Five Binge-Worthy Netflix Shows!

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Binge-Worthy Netflix Shows

With the world in its current state of self-isolating and social distancing, we have been trying to find ways to occupy our time.  Of course, many of us turn to entertainment.  So I’ve compiled a shortlist of binge-worthy Netflix shows to keep you entertained.

On My Block

Binge Worthy Show

On My Block follows a quartet of bright, street-savvy friends who are just beginning high school.   Experiencing all of the triumph, pain, and fresheness of a new school, life long friendships are tested.   Monse, Ruby, Jamal and Cesar confront the challenges of adolescence and life in their predominantly Hispanic and black neighborhood, based in South Central Los Angeles in this coming-of-age comedy series.

Quick Thoughts

I adore this show and have binged it so many times and will continue to. I love the family-like relationship and bonds between the four friends and I find it incredibly hilarious. The episodes are only 30 minutes so it’s a quick and entertaining show to get through. Season Three just dropped back in April and great news for fans of this show, there will be a season four!

Money Heist

Binge Worthy

A criminal mastermind who goes by “The Professor” has a plan to pull off the biggest heist in recorded history — to print billions of euros in the Royal Mint of Spain. To help him carry out the ambitious plan, he recruits eight people with certain abilities and who have nothing to lose. The group of thieves take hostages to aid in their negotiations with the authorities, who strategize to come up with a way to capture The Professor. As more time elapses, the robbers prepare for a showdown with the police.

Quick Thoughts

I have mentioned this binge-worthy show before.  This has to be one of the most brilliantly written shows I’ve encountered in some time. This is a high stakes game The Professor and his band of misfit thieves are trying to pull off and you feel every tense and frenzied moment. From stupid mistakes to amazing triumphs at the viewer will vacillate between wanting to scream at the characters to wanting to hug or hi-five them. The characters are three-dimensional and the plot is so compelling and engaging. The Fourth season just aired and with the way it ended, I forsee a season five on the horizon! So excited! I’ve binged this one several times as well.

Tiger King

A zoo owner spirals out of control amid a cast of eccentric characters in this true murder-for-hire story from the underworld of big cat breeding.

Quick Thoughts

Another binge-worthy show currently on Netflix is Tiger King.  This show is a train wreck of epic proportions. And just when you think that it cannot get any more ridiculous, the following episode ups the ante. It is equal parts hilarious and tragic and leaves me wondering how and why these people exist and how I never had a clue. This show is not for everybody but I was fascinated. It is so outrageous that I couldn’t look away. I binged the entire series in one sitting and still ponder over this foolishness today. The myriad of memes, articles, and stories that have followed have only served to keep this going. It’s definitely entertaining. It seemed to have been so popular that Netflix has released a new episode.

Ozark

This drama series stars Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, a financial planner who relocates his family from Chicago to a summer resort community in the Ozarks. With wife Wendy and their two kids in tow, Marty is on the move after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong, forcing him to pay off a substantial debt to a Mexican drug lord in order to keep his family safe. While the Byrdes’ fate hangs in the balance, the dire circumstances force the fractured family to reconnect.

Quick Thoughts

Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde and the ostentatious character, Ruth, makes this series for me. Though Marty has relocated his family to a resort town it can often look and seem gloomy which I guess is appropriate considering their situation. While Marty has the best of intentions of digging himself out of this hole he and his family find themselves in, events ensue that only seem to get them more and more entrenched in life. I appreciate that no matter how dire things seem, Marty seems to figure out a plan and keeps his cool in the midst of everyone melting down. Marty is constant and consistent and he is smart. I think because he is so unassuming people underestimate him, and it makes for an interesting cat and mouse game with the cartel. Season three was just released on Netflix and I imagine with the positive response there will be a follow-up season.

