John Oliver on Days of Our Lives, The X-Files

Welcome to the latest issue of Stream On, the weekly newsletter from Consequence that answers the eternally confounding question: What films and TV shows should you be watching? (Subscribe here!) We’re looking at all the new and recent releases from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max, and more for ideas — not to mention a Blast From the Past and streaming recommendations from this week’s special guest!

This Week’s Picks

Days of Our Lives (TV)

Days of Our Lives (Peacock)

Created by: Ted Corday, Betty Corday
Cast: A bunch of soap opera veterans and also, for three episodes, John Oliver
Streaming on: Peacock

When I launched this newsletter 201 issues ago, I never expected that I’d be leading one with one of the longest-running soap operas of all time. But that’s just what happens when John Oliver decides to spend his summer vacation visiting first Port Charles and, this week, Salem.

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I confess that as someone who does not regularly watch Days of Our Lives (me watching the first scene of John Oliver’s first episode: “IS THAT JACKÉE?!”) a lot of the ongoing storylines feel like watching K-dramas without the subtitles on. However, Oliver’s appearances in these recent episodes have been deliciously cheesy and I’ve enjoyed them a lot. The specific episodes featuring him (for any time travelers who might be reading this) are the ones airing on August 11th, 12th, and 14th, 2026. Don’t try to understand what’s going on. Just vibe.

Whitmer Thomas: Terminal Crew of Dudes (Comedy Special)

Whitmer Thomas: Terminal Crew of Dudes (HBO)

Directed by: Whitmer Thomas, Clay Tatum
Cast: Whitmer Thomas
Streaming on: HBO Max

Whitmer Thomas is one of those comedians who can tell you about the worst experiences of his life and make it funny, which is a very rare gift. His new HBO special is essentially a love letter to the friends who got him through those rough spots, the titular “Terminal Crew of Dudes” who happen to be with him on stage for the taping of the special. They’re also his band, featured in the songs which pepper this very funny, sometimes dark, look at growing up.

The Choral (Film)

The Choral (Sony Pictures Classics)

Directed by: Nicholas Hytner
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam, Mark Addy, Alun Armstrong, Robert Emms, Simon Russell Beale
Streaming on: Netflix

Released last fall, The Choral was a little too light to be an awards contender and a little too heavy to be a Full Monty-esque crowd-pleaser. However, that maybe makes it an ideal movie to catch on streaming. There’s real charm to its slice-of-life approach to 1916 Britain, featuring all the little details that make the time period come alive, and some beautiful music featured as well, as Ralph Fiennes’s choirmaster shows up in a small town to help the locals put on one big show. Come for the singing, stay for the significant subplot regarding the village’s designated sex worker! (Oh, and shout-out to my friend Corinne for reminding me that this one was streaming.)

The Real Wolf of Wall Street (TV)

The Real Wolf of Wall Street (Paramount+)

Featuring: Most of the real people depicted in The Wolf of Wall Street
Streaming on: Paramount+

One of my many personality quirks is that I cannot stop rewatching The Wolf of Wall Street. Here’s Letterboxd evidence, and I’m pretty sure there have been at least two or three additional rewatches I didn’t log. Rather than unpack the reasons for that, I’m just going to say that I’m finding this documentary about the actual Jordan Belfort to be damn interesting. The three-part series leans hard into its inspiration (it feels like at least 10% of the screen time is clips from the Scorsese film) but puts a necessary spotlight on the men and women victimized by Belfort during his time at the top. This includes clients as well as his friends and family — including second wife Nadine Macaluso (played by Margot Robbie in the film).

Blast From the Past

The home screens of streaming services are always packed with the latest new releases, but we don’t spend enough time appreciating how much good library content is streaming across all of these platforms. Each week, Stream On will spotlight one less-than-new favorite (must pre-date the founding of Consequence, so 15 years or older) that deserves attention from modern-day eyes.

The X-Files: “Irresistible” (TV)

The X-Files (Fox)

Created by: Chris Carter
Cast: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson
Streaming on: Hulu

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Carter about the new director’s cut of the 2008 movie The X-Files: I Want to Believe. I mean that sincerely, he’s actually quite pleasant to talk to. However, friends, that movie has never been my favorite, and the new Vrach Frankenshteyn edit (emphasizing the scarier aspects of the story while removing a great deal of the character interaction) didn’t change my opinion. It is streaming now on Hulu, though, so you can decide for yourself, and this also feels like a fine occasion to revisit one of the best episodes of the series written by Carter, Season 2’s “Irresistible.”

