The Best Shows To Binge Watch

My favorite way to relax is sitting on a beach, but that’s not always an option. I enjoy being in the mountains, but let’s face it… most of the minutes I have to simply relax happen at night, when work is done for the day and my kid is sleeping.

That’s when I binge watch. I’m terrible, clicking “Next Episode” more times than is probably healthy. I figured I’d share some of my favorite shows to binge watch, in case you’re looking for a new one to take your time with or, like me, click “Next Episode” until you’re bleary-eyed.

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In no particular order, the best shows to binge watch:

A Million Little Things on ABC and Hulu
17 episodes currently exist, with another one coming this week (which I think is the last of the season) and I’m completely hooked, although I think I’ve cried a bit in each episode. The subject matter is real, and raw, but handled really well. There’s death, cancer, and family, and not a single character that annoys me.

Ozark on Netflix
Only two seasons are currently out, but episode one of Ozark blew my mind. The twists and turns! Also, Jason Bateman and Laura Linney are brilliant in this show. Dorky accountant guy turned gangster in episode one! What’s not to love??

This Is Us on NBC and Hulu
Another show guaranteed to make you cry, but ohhh so good. The thing I like best about it is every single character is developed and complex. There’s not a single one that I’m bummed to see more of the storyline on, which isn’t always the case.

You’re The Worst on FX Networks, also available on Hulu
I stumbled on this show by accident and was hooked immediately. It’s funny, full of sex, bizarre friendships, and a messed up couple that may be perfect for one another. I fell in love with Jimmy and Gretchen and admire how the show tackles deep subjects like depression with humor and heart.

Wentworth on Netflix
This show is so addictive, and will blow you away with how evil some of the characters are. It’s about an Australian women’s prison (think Orange is the New Black – also totally worth binge watching – but Wentworth is much more wicked). The twists and turns left me breathless, and made it so I had to watch something to balance out the evil (Grace & Frankie, also on Netflix, is a good light-hearted show for when your eyeballs are bugging because of what the prisoners and guards do to one another in Wentworth). Best of all, there are six seasons out (because it stinks when you fall in love with a show and have to wait a year to see what happens next).

The Americans on Amazon Prime Video
For fans of the 70’s and 80’s (ME!), you’ll love the outfits, the home decor, the cars, and the general sense of that timeframe. They use payphones! The main characters are Russian spies in Alexandria, Virginia, communicating America’s secrets back to their Motherland. An FBI Agent moves in next door and becomes one of the family’s best friends. I love this show for a bunch of reasons, but the things they do to get U.S. secrets will blow you away.

Scandal on ABC and Netflix
I got seriously hooked on this show although admit that at times, it’s a little cheesy. Beautiful Olivia has an affair with the President of the US (no, not dumbdumb- a fictional cooler one) and the twists and turns kept me watching until it ended. I need to check to see whether there are more episodes available, because when we moved to Colorado, we switched TV/Internet providers so many of the channels no longer remember what I’ve seen or recommend what I’d like based on years of binging.

Good Behavior on TNT and Hulu
Wowza. Two super dysfunctional criminals cross paths and end up on a huge adventure together. I won’t spoil it but between heists, disguises, and the two main characters learning to trust one another, I was hooked. I hope there are more seasons.

The Path on Hulu (Original)
I watched a few episodes of this after dinner when Tucker was nearby and he told me the music is creepy. The whole show is creepy, and I couldn’t look away. It’s cultish (they’re in a cult although they don’t see it that way), weird, and addictive. Totally worth binge watching, because you have to see what happens next.

Stranger Things on Netflix
This show does such a great job of depicting life in the 80’s from the ugly carpets to the kids’ viewpoints and is mysterious, creepy, and magnificently written. I can’t wait for the next season. This description is terrible, but the show is magnificent, I promise.

The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu (Original)
I’m a bit behind on this one as Season Two was so dark and depressing that I had to stop watching for a while. I’ll definitely go back to it as I simply must find out how it ends. I heard they’re working on a next season. I dressed up as a Handmaid for Halloween after Season One. It’s that good.

Billions on Showtime
Power, money, and the hunky red-haired guy who played Brody in Homeland (also a totally great bingeworthy show) and the dumpy guy who played in that wine movie. The next season starts next week and I can’t wait!

The Umbrella Academy on Netflix
First, the music! Second, Klaus. OMG so so good. I wasn’t sure about this one at first but quickly became completely hooked and watched the entire first season in a few days. A bunch of kids born Virgin Mary style on the same day end up being adopted by a creepy genius who trains them in their superhero abilities. Definitely worth a binge watch. I’ll warn you though – the final episode in Season One is a total cliffhanger and left me sad that I’ll have to wait for the next episode.

Sense 8
Sexy, unique, and amazing. Plus, the music! I used Shazaam to figure out several songs played during certain scenes in this show because they were so good. One of my favorites this year! Eight strangers find themselves connected to one another and are able to step into one each other’s experiences. It took them each dreaming of the death of the same woman to figure out they’re connected. Each is from a different culture and part of the world. Beautiful stories kept interesting because they all realize they must stay clear of evil forces that want to lock them up and control them or something like that.

The Kominsky Method on HBO
I had to Google the actress who played in So I Married An Axe Murderer (thinking “I can’t be old enough for her to be older” but it is her and I am old) who also plays in this. I really enjoyed this show after initially expecting to only check it out. Definitely worth watching.

Here And Now on HBO
This show is wonderfully acted, confusing, and brilliant. Truly. I didn’t want the first season to end and look forward to the next. Mystery, intrigue, and Holly Hunter and Tim Robbins. There’s only one season of this show out right now but I couldn’t stop watching. Definitely a binge watch.

Camping on HBO
This is another one of the light-hearted shows I turned to when I wasn’t ready for the heaviness of shows like Wentworth. Cute, funny, and totally quirky. I wasn’t ready for it to end. Jennifer Garner is a semi-lovable nutjob who freaks out about everything, and is simply trying to gather old friends for her husband’s birthday weekend.

Those are the shows that come to mind when people ask “What are the best shows to binge watch? Which ones won’t waste my time?” Each of the above hooked me. I’m going to hit “Publish” on this and wish I’d included more shows worth binge watching I forgot to list (because of course I will).

Tell me your favorite shows to click “Next Episode” on? Maybe I haven’t seen one (which would be awesome).