The holidays always provided me the opportunity to catch up. The bit of extra time that came with winter break afforded the luxury of catching up, whether it was with old friends, family, or sleep. Sometimes though, I just wanted to catch up with my T.V. If you find yourself with a few spare hours this holiday season and need something to watch, then here are three shows that are worth sinking your vacation time into.
Game of Thrones
It seems like everyone watches this show, what with the amount of attention it gets every time a new season begins. Still, I constantly meet people who have never watched a single episode. You should watch it if you have yet to start the series or started but got side tracked by life. Just don’t get too attached to any single character. If you’ve seen and loved every episode since the beginning, I would still recommend watching it again; you’d be surprised how much things are foreshadowed. Plus, you get to experience the tragic stories with the knowledge of what will happen to a lot of characters.
The television series has done a good job of adapting the rich world of G.R.R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. More importantly, it maintains the nuances of each character that make the story so interesting. Seriously, if you have ever been curious about what’s behind the hype, like political intrigue, dragons, or great acting then you have no excuse to not watch this show.
You can watch it if you have and HBO account or with HBO Now.
Parks and Recreation
Perhaps the best sitcom to ever come on television. This show stands out for being a comedy full of hope and optimism in a sea of either cynical or dark television. Each actor perfectly plays their lovable and memorable character. Many cast members became house hold names because of this show. The entire series is available to watch, so you won’t have to wait in agony for the latest episode. The idea of a show about government workers and their different attitudes towards the job may sound boring on paper, but the characters really make the show come alive and make the story arcs interesting. You will inevitably fall in love with at least one character, but you’ll laugh at the dynamics of each relationship between these characters. For fans of SNL legend Amy Poehler this is a no brainer. Also, this show works great as a palate cleanser from the heavy dramas on this list.
You can watch it on Netflix and Hulu.
Jessica Jones
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has left the cinemas and television is better off for it. Of the Netflix Original series tied into the MCU, Jessica Jones is by far the best. Not your typical super hero show, this is a noir inspired psychological thriller about a person dealing with trauma; the person just happens to have superhuman strength. This show also has the most compelling villain in the MCU: Kilgrave. Despite the comically clichéd villain name, David Tenant (of Doctor Who fame) depicts a character who unabashedly abuses power and lives in a warped perception of reality, but maintains a disarming charm that at points almost makes the audience sympathize with a monster. Lead actress Krysten Ritter portrays the most broken individual in the MCU. A superhuman who does not want to be a hero, Jessica Jones is perhaps the saddest and most realistic depiction of a person who lives with a trauma that has come to define how you view yourself and the world. If you’re a fan of the MCU, stories with infinitely complex characters, or noir T.V then you cannot afford to miss this show.
It’s available only on Netflix.