Finding a new show to watch is never an easy feat. Why watch something new that you might not like, when you can just watch “New Girl” or “Grey’s Anatomy” again from the beginning? If you constantly find yourself retreating to your comfort shows, you’re not alone.
If you’re looking for a way out, we’ve got you covered. Here are 5 shows on Hulu right now that are sure to be a good watch.
“Tell Me Lies”
If you’re an avid Hulu subscriber, you’ve probably seen ads for this show. Based on the novel of the same name, this steamy, romance drama covers a toxic eight-year relationship between Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson James White – fan fact, his IRL mom plays his mom on the show!). And when I say steamy, I mean steamy. I usually stray from “teenage” romance dramas because I often find myself disappointed with the acting, but everyone in this cast is very strong. There are a couple episodes on Hulu, but they’re still airing, so you get a new episode every Wednesday.
“Only Murders in the Building”
Binge-watching this one was a piece of cake. “Only Murders in the Building” is a fun, star-studded, comedy with a bit of mystery to each season. Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez lead the show as a trio of crime-podcast junkies that end up creating a crime-podcast of their own when someone from their building is murdered. It’s funny, keeps you on your toes, and the 30-minute episodes are an easy feat.
“The Handmaid’s Tale”
This is forever one of my favorite shows. If you haven’t seen “The Handmaid’s Tale” yet, you have to. It depicts a future version of America called Gilead, where life is lived under God’s eye – they do everything based on what they think God would want, and utilize the notion of living “under God’s eye” literally, as their guards are called “Eyes.” In a nutshell, men run their households, wives follow their husbands’ rules (one of which is no reading or writing), “Marthas” prepare food and clean the house, and “Handmaids” live in the household where their main goal is to prepare for pregnancy. It’s a dark show, with sexual, physical, and severe mental abuse, so it’s not for everyone. The show follows the story of June (Elisabeth Moss), a handmaid who got separated from her husband, Luke, and their toddler. She was forced into the role of a handmaid when Gilead took over because she and Luke began their relationship while Luke was still technically married. It is truly a mindf***, but it’s also an inspirational story for women’s empowerment and women’s right to make their own reproductive decisions. The fifth (and second-to-last season) is live now, with a new episode every Wednesday.
“The Patient”
Steve Carell reminded us of his versatility in “The Morning Show,” but if you missed that one (I highly recommend it, but I digress) he’s done it again with the Hulu original “The Patient.” It’s another dark show, you’ve been warned, but Carell’s character, Alan, is a therapist who gets kidnapped by a new patient for “private therapy.” I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s truly a psychological thriller. It revolves around Alan’s new patient while also narrating Alan’s life up to this point. We get flashbacks showing his wife and children, his work, etc. It’s as much about his crappy life as it is about his patient’s. The darker nature makes the show a bit of a slower burn, but the episodes are only 30 minutes, so I recommend binge watching the one season that’s out.
“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”
24 seasons! Longest running scripted dramatic series on TV!
If you don’t recognize Special Victims Unit (SVU) by name, you’d probably recognize it by its signature “dun dun” at the beginning of each episode. The show is about NYPD’s Special Victims Unit, designed for victims of sex crimes and with special cases (such as children in situations of abuse, neglect, or kidnapping). It can be heavy, but if you watch the show from season 1 (which premiered in 1999), you’ll fall in love with the characters and become connected to their stories and journeys. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) is a force – she’s the only primary character left who’s been on the show since the very beginning. It’s a beast, but I highly recommend watching it from the beginning.
Bonus Movie: AKA Jane Roe
I added “AKA Jane Roe” because it’s one of my favorite documentaries. It tells the story of Norma McCorvey, aka Jane Roe, whose abortion case became the plaintiff for the pivotal Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade – the case that granted abortion rights up to fetal viability. Considering the state of abortion rights in the country right now, this documentary is more important than ever. It runs an hour and 20 minutes, so it’s a quick and meaningful watch.