I admit it; I’m addicted.
I always say I can stop whenever I want to, but it always becomes that I’ll stop after just one more. . .
Then another. . .
And next thing I know, I wake up on the couch with the remote control on my chest, my mouth dry from all the microwave popcorn, my neck at a weird angle so I can see the TV better . . . in the middle of an episode I haven’t seen, probably in a crucial part or with that horrible “continue watching” alert on the screen.
Continue watching what?
What was I watching?
And what year is it?
We all do it; the Netflix binge watch.
You only mean to watch one episode of Jessica Jones- you know you should pace yourself because only one season is up but it’s so good, right?
I know, muh friends.
I do the same all the time at night- man and toddler asleep, what to do, what to do? Sure, I could read and I often do, but escapism in the form of a bottomless vat of episodes and movies is just too alluring when I’m tired and don’t want to think.
There is a lot already there to see and a lot coming this year, so here are the things I’m watching and looking forward to this year on Netflix;
- Jessica Jones; it really is compelling, y’all. And without giving too much away, Kilgrave just plain scares the crapola out of me.
2. The New Girl; judge if you must, but it’s hilarious. The innocence of even the characters who think they’re worldly is totally adorable, there is a decent subplot between 2 minor characters that is developing into a cliffhanger and hello, Jessica Day always looks amazing! Season 4 just arrived the other day and I can’t stop watching.
3. America’s Test Kitchen; anybody who knows me in real life knows my obsession with ATK and all things Christopher Kimball. There’s just something about a banjo playing, bow-tie wearing, former Dead Head Vermonter hosting a cooking show that I love; and it goes even deeper than that. He and the cooks in the Test Kitchen break down the science of why some cooking methods don’t work and what to do instead, always with foolproof results. There is only one season loaded, but much like their perfect meatloaf recipe I am savoring slooooowly.
4. Making a Murderer; OK, I know everybody is watching, talking about and debating this Netflix original but there is a good reason why. It is, all at once, compelling, infuriating and scary; you’re not really sure if this man did the second crime he is incarcerated for but if he’s innocent and you empathize and imagine one of your own relatives, or yourself, in his place Steven Avery’s story is a hellish nightmare- the same is true when you empathize with the victim and her family. The whole show is something voyeuristic that is giving people all kinds of feels- and that we’re all really glad to be watching from the safety of our homes.
5. That 70s Show; Yeah. I still love it- how can you not? It’s hilarious, the music is fab and I love looking at all the nuances of Mrs. Foreman’s kitchen; c’mon, man- she had box cheese graters for light fixtures!!!! It is still entertaining even (gulp) 18 years after the first episode aired, and all the characters remain fairly timeless. ESPECIALLY Mr. Foreman. You know what I mean, dumbass?
Things that are on their way to our beloved Netflix time suck;
Fuller House. I am not ashamed to admit that I loved Full House as a kid, and it was a huge thrill when I introduced it to my very small daughter and she was entertained by it too (as any parent with a toddler can commiserate, sometimes you have to be excited when your child loves anything that isn’t animated). When I found out that Netflix was making a reboot called Fuller House, I was super excited!!! Apparently, it debuts next month some time, and even happier than that, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen won’t be on it (what could they do with a character that was a tiny child last time we saw them that wouldn’t resonate poorly with the audience now? It would be tough. Plus, don’t put one of those adult Kewpie Dolls onscreen saying “you got it, dude!” Just. DON’T.) I couldn’t find one stock photo of the cast of the reboot so here is a nostalgic throwback made by somebody who is obviously as excited as I am.
Gilmore Girls. That’s right, our junk food swilling, mile a minute talking girls from Star’s Hollow will be returning (along with much of the cast, with the exception of the late great Edward Herrmann, who passed away not terribly long ago from brain cancer) for something like a 6 or 7 episode run on Netflix sometime soon-ish (I couldn’t find a firm release date anywhere online). Evidently, the series creators who parted ways with the show in Season 6 during a dispute with the network, will be penning the reboot to wrap the story up in a similar way to how they had planned it all those years ago. They left right in time for the shark jumping addition to the cast of characters, annoying April Nardini (Luke Danes’s long-lost daughter that her jerk mother never told him about, and who was so annoying that the young actress who played the character apparently hated her as much as all of us did); I’ll be excited for Daniel and Amy Sherman Palladino to make the April fiasco up to us now, even if they didn’t create it to begin with, but I fear the show dynamic won’t be the same without both of Lorelai’s bickering parents there to scene steal- here’s hoping that Emily Gilmore is still as sassy as ever, even after losing her soulmate. RIP Grandpa Gilmore.
And that’s it, my lovelies!
Feel free to share your “you can’t miss this” watches below or in the comments on Chick and Chickadee’s Facebook page.
Until next time!
Love,
The Chick and Her Chickadee