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A Look Back At The Shows I Binge-Watched During The Pandemic

Has it really been a year since "Tiger King" took over our lives?

Mar 16, 2021

Ohio University

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A Look Back At The Shows I Binge-Watched During The Pandemic

@joe_exotic on Instagram

Well everyone, it is once again March and somehow it's been an entire year since the Covid-19 pandemic started in the United States. It's pretty insane to think that it has been that long since all of our lives started to drastically change, but here we are still battling through it. Anyway, rather than talk about the gray parts of the pandemic, I thought I would take a look back at some of the shows I binge watched during this crazy year because let's be real, we all watched plenty of TV during quarantine.

1. "Tiger King"

Let's just get this one out of the way, shall we? I remember seeing everyone talking about "Tiger King" and Joe Exotic all over social media and wondering what the hell the hype was over this show. Finally one night I convinced my parents that we should watch it. In all honesty, none of us really loved the story or the show and we pretty much hated every single person from it. We found the overall story to be interesting and enjoyed making fun of Joe Exotic and Carole Baskins, but in the end, it just made us feel concerned that people like the ones in "Tiger King" exist with little to no legal repercussions. Overall I rate this show as a 5/10, which may seem kind of low, but I thought it was way overhyped.

2. "Love Is Blind"

Oh man, why did I watch this show? Why didn't anyone stop me from wasting so much time watching this? The concept of people meeting in pods without being able to see each other intrigued me at first, but once I got into the second episode I started to feel bored. It is completely crazy that they make these people propose to each other without ever even seeing them, and not to mention that they barely even know each other. I don't remember much about this show because it wasn't super memorable, but I do know that I couldn't stand most of the people on the show. Jessica, Giannina, Amber, and Matt were all people who I found to be so annoying. I wish I could take back the time I lost from watching this show. I would rate it as a 4/10 for the slow pace and unlikeable "characters."

3. "Broadchurch"

Yay finally a show that I enjoyed! My dad convinced me to watch this show and I remember that I wasn't super enthusiastic about it at first, but eventually, I agreed. "Broadchurch" follows the fictional story of the murder of a young boy in the UK and the two detectives, played by David Tenant and Olivia Colman who are trying to solve the case. Tenant and Colman's acting are brilliant and the story makes you feel emotionally invested in every character's life. There are several moments in the show when you believe you know who the killer is, only to have your thoughts change time after time. This definitely isn't a happy or light show, but it is so good. The second and third seasons follow slightly different stories, but they're all worth watching. The music in this series is also brilliant and sets the mood perfectly. "Broadchurch" deserves a 10/10 rating in my eyes.

4. "Schitt's Creek"

While watching "Broadchurch," my parents and I would also "Schitt's Creek" to balance out the depressing show with a happy show. "Schitt's Creek" is one of the most heartwarming, funny shows I have ever seen. This is another one that took me a while to really get into, but once I watched a few episodes I was drawn into the story of the rich family who lost all of their money. There isn't a single character on this show whom I disliked. From David's sass to Rolland's innocent stupidity, every character makes me laugh. I wish the show hadn't ended because I would watch it forever and ever if I could. For it's light-heartedness, and lovable characters, this show easily gets a 10/10.

5. "Ozark"

Make sure you have your seatbelts tightened kids because this show is one wild ride. "Ozark" is one of those shows that had me shocked over and over again. It is kind of hard to get into at first, but once you reach the third episode it seems like everything explodes and suddenly you don't want to stop watching. This insane Netflix series follows the story of a banker named Marty Byrde and his family who become tangled up with a dangerous drug cartel after his financial firm makes a dangerous deal with them. When the cartel turns on the firm, Marty and his wife Wendy must figure out a plan to ensure their family's survival. Similar to "Broadchurch," this show is very dark and never really has any happy storylines, but it's so incredibly good. You'll go from loving to hating certain characters and switching sides nearly every episode. Nothing is predictable and it's highly entertaining. "Ozark" easily receives a 10/10 rating from me, and I can't wait for the new season.

6. "Chernobyl"

As I continue down this list of shows, I am realizing that my parents and I watched some pretty dark shows during the pandemic, and "Chernobyl" is no exception. This HBO drama miniseries about the 1986 nuclear power plant disaster in the Soviet Union is extremely interesting, but also incredibly scary and sad. Everything from the acting, sound design, and the story is done tremendously in "Chernobyl." The way this show is filmed leaves you with a hauntingly terrifying feeling that puts you in the shoes of the people who experienced this tragedy. I learned a lot about Chernobyl that I hadn't known before and I found it easy to be engaged with the story. It's definitely a show that leaves you with a heavy, frustrated feeling, so if you don't like serious shows I would not recommend it, but otherwise, I think it was outstanding; 10/10.

