First off, I would like to say RIP Blockbuster–Blockbuster had every movie ever made, candy for days, and super cute older boys who worked there and lived in my neighborhood. Of course, I was 8 and really was only interested in getting The Land Before Time or, like, Bugs Bunny checked out, and convincing my dad to buy me Junior Mints. So, super-cute-boys were sort of irrelevant and at the bottom of my priority list.
But I loved my trips to Blockbuster. Especially as someone who grew up watching Disney movies exclusively in French (#EuropeanParents) and grew up without cable until the age of 17 (…#EuropeanParents), Blockbuster was an amazing, magical place full of opportunities, freedom, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That is, until Netflix decided to trample all over it with its progressive, corporate, techy-ness and now we all have be subjected to the convenience of streaming and clicking buttons to get what we want in five seconds. Unbelievable.
But Netflix is pretty tight. Good for procrastinating. Good for chilling *winky face emoji here*. I have narrowed down the must-watches of Netflix, as well as included a list of shows you should never under any circumstances watch, endorse, speak of, etc. Of course, these lists are based off of my opinion and my opinion only—but you trust me, right?
WATCH:
1. The Office
– The Office is sort of an acquired taste—as in, skip season 1, and if you don’t think it’s very funny at first, you will in four episodes.
2. Undefeated
– Shameless plug—my high school appears in it. But on a more serious note, this Oscar-winning documentary features a football team in North Memphis. It is humbling and inspiring and a must-watch. Side note: Netflix has GREAT documentaries. Even if you’re not a documentary kind of person, you should explore this sector of Netflix.
3. House of Cards
– I am terrified of Frank Underwood. He is 1000% fictional, but 1000% has no chill. If you like politics, hate politics, or want to feel like you are educated about politics, you should watch this. Also, you should also definitely watch Jimmy Fallon’s parody of HOC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq796gj4_eo
4. Parks and Rec
– When I first watched this, I could not understand the appeal. It’s based in Pawnee, Indiana, and it’s about a parks and recreation department…. I was like… I don’t care? But then I realized I was stupid, and missed the whole point. It’s supposed to be mundane, nearly obsolete—that’s what makes it so funny.
DON’T WATCH:
1. Pretty Little Liars
– The acting is atrocious (Who is A? Someone please tell me. Please. Asking for a friend).
2. Bride & Prejudice
– I got very bored one day and perused Netflix so extensively that I somehow found myself watching a Bollywood musical ~cleverly~ attempting to parallel a more well-known storyline called Price & Prejudice, in case you’ve never heard of it. I revaluated my life choices.
3.Vampire Diaries
– I put this here not because I don’t approve of this show, but because I do. I am obsessed. It is unhealthy. You will start watching this and then never stop. Also everyone on this show is attractive. You start to not even care about the plot anymore.
4. Friends
– Because I refuse to believe that it could be better than How I Met Your Mother. Then again…I’ve never seen it. If you handcuff me to a couch and force me watch Friends for 12 hours I may reconsider. But probably not.