It’s cold again! Yaay! It’s the perfect time of the year to sit your ass down and watch a TV show, since people actually expect you to go outside and mingle in the summertime. Let’s face it, what would you rather do: go to another baby shower, or sit next to the stove drinking whatever normal drink you’ve spiked with whiskey to keep warm and watch a good TV show from start to finish? Yeah, that’s what I thought.
There used to be a time when we had to be entirely dependent on what the local TV channels would bother to air in the wintertime (hint: The Sound of Music, ten times in a row). Thankfully, some brilliant genius invented Netflix. We can now watch whatever show we want, whenever the hell we want. Well, granted you have a Netflix subscription, a working Internet connection and the show you want to see has sold their license to Netflix, allowing them to stream it. If not, you’re still living in the 80s and you have to hope the show will be on regular TV. You have my condolences. Thankfully, we can eliminate one of those factors by watching Netflix exclusive shows, because those are on Netflix all the time. And one could also ask why you’d want to watch those shows in the first place if you don’t have an Internet connection or a Netflix sub. So there, problem solved. Thank me later.
Anyway, for us civilized, Internet-having folk, let’s take a look at some Netflix Original shows that’ll keep you warm through the harshest of winters.
Stranger Things
A mother loses her child and is convinced her kid is still alive in another dimension. Rod Serling did this story line on the Twilight Zone back in the 60’s but this new variant is still totally frikk’en cool. The only people that believe her are other kids. Sounds like she’s crazy, doesn’t it? Well, she is, but she also isn’t. Watch kids rescue a telekinetic kid and then go on an epic journey to save another kid in an amazingly well-done sci-fi/horror series. Second season is coming soon-ish so now would be the perfect time to get season one down!
Daredevil / Jessica Jones / Luke Cage
Honestly, we’ll count these as one because they’re all interconnected and part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This essentially means you either watch them all, or watch none of them. If you do watch them, do so in chronological order. First comes Daredevil, the story of a blind lawyer that dresses in red leather to beat up bad guys. Then comes Jessica Jones, the story of a private detective that uses her amazing strength to beat up bad guys. Lastly we get Luke Cage, the story of a black man that uses his power of impenetrable skin to not get shot to death by black guys or random police officers. It’s America – don’t forget.
Bojack Horseman
What if you were a horse that was at one point a very famous actor but you’ve now reached a dead spot in your career? Thanks to Bojack Horseman, we no longer have to ask these tough questions. This (dark) comedy show will give you all the answers you need and way, way more. Also, it has talking animals. But they still act like animals. But they talk. This a Mr. Ed 2.0 – yet another 60’s TV show that featured a talking horse. Bojack is all about new, updated 2016-ish yuks that will surely make you smile and yuk.
Narcos
Do you like drugs and/or dealing drugs? Boy, do I have something for you! But that’s for another time, this is about the show Narcos! Following the life of Pablo Escobar and the rise of the Columbian drug cartels, this is one intense show.
The Crown
If you’re into royalty, and British royalty in particular, this will be a great show for you. The show follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II during the second half of the 20th century (this was back when granny was a young lady, kids!) and is getting pretty amazing reviews all-around. Politics, intrigue and romance, what more could you need?
Better Call Saul
Did you like Breaking Bad but can’t be bothered to watch the entirety of Breaking Bad over again? Watch this show instead! While it’s not as good as Breaking Bad, it does have that “I know those people! I care about this story!” vibe. It’s a more than decent show and you’ll get all warm and fuzzy due to the many winks to the original show. That or the whiskey you spiked your drink with. You have a problem and we’re all worried. Please get help.
House of Cards
They should honestly rename this show to “Guide to what will happen if Trump becomes president” now. Because that’s essentially what it is. It’s a wonderful show about politics with all the corruption and hypocrisy that goes along with it, and a stellar Kevin Spacey in the lead role. Watch it before the nukes drop!
Making a Murderer
There’s very little that hasn’t been said about this show about the trial of Steven Avery, but it’s worth a watch. If nothing else, the show’s sometimes very one-sided and narrow viewpoint will make you doubt the justice system in the way a half-decent lawyer should have probably done. Whether what’s shown in the series is true or not, it’s nice to see how things can go wrong in a criminal investigation. And by “nice”, I mean “scary”.
Marco Polo
As the name pretty much suggests, this fictional show follows the life of Marco Polo, the explorer. As far as I can tell, it’s pretty much the closest thing to Game of Thrones Netflix has, so you should watch it for that alone. The costumes and setting are very well done, and the story never gets boring (although, like all shows, it has some slow points).
