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: The cast of Hulu’s new movie Never Change!
This Week’s Picks
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial Vs. That’s The Weight Of The World) (Film)
Earth, Wind & Fire, photo courtesy of HBO
Directed by: Questlove
Streaming on: HBO Max
Sometimes the best person to tell a story about a great artist is another great artist: Questlove continues his streak of incredible documentaries about music legends with this deep dive into the group behind such classic songs as “September” and “Boogie Wonderland.” There was a lot more to Earth, Wind, and Fire than their biggest hits, as Questlove elegantly highlights with this look at the band’s philosophy, legacy, and cultural impact. Also, it looks really cool, almost psychedelic at times. (Please watch this documentary responsibly.)
The Season (TV)
Related Video
The Season (Hulu)
Created by: Yalun Tu
Cast: Jessie Mei Li, Karena Lam, Chris Pang, Justin Chien, Yvonne Chapman, Kōki, Lee Jae-yoon, Lincoln Younes, Claire Lovering, Jai Day, Celina Jade, Toby Stephens
Streaming on: Hulu
Summertime is a great time for shows like The Season, a six-episode soap opera set in the high-stakes, ultra-luxe world occupied by Hong Kong’s most wealthy and powerful. Are there some familiar twists? Absolutely. Does every character have a secret they’re trying to keep? Of course. Is everyone wearing the most fabulous outfits? You bet! The word for this kind of drama is delicious, though don’t worry about savoring it — it plays best as a binge.
Las Culturistas Culture Awards 2026 (Awards Show)
Las Culturistas Culture Awards 2026 (Bravo/Peacock)
Hosted by: Matt Rogers, Bowen Yang
Streaming on: Peacock
This is only the second year that Bravo has broadcast the Las Culturistas Culture Awards, but I think they’re now officially my favorite awards show ever. Seriously, I experienced an actual literal spit-take moment less than five minutes into the opening monologue, and before the end of the first musical performance I was frantically texting a half-dozen people about what a delight it was. It’s not just a bunch of Heated Rivalry references, either. For one thing, Lisa Rinna is back modeling the Outfits of the Year. For another, it’s… Look, I really don’t want to spoil anything. Just enjoy.
Sugar Season 2 (TV)
Sugar (Apple TV)
Created by: Mark Protosevich
Cast: Colin Farrell, Jin Ha, Raymond Lee, Tony Dalton, Laura Donnelly, Sasha Calle
Streaming on: Apple TV
The first season of Sugar received a lot of criticism for how late in the season its big twist occurred. (There were also people who maybe didn’t love that twist, but I was not one of them. It delighted me.) So Season 2 is unburdened by that problem, as with private investigator John Sugar’s biggest secret now out in the open, we’re free to enjoy Colin Farrell’s deeply committed performance — so committed it’s hilarious. Really, this show takes itself so seriously that it somehow loops back around to being enjoyably comedic, while still also kicking off an intriguing new mystery to be solved. A true deranged favorite.
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.
Hollywood Shuffle (Film)
Hollywood Shuffle (The Samuel Goldwyn Co.)
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Cast: Robert Townsend, Anne-Marie Johnson, Helen Marti, Starletta DuPois, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Lou B. Washington, Brad Sanders, John Witherspoon, Eugene Robert Glazer, Lisa Mende, Dom Irrera, The Hollywood Shuffle Players
Streaming on: Tubi
Robert Townsend’s remarkably funny and fearless 1987 satire is a timeless treat: In just 81 minutes, the comedy legend tears down Hollywood’s treatment of Black people with scenes that feel incredibly relevant even today, while also being hilarious. This includes the main storyline, about young Jimmy (Townsend) trying to make it in the industry as an actor, as well as a series of sketches (Jimmy’s “dreams”) which take on no shortage of Hollywood stereotypes. Predictably, the At the Movies bit was my favorite.
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: The Cast of Never Change!
Never Change (Hulu)
Who Are They? Carmen Christopher, Gary Richardson, and Jo Firestone are familiar names/faces to comedy fans: In addition to his unhinged standup work, Carmen really popped on English Teacher and also has a recurring role on The Bear. Gary wrote for SNL for many seasons, was featured in I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, and is now a writer and cast member on Robinson’s The Chair Company. And Jo has made many appearances across the late-night TV landscape, writing for The Tonight Show and After Midnight, and also voicing the lead character of the Adult Swim series Teenage Euthanasia. (I also really liked her debut novel, Murder on Sex Island!)
All three of them have far richer comedy resumes than I’m able to sum up in a limited amount of space, all three of them have also appeared on Joe Pera Talks With You, and all three of them star in the new movie Never Change!, about a group of former classmates, now 35 years old, who suddenly find out they have to return to finish the last two weeks of high school. (Hilarity, as you might guess, ensues.)
What Do They Recommend? In a quick junket interview, I got to ask all three cast members for their recommendations. Since this was during the NBA finals, Jo’s answer was “basketball games and Love Island (Peacock/Hulu).” Gary, meanwhile, had just watched the 1978 Robert Altman movie A Wedding (Criterion Channel), which he praised for its casting as well as “the way that it bounces around and juggles all these storylines… It’s so cool how he can keep all these balls in the air and even though it’s like 100% side plots, still have a satisfying ending to me.”
Carmen, meanwhile, gave his co-star a shoutout with his recommendation of The Chair Company (HBO Max): “Gary’s in it and he’s super funny in it and he wrote it, so I think he’s not getting enough credit for it. I think that people need to be walking up to him on trains, on the beach, wherever, and showing some respect. They just lost the Gotham Award, and I’m so mad. I know that writers’ room is upset about it, too. So we need to get the word out there.”
Thank you to Jo, Gary, and Carmen for their picks! Never Change! is streaming now on Hulu.
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!
House of the Dragon Seasons 1 & 2 Recap (YouTube)
House of the Dragon (HBO)
Created by: Ryan Condal, George R.R. Martin
Streaming on: YouTube
This 15-minute recap of HBO’s big-budget dragon drama is not, perhaps, ideal before-bed viewing. (So many people die horribly on this show.) However, it is the perfect thing to watch before Season 3 of House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max this Sunday, since the civil war between these two houses is a bit complex, and it’s been two years since Season 2 aired. It’s not the best TV recap video I’ve ever seen, but only because it doesn’t involve any cats. A note for the future, HBO.
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!
