The best TV series to watch in February 2023, in pills

A serial February under the banner of the genre, and not even one of the most popular. In fact, two of the novelties of this month are gender-based western, a language that is becoming more and more popular also in television series. However, there is no shortage of female stories, some thrillers and a touch of drama.

1923

(Paramount+, February 12)

The narrative universe of Yellowstone expands with this new chapter (prequel to the series and sequel to 1883) entitled 1923, interpreted by Harrison Ford And Helen Mirren. The two are a married couple – Jacob and Cara – who run the Yellowstone ranch in Montana. They will face the challenges of western expansion, the great depression and prohibition. The narrative key clearly remains that of the western, in a deeply genre story but which has been able, over the years, to intercept an increasingly vast audience precisely because of its epic and aspirational figure. The great interpreters of this new version of the series do the rest.

Lidia Poët’s law

(Netflix, February 15)

True female history, late nineteenth century and Matilda De Angelis. These, in short, are the ingredients of the new Netflix Italia series, directed by Matteo Rovere in which De Angelis plays Lidia Poët, the first woman in Italy to enter the bar association. We are at the end of the 19th century and a sentence of the Court of Appeal of Turin declares Lidia’s registration illegitimate as a woman. The lawyer decides to appeal by undertaking a legal battle, supported by her brother-in-law Jacopo (Eduardo Scarpetta) – a journalist who passes her some useful information – and while Poët continues to practice in her brother Enrico’s studio, where she assists various clients. A story that is productively very rich and, potentially, of great breadth.

Django

(Sky and Now, February 17)

After a long and tortuous gestation, the serial reinterpretation of Django, told first by Sergio Corbucci and then by Quentin Taratino. Ten episodes produced for Sky and Canal + by Cattleya and Atlantique Production (the first four of which were directed by Cristina Comencini), which tell the story of Django from a more feminine perspective. In fact, the western series follows the story of Django who reaches the Texan town of New Babylon in 1800. Here he discovers that his daughter Sarah is the only survivor of the extermination of her family and is about to marry John Ellis, one of the founders of the city. Django will try to make peace with Sarah, not without a series of serious hitches; in the background, secrets and the unsaid threaten the various relationships.

Fleishman in pieces

(Disney+, February 22)

February’s share of radical/quality is placed in the adaptation of the best seller by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (published in Italy by Einaudi) and tells the story of Toby Fleishman (an excellent Jesse Eisenberg), a 41-year-old divorcee who gets back into the game through dating apps getting unexpected feedback. But one day his ex-wife Rachel (Claire Danes) goes into hiding, leaving Toby their two children aged eleven and nine. Fleishman will have to try to build a new balance in a life of uncertain contours, divided between his work in the hospital, household chores and female acquaintances. Without forgetting to find out what happened to his wife and what happened to his now ex-marriage.

Liaison

(Apple TV+, February 24)

First series co-produced between Apple (America) and France – and consequently shot in dual languages –, Liaison is a six-episode thriller starring Vincent Cassel and Eva Green. There are still few details known about the plot of the series: espionage and political intrigue, a multi-layered plot, a love story. All of this always on the edge of tension. Definitely, a genre tale with great performers. We’ll see.

The Consultant

(Amazon Prime Video, February 24)

A strange mix of genres, halfway between a thriller and a dark comedy. Based on the novel by Bentley Little and interpreted by Christoph Walts, this series centers on Regus Patoff, a creepy consultant who is hired by a company that deals with gaming – CompWare – to improve its performance. Regus pushes employees to the limits of their possibilitiesin an escalation of tension in which survival itself becomes the stake.