Welcome to What to Watch Right Now, our weekly rundown of the best things to watch right now. The constant stream of shows, videos, and films to watch online can become a sludge to wade through, so here are a few things you can watch courtesy of the Rolling Stone Philippines team. Whether it’s a new film, a video essay, or even a home video release you should own (physical media is now available!), we hope it can ease the burden of choosing which streaming platform to use or of discovering a new cinematic odyssey.
This week, we turned to the wonders of television. HBO’s starting the year off strong, with the release of Industry’s fourth season, The Pitt’s second season, and, in a few days, the debut of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which we’ve been preparing for by revisiting Game of Thrones. For those looking for something non-fiction but just as high-stakes as your regular old drama, turn to the second season of Culinary Class Wars, which is essentially a food-centric Squid Game. Finally, if you’re looking for a fantastical escape, we recommend the second season of the anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, which drops this weekend.
‘Culinary Class Wars’ Season 2
High-stakes reality cooking, with two giant Ferris wheels and a carrot-themed hell in the mix
Everything about this second season of Netflix’s hit cooking competition series, Culinary Class Wars, screams “extra.” A huge patch of carrots rises from below the studio floor, steam billowing through the open trap door. A behemoth kitchen pantry is unveiled, displaying over 500 ingredients and pulling the competing chefs into a challenge delightfully titled Endless Cooking Paradise. Two functional Ferris wheels loom menacingly over the cooking flock, each holding ingredients that will decide the fate of the remaining contestants. MasterChef could never, and neither could Squid Game, because Culinary Class Wars has found the perfect way to make cooking competitions so high-stakes, you’ll be screaming at your screen every time the show blueballs you with a cliffhanger. —Mel Wang
‘Industry’ Season 4
Who knew finance could be so fun and full of drama?
Whenever I pitch this show to friends, I feel like Bill Hader’s Stefon from Saturday Night Live. HBO’s high-stakes financial thriller has everything: sex, money, drugs, a menagerie of accents from the UK, and a complicated web of morally grey characters. This season features stellar performances by an ensemble cast that includes Myha’la, Marisa Abela, Ken Leung, Kit Harington, Kiernan Shipka, Charlie Heaton, and Max Minghella.
Industry isn’t for the pearl-clutchers. Writers Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, being former investment bankers, have nailed the brusque and violent language of the world of finance, sometimes crude and other times downright politically incorrect. If you can stomach watching power-hungry capitalists going at each other’s throats, you’ll survive the trading floor. —Pie Gonzaga
‘The Pitt’ Season 2
The return of our favorite stress-inducing medical trauma drama
As someone who binge-watched all 15 episodes of The Pitt’s first season (which I will never do again; this was a 15-hour panic attack waiting to happen), I have been patiently waiting for my favorite anxiety-inducing medical drama to return with its follow-up. And, while it does start a little slower than its past episodes (where is that degloved foot when you need it?), it’s a treat to see most familiar faces return to the overcrowded ER. Dr. Robby’s (Noah Wyle) is trying to make the most out of his last day before his sabbatical, Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) is back for redemption, and all the medical students of yesteryear are stepping into the medical world as fully fledged doctors. —Mel Wang
‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ Season 2
A fascinating study on the aftermath of a hero’s journey
Frieren is a mage elf whose mana is concealed to disguise how powerful she really is. Although Frieren might sound like another fantasy anime with an overpowered protagonist, the series delves deeper into the repercussions of a hero’s journey: the moments when the happily ever after occurs, and the villain’s eventual vanquishment. What is left in the world to discover, especially for an elf who exists in the world hundreds of years after the rest of her group of adventurers had passed away? Frieren proves there is more to a new generation of mages and heroes, yet there is underlying melancholy in a protagonist who has, almost literally, seen it all. Season 2 starts Friday. —Don Jaucian
‘Game of Thrones’
A desperate fight for the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros
To prepare for my upcoming marathon of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (which drops on January 19 on HBO Max), I’ve taken to revisiting parts of Game of Thrones (GoT) to get myself into the Westerosi spirit. If you missed the whole GoT train back when its first season aired in 2011, then now’s the time to step into the troubled, complex power struggles of the Starks, the Lannisters, the Targaryens, and every other noble house vying for the throne. There’s sex, there’s intrigue, and there’s so much death that it’s best not get too close to any of the contenders you see onscreen. Just skip the final season if you can, because no one ever needs to see that mistake ever again. —Mel Wang
