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BERKELEY'S NEWS • NOVEMBER 18, 2023

TV shows to binge while lounging in the summer

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JUNE 19, 2017

Wondering how to spend your plan-less summer days when it’s too hot to go outside? Look no further! The Daily Californian’s got you covered with binge-worth TV shows.

“Master of None” (Netflix)

“Master of None” is the perfect way to begin your summer Netflix binge, because the second season dropped May 12 just as we were finishing finals, and it starts off with a dreamy trip to Italy. As much as that sounds like a dream, much of Master of None is super-real. By the end of it, you’ll feel like you’re part of Dev’s (Aziz Ansari) squad. (Check out Daily Cal Arts’ review of “Master of None” here.)

“Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)

The fifth and newest season of “Orange is the New Black” dropped June 9 — you’re going to need several summer nights with popcorn and your pajamas for this one (and probably a tissue box, too). If you’re starting from the beginning, brace yourself: you’re about to become very invested in a huge ensemble cast of complex characters. This show tackles humor, queer romance, mental health, the prison industrial complex and institutionalized violence. (Check out Daily Cal Arts’ review of “Orange is the New Black” here.)

“Twin Peaks: The Return” (Showtime, Hulu)

In other highly anticipated returns, there’s David Lynch’s cult classic pseudo-horror mystery. What was a murder investigation in the original series has become a search for the lead FBI investigator. Unbeknownst to Twin Peaks locals and the head of the FBI, Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) disappeared into another, darker dimension, only to be replaced by doppelgängers in the so-called real world. Catch “Twin Peaks” if you’re curious about the evolution of television, because this series is one of the most influential in recent decades. (Check out Daily Cal Arts’ first recap of “Twin Peaks: The Return” here.)

“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)

Still mourning the loss of Samira Wiley as Poussey on “Orange is the New Black”? Look no further than “The Handmaid’s Tale.” In this dystopia that feels like an eerily parallel universe to our own, women like June (Elisabeth Moss) have been forced into becoming surrogates for infertile wealthy couples. The series begins just as June has been assigned to a couple. The show then weaves flashbacks into the ongoing narrative throughout June’s wicked reality to provide context and explain how things got this far. Oh, and June’s name is no longer “June” — it’s “Offred,” as in, Of-Fred — because the man she’s forced to live with is named Fred. This show is heavy and grotesque, but unbelievably poignant, especially given that the novel it’s based on was written in the 1980s.

“Jane the Virgin” (The CW, Netflix)

When you’re finished travelling through alternate realities and dystopian nightmares, catch up on the meta-telenovela “Jane the Virgin.” Jane Villanueva (Gina Rodriguez) was accidentally artificially inseminated when she merely wanted to see her gynecologist for a pap smear. It’s hard to capture the surprise murders, long-lost twin sisters, crimelords, telenovela stars and vibrant imagination of this show, but it’s safe to say that three seasons in, it’s about much more than a pregnant virgin. This show is great for when you wanna catch some feels and laugh at the same time.

“Easy” (Netflix)

This show takes place in Chicago, with each episode focusing on different characters — but the real star of “Easy” is sex: navigating new and old relationships, infidelity and hookups. This show is fun, easy to watch, and it can be binged in one day or casually consumed with your morning coffee on a noncommittal basis.

“Rick and Morty” (Adult Swim, Hulu)

When your brain has peaked at maximum intellectualism because you’ve spent your summer binge-watching television and sharing stimulating conversations with your friends from high school, you’ll finally be ready for the metaphysical experience that is “Rick and Morty.” This animated series centers on the (mis)adventures of Morty and his alcoholic, mad-scientist grandfather, Rick — both characters are voiced by co-creator Justin Roiland.

Contact Sophie-Marie Prime at [email protected].
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JUNE 19, 2017