This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Rutgers chapter.

During these hard times, no matter how much we tell ourselves we will not spend too much time watching tv, it can be hard to resist. There is nothing wrong with enjoying some quality television relaxation with the extra time we all have to spend at home. Over the almost 11-month course of the pandemic, I personally have shamelessly binged several tv shows on Netflix. All of these at one point has hit the top 10 list- I have not gotten to finishing some of the newer shows yet. Here is my isolation top 7 tv shows, how I rate them overall, and some of my thoughts.

Never Have I Ever – 10/10

This series follows the journey of a young Indian-American high school student who had just experienced the tragic loss of her father. For the cast, mainly being teenagers, the acting was very good. The jokes made were funny, and relatable, and there were some great references. On top of that, it also gave some insight into the main character Devi’s family life, her relationship with her strict mother, overachieving cousin, and internal conflicts she feels with her cultural identity. A Mindy Kaling original, this definitely did not disappoint. I definitely recommend watching this, it is also a very PG show so you can enjoy it with family if you so choose to!

Outer Banks – 8.5/10

While I love a good teen mystery show just as much as the next person, I will say there were times this show irritated me. The romantic aspects of the show felt forced and rushed in some ways. I also think there were a lot of plot holes and things that did not make sense. I can’t say I expect any television show to be 100% completely realistic, however, some of the events were highly realistic. If you saw the ending of season one you know exactly what I mean- don’t worry no spoilers!

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina – 7.5/10

I loved this show for a while- I have been watching it since it premiered my freshman year of college! I think that season four was the best season of the show. One, two, and three at times dragged and were not as enjoyable to watch. However, I can not express how much I hate what they did with the ending of the series. It was completely rushed, and Sabrina’s love interest was both rushed and forced. I would have much rather seen her ride solo in this final season and continue being the bad witch she is without a man! If that was not bad enough- without giving away too much- I do feel that the ending romanticized suicide which is not at all an appropriate message for their younger college and high school-aged audience. They had a lot of potential to make the ending something more powerful with a better message and in that aspect completely failed. I will mention that there are times when the show might be scary for people, I would only recommend that people who enjoy horror watch this.

Bridgerton – 8/10

Okay, I will admit that I am EXTREMELY biased when it comes to this review. I live for romantic dramas, and found this series to be similar to a Victorian Age “Gossip Girl.” The music was phenomenal, there were some beautiful overtures and classical versions of hit songs like Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams”. The story was fun enough to follow, however, I could have lived without Anthony Bridgerton who was obnoxiously overprotective of the main character Daphne’s “virtue” despite him treating women poorly. There are a lot of steamy scenes in the series as well, that may not be appropriate (or comfortable) to watch with family.

The Good Place – 10/10

This sitcom is fun to watch and educational. It focuses on the afterlife, and follows the story of Eleanor Shellstrop who is sent to the “good place” as a mistake. There are a lot of philosophical themes that r make you think, while simultaneously teaching the audience philosophical thinking. It is also a funny and quirky show.

Emily in Paris – 7/10

Let me start by saying that the rating is almost a false rating. I found this show to be a good default to rewatch when you have nothing better to do, and do not feel like trying a new series. I’m sure everyone has had that experience. I think my biggest issue with the show is that I liked the main character Emily’s best friend Mindy more than the main character. If the show was centered around Mindy, or even if she had a bigger role the show would have been better in my opinion- of course this is nothing against Lily Collins. Mindy was a more entertaining character, and her storylines were not all grossly unrealistic in the way Emily’s were. I also found they played a little too much on French stereotypes, and portrayed the French in an unfair way. However, this was still a fun show to watch during lockdown and definitely gave me my fix of Paris.

Cobra Kai -10/10

I absolutely love this show. I grew up watching the “Karate Kid” movies with my dad. It is cool to see a new take on the series and to be able to watch it from a different point of view. The characters are fun, and there are some strong and fierce women portrayed which is always a plus. I highly recommend watching this, you might be able to finish the entire series in a week during the quarantine.

I hope this lucky seven helps bring some comfort and entertainment to the New Year! We are at the home stretch!

Netflix Top 7: Ratings, and the Best Shows to Watch in Isolation

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