Arts & Entertainment

Five bingeworthy shows perfect to revisit this winter

Even better background noise for those with short attention spans.

As we ease into our second week of the winter quarter, I thought why not speak about some TV entertainment for a second. With all the new shows coming out this new year, I bet some students are excited for new stories to take in, and others might not be ready for more, needing to catch up on the last six episodes of the show that you’ve somehow forgotten about.

There are people that have the ability to go through multiple shows in a few days and gather all their intel in order to provide the tastiest of spoilers to gloat online about. While those with short attention spans remember periodically to revisit an old comfort show.

I know that I can’t personally sit down and finish anything without stopping for weeks. 

So for those looking for some comfort or new shows to revisit another time, here are five bingeworthy shows for people who don’t binge watch TV.

Photo by Disney–ABC Domestic Television and Sony Pictures Television International | A scene from “The Good Doctor”
  1. “The Good Doctor”

“The Good Doctor” is about a young surgeon named Shawn Murphy who is navigating the world while living with autism and savant syndrome. The show focuses on key aspects in his life, where Shawn must overcome socializing with others and slowly work with other doctors in his same position. Many people with autism face challenges every day and in each episode is a lesson for Shawn to learn, which makes this a great comfort show to revisit. 

It also serves to help audiences who are also on the spectrum possibly feel seen or be able to critique where the show could’ve done better. I was able to revisit the show after speaking more about it in my Disability in Film class, which made me love the show even more. You can stream this show on Hulu.

  1. “Wednesday”

Everyone loves a good spooky show, and why not enjoy a new remake of an old classic we all know and love. “Wednesday” is a Tim Burton twist on the “Addams Family” movies, where we see a teenage Wednesday head off to a school for freaks after nearly killing her brothers’ bullies. There, she encounters danger, and has to solve a decades-old curse before it ruins the school of Nevermore Academy with the help of her not-so-liked friends, and a revival of Christina Richie, the original actress for the 1991 “Addams Family” films. A lot of mixed reviews are met with this show given multiple comparisons between the two actresses but if you are willing to give this show a shot, I recommend doing so. You can stream this show on Netflix.

Photo by CBS Television Distribution | A screenshot of “Broad City”
  1. “Broad City”

One of my favorite go-to comfort shows that warms my belly is “Broad City.” The comedy show is about two 20-something friends, Abbi Abrams and Ilana Wexler, who met during their college years and are trying to navigate their way through New York despite multiple adventures that lead them to unfortunate places. This show was created by Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, who play the leads. The show involves talks on women’s rights, relationship types, sexuality, drugs, equality and more. With crude but silly jokes that might be someone’s cup of tea, but could stray others away. Most episodes provide multiple hilarious scenarios where Abbi’s awkward personality of questioning everything and Ilana’s extroverted and sometimes obnoxious personality often gets them into obscene and weird situations down the rabbit hole. If you like not knowing what to expect with each episode and love randomness, I recommend “Broad City” to revisit. This show is streaming on Hulu.

Photo by Warner Bros. Television Distribution | Scene from “The White Lotus”
  1. “The White Lotus”

Here is a recent and probably commonly known show on many media platforms: “The White Lotus” is an Emmy-Award winning, dark- comedy anthology about an all-star cast that heads to a resort and is able to do whatever they desire, including multiple privileged impulses. The show grew to popularity in its second season, once they brought in Aubrey Plaza and her story, while also continuing on with Jennifer Coolidge’s storyline of unfortunate events. The show gives a very thriller, who-done-it vibe with multiple sequences jumping back to each character’s POV. All these occurrences and events happen when they must talk their way out of something. The show has many twists, but since I can’t seem to keep up with social media, I’m still on the first season with the Mosbacher Family and a newly-wedded couple having troubles in paradise. If you can sit down long enough for what seems to be hour-long episodes, you will enjoy adding this to your comfort list. You can stream “The White Lotus” on HBO Max.

  1. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”

Two comedy shows on one list may sound shocking but in the wintertime we all could use a good giggle to distract us from possible seasonal depression. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is about a talented carefree detective with the best arrest records in the office, Jake Peralta, played by the hilarious Andy Samberg. This show includes a variety of now well-known actors such as Terry Crews as Lieutenant Terry, Chelsea Peretti as Gina Linetti, Stephanie Beatriz as Detective Rosa, Jason Manzoukas as Adrian Pimento, and more. The characters try to work around the chaotic work ethic of Detective Peralta with a hint of dark comedy. An overall good choice to end the list because this show is one you can have on in the background on any day and still enjoy sitting down watching. You can stream “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” on Peacock, Amazon Prime and selected social platforms.