TV I've Been Watching Instead of Writing my Dissertation
Just kidding haha sort of
I know I was born in the right generation because I love having an unlimited number of television shows to watch at any given time. I have especially been relishing this privilege recently, now that I have a dissertation to write. I’m starting a new novel for my dissertation while finishing up my first novel and beginning the querying process, so I’ve been working a lot and also procrastinating that work a lot. Luckily procrastinating has been made easy because so much fun and great TV has come out recently! How lucky we are to be alive in the age of infinite distractions! If you also have a dissertation you don’t want to work on or a job you don’t want to do, here is what you should watch instead (not ranked, in the order I watched them):
The Four Seasons [Netflix] - you can’t put Tina Fey, Colman Domingo, and Steve Carrell in a cast and expect me not to watch it! Funny, sweet, occasionally heartbreaking and gut wrenching. Follows three couples through one year and four couples trips as they each navigate relationship problems. Fantastic chemistry all around from the cast. As is to be expected, everything Colman Domingo wears is unbelievably good, including but not limited to a collection of funky hats. Claude (Marco Calvani) was a highlight for me, and I was really impressed by him as a wildcard in such a stacked cast.
Apple Cider Vinegar [Netflix] - this was recommended to me by a professor because she said it was similar to the novel I’m working on, and it’s an excellent albeit tragically true girlboss scammer story about the woo woo wellness industry. If you loved The Dropout (Hulu’s retelling of the Elizabeth Holmes story with Holmes played by Amanda Seyfried), you’ll like this one too. The fake Australian accents are sometimes so bad that it pulls you out, but just look past it.
The Rehearsal (S2) [HBO Max] - I am so fascinated by Nathan Fielder. I think he’s a specifically 21st century sort of visionary and I hope to never ever meet him in person, because I am deeply afraid of him and think having a conversation with him would be torture. This season he tackles aviation safety, whether or not Paramount+ is fascist, pilots that can’t get laid, flying an actual 737, and autism all in one fell swoop. He should donate his brain to science.
I heard Bring Me To Life in a drugstore a few days ago and this was all I could think about Hacks (S4) [HBO Max] - Potentially unpopular opinion but Hacks fell off in season 3 when it fell ill with what I call Ted Lasso Syndrome (comedies forgetting that they’re comedies and getting bogged down in dramatics), but this season it was soooo back! Very funny with sharp commentary on the entertainment industry, particularly the chase for views. Kayla and Jimmy’s (Meg Stalter and Paul W. Downs) dynamic is always a highlight for me, and this season I loved TikToker Jake Shane’s cameos as Deborah’s (Jean Smart) gen z social media manager - perfectly executed.
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (S2) [Hulu/Disney+] - I wrote a whole essay about this that you should read so I’ll keep it brief but I love these crazy Mormon bitches. Truly delicious television.
Overcompensating [Prime] - I was ambivalent about Benito Skinner’s (better known as BennyDrama online) whole thing until I watched this show, but now I’m locked in. Skinner is the creator and star of this distinctively millennial tale of coming out and fitting in. It’s funny and campy and at times heart wrenchingly sweet and sad. There are only eight episodes that you can easily devour in a day - bring back 22 episode seasons god dammit! This is an example of Amazon using their billions for good, because the casting and music budgets must have been INSANE - they have everyone in there! The music was done by Charli XCX, who makes an appearance as herself. Hailee (played by Holmes) immediately earned a spot on my favorite characters ever list, she is so funny.
Sirens [Netflix] - Admittedly this is the show I recommend the least on this list, but it’s a good trash drama with an excellent cast that takes place in a beautiful mansion on a New England island, so it’s hard to really hate it. Meghann Fahy is grittier than we’ve seen her before but brings her usual star power to the screen, which rivals (and sometimes even overshadows) Julianne Moore. I would love to see Julianne Moore’s character in this show to fight Nicole Kidman’s character in Nine Perfect Strangers.
Forever [Netflix] - This is a retelling of a Judy Blume book that I haven’t read, which I was surprised by considering the sexuality of the material until I learned that it’s a heavily censored and contested book - okay Judy Blume! This is a teen show but I really enjoyed it. The music is great, it has such a strong sense of place, and the chemistry between Justin (Michael Cooper Jr.) and Keisha (Lovie Simone) is so scrumptious and undeniable from the very first scene.
Adults [Hulu/Disney+] - Once again I’ll keep it brief because I wrote about Adults last week, but really enjoyed it and since been enjoying all the Paul Baker fancams. (I made a TikTok promoting my essay about this show and Owen Thiele liked it and I’m now choosing to believe that he is a trinket shelf reader, so you’re in good company)
Étoile [Prime] - A show about ballet created by the same team that did Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and you can tell. The snappy, frenetic pace of the dialogue feels so similar but I think fits better in Maisel (considering the cancellation of Season 2, Amazon may think so too). It’s not amazing but it’s fun, and the dance sequences are really fantastic.
I have also of course been watching the worst show in the history of television, And Just Like That, but I’m not recommending it because if you’re meant to watch it you probably already are. So anyway, yes, I’ve been putting in the hours. Maybe all the binge watching is due to a mild paralysis over the thought of confronting my dissertation and subsequent post-grad future, maybe it’s just for the love of the game. Probably, it’s both.