What’s New on Netflix in March 2023?
by Ana McGuire (Staff Writer)
Keeping up with the amount of new television shows and movies that are on the various streaming sites nowadays can be a headache. Between Netflix, Disney+, the new Paramount+ streaming site and many more, trying to decide what streaming sites to keep and what to get rid of can be difficult. Netflix used to be the only online streaming service available since it launched in 2007. However, ever since the launch of Disney Plus in 2019 and HBO Max in 2020, competition between the streaming services has been stiff. However, even though Disney Plus has all the animated classics we have all come to love, the entirety of the Marvel franchise and tons of fun, light-hearted television series and movies, while HBO has plenty of original TV shows and movies plus all your favourite cartoons, Netflix has some hugely successful movies and TV shows. For example, the global Netflix original hit series Wednesday took the world by storm and fans of the Addams Family and newly recruited fans are already highly looking forward to a season two. To make picking a streaming service and something to watch this month a bit easier, in this article I am going to go through two TV shows that are having another season this month and a murder mystery movie to round off the month! But before I begin, beware of spoilers as I will be running through the plots of these various forms of entertainment.
You Season Four Part Two
To start us off, Pen Badgely is reprising his role as the stalker serial killer Joe Goldberg in season four part two of the hit series You. After the success of season three in October 2021, filming for season four began in earnest in March 2022 in London. Season Four is being dropped in two halves. The first five episodes of Season Four released on February 9th 2023 and fans eagerly binge watched them. The end of season three left us on a cliffhanger. Joe poisoned his wife, Love Quinn, and faked his own death so it looked like she killed them both. After faking his own death, Joe leaves to go to Paris on a hunch that Marianne, his obsession, is there with her daughter. However, we have moved to another capital city in season four: London. In the capital of London, Joe has taken on a new challenge: teaching. He takes on the persona of Professor Jonathan Moore who teaches at the Royal Holloway in the University of London. However, Joe’s peace and attempt at turning over a new leaf slips through his fingers when dead bodies start appearing.
A serial killer is on the loose and it’s not our favourite stalker. This ‘Eat the Rich’ killer is determined to frame Joe for his crimes and wreck his attempt at bettering himself, or at least becoming less murderous. Joe has a new name, a new job and a new love interest. Kate, played by Charlotte Richtie, is last seen at the end of season four part one asking Joe out on a date. However, he turns her down as he needs to dispose of a few corpses, including his college colleague Malcom and Kate’s friend Gemma. Joe did not commit these murders but it is revealed to be Rhys Montrosse, the son of a duke who was born into poverty with a single mother. He is slowly killing off the rich and privileged and framing Joe for his crimes. With the pair both in London, it looks like there could be a serial killer showdown before the season is up. With season four-part two dropping on March 9th, we can look forward to more suspense, a showdown, more exploration of Kate and Joe’s budding relationship and possibly learning more about his son Henry. We are on the edge of our seats already!
Shadow and Bone Season Two
Stalking and murders is not for everybody, if that is not your cup of tea, maybe a high fantasy show will scratch that itch. Shadow and Bone is based on the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology written by Leigh Bardugo which were, and are to this day, extremely successful. In my opinion, TV shows do not measure up to books. However, season one of this TV show blew me away. In season one, we followed the story of Alina Starkov, played by Jessie Mei Li, an orphaned map maker who discovers she is a powerful Grisha, a Sun Summoner who is the only one with the power to destroy the Shadow Fold that divides the nation of Ravka in half. By her side is the ever loyal Mal, a fellow orphan and potential love interest. The other potential love interest of season two was General Kirigan, played by Ben Barnes, who is the leader of the Second Army and is also known as the Darkling. However, his place as a potential love interest is shattered when he is revealed to be the one who created the Fold and he attempts to use Alina’s powers to expand the Fold, not destroy it. At the end of season one, the Darkling is left to the mercy of the monsters inside the Fold, seemingly left for dead. But to close the season with a bang, we see the powerful Grisha storming out of the Fold, looking worse for wear but more powerful than ever.
Season two of this show will pick up on this ending shot as Alina and Mal are determined to fight Kirigan and save Ravka from ruin. But the Darkling has only grown more powerful with a new army of apparently indestructible shadow monsters and fearsome new Grisha recruits. Alina and Mal must journey across nations such as Novyi Zem and Shu Han to find mythical creatures that will amplify her powers. But they cannot do it alone! Along the way, they will rally their allies they made in season one. Fan favourites the Bastard of the Barrel Kaz Brekker played by Freddy Carter, the dagger wielding Inej Ghafa played by Amita Suman and the charming Jesper Fahey played by Kit Young will reappear in this sequel. Tagging along for the ride are two more familiar faces, the couple that was destined for each other, Nina Zenik played by Danielle Galligan and Matthias Helvar played by Calahan. There are a few fresh faces joining this mixed and matched crew in the form of twin Heart renders Tamar Kir and Tolya Tul Bataar and Wylan. So get ready for more friendships, new romance, bigger battles, epic adventures and a shocking family secret that could ruin everything on March 16th, only on Netflix.
Murder Mystery 2
We are rounding off this list with a comedy murder mystery starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. In 2019, the surprise hit of the year was the comedy Murder Mystery, which is a parody of the entire detective fiction genre. Nick and Aubrey are a married couple who end up on a billionaire’s yacht while on a trip to Europe. The downside of being on the yacht is they witness the murder of the billionaire, and while trying to solve the murder, most of the guests are slowly picked off too as they make their way around Europe. Murder Mystery ended with both Nick and Audrey being exonerated, their marriage somehow still intact despite Nick's lying and general uselessness, and the couple is gifted a trip on the famed Orient Express thanks to Interpol. The trailer for the sequel shows us that the couple are struggling to get their detective agency off the ground when they are invited to their friend’s wedding on a private island. However, they soon find themselves in the cross hairs of an international abduction as the groom is kidnapped from his own wedding. The suspense is killing me already! The number of new additions to the cast is insane but some notable ones are Mark Strong, Enrique Arce and Melanie Laurent. This sequel is sure to offer up a bundle of laughs at the end of a hectic month, I am looking forward to March 31st already!
