ft. ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ & Easy Chocolate Cinnamon Crunch Knots

April 30, 2021 by Sydney Grant

Don’t say it…don’t say it…don’t say itdon’tsayitdon’t…IT’S GUNNA BE MAY. Sorry, JT made me do it. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get to the more exciting news of the week. ICYMI, Glenn Close won the Oscars but sadly, no actual Oscars (Seriously, someone give that woman an Academy Award already!); Chloé Zhao made history as the first woman of color to win “Best Director;” and Caitlyn Jenner is apparently running for governor in news that is sadly not-at-all-shocking to me. We should start putting a “Former Reality TV Stars” category on the ballot.

However you’re planning on spending your weekend, enjoy these quarantivities!

Quarant-streams

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

Watch this if you look good in red:

If you’re still watching The Handmaid’s Tale, good for you — your patience has finally paid off. After a nearly two-year-long hiatus, Elizabeth Moss is back with more totalitarian government-filled drama than ever. In case you too have been living in a dystopian society with no access to the internet, the show follows a woman named Offred, as she attempts to escape from a very messed up America. Like, even more messed up than we’re used to. Fertility rates have plummeted and those that are still able to become pregnant are forced into essentially being baby machines for the society’s elite. Super light-hearted stuff!

I don’t want to give anything away, but for those of who you’ve been anxiously awaiting Offred’s return, just know that the creator of the show himself has described this season as a “cathartic experience” for viewers. Personally, this show stressed me out almost as much as a certain-orange-someone’s very bad toupee, so I gave up halfway through the second season. But hey, I’ll take as many cathartic experiences as I can these days, so maybe I’ll just have to pick it up again.

Stream Seasons 1-4 via Hulu.

‘Shadow and Bone’

Watch this if you’re a sucker for a villain (team Darth Vader!):

Fantasy fans were given a treat last weekend with Netflix’s latest YA book adaptation: Shadow and Bone, a marriage of two of bestselling author Leigh Bardugo’s series, Shadow and Bone and the Shadow of Crows. Spoiler alert: There are lots of shadows at play here, including a menacing stretch of land called the Shadow Fold that dominates the show. Filled with evil and monsters, the fold has threatened the surrounding nations for centuries, including the war-torn country of Ravka from which our young heroine Alina Starkov hails.

After learning that she has the power to manipulate light, Alina joins a group of fellow warriors who all possess the ability to control the elements *insert Avatar: The Last Airbender reference here* and sets out to destroy the Shadow Fold once and for all. There’s a lot to unpack here, but if you’re into fantasy, adventure, and villains with very sexy facial hair, then kiss eight hours of your life goodbye this weekend — this one is dangerously binge-able.

Stream it via Netflix.

Quarant-reads

‘The Silent Patient’ by Alex Micaelides

Read this if you’ve ever Googled “Best movies with twist endings”:

I know that I promised you a trashy beach read, but I promise that this book is so much better. If you love a good twist ending (think Shutter Island, The Prestige, etc.), then The Silent Patient is for you. After Alicia Berenson brutally murders her husband, she goes silent, never speaking another word. Once a famous painter, she now spends her days locked inside a psych ward in London, as the world is left to speculate as to what exactly happened that fateful night. Why did she do it? Did she do it? These are questions only Alicia knows the answers to, but criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber is determined to learn the truth… whatever it takes.

Purchase via Amazon.