Dead week can be overwhelmingly simultaneously dull and stressful — there comes a time in the week when you want to just sit and do nothing. But instead of sitting at your desk, blankly staring at your laptop, I propose watching the CBS holy trinity of game shows to relax your brain. “Survivor,” “Big Brother” and “The Amazing Race” are renowned game shows that have contestants competing and adventuring. Any of the franchises can get you hooked, but here is a curated set of seasons that to binge-watch before finals. 

Survivor: Pearl Islands

We’re starting off with some old-school “Survivor,” specifically the franchise’s seventh season. Taking place in the Pearl Islands of Panama, the whole season is themed around pirate culture, which made the entire experience aesthetically pleasing. This Survivor season is also full of memorable contestants as well: the villainous Jonny Fairplay, who concocted a masterful lie that attracted national hate;  the underdog outcast Lillian Morris and the Queen herself, Sandra Diaz-Twine, who had us all captivated with her gameplay.  

Survivor: China

Fanatics of the Survivor series would regard Survivor: China as one of the show’s golden era seasons, universally loved by the community. Survivor: China beautifully represented Chinese culture through their challenges, hidden “immunity idols” and the tribe’s campsite. But ultimately, it’s the casting that made this season exquisite. Each “castaway” had a solid personality and brought memorable moments and stories to the show. It was “Survivor” at its finest; blending old-school “Survivor” with new twists made it well-received and one of the best overall seasons in the franchise.  

Big Brother Season 6

This season had me binge-watching it during dead week, and I watched the whole season in four days. I wholeheartedly believe this is one of the show’s best seasons, and it’s great to watch if you are new to the franchise as it introduces the elimination process and how “Big Brother” functions as a game show. But what makes this season memorable is how the cast functions; every week has something new to add, and it feels as if we are watching a ping pong match — one side of the house is in control one week, and then the next week, it’s the opposing side that’s in power. Of course, we can’t forget the introduction of the memorable Janelle Pierzina, competition beast of “Big Brother”; fan favorite Kaysar Ridha and the season’s memorable show-mance Sarah Hrejsa and James Rhine. 

Big Brother Season 24

I fell out of the “Big Brother” community after all the racial and bullying scandals came out, so I did not watch this recent season when it first came out. However, a dear friend encouraged me to watch the season because of how iconic (and chaotic) it was, so I opened my laptop and watched it. I finished this season in one weekend; the twists were excellent, and the underdog story that came out this season was impeccable. It had me rooting for the pageant Queen, and ultimately I was satisfied with the results of this season. 

The Amazing Race 1

I grew up watching “The Amazing Race,” a game show that ushered me into different cultures of the world and gave me new perspectives. Season 1 set the precedent for the upcoming season, and it had memorable cast members. The villainy that was Team Guido, and the harsh karma they received were amazingly satisfying to watch. There is also the redemption arc of Frank Mesa and Margarita Mesa, divorced parents that decided to take on this challenge to reconcile and learn to work together to raise their newly born child. It was terrific to see these dynamic relationships form and each team give it their all while overcoming fear/obstacles.

Watching game shows is a great way to destress before the upcoming finals week, and with this list, you can’t go wrong. So click on your TV and get binging!