Currently Binging (It’s Not Bravo!)

My DVR is full of unwatched episodes from the Real Housewives franchise, and they’re not exactly first on my watch list. I have to think, does this mean I’m maturing? Or is it just a sign that the Amazon Fire TV Stick is changing my TV habits? I’m guessing it’s the latter (and partly Bravo’s fault for making poor housewives choices, but that’s for another post).

The TV in my house is pretty old. A smart TV, it is not. So for the longest time I was relying on the DVR to help me watch anything “smartly.” (Wow, what a game changer just being able to pause a TV show has been!) Over the winter when I was complaining about not having enough shows to watch while hibernating, several friends suggested some sort of streaming device to me. I finally bit the bullet and my world was opened to my new favorite series! Keep reading to see my most recent binge watch – admittedly, at an alarming rate.

Let’s start with my favorite show, one I’m watching for a second time around to show the wonders to my husband. When I heard first heard the premise of PEN 15 – a show about 13 year olds, played by 31 year olds, set in the year 2000 – I couldn’t wait to watch. These girls are the same age of me and nearly everything they do rings true with my childhood (except, I truly was never that big of a B*Witched fan). Dressing up as “gothic” to “go out?” Check. Butterfly clips and Spice Girl music videos? Yes and yes. It’s a blast from the past, coming of age comedy that I recommend to anyone in my generation. And, it’s rekindled some great memories on my childhood friend text chain. (Timeline: Binged all 10 episodes in one weekend.)

The second show I recommend for a good binge watch is also on Hulu. Shrill has lovable Aidy Bryant as the main character who’s trying to figure herself out as a 30 something in Portland. Yes, there was a lot of talk about her weight and a lot of inspiring scenes with her just not giving a damn, but the show is obviously much more than the scale. There were times I was scared it was going to veer too “Girls,” because like Lena Dunham’s character, Aidy’s just can’t get things right professionally or drop the loser boyfriend. But something about Shrill made me be on her side and cut her some slack as she was still coming into her own. My biggest criticism? That it’s only six episodes long – which I still finished over the course of two days.

Lastly, I wanted to share a show I not only binge watched, but am consuming coverage of in any kind. I can’t get enough on Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes. Some said she’s the Bernie Madoff of healthcare, I relate more to calling her the Billy Mcfarland (Fyre Festival) of healthcare. I streamed the HBO documentary “The Inventor” and the ABC 20/20 special “The Dropout.” I didn’t realize before starting 20/20 that it was the exact same as the “The Dropout” podcast I’d already devoured, but I didn’t care once I figured it out. The coverage looks at Elizabeth’s deception to raise billions for a blood draw company that never actually did what it claimed.

People like Elizabeth certainly are fascinating, and the HBO series brought up thought-provoking points about whether this differs from other start-ups who are a “fake it until you make it mentality.” (But those companies, we hope, aren’t putting people’s lives in jeopardy.) I don’t feel strongly about which Theranos media you should start with – but it’s nice to have the option of a show or podcast depending on your preference.

I started the Netflix original series Friends From College on a plane and had to keep myself from laughing aloud. It’s about friends from college (duh) and their less than evolved relationships as they find themselves all living in NYC and nearing their 40s.

I was a big HIMYM fan, and I realized that probably the reason I like it is because the two shows are so similar. Friends is also about the dynamics of a co-ed group of friends, it’s just a little darker than HIMYM. Also, Cobie Smulders is a main character, and the one she plays on Friends is so similar to Robin Scherbatsky from HIMYM, it’s as if they just started a new series to focus on Robin’s college friends instead of her adult-life NYC ones.

Thank God for the comedic relief and dry humor from Billy Eichner, who plays Fred Savage’s character’s fiancé. Also, the soundtrack is amazing. Like, so good I will watch through the intro and credits to hear the songs chosen that were big from this group’s “college years” (1999ish).

Tell Me What to Binge Watch Next

Now that I’ve finished all of those in record time…I need my next show! Leave a comment below with what you recommend to my next binge watch should be.