The Circle

“Big Brother” meets “Catfish” on this reality series on which not everything is as it seems. Comic Michelle Buteau hosts the show that features its contestants moving into the same apartment building. The twist is that the players never meet face-to-face during the competition, as each one lives in his or her own apartment. The contestants communicate exclusively through profiles created on a specially-designed social media app. This anonymity allows them to hide their true identities and portray themselves however they choose. Throughout the competition, the players rate one another, with the lowest-rated players put at risk of being eliminated, or blocked, from the game. The contestant who survives the contest and emerges the winner takes home the $100,000 grand prize.

Quick Thoughts

Lately, Netflix has been dipping their toes in the whole reality tv genre and I’m not mad. Included in my list of binge-worthy Netflix shows is The Circle, which premiered a few months ago and sees several contestants isolated in their own apartments and they can only communicate with each other through a social app called The Circle. Based on their interactions, each day they must rank each player from last to first and contestants who don’t make the cut are eliminated and soon replaced by a different player. But not all contestants are truly who they say they are. This show was a fun social experiment and very entertaining to watch. Not only are the interactions between the players interesting and oftentimes funny, but the host is hilarious! I truly hope they do another season of this show because I really enjoyed it. And in a time where we have to be isolated anyway, it’s the perfect time to watch this.

Wrap Up

Of course, there are so many more binge-worthy Netflix shows but these are ones I particularly enjoyed. For more suggestions check out links here, here, and here! I’ll be back with another binge-worthy post in the near future! I hope you all are consuming some great entertainment and are staying safe.

Netflix Show Recommendation: The Witcher!

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The Witcher

Synopsis of The Witcher

The show The Witcher is a fantasy show based on the book series by Andrzej Sapkowski. The story follows the adventures of Witcher and professional monster hunter Geralt of Rivia. Tensions are high and a war is on the horizon. Geralt must find his way through a world full of people who can seem just as monstrous as the creatures he hunts. Navigating his way through politics, nobility, and love, Geralt must eventually surrender to his destiny.

Character Thoughts

There are so many wonderful characters in the show so I will stick to the ones central to the main story and throw in my favorite. Geralt of Rivia is a fascinating character. He is a mutant and trained to become a Witcher as a child. The world has preconceived notions and prejudices about him and his character. Viewing him as a ruthless butcher, people are generally afraid of him or have made up their minds to dislike him, despite not knowing a thing about him. And while Geralt can be brutal, he never is unless he has cause. He’s broody and used to being on his own so disturbing his peace isn’t always welcome. But despite his oftentimes apathetic disposition, he cares about people and usually looks for a more peaceful resolution before he’s pushed to violence. He’s observant and practical and I just love him.

Yennefer is a crooked urchin who accidentally portals her way out of danger. Taken from her family, she receives training in the ways of magic by the Rectoress. But Yennefer feels so ugly, worthless, and undeserving, that her self doubts interfere with her learning. Eventually, Yennefer becomes one of the most powerful mages the world has seen. But that power still cannot rub out her feelings of unworthiness and self-doubt. She longs for a child to have something in the world to see her as important. But Yennefer must discover her importance and worthiness comes from within and nothing outside of herself can provide that for her. Such an amazing character, I truly enjoyed seeing her journey and growth.

Princess Cirella is running for her life when her home of Centra is attacked. Losing all the family she’s ever known, Ciri embarks on a journey of survival. On her journey, she meets many people and must figure out who she can trust and who means her harm. On the run from the Nilfgardians, Ciri must also come to terms with her power and her destiny.

The Bard!

Now my favorite character in the show The Witcher is Jaskier, the Bard. Attaching himself to Geralt in order to find adventure for his tunes, he discovers first hand that Geralt is not who people make him out to be. The Bard sort of campaigns through his music to change the public’s perception of Geralt and is pretty successful. He is down for almost any adventure and is great comedic relief when it is necessary. Jaskier entertains me so. His songs tickle me, and I love how his unwanted relationship with The Witcher softens Geralt up a bit. I can’t wait to see more of this character in season two.

