5 Shows You’ll Binge-Watch Instead of Studying for Finals
It happens every year: I start out finals week feeling motivated and on top of the world, and by the middle of the week I’ve found myself neck-deep in a Netflix hole, surrounded by empty crisp packets and smelling vaguely of shame. I always manage to find a show that I just have to watch, be it a new one or one I’ve watched through dozens of times. At this point, I’ve decided to accept defeat—clearly, this isn’t a habit I’m going to break. In anticipation of successfully distracting myself during the impending exam season, here are 5 of my top contenders of life-ruining television.
5. Black Mirror
When I tell you that Black Mirror will suck you in and refuse to let go until you’ve worked your way through every last episode, I speak from experience. My freshman year roommate can attest to the fact that Black Mirror is a doozy; I pulled an all-nighter during finals week watching the first two (very short) seasons. Set in a very near future, this show hits too close to home as it explores the ways in which a rapidly growing tech industry can bring us together and tear us apart.
Though Netflix has not given an official release date for Season 4, new episodes are expected before the end of 2018. With any luck, they’ll come at midnight on the Sunday of finals week! Cheers!
4. Jersey Shore
It is a testament to Jersey Shore’s quality that I am recommending it despite the fact that it is not available to stream on Netflix. Though most reality TV is wild, this show is uniquely absurd—I invite you to delve into Season 1 and listen to the cast’s original talking heads. Hearing Angelina call herself the “Kim Kardashian of Staten Island” is a special experience, to say the least. Sure, the show is terribly offensive at times, but it provides a unique case study of American twenty-somethings with too much time on their hands. The cast recently announced that the show is coming back, giving you even more excuse to catch up. Who can study for O-Chem or write papers when you need to prepare yourself for another season of hearing Pauly D yell, “T-SHIRT TIIIIIIIME”?
Currently streaming on Hulu, this show was the voice of a generation. I substantiate that claim with this picture, which was taken at a Shore-themed party my mother encouraged me to host in high school. Thanks, Mom! 3. Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is a great distraction from school because the characters of the show never seem to be in classes at all, unless they need to sabotage the teacher for personal gain or learn a valuable lesson about loyalty or candor. The fashion in the show is oh-so-2000’s, and it’s particularly satisfying to see Blair Waldorf flip her phone shut in frustration. You can also make it a fun game: take a sip of water every time Dan Humphrey is a dirty snake who is undeserving of Serena’s forgiveness or love!
2. The Office
What can be said that hasn’t been said a thousand times before? The Office is a classic. Watching Michael Scott transform from a callous, unthinking jerk into a near-paternal figure is really sweet, and there are plenty of laughs to be had. The only drawback is that you’ve probably watched the show before, which makes it harder to justify. Solution: if anyone questions you, say you are writing an analysis on the fan theory that Jim is the Scranton Strangler.
1. Big Mouth
Big Mouth is the best Netflix original to date. I will die on this hill. Featuring an all-star voice cast, this show explores the terrible, funny, nauseatingly uncomfortable world of being a pre-teen. When asked for one word to describe Big Mouth, my boyfriend used “clever.” I would go with “uncomfortable.” The beauty is that both are true—in providing such a strange and unflinching look at the hormone-driven Hell that is middle school, the show leaves any concept of a “comfort zone” at the door. Though a little juvenile, the result is something funny, real, and universal. Plus, one of the main characters is the ghost of jazz legend Duke Ellington. What’s not to like?