I think we can all agree that the most difficult part about a relationship isn’t the sacrifices, or anxiety, or cohabitating. It’s deciding what to watch on TV, obviously. Picture it, the idyllic night in, involving all the staples: a cozy blanket, your University hoodie, a glass bottle of wine, a bowl of popcorn with melted butter on top (because YO-freakin’-LO), and your partner in comfy town. The only thing this coveted situation is in need of is something to watch. Familiar classics like Friends or The Office will satiate you for a time but before long one of you will be scrolling through Instagram or asleep before Ross even finds out about Monica and Chandler. This is a slippery slope indeed, a choose your own adventure of sorts.
The most ideal way to navigate your Netflix queue with your partner is to consult The Trifecta of Bingeworthiness (patent pending). Preparing to glue your eyeballs to the TV for an undetermined amount of time is like finding the one. In order to avoid making a frivolous decision, the answer to the following three questions must be a resounding YES:
1 – Can you assume that the characters will hold your attention for more than a few episodes?
2 – Does more than one season of the show in question exist?
3 – Does it have the ability to spark interesting conversation between you and your SO post viewing?
Of all the programs, in all of Netflix, let these walk into your List.
Black Mirror
If non-stop captivation and post viewing discussion revolving around human nature are your thing, Black Mirror is the ticket. This nearly unavoidable anthology centres around science fiction, dystopian futures, and moral ethical dilemmas. With four seasons of no more than 6 episodes per season, each averaging 60 minutes in length, it is an excellent recipe for binge-watching.
This is Us
I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life, but if you have not yet let the Pearson family into your living room, what are you even doing? This real, emotional, loveable show requires a box of Kleenex, and someone sweet to watch it with. Get ready to fall in love with every character on This is Us, they are all hashtag goals. (Except teenage Kevin – he’s a brat. You’ll understand once you watch). Fair warning, after seeing the kind of man Jack is, the marriage Randall and Beth have, and the sibling relationship between Kevin and Kate, you’ll be holding your nearest and dearest to a whole new standard.
The Good Place
At the off chance that you aren’t following Kristen Bell on Instagram or the more probable chance that you don’t have cable, prior to being added to Netflix you may not have heard about a gem called The Good Place. Come for the scintillating take on the afterlife, stay for the Eleanor (Kristen Bell) flashbacks – they’re “forkin’” great.
Lovesick
Formerly called Scrotal Recall (I’m not joking), Lovesick is the most underrated show on Netflix. It has everything; awkwardness, multiple and intertwining love stories, and a wicked soundtrack (Alt-J, Metronomy, Django Django…). Following the lives of three best friends – specifically one’s sordid sexual past, Lovesick manages to tackle subject matter in the most refreshingly relatable, down to earth way. This British sitcom is impossible not to love.
The Last Man on Earth
Will Forte is basically the newest version of a Michael Scott-esque (The Office) character and it is excellent. He is the right amount of cringey; you hate him, yet find yourself rooting for him. The Last Man on Earth is a comedy full of holes, nothing about it is realistic and that is what works. It dances on the line of dry and slapstick in a way that will make you literally laugh out loud. On paper, it may not seem that appealing, but I dare you to just watch one episode – spoiler alert: you can’t.
