1. Can Star Trek Discovery deliver on a difficult second season?
Star Trek Discovery returns this week for its second season and while fans are most definitely hyped, there’s also a little bit of apprehension mixed in there as well. After all, Star Trek Discovery season 1 was one of the best TV shows of 2017 (and 2018 if you count Part 2, which aired early last year), making the dreams of Trekkies everywhere come true with a brand new series that delivered on everything we wanted from a new Trek saga, while drawing new fans to the franchise as well - no small feat. And now it’s time for the second season. How can Star Trek Discovery season 2 possible live up to its first, spectacular outing? Especially, given the behind-the-scenes drama, which saw original showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg fired midway through production, due to allegations of staff mistreatment and a ballooning budget? Well, luckily, I’ve seen the first three episodes and can happily say that it delivers on the promise of season 1 and more. While a lot can happen in the remaining 11 episodes of the season, from what I’ve seen so far, Star Trek Discovery is back and better than ever. Don’t miss the premiere when it airs this week! Lauren O’Callaghan
What: Star Trek Discovery season 2
When: January 17, 2019 (US)/January 18, 2019 (UK)
Where: CBS All Access (US)/Netflix (UK)
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2. The Shrouded Isle out on Nintendo Switch and is perfect for venting your buried frustration about the trash fire that was 2018
2018 was garbage. Loads of bad things came to light (that Fallout 76 bag, those 100-hour workweeks at Rockstar, and that gender discrimination case at Riot Games to name a few…), but there’s the perfect way to vent about them: by sacrificing people to an elder god that lurks under the waves. Let me explain: Shrouded Isle is coming to Nintendo Switch, a game which makes you the High Priest of a village cult. It’s not all drinking suspicious red liquid out of goblets, though. It’s up to you to try and keep the ruling Houses in check, prevent a disease from overwhelming the village, and decide who to sacrifice at the end of each season. So if you had any leftover frustration about 2018 and need to do some Bad Stuff but not feel bad about it, Shrouded Isle will let you indulge your evil side and not judge you for it. But your friends might, if you tell them about it. Just a warning. Zoe Delahunty-Light
What: The Shrouded Isle
Where: Nintendo Switch
When: January 18
3. The Punisher goes down fighting with its second (and probably final) season on Netflix
If Frank Castle had showed up in Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos would be as good as a purple jello shot by now. Rightly or wrongly, the man is an unstoppable killing machine, playing judge, jury, and executioner to whoever pisses him off, and his return to Netflix in The Punisher season 2 doesn’t relent on that quintessential brand of uber violent action. This chapter in Frank’s life has the past catching up with him, as season 1 antagonist Billy Russo is back, now evolved into his final form as comic book supervillain Jigsaw, while fresh faces including Giorgia Whigham as teenage grifter Amy Bendix and Josh Stewart as secondary villain John Pilgrim spice up the story with interwoven narratives. Netflix has dust snapped ¾ of The Defenders at this point, so it’s probable that The Punisher season 2 will indeed be the last we ever get to see of Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle. That’s sad news, but at least he’s gone out in classic Punisher style, leaving a trail of bullet ridden bodies in his wake. Alex Avard
What: The Punisher season 2
Where: Netflix
When: January 18
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4. Captain Spirit's making a comeback in Life is Strange 2: Episode 2
I can guarantee I wasn't the only one that was sad when their time with the wonderful Captain Spirit was cut short. So you'll be pleased to hear that the second episode of Life is Strange 2 will finally reveal how The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit ties into the larger story. Captain Spirit's own story - available still as a free download so get playing - was left on quite the cliffhanger, and now we might just find out what happens. Episode two of Life is Strange - simply titled rule - follows on from where episode one left off, with our heroes Sean and Daniel still on the run from the cops who believed they murdered their father. They take shelter in their grandparents' house after Daniel falls ill, and it's here that they encounter Chris Eriksen - aka Captain Spirit. No doubt when Chris finds out Daniel does have the same kind of super powers he believes he has himself, things are going to get very interesting indeed, and after the slow burn that was episode one, I am more than excited to see what happens next. Sam Loveridge
