With AP season finished and no clear end in sight to stay-at-home orders, it’s easy for boredom to set in. This time at home is the perfect opportunity to watch new shows. Luckily, streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO allow us to binge-watch shows from the comfort of our own homes. Here are The Classic’s recommendations for binge-worthy shows to watch during quarantine.
Outer Banks
Set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, this show follows four friends, who call themselves the “Pogues,” and their ringleader John B. When the Pogues discover several clues linked to John B’s father disappearance and his fascination with the Royal Merchant, a sunken ship rumored to have gone down with millions of dollars in British gold, they plan to uncover the mystery. Outer Banks also features their rivals, the Kooks, the children of Outer Banks’ upper class, whose ill feelings towards the Pogues create conflicts that disrupt their hunt for the Royal Merchant treasure.
Sophomore Grace Ibaj said, “I loved how [Outer Banks] targeted the idea of holding on to the summers of our adolescence tightly because they’re the last remnants of our true freedom as carefree teens. We are taken on a rollercoaster of emotions as we witness the characters pulled into situations with great repercussions and how they come out on the other side stronger than ever with an undying loyalty.” She also mentioned that Outer Banks is guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat, with its “fascinating characters” and “unpredictable storyline”.
Never Have I Ever
Teen rom-com Never Have I Ever centers around Indian-American Devi Vishwakumar’s attempts to fit in at school following a particularly hard year. Devi struggles with the loss of her father, cultural identity, and school, as well as the relationships with her family, friends, crush, and nemesis. A large part of the show focuses on Devi’s Indian heritage and how it impacts all aspects of her life. Her indecision between being discontent or proud of her culture continues over the course of the story.
Senior Shannon Thomas said, “Even if I thought I didn’t enjoy the show, I still continued watching because I wanted to know what happened, and sure enough, I did that in almost no time.” Shannon noted that Never Have I Ever is different in that it is very inclusive with the races of the actors and has multiple plot lines. “…while there was a main character there were still side stories that were focused on which caught my attention even more.”
Money Heist
Eight robbers, all code-named after cities, gather to make off with 2.4 billion euros in an elaborate heist engineered by an individual known as The Professor. During the expansive, multi-day attack on the Royal Mint of Spain in Madrid, the robbers must take hostages in order to pull off their plan. The characters struggle with the crucial rules of the heist, like their prohibition against forming personal attachments, a rule that even The Professor is susceptible to breaking. Money Heist follows The Professor and the robbers through the duration of their heist. What made the show for Senior Zafirah Rahman was the plot. She said that the writers did their job well in that The Professor’s Plan “unfolded very nicely and kept [her] on [her] toes”.
Criminal Minds
A team of experienced FBI profilers study the country’s worst criminals in an effort to determine their next moves before they perpetrate. Prominent members of the group include Aaron Hotchner, who is accomplished in cracking criminal secrets, Derek Morgan, an expert on obsessional crimes, Spencer Reid, a genius with a low social IQ, Jennifer Jareau, a media and police liaison, and Penelope Garcia, a computer wiz who researches the cases. Each of the profilers’ expertise assists in identifying the criminals’ motivations and emotional triggers.
“I enjoy the thrill the show provides because you’re trying to find the criminal (or unsub as the show coins it) alongside the Behavioral Analysis team,” said junior Kevin Baijoo. “Unlike other crime shows, I think it provides a unique perspective because it focuses more on the behavior of the specific unsub and how it reflects their past rather than their crimes themselves in most cases.” Criminal Minds finished its run in February of this year with 15 seasons. Although binge-watching 15 seasons might seem very long, Kevin said that he never tires of the show because of the “variety and thrill” within the episodes.
