Created by Shonda Rhimes, the showis based on Jessica Pressler’s 2018 The Cut article documenting [scam artist] Anna Sorokin’s exploits. Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky) is a stand-in for Pressler (who also wrote the article that inspired the 2019 film Hustlers). The show juggles aspects of Anna’s (Julia Garner) life in nine overlong episodes—at least three installments cross the 70-minute mark, with the finale capping out at a dawdling 82 minutes. We see things through Vivian’s perspective as she interviews Anna and obsessively investigates her schemes, background, and relationships.
Love Is Blind (Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.): Netflix’s dating reality show hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey returns for its second season. In the show, 30 men and women date each other in different pods where they can talk but not see each other. Season two will premiere with five new episodes, with the next four airing on February 19. The grand finale is set for February 25.
In her review, Quinci LeGardye writes: “In its second season, the high-stakes reality show does a better job of getting viewers invested in the relationships in the pods, before the drama of the real world sets in. If the first season presented the series as spectacle, the second shows how the couples that result from this intensive dating experiment try against the odds to make their unconventional relationships work.”
Dollface (Hulu, Friday, 12:01 a.m.): Created by Jordan Weiss, this comedy follows Jules Wiley (Kat Dennings) who tries to reconnect with her female friends after being dumped by her longtime boyfriend. As she rejoins the world, she must also deal with her own fanciful imagination. In season two, Jules has finally reunited with BFF Madison (Brenda Song), Stella (Shay Mitchell), Izzy (Esther Povitsky). All four balance keeping the group together while navigating their careers and love lives. All 10 episodes will drop together for a binge release.
Movie night
Marry Me (Peacock, Friday, 3:01 a.m.):
Credit to the casting genius who thought to pair Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson in a glossy romantic comedy. It’s a choice that’s at once entirely unexpected and immediately endearing. Though the erstwhile Anacondaco-stars have each done their fair share of rom-com work over the years, they feel like they exist in different corners of the Hollywood sphere, which benefits Marry Me’s “unlikely couple” premise.
I Want You Back (Prime Video, Friday, 12:01 a.m.): This rom-com stars Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Gina Rodriguez, Scott Eastwood, Manny Jacinto, and Clark Backo. In his review, Vikram Murthi writes: “With its subplots and various ploys to separate its cast, I Want You Back plays like a two-hour sitcom episode—an awkward narrative structure that might go down smoother if the situations were more amusing or the jokes funnier.”
The Sky Is Everywhere (Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m.): Josephine Decker directs this adaptation of Jandy Nelson’s YA bestseller. “Like its source material, the film tells the story of a high school student and gifted clarinetist Lennie (Grace Kaufman), who lost her mother when she was young, and now lives with her grandmother (Cherry Jones), her Uncle Big (Jason Segel), and her older sister, Bailey (Havana Rose Liu). In the opening minutes, tragedy strikes this unlucky family again, as Bailey drops dead of a fatal arrhythmia during a rehearsal of Romeo And Juliet.” Read Leila Latif’s full review here.
Tall Girl 2 (Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.): The Emily Ting-directed rom-com is a sequel to Netflix’s 2019 film Tall Girl. Ava Michelle, Sabrina Carpenter, Griffin Gluck, Steve Zahn, and Angela Kinsey reprise their roles. Tall Girl 2 follows Jodi Kreyman (Michelle) as she deals with her newfound popularity. Keep an eye out for Jesse Hassenger’s review on the site today.
Gehraiyaan (Prime Video, Friday, 12:01 a.m.): This Bollywood romantic drama stars Indian superstar and xXx: Return Of Xander Cage actor Deepika Padukone. She plays Alisha Khanna, a thirtysomething woman who grows tired of her monotonous relationship and career. Her life is upended when she meets and forms an instant bond with Zain (Siddhant Chaturvedi), the fiancé of her cousin, Tia (Ananya Panday).
