Some shows go beyond being binge-worthy. If you’re looking for a new show, here are five that have changed me.
5. The Good Place
In what I call is a mix of a philosophy class and a comedy, four characters navigate the afterlife. It explores themes about capacity for change, what it truly means to be a good person and whether being “good” is about your intentions, outcomes or a little of both. It does a fabulous job of showing how the world is complicated and how morality is not simple. It will make you laugh, cry and question what makes life meaningful.
4. Schitt’s Creek
A wealthy family loses their fortune and moves to a town called “Schitt’s Creek”. A lighthearted comedy that sneaks in meaningful themes about growth. It proves that, to grow as a person, you don’t need to completely change yourself. Despite them moving into less than desirable circumstances, the community eventually becomes their biggest support system, showing us that connection can come from unexpected places.
3. Girls
“Girls” embodies that lost and unstable feeling that people experience in their 20’s without romanticizing it. The characters are unlikeable and make selfish and frustrating choices constantly. You will keep waiting for them to change, but they don’t. It catches you off guard and challenges the idea that female characters need to be likeable to be worth watching. “Girls” also puts up a magnifying glass to unhealthy friendships that eventually fall apart. The point of the show is to lean into awkwardness instead of being aspirational. It made me want to pull my hair out, but I will recommend it to everyone I meet.
2. The righteous Gemstones
More satirical than the others, but the effect on me is the same. It is a comedy about a rich, immoral family who runs a mega church. The show pokes fun at what people claim to believe in vs. how they live. The characters spend much of the show performing who they think they are supposed to be. A religious leader, a “good” person or a powerful figure. The family is messy and they constantly do terrible things, but the show sneaks in just enough vulnerable moments to make you root for them. It’s funny, sometimes it’s sad and usually uncomfortable.
1. Fleabag
My all-time favorite and something I could watch a hundred times. The director’s choices are fascinating and meaningful by themselves. Few characters have names and the main character breaks the fourth wall, just to name a few. It is by far the most interesting and creative exploration of grief and guilt that I have ever seen. It explores unresolved loss and how it shapes your self-worth. It embodies the pain of wanting love vs. believing you deserve it. Our main character desperately wants connection, while sabotaging every relationship she has. It works in painful family dynamics, the importance of friendship and learning how to move forward. The (absolutely perfect) ending shows us that true growth can sometimes mean moving forward alone, even if you leave something meaningful behind.