Evangelia’s Top 10 Bingeworthy Shows to Watch in Quarantine

The HBO series Euphoria is a pretty tragic love story that focuses on two teenage girls, named Rue and Jules. Rue, played by Zendaya, is a recovering opiate addict who just left rehab and is re-learning how to navigate the rough waters of her high school. She often has trouble being social and relating to other girls and her closest friend is her drug dealer, Felix, as a result. Due to a lack of support from peers and her shattered relationships with those around her due to her addiction, this creates more difficulty in her life as she transitions back from rehab to highschool. 

Then, she meets Jules, the new girl in town played by the up-and-coming model and actress, Hunter Schafer. Jules is tall, thin, and blonde and her makeup is always on point, as are her outfits – I might add. She teaches Rue how to open up while simultaneously trying to stop Rue from abusing drugs again on multiple occasions during the series acting as a semi-positive influence on her.

The two characters fall in love, but it isn’t always easy for them. Rue is still learning how to live a normal and healthy life, both as a teen and a recovering addict. Jules is also dealing with social pressures at school along with the stigma against her for being transgender. 

What makes “Euphoria” – Euphoria, is the ability for the show to cover a multitude of taboo subjects such as fraternity hazing, sex work, sex-positivity, feminism, grief, addiction, and queer love. This show is dramatic, addictive, and the wonderful but oh-so-sad sapphic love story we all need –  and yes, you can binge it in a day!

Let’s be real: The L Word is the  perfect binge worthy  show for any day. This show takes place in the early 2000s, and has the same energy as Sex and the City, but it’s a lot more LGBTQ+ focused.  It’s soapy, dramatic, raunchy, and will make you cry both happy and sad tears. 

The L Word focuses on a group of lesbian and bisexual friends living in Los Angeles. What makes this show so dramatic and effective in its portrayal are the characters that grace this friend group. For example, there is Bette Porter, the chaotic yet powerful art collector who always dons the perfect, retro pantsuit, and her partner Tina, who is the nurturing and sensitive mom-friend we all need in our lives. Shane, the mysterious playgirl, alongside Dana, the closeted tennis star. On the opposite side of this, we have Jenny, the shy new girl from the midwest, and my personal favorite, Alice, the gossippy, bisexual journalist. The entire cast of characters adds a strong and necessary energy to the show allowing for the characters to make up for what the plot lacks. 

In addition, the cast’s wardrobe is extremely aesthetically pleasing. As I mentioned before, the show was filmed in the early 2000s and as you can guess, the fashion reflects the time period. Many of the characters don dramatic poofy blouses and form-fitting polka dot dresses, similar to the ones that graced the pages of my mother’s favorite 2008 issue of Vogue. The fabrics, the patterns, and the colors — even the sparkly sweaters Jenny Schecter wears — truly amps up the entire show. 

For me personally,  the show is full of drama and intrigue but it is season six that will surely have you hooked.

If you can’t get enough of “The L Word,” be sure to check out Ilene Chaiken’s newer spin on it, The L Word: Generation Q.

This version of the L Word follows three key players from the original version: Bette, Alice, and Shane. It takes place ten  years into the future when everything is expectedly different. Bette is running for Mayor of Los Angeles, and she and Tina are divorced.  Their child, Angie, is now sixteen-years-old with a budding crush on her best friend. Alice, the gossip columnist, has her own talk show that honestly resembles “Ellen,” a bit too closely. She is also in a throuple! Shane, on the other hand, is working out the rocky details of her marriage while expecting a child.

One thing that adds to this reboot is the new cast of characters. In just the first episode, we meet complex and dynamic characters, like Finnley, the former Olympic Swimmer, Dani, the communications director for Bette’s mayoral campaign, Sophie, Dani’s fiancee, and Micah, the shy and witty English professor. Each of these new characters offers something to the show, and adds to its overall complexity. They’re relatable, funny, and human. It’s also interesting to watch the intense dynamics between the old and new characters play out!

It’s important to note that the actors give a lot to the characters they play. Each of them is experienced and talented. Some of them are even household names, like Jennifer Beals, Kate Moening, Leo Sheng, and Jacqueline Toboni. 

Of course, this show is a reboot, so it does help to watch the original version of The L Word if you decide to watch this. The L Word: Generation Q does have a relatively easy plot to follow, which is good for first-time watchers. There are easter-eggs and references to the old version, so watching the original L Word beforehand is a practical idea.

In all honesty, Sex Education is probably one of the best, most addictive Netflix originals I’ve seen in my life. And yes, I did binge it all over the course of one weekend.

Sex Education takes place in England, and follows the life of a 16-year-old boy named Otis. Otis is a relatively normal kid — he does well in school, he’s a good listener, and he regularly hangs out with his best friend, Erik. The one thing that sets him apart from his peers is his mother, Jean Millburne, a well-known sex and relationship therapist.

