Binge-watching is the act of quickly and eagerly devouring an entire TV series over a short period of time. It is perfect for curing boredom, avoiding responsibilities, and, of course, procrastinating on your schoolwork. There are certain qualities that make a TV show particularly susceptible to this act including compelling characters, extravagant drama, and, obviously, availability on Netflix. Let’s be honest: that whole “next episode will play in 10 seconds” feature is really detrimental. Happy (avoidance of) studying!
1. Scandal
I understand some people’s hesitation with this one because it seems like a melodramatic soap opera, which it kind of is, but oh it’s so great. Kerry Washington is Olivia Pope, Washington D.C’s best fixer. Pope and her team can solve literally any problem from kidnapping to murder to a political career. In her free time, Pope likes to casually be the most beautiful woman of all time and have an affair with the President of the United States. Don’t worry about it; it’s really casual. Just know that once you watch the first episode, you’ll immediately have to watch the next 30, and you’ll love every second.
2. Orange Is the New Black
If you haven’t watched Orange Is the New Black, you’ve probably heard other people talking about how you have to watch it. Well, they’re right. You do. Aside from being witty, funny, heartwarming/breaking, this show is a pretty important milestone when it comes to diversity in TV shows. Sure, the lead character, a white, upper-class woman who gets sentenced for a crime she did ten years ago, is not particularly groundbreaking, but anyone who watches quickly learns that she’s far from the most interesting aspect of the show. Orange focuses on the backstories of all the women in the prison, who have different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, different sexual identities, different socio-economic backgrounds, and everything else under the sun. The show actually manages to humanize female prisoners because, apparently, they’re human. Shocking, right?
3. House of Cards
Like Orange, this show is one of Netflix’s first original shows. If we’re being honest, it’s not all that different from Scandal, only now the lead is Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood, the House Majority Whip in this fictional edition of D.C. Basically he devises a big dramatic plan to take over the White House; it all feels very Shakespearean. His wife Claire, played by Robin Wright, gives off serious Lady Macbeth vibes (you know… in a good way). As long as you accept the fact that this is indeed an overly dramatic and unrealistic version of D.C., it will suck you in and take over your life in the week it takes you to watch all 13 episodes.
4. Teen Wolf
I feel your judgment on this. There is probably no good way to sell an MTV show about a teenage boy who turns into a werewolf. It’s no Breaking Bad, but it’s addicting and you don’t have to think to hard while watching. Plus, the eye candy…oh man, the eye candy. It’s endless.
5. Friday Night Lights
This is the only one of the shows that’s not currently on air, and it’s the longest and most time consuming, but also the best ever. Friday Night Lights is about the small town of Dillon, Texas where high school football is everything, and it centers on Coach Taylor and his players. The show manages to tackle every issue from race to abortion and does a great job of tricking me into thinking I love football. This show is EVERYTHING. But be forewarned, Friday Night Lights will induce strong emotions and make you feel all the feelings. You will also be in a haze for weeks (or months) after you finish and will wander around aimlessly wondering what to do next with your life.
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Happy procrastinating! Don’t worry about your grades, they’re just arbitrary letters. Are letters even real? Is college real? No. Now go watch TV until your eyes fall out.
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