Going home for winter break, I was incredibly ecstatic about being able to see all my friends and family again after what had felt like a very long time. I would get to cook with my dad, watch The Bachelor with my mom, and do more shopping than I could really afford with my best friend. Although, something else that I was incredibly excited for was the opportunity to get into a new show. It had been forever since I had sat down and found a show with multiple seasons and subsequent episodes that had really caught my attention. So, this past Winter Break, I made it my mission to get into and watch as many shows as I could! Here is a list of some shows on Netflix that I absolutely loved and highly recommend! I will be giving a little detail about each show, so if you have been curious about any of these titles, grab some popcorn, read below, and see if they sound like something you would enjoy!
Bridgerton
Starting off with a super strong contender that seems to be taking Netflix by storm, I fell in love with the show because of how “period” they kept it-- which is basically a theatre term for keeping something relative to its appropriate time frame. If you like old-timey, english shows that have the humour of modern day yet the appeal and style of the 1800s, you would love this show! The cast is stacked with incredible actors, and the show somehow balances between being light-hearted and audience-grappling at the same time. All this aside, it is also a romance show, so if you like mature soap opera drama and a classic love story, you will love the main characters, Daphne and Simon. Overall, it was a very good show that I highly recommend if you are looking for a quick binge. I am looking forward to the second season!
American Horror Story: Hotel:
Before I start this one, it is important to note that AHS is easily my favorite show on Netflix or anywhere else. I love all of the weird and creepiness the show presents, and that they somehow tie it together with intense romances and amazing cinematography. I have probably watched seasons one, four and nine four times each! Although, do be warned, American Horror Story is an incredibly gory show, and “Hotel” is no exception. So even though I usually either look away or skip through the rather gory scenes, if this is something that is not for you, I wouldn’t spend too much time on this show! Although, if that doesn’t faze you, ‘Hotel” is an incredible season of American Horror Story that takes an in-depth look at the Hotel Cortez and its rather blood-hungry vampirian inhabitants. Although that may sound a little child-like, it is 100% the opposite, and is instead filled with romance, danger, action, and emotion as Lady Gaga, the leading female, runs the whole operations of The Hotel as the daunting Countess. The season also closely follows the story of a young LA Detective who, after losing his little boy to a kidnapping, seems to go off the rails at the hotel. Although I am biased, I believe that this season is nothing short of spectacular, and if you want a thriller, you want this show.
Emily in Paris:
Emily in Paris, starring Lily Collins, is the type of show that makes you want to be the main character. This show follows a young twenty-something year old girl named Emily as she goes through the trials and tribulations of working for a rather prestigious agency in Paris. If you like romance that is filled with both drama and humor, you would love this show! Filled with beautiful French people, designers, and food, the audience is able to live vicariously through Emily as she works through troubles with her boss, her job, and her love life with several French men, including the boy next door. Overall, this one season show is very light-hearted and full of comedy. Though quirky and cheesy at times, it redeems itself with the relatable romance and overall awe of Paris. If you are looking for something simple and easy to watch, you have found your show.
YOU:
If you are anything like me, you love a good plot twist. Luckily, “YOU,” on Netflix, is full of them. From a psycho-analytical main character named Joe that seems to have a few screws loose to the ever-ordinary love interest, Beck, that seems to be your everyday average girl, this show is one of the best I have ever seen when it comes to characterization. Therefore, if this is something that is important to you, you would absolutely appreciate the intense time the show takes going into detail of the psyche of every character, including the side ones. Along with this, this cast is also filled with several well-known actors, including Penn Badgley of “Gossip Girl” and Shay Mitchell of “Pretty Little Liars,” proving that the actors are trained and talented, making this show even more intense. Overall, the show is about a stalker. Or is he a man in love? Is he crazy? Did his childhood trauma cause his eerie tendencies? I don’t know. These are the kinds of questions that the show “You” forces you to answer as you are presented with a constant battle between right and wrong, and good and bad within Joe Goldberg’s mind. Overall, this show is romantic; it’s filled with satirical remarks as heard from the main character’s point of view, and it is just downright good. If you love the first season, you will be obsessed with the second, and if you thought that the first season had plot twists, you haven’t seen anything.
The Queen's Gambit:
Beth Harmon, a young prodigal chess player, finds herself fighting gender norms in the late 60’s to the 70’s and beyond. She is the main character, and was brought to an orphanage and learned to play chess from the janitor in the basement where she used to clean chalk erasers. If you are someone who likes shows that challenge real-world issues, this is your show by far. From substance abuse and addiction and absent parents to sexism and gender inequality in the mid 1900’s, this show presents an ever-honest point of view from a young chess star battling throughout life. The show starts off a little slow, but once it picks up, it becomes clear as to why the previous background information was very important. In this coming-of-age show, Beth is forced to face the troubles of both every teenage girl growing up, and being a woman in a seeming man’s world. Alas, this show is incredibly interesting, even more so if you understand chess, as the ideals and rules of chess are explained and intricately and carried throughout the show. Overall, it is a unique show that grasps the watcher’s attention, meaning it is not one to simply be left in the background while attention is given elsewhere. But, if you are willing to buckle up and watch the show intently, you will enjoy the ride.
Alice in Borderland:
Alice in Borderland is a high-paced, heart-racing show that is centered around the idea of survival. It tests the character’s strength, heart, and physical attributes, but most importantly their mental strength. This show is based in Tokyo, Japan, and since it is in Japanese, subtitles are a must. This being said, if you are someone who does not like using subtitles, this show may not be for you. Although, if you are like me and for some reason love them, that simply won’t bother you. This show can also be gory, but it is nowhere near as bad as AHS. If you like shows that make you think and you like races against time, you would love “Alice in Borderland.” A general synopsis is that everyone in Tokyo seemingly disappears within an instant, except for three crucial characters. They are forced to play life-threatening games against other seeming survivors of the random disappearance of humanity in which the winners receive playing cards that have different suits, colors, and numbers between Ace-King depending on the game’s difficulty. Overall, if you like “Whodunnits?” and questioning who you can truly trust, you would love to see what “Alice in Borderland” has in store.
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