The 5 most binge-worthy shows for 2014

Classes are important, yes, but so are study breaks. Netflix doesn’t have to be your enemy this quarter; it can still be your best friend! Here are five shows you can get started watching right away.

 

 

The tastiest overindulgence you’ll experience this season is this tantalizing dramedy encircling a women’s prison. The media hyping of OITNB is not only enormous, but also utterly deserved. With rich characters and well-paced episodes that bleed seamlessly from one into another, OITNB is a must-watch for any TV-binger – veteran or newbie.

 

 

If there was one show you heard about this year, whether it be in the workplace, the classroom or from a friend, it was the phenomenon that is Breaking Bad. The drug drama’s layered storytelling and complex character development have rightfully crowned it as one of the best of the best in television history. If you haven’t already taken a swig of the ricin-laced kool-aid, join the dark side. Bad has never been so good.

 

 

 

 

Sharp-tongued and woven together with ruthless twists, the bewitching third season of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series is as addictive as it is deliciously camp. I mean, what other show on TV involves a killer vagina, a hot Frankenstein-esque frat boy, a grown man making a doll out of the dead, a deeply racist disembodied head and a sex scene between Precious’ Gabourey Sidibe and a minotaur? Call it what you want, but AHS is addicting.

 

 

NBC’s self-aware comedy centered in a community college is a love letter to pop culture connoisseurs everywhere. Loaded with esoteric references along with oodles of fourth wall breakage, Community is so smart and absurd it might just change the way you see TV. Sadly, for a show that seems to be tailor-made for devoted Netflix fanatics, Community is not available for streaming. Find it on the NBC website or DVD.

 

 

Mind-bending, enthralling, thrilling and returning this January, BBC’s modern update on Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic is a treat for the eye plus an exercise for the brain. Enter with caution, though. This mini-series is not fit for treadmill watching or casual viewing. Blink and a clue will be missed. At all times, keep a steady hand on the remote or mouse for a quick playback. And for good measure, be sure to switch on the subtitles too, so not a single sentence is left a mystery. Lather, rinse, rewind.