Winter break is coming up soon and so is a big question . . . what to binge-watch over break. Since there won’t be any homework or classes to be taking up the time, it's hard to find things to do when you aren’t celebrating or working. There are a lot of great shows on Netflix that everyone has been watching and ones that more people should be watching. So, here are my top Netflix shows that I think actually live up to the hype and some that are worthy of more attention worthy.
1. "House Of Cards"
Of course "House of Cards" would be in this list; it seems to be on every list. "House of Cards" is an American political drama television series. Set in present-day Washington, D.C, it is about Frank Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey), a Democrat who plans to gain more power and rise in the White House ranks. This show has time and time again blown my mind with how intense it is, its wit, character development, setting, plot, and the actors' performances. Its ruthless and power hungry characters have become my new obsession. "House of Cards" takes my love for well-made shows and combines it with my equal love of politics and has made an outstanding series. The fourth season will be premiering in 2016.
2. "Orange Is The New Black"
"Orange Is The New Black" has become popular and is certainly deserving of it. It is an American comedy-drama series, following the main character, Piper Kerman (Taylor Schilling), in her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison. "Orange Is The New Black" is Netflix’s most-watched series. The diverse characters have fleshed out backgrounds, normally coming as flashbacks or characters explaining them. The series has a mainly female cast with diverse characters that have become an obsession of many people. As the show continues, the focus on Piper as the lead character is lessened and shifted to the other inmates. The series was renewed for its fourth season and will premier in 2016 so it is a great time to catch up on it.
3. "Jessica Jones"
The new "Jessica Jones" Netflix Original series premiered Nov. 20, 2015. Jessica Jones is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and is the second in a series of shows, following "Daredevil," that will lead up to a "Defenders" crossover miniseries. Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), a former superhero, opens up a detective agency when an old antagonist, the Purple Man (David Tennant) comes back into her life. I caution watchers about this show because it could have triggers; it deals with rape, assault, kidnapping, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in some of the scenes. This new show has strong female characters, a great villain, and a strong story line. It has good settings, the soundtrack is fine, and it has a good plot.
4. "American Horror Story"
"American Horror Story" has been described as many things; entertaining, horrific, gory, and promiscuous are just a couple. The genre of this show is an erotic horror thriller. Each season of "American Horror Story" is a mostly self-contained mini-series, following separate characters and settings, and a storyline with its own beginning, middle, and end. Many of the seasons have the same actresses and actors as different characters. However, some of the seasons do connect, and because of this I would not suggest watching it out of order. The awesome character building and portrayal of strong female characters had me hooked from the start; well, that and the horror of it all. This is not a series for young viewers, people who are easily scared, or have certain triggers. There are scenes with murder, NSFW (not safe for work), body horror, gore, rape, suicide, jump scares, sexual assault, self-harm, and a couple of other disturbing things. I warn the audience before watching this show because this show isn’t for everyone.
5. "Sense 8"
"Sense 8" was released on June 5, 2015, so it is a fairly new show. It is an American science-fiction drama that currently has 12 episodes and has had amazing critical reception. The plot of "Sense 8" is that eight strangers from different parts of the world and are suddenly mentally and emotionally linked. They are able to communicate, sense each other's feelings, and use each other’s knowledge, language and skills. "Sense 8" deals with politics, identity, sexuality, gender, and religion. The settings, character development, script, and plot are all very well done. It has been renewed for a second season.
I could go on forever with naming shows and giving an explanation about each one, but instead I think that a list will be better for the rest.
"Friends"
"Walking Dead"
"Bates Motel"
"NCIS"
"Criminal Minds"
"Once Upon A Time"
"Lost"
"Grey’s Anatomy"
"How To Get Away With Murder"
"Scrubs"
"Doctor Who"
"Daredevil"
"Gotham"
"The 100"
"Sherlock"
"Supernatural"
"Arrow"
"Mad Men"
"Reign"
"Dexter"
Of course, there are countless other shows that you could watch, however, these are the shows that I find to be “binge-worthy.” I hope that you all have a good break and find at least one show that you will be watching for hours upon end.
