “Bridgerton” spinoff about the show’s monarch, and it far exceeded my expectations. They did a beautiful job telling Charlotte’s backstory, how she got to the UK and how the kingdom was subsequently integrated as a result of her presence, explaining the incredible diversity we see on “Bridgerton.” I hadn’t realized that the show would also spend so much time with “present day” Queen Charlotte, but I found the moments between Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton, in particular, to be poignant and, honestly, somewhat groundbreaking.

If you want more, check out this fantastic interview Shonda Rhimes did with Vulture.

Still (Apple TV+) 👍👍

This documentary about Michael J. Fox’s life, career and battle with Parkinson’s disease is one of the best docs I’ve seen all year. Captivating and emotional and unexpectedly injected with a lot of humor, it provides a comprehensive account of Fox’s impact on culture and how he’s been dealing with his gutting diagnosis.

Dear Mama (Hulu) 👍👍

This unique five-parter tells the stories of Afeni and Tupac Shakur, a mother-son duo who both had lasting impacts on the world. While I was vaguely familiar with Tupac’s story, I had no concept of his mother’s incredible life. Between commentary from an all-star roster of talking heads, the jaw-dropping home footage and the connections between Afeni and Tupac’s lives, I found this to be wonderfully done. I learned so much.

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me (Netflix) 👎

While I appreciate that Anna Nicole’s story is being told with the same redemptive lens that’s been applied to figures who were similarly broken down by the media in the mid 2000s, it was hard not to feel like this was simply exploiting her for a dollar. I’m not sure it really said anything new about her life and impact on culture, and some of the talking heads featured in it just felt like hangers-on past their prime. This is absolutely skippable.

Queenmaker: The Making of an It Girl (Hulu) 👐

I don’t think a documentary’s premise had ever been so thoroughly up my alley, focusing on the rise of New York’s “It” girls in the early 2000s like the Hiltons, Tinsley Mortimer and Olivia Palermo, “Queenmaker” does an excellent job at tracing those origins and conveying what the culture was at the time. Some of the interview bits with Tinsley were especially great, and I was genuinely shocked that they got Olivia to agree to be in this (though they grossly underutilized her). That being said, the twist and subsequent pivot that happens halfway through goes from being refreshingly unexpected to feeling downright exploitative. The ending genuinely made me sad. Just bring Tinsley back to “RHONY” and call it a day!

The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple TV+) 👎

The first couple of episodes of this mystery starring Jennifer Garner piqued my interest, but when the proceedings within the show relocated to Austin, things quickly devolved into a convoluted plot that I didn’t care enough about to follow. I finished the show and felt like I had wasted my time.

Love to Love You: Donna Summer (HBO Max) 👐

Another doc that I was super excited about, but this one was a rare miss from HBO. The film was directed by her daughter, and it showed in the final product. It was disjointed and unfocused and avoided going too deep into Donna’s controversial comments about the gay community later in her career. I didn’t love this one.

The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing and Vanderpump (Hulu) 👐

Similarly to the ABC News/Hulu docs about Erika Jayne and Jen Shah, this one felt mostly just like a rehashing of what we already knew about Randall Emmett, the skeazy filmmaker that “Vanderpump Rules” star Lala Kent dated for a while and had a baby with. Maybe it’s because I’m so in the weeds with all things Bravo, but I’m not sure this serves a purpose for anyone else who is also already familiar with the story.

Selling Sunset - Season 6 (Netflix) 👍👍

I was completely surprised at how much I enjoyed this season of “Selling Sunset,” a show that had relied so heavily on the Christine/Chrishell feud for so long that it felt like it could be lost now that Christine was no longer around to stir up manufactured drama. In reality, the complete opposite happened: The previously frustrated cast was now freed up from their common enemy and forced to create their own drama, a responsibility that Chrishell and Chelsea valiantly (and effectively) took on.

Bama Rush (HBO Max) 👎

Just like the “Queenmaker” doc above, the first half of this one was exactly what was advertised: We started following several PNMs (potential new members) hoping to join sororities at the University of Alabama, which initially offered a fascinating look into the psyches of young women, how they saw themselves and what they were hoping to gain from Greek Life. Halfway through, though, when scandal erupts after word of the doc gets out on campus in the middle of rush, some of the women drop out, the filmmaker starts to make the entire film about her alopecia journey and the whole thing becomes a total mess. What could’ve been.

Survivor - Season 44 (CBS) 👐

I’ve watched every season of “Survivor,” and I’ve never felt more ~down~ on it than in the past year or two. The central formula of the show still very much works, and it’s adapted with the times in amazing ways, but it’s still just throwing a few too many twists and surprises and special advantages at the wall for me these days. It’s impossible to keep track of which player has what advantage, when they expire, what powers they have and it’s made me feel disoriented. It pulls me out of the usually enthralling viewing experience. I hope they simplify things going forward.

You Hurt My Feelings (in theaters) 👍👍

Absolutely adored this movie starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, which focuses on how her character overhearing a conversation between her husband and her brother-in-law threatens the future of her marriage. It’s the perfect dramedy.

Love & Death (HBO Max) 👍

This telling of the Candy Montgomery story starring Elizabeth Olsen divided critics, but I liked it overall. It had a slower pace at times and things got a little wonky when the court case started, but I found Elizabeth and Jesse Plemons to be fantastic as the characters at the center of this affair-and-murder story.

Taste The Nation - Season 2 (Hulu) 👍👍

I love me a good quality food show, and this educational Padma Lakshmi-hosted joint is as good as they get. She’s one of the best hosts in the game (still so very sad that she’s leaving “Top Chef”), at once well-informed and eager to learn so much more as she makes he way around the country highlighting different cultures and cuisines.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Season 5 (Prime) 👍👍

Finally, a season of “Mrs. Maisel” where they allow Midge to succeed! They did a terrific job closing this show out after a season and a half or so where they started to lose me. The series finale alone was spectacular, with Midge’s final monologue bringing the laughs and the tears. Very well done!

Succession - Season 4 (HBO Max) 👍👍

It’s not every day that it feels like a show comes to an end at the height of its popularity, but didn’t it feel that way during this fourth and final season of “Succession”? It was the definition of water cooler TV, as proven by the reaction to spoilers from the third episode, in which Logan Roy shockingly died. It was a bold, necessary choice that made the question of who would succeed him so much more urgent for the rest of the season. I loved pretty much everything about it.

Somebody Somewhere - Season 2 (HBO Max) 👍👍

If you’re not watching this perfect little show, you’re doing it wrong. Bridget Everett is fabulous as the aimless and grieving Sam, back in her Kansas hometown searching for her place in the world. Her friendship with Joel is one of my favorite on TV, and Joel’s relationship with Brad was a sweet surprise this season. Tricia got even more iconic this season as her Sam’s bitchy sister, too. I’m so glad they got picked up for a third season!

The Secrets of Hillsong (Hulu) 👍

I’ve always been fascinated with Hillsong’s popularity, as it really rose to prominence back when I was writing a lot of entertainment news and it counted Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and some of the Kardashians as devoted members. I actually interviewed the subject of this docuseries, Carl Lentz, back in the day. He tried to convert me. Anyway, this is a really high-quality doc that recounts Carl’s story, subsequent celebrity and ultimate downfall, featuring his first interview since the sex scandal that got him kicked out of the church. It goes further back, too, connecting his behavior to that of the church’s founder. The only thing I wish it had was interviews with any one of its many former celeb attendees.