7. "Ted Lasso"

I recently watched "Ted Lasso" with my parents over Christmas break and I absolutely loved it. When an ambitious, successful American football coach is recruited to coach a soccer team in the UK, he must figure out how to convince the team that he is the right coach for them. Through his lovely Southern charm and outgoing personality, Ted Lasso will win you over and you'll be cheering him on through the whole show. Although the team doubts him at first, they slowly grow to love and believe in him thanks to his positive attitude. There are some serious moments in this show, but they always seem to turn around into something good. I love this feel-good, humorous show and if you have access to Apple TV then I would recommend checking it out. "Ted Lasso" definitely gets a 10/10 from me.

8. "Emily in Paris"

I started watching "Emily in Paris" with my roommate when all of our other roommates were away and we had nothing else to do; We ended watching the entire season in two days. Call it cheesy, but "Emily in Paris" was the right amount of a fluffy, and easy-to-watch kind of show that I needed this year. When a social media strategist named Emily is given a job in Paris, she makes the big move out of the states to Europe. The story basically follows her journey through learning the French culture, her newfound friendships and relationships, and how she handles different business opportunities. My roommate and I found ourselves letting the episodes play continuously because it was so fun to watch. Maybe it was because we both were in love with Gabriel, but the show was also a happy break from the stresses of life. Although I genuinely enjoyed the show, I will say that I found Emily to be a rather unlikeable and arrogant character. The show also feeds into multiple stereotypes and displays an ignorant American elitism side of Emily that makes the show sort of tacky and offensive at times, which made it frustrating to watch. In my opinion, "Emily in Paris" deserves a 6/10, just because it is a little bit cheesy and ignorant at times.

9. "Bridgerton"

After hearing about "Bridgerton" all over social media, I finally caved and decided to watch it. If you enjoy shows about the 19th-century royal culture, then this show is definitely for you. It follows the storyline of multiple high-class families and their efforts to marry their daughters into other high-class names. The stars of the show are Daphne and The Duke, or Simon, who face their own challenges throughout the show. To be honest, I never really became super attached or invested in any of the character's lives in "Bridgerton." Although the Duke is very attractive and charming, even he didn't have me completely enthralled in the story. I know so many people who rave about this series and adore it, but I just couldn't completely get into it. I found myself zoning out often during the episodes because I felt bored. One aspect I did really admire though was the orchestral versions of modern-day songs that they used as background music and music for their dances. Overall, I think I would personally give "Bridgerton" a 7/10 rating.

10. "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel"

This docu-series had my jaw dropping constantly; I couldn't believe what I was seeing or hearing. From maybe the first 15 minutes of the first episode, I was pulled into this insane mystery. "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel" tells us the unsettling unsolved mystery of a woman named Elisa Lam who disappeared at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. There are several creepy elements to this story, and the biggest one has to be the extremely disturbing security camera footage of the woman acting strangely in the hotel's elevator. As my roommates and I watched the video, we were all yelling and squirming because of how uncomfortable it is to watch. Each one of us was entirely intrigued by the fact that that video footage was the last time anyone saw Elisa before she disappeared, and that there was no concrete evidence of what exactly happened to her. If you like spooky stories, this show is for you. My roommates and I didn't move from our couches during this entire series and we watched all four episodes in one sitting. This show definitely deserves a 10/10 rating; go watch it!

"All American"

I started watching "All American" towards the beginning of quarantine with my mom because we needed a fun, lighter show to watch, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminds me of a sort of modern-day "One Tree Hill" in the sense that it is about high school students and even more specifically is about football players and their relationships with other people. However, "All American" is slightly different because it also discusses gang violence, underprivileged communities, and racism. It's an entertaining show to watch if you are looking for a drama that isn't so heavy. I wouldn't say that this show is anything special, but it definitely beats other current teen shows like "Riverdale" in my opinion. I like most of the characters with the exception of Coop who just seriously irritates the living daylights out of me. I think I would give this show a solid 8/10 because it sort of follows the usual teen drama blueprint, but it's still fun to watch.

12. "Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer"

This was the last show that I could think of that I watched during the pandemic and it is yet another super dark, unhappy story. "Night Stalker" is a mini docu-series that tells the haunting story of serial killer Richard Ramirez. I had never heard of Ramirez previously, but the multiple stories of the murders and crimes he committed sent chills up my spine. This man was truly evil and deranged. The entire time I was watching this show, I was rooting for the police to catch him, but it took over a year before they finally arrested him. I have seen the different shows about Ted Bundy and a few other mass murderers, but I think "Night Stalker" was the scariest one that I have watched. The fact that someone like him existed and was so intelligent that he was able to commit so many different murderous crimes for so long is horrifying. The documentary is a little bit slow at times because it becomes monotonous, but it draws you into the feeling of wanting him to be caught. "Night Stalker" receives a 9/10 from me for its storytelling and production.

Did you watch any of these during quarantine, and what did you think of them?

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