With the boom of streaming services came the latest trend in television releases: dumping out every episode at once, and feeding into the gluttonous culture of binge-watching.
As human beings, greed and overconsumption are things we tend to excel at, which is why indulging in screen marathons seems to come naturally to us. Other reasons to rot our brains include a love for cinematic storytelling, escapism from stressful reality and voluntary thirst watches for our favorite celebrities.
Whatever the reason, we all have go-to TV shows we can view for hours on end. Here’s some of ours.
Alicia Gomez, CC
“Bojack Horseman” is the best animated show on Netflix, if not the best overall. With six seasons of tough, witty and emotional moments, this show is definitely binge-worthy.
At first, the show may seem silly — an anthropomorphic horse who is a former ’90s sitcom star navigates life after fame. However, as the show progresses and finds its footing, it becomes darker and more complex.
“Bojack Horseman” deals with various sensitive issues, including trauma, drug addiction and mental health, while maintaining its unique and tasteful humor. As you watch, you’ll find yourself relating to the human issues that these animal characters face, such as depression, grief, anxiety and personal relationships.
You’ll also find yourself laughing at clever animal puns and falling in love with characters like an energetic golden retriever, a washed-up depressed horse, a human ghostwriter and a workaholic pink Persian cat.
What makes this show truly great is not just its binge-ability but also its re-watchability. Each scene is filled with easter eggs and clever jokes, from background details to subtle references, that you’ll discover and appreciate even on the fifth rewatch.
Karla Perez, CC
Anyone who has read my articles knows that I love a good crime show. Whether the crime is fictional or based on real events, I find a thrill in the ominous environment the genre encapsulates. Recently, I have discovered an appreciation for shows that reenact the story of a true crime or mystery. Netflix’s mystery-thriller series “The Watcher” sparked such an interest.
The seven-episode miniseries is loosely based on the story of Derek and Maria Broaddus who believed themselves to have made the ideal set-up for their perfect family to thrive in. The Broaddus family quickly comes down from their high once an anonymous individual who calls themself “The Watcher” begins to torment them with eerie letters, leading the family to distrust their neighbors and, eventually, each other.
The suspect constantly changes, the moments of relief only last a short time and no one proves to be who they appear. This complexity makes the series so attention-demanding. You look away for one minute and you’ve missed pivotal moments.
While there are several events sprinkled throughout the plot that are fictional, without them, I would not have considered this series as binge-worthy. If you still don’t feel fully persuaded to binge this show, the series comprises seven episodes each an hour long, and I finished all of them in two days.
Esther Ju, LE
By the start of winter break at the end of fall semester, I had compiled a list of shows that school caused me to miss out on: season five of “The Crown,” “Ted Lasso” and “The Boys.” A day after submitting my last final, I turned on the projector in my bedroom, pulled down the screen and jumped into bed, ready to enter the streaming oblivion after four months of hard work. Rather than sticking to my list, I found myself clicking on “1899.”
Taking place on an immigrant steamship sailing from England to New York City, “1899” is nothing short of immersive. Ocean winds and Victorian outfits are only smaller components to a sinister atmosphere — one that plagues each protagonist with dreams of their pasts, and a possible explanation on why they’re trying to escape. I was originally enthralled by the show’s multilingualism, but eventually stayed for all eight episodes to untangle the plot’s growing complexity.
As someone who made it through two seasons of “Dark” (unfortunately I tapped out at the third), I was already aware of the convoluted narrative the creators were capable of and desperately hoped “1899” would be different. Thankfully, while there were still enigmas scattered throughout, the show conjured enticing confusion, but not to the extent where I felt braindead.
I could have finished the series in one sitting. Instead, I decided to exercise self-control and rationed the second half for the next day. Two weeks later, creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar announced that the show had been canceled.
Apart from the fact that Netflix canceling “1899” is likely the influential event that kickstarted 2023 as a terrible year, it’s not exactly a series worth binging knowing that the story will never continue. I suppose I’m still mourning its potential to be deemed binge-worthy, had Netflix not wanted to bring me great pain.
