This winter break, i became the ultimate binge-watcher
As someone who’s chronically online, I’d like to think I’m pretty in tune with pop culture and everything in between. But once the semester starts, I somehow end up feeling like I’m living under a rock–completely consumed by classes, deadlines, and everything else that comes with being a student.
This break was exactly what I needed. Aside from catching up with family and friends, I did what I do best: rotted in bed and watched anything and everything that caught my eye.
So now, let’s recap. I’m about to spill all my thoughts on what I watched (I’ll try to keep this relatively spoiler-free… but no promises, so consider this your warning).
Wake Up Dead Man: Knives out 3
If you know me, you know I loveee a good mystery. I absolutely adored the first Knives Out movie, and the second one, Glass Onion, was pretty solid too. Out of the three, Wake Up Dead Man might be my least favorite, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.
The biggest issue for me was the pacing. The first half of the movie felt incredibly slow, to the point where I almost gave up on it altogether. That said, the ending completely reeled me back in and made the watch worth it.
Emily in Paris (S5)
As much as I hate Emily in Paris, I also love Emily in Paris. It’s terribly written, constantly makes me angry, and yet—I cannot stop watching. It’s wildly entertaining, and Emily’s life is always a complete shit show, but you know everything will somehow work out in the end.
Spoiler warning!!
That ending? Pissed. Me. Off. Another massive cliffhanger, and now we’re probably going to have to wait two years for the next season. I miss when shows would drop new seasons once or twice a year.
First of all, Gabriel was barely in the season, even though we all know he’s supposed to be endgame. Second, what in the world was that Alfie–Mindy–Nico love triangle? Mindy needs to make up her mind (she should choose Alfie, in my opinion). Third, where did Alfie and Mindy even come from? I’ll admit, they were kind of cute together, but the way it happened felt so… random.
Despite all of my complaints, I already know I’ll be back, binging the next season the second it comes out.
Beauty and the Beast (2012)
Every break, I need one of those shows–the kind you can put on while doing absolutely anything, whether it’s crocheting, working on a puzzle, or scrapbooking. Beauty and the Beast was that show for me.
I’ll be honest: I started watching solely for Kristin Kreuk. Like, entirely for her. But somewhere along the way, I grew to genuinely love the show. It became a comfort watch, something familiar I could always come back to without really thinking too hard.
That said, the storyline did get a little repetitive. It basically went like this: Vincent is in danger, Cat tries to save him, Cat ends up in danger, and then Vincent saves her. Rinse and repeat. Moral of the story? They’re meant to be, and they’ll always save each other.
I never actually finished the fourth and final season, but I’m pretty sure it would’ve been more of the same. Maybe one day I’ll go back and finally see it through.
Shine on me
I thought it was time to reconnect with my roots (not really) and watch a Chinese (Mandarin) drama—even though I’m Cantonese. A friend recommended this C-drama to me, so I figured I’d give it a try. It had been a while since I watched anything remotely connected to my culture, and I thought maybe this would help me pick up some Mandarin along the way.
It did… to an extent. Mostly because I caught words that sounded very similar to Cantonese as I watched.
Now, let’s talk about the show itself. Shine on Me was good! It started off a little rocky and slow, but it definitely improved as it went on. That said, I never actually finished it. Maybe I’m just impatient, but I genuinely could not keep watching their relationship progress at a snail’s pace every episode. I swear every romantic or “important” scene was shot in slow motion and replayed four times from four different angles. Like… we get it.
Still, the main couple was cute! I was happy for them, and they were actually in a very healthy relationship, which feels rare these days, so kudos to that. Yay for promoting healthier relationships in media.
Percy Jackson (s2)
My elementary–middle school self immediately awakens whenever I see that a new episode of Percy Jackson has been released. So when I got back from break and realized season two had already begun, I sat down and watched until I was completely caught up.
The first season was so good. It was genuinely refreshing to see the characters played by actors who are actually around the same age as the characters themselves—and they’re incredibly talented, too. I also love that each season is based on a specific book in the series; it gives the show so much room to fully develop the story.
