Whether you have free time because of quarantine, or free time for self care, a good Netflix binge or watch is always at our hands nowadays. However, it can be difficult to find a similar tv show to the previous one you watched, or maybe there are some Netflix shows you haven’t gotten around to yet. Whatever the case, these are some of my favorite binges on Netflix. If you like the first show, the second show is definitely something that may peak your interest. Happy watching!
Outer Banks
The Society
Teenage soap drama with a mystery to solve right away. Similar to Outer Banks, The Society is filled with angst-ridden conflict, romance, and high tense situations. The show is a quick binge with 10 episodes. The Society is similar to Lord of the Flies where teenagers run rampant as they must create their own society without the supervision of adults.
Miss Americana: Taylor Swift
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder
Another documentary on a musical pop star of our generation. It shows Shawn Mendes’s struggles with fame and anxiety. This personal look to his life shows his Canadian background and his rise to stardom with his beginning on YouTube. The documentary keeps the audience engaged, especially with the musical performances to all his biggest hits and footage of the creation of his new album “Wonder.”
Bridgerton
Outlander
If you are looking for something after watching the phenomenon which is Bridgerton look no further than to Outlander. This show is a historical fiction, fantasy, romance, drama all brought together. A woman mysteriously time-travels from 1945 to 18th Century Scotland. Outlander is a consistently well-written show that follows the novels accurately and gives the audience all it wants with the show’s main romance. This is a show that should be on everybody’s watchlist after seeing Bridgerton for their next historical fiction fix.
One Tree Hill
Dawson’s Creek
A hidden gem on Netflix is Dawson’s Creek. This early 2000’s teen drama is a comfort show, and is one of the first love triangles where fans took sides, whether you were Team Dawson or Team Pacey was a defining characteristic of every teenage girl. This show allows every person of any age to recall their angsty adolescent years with the upheavals of life. The show’s witty, sophisticated dialogue and love triangle make it an engaging show to watch. The slow burn romance and friends to lovers tropes both are prevalent in this show similar to One Tree Hill. This show also had the first gay kiss on primetime television, a milestone in representation of gay culture in pop culture.
X-Men
The Umbrella Academy
Fans of superhero movies, comics, tv shows, and more will enjoy watching this show. The Umbrella Academy is a Netflix original with two seasons, and a third season will begin filming soon. This show is filled with twists and turns and characters that you will become obsessive over. The clever writing and style of the show makes it so different from any other superhero content. These characters are more unlikely heroes that anything else. It’s a very quick binge and will surprise you how much you like it, even if you aren’t a fan of superhero fantasy shows.
The People vs. O.J. Simpson
When They See Us
Fans of crime and mystery series on Netflix need to watch When They See Us. This show follows the 1989 Central Park Five case where five young African American boys are charged with assault and rape of a female jogger in Central Park. They were falsely accused and they continue to plead their innocence years to come, even when they get sent to prison. This show teaches everyone about the inequalities and unfairness of our criminal justice system towards African Americans. It also portrays the innocence of these boys as they are taken advantage of to plead guilty and incriminate each other due to the manipulation of the police officers. Ava DuVernay creates a series that does the story justice, and the new young actors give heart-wrenching performances. This is a quick binge that one could watch this show all in a day. It’s a show that will leave you reflecting and thinking in the wake of the final episode.
Stranger Things
The 100
Following watching the phenomenon which is Stranger Things, viewers will want to watch another show with the same high stakes, plot twists, and characters to root for. The 100 is a show that changes so much over the years with the writers of the show pushing sci-fi elements beyond our reality’s comprehension similar to Stranger Things. It follows teenagers who are sent to earth from space to see if earth is inhabitable following a nuclear explosion on earth decades before. However, the show starts out as all about survival; it quickly switches to sci-fi, fantasy themes as these main characters come across the unexplainable. This show is a longer binge, but it always keeps the audience engaged with the twists and cliffhangers.
Riverdale
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Both of these shows originate from Archie Comics. Both of these shows are set in the same universe, and have call backs to each other. Sabrina is a longer binge, but with fantasy and mystery genres intertwined. It’s a more of a horror version of the Sabrina the Teenage Witch we all grew up watching. This show has diverse representation, music, changing romances, and cliffhangers that will certainly keep you on your toes needing to know how the story ends. Doesn’t everyone need a little magic in their lives?
The Office
Schitt’s Creek
With The Office no longer being on Netflix, a very fun popular comedy is Schitt’s Creek. With their accumulation of Emmy’s from this year, and the pop culture critical acclaim, this is a comfort must-watch to keep up with the Rose family’s antics. This is a longer binge with six seasons, but the episodes go by quick with the sitcom style.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Julie and the Phantoms
Who says kid shows can’t be entertaining for all ages? If you’re a fan of the new High School Musical show, then Julie and the Phantoms will be your next obsession. Directed by the Kenny Ortega, the music, the characters, the clever plot, and more all make this show memorable. Fans are pleading for Netflix to renew it for a season 2 because it was that good. It’s a show that is geared towards all age demographics with its diverse cast and themes of loss and representation. This cute ghost band will be on your next spotify playlist before you finish your first binge of the show, and there will be more binges trust me.