I've written many posts about Netflix and what shows I've been loving and this latest lockdown (in the UK) is no different! There are plenty of 'water-cooler' moments available and everybody has Netflix these days so you're not going to miss anything, unless of course you haven't binged the latest series yet! Bridgerton I'm looking at you!
Anyway, like I said I've been watching more series on Netflix recently so I thought I'd talk about them in case you're on the hunt for something new to watch!
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Season 3
Now, I've previously written about TCAOS but now they've finally released the third and final season (actually on NYE!) of this hit series which sees Sabrina try and navigate two worlds and struggling with both.
This adaptation of the "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" tale is a dark coming of age story that traffics in horror and the occult. In the remained origin story, Sabrina Spellman wrestles to reconcile her dual nature - half-witch, half-mortal - while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family - including aunts Hilda and Zelda - and the daylight world humans inhabit.
The juxtaposition of Sabrina trying to be a 'normal' teenager and fighting the dark forces of evil is quite brilliant, it says that Sabrina also struggles with all of the normal chaos that ensues when attending high school and trying to fit in.
This new season sees Sabrina occupy both hell as queen and the mortal realm as a somewhat 'normal' teenager. She struggles with seeing her friends move on with their respective partners whilst she is left all alone, this leads her to make some rather dangerous decisions.
It is just as dark as ever and there is even a cross over episode with the cast of the old 90s show which was just so lovely to see, especially if you grew up watching it! I can highly recommend this series as a whole and the third season in particular, it is brilliant and I'm very sad that there'll be no more!
Emily In Paris - 1 Season
OK, so this one was a bit controversial when it came out as it poked fun at Social Media Managers and Influencers in one fell swoop. Everywhere you looked there were more and more tweets, insta posts and blogs dedicated to putting it down and calling it out for untrue behaviour.
But all this did was make people want to watch it more, to find out for themselves if it really was as bad as everyone was making it out to be. And I hate to break it to you, but yes it was! There weren't really any redeeming features or qualities about Emily, except perhaps for how NOT to do your job in a foreign country!
The fashion on show was probably what saved this show but that's a lot for a few dresses and Chanel bags to carry when the plot itself lacks depth. Landing in Paris and instantly expecting everyone at the agency to speak English when you haven't even bothered to learn any French is incredibly rude, not to mention wanting in on the agency's biggest account within mere hours of landing is downright disrespectful.
As bad as this show is, it certainly garnered a lot of attention on social media when it came out. You couldn't move on Twitter for the posts about how badly Emily was being portrayed and how badly that reflected back at influencers/social media managers. She was literally doing everything wrong, yet seemingly getting rewarded for it? It didn't seem to make any sense, especially how she managed to grow her Instagram following so quickly! We all know how slow THAT happens, don't we?!
Anyway, as bad as it was I did watch all of the first season and will definitely be binge-watching the second when it comes out! We just have to know if she finally got with the chef and what became of her boss!
If you watch it, let me know what you think because this has to be one of the most talked about shows of 2020!
Sons of Anarchy - 7 Seasons
Sons of Anarchy follows the lives of the close-knit outlaw motorcycle brotherhood who operate in the fictional town of Charming in California's central valley. Jax is the vice- president of the club who, after discovering a manifesto written by his late father, soon begins to question the club, himself and his relationships. Love, brotherhood, loyalty, betrayal and redemption are consistent themes throughout the show.
Now, I've just started watching this and am on season 3/7 already! It's the right mix of bad ass bikers and quality storytelling that keeps me gripped episode after episode. Plus, you know, Jax is easy on the eye!
You'll love this if you've previously liked shows such as Breaking Bad, Prison Break, Outlander etc - the shows which feature drugs or guns as their currency. Plus, if they have a good storyline throughout then so much the better.
What I've found about Sons of Anarchy in particular, is how the club pulls together whenever one of them is in need or when there's a biker that needs pulling into line. They may take the piss out of each other, but when Prospect is killed they all band together, determined to find his killer and make everything right. It is also a brotherhood of sorts where the men can talk openly to each other without judgement which you don't see in many other shows of this nature.
I'm really enjoying this at the moment and I'm sure it will take me right through lockdown 3!
Death To 2020
If there's one programme you watch on this list then make it Death To 2020 because it is absolutely hilarious and will make you forget about how shit the year was, for a little while at least!
This mockumentary pokes fun at the shit show that was 2020 using actors to play parts of some of the people who were influential throughout the pandemic. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it will have you pissing yourself at every turn.
I can guarantee it will *almost* make you forget about 2020 for as long as it's on, they do say laughter is the best medicine so tune in and be prepared to wet your pants!
The Queen's Gambit
The Queen's Gambit brought chess out of the classrooms and into the mainstream, once the purvey of nerdy, gawky teenagers and after school clubs, Beth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) brings it into the 21st century. (Based on the book of the same name by Walter Tevis).
Grappling with addiction to both drugs and alcohol, Beth uses chess as a means of both escape and justification. Her addiction to tranquilisers begins when she is just 9 years old and is sent to an orphanage after her mother is killed in a car accident and she is left an orphan. The drugs give her powerful visualisation skills which she uses to her advantage when she is taught chess by the building's custodian, Mr Shaibel.
After being adopted by Alma Wheatley and her husband from Lexington she adjusts to her new home and starts entering chess competitions, winning them despite having no real experience in competitive chess. She develops friendships with several people including former Kentucky state champion Harry Beltik, national champion Benny Watts and journalist/fellow player D.L.Townes.
As Beth continues to rise to the top of the chess game, her dependencies become worse and she struggles to balance everything in her life.
I adored this and binged the whole season in a a couple of days. Not knowing anything about chess didn't stop my enjoyment of it, in fact it made me want to learn more about it! Did you know that 'The Queen's Gambit' is actually a move in chess? I didn't! After the show aired, interest in chess went up over 300%! (Source)
Tiny Pretty Things - 1 season
Tiny Pretty Things is based on a book by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton and follows the lives of young people living far from home whilst studying at the Archer School of Ballet.
There are secrets galore in this show, every dancer has something to hide, every dancer at Archer wants to play the lead in the school's main show of the season, Ripper. It all starts with one of the young dancers falling off the roof of the school and the whole season is dedicated to finding out who did it and why.
If you're a fan of dance, then you'll love watching the dancers perform - I certainly did. There's something magical about watching someone who is talented in an art form perform so well. When the kids all come together to dance it really is something to behold and you can forget that they're all at war with each other, over finding out who pushed Cassie off the roof.
I've recently purchased the book as well as the follow up 'Shiny, Broken Things' which I can't wait to get stuck into. Hopefully this means there'll be another series sometime this year or next.
This show was very popular if the tweets on Twitter are anything to go by! Even my Mum watched it which goes to prove just how far the reach goes! There's enough intrigue and drama to keep you gripped throughout the episodes, just don't go looking for them as you may come across a spoiler you didn't want to see!
So, there you have it. Six shows to get you through lockdown 3! Let me know if you've watched any of them! Which was your favourite?
Love, Sarah xoxoxoxoxoxo