The show’s producers still take great glee in getting away with a story this dark on 1990s network television (I literally heard Vince Gilligan talk about it during a Paley Media Center event last week): Here, Mulder and Scully try to track down a “death fetishist” (Fox refused to let them use the word “necrophiliac”) played to evil perfection by Nick Chinlund. It’s gross, weird, and scary as hell. It also features, ahem, a few character-focused moments. Almost as if the characters of The X-Files were a big factor in why people still care about this show, decades later.

A Special Guest Recommends!

Liz isn’t the only person in the world capable of suggesting stuff for people to watch… So each week, Stream On will now feature picks from a special guest! Said special guest could be literally anyone from the world of entertainment — actors, writers, directors, musicians, or anyone else Liz thinks might be watching something interesting.

This Week: Nimrods Director Lee Kirk!

Lee Kirk, photo courtesy of Lee Kirk, and Hamnet (Focus Features)

Who Are They? Lee Kirk is a writer and director whose movies have played the Tribeca Film Festival and featured an impressive range of actors including Selma Blair, Judy Greer, Fred Armisen, Chris Messina, Bob Odenkirk, and Jenna Fischer (who happens to be his wife). His newest flick, Nimrods, is a coming-of-age story with a punk rock twist — the movie follows an indie band road tripping to California under the mistaken belief that they’ve been invited to open for Green Day. (Green Day appear in the movie as themselves and also serve as producers.) Shenanigans ensue, with a very funny appearance by Fischer as well.
What Do They Recommend? I can’t argue with either of Lee’s lovely picks:

I’m a big theater nerd. In addition to seeing as much live theater as possible, I also subscribe to Broadway HD and National Theatre at Home. So when a film comes along that possesses the qualities of a play, I’m all in.

Chloe Zao’s Hamnet (Netflix) is a heartbreaking film that imagines William Shakespeare was inspired to write Hamlet after the death of his son, Hamnet. It’s a sad and touching exploration of grief, with brilliant performances by Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. I’m particularly in love with the film’s climax, where we all become witness to the universal potential of the creative act. I suggest watching with a box of tissues.

Quick additional recommendation: Set in 1923 Ireland, Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin (VOD only) feels like a distant cousin to McDonagh’s plays The Cripple of Inishman and The Lieutenant of Inishmore. It’s a brilliantly funny movie, stunning to look at, with a spellbinding score that evokes the aching loneliness at the heart of the story. If you’ve never seen a McDonagh play, this film gives a glimpse into his work as a dramatist. I suggest watching with a glass of your favorite Irish whisky.

Thank you so much to Lee for these recs — Nimrods is in theaters now!

One Last One Before Bed

Finally, let’s spotlight a movie or TV show that’s not only great, but won’t take up too much of your time: Think of this section as the answer to the question “What’s something I can watch before hitting the hay, that won’t keep me up too late?” The only rule is that it has to be less than 95 minutes if it’s a movie, or less than 30 minutes an episode if it’s a TV show. Otherwise, sky’s the limit!

One Day at a Time (2017, TV)

One Day at a Time (Netflix)

Developed by: Gloria Calderón Kellett, Mike Royce
Cast: Justina Machado, Todd Grinnell, Isabella Gomez, Marcel Ruiz, Stephen Tobolowsky, Rita Moreno
Streaming on: Netflix

One of Netflix’s best multi-cam sitcoms to date, the reboot of One Day at a Time is packed with great comedy and Norman Lear-esque heart. Justina Machado stars as a single mom trying to hold her family together as well as herself (mental health issues get explored pretty thoroughly across the show’s run), with Rita Moreno stealing everyone’s hearts as Penelope’s bold yet complicated mother.

The supporting cast also features Stephen Tobolowsky as Penelope’s boss… and Rita Moreno’s love interest? The TV gods were truly shining down upon us with this one. It’s still sad that Netflix canceled the show after three seasons, and Season 4, following its premiere on the network PopTV, is not available for streaming. Although hypothetically, if you were to poke around a bit on the ODAAT subreddit, you might find a handy link or two.

We’ll be back next week with more picks — in the meantime, stay safe out there, or better yet stay inside, where it’s definitely safe, and there’s so much film and TV to watch. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter!