The Rewind: 'Deal or No Deal Island' is actually good and no this is not a joke
Plus: "Mickey 17," "Black Bag," "Severance," "The White Lotus" and "The Studio"
Tonight marks the season finale of “Deal or No Deal Island” — yes, a very real show, and yes, I’ve been far too emotionally invested for the past 10 weeks.
On paper, it sounds like one of Jack Donaghy’s fever dreams from “30 Rock.” In practice? Pretty much exactly that. It’s on NBC, so honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing crawled straight out of a discarded Tina Fey script and into my soul.
Let’s be clear: it’s an abomination. A Frankenstein’s monster cobbled together from “Deal or No Deal,” “Survivor,” “Fear Factor,” and “Love Island.” But guess what? That mess is exactly my brand.
Have I watched Season 1? Absolutely not. Will I be back for Season 3? Unlikely. But Season 2? Season 2 cracked the code — or rather, DONDI cracked it by casting Parvati Shallow.
The Black Widow herself. A “Survivor” icon. And, as proven by her star turn on “The Traitors” Season 2, the secret sauce that makes you care about shows you absolutely should not care about. Parv is the only reason I tuned in, and frankly, the only reason I continue to pretend I understand how this bizarre game works.
Now, I fear the end is near. If you’re a normie contestant, you cannot just let a “Survivor” legend coast to victory. But then again, strategy hasn’t exactly been the heartbeat of this show — so why start now?
In Parv we trust.
⏪ Rewind: ‘Mickey 17’ is a mixed bag for Director Bong
Following up a Best Picture winner like “Parasite” is no easy task. “Mickey 17” marks director Bong Joon-ho’s return to the big screen, and the Robert Pattinson-led sci-fi satire is hit or miss.
In my case, it was miss, but for my co-host, Johnny Sobczak, it was an absolute hit. On this week’s podcast we’re diving deep into “Mickey 17” and ranking our favorite Bong hits, plus talking “Severance” and “The Studio.”
Listen to the full episode below.
▶️ Play: ‘Black Bag’ dares to imagine: what if James Bond was monogamous?
It’s the movie you probably didn’t even know existed, but I’m here to tell you “Black Bag” is the best film of 2025 so far. I truly mean that compliment, despite it sounding like a low bar to clear (see: “Captain America: Brave New World,” “The Gorge,” et al.).
Steven Soderbergh’s British Intelligence romance is sleek, sexy, and smart — part spy whodunnit, part workplace comedy, and somehow all vibe.
Michael Fassbender plays a spy with a hunch: could his spy wife (Cate Blanchett, casually chewing scenery) be the traitor his agency is hunting? And if she is… whose side is he really on?
Sure, it starts slow. But once “Black Bag” locks in, it’s a tight, tense game of cat and mouse with an ensemble that keeps you guessing until the very end. Oh — and it’s a breezy 94 minutes. Say less.
“Black Bag” is now playing in theaters.
⏸️ Pause: Tell your TV shows to stop edging me
I’ve been watching two of this year’s hottest shows for the last few weeks, and don’t get me wrong, I’ve been enjoying them, but it’s time I get something off my chest. Consider me Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom of Speech,” because it must be said.
Where are the answers? Where is the action?
I am not an impatient, impossible to please TV watcher. I don’t need to be spoon-fed answers and have every episode end in resolution, but I’m starting to get nervous here.
In the case of “Severance,” Season 2 has delivered some truly incredible episodes. “Chikhai Bardo” and “Woe’s Hollow” were brilliant hours of television. But is “Severance” Season 2 brilliant across the board? We still have one episode left to bring it all together, but the more I think about it, the more this season has felt like strong moments that are seriously lacking cohesion.
We keep getting more and more breadcrumbs, but breadcrumbs can only sustain you for so long. The inconsistency of the season has seen a major reveal at the end of Episode 3 that felt groundbreaking at the time, only for it to be pretty irrelevant for the next six weeks. Meanwhile, two standalone episodes come in between some of the series’ biggest cliffhangers and grind the momentum to a halt.
Please, Ben Stiller — make me look like a fool on Thursday night. I beg you.
“The White Lotus,” on the other hand? I take far less seriously, but still.
We’re five episodes deep, and finally, something’s happening. But those first four? Pure edging. In Seasons 1 and 2, chaos was already raining down by this point. Here, it felt like we were still on the tarmac until Episode 5 finally connected some dots.
Even my beloved “Deal or No Deal Island” promised us a “Double Elimination Episode” last week that saw – count ‘em up – you guessed it: one elimination. And they didn’t even play “Deal or No Deal”!
Enough foreplay. It’s time to deliver the goods.
⏩ Fast Forward: ‘The Studio’ is (almost) here to save Hollywood
T-minus eight days until my favorite show of 2025 arrives. That’s right, “The Studio” is the real deal.
The star-studded Apple TV+ comedy led by Seth Rogen is a hysterical look at the inner workings of Hollywood as the industry shifts further and further away from art and more towards “IP.”
At its core, "The Studio" understands one simple truth: Hollywood is a ridiculous, deeply unserious place run by people who take themselves way too seriously. And with Rogen’s signature blend of manic energy and lovable failure at the helm, the series captures all of it – the glamour, the dysfunction, the bottom-line panic, and the moments of brilliance that somehow emerge from it all.
Trust me, it’s worth the watch.
The first two episodes of “The Studio” premiere Wednesday, March 26 on Apple TV+ .
Read the full review below:
Other Recs This Week: “Deal or No Deal Island” Finale (Tuesday, NBC/Peacock), “Survivor” Ep. 4 (Wednesday, CBS/Paramount Plus), “Abbott Elementary” Ep. 18 (Wednesday, ABC), “Severance” Finale (Thursday, Apple TV+), “The White Lotus” Ep. 6 (Sunday, HBO), “The Righteous Gemstones” Ep. 3 (Sunday, HBO)
That’s a wrap on this week of The Rewind!
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