BLACK WATCH: (10.11.24) ‘Starting 5,’ ‘Abbott Elementary’ & More

The Cassius Crew is teeing up more Black Watch for your viewing pleasure. With the fall season upon us, the cozier weather (but prayers to those affected by hurricanes), means selecting the right show to watch is essential. This week’s picks include a little something for anybody including sports, comedy, comics and suspense. 

Whether it’s documentaries, cult classic shows, or movies newly introduced to your favorite streaming platform, we’re making sure your watch list features some of the brightest talents the culture has to offer.

Abbott Elementary – ABC | Hulu

Most everything you’ve heard about Abbott Elementary is true, and we can’t co-sign it enough. The Quinta Brunson-created, network comedy is as endearing, thoughtful and hilarious as everyone telling you to watch probably already relayed to you. The cast features Brunson as Janine Teagues, a dripless 2nd grade teacher doing her best along with teachers like maybe, maybe not love interest Gregorie Eddie (portrayed by Tyler James Williams), outlandish school principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James) and the straight-up prestigious Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph). Abbott Elementary recently kicked off its fourth season on ABC, while the prior three can all be streamed on Hulu. We guarantee once you get started, you won’t stop until your all caught on the going on in the South Philadelphia elementary school.—Alvin aqua Blanco

Found – NBC

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NBC’s Found stars Shanola Hampton, who portrayed Veronica Fisher in Showtime’s Shameless (another great bingeworthy show). Then I found out my middle school crush, Mark-Paul Gosselaar—aka Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell—was in it, and that had me even more hype to add to my “watch” list. The season got picked up for a second, and Hampton plays Gabi Mosely, who runs a crisis management firm that specializes in tracking down marginalized people. She’s amazing at her job, and part of that comes from her own trauma—she was kidnapped as a teenager by her teacher Sir, played by Gosselaar.

Each week, we follow Gabi and her team as they help find the missing for their loved ones. But the wildest twist? Spoiler alert if you haven’t seen Season 1…—Alexis Felder

Starting 5 – Netflix

With its Starting 5 docuseries, Netflix followed 5 players —LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Jimmy Butler, and Domantas Sabonis –throughout the 2023-2024 NBA season to delve into the game and also how your personal life always reigns supreme. For James, he was coming off an offseason where his son suffered cardiac arrest, and we get to see he and his wife reflect on the scary moment. As for Edwards, we get to witness how the rising potential face of the league develops and see his face light up when he leaves a game early to witness his daughter’s birth. But if you’re just a hooper and want to hear your favorite player mic’d up, you should also tune in.

Stream Starting 5 on Netflix now.—Bruce Goodwin II

Green Lantern: Beware My Power  – VOD

Green Lantern is one of the most notable characters in the sprawling DC Comics universe, and the new Lanterns show coming to HBO will feature both Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and Jon Stewart (Aaron Pierre). For those who want to get to know Jon Stewart, one of the first Black characters in DC Comics, Green Lantern: Beware My Power is the story of how Stewart is recruited into the Green Lantern Corps, essentially an intergalactic police force. Aldis Hodge voices Stewart while Jimmi Simpson (House of Cards, Westworld) voices the wisecracking Green Arrow. Nigerian voice actor reprises his role as J’onn J’onzz aka Martian Manhunter.

Without giving away too much of the plot, the film sees Stewart wrestling with the weight of his past experiences as a Marine sniper and war veteran. With him inheriting the ring once possessed by Earth’s original Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, Stewart finds himself inserted into a war that spans the entire universe. Hodge brings a lot of weight to the character and like most movies in the DC Comics Animated Universe, the action is a lot grittier than expected so maybe not the show for the whole family. That said, it’s a great precursor of who Jon Stewart is.

Learn more here.—D.L. Chandler