Whelp. It’s been six months and we are still in lockdown. I am still working from home, spending all my freetime binging television and movies and trying to make sense of the world amidst coronavirus. I’ve had the pleasure to knock off a few new series off my list. Here are some more that I thoroughly recommend:
Bojack Horseman
Available on Netflix
I will sing from the rooftops my love for this show. It took me by surprise and dragged me through an emotional rollercoaster with no warning. I had heard very little about this show beforehand, aside from it being another adult cartoon. I was quickly swept into the downward spiral of depression, addiction, and death that follows the titular character. Bojack is a washed up TV show actor who deals with demons, disguised with humor and childish antics. It gets dark, gritty and more real than I was prepared to handle, with an absolute star-studded cast in every episode. Seriously. I would spend half each episode scrolling through IMDB looking at all the guest stars who lent their talents to this masterpiece. It is now one of my favorite shows. Traumatizing and raw; I can't seem to look away. Having binged all 6 seasons in a very short time, I look forward to rewatching it again as soon as I have the chance.
I May Destroy You
Available on HBO
This show is amazing. Once again, Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum) guides the viewers through some seriously tough issues, unafraid to confront the real-world issues that so many face. Michaela wrote, directed, and stars in this show following Arabella and her experience living life after rape. She writes from real-world inspiration, unafraid to talk about things that most creators shy from. This show talks about sexual assault in all shapes and forms, having the characters and audience both understand what assault is and how to identify and confront it. There are some real deep issues here alongside minor parts of sexuality that people often don’t address. One great example of that is the scene where Arabella tries to have sex on her period for the first time. This is something you never see depicted in such a detailed way on television or film, while it is a very real matter many people encounter. This show is full of those small moments that encapsulate the human experience. A talented creator has once again brought the world a must-see show.
Superstore
Available on Hulu
Why do I feel like no one is talking about this show?? It is hilarious and I am mad I didn’t start watching it sooner. It’s cackle-worthy humor found in Brooklyn Nine-Nine mixed with the general public’s idiocracy shown in Parks and Rec. I’ve found myself chortling out loud on a few occasions. It follows a chain superstore in St. Louis and the employees there. It is a fun and exciting show I have found myself loving, episode after episode. It’s a great lighthearted show to throw into rotation when you need a feel-good moment of entertainment.
Never Have I Ever
Available on Netflix
Mindy Kaling is a genius. She has the innate ability to create something that can make you laugh before you start choking back tears. Her latest show on Netflix follows 15-year-old Devi, who deals with self-identity, highschool, boys, and grief as she works to overcome the sudden loss of her father. I watched this show in a single sitting. The characters each bring so much diversity and excitement to the scenes, and you find yourself so engaged with Devi’s life. The light-hearted humor of losing one's virginity trails behind the healing from the death of a loved one. It’s a fine line to walk and this show beautifully dances across it, creating a narrative you want to immerse yourself in.
Ozark
Available on Netflix
Holy cannoli. This show. This SHOW! I have never been dragged along such a winding and exhilarating narrative. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, you get blindsided by a whole new plot twist. I admit it took me three tries to get through the first episode. But after that, it was so easy to binge and obsess over. It follows Marty Byrde, a financial planner who has to relocate to the Ozarks in a haste once caught in a money laundering scheme for a drug cartel. There is so much chaotic genius that goes into the storylines that is better left unfolding on the screen in front of you rather than my meek attempt to describe it. All I can say is, I have never had a TV show leave me screaming at the screen so loudly that my roommates had to come check and see if I was ok. This is TV at it’s finest.
Westworld
Available on HBO
This is a show I have been dying to watch, but never got a chance to due to my lack of an HBO subscriptions. Countless award shows have sung the praises of this show, peaking my interest for a while. I finally got to start it recently and I definitely understand all the hype. In a distant future, a wealthy inventor creates a Wild West theme park, filled with AI “hosts” who believe that the theme park is their real world. Visitors pay to come play cowboy and bandit where they can live out their darkest fantasies. The hosts can be murdered on a daily basis, but the visitors are immune to injury. We see these AI’s are more than meets the eye, and they eventually start to fight back. The show plays out beautifully, and leaves you grasping for all details and explanations along the way. There is such a beautiful underlying narrative into privilege and the value of a life alongside the rich elite who feel they have the power to control everyone. The futuristic wonders beautifully entangle with the spirit of the idealized old west. I have just started the second season and am tickled with excitement to see where this show takes me.
Thanks for reading! I'm off to dive head-first into another televised rabbit hole. Feel free to send any recommendations my way. I hope to be starting a few new ones soon!
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