Mandatory Streamers: Santa Clarita Diet season 3 takes a bite out of love
Welcome to Mandatory Streamers, our latest column covering the best new streaming content coming your way every week! For the week of March 25, Sheila (Drew Barrymore) and Joel Hammond (Timothy Olyphant) are facing their biggest challenge yet when Santa Clarita Diet returns for a third season this Friday: The weight of true love vs. immortality, aka eating people. Check out the best shows debuting and returning online this week as well as the latest renewal announcements below, and be sure to visit our mother site Mandatory by clicking here!
Netflix
Santa Clarita Diet, Season 3 Premiere: Season 1 of the quirky comedy-horror introduced us to the Hammonds as they experienced dramatic changes involving the undead and cannibalism. Season 2 found the family attempting to adapt their new reality as Sheila’s appetite raised an impressive body count. Now, Season 3 will find the couple facing the possibility of eternity together (or apart) as Joel has to decide if he wants to become undead like his wife so they can remain together forever. The gory family comedy returns on Netflix on March 29.
On My Block, Season 2 Premiere: Netflix’s diverse coming-of-age comedy about four bright and street-savvy friends navigating their way through triumph, pain, gang violence, romance, and the newness of high school returns this week with its sophomore season. In the aftermath of the first season’s tragic cliffhanger and Jamal’s (Brett Gray) discovery, it’s time to cash in when Season 2 begins streaming on March 29.
Amazon Prime Video
Hanna, Series Premiere: Starring Esme Creed-Miles, Joel Kinnaman, and Mireille Enos, Amazon Prime’s Hanna follows the journey of an extraordinary young girl raised in the forest as she evades the relentless pursuit of an off-book CIA agent and tries to unearth the truth behind who she is. The new series, equal parts high-concept thriller and coming-of-age drama, is based on the 2011 film directed by Joe Wright. Created and written by the movie’s co-writer, David Farr, Hanna will launch on March 29. Stay tuned for exclusive interviews with the cast this week!
What We Do in the Shadows, Series Premiere: This mockumentary series is based on the 2014 cult classic film of the same name which follows a group of vampires (Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Jonathan Brugh, Ben Fransham) who live together in modern-day Wellington, New Zealand as they go through the mundane tasks of everyday life and of rooming with other people, as well as bringing in a vampire (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer) just turned by the group. Written and executive produced by Waititi and Clement, the comedy series will arrive on March 27 and will also be available to stream on FX+.
HBO
Barry, Season 2 Premiere: Emmy winner Bill Hader returns as Barry, a depressed, low-rent hitman from the Midwest. In the first season of the award-winning dark comedy, Barry reluctantly travels to Los Angeles to execute a hit on an aspiring actor, where he unexpectedly finds an accepting community in a group of eager hopefuls within the LA theater scene. Barry realizes he wants to start a new life as an actor, but his criminal past won’t let him walk away. Season 2 will dig deeper into the hitman’s past as Barry’s worlds collide. The new season will begin streaming on March 31.
Veep: Season 7 Premiere: HBO’s award-winning political series will be entering its seventh and final season this week, and there’s a lot of ground to cover. Season 7 finds Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) trying to gain traction in early primary states, wooing uber-wealthy donors while navigating threats from primary challengers, including aide-turned-congressman Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons). Selina’s band of misfits is also back, except for Mike (Matt Walsh), who’s been banished from her orbit and is now covering the presidential campaign, having been replaced by his ongoing nemesis in the press, reporter Leon West (Brian Huskey). Meanwhile, Amy (Anna Chlumsky) is figuring out how she feels about her pregnancy vis-a-vis Dan (Reid Scott), who seems unwilling to give up his playboy ways for fatherhood. See how it all ends when the final season begins streaming on March 31.
Renewals
Schitt’s Creek, Season 6: Our favorite funny family will be returning for a sixth, and sadly, final season consisting of 14 episodes. Season 5 finds The Roses finally thriving in Schitt’s Creek and ready to take their personal relationships and business pursuits to the next level. The fifth season is currently streaming on Pop TV with new episodes airing every Wednesday with previous seasons also available to stream. Now’s the time to catch up!
Marvel’s Runaways, Season 3: Hulu’s superhero series will be returning for another season following a huge demand from dedicated fans. In Season 2, The Runaways have left their homes (and evil parents) behind and now have to learn to live on their own. As they scavenge for food, search for shelter, and take care of one another, our kids begin to realize that, for better or worse, they’re stuck with each other. And it’s up to them to take down PRIDE once and for all. Executive producers and showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage promise that Season 3 will be a “magical time” on the series, as the connection to the Marvel universe is deepened.
