As this crazy year closes, my wife and I were chuckling about how many TV Series we binged while in isolation. We started more than we finished – if one us is isn't totally into it, we have no problems in stopping. These are the ones we liked the best. This doesn't count movies, just TV series.
In any order:
- Tiger King (Netflix) – like who didn't watch watch this at the beginning of quarentine? How lucky could Netflix get then to get a docu-series about crazy people in a weird American subculture just when we needed it? Not the best docu-series ever but worthy of the cultural phenom it became and the perfect show to make us laugh and cringe when we needed it. (B+)
- World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji (Amazon Prime) – so crazy-man Bear Grylls decided there were other survivalist crazies, so he made a course in Fiji for them to race on. The best part of this series that they didn't just follow the leaders but other people way back in the pack with intersting stories. It was impressive… but these people were crazy. (A)
- The Crown (Netflix) – a show I didn't expect to like but I really do. It's a slow burn but everything is well done – acting, costume, scenery, script. I don't care how accurate it is, but it's probably accurate enough. There are a lot of great episodes but I think my favorite is "Moondust" from S3. (A+)
- How to Get Away With Murder (Netflix, now) – I wanted to quit this after Season 3 because that season was a diaster – I felt the writers didn't have enough story per episode, so they filled time with sex scenes. But we kept watching Season 4 because they left some things hanging and they somehow found good writers. Anyway the premise is good and Viola Davis is downright amazing in her main role as a diabolical law school professor. Lots of great themes like loss of innocence, sexism, childhood trauma. But sometimes the characters are kinda dumb and it probably goes a season longer than it should have. (B-, D+ to Season 3)
- Big Little Lies (HBO) – We don't have HBO but sometime in quarentine HBO was giving shows away via Amazon Prime. Season 1 had a brutal display of domestic abuse and a great "Well what happened?" to it. It was impossible to carry that on to Season 2, but exploring more characters on the fringe and the aftermath of what they did in Season 2 (instead of creating something else) was an excellent way to go (A, Season 1 was A++)
- Outer Banks (Netflix) – What starts out to be a teen drama turns out to be an adventure show more akin to Indiana Jones than Gossip Girl. It took a while to get there but when it turns, it was worth it (A-)
- Schitts Creek (Netflix, well now) – techncially we haven't finished this yet but we will – and will probably watch it all again. Our favorite comedy since The Office. It deserved all it's rewards. And if you love the show like me, then you need this site. (A+)