She-Hulk, The Bear on Disney+ offer laughs and emotion that will keep you coming back each week

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The Globe’s associate arts editor, Aruna Dutt, on the best TV and films to stream this week.

The must-see

Jeremy Allen White rose to stardom as Lip in Chicago-based Shameless (Netflix), the second-eldest of the Gallagher siblings left to fend for themselves as their addict father wanders off and creates problems for them to fix. A gritty, vulnerable depiction of a character striving to be more is what White does best, and we get all that and then some in The Bear (Disney+), a hypnotic, enveloping – often anxiety-producing – series about a struggling Chicago beef-sandwich shop and kitchen brigade.

White plays Carmy, a former chef at a five-star restaurant who returns home to take over the family shop after his brother, who was an addict, dies from suicide. While dealing with his emotional trauma and neglecting his real family, Carmy is focused on his kitchen family, struggling to improve the chaotic restaurant and gain the respect of his crew.

Knives chop at a speed as quick as the staff’s tempers. Carmy’s (mostly) quiet leadership, and that of the new, young chef he’s brought on to lead (breakout star Ayo Edebiri), contrasts with the walking dumpster fire that is his toxic “cousin” – his brother’s best friend (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The intense realism may be thanks to, at least in part, Canadian chef Matty Matheson, who not only makes appearances as a handyman, but acted as a consultant on the series. Despite being doused in constant insults, swearing, pranks and downright meanness, The Bear is filled with warmth and mouth-watering cooking – which should be enough to keep you coming back each Wednesday for a new episode.

For the laughs

Legal-drama-meets-Marvel-comedy, She-Hulk (Disney+, streaming Aug. 18) wastes no time on hero origin stories, taking us straight into the life of Jennifer Walters (played by Canadian Emmy winner and Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany). The first four episodes made available to review show the series has a good sense of humour, and breaks the fourth wall with Walters self-referencing it as “this fun lawyer show.” There is also a welcome difference between Jennifer and Bruce Banner/the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo): As a lawyer, Jennifer is practised at controlling her anger, and learns how to turn her transformation on and off easily. I’m excited to see a new format in the Marvel universe and where Maslany takes it.

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This third hit is a home run. A League of Their Own (Amazon Prime) tells the true story of the professional women’s baseball team formed when men were away fighting the Second World War. Sound familiar? The new eight-part series is based on the beloved 1992 movie that had an all-star cast of Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Madonna. That seems hard to beat, but it’s a whole new ball game with an extremely funny and diverse cast that includes Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place), Chanté Adams (The Photograph), and Canadian Kelly McCormack (Letterkenny). Plot lines are approached with freshness and wit, highlighting stories of LGBTQ, Black and Latina characters through the lens of contemporary social mores.

Also offering a perfect balance of feel-good comedy with some wholesome weight is Never Have I Ever (Netflix). Season three of Mindy Kaling’s coming-of-age comedy reaches peak high-school playfulness. It continues the twists and turns in the dating life of Devi (played by Toronto’s own Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) as she processes the loss of her father and makes important decisions about her future. If that’s not enough for you to watch, maybe an episode narrated by Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) will be.

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Critically acclaimed romances

The wait is over: Licorice Pizza, named the best film of the year 2021 by The Globe and Mail, is finally available to stream for free on Amazon Prime. The fun, decadent and potentially problematic adolescent love story set in 1970s California is the perfect hazy summer afternoon treat.

Another intimate love story that gained The Globe’s Critic’s Pick was recently added to our online platter of streaming choices: Learn to Swim (Netflix), a “surprising, sexy, satisfying” Canadian film, centred on two jazz musicians, directed by Thyrone Tommy.

Also streaming this weekend:

The “twin swap” trope has always been used as a comedic device in lighthearted stories such as The Parent Trap. The series Echoes (Aug. 19, Netflix) takes a much darker turn. What starts off seemingly like any other missing-person mystery comes with an interesting twist, as long-held secrets between sisters are on the verge of erupting. The series leaves enough tension to keep the viewer guessing and hitting the “next episode” button.

On Sunday Aug. 21, House of the Dragon, the long-awaited Game of Thrones spinoff, releases on Crave. Set 200 years before the hit series, it centres on the House Targaryen.

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