Overall Thoughts

If you’re a fan of fantasy then the show The Witcher is a must-see! This show is weaving many threads at once and it can be confusing and difficult to keep up with. They jump back and forth in time between the past and the present, and some of the names are…different. But stick with it. By the conclusion all of the threads, they are weaving come together in a spectacular ending! I cannot wait until season two and have heard they’ve already approved it for three seasons. Just a little tip, consider watching it the first time through with the closed captioning on. It helped me tremendously in getting all the names of people and places in the story down. If you’ve watched The Witcher, I’d love to know what you thought of it so leave me a comment below!

To see more of my show recommendations click here and here!

Netflix Show Recommendation: Dark!

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Synopsis:

Dark is a German Netflix drama that is centered around the disappearance of two boys in the small town of Windon. Suddenly events from the past begin to repeat themselves. Even the random disappearance of boys is eerily similar to what happened before. People from the past and a young group of teenagers are swept into the middle of these strange events and are compelled to find the answers. People liken this show to Stranger Things but besides being a fascinating show it is nothing like it. While the show is filmed in German, they do voiceover the dialogue with English. It kind of reminds me of the villain in the Power Rangers but much less pronounced.

Quick Character Thoughts:

This show boasts a whole host of characters but the three I was most drawn to were Jonas Kahnwald, and Mikkel and Ulrich Neilson. Jonas is a young teen who is grappling to understand his Father’s recent suicide. Mikkel Nielson is one of the young boys who mysteriously disappears. I was completely fascinated by his journey and shocked when it’s revealed what’s happened to him. Ulrich, is Mikkel’s father and a policeman. He is convinced that the nearby power plant has played a part in Mikkel’s disappearance. It is also worth noting that in the past, Ulrich’s little brother Mads was one of the boys to go missing. As Mads never returns home, Ulrich becomes a little unhinged in the search for his son.

Overall Thoughts:

There is so much more that I’d like to say about this series, but I’m afraid if I do I’d give away the main plot, and I would prefer you all be just as drawn into the story as I was. Following the myriad of characters as they slowly uncover mysteries was both intriguing and captivating. Especially since some of what was uncovered only lead to even more mysteries and questions. Both seasons one and two had me entranced. This show is only slated to run for three seasons and I am anxiously awaiting the finale. I would definitely recommend this show. Especially to people who are into mysteries. Excellent series!

Netflix Show Recommendation: The Umbrella Academy!

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A New Take on Heroes

Synopsis:

I recently binged the new show on Netflix, The Umbrella Academy.  Later I found out that it was a line of comic books but had no previous knowledge of this before watching the show.  I was all in from the very first episode.  Seven adopted kids with special powers are raised together in the household of a strict disciplinarian.  They are constantly trained and tested to use their powers and be a team to fight crime.  Unfortunately one of them is determined to have no powers and grows up in this family feeling alone and isolated.  Another disappears as a child, never to be seen again, and another passes away as a child.  Bitter about their experiences at home they all drift off in different directions as adults and are only brought back together upon the death of their father.  Mayhem and shenanigans ensue.

Quick Character Thoughts:

For me the standout character in this series is Klaus.  A junkie, drug addict, Klaus is a complete disaster.  He is also a sensitive soul who never learned how to properly cope with his gift.   This is a result of his unbending father who threw him into traumatic situations with no regard to his sensitivity or age.  Klaus is a very intricate, nuanced, and colorful character who immediately draws you in and captures your attention.  While the rest of the characters have their lovable qualities, Klaus quickly became my favorite.  I do however think the actor playing Number Five was excellent.  He managed the juxtaposition of young and old expertly.

Additional characters I loved were the assassins, one of which was played by Mary J. Blige.  It seems Mary is finding a comfortable new career as an actress lately and doing a damn good job.  She was both fierce and hilarious as an assassin and makes me look forward to seeing her in future projects.

Overall Thoughts:

I was completely delighted by this quirky show.  It is a completely new take on the concept of superheroes (at least for me).  Every single character had something to offer, which made this show fun to watch.  Of course, it ends on a bit of a cliff hanger so I am definitely hoping for and looking forward to a season two of The Umbrella Academy.