Mindhunter

The Good Place

The Expanse

As someone who is a huge fan of all things science-fiction, I was super excited to start watching The Expanse. It was certainly worth it. The events of this series occurs hundreds of years in the future, wherein the entire Solar System has been colonised by humans. As a result, the three primary divisions are Earth, Mars and the Belt. The show is an adaption of the novels by authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. 

Let me begin by pointing out that it is one of the most visually appealing shows I have watched. From depictions of the planets and spaceships to the stars, it is easy to sense the impact. It plays with one's imagination as to how the world could turn out in the future, along with having themes that are quite reminiscent to the present. There is immediate evidence that the production value is high in terms of design and effect and I can say it has paid off. 

My weakness in any show is a well-written character, and luckily for me, The Expanse has a wide array of good characterisation. They possess a sense of realism that is not easy to find in every fictional character we may come across, and that is also what makes them more relatable. Characters from each of the divisions are adequately used to represent issues that even plague our reality, such as discrimination, corruption, politics and fear of things that the mind does not understand. 

It is quite disconcerting to imagine that even after centuries of evolving, some core problems may never get solved. 

I will admit that much like many other shows, it is difficult to follow in the beginning (maybe the first couple of episodes) due to the slow pace. Additionally, the colloquialism of the Belt division's native language makes certain scenes a little confusing. 

Happy binge-watching! 

13 Reasons Why

To say that I enjoy binge-watching painful shows would be an understatement. Just when I was in the mood for something new, Netflix did not fail to deliver with 13 Reasons Why. This emotional rollercoaster of a show focuses on high school student Hannah Baker who committed suicide and has left behind a series of tapes, talking about the individuals responsible for her choice. 

Sounds a little odd? But that is precisely why you might find it worth a watch. Not only does the show highlight the dangers and consequences of suicide, but it tackles other issues like  bullying, rape, slut-shaming and emotional angst that often plague the teenage mind. This adaptation of the novel additionally stresses on an often overlooked lesson: it is important to be kind to one and another and treat each other with respect. 

However, as much as I liked it, my primary concern is that it glorifies suicide to an extent. For people fighting the same battles as Hannah did, it may give them the impression that the only way to be heard is through a drastic measure such as suicide. There is also the possibility of her action being a trigger for those who are undergoing depression or other mental illnesses. 

Teenagers may be the intended target audience of 13 Reasons Why but it is an eye-opener for any individual who chooses to play the role of a viewer. The graphic scenes of rape and Hannah's suicide is something that might make you uncomfortable and want to flinch (I most certainly did) but as was pointed out by the show runners, that was their intention. They talked about how they wanted make viewers uneasy, as a way for people to see that suicide should never be a resort for any problem. 

With the ever-continuing rise of social media and the need to be accepted through 'likes' and 'comments', this show is most definitely relevant, even though the novel was written a decade ago. It portrays the need for loyal friends and decent human behaviour and how even the smallest of actions can have a long-lasting impact on someone's life. 

The entire 13 episode season is streaming on Netflix and as of yet, there is no news on a second season. 

Happy binge-watching! 

Powerless

In a television world dominated by all kinds of superhero shows, the DC comics series Powerless is a welcoming change with an alternate setting. Rather than throwing light on individuals with powers and their adventures, this show focuses on the question: how do the regular humans deal with the shenanigans and how can they protect themselves? 

While I found the first two episodes to be disappointing, the third and fourth were comparatively much better. With jokes that were trying too hard to be funny and Vanessa Hudgens' exaggerated acting, the series premiere was a little lack-lustre. It did take her a little while to blend in with the other characters and the chemistry seems to be still building up. 

I decided to stick around for the star-studded cast and so far, I would say that the fourth episode was worth the watch. Much like a lot of sitcoms, this is one of those shows that needs some time to find the centre of its humour and laughs. There aren't enough episodes released yet for me to say whether it's an amazing show or not but for now, the cast (Alan Tudyk, Danny Pudi, Ron Funches and Christina Kirk) is what keeps me going. 

Additionally, I'm also enjoying the quirky references to superheroes like Batman, Superman and Flash (to name a few) put forward in an amusing and ridiculed context. For all those DC fans out there, and those who want to see the superhero universe through the eyes of the normal citizens, I would suggest this show. 

Happy binge-watching! 

Riverdale

Just like many others, I was one that grew up reading the beloved Archie comics. The characterization, the humour and the sketches all stood out for me. Not to mention, it never failed to make me feel better on a bad day. So, you can imagine my sheer excitement on hearing that the comics were going to made as a TV series on CW network. But alas, the elation only lasted till I watched the trailer. 

To be honest, I had mixed feelings about it and even after watching the episodes till date, I still do. I am thoroughly disappointed that the series isn't an exact replication of the comics themselves, seeing as it was one of my all time favourites. Rather, it has been given a CW treatment of drama, scandal, and intrigue and I have yet to be a 100% on board with it. 

The changes in the characters are not subtle from the original. Not only is Archie a hunky football jock, but he and Jughead (who is rather intellectual on here, rather than being his comedic self) don't appear to be best friends and Veronica is new in town and to the Riverdale gang. As a hardcore fan of the comics, I couldn't find myself loving these alterations. 

At the same time, another part of me is quite interested with the shapings of these characters. Similar to how the Once Upon A Time series display traditional and happy fairytale characters in a darker light, the Riverdale gang are now part of a world taken over by a murder mystery and secrets. It is a usual CW formula and for now, my genuine curiousity makes me want to give it a shot. 

I would like to conclude by saying that, for those of you who are open to seeing your Riverdale friends in a different light, I would definitely recommend this. I only hope that it does not turn out to be another Pretty Little Liars flop, with the drama and plot twists getting too outrageous.   

Happy binge-watching! 

Class

If you are a hardcore Whovian, you have most likely either heard of Class or watched the episodes. But for those of you who are not familiar with the series, the basic rundown is it's a Doctor Who spinoff with primary attention on six high school students and their encounters with new alien threats. 

If I had to say how I feel about it in a sentence, I'd say that it is most certainly interesting. While it is related to Doctor Who in terms of the concept, the entire feel of it is completely different and refreshing. Admittedly, it took me a while to get used to the setting of alien attacks without the Doctor's presence. However, by the time the second episode rolled out, I was hooked. 

The series seems to portray not just intriguing character dynamics, but weird and other-worldly features as well, similar to that of its parent show. It is evident that the unique point of Class is the adolescent driven energy, which has a spin of its own in the fact that one of the students in the group is an alien prince. 

While I do watch the show with immense enjoyment, it appears to me that it still needs to find a footing with the audience. The plot for certain episodes was as though it was taken right from a fanfic and just seemed to be all over the place. There is also quite a bit of room for individual character development, which I expect will be smoothened and polished as the show progresses. Class can't be an exact replica of Doctor Who, nor can it stray too much from the source material and therein lies the challenge. 

I may not be completely enamoured by it in the same way that I am taken by the Doctor and his companions' antics, but it is certainly worth giving a shot. As of now, 7 episodes have aired and are available for online viewing. 

Happy binge-watching!