Like many college students, I don’t have the time to sit down and watch my favorite television shows each week. Between class, extracurricular activities and a job, there is just no room for my guilty pleasures. Not to mention the fact that Emerson cable doesn’t have the best options. Despite the busy schedule and crappy cable service, I find time to fit in some television, and that is thanks to Netflix, Hulu Plus, and DVD series sets. Here are four shows that if you haven’t watched by now, it’s time to add them to your mental DVR. They are either over or have many seasons, so they will not only provide you with entertainment but lots of opportunity for procrastinating from final projects.
Prison Break
Conspiracy theory, death row and Wentworth Miller. Need I say more? The Fox series Prison Break is action-packed from the very first episode. Genius engineer Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) gets thrown into the prison where his older brother, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) is on death row for the murder of the vice president’s brother. Having helped designed the prison; Michael hatches a plan to break out his brother, who he knows to be innocent. He goes so far as to blend the prison blueprints and breakout plan into tattoos covering both arms and his entire torso. It takes a few episodes to feel emotionally connected to the characters, but once you do, there is no letting go. You will be on the edge of your seat as the brothers, along with an unusual band of friends and enemies try and escape Fox River. With four seasons and 81 episodes, the twists and turns as the conspiracy behind Lincoln’s arrest deepens will keep you hooked until the end. There’s even a little romance to look forward to between Michael and leading lady Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies).
True Blood
True Blood is the ultimate fantasy show. Humans know vampires are more than just storybook creation, and they coexist peacefully. Well, sometimes. The fictional small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana is no stranger to mythical creatures. Main character Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) is a telepath that, unlike most of her peers, enjoys vampires and treats them as equals. She even falls in love with one or two of them. The show follows extreme plot lines dealing with shape shifters, werewolves and maenads. The real story is figuring out if Sookie will end up with reformed bad boy turned chivalrous gentleman vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) or vampire sheriff heartthrob Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard). Also, just what the heck is Sookie? Sure, she can read minds, but there’s just else something about her. You’ll find out in season three. The fifth season returns to HBO on June 10, giving you collegiettes plenty of time to catch up with series.
Dexter
If you can’t stand the sight of blood, then Dexter is definitely not for you. But, if you do enjoy bloodthirsty serial killers, then Dexter is right up your alley. Dexter Morgan’s (Michael C. Hall) main job is as a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Police Department. In his free time, however, his favorite pastime is murder. But, he’s not a regular serial killer. He only straps down criminals and generally bad people to the table of his kill room, usually involving a lot of plastic wrap. He attempts to maintain an image of a normal life with a wife and step children, but his urge to kill, or “Dark Passenger,” is always lurking around. While solving other murders, his deceased step father Harry (James Remar) acts as a spirit guide of sorts, encouraging him to live by a certain code of only killing those who deserve it. With six seasons under its belt, showtime has renewed the popular drama for two more seasons, but has yet to release the start date of season seven.
Lost
Last, but by no means least is cult favorite Lost. I personally watched Lost two summers ago, after discovering that a friend had the box sets of all six seasons. Needless to say, I didn’t do much that summer. The mind boggling ABC drama follows the story of plane crash survivors who end up on a mysterious island that seems to have a personality of its own. The best part of the series, aside from the eerie island, is the character arcs. Each episode is dedicated to learning more about one of the survivors and who they were before the crash, paralleled with what is occurring on the island. You’ll fall in love with favorites Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway), not only because of their steamy love triangle, but because you connect to both their triumphs and downfalls. Trust me, after soaking in all Lost has to offer, you’ll have heated discussions over just who was the best character. After serious mental debate, I have to go with Sayid (Naveen Andrews) for his complex issues, cool wit, and curly locks that never seem to lose their bounce.