My Top 5 Netflix Binges of 2015

I know 2015 is well and done, but I thought of something today so I’m gonna do it.

We’re all students of the Netflix binge. You start your Saturday, or Sunday (or Tuesday if you’re a real champ) watching just one episode and by midnight your eyes are glazed over, your shirt is covered in crumbs from the entire bag of chips you ate, and you still have no idea whether or not Steven Avery is guilty. So, I’ve compiled a list of my best Netflix binges of 2015. Some of these were in the course of 24 hours. Some required weeks, even months of daily dedication.

1. Making A Murderer - Although technically I didn’t finish the show until 2016, I watched the first 2 episode during the last few days of 2015. Holy Crap! I haven’t been this conflicted and confused since the first season of Serial. What made this show so much better is that a friend of mine grew up in Manitowoc County and remembers the whole thing. So yeah, I don’t know. I didn’t think he did it, but now I’m not so sure… (longest binge: 7 episodes in 1 day)
2. Daredevil - Marvel went dark with this one, and it was awesome! Definitely better than the mid-2000s one. Vincent D’Onofrio is a badass. Also terrifying. The action scenes were great, but I love how much better Marvel has developed in their character development. The Batman and Superman movies I saw as a kid were the stuff of dreams and imagination. Daredevil, in this presentation, seems completely plausible, mostly because we see more of the humanity in these heroes. (longest binge: 3 episodes in 1 day. But I watched the whole thing in a week and a half)
3. Jessica Jones - I loved this for a lot of the same reasons I loved Daredevil. Kristyn Ritter is fantastic as Jessica Jones. You start the series trying to figure out if you like her or not. Jessica has a particular charm that makes her appealing, but you also just think she’s crazy and out of control, like that friend you have who would “have so much potential if they could their shit together”. But then you realize what she’s been through and it changes everything. Yes, she’s barely holding herself together, but damn does she have some fight! Not to mention guts to take on her abuser face to face. The timing and social commentary of this series is particularly potent. (longest binge: 5 episodes. Finished in 5 days)
4. LOST - Full disclosure, I binged on LOST way back in 2010. I know LOST comes with a lot of baggage for some people, but it’s still one of my favorite shows. My fiancé had never seen it. I felt if was my responsibility as a good boyfriend to introduce her to the characters, confusion, and the “what the hell just happened” feeling that is entirely unique to LOST. I was stunned by how much I missed these characters. I was also stunned by how many things I missed the first time around. Easter eggs anyone? We haven’t finished it yet, so Hanna hasn’t seen the ending. Personally, I loved the ending the first time. I’m curious how I’ll feel this time around, and more importantly, how she’ll feel
5. Supernatural - I know. I know. I know. WHY?! Well, I’ll tell you why. I came over to Hanna’s house one evening to find her glued to the couch watching this show. Like the high brow art critic I am (sarcasm font) I scoffed at her and her low standards of television. Then I grabbed a beer and sat down on the couch. She was somewhere in Season 4. When the first episode finished, I stayed on the couch. And then another passed. And another. And within a matter of hours I was converted. We watched 2-4 episodes a night for a couple months (until i introduced her LOST and then we had to alternate). We finished everything on Netflix and then I went back to start at the beginning (I’m in the middle of season 3). Now, any show that has run for 10 seasons has its flaws, and Supernatural has some pretty big ones. BUT it’s fun. And it’s corny. And it’s about ghosts and vampires and devils and angels. And that’s just cool. I will not try to justify it as high art. It’s not. But it’s still awesome. And it’s perfect for when I don’t want to think too hard or get too emotionally invest. Plus some episodes in the first 5 seasons are just flat out scary. (longest binge: umm… 10 episodes in a day I think. Look, I was in a hotel and didn’t have anything else to do because it was 18 degrees outside so don’t you dare judge me!)