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5. Grace and Frankie returns for season 5, and shows just how liberating the “screw it” approach to life really is
There’s been a time in all of our lives where we really, really want to just say ‘screw it’ and throw caution to the wind where it’ll be blown into a yawning abyss and rot there. This approach to life is being seized by the proverbial by Grace and Frankie in the latest trailer for season 5 of their show that’s all about challenging the stereotypes the elderly have to deal with. Having been sent to a retirement community by their children at the end of the last season, the two dames are fighting back against the idea that they’re helpless, which means a lot of swearing and self-discovery is on the way. Both Grace and Frankie are taking charge of their lives now that they’ve begun to discover who they are outside of their marriages, and seeing them both dig their heels in against their children is...pretty damn liberating, actually. There’s a few celebrity casting surprises in there too, with RuPaul and Nicole Richie making brief appearances in the trailer, so if you want that extra bit of motivation to finally say ‘screw it’ and do that thing you’ve been putting off, Grace and Frankie season 5 is what you need. Zoe Delahunty-Light
What: Grace and Frankie season 5
Where: Netflix
When: January 18
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6. Get to know God of War's Cory Barlog as he kicks off PAX South
PAX South will begin its fifth year of en masse game celebrations in San Antonio, Texas on Friday, which means plenty to look forward to even if you won't be in attendance. God of War director Cory Barlog will kick off the event with a Storytime presentation on his journey through the games industry at 10:30am CT on Friday, and a weekend full of game demonstrations and discussions will follow. PAX South still doesn't have quite the same pull for big-budget games as PAX West or East, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing - it just gives indies more room to strut their stuff. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements and fun panels throughout the event. Connor Sheridan
What: PAX South
Where: San Antonio, Texas
When: January 18-20
- All the new games of 2019 to get excited about (so far)
7. M. Night Shyamalan attempts to tie Unbreakable and Split together with (possibly broken) Glass
When Split first came out back in 2016, all anyone could talk about was the secret Bruce Willis cameo at the end of the film, which confirmed a shared universe with 2000’s subtle superhero hit Unbreakable. Director M. Night Shyamalan, known for his surprise, twist endings, had seemingly done it again! Now he promises to give us a final third film, which will tie together the previous movies in one epic trilogy, but sadly, the reviews so far have been somewhat lackluster. Our own Glass review gave it 3 stars saying that while it’s “speckled with moments of greatness” Glass “doesn’t quite live up to the lofty heights of Unbreakable and Split”. Has the understated superhero trilogy fallen at the final hurdle? That’s for fans to decide when it hits cinemas this week, but having seen it myself, there’s lots to love about the upcoming movie if you’re a fan of the first two films. Lauren O’Callaghan
What: Glass
When: January 18, 2019
Where: Cinemas
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8. Is there such a thing as too much schadenfreude? The makers of the second Fyre Festival documentary this week hope not.
If you're finding the start of 2019 tough, take a moment to consider the poor folks at Netflix. They've been teasing their documentary Fyre since December, and were all ready to release on January 18, when rival streaming service Hulu dropped its own Fyre Festival movie, Fyre Fraud, on Monday. Worse, Hulu's documentary scored an interview with the conman at the center of the whole thing, Billy McFarland. Is there no end to the Fyre Festival drama? But wait, there's even more tea to spill. It turns out the Hulu filmmakers paid actual criminal McFarland - he's currently serving six years in prison for fraud - for his interview, which is an ethical no no. Then it was revealed that one of the production companies behind the Fyre documentary on Netflix - Jerry Media - worked promoting the festival for McFarland, even as things were clearly going to hell in a millenial handcart. Honestly, it's only made me more excited about the Netflix documentary, and now I'm just waiting for the film about the warring Fyre Festival movies.
What: FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
Where: Netflix
When: Out now
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8 Things to Watch This Week picks the best games, movies and shows of the next seven days every Friday at 9am PDT / 5pm BST.
