Since America failed at staying safe the first time around, we are faced with yet another lockdown with stay-at-home orders. Being bored and lonely are common side effects of staying safe during this pandemic. So, why not invest time into tv shows you never heard of or have been putting off watching? TV shows offer a fun escape into a time and place where nobody had anxiety about a pandemic. We all deserve to be able to escape into entertainment after a crappy year of isolation and grief. Here are five TV shows that may allow us to enjoy ourselves and take our minds off the pandemic:
- Succession
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I admit HBO’s Succession was not a show I was entirely sold on at first. As soon as I binged it during the pandemic, though, I came to realize the show is a masterpiece. The show summed up is Shakespeare’s King Lear on crack. The dialogue in the show is so sharp it can slice my neck in half, but it’s also so damn absurd at times I can’t help but laugh. My favorite line of dialogue from the show is definitely, “You can’t make a tomlette without breaking some Gregs.” Yeah, this is an Emmy-winning show that deserved every single one of their awards.
- Lovesick
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I have been OBSESSED with this British rom-com since I stumbled upon the first season during my freshman year of college. The show focuses on a hopeless romantic named Dylan who, at the start of the series, contracts Chlamydia, which sets up flashbacks as Dylan reflects on his past lovers. This show meant so much to me when it was still airing on Netflix. I loved how Lovesick rejects the normal episodic timeline, which makes the viewing experience more exciting as the viewer is able to perceive the emotional changes and journeys which derive from the later occurring experiences. The dialogue and narrative were both so real that I felt as if I were actually close friends with all the characters; they brought me so much comfort! If you binge watch this show, I hope these characters will provide you with the same kind of comfort.
- Insecure
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Missing Los Angeles, pre-Covid? If you answered yes to that question, Issa Rae’s Insecure is the show for you. This show focuses on young African American women, Molly and Issa, as each navigates relationship and career experiences in their hometown of Los Angeles. A cousin had me watch this before I came to UCLA, since, according to that cousin, “This show is so LA.” The characters are real, and it’s hard for any female especially to not relate to Molly’s and Issa’s journeys. I recently rewatched this show, and it reminded me of what continues to attract me to Los Angeles, and why I still love being here (even with the shut-downs). It’s nice to think about the idea of meeting people and going places in LA before Covid as well, which makes the show like therapy, to be honest.
- What We Do In The Shadows
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On concept alone, What We Do In The Shadows, wins. This TV show is based on the iconic indie film of the same title directed by the one and only Taika Waititi. The show is a mockumentary about horny vampire roommates who also face the same roommate problems we face in our own lives. This show will have you howling with laughter and is an easy binge because it’s just so damn delightful to watch. The writing and acting are superb, and they balance the right level of the absurd, scary, and funny. What We Do In The Shadows is the perfect show for you if you’re in need of a good laugh and need to escape from the cares of COVID-19.
- Chuck
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This show has meant a lot to me over the years, and it is also a favorite of my Boomer parents–which I should admit not a lot of Boomer parents like, in case you are already saying to yourself, “Yuck.” Anyway, Chuck focuses on an IT staff member at a Best Buy type retail store. Chuck receives an encoded email that, when opened, subliminally pushes all–and I mean, all–vital government secrets into your brain through your eyes. Most people would be stunned, but Chuck is sort of a computer nerd genius, so his head is able to hold all of the information uploaded into his brain. Chaos ensues as Chuck gets swept into the world of spies. The show is action-packed and full of heart. You will be at the edge of your seat while also falling in love with the entire gang of loveable misfits. Plus, the show’s soundtrack is awesome from beginning to end.
This year has been hard on all of us in a myriad of ways. Many of us feel aged by grief and isolation. Nobody expected our college years, and early 20s, to be taken away from us. Sometimes the best way to relax is just to sit down and binge some TV and feel lucky to at least live in the age of streaming television service. We also find we can call friends to set up “Netflix Watch Parties,” where we can binge together, talking about what we are watching and enjoy each other’s company in real time. Whatever way we cope during this extremely difficult time, I hope these shows can entertain and help keep us all a little bit more sane.