These Are the Netflix Shows I’m Binging This Weekend [August 8-10]

While I normally don’t binge shows, sometimes I get partway through a couple on Netflix, then suddenly spend an entire weekend watching the rest. And this weekend is shaping up to be strange, full of drama, and dinosaurs.

5

The Sandman

Watch The Sandman on Netflix

I have a confession: I’ve been wanting to watch The Sandman since it came out, and it wasn’t until this year that I finally watched the first season. Now I’m kicking myself because it is deliciously good. And if it’s this good as an adaptation, I can only imagine how good the comics are, which are now on my to-read list. What draws me in is this perfect mix of casting, story, and world-building—my personal favorite being Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer.

More than anything, I like seeing Morpheus struggle with his perceived functions. In fact, it seems every creature, no matter how high on the totem pole they are, seems to struggle with very human emotions, despite the Endless being higher beings above gods (small G). Even the beautiful Lucifer dreams of returning to the good graces of God. The stakes in the first season were high but still felt localized, so I can’t wait to see how it fits into the bigger picture in the second and final season. Maybe there really is something to Netflix’s two-season curse, after all.

4

The Four Seasons

Watch The Four Seasons on Netflix

As soon as I heard Steve Carell was starring in a new series, I had to check it out, only to be pleasantly surprised by the rest of the cast. You mean to tell me Tina Fey (Mean Girls, 30 Rock) and Will Forte (MacGruber, The Last Man on Earth) are in the show, too? I immediately knew The Four Seasons was going to be a good one, so I caught just a few episodes (I swear!), and now I’m hooked and ready to finish out the rest over the weekend.

The Four Seasons revolves around three couples taking vacations over the course of a year (hence, the title of the show). However, all the couples have problems that separate and define their relationships, threatening to undo their happiness. Anne and Nick’s marriage has fallen apart; Kate and Jack take passive-aggressive shots at one another; Danny and Claude struggle to communicate. I’m only halfway through the series, but I’m rooting for each and every one of them to overcome their vices and let their relationship’s virtues shine through.

3

The Perfect Couple

Watch The Perfect Couple on Netflix

After watching Sirens, I’ve been looking for another Netflix show that dissects the pageantry, drama, and selfishness of uber-wealthy families. It has a good cast, too—Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Dakota Fanning. And it seems Jack Reynor is back for round two of being the worst partner ever, after his stellar performance as Dani’s loser boyfriend in Midsommar.

I just love hating on pretentious rich folk, and The Perfect Couple is the perfect opportunity to indulge in some healthy cathartic release. I’m only an episode in, and I already have a seething hatred for these people. I’ll be rooting for their downfall every step of the way.

2

Beef

Watch Beef on Netflix

Beef is like watching a car accident in slow motion, which is a tad ironic considering the show starts with road rage between two people, Amy and Danny (Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, respectively). I’m on the fifth episode, and the feud between the two is escalating to the point I’m starting to wonder if Amy and Danny are going to make it out alive. The lengths they go to get the “last word” is very illegal, but also very psychotic and self-destructive.

Despite their chaotic natures, I find both of them oddly relatable, which is ultimately what makes Beef so gripping. I understand that feeling of being beaten down to your lowest, then kicked for good measure. And I recall on several occasions, like Amy and Danny, repeating the phrase: “There’s always something.” I hope they get an opportunity to connect and realize they aren’t that different, other than the obvious wealth disparity between them.

1

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous

Watch Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous on Netflix

What can I say? I love dinosaurs, and so does my youngest son. We’ve been meaning to finish Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous so we can move on to Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, since it’s the sequel. Although the show is meant for a younger audience, the characters and dinosaurs are treated rather well, and many of them show maturity and growth. Kenji, for example, seems like a careless jerk at first, but ends up bonding with Darius and ultimately takes their stay a lot more seriously.

The animation is also surprisingly good, with the dinosaurs looking the best. More importantly, the dinosaurs feel like a real threat, even going as far as to kill characters off-screen, minus the blood and gore (though you can hear the sound of crunching bones).

The good news is, even if you personally haven’t started any of these shows on Netflix, most can be watched start to finish in a single weekend. Beef has 10 episodes, while The Four Seasons has eight, and The Perfect Couple is a mere six. If you’re looking for a show with fewer stakes, there are numerous comfort shows to binge, as well as shows that only have one season!