Binge-Watching 101

With all the responsibilities of life in the modern age, finding a few free moments to enjoy some quality entertainment on TV is hard.

Then, you have the dilemma of choice to contend with. Deciding what to watch can defeat the purpose of watching when all you really want to do is relax.

Overwhelmed by the burden of planning, many viewers fall into reruns of something they already enjoy, instead of branching out into great television series constantly buzzed about in the news and on social media.

With so many options, feeling overwhelmed is certainly understandable, but multiple cable and streaming platforms are making it easier for even the busiest busy bodies to build a queue of entertaining and relevant material to view at their leisure.

What follows are some of the best shows in recent memory — some ongoing, some recently concluded. All are highly acclaimed. These are the series employing the sharpest writers, wittiest storylines, and most decorated actors on television today.

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Breaking Bad — A brilliant chemistry teacher gets cancer and can’t afford the treatments. To make ends meet and ensure his family’s security in the event that he departs, he starts cooking meth. It’s a dramatic and disturbing statement about our modern health care system, but it’s also a thrilling look at the dark, dirty underworld of drug dealers, some of which operate behind the unlikeliest picket fences.

Game of Thrones — Combining graphic violence and sex is an easy sell in Hollywood, sure, but “Game of Thrones” represents much, much more. A brilliant installment into the fantasy genre, the title speaks to the political intrigue that drives the show. If you can look beyond some of the horrific violence and frankly startling sexual content, viewers are captivated by the political exploitation and cynical scheming employed by the competing parties involved. Though it’s set in a distant land, the sinister plots of Westeros aren’t a far stretch from the conspiracy theories and power struggles that plague our own homeland.

The Walking Dead — This is not a satirical “how to” survive a zombie apocalypse, as has been the fate of too many zombie installments. In fact, the zombies aren’t even the focus of the show. As survivors come together and personalities clash, the undead serve as a catalyst for resolving human tensions. The brilliance of the show is revealed when the characters interact with each other and, when tragedy strikes, how they handle their fellow man. The show offers a view into the human psyche more than zombie subculture.

Related: TV Brings Scares Home

Curb Your Enthusiasm — If you loved “Seinfeld,” you’ll love this salacious version written by the same creator, Larry David. David brings his signature awkwardness to his elite Hollywood circles, tackling controversial issues from sex to race, poverty, politics, and religion. His blundering, and often deadpan responses to some pretty ridiculous scenarios are pure comedy gold. Because the show doesn’t shy away from hot topics, it’s a wonderful step away from the politically correct.

Mad Men — The 1960s was an era of change, but true change happens over the long haul. “Mad Men” takes you inside an ad agency during this tumultuous time, with a retrospective look at racism, sexism, adultery, and homophobia, as handled by businessmen with an outdated worldview that’s unimaginable today. The show has been called one of the “best dramas in the history of television” for its poignant look at a bygone era.

The Sopranos — Many consider “The Sopranos” the turning point of dramatic television, given its candid and graphic depiction of a stereotypical Italian family caught up in a life of organized crime. Grisly murders, money laundering, and threatening altercations are just a few of the elements in the storyline that keep viewers hanging on the edge of their seats. Moreover, the show’s character development is surprisingly complex, often throwing off the audience psychologically.

Orange is the New Black — A rare sight of the inside of a woman’s prison, this fictional spin on the real-life story of Piper Kerman (an upper-class, white woman doing time for her role in a drug cartel) is captivating and addicting for millions of viewers. Much of the intrigue is based on its clever use of flashbacks, which reinforce the true stories of the women behind bars. The show addresses complicated social issues like transsexuality, poverty, racial tension, and intergenerational incarceration. Fair warning: The graphic sexuality (both hetero- and homosexual) is off-putting for more modest viewers, and the horrific violence and abuse that occurs is particularly distressing because the victims are primarily women.

Related: Netflix Set to Conquer TV

House of Cards — Political dramas are commonplace these days, but “House of Cards” suggests an even grittier view of the manipulative wrangling that goes on behind the closed doors of Washington, D.C.’s most lurid leadership. Kevin Spacey plays the role of Frank Underwood, and his effortless maneuvers to execute elaborate acts of revenge on his political enemies are awe-inspiring, if cringeworthy.

Where to watch
It’s easier to catch up on a television show while it’s airing, particularly if it’s new and only a few episodes into its first season. If you’re looking to go back and start a series that’s already finished, or if you want to start a show that’s five or six seasons in, you might have a harder time.

Thankfully, with on-demand services on the rise, there are numerous platforms that will set you up for success on your path to pop-cultural literacy.

Netflix — You know what Netflix is, but did you know that the streaming service has become a bigger entity than CBS? In addition to a revolving slate of licensed series and movies available at a click, the “Netflix Originals” programming is exclusively viewed from its website or app. It’s proven to be high-quality programming, earning accolades once reserved for television stars. The drawback to relying on Netflix: Its licensed shows run a season behind the actual show, so it’s better for playing catch-up.

Hulu — Similar to Netflix, Hulu airs licensed content (a mix of modern and older television shows), and it definitely holds an advantage over Netflix as far as diversity TV category. There are options to remove commercials too, one of the reasons people have migrated to streaming services over cable television.

HBO Go/HBO Now — If you have cable and subscribe to HBO, you get free access to HBO Go. If you’re a cord-cutter, you can get HBO Now for about $15 per month even without a home cable subscription. This includes access to all their original television shows, comedy series, documentaries, and an excellent library of movies that rotates monthly.

Crackle— Owned by Sony, it’s free, so you’ll have to deal with ads as you watch. This offers access to older titles, both in television and movies, and some original content that’s gaining notice.

Don’t fret if you’ve missed out and have to play catch up. It’s hard for even the most committed couch potato these days. We are all simply bombarded with exciting, new content at every turn. Besides, there are some advantages to conducting your own binge-watching marathon. You can take things at your pace over the course of a weekend, or snuggle up and pull an all-nighter.

Either way, it’s worthwhile finding a few new shows that introduce you to the latest cinematic styles and storylines that are shaking things up on the small screen.