A Few Holiday Bingeworthy Shows

12/9/2016

Written by Scott Edwards

I know with Christmas right around the corner, everybody is looking forward to spending time with their families and there is nothing better than that. But there are times when you can get a little too much family time and you need to excuse yourself from the masses for a little bit of 'me' time. There is nothing wrong with this either, as we all love our families, but there are times when things can get a little heated and it is just best to step away. So, why not head downstairs to the TV room and binge on a couple of your favorite shows to keep you in the holiday spirit? So here are a couple of shows that are nice and Bingeworthy to catch up with this holiday season.

Luke Cage (Netflix) – This has been the best Marvel show that has made its way on Netflix to date and let me tell you why, it is not just about super heroes. Although Luke has the power to be one of the biggest and baddest guys on the streets of Harlem, he has plenty of reasons not to be. Flying under the radar, he silently tries to make the city better when war is thrust upon him. With plenty of know-how and ideas on how to make the city a better place, he is also forced to depend on his friends for assistance and while some are reluctant, they see the bigger picture and know that the new vigilante in Harlem is doing the right thing. Even the villains in this show are relatable, which makes the viewing experience that much better.

Jessica Jones (Netflix) – Now if you want to see the proper entrance of Luke Cage, you need to check out Jessica Jones. I had a few reservations about this series early on, mainly because I did not know anything about the character, but I will tell you what, it was a great series. Watch as Jessica Jones tries to make the other side of Hell’s Kitchen livable again, but does not have an easy time of it with Kilgrave looming over her shoulder. More of a discovery series as you get to see Jessica deal with her inner demons, try to make her foes into heroes and use everything at her disposal to stop evil from growing. But the best part about this series is the relationships that she has with her junkie neighbor Malcolm and best friend Trish and the fact that she expects her friends to be just that and nothing more.

Daredevil (Netflix) – I had no reservations about the first season of this series, I loved it and it should be watched by everyone that feels cheated by the movie that came out. As Matt Murdock tries to make Hell’s Kitchen safe from evil, he faces a foe in Wilson Fisk that he has never known the likes of. It is easy to get lost in this series from the get go and with Foggy bringing the comic relief and Karen being able to keep the group grounded, it is a damn good series. I did not like season two that much as the storyline got much darker for Matt and Foggy, but it did introduce The Punisher and having Frank Castle in any show makes it hard to resist.

Westworld (HBO) – You can call me a geek or a nerd, but one thing that I have learned over the years is to watch anything that is inspired by Michael Crichton because his stories are just fabulous. His name is the only motivation I needed to check out this new adaptation of Westworld and I have been far from disappointed. The show is even taking some liberties that were not in the original movie by showing us the inner workings of the Delos park and you even get to meet the minds behind whatever experiment is being conducted. In a land full of android hosts that are extremely lifelike, the guests get to live out their wildest dreams and fantasies, which can be good, or bad, depending on which way you look at it. It seems like every character gets their own storyline, even if they are not real and it all leads to one place in the end. If you are a fan of character driven stories, regardless of action, which there is plenty, this is the show that will fill any void for you.

Channel Zero (Syfy) – What is a holiday without a little taste of horror being involved? I am a huge believer that the horror genre should be around year long, because it is just fun to watch and be frightened for a little bit. Channel Zero has not disappointed at all in season one, and being such a short season, it makes it easy to sit through the entire season in one sitting. Seeing Mike Painter come home from being many years removed and bringing up a television show that changed Iron Hills forever and seeing how all of his childhood friends react is one thing, but seeing Candle Cove come back on the air is something else. With the strange occurences from years ago starting up all over again, you are left to wonder who and what is behind the creepy puppet show and the freaky tooth monster that feeds on the youth of the town. Very good little series and if you like horror, it is one that you do not want to miss.

Stan Against Evil (IFC) – If you're looking for a little bit of fun to go along with a tiny bit of scares, Stan Against Evil delivers just that. I was actually amazed how much fun this series really was and even though the first episode is a little rough, it does warm up and the humor is right up my alley. Something about being marked for death as the town sheriff does not seem to keep Stan down at all, mainly because he is no longer the sheriff as that job has been handed over to Evie. But with a room full of demon hunting gear, the two are able to protect themselves, along with others from the evil onslaught that has been haunting Willard’s Mill for generations. Plus you cannot forget about Stan’s daughter, Denise, who may be the backbone of the team, and while it seems as though she is innocent enough that she wouldn't hurt a fly, she is packing plenty of surprises and her obsessions are more than epic.

I can only speak to shows that I have watched when it comes to them being 'Bingeworthy' and these are the ones that I would recommend. And I tried to keep the length of these shows a little shorter for the holiday crowd, between 6-10 episodes a season, making it possible to sit through them in a couple of days. Like I said, being around family is the best part of the holiday and maybe gathering around the television to watch a show could be a good thing as well. You never know unless you try and sometimes a show can bring the family together and give everyone something to talk about. Well, Happy Holidays to you and yours and I hope it is a great year for everyone once again!

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