Spring break is here, not that this will come as a shock to any of you as I am sure you were counting down the days. Although not as relaxing or long as the Winter break, our “Reading Week” vacation comes around every February, just in time to save our spirits’ from the doom and gloom of the weather and mid-semester ruts. The vacation isn’t that long so it may not be adequate for trip taking, but you can definitely lay in your bed for ten days and soak up as much television as you can. Take advantage of the days off, give your brain a break from reading, writing, and test taking to relax with a few shows. Here are my top four recommendations to start with.
Santa Clarita Diet
If I had to describe Netflix’s newest original series in three words, I’d go with: Weird yet interesting. Full disclosure, I do not like zombie content, it just is not my cup of tea. That being said, I thought I would give this show a try as I am a fan of Drew Barrymore and I haven’t seen her do anything television related before.
Essentially, the show is about a woman, Sheila, who randomly dies one day only to wake up with no heart beat and a craving for human flesh. Other than that, she is pretty much the same loving wife and mother as she was before she died. The first few episodes of the show play up how Barrymore’s character is more submissive to her ID, meaning she lacks impulse control, but strangely this major factor gets forgotten in following episodes. Being undead in sunny, boring Santa Clarita (hence the name of the show) leads to a variety of funny and gross situations that her loved ones ultimately help her through.
To my surprise, Barrymore’s character was my least favourite part of the show. Strangely enough, the supporting characters, particularly Barrymore’s character’s husband Joel (Timothy Olypant), daughter Abby (Liv Hewson), and teenage next door neighbour Eric (Skyler Gisondo) were the true shining stars of the series. They have the best lines and are easily the most likeable characters, even though they have their moments of acute strangeness.
There are only ten episodes in the first season and having been just released, I would not expect more anytime soon. The whole show is strange and at times overdramatic, but it’s interesting and easy to watch. The storyline is not the most developed nor does it tackle anything particularly important in relation to world events or issues, but at the end of the day, it has its moments of comedy. If you don’t mind a little weirdness, the show is an easy to consume (no pun intended) dry comedy that will most definitely entertain you for a few hours.
Riverdale
Some of you may remember Archie Comics from your childhood. The wholesome Archie gang composed of heartthrob Archie, perfectionist Betty, sassy Veronica, silly Jughead, and musically talented Josie, are all back but perhaps not as you remember them. Although each character plays tribute to how their persona is depicted in the comics, Archie (KJ Apa), Veronica (Camila Mendes), Betty (Lili Reinhart), and Jughead (Cole Sprouse- yes from “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”) each play a much darker version of their iconic characters.
The wholesome tone is basically thrown out the window when the first scene begins, as it describes a murder that shocks the whole town. Although the show is definitely imperfect, if you can get passed all the typical teenage angst and drama, it is actually pretty interesting.
Like with “Santa Clarita Diet”, I would say although he is the main character, Archie Andrews is probably the most boring character on the show. He’s fine, but in comparison to the interesting layers his friends seem to have, he pales in comparison. There are a few questionable moments in the show, like a high school teacher sleeping with her teenage student. However, the show also addresses issues we are dealing with in real life like racism and slut-shaming.
Although you can find Riverdale on Netflix, it is not a Netflix original series. Rather, it will be streamed exclusively on Netflix for all us Canadian folks. Basically this means that although we have access to the show without having to sit through boring commercials or sift through sketchy streaming sites, we will only have access to one new episode per week. So far, there are only a few episodes out, but they do air every Thursday.
Overall, if you want some drama and mystery in your life all from the comfort and safety of your bed, I would recommend giving “Riverdale” a try.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Although not as newly released as “Santa Clarita Diet”, the show just dropped a few weeks ago with a full first season.
The show depicts the children’s books under the same name. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but essentially the plot is as follows: three intelligent siblings, the Baudelaire children, learn that their parents have died in a terrible fire that destroyed their entire home. Being as they are all children, their parents’ death means they are to be given to their nearest living relative. Constant woe and peril follow them no matter where they go, specifically because one man makes it his life mission to destroy them and steal their fortune. This man, Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris), is a dastardly talentless actor who openly hates the children. He follows them from guardian to guardian in attempt to ruin any chance at happiness they ever get. As the series continues, mystery after mystery unfolds. For those who are familiar with the books, you’ll know the mysteries run deep in the world of Lemony Snicket and the Baudelaire family.
You may have watched the film, starring Jim Carry, that came out in 2004, and due to that you may not feel like you need to watch the show. Let me just say, the movie and the show are not the same at all. The first few episodes of the show definitely mimic the movie because both storylines deal with the first three books. However, while the movie shoves the three first books into an hour and a half, the show addresses one book with two episodes, each an hour long. Just get passed the first three episodes and you’ll definitely stop having déjà vu of the movie.
The Crown
The show was first released Nov. 4, 2016 and has since become a widely acclaimed dramatic series. As you could probably guess, the show centres around the English royal family, particularly Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy). The timespan of the season starts during the 40’s and follows the Queen throughout her life.
The show starts off pretty slowly so if you do intend to try it out, I would give it a few episodes before making your final judgment. One thing I enjoyed about this show in particular was that it does not rely on dramatics such as random acts of violence or sex that a lot of shows implement for no real reason other than shock value (looking at you Game of Thrones). What it does do is capture you with simple political drama and human interest.
The show demonstrates the power that parliament actually has over the Queen. Some of us may believe that due to her title, that she has always had full power. This is not the case, as the show points out. Furthermore, the show illuminates the burden that the crown brings on those connected to it. It is an interesting depiction of the inner workings of the royal family and even though it is fiction, it works well as a portrayal of the real life of Queen Elizabeth.
The thing all these shows have in common is the fact that they are the type of entertainment that can consume you. You definitely cannot sit down and just watch one episode of any of the shows on this list, which makes them perfect to watch during the upcoming Spring Break when all you’ll have is time.
Enjoy my fellow TV addicts!