Procrastination comes in many different forms. Binge watching Netflix is a top contender for college kids. Preparing for a binge requires mental preparation and clarity. Snacks, an easily accessible power outlet, minimal light leaking into the room, and a comfortable chair/futon/bed/assortment of pillows are key. If you’re looking for a quick and speedy break from studying for midterms, watching a movie is the best choice for you. You could even find release in taking a quick jog or singing along to one of T-Swift’s new songs. However, if you need an escape from reality, an entire day trapped in solitude with blankets and pillows, binge watching an entire series might be the activity for you.
I have compiled a list of my all-time favorite shows on Netflix. They have served as a joyous unproductive distraction for countless hours of my life. Most, if not all, are cliche and obvious selections, but you should watch them anyways.
"Grey’s Anatomy"
This show has incredibly well-written dialogue. Quotes from the all-knowing voiceovers of Meredith Grey at the beginning and end of each episode circulate the internet daily. Moreover, this show makes you feel better about what you thought was your horrible life but actually is nothing compared to all the death, seduction and drama that this series has in store. I swear, I have acquired knowledge far beyond base level of hospital and surgical procedures. I feel like a more intelligent human being for having have watched this series.
"How I Met Your Mother"
You have to watch this from the beginning. Do not let your friends talk you into starting in the middle and just filling in the blanks of the storyline. Each episode is interconnected, and you will not thoroughly understand each character unless you get to know them from the pilot. This show restored my faith in marriage, and leads me to believe there can actually be a fun adult life outside of college. Beware: I have been told the ending will leave you disappointed and questioning your life. I am only on season three, time will tell if that is true of the series finale.
"Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23"
To this day I haven’t finished this series because I am too emotionally invested to admit to myself that the show only lasted two seasons. I have a deeply rooted belly laugh during each episode, and was hooked in the first five seconds of the pilot. I still haven’t decided if she is the roommate I’ve always wanted, or truly a roommate from hell. I think she might simultaneously be both.
"Gossip Girl"
I read the first book of this series roughly eight years ago and then forgot about it. Somehow, I manage to always be a few years behind the trends because I just recently watched the first few episodes of this show that no longer produces new episodes. Nonetheless, it is entirely relatable to young adult audiences, despite most of us not being anywhere as rich as the spoiled rotten cast. But who wouldn’t want to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous?
"One Tree Hill"
I actually watched this series when it originally aired but gave up when Lucas and Peyton left the show. Little did I know the show was far more incredible without them in it. This is one series I can agree got better with time. The producers knew when enough was enough, and the only unbearably cheesy episode is the series finale (all hail the eternal love-hate feelings we have towards Dan Scott). This show teaches you to maybe not hook up with your girlfriend’s best friend, and that having a child at 18 isn’t necessarily awful if he is as cute as Jamie Scott.
"Law and Order: SVU"
The plot lines in this show are above and beyond; this is next level entertainment. I want to meet the people who come up with these stories, but I am also equally terrified of what twisted things have to cross their minds every day to write the script for this show. All of the other "Law and Order" iterations are minute and irrelevant in comparison. SVU takes the cake, but make sure you are not in a fragile mental state before watching because the content is extremely heavy on the heart strings.
The “Please Do Not Waste Your Time On These Shows” List
There are hundreds of series on Netflix; clearly not all of them are good. Take anything from ABC Family, for example. The only quality show they ever produced in the past five to seven years was "The Lying Game," and it abruptly ended with a cliffhanger. The unresolved storyline keeps me up at night to this very day with my burning questions that will forever remain unanswered.
"Pretty Little Liars" is not worthy television; "Secret Life of the American Teenager"…that is essentially me scrolling through my Facebook timeline (she’s pregnant, they’re married, they’re back together, he’s cheating on her). Hard pass. Avoid these wretched series at all costs. You must stream from Netflix - do not settle for Hulu with ads - or stream from the network directly. Both of those options are strictly for catching up on one or two episodes you happened to miss; you cannot binge watch a show that has the same Stride gum commercial every seven minutes. It will drive you insane.
