
Laurie Ulster

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
If you love the idea of an old-fashioned Star Trek that lives up to today’s standards of inclusion and diversity (so, minus the ‘60s sexism), this is going to be right up your alley.

Watching Star Trek: Picard? Binge These Q and Guinan Episodes First
Q (John de Lancie) and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) are back in S2 of Star Trek: Picard, so let’s revisit the memorable TNG episodes featuring these two fan-favorite characters.

Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary will catch you off guard and surprise you. It captures the balance between comedy and heart, much like its mockumentary predecessors—but with a new spin, because the work these characters are doing truly matters.

The Center Seat
A combination of a deep dive and a crash course into Star Trek from its inception up through the early 2000s, covering the shows, movies, and the phenomenon itself.

Star Trek: Prodigy
The values of Star Trek, and then some: unity, diversity, individuality, optimism, idealism and hope. What more could you ask for? How about the return of Captain Janeway? Yeah, it’s got that too.

Star Trek: Lower Decks
An action-packed sci-fi comedy set in a Star Trek universe that it both reveres and lovingly mocks.

Why Star Trek: Picard Works Better as a Binge
To understand the power of the Star Trek franchise, binge watch Picard. The time is right.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, a Musical About Grief, Is Perfect for Our Time
At its heart, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is a musical about navigating grief. Because of that, it makes a beeline through the clutter of my thoughts and reaches straight into my heart.

Laurie Ulster

What to Discover on Discovery+
If you don’t know where to start when it comes to streaming services, The Watercooler is here to help. To kick off the new year, we’re running down our must-watch shows and films by platform so you can dive into the world of streaming and head straight for the good stuff. Be sure to read

Maiden
A lesson in surviving childhood trauma, channeling energy into a worthy cause, and fighting to win — even when the majority says victory is impossible.

Jane Goodall: The Hope
An upbeat, awe-inspiring look at the life of the legendary scientist and the young people she’s galvanized to make a positive impact on the world.

What to Watch on Disney+
Not everyone can be an early adopter, especially when it comes to streaming platforms. Maybe you were waiting for a particular movie or show to premiere. Maybe you just got a subscription for Christmas. If you don’t know where to start, The Watercooler is here to help. We’re running down our must-watch shows and films

Giving Voice
A timely documentary full of hope, joy, happy endings…and a gut-wrenching John Legend song. It will inspire kids who could use some encouragement to realize they, too, could share their voice.

Wonder Woman 1984
At its best when it explores the motivations behind the humanity of its characters, Wonder Woman 1984 is also funny, nostalgic and heartwarming — with terrific special effects.

Take a Vicarious Vacation: Binge Watches That Will Transport You
Any other year, we’d be wheels up by now, escaping the pressures and routines of daily life with that long-awaited holiday break trip. This year? Our best bet is a transporting TV series or movie that can take us away…and drop us into an exotic, far away world. We tapped the Watercooler’s recommendation engine and

Best of 2020: The Algo-Driven Holiday Movies
Does it feel like 2020’s holiday movies were created by an algorithm? That’s because they were. We got our hands on the holiday movie generator and here’s the slate it spit out.

The Favorite Shows of 2020…and Gift Ideas for Fans
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Watercooler recommendations of the year and paired them with gift ideas that ought to please any fan.

Lonely Planet
If you’re starting over after a breakup, facing some midlife questions, or looking for a date night movie that might inspire a romantic vacation, add this Moroccan adventure to your watchlist.
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A Watercooler Guide to Hollywood Satire “The Studio”
A perfectly-timed send-up that is already driving more water cooler talk than the blockbuster movie machines it satirizes, Apple’s star-studded new comedy The Studio just dropped its first two episodes, and the series is sure to be watched and discussed all the way to September’s Emmy awards. Created by one of the most prolific producing

What to Stream This Weekend: March 21st
From a shocking tabloid story told from different perspectives to the trending murder-in-the-White-House comedy … to a probe into the psyche of an authoritarian leader, our writers picked five of this week’s new releases across streaming to help break your decision paralysis. A Riveting Historical Drama: Quisling: The Final Days A provocative historical drama that

What to Watch This Weekend: 5 Watercooler Picks for March 14th
As storms swirl across the hemisphere and winter fatigue sets in, the Watercooler’s writers have picked five of the best new releases for every frame of mind to hunker down with — or to head out for — this weekend. A High Fantasy Escape Watch: Wheel of Time c. Prime Video More fun and female-centered

Black Bag
A taut, stylish and steamy take on the high-stakes espionage thriller, Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag keeps you second-guessing every character’s motives until the very end. The tension, the suspicion, the sense that the walls are closing in? It’s all here.

Raging Midlife
An over-the-top broad comedy for Gen Xers or older Millennials, Raging Midlife works for fans nostalgic for 80s movies who just want to laugh and de-stress. Wrestling fans will find a special level of joy in the moves.

How to Die Alone
A good show for anyone who wants to get “unstuck,” How to Die Alone reminds us to embrace vulnerability and take more risks. Mel shows us how to live.

Grand Theft Hamlet
Grand Theft Hamlet is a testament to the relentless and pure desire to make art– it might not be convenient, it might not make sense, it might not even be well-received, but that’s not going to stop those who want to make it. The result is a touching and funny doc that justifies its experiments