In the beginning of the series, everyone at Otis’s new school discovers this. While many people initially make fun, another student, named Meave, sees an opportunity. Meave and Otis end up opening a “sex clinic” at their school, where Otis gives sex advice to students in exchange for money, and Meave acts as his secretay. 

Sex Education takes the heavy topics like relationships, abortion, and coming out, and gracefully weaves each of them into a fun, light-hearted, and awkward story about what it’s like to be a teenager in this day and age.

If you aren’t interested in light-hearted dramedies like Sex Education the Showtime series A Work in Progress may be your cup of tea. A Work in Progress is a series that focuses on Abby, a middle-aged queer woman with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and her love interest, Chris, a 22-year-old barista with a knack for parties and LGBT culture. Chris is also the first (and only) transgender man Abby has ever dated. 

A Work in Progress is an amazing show. It focuses on pressing, but common issues like mental health and identity in an honest way. It doesn’t sugarcoat anybody’s struggles, and it tells you what you don’t want to hear. This is what makes the show so good, though. Chris and Abby both deal with a lot of really heavy issues, and the different dramas and issues they face both as a couple and as individuals depend on the show’s honesty.

Another reason why this show is so amazing is that Theo Germaine plays Chris! Germaine is an amazing actor with an amazing fashion sense. Plus, they may or may not be a celebrity crush.

If you can’t get enough of Theo Germaine, and you have a taste for political melodramas, The Politician is the perfect show for you! “The Politician,” features stars like Gwenyth Paltrow, Ben Platt, Theo Germaine, and the well-known T.E.R.F who plays tennis, Martina Navratilova. 

The Politician focuses on the chaotic lives of four politically active teenagers named Payton, James, Alice, and McAffee. They all go to the same wealthy California high school, and work toward the same common goal: getting Payton elected as class president. 

The Politician takes a look at the complicated intersections of politics, mental health, friendship, and those awkward teen years. It is cheeky, intense, and emotional all at once. This show is perfect for a one-day binge.

The Office is the definition of a cult classic. The 2005 sitcom is funny, culturally relevant, and extremely meme-able (seriously, I can’t scroll through Twitter without seeing a meme or quote from The Office!). 

The Office takes a look at the employees of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. At first glance, the characters seem normal. However, you’ll soon realize that they are the most chaotic bunch of co-workers you’ll ever see.

This show primarily focuses on the main character, Michael Scott, who runs the Scranton Branch of Dunder Mifflin. However, it also focuses on his employees, like the insanely rigid and religious Angela, the guy who really has seen it all, Creed, and your average girl (and guy) next door, Pam and Jim. 

The Office is a great Netflix binge. It is hilarious, shocking, and guaranteed to make you belly laugh.

Law and Order SVU, starring Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T, is a bit more intense than the former. This drama, which has spanned for nearly 20 years, focuses on the Special Victims Unit of the NYPD. As is expected, this particular unit investigates particularly heavy crimes, such as sex crimes and hate crimes. With this in mind, this is not a show for people who are triggered and offended by such things.

Law and Order SVU is such a good show because it is so intense and dramatic, but not in a stereotypical, soapy way. It is mysterious, as well. You will often find yourself trying to solve the mystery of the episode alongside the detectives!

Degrassi High: Next Class is a continuation of the popular Canadian teen drama, Degrassi: The Next Generation. This series focuses on the lives of high school teenagers who attend the fictional Canadian school, Degrassi High. Some of the most lovable characters on the show include Zoe, the natural-born leader; Miles, the life of the party; Maya, the musician; and Grace, Zoe’s secret crush.

This show is fun, quirky, and dramatic. It focuses on high school and the teenage years with intensity at times, while balancing that out with a funny and, at times, cheesy feel. It is relatable and. 

Degrassi High: Next Class is perfect for fans of the original Degrassi, but it’s easy for newcomers to catch up. As a matter of fact, I had never watched any of the older Degrassi seasons before watching Degrassi High: Next Class.

Degrassi High: Next Class spans for 4 seasons, but they do pass by quickly as the episodes are 22 minutes long. The show’s lack of longevity is one factor that makes it so binge worthy. You could probably finish it in one or two weekends!

The FX original series Pose takes place in New York City in the late 1980s and early 1990s and focuses on the competitive and romantic lives of drag queens. 

What’s really unique about this show is that it focuses on the drag balls they compete in. Drag balls are pageants for groups of drag queens, commonly referred to as houses, to perform. Drag balls were a staple of the underground LGBT+ culture of the 20th century, reaching peak popularity in the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. 

Pose takes a close look at these competitions and focuses primarily on two fictional houses – the House of Abundance, and the House of Evangelista. These two houses engage in intense competition, rivalry, and drama against each other. The characters are memorable, the fashion is colorful, and all in all, it’s an amazing watch