Now, let’s just hope it doesn’t get cancelled before it can officially finish. Fingers crossed!!
Pitch Perfect 1 & 2
Dare I say, the Pitch Perfect movies are some of the best movies to watch while working out! Maybe I’m biased because I love them so much and find the music to be pitch perfect… but they never fail to get me hyped and in a good mood! Especially during the riff-offs. With the number of times I’ve rewatched them, I’m pretty sure I know all the words to the riff-offs and competitions by heart now. In the exact sequence they were performed too.
The Housemaid
I genuinely can’t believe I watched The Housemaid twice over break. The first time was with my boyfriend, who had zero knowledge of either the book or the movie. Honestly, it was so fun watching someone else react in real time to all the scenes that completely shocked me when I first read the book.
The second time, I went with a friend who had read about 80% of the book before we walked into the theater. The entire time, all I heard from her was, “I swear this wasn’t in the book!” which honestly surprised me, because I thought it was a pretty close adaptation. That said, I haven’t read the book in a few years, so that might explain it.
Overall, it was a super entertaining watch. And despite all the Sydney Sweeney hate, I actually think she played the role really well.
Heated Rivalry
You know when you watch a show that’s so good it immediately throws you into a slump? Yeah. This did that to me.
I went into Heated Rivalry with absolutely no expectations. I was actually pretty late to it; I didn’t start watching until a few weeks after it came out. After seeing it all over my TikTok feed, I finally gave in and pressed play… and then I did not stop.
I watched five episodes in one sitting before forcing myself to sleep and finish it the next day. It completely took me for a ride. The beginning was fast-paced, then it shifted to another couple’s storyline, then back to the original couple, and eventually everything started to intertwine as their relationships blossomed.
That final scene in episode five? Wow. Lowkey life-changing. You could literally see the gears turning in Shane and Ilya’s faces, and I loved how differently they each reacted in that moment.
Watching the show made me want to read the books. I needed more!! More context, more depth, and all the little details that might not have made it into the show.
People We Meet on Vacation
People We Meet on Vacation should’ve been a theatrical release. And I will stand on that.
Oh, how I loved this movie. Deeply.
That love, however, came with a lot of disappointment. I can see how, for someone who hasn’t read the book, this would be a fun and entertaining rom-com. But as a book reader—and a lover of the book—I was pretty crushed. It reminded me a lot of the Percy Jackson movies with Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario: widely disliked as adaptations because they strayed so far from the source material, yet still enjoyable if you watched them without any attachment to the books.
I kept waiting for scenes I adored in the novel, hoping they’d be recreated beautifully by Emily Bader and Tom Blythe… and that just wasn’t the case.
That said, the movie was still good. I just wish there had been more depth—more room to explore the characters and their backgrounds. Especially moments like spoiler the vasectomy scene, Flannery O’Connor, and the Tinder scene, which felt so integral in the book.
Traitors US (s4)
I can’t lie, I only started Traitors because I saw that Maura Higgins and Rob Rausch from Love Island were in it. I love my Love Islanders and wanted to see them in a different setting. Especially evil Rob. The manipulation tactics he had on Love Island should definitely come in handy now that he’s on Traitors.
I had no idea what Traitors even was, but the more I watched, the more I realized that it’s basically a glorified Mafia game featuring a bunch of reality stars, celebrities, and famous athletes.
This cast this season is great. They’ve got people from Love Island, Survivor, Big Brother, Housewives, DWTS, and even athletes, chefs, actors, and musicians. It really is well-rounded, and you get to see such different people interact.
I didn’t think I’d be rooting for the traitors this time, but it’s just so juicy to watch them sneak around and deceive everyone. I hope they win this time!
Now that you’ve seen my extensive list of binge-worthy watches, I hope you found something entertaining, or at least intriguing, to put on when you need a little break from life. I think we all need that sometimes.