Don’t worry! This post isn’t going to read like another one of those I’m-one-of-the-few-people-who’s-never-seen-Game-of-Thrones memes. I’ve seen the show. As a matter of fact, I’ve seen every episode, but now I’m delighted that it’s done. Now that it’s gone – until the spinoff series starts – HBO streaming fans can enjoy their favorite HBO original series. (None of them have anything to do with dragons, zombies, or castle sieges, thank goodness!) Here’s a rundown of what Mrs. Buckler and I are watching now and will be watching soon.
Big Little Lies, Season Two
You know what can be more intriguing than battles between gigantic armies? The battles that most people fight within themselves. These struggles highlight the much-anticipated second season of HBO’s Big Little Lies. The first episode aired last Sunday and already started off with a bang. Much of it is centered upon Mary Louise Wright, played by Meryl Streep. What an amazing addition to the cast!
As one might expect, the veteran actress has stolen every scene in that first episode. Her character is the mother of Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgård), who was killed in the last episode of the first season. She comes to Monterrey to find out exactly what happened to her son. In her interactions with Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) and Celeste (Nicole Kidman), Mary digs deep in a delightfully entertaining yet passive-aggressive way. Even though it’s just been one episode, it’s been delightful to watch.
Divorce, Season Three
The closest we got to a “divorce” in Game of Thrones was the “red wedding.” I don’t think anyone wants to go through that again! Maybe that’s why I enjoy HBO’s original series Divorce. The series is a great exercise on how to be entertaining and creative in smaller spaces, physically and otherwise. Divorce is a scaled-down series is set on Hasting-on-Hudson, an inner suburb of New York City. This quaint rural community are a breath of fresh air after the grandiose production that Game of Thrones was.
Divorce tells the story of the separation and divorce of Frances and Robert Dufresne, played by Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church respectively. It does a good job of highlighting the highs and lows of each character’s single life, as well as their cringe-worthy struggles at parenting two world-weary Millennials. What’s great about it is Parker, once the darling of Sex in the City, plays the less-than-sympathetic Frances, who blew up her life by cheating on Robert.
Here’s a look at the highly-anticipated (at least in my house) Divorce season three trailer:
Ballers, Season Five
Of all the HBO original series, Ballers is the most like Game of Thrones. Both shows are filled with ambitious people grasping for that proverbial “brass ring.” In Game of Thrones it was the Iron Throne while Ballers features characters pursuing their own highly-idealized vision of what success is. This often creates intersecting and ever-changing partnerships and feuds. The only difference between the two shows is that no one gets killed in Ballers, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is more charismatic than nearly anyone in Thrones.
I don’t know when the fifth season of Ballers will air. All I know is that HBO ordered a fifth season of this popular show on September 6, 2018. If I had to take a guess, I would say it will air sometime after the current season of Big Little Lies wraps up. That’s the great thing about HBO, they never give us too many shows to juggle at once. They spread them out to give us great viewing all year long. I’m guessing we’ll get to watch Spencer Strasmore’s (Johnson) ongoing ambitions in September.
I Love HBO Streaming!
I might be glad that Game of Thrones is over, but I still enjoyed the show and I love HBO’s original series. The three shows I’ve listed here are just some of the many great shows the network produces. My wife and I are also looking forward to another season of Insecure and I’m personally hoping for another season of True Detective. I would love to see that one, especially after the enigmatic third season that starred Mahershala Ali and Stephen Dorff.
Solid Signal is an AT&T Preferred Dealer, which means we offer DIRECTV subscriptions, AT&T wireless plans, and the latest cell phones. Since AT&T acquired HBO, it’s like we’re all part of one big “dream team.” That’s why I find it so satisfying to see so many great original series available on HBO streaming. It’s also why I say that HBO streaming is the best streaming, dragons or no dragons!
