‘Last of Us’ finale, Pamela Anderson’s ‘Last Showgirl,’ Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Hope & Dreams,’ and the best to stream Memorial Day weekend

Welcome to the Gold Ticket, your VIP guide to the best of pop culture for the weekend ahead, curated by the Gold Derby team of experts. (May 23-26)

The main stream

It’s here: The last of The Last of Us Season 2.

Following the penultimate episode's break in the action to explore key moments in Joel (SAG Award winner Pedro Pascal) and Ellie's (Emmy nominee Bella Ramsey) relationship during the years we missed between seasons, the highly anticipated Season 2 finale (airing Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max) returns viewers to rain-soaked Seattle, where things are not looking good for our heroes. The hour picks up where Episode 5 left off: with an arrow in Dina's (Isabela Merced) leg and Ellie hellbent on exacting revenge against Abby (Emmy nominee Kaitlyn Dever) for killing Joel. But things are going to get worse before they get better, so as the HBO drama prepares to thrust viewers into the next chapter of the story, The Last of Us is the awards contender to watch this weekend.

However, it's not the only show worth checking out; other contenders include:

Hacks: Speaking of memorable penultimate episodes, you don’t want to miss what Max’s Emmy-winning comedy is teeing up in this week's "A Slippery Slope," a memorable outing that continues the emotional roller coaster that has been Season 4. When controversy comes to the doors of Lake Night on the eve of the Oscars, Deborah (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) must navigate yet more choppy waters. And things aren't much easier for Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) and Kayla (Megan Stalter), as Dance Mom’s (Julianne Nicholson) wild ways continue to be a blessing for Hacks' audience but a curse for her managers. The episode is now streaming on Max.

Pee-wee as Himself: This two-part documentary from director Matt Wolf tells the life story of Paul Reubens, the late performer behind the iconic character Pee-wee Herman, in the actor's own words. Woven together from more than 40 hours of interviews filmed before his passing in 2023, hours upon hours of archival footage, and tens of thousands of never-before-seen photographs, the documentary is a tight but all-encompassing look at a dedicated performer who wanted to bring joy, creativity, and acceptance to the world. The episodes air back-to-back Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max.

Sirens: Not to be confused with the USA comedy about EMTs or Freeform’s surprisingly long-lasting drama about merpeople, this new Netflix miniseries is based on a play by series creator and Emmy nominee Molly Smith Metzler (Maid). Set during a single weekend on a luxurious island owned by enigmatic socialite Michaela Kell (Academy Award winner Julianne Moore), the dark comedy follows two sisters, Devon (The White Lotus' Meghann Fahy) and Simone (House of the Dragon's Milly Alcock), as the former tries to stage an intervention for the latter because she finds Simone's relationship as Michaela's assistant a bit out of the ordinary. All five episodes are now streaming on Netflix.

Home movies

Our top movie pick this week is Pamela Anderson’s career-redefinition vehicle The Last Showgirl, which is now streaming on Hulu. The film is part of a wave of newfound cultural appreciation and respect for Anderson, the sex symbol of the 1990s whose life and career are being seen in a new light thanks to her memoir Love, Pamela and documentary Pamela, a Love Story. Anderson gets the best role of her career in Gia Coppola’s intimate indie drama, and she received Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for her revelatory performance. 

Anderson plays Shelly, a Las Vegas showgirl facing an uncertain future as the revue she’s performed in for decades prepares to shut down. She’s devoted her life to her career, and now she’s aging out of it, with little to show for her sacrifices. It’s a moving character study that Anderson is perfect for. The cast also includes Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song, Billie Lourd, Dave Bautista, and Jamie Lee Curtis, the latter of whom also received a SAG nomination for her performance as Shelly’s best friend.

If Baywatch doesn’t mean anything to you, here are some other movies to stream or watch on-demand this weekend: 

Mickey 17: Director Bong Joon Ho’s long-awaited follow-up to his Academy Award-winning thriller Parasite came and went from theaters earlier this spring, but it’s primed to find a bigger audience now that it’s on Max. Robert Pattinson stars in this dystopian dark comedy as a man whose job it is to die, over and over again, while working on an exploitative mission to prepare a planet for colonization. Each time he dies, the company prints out a new Mickey. But when a mistake leads to two Mickeys alive at once, they both decide they want to live. The film is a mess overall, but it’s worth streaming if you’re a Pattinson fan for his characteristically gonzo performance.

Fear Street: Prom Queen: Netflix’s supernatural slasher marks the return of Fear Street, the franchise that kicked off four years ago with the fun trilogy of 1978, 1994, and 1666. This new one is a standalone based on a 1992 entry in R.L. Stine’s teen novel series. It’s 1988 in the cursed town of Shadyside, and prom night turns into a nightmare when candidates for prom queen start disappearing and a mysterious, knife-wielding figure in red roams the school’s halls. India Fowler and Suzanna Son star, with Ariana Greenblatt, Chris Klein, and Katherine Waterston in supporting roles.

Fountain of Youth: Prolific director Guy Ritchie tries his hand at a National Treasure-style action-adventure in this straight-to-Apple TV+ movie. John Krasinski and Natalie Portman star as estranged siblings who reunite to search for the Fountain of Youth, which was their father’s obsession. The brother, Luke, has found clues hidden in great works of art, and he needs his sister Charlotte’s help in decoding them. Along with the other members of their team, played by Carmen Ejogo and Domhnall Gleeson, they traverse the globe trying to find the fountain’s location, while the fountain’s guardians fight to keep it a secret.  

The Legend of Ochi: Director Isaiah Saxton’s original fantasy film is maybe the most family-friendly movie A24 has ever released (it’s a little more Neverending Story than Disney, though). It tells the story of a girl named Yuri (Helena Zengel) who was taught to be afraid of the ochi who live in the forest around her farm. But when she finds an injured baby ochi, she goes on a quest to bring him home. The handmade craftsmanship of the puppets and the look of the whole film is nothing short of magical. You can rent or buy on VOD platforms like Amazon.

The Boss speaketh

On the May 14 opening night of his latest tour in Manchester, England, Bruce Springsteen went viral for several remarks condemning the policies of President Donald Trump. Now those moments have been captured on the live Land of Hope & Dreams EP released this week, which features the E Street Band running through the title track as well as "Long Walk Home," "My City of Ruins," and a cover of Bob Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom."