The Rec Center

Swipe Up!

We kick off this week with a spirited debate about the Instagram swipe up feature (but it’s still the ‘link in bio’ life for us). We also talk about episode 2 of HBO’s The White Lotus (9:11), before giving high praise to Simone vs. Herself - Facebook Watch (20:55), and Rick and Morty - HBO Max (28:53). Other shows and movies discussed include Never Have I Ever - Netflix (34:50), Space Jam - HBO Max (38:16), and Sexy Beasts - Netflix (45:58).

We'll Never Be Royals

After a week off, we’re back to catch up on life, Instagram, and have a quick spelling bee before getting into this week’s recs. HBO’s The White Lotus (9:40) is our new Sunday night show that we’ll discuss each week. We break that down before Jack gives a thumbs down to The Tomorrow War - Amazon Prime (21:47) and Lindsay gives all the emphatic thumbs up to Young Royals on Netflix (28:21). Other shows and movies in this episode: No Sudden Move - HBO Max (33:27), and finally two Netflix crime docs - Sophie: A Murder in West Cork and Murder by the Coast (40:44).

Guest Starring...

Aloha! The Rec Center is back after a week off with some hot and cold recommendations. We start with Dave on Hulu (5:55), Good on Paper on Netflix (11:20), and Physical on Apple TV+ (23:47). Two final non-recommendations include Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell - Peacock (31:18), and Sex/Life - Netflix (37:46). Finally, we’re joined by a special guest star with a YouTube recommendation (39:54).

Five Stars

We’re debuting a new ratings system this week, but before that - Jack shares a bad beat from Tahoe over the weekend. Positive recommendations that all come from HBO Max include Hacks (7:36), Starstruck (12:14), and In the Heights (16:25). We end by breaking down We Are Lady Parts - Peacock (21:16), Solos - Amazon Prime (25:38), and Cruel Summer - Hulu/Freeform (31:29).

Speak and Be Heard

The Rec Center is thrilled to announce our new partnership with Speak Studios! We talk about what that means for us to kick off this episode, before jumping into some streaming recommendations. Jack starts by giving 3.5 stars to The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - HBO Max (11:53), and Lindsay gives 0 stars to 2 Hearts on Netflix (15:42). Other recs include OverSimplified - YouTube (20:15), The New York Times Presents: Who Gets To Be An Influencer? - Hulu (23:42), A Quiet Place 2 (Only in theaters - 33:25), and Clique on Hulu (36:43).

Our Hearts Will Go On

Near, far, wherever you are, we hope you enjoyed spending time with Mare in Easttown as much as we did. We break down the finale, discuss whodunnit, and say farewell to our sweet yet complicated HBO Max friends. We also discussed the other Friends reuniting on HBO Max, and have different takes on the new special (28:08). Then, Lindsay recommends you go on the journey that is Bo Burnham: Inside - Netflix (33:21), Jack gives an emphatic thumbs down to American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (streaming for a price, but don’t bother) (38:19), and finally Lindsay recommends skipping Plan B on Hulu (41:07) and watching Booksmart instead.

What Happens in Vegas

After the penultimate episode of Mare, it's the penultimate Rec Center episode that begins with a lengthy discussion of everything Easttown. Next we visit Sin City for a lukewarm recommendation of Hacks on HBO Max (27:51) and a non-recommendation of Zack Synder's Army of the Dead - Netflix (33:20). Finally, we go deep into the world of The Handmaid's Tale - Hulu (37:18) and end with a negative take on The Me You Can’t See - Apple TV+ (46:33).

Trick or Treat

After a wild week in Easttown, we start this episode with a breakdown of the latest installment of Mare (HBO Max). There’s a lot to unpack, but if you haven’t seen episode 5, skip ahead to the other recs, like Those Who Wish Me Dead HBO Max (20:45), Girls 5eva and Rutherford Falls - both on Peacock (28:42). We finish with a thumbs down from Jack on The Woman in the Window - Netflix (35:10), a discussion of the new HBO Max documentary, The Crime of the Century (43:54), and an incomplete report on The Underground Railroad - Amazon Prime (51:02).

Family Matters

The Rec Center is back in Easttown this week, and we loved SNL’s Murdur Durdur spoof almost as much as we loved episode four of Mare (2:36). After going deep on all the family ties in Easttown, we get deeply negative on The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness on Netflix (22:09) and tell you why you should skip this new true crime offering. Other recs this week include a positive review of The Handmaid’s Tale - Hulu (30:31), a negative review of Downhill - Hulu (35:04), a thumbs down on Greenland - HBO Max (38:04), and a strong thumbs up on The Honorable Woman - HBO Max (40:09).

Mare and the McConaissance

We’ve taken the show on the road this week, with one half of the show in Hawaii and the other half now on the wrong side of 33. In a tangent heavy episode, early tangents include birthdays, Scottie Pippen, and Swedish beach reads. We loved Mare of Easttown episode 3 on HBO Max and can’t recommend the show enough (10:28). Other recommendations include Formula 1: Drive to Survive on Netflix (27:40), the best show you’re still not watching. Non-recs this week include The Big Shot - HBO Max (37:20) and The Girlfriend Experience, Season 3 on STARZ (39:27), which leads to a recommendation of Logan Lucky - Hulu (41:55). Finally, you shouldn’t watch Stowaway on Netflix (44:40) but you should watch Younger on Hulu (52:17).