TV Recs to Binge While Self-Quarantining

These days, Netflix and chill is the new status quo. Because we are all going to be stuck in our homes for the next couple of weeks, the only thing that will bring us sanity during this crazy time is our TV. However, after finishing all of your favorite shows you may feel like you have run out of shows to watch. It can be kind of intimidating to choose a show when there are so many offered luckily, I have narrowed down a list of some of my favorite multi-part series available on Netflix or Hulu that will be sure to make up for downtime during this Self-Quarantine.

1. Tiger King

If you haven’t already seen all the memes about this hilarious seven-part documentary, then you probably haven’t watched the new Netflix show named Tiger King. This show follows a man named Exotic Joe who owns over 300 tigers in the middle of Oklahoma. Life is good for Joe until a woman named Carole Baskin decides that she is going to take down his animal kingdom because it is inhumane. However, as the documentary moves on, many of Baskin’s secrets are exposed leaving the viewer questioning her intentions as well. This documentary involves murder, animal attacks, baby tigers, and suicide. It is heart-breaking and thrilling at the same time. My family and I finished it in one night and I totally recommend it to you and yours.

1. I am Jazz

A show that I have been watching for years now is I am Jazz. Jazz Jennings is a nineteen-year-old trans-girl living in Florida. Throughout the years, Jennings has been super open with the public about her transition and has had the show follow her through her many surgeries and relationships. I think this show is great because it is super informative and has taught me a lot about the struggles and the beauty within the trans community.  Additionally, it is a good resource for those who may not be open to informing themselves because it is highly entertaining and educative at the same time. Jazz is such an inspiration to many and I highly recommend you step into her world by watching I am Jazz. 

1. The Great British Baking Show

One show that you can NEVER go wrong with is The Great British Baking Show. This baking show has many seasons and episodes and is super fun to binge-watch. You watch as bakers in the English countryside compete in varying baking competitions. It is intense but also hilarious to watch. By the end of it, you will be inspired to make the famous English Victoria Sponge Cake or a scrumptious Gooseberry Pie.

1. The Circle

A reality show that has recently come out on Netflix unlike any other show to date in The Circle. A combination of Love is Blind, the Bachelor, and  Jersey Shore would be the best way to describe this show. The concept of The Circle is to put many people in their own apartments for a couple of days and the only way they communicate is through social media. People are able to share their real profiles or create fake ones and the object of the show is to decide who is catfishing and who is not. If you make it to the end without getting blocked, you win. It is a super interesting and entertaining social experiment and another great way to kill sometime during the week.

1. Narcos

One of my personal favorite shows is one that has been around for a while but has recently released season 2 of its Mexico edition. Narcos follows the quests of DEA agents during the 1980s that traveled to both Colombia and Mexico to fight off drug lords such as Pablo Escobar and Felix Gallardo. Blood, guns, sex, and intensity are the best words to describe Narcos. It is super addicting and entertaining. The recent Narcos Mexico episode had special guest Quavo featured on the show and it was hilarious. There constant surprises, twists, and turns that make the show super binge-worthy. Also,a quick disclaimer, do not watch if you have a queasy stomach – a lot of body parts and torture scenes. 

1. You

Another show that may have heard of but not watched is the Netflix series You. You follows the story of obsessive stalker Joe Goldberg in all his love quests. Goldberg has a bad habit of getting attached to women very strong and does everything in his power to make sure their lives are “perfect,” as an act of love. The only problem with this is, he likes to eliminate people that make his lovers’ lives a little more difficult. Joe is such a conflicting character because one minute he is helping his neighbor out with family problems and the next he is being a creepy stalker. This show is full of murder, twists, turns, and constantly leaves you wanting more. You is extremely binge-worthy and one of the best Netflix specials to date.

1. Mommy Dead and Dearest – The Act

This next recommendation is actually a two-part one. Firstly, the documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest is a true story that follows the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother Dee Dee. All of Gypsy’s life, her mother was able to convince many that Gyspy suffered from many chronic illnesses and she spent the majority of her life in a wheelchair. However, the truth was that Gypsy was actually perfectly fine and her mother suffered from Munchausen Syndrome meaning that she would fake her daughter’s illnesses for money and attention. As a result, Gyspy became fed up with it and turned on her mother in a terrible way. The story is tragic however, Hulu came out with a show named The Act which depicts Blanchard’s story through actresses Joey King and Patricia Arquette. Both are super interesting and another great option when chilling on the couch.

1. Amanda Knox

One of my favorite Netflix documentaries is the Amanda Knox one that explains the murder of Meredith Kercher. Knox happened to be living in the same house as Kercher when they were studying abroad in Italy and came home the next day to Kercher’s dead body. The media began to twist the story around and people believed that Knox was guilty. Although there was no evidence as to who official killed Kercher, some signs also pointed to a local bartender. This documentary follows Knox as she tells her story that ultimately led her to her freedom.

1. Dirty John

This Netflix show is super juicy and also based on a true story. Dirty John tells the story of a woman that falls in love with a man named John very quickly. Although she is very happy, her daughters are very suspicious and do not trust him. As the show moves forward John’s past begins to unravel and it turns out that he is not who he says he is. It is thrilling and terrifying at the same and you will be questioning every one you meet by the end of it. 

1. Keeping Up With The Kardashians 

When in doubt, there is always the Kardashians. With season 18 just starting up, Keeping Up with the Kardashians will have entertained through the entire quarantine season. Seeing Kim and Kourtney fight will be a great distraction from the craziness of the world right now and a fun thing to watch with the family. Overall, you can never go wrong with Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, Kylie, Kendall, and of course Kris. 

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