Now before you judge me, let me clarify that I have AND don’t have a lot of time on my hands as I am currently on my maternity leave.
As mothers like me would know, the first months with the baby would mean lots of feeding time which ranges between 30 minutes to an hour, every 2 to 3 hours or more frequently (or even constantly!) if the baby is on a growth spurt.
So what do those feeding times mean? It means I get to do not much else except feed my baby and use my other almost free hand to use my iphone to chat with family and friends, browse social media, read random stuff, do some work related to my book, and control the TV remote.
Controlling the TV remote of course takes less effort with higher entertainment return. So what’s my return? 10 TV series which frankly I can’t wait for the next season to find out what’s coming next.
Here they are in no particular order:
1. Sex Education Season 2 – Liberal, diverse, colorful, educational and funny! I enjoyed season 1 and even enjoyed season 2 as characters have really developed. I have to let you in on a secret. I have a soft spot for teenage themed movies and tv shows. I just love watching shows like this as maybe it also reminds me of my own growing pains and shenanigans as a teenager. What I like most about this series is how it breaks down the barriers to sexual education by actually talking about it and reiterating that misinformation can actually result in overreaction and unnecessary panic. The show also tackles many relevant issues such as substance addiction, the pressure to perform or keeping up appearances, acceptance of one’s sexuality, girl power, embracing one’s uniqueness, and the dynamics of how divorced parents’ relationships affect children.
2. Ragnarok– Another confession, I like fantasy too. You will realize that half of the shows on my list are in the fantasy genre. So, my only association of the word Ragnarok is the online role-playing game that was famous back in early 2000. I did not know that it’s based on Norse mythology. The series starts with a family moving back to a remote Norwegian town plagued by climate change and water pollution. It centers around the awkward teenager named Magne as he discovers his special powers and at the same time deal with teenager stuff such as unrequited love, getting wasted for the first time, and of course, realizing that his enemies are actually Frost Giants masked in human beauty. Despite the strange ritualistic dance numbers and Fjor (the handsome Frost Giant) wearing the same Gucci outfit for a number of episodes, it can be entertaining if you’re a fantasy buff and if you are sensitive to the nice soundtrack.
3. The Witcher – Two words: Henry Cavill. Really. I have to admit, I almost did not continue watching this series after the first episode. It just did not spark any fire or intrigue in me. Luckily I listened to my nephew and gave it two more episodes then I was hooked. After watching the first season, I think I will watch the second season still because of Superman- er, I mean- Geralt of Rivia. I was not too convinced by the rest of the characters but hey, I guess that’s why it was not called The Witcher, the Lion Cub and the Sorceress, right? Bring it, season 2!
4. The Goop Lab with Gwyneth Paltrow – I watched this out of curiosity as I don’t really know anything about Goop. I was surprisingly entertained. Each episode features a type of wellness treatment which are quite unique, sometimes radical, and most probably expensive. Each was only around 30 minutes long so very digestable and also educational and interesting. Each episode left me feeling like I want to try the treatment out and wishing that I were in the Goop payroll so I could try the treatments for free. My top episodes include the Cold Comfort, The Energy Experience, and Are You Intuit?
5. You Season 2– Creepy stalker Joe is back and this time he’s in LA, assuming a different identity and hoping for a fresh start (or a fresh target?). He zeroes in on Love who happens to be the co-owner of the organic food supermarket that he works in. Candace, his first ex girlfriend is alive and is out to get him. The usual, a few heads roll, Joe gets his finger chopped off by the mob (good for him), and Joe manages to be with Love. We also see what really happened to Candace to explain the mystery of her disappearance and some background on Joe’s childhood which probably explains why he is such a psycho. Overall engaging but can be predictable at times. Although by the end of the season, it will get you thinking, “Did he finally meet his match?”
6. Next in Fashion – Colorful, funny and entertaining. I had a lot of fun watching this series. Tan France and Alexa Chung were really good as hosts and also very impressive with the quality of their feedback on the designers’ creations. The designers are all so talented and it’s really amazing what they can come up with on each challenge- they were only given 2 days to make something that typically takes weeks. Each challenge ends in a runway show and there’s always the “Wow!”, “Ooh I want that!” or “I definitely will wear that!” reactions. My personal favorites- the Dragon Princess duo of Angel Chen and Minju Kim, and as designers on their own, I like Ashton Hirota and Charles Lu.
7. The Stranger– Secrets, lies, deception, mystery. What would you do if a stranger tells you a secret that can damage you or your loved one’s reputation and threatens to reveal it publicly unless you pay them a big sum of money? This show got me glued to the telly as the mystery builds up then finally unravels and everything made sense but not really. I do wonder if this will have a season 2 since all of the mysteries seem to have been solved in the end…but new secrets will need to be kept.
8. The Gift – This Turkish fantasy tv series is about an artist named Atiye who keeps drawing a certain symbol which she learns has been discovered recently in an archaelogical excavation site. She goes on a quest to understand what the symbol means and her real destiny. In her quest she encounters Erhan, the archaeologist who discovered the ancient temple with the symbol, and together they embark on an adventure to make sense of Atiye’s nightmares and hallucinations, find Atiye’s grandmother, unravel Atiye’s mother’s family secret, learn about what really happened to Erhan’s family, run from the evil people out to get them, and eventually fall in love with each other. I liked the whole quest about the symbol and how Atiye is connected to it. I also enjoyed seeing the picturesque sites in Turkey featured in the series. Finally, I am quite interested in season 2 because the end of season 1 showed that the past has been changed.
9. Locke & Key – The series centers on the Locke siblings and their mother as they move to the Locke ancestral home following the tragic death of their father. As they all try to settle in their new home, the kids discover the magical keys, each with a different power, and try to fight the evil entity who wants to get all the keys. They also discover more about their father and his friends and realize why their father kept the keys a secret. At first I thought this show is for kids, but nope. It is a fantasy horror drama with some sex and nudity, gore and more teenage drama. Overall, highly entertaining but as I already told you, teenage stuff, fantasy and horror are my favorites so it hit all the right buttons for me.
10. I Am Not Okay With This – Last on my list is another teenage drama fantasy. No surprises there. This show also got me glued to the telly. I like the teenage awkwardness of the heroine, Sydney, who soon realizes that there is something wrong with her- she has superpowers- that can make a jackass quarterback’s nose bleed, knock off library book shelves, and so on. The other character that I like is Stanley Barber, the seemingly geeky kid who is actually kind of cool in terms of his music taste, and is so into Sydney it’s so cringe-worthy and cute to watch. And oh, it also has a cool soundtrack. Ending it with Echo & the Bunnymen’s “Killing Moon” is just so apt. Looking forward to season 2!
So there you have it. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m sure Netflix’s viewing rates will be off the charts. I hope at least one of these shows make it to your binge list.
Stay safe everyone!
