During the school year, my ability to start and/or finish a new TV series is absolutely shot. My focus is divided between a good 15 different things, so completing even just one season proves to be an impossible task. I tried this with "Gossip Girl" last semester, after years and years of friends suggesting I should watch it, but I fell short after a whopping three episodes. So long, Serena.

When summer rolls around, however, I have much more free time to sit down and power through a series. While I'm definitely not the type to binge-watch season after season, these past three months have given me more freedom to do so, given my usual days consist of working throughout the day before resting at home. Having access to (legal) streaming sites such as HBO Now and Netflix, I was able to discover new stories and fall in love with them all the same. As fall semester begins in a little over a week, there are some I've finished, others I'm still working on, and ones that are continuing to air. I recommend them all the same.

1. Transparent

"Transparent" is one of Amazon's premiere original series, and, arguably, one of its best. This show has been on my radar for the past year now, due to the premise and my familiarity with some of its stars. Loosely based on writer/director Jill Soloway's own life, it follows a Jewish family living in a modern Los Angeles, whose father comes out as a transgender woman. Maura (shown above, right) is the only transgender character in this show played by a non-transgender actor, due to her very early transitioning. Its inclusion and highlighting of LGBT issues makes it one of the few shows out there to present it in such a realistic light, avoiding to tokenize any identity as many, many shows tend to do. Flashbacks throughout one season indicate that being transgender is far from being a recent phenomenon, as some may unfortunately believe. It also divulges in what identity means to somebody who's transgender, and how their transitions are really unique to them. Each family member has their own subplot, exploring themes such as love, family, and what it truly means to be happy. While raunchy at some moments (akin to "Game of Thrones" and "Orange is the New Black"), it's a heartwarming and poignant show. Season 3 comes out next month, and I'm immensely excited to see how this family's story continues.

2. Bojack Horseman

Bedbound after getting my wisdom teeth pulled, I binged the first two seasons of this, and it's stuck with me ever since. Literally no one was expecting the emotional impact out of this show and just how brutal it is, to the point where it's referred to as the spiritual successor to Mad Men. In a world where animals walk and talk alongside humans, a washed-up sitcom star struggles to live out his remaining years and reinvent himself as an actor. Somehow, "Bojack Horseman" presents a well-written balance of utter wit and fears that we all face, but not necessarily want to admit to ourselves. Animal puns are constant throughout this show to almost a nauseating degree, and a third season episode is dedicated to jokes about the year 2007 (for anybody who remembers just what pop culture was like back then, it captures it perfectly). Even though, at its very basic state, it's a show about a cartoon horse, it details what a life with depression is like, and just how consuming it can be. Each season has its own starkly defining moments, and it's a challenge to agree on what the best season is. All three seasons of "Bojack" can be found on Netflix.

3. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

OK, this isn't an exclusively "summer" show of mine, but I've kept up with it over the past couple of years, and it continues to constantly inspire and educate me. "Daily Show"-veteran John Oliver presents a myriad of current issues in such a distinct and passionate way that you're immediately engrossed in them. While "Last Week Tonight" claims it's not journalism, it frequently makes milestones in "journalistic" television and surpasses quite a few news shows in terms of its accuracy and attention to facts. Its coverage of the 2016 election alone is impressively detailed, updated, and hilariously commented upon. John Oliver is a genius at what he does, and has made accomplishment after accomplishment through what he does on this show. Plus, it's one of the few that makes its content widely accessible via Youtube, which is why one segment of Donald Trump is now considered the most watched piece of HBO content ever. It boasts three years of success, and I can only hope they continue for many more.

4. Steven Universe

I've been loyal to this show since the very first episode premiered over three years ago, and I've succeeded in getting many of my friends addicted to it. It's ended up on my summer show list due to it just finishing a four-week streak of daily, new episodes, with interconnecting story arcs. The plot is absolutely phenomenal, even if it is foremost a children's show. For those who aren't familiar, a young boy inherits the powers of his late, magical mother, with her companions acting as his caretakers and teachers. The characters are jarringly three-dimensional, and it addresses issues like death, true love, and even abusive relationships. It delivers these messages and story arcs within its eleven-minute airing period beautifully, leaving you wanting more. Additionally, its soundtrack is phenomenal, and its guest voices are impressive by themselves, including Nicki Minaj and Uzo Aduba. It's hard NOT to fall in love with this show and its colorful cast.

5. Game of Thrones

This has been my project for the summer, due to how long each episode is and how many seasons there are. My boyfriend, friends, and family have been begging me to watch this for years, and while I've been aware of certain spoilers, I had no clue how they would play out, or even how they would affect me. Hearing about this last season was the final catalyst for me to finally sit down and start watching it. I'm still making my way through the last half of season four, but, holy shit, has it been a ride. I have a faint idea of what's awaiting me in the next two seasons, and I know it surpasses what I've already seen. I had to take a nearly month-long break after seeing the Red Wedding, which resulted in my boyfriend comforting me after that final scene. Talking about how it kills off its supposed "main" characters is something everybody does when they're discussing this show, albeit for good reason. It succeeds in making you form an attachment to these characters, no matter how morally far gone they are, and then delights in taking them away from you. The way everything is connected, somehow, to each other, even between characters across seas, is amazing. I know the pay-off of this show is going to be legendary, and will tie up loose ends in such a stupendous way.