What I've Been Binging Lately

Hi everyone!

As every student, parent of student, or anyone who knows the education system knows, exam season is well and truly upon us. While some people have been carefully working on revision and past papers as soon as they possibly could, I feel the majority of us have been procrastinating our days away, with many of us turning to our dear old friend, Netflix.

With the 'Next Episode' feature present before you even finish the current episode, and links available at the click of a button, it's very difficult to say no. Pair this with the infamous "I'll just watch one more" always being the justification as to why we don't sleep until gone 12am (or in my case, 3am), nothing ever gets done once you've decided to watch a new show. Netflix is home to so many good TV shows, but there are plenty of free alternative streaming websites such as 'WatchSeries' and 'Popcorn Time' that work just as well, and are not restricted by geographical location in the same way that Netflix is. Now I've told you where to watch great TV shows, here's a list of the top five shows that I have been binging lately to avoid copious 'adult' responsibilities like laundry, dishes, essays and generally existing:

1. Parks and Recreation

Image credit: http://blogs.indiewire.com and Netflix

This show is incredible, from the casting to the general basis of the show, it has been thought out thoroughly and makes for a great watch. The show follows the eager-to-please and likeable Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) fight to build a park in her fictional hometown of Pawnee. The light-hearted nature of the show makes it easily binge-able, and often picks me up if I feel down or disheartened about anything. The character development is amazing as you grow with them until the very end (I have not finished the show yet, but I already know it's probably going to break me a little when it's all over). The show cuts to mini-interview scenes, where the characters give their honest opinions, and these informal asides build an even stronger relationship with the audience, and break the potentially awkward fourth wall. With seven seasons and 12 awards and countless award nominations, it's an investment, but it's one of those shows you can leave and go back to whenever you want, but it is best to watch it all the way through before watching individual episodes, as characters are introduced later on and spoiler could incur (heaven forbid!) I highly encourage you to give this show a go!

How to watch it:

It is not currently available on UK Netflix, but with a VPN like Hola it is possible to watch it on Netflix on a laptop or computer that does not use Mac software (dagnabbit Apple!) But all seven seasons are available on Popcorn Time and other good streaming websites

2. Orange Is The New Black

Image credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DKsZf9uzxg

If you haven't heard about this already, then where have you been? This show is based on true life events and has been adapted in order to suit the modern day audience, this Netflix Original series is a must-watch. The show initially follows the life of one Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), who surrenders to prison after being named in a crime she committed five years prior to the current day in season one, and enters a world she could not have imagined if she tried. The show deals with various different issues of race, gender, sexuality, illness, age, mental health, religion and prison life in general. By tackling these hard-hitting issues which have been around for years and are still relevant today (perhaps even more relevant today than in the past in some instances) the show has won countless awards, including Golden Globes and Emmy Awards with many nominations for Schilling and her co-stars. With a Netflix Original series such as this creating such huge headlines, you'd be mad not to watch it.

How to watch it:
It is currently available on all Netflix locations, but is also available on the pretty much all of the typical streaming services you probably already use. There are currently three seasons to catch up on, and season four FINALLY reaches Netflix on June 17th, with all episodes being released at the same time (a binger's dream!)

3. Bob's Burgers

Image Credit:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/shannonpatrick17/4913550195

Bob's Burgers is one of the best shows I think I have ever seen. The show is all about Bob Belcher (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin), his wife Linda, and three children Tina (the eldest), Gene and Louise and how they run their burger shop. But the show is far much more than that, it's full of great life advice and ways to cope when thing seem to be too much. The surface of the show is very humorous and easy to follow and watch. However, when you look into it deeper and re-watch episodes, you pick up on things you've missed like the underlying messages within the show. It has been done very cleverly and many reviews and commentaries praise it - I for one cannot fault the show. The characters are all very relatable, and I am happy to say that all of the Belcher family are my spirit animals, but I have a special place in my heart for the Belcher children. This show is easy to watch and you become invested in the show very quickly - gogogo!

How to watch it:
Unfortunately, it is again unavailable on UK Netflix (booooooo!), but is easily found on streaming websites, or using a VPN on non-Mac devices. There are 5 seasons available to stream, with season six currently being shown this is also available to catch up on - I personally use Popcorn Time to watch this, but WatchSeries is also a very popular choice

4. Bates Motel

Image Credit: http://sequart.org/magazine/41515/hannibal-vs-bates-motel-one-kills-the-other/

This show is incredible - I found myself hooked to it after one single episode. The shows focuses around the lives of Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his mother Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) and acts as a prequel of such to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho (which was based on Robert Bloch's novel also called 'Psycho') Norman struggles to account for periods of time, and his mother Norma does everything she can to protect her son - this is evident after the events that occur in the very first episode. This is not a show for the light-hearted, as it does have issues raised and tackled in it which may be triggering to some viewers, or make them feel uncomfortable. However, if you are able to deal with the issues in the show, it makes for a compelling and addictive watch, I have stayed up far too late before now watching this show. I have currently just started season three and cannot wait to continue the show. With plot twists and curve balls thrown throughout, it leaves you wondering what will happen to Norman and his protective mother Norma.

How to watch it:

The first three seasons are available on Netflix, and season four has just finished airing recently in the US, and can be found on various different streaming sites (again, I will be using my preferred sites, but there are many different ways to keep up to date and all caught up!)

5. How To Get Away With Murder

Image Credit: http://htgawmbrasil.com/assista-o-episodio-ao-vivo/

Jaw-dropping. Scandalous. Scream-worthy.  Flawless. These words, and this quick review I am about to do for this show does NOT do it justice. Professor Annalise Keating (played by the INCREDIBLE Viola Davis, who has been cast in Suicide Squad) teaches law to an eager class of college students, and chooses five of them to work for her and for her independent law firm as well as being her pupils. With a trophy being allocated to whoever she deems worthy in order to bypass any test or assignment of their choice, the pupils are eager to please. Harry Potter star Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas) is evidently her favourite pupil, but he works alongside four other in order to work for Annalise and her two trusted co-workers Bonnie and Mike to defend their clients. When Annalise's own life gets implicated in the death of a local sorority girl, her world come crashing down around her, and all who work for her suffer. Viola Davis made history, becoming the first African-American woman to win an Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series', as well as winning several other awards. The show was named 'Television Programme of the Year' by the American Film Institute, and I fully understand why. The show is gripping, and when I watch this with my flatmate Trey (unofficial title is Trey-bae) and we scream, shout, laugh, gasp, and even cry when watching this show. The cinematography is amazing, it is visually stunning and has been executed so well in regards to production, casting, acting and editing together that it would be criminal not to at least give it a chance (and then fall for it and binge it all)

How to watch it:

The first season is available on Netflix, but season two is in full swing, catch up with it all on streaming websites (we use WatchSeries, although many of the links are being removed lately - even MORE of a reason to start binging!)

I hope you all enjoyed this blog post - I really enjoyed writing it all, and hopefully I have given you some new shows to start watching after your exams or important responsibilities! (If you end up watching these and falling in love just before your exams, I am so so sorry) If you have any recommendations for any shows you think I'd really enjoy, either comment them below this post (I love reading any comments and getting feedback - don't be a stranger!) or just let me know

It's been real

B x