For TV viewers looking for something to watch this weekend, look no further than the latest series to debut to hit the world of streaming.
Boasting an almost-perfect score of 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, “Ride or Die” is a brand-new eight-episode action thriller that’s ideal for binge-watching.
Boasting two familiar faces in leading roles, James Bond-level action sequences and a healthy dose of comedy thrown into the mix, the series checks all the boxes for anyone seeking a binge-worthy streaming series.
Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer Head the Cast
Hannah Waddingham is partnered with Octavia Spencer for a new streaming series that hearkens back to the buddy comedies of yore, with one key difference: the buddies are women.
For Waddingham, who’s become hotter than hot thanks to her role in Apple TV hit “Ted Lasso,” this action-packed series places her in a far grittier milieu than her other show.
But fear not, “Ted Lasso” fans — she’ll be back in Richmond in just a few weeks when the long-awaited fourth season debuts early next month.
What’s ‘Ride or Die’ About?
The plot focuses on BFFs Debbie Claybourne (Spencer) and Judith Burton (Waddingham), who’ve known each other for ages and think they know everything there possibly is to know about each other.
As it happens, there’s one pretty important fact that Debbie doesn’t know about her bestie: Judith isn’t actually a forensic accountant, but an international assassin working for a shady quasi-governmental agency.
“When a mysterious figure emerges from Judith’s past and a hit goes horribly wrong, both of their worlds are turned upside down as they’re forced to go on the run together,” notes the synopsis. “It’s a race against time and a road trip across Europe, with law enforcement, highly trained assassins, and some very dangerous criminals at their heels.”
Hannah Waddinham ‘Mangled’ Herself Doing Her Own Stunts
In “Ted Lasso,” scenes typically find Waddington sitting behind a desk sampling one of the titular soccer coach’s homemade shortbread cookies.
“Ride or Die,” however, required some serious stunt work, which proved to be an education she’ll never forget.
“Don’t even get me started. It was incredibly demanding on my body,” Waddingham told People of the numerous stunts she performed for the series.
“I kind of shot myself in the foot because you can’t enter a role like this and not get involved. Well, you can, but I wanted people to see that it was me,” she said, explaining why she declined using a stunt double.
Not only did she need to memorize her lines, she also had to memorize complicated fight sequences and then re-enact them for the camera.
“I’d spend a week learning the choreography of a fight sequence, perform it, completely mangled myself, think, ‘What are you doing? You’re 51, woman!’ And then the next day I’d be back learning the next fight,” she recalled.
“I was saying, ‘Guys, next time I agree to something this physical, can you just remind me how exhausting it is?’” she quipped.
Where to Watch ‘Ride or Die’
All eight episodes of the hilarious and downright addictive series are available to be streamed via Amazon’s Prime Video.
