I’ve recently discovered the joy of bingeing on Netflix shows. It was not something I had the time to do in the past. And while I am doing my best to GOTV (Get out the Vote ) this year by texting, I really need an escape from the endless and sometimes scary political news.
So I have been exploring different Netflix shows. I started by watching “Suits,” and made it through several seasons before the endless intrigue and office politics left me frustrated. I did something my friends think is unconscionable — I read episode synopses in the next seasons to see which ones I might enjoy and which ones were just too complicated to follow. I might come back to Suits, but for now I have some new shows I like.
Starting with “Emily in Paris.” My friends told me it was fun, but it seemed too silly to me. Not my age group. And those clothes, while exotic and quirky, were nothing I could ever ever wear. But …. after a few episodes I found myself quite hooked. I began to enjoy Emily’s wild clothing choices, even as I was discouraged at her inability to communicate with Gabriel. I stayed with Emily through the newest episodes in Italy, and when they drop the rest of that season, I will stick with it. The Italian or the Frenchman! Nice choices.
I also started on “Lupin” next. I like the combination of the mystery and intrigue and the actor Omar Sy is really good at disappearing in a crowd despite his distinctive blackness. It kind of shows that people don’t really “see” black people. Do they think they all look alike? The idea of a ‘purposeful” jewel heist is a nice twist on a standard plot.
Moving on — I watched all six episodes of “Nobody Wants This,” in a single afternoon and evening. It’s a witty take on another old standard — i.e. a “shiksa” falls in love with a Jewish guy (a hot young rabbi in this case) but doesn’t fit into his family or lifetyle. Will true love conquer their differences? She does try. I like Kristen Bell and Adam Brody and it was announced this week that there would be another season.
One of my favorites remains “Royal Pains,” although the first few seasons are the best. I love the story of a doctor who gets fed up with the corporate and political environment of his hospital in NYC and is fired for putting a patient’s needs over a corporate donor. Going to work as a concierge physician in the Hamptons seems like an odd choice in the beginning. Not exactly a “do gooder” theme, but what makes it interesting is the creative ways Dr. Hank treats people when no fancy equipment is available. Back to basics medicine, with some international intrigue and love interests thrown in. Mark Feuerstein is perfect in this role. He has an earnest face and is able to communicate the caring and compassionate side of medicine, even while fighting continued attempts by his brother to expand and corporatize what they do. There have been some interesting episodes about ECT (electroshock therapy) and MS (Multiple sclerosis) that I’m not sure are completely medically accurate, but this is TV so maybe we can’t expect accuracy! Henry Winkler adds a nice note as a not very perfect parent.
When I ran across “Designated Survivor,” a show that launched back in 2016, about an attack on the Capitol and the ascendancy of the “designated survivor” to the Presidency, I was afraid the series would be scary. And, in fact, it is. It is also quite current in the way it describes policy challenges like gun control. But the conspiracy part of it is frightening, even though it seems unrealistic at times. Still, it is fun to watch.
I like the fact that I can watch as few or as many episodes as I want in the new world of “seasons.” The old fashioned “once a week” network shows now seem outdated and way too slow. Wait a whole week to find out what will happen? Doesn’t fit our fast moving world anymore. I wonder if the Tracker or Matlock can retain their audience in a once a week format.
Tell me what shows you watch and like. I always enjoy adding something new to my queue. How about the new one — “The Perfect Couple”? A good mystery. Can you figure out who did it before the end?