10 BINGEWORTHY STREAMING SHOWS YOU’VE (PROBABLY) NEVER HEARD OF
The joy that is the bingewatch is truly something special. When you find that one show that you just can’t stop watching, it becomes a part of your life. It’s almost like the excitement of dating someone new, except there’s a definitive end–but you get to decide how long it lasts. With so much streaming content available, it’s easy to miss the hidden gems. Here are some of my favorites from the last few years that I stumbled upon during my endless hunt for something new to binge, but none of my friends had watched yet.
- Love/Life (HBOMAX). Starring the always enjoyable Anna Kendrick (Season 1) and William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) in Season 2, Love/Life is a treasure of a series following the ups and downs of modern dating life that eschews all of the usual rom-com traps and cliches. Each season has a wry narrator, and every episode delivers an emotional punch along with the humor. An excellent supporting cast that briefly overlaps between seasons makes the whole series feel lived-in, creating a world the viewer wants to live in.

2. Drops Of God (AppleTV+). I don’t have any interest in wine, and I stopped watching anything that requires subtitles when I became one of those people who looked at my phone while the TV was on. But I was immediately hooked by Drops of God, to the point where I just put the phone down and soaked it all up. When wine authority Alexandre Léger dies, he leaves behind the world’s finest private wine collection, a sprawling Tokyo estate, and a lot of secrets. Before his estranged daughter Camille (who has a physically violent reaction to tasting wine) can claim her inheritance, she must battle Alexandre’s protégé, Issei, in a series of wine-related tests. It’ll have you craving red wine and a second season.

3. Life In Pieces (Hulu). I don’t know how I missed this gem when it debuted on CBS in 2015, but I was glad to discover it a few months ago. Each episode is broken down into four vignettes about the Short family and their lives in Pasadena, California. The packed cast includes James Brolin, Dianne Wiest, Colin Hanks, and Thomas Sadoski, and is one of the funniest TV shows in recent memory. The “Cheeto” episode had me laughing until no sound came out of my body. When was the last time that happened to you?

4. The Head (HBOMAX). This one is on its third and final season, which means you can binge the first two seasons in a white-hot marathon of awesome like I did, even if it’s another series with lots of subtitles. Ignorning your phone is easy when you’ve been sucked into a murder mystery set in the most remote locations on the planet. The first season is set at a scientific research station in Anarctica, and nothing is normal when the Summer team returns to find Polaris VI trashed and bloodied, with most of the Winter team either dead or missing. Which of the survivors is telling the truth about what happened? The killings get amped up and wilder in Season Two, set on a container ship in the middle of the South Pacific. Season Three is taking place in the harshest desert landscape and I’ve already said too much, just watch it!

5. The Wilds (Amazon Prime Video). Think Yellowjackets meets Lost. A group of teenage girls on their way to a “young women’s empowerment retreat” are left stranded on a deserted island after their private jet crashes, but they’re all unaware they’re the subjects of a social experiment. Starring the always great Rachel Griffiths, the second season revealed a similar experiment with a plane full of teenage boys and included an extended cameo from musician Ben Folds. They need to hurry up with Season Three already, please.
6. How to Die Alone (Hulu). All the single ladies, this one’s for us, especially the messy ones. Natasha Rothwell is a divine gift to humanity in this series she created and stars in as Mel, who’s stuck in a dead-end job working at JFK Airport–despite her fear of flying. Mel wants more out of her life, both personally and professionally. After a near-death experience, she decides to take control of her destiny and begins a journey of self-empowerment and personal transformation. Rothwell is a revelation, utterly fearless in showing Mel’s vulnerability as she keeps making mistakes while figuring out her business. Bring on Season Two, girl!

7. Station Eleven (HBOMAX). Adapted from the best-selling novel by Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven is a story about the aftermath of a global pandemic–which was released during the real global pandemic in 2020 and therefore didn’t quite find the audience it deserves. If you missed it, now’s your chance to experience a beautiful and powerful story about the importance of human connection and finding freedom in self-forgiveness. Following multiple characters all connected in one way or another, the series is that rare adapation that changes the source material to even more emotional results.

8. Behind Her Eyes (Netflix). Based on Sarah Pinborough’s 2017 novel of the same name, it’s the story of Louise, a single mother, who begins an affair with her new boss, David. Things take a strange turn when she’s drawn into an unlikely friendship with his wife, Adele, played by rising star Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters–another great show you should be watching that I know you’ve heard of). It’s a twisty noirish psychological thriller that throws a curve you’re not expecting. Behind Her Eyes gets a little silly in the final episode, but you won’t be able to take your eyes off of Hewson–aka Bono’s daughter.

9. Midnight Mass (Netflix). Writer/Director Mike Flanagan is a master storyteller, mainly staying in the supernatural horror genre or adapting Stephen King better than anyone else (don’t sleep on the Director’s Cut of Doctor Sleep). Flanagan’s Netflix projects are all excellent, and I encourage you to add them to your Watchlist. But Midnight Mass stands out for its originality and its intriguing take on the classic good vs evil tropes by using the church as a backdrop. Centered around a tiny island community and the cult-like fervor created by the arrival of a “new” priest, the series brings plenty of scares and twists, as well as strong performances from its leads.

10. Heartstopper (Netflix). I fell hard for this sweet British series based on the graphic novel/webcomic of the same name. The coming-of-age story mainly focuses on Charlie, who falls in love with his classmate, Nick. Their eclectic group of supportive friends are also figuring out who they are while navigating their first loves. The scenes are occasionally enhanced with little animated drawings, and I’ve found the whole series just so charming. The third season dips into some more serious topics, but remains true to its accepting heart and will have you smiling through happy tears while rooting for literally every character.
