With finals week and winter break just around the corner, there will be lots of moments for some much-needed stress relief. For me, watching TV has always been one of my ultimate stress relievers. I love getting pulled into another world, where people’s problems are much more dramatic and concerning than mine could ever be. From my vast experience with Netflix shows, these three are absolute must-watches.
- Peaky Blinders
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Set in the late 1910s and early 1920s, this show centers around the Shelby family of Birmingham, England, who are leaders of a gang called the Peaky Blinders. Thomas Shelby, the head of the family, is determined to expand the family’s illegal betting and exporting practices throughout Birmingham and beyond. Each season he takes on a new competitor and all the while navigates love, family, and the constant life-or-death situations. I will warn you: if you do not like on-screen violence, this is not the show for you. But, if you can endure several gang fights and shoot-outs, you will find so much more. This show expresses the tensions between business and family, demonstrates how women can occupy power positions in a man’s world, and pulls at your heartstrings with the relationships the characters develop. If you’re in for an action-packed, heart-wrenching rollercoaster of a show, this is absolutely the show for you.
- New Girl
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This silly, light-hearted, and hilarious show is perfect for anyone looking to fit small Netflix breaks into their study grind. Jess, the main character, moves into a loft with three male roommates after her boyfriend cheats on her, forcing her to move out of their house. Though she finds this loft by responding to a random ad on Craig’s List, what she really ends up finding is friendship, love, and a whole lot of crazy times. Set in Los Angeles, California, this show expresses the trials and tribulations of finding your way in your 30s. These characters are absurdly emotional and completely irrational, but that makes it all the more fun. You may have heard of the drinking game True American; well, this is where that game originates. I would highly recommend this show to anyone who wants a good laugh.
- The Umbrella Academy
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I will preface this by saying that at first I thought this show was very odd, and it took me a couple of episodes to get into it. But, I promise you it’s worth it. The show is about seven people from different families, all born on the same day, with extraordinary powers. A rich, enterprising man pays these children’s parents to take them to an institution he names The Umbrella Academy. There, he treats them as his own children and trains them to be a vigilante crime-fighting force. A majority of the show, however, centers around these characters as adults who, having gone their separate ways a long time ago, are forced to reunite at the passing of their “father.” It is absolutely captivating to watch these characters unfold; their troubled past and the extent of their powers are slowly revealed through flashbacks and their efforts to stop the end of the world. This show is full of action, betrayal, romance, and a few good laughs. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good thought-provoking show.