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TV Shows To Watch: 'The Brothers Sun,' 'Criminal Record,' and 'Pokémon Concierge
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• 17:50
A behind the scenes photo from "The Brothers Sun" with Joon Lee, Justin Chien, Michelle Yeoh, Sam Song Li, and Alice Hewkin.
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Michael Desmond
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Netflix
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With a new year kicking off, it's a time where many people are trying new things. Maybe you’re looking for a new TV show to obsess over and binge, or maybe you want to introduce yourself to new kinds of stories. Whatever the case, let this be the platform to help you out!
Each week on AirTalk, LAist 89.3's daily news show, we're joined by television critics who help parse through the biggest releases and tell us what's worth a binge. This week we were joined by Liz Shannon Miller, senior entertainment editor at Consequence, and Eric Deggans, TV critic for NPR.
Listen to the full conversation for a full rundown of the variety of shows they hit on. I’ll dig into three of them here a little further to offer added insight.
Listen to the full conversation
This week's shows include:
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Listen
• 17:50
TV-Talk: ‘The Brothers Sun,’ ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Broadcast Debut, ‘Letterkenny’ Final Season & More
- The Brothers Sun (Netflix)
- The Golden Wedding (ABC & Hulu)
- Letterkenny [Season 12, Final Season] (Hulu)
- Only Murders in the Building [Season 1] (ABC & Hulu)
- Pokémon Concierge (Netflix)
- Criminal Record (Apple TV+)
- Funny Woman (PBS)
- True Detective [Season 4] (HBO & Max)
The Brothers Sun
Streaming on Netflix
Bruce Sun, the youngest in his family, lives a fairly ordinary life until his brother, Charles, comes to town. Soon after, he learns about the gang-affiliated past of his family in Taiwan and how it’s come to a head as a rival gang attempts to take over their turf. With Charles' life now endangered, he has to adapt to his family's gangster lifestyle to save his life — and his family's.
“I would say it's a must-see for anyone in Los Angeles, just because it's very much a Los Angeles show. It's shot on location [and] a real tribute to the San Gabriel Valley, which as we all know, is the best place to get Chinese food in this area.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
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Overall take: It’s a show that toes the line of being not only a crime drama, but also an action-comedy as well — two categories that don’t always work well together. Given everyone’s prior experience, from the cast to those behind the scenes, I do think the show accomplishes being entertaining without falling into the trap of being unserious. And if the plot isn't enough to draw you in, maybe the fact that Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh plays the family matriarch will.
Fun facts: Five of the eight episodes are directed by Kevin Tancharoen, who got his name out there through the fanfiction short Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, inspired by the popular video game. It did get some recognition online, and the success spun into a web series called Mortal Kombat: Legacy.
When and where: All eight episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
Criminal Record
Streaming on Apple TV+
This show centers on two detectives, one established and the other a rising star within the ranks. Their paths cross after a phone call springs up an allegation made on a case that was thought to be solved. Tensions begin to run higher as both become more at odds with one another.
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“[This is a show that] gets at all the disquieting notions of trying to examine how racism works in policing, how race works in modern-day Britain.” – Eric Deggans, NPR
Overall take: A noir thriller that plays on the genre through social commentary on race and gender. If you’re familiar with either of the leads and think the gist of the show is interesting, it’s worth checking out.
Fun facts: Both acting leads have some credits I think many would recognize. Many will know Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor on the hit series Doctor Who, while others may know of his appearances through films like The Suicide Squad and Paddington. Cush Jumbo is notable as well, having joined the popular show The Good Wife toward its tail end and also being in its spinoff The Good Fight.
When and where: Episode 1 premieres Wednesday, Jan. 10 on Apple TV+
Pokémon Concierge
Streaming on Netflix
Still from Pokémon Concierge
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Courtesy of Netflix
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© 2023 Netflix, Inc.
)
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A stop-motion animated Pokémon series; the show follows the life of a concierge at the famous Pokémon Resort, who spends each episode interacting with new guests and their Pokémon.
“The stop-motion animation is beautiful. It's very tactile. There's [a] fuzziness to the characters [that’s] pleasant. It's just a nice time.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Overall take: Given that it’s four episodes that are quite short, it’s a show that doesn’t overstay its welcome and is also aesthetically pleasing. In terms of the story itself, it’s a slice-of-life tale set in the world of Pokémon, which for younger generations I can see being enough of a reason to check this out.
Fun facts: The team behind the show was able to get Japanese city-pop artist Mariya Takeuchi to do its theme, titled Have a Good Time Here. Takeuchi’s popularity in Japan has been well-established since the late '70s, but she skyrocketed in popularity in the United States in 2017 when her song Plastic Love went viral online.
When and where: All four episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
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