So this is total a post on marriage because what married couple out there, when the kiddies are all asleep, doesn’t sit in front of their tv and binge watch Netflix. I mean on come on, right? My husband and I can’t be the only ones.
So, for the sake of your marriages and my desire to help ensure that they continue to thrive, I will help guide you to the top nine shows on Netflix that you need to be watching, if you haven’t yet seen them.
What made our list? Well, we like drama. We like crime stories. We like tech mysteries. We like weird stuff.
So here we go:
Bloodline: So we just finished this one last night. Amazing. Such a good show. Definitely in the “thriller” genre, each episode will leave you wanting more. Each episode or series of episodes that you watch are sure to cause you to go to bed later than you planned. You may also start having some funky dreams. The plot summary, according to a viewer contributor on IMDB, is that Bloodline is an “intriguing story of a well-off family in the Florida Keys that have many dark secrets. The siblings are heirs of a beautiful inn that has been in their family for 50 years. It is their childhood home with many great memories, but the deep dark past holds many untold tales. All combined makes the future very uncertain”. The cinematography is great and the show revolves around families and the ties the bind. Between relationships, murders, drug-use, suspected mental illness and lots and lots of lying, this is one you are sure to enjoy.
Billions: This one is so good. Maybe I like it so much because I have a slight crush on Damian Lewis, who plays the lead character and I suspect that my husband enjoys watching the beautiful, blonde Malin Akerman, who plays his wife. A user submitted synopsis of Billions from IMDB, states that the plot revolves around “U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades going after hedge fund king, Bobby “Axe” Axelrod, in a battle between two powerful New York figures”. If you enjoy shows with powerful and complicated characters, that revolve around topics related to the financial sector and corporate corruption, this is one for you to check out. With an alpha-woman, Rhodes’ wife, planted right in the middle of the two lead men, each episode is power-packed with testosterone. If blackmail, threats, powerful one-liners and some undertones only suitable for adults (you know what I am talking about!) are your thing, then this show will be for you.
The Killing: While I contend that the first season was the best, this is another show you need to get into. The IMDB synopsis describes the The Killing as “a police investigation, the saga of a grieving family, and a Seattle mayoral campaign all interlock after the body of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen is found in the trunk of a submerged car”. Described by Rotten Tomatoes as a “low burning mystery with an eerie, multidimensional story propelled by thoughtful writing, believable characters, and realistic horror,” once you get into this show, it will be hard for you to turn away.
Homeland: This show is fabulous and my sentiment is supported by the fact that Homeland has received numerous notable awards. Put together a bi-polar, CIA operative, an American war prisoner turned by Al-Qaeda and government corruption and the drama is at an all-time high. This intriguing show, created with a super-talented cast, has plot twist after plot twist. Homeland is compelling, as it deals with the issue of civil liberties and national security issues. Homeland is truly great television and if you have yet to check it out, be sure to do so.
Mr. Robot: It took me a few episodes to get into this one, but then I was hooked. According to IMDB, Mr. Robot “follows Elliot, a young programmer working as a cyber-security engineer by day, and a vigilante hacker by night”. The synopsis goes on to share that the show “deals with Elliot’s internal struggles surrounding his upbringing”, as his “personal life intertwines with his present external challenges as part of society”. One Rotten Tomatoes reviewer described the show as “a thought-provoking, exciting, in-your-face, hacker drama”.
The Affair: An IMDB user provided the synopsis for The Affair. Here is how they described it: “At once deeply observed and intriguingly elusive, The Affair explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship. Noah is a New York City schoolteacher and budding novelist with a wife of twenty years and four children. Alison is a young waitress and wife from Montauk at the end of Long Island, trying to piece her life back together in the wake of a tragedy. The provocative drama unfolds separately from multiple perspectives, using the distinct memory biases of each character to tell the story”. The format of how this story is told, in segments of each character’s point of view, is intriguing, but also requires some concentration so that you do not get confused. The Affair provides the viewer with an entertaining look, marked by strong acting, at the notion that there are at least three sides to every supposed “truth”.
The Leftovers: This one my husband enjoys slightly more than I do, but I still find myself being unable to look away when it is on. The weirdness level on this one is pretty high. The Leftovers synopsis, provided by IMDB, is, “Three years after the disappearance of 2% of the global population, a group of people from New York struggle to continue their lives, while they cope with the tragedy of the unexplained nature of the event”. Basically, out of nowhere, a sh*t ton of people disappear, other people start acting strange and mysterious and peculiar things continue to happen. You will want to keep coming back to this one based on the mere fact that you will seek to have your persistent confusion resolved.
Stranger Things: So the plot line for this one starts of simple-ish and then just gets really fudging weird. IMDB‘s description of the show is that “when a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back”. An IMDB viewer reviewer hit the nail on the head when he stated that Stranger Things can “hook you immediately” based on “the setting, the acting and the direction”. What most viewers have raved about this show is that is 1980s nostalgia. Another IMDB reviewer compared the show to “X-Files meets E.T.” — that should tell you something. The show is definitely, exciting, a bit dark and somewhat haunting and it is one you for sure need to check out.
The Night Of: Another strange one here, The Night Of, begins with a man, after a night of partying with a female stranger, waking up to find that same girl stabbed to death. As you would expect, he is charged with her murder. But did he do it? That is the big question. IMDB reviews for this one have praised the acting, the cinematography and the show’s overall dark tone and music. More kudos have been given to The Night Of for it’s thrilling storyline and immersive delivery.
Well there it is — my list of 9 shows which will be the new reasons why you sit in front of your giant electronic device and make no conversation with your spouse. Oops.
Hmm? Maybe I shouldn’t have shared this post and instead should stand by my earlier suggestions, in Ten Unique In-Home Date Night Ideas for Parents …which, for the most part, encouraged the avoiding of idle tv time among spouses…?
NAH. That’s completely unrealistic.
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Ooooo I’ll need to check some of these out! My husband and I love a good binge watching show!
Awesome, Holly! Thanks for the comment! If you do check out, I hope you enjoy! 🙂