2017 in TV shows: 6 things I watched
Netflix and iFlix and the joy of on-demand entertainment
I’m not really a TV person anymore — I don’t have a cable subscription at home because I rent and move around a lot, and since transferring jobs, I am now no longer required to monitor the evening news, and am thus also spared from the entire night programming of our local channels (both a joy and a sadness, to be honest.)
This means that whatever TV I watched, I watched via on-demand channels, such as iFlix and Netflix. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) survey showed that Netflix is now as popular as cable TV, at least in the US.
And why not, right? They offer monthly, easy-to-cancel rates, are accessible via smartphones, and can be subscribed to so easily. They’re perfect for today’s inescapable on-the-go lifestyle.
In any case, I’m one of those people who preferred iFlix/Netflix to cable TV this year, and here’s a list of notable TV shows I finished, thanks to them:
Person of Interest (all five seasons, iFlix)
Yes. All five seasons. Late to the party and horribly heartbroken, but this group of crimefighters aided by an AI that spits out social security numbers that are likely to be involved in something life-threatening, whether as a perpetrator or a victim? Kept me up nights.
Also: Joss fucking Carter and Samantha fucking Groves. Also, I loved the unconventional relationships between Harold Finch and John Reese, and Reese and Sameen Shaw, and Fusco WITH EVERYONE. ALSO ALSO: Bear, who is a Belgian Malinois that steals the show every time he’s on air. I love my dysfunctional spy fam. [Trailer here via iFlix.]
One day at a time (season 1, Netflix)
Soooo underrated. Penelope, an Army veteran and woman of color, is a single mom raising her kids Elena and Alex. Also in here is Penelope’s mom, lovely abuela Lydia, who does a mean salsa. It touches on everything, from racism to misogyny and even a tender, nuanced portrayal of a coming of age-slash-coming out story. It’s all very lovely. Season 2 premieres January, and we cannot wait. [Trailer here via Netflix.]
The Good Place (season 1, iFlix)
Intrigued about the Afterlife? Welcome to the Good Place. Kristen Bell as the lead character Eleanor is comedy gold. The way philosophical ideas and ethical dilemmas are slipped into the episodes (one of the characters, Chidi, is a university ethics professor) is endearing, and probably good material for ethics professors seeking to spice up their lectures in academic semesters to come. I love the whole ensemble and their dynamics! Watch for the Eleanor/Tahani interaction, and of course, Manila-born Canadian actor Manny Jacinto as Jason Mendoza. [Trailer here via iFlix.]
Orange is the New Black (season 5, Netflix)
Our favorite inmates, post-Poussey. The season is basically just a micro-unfolding of three days, and boy are those the most intense three days, ever. As always, classic character-driven OITNB showcases an entire spectrum of stories. There’s an inmate who mimics people, and her impression of Red (In Russia, we don’t have Happy Meals — we have Unhappy Meals) is truly a stand-out effort. There’s a significant amount of Vauseman, if you’re into that.
Stranger Things (season 2, Netflix)
Our children are still in Hawkins and Will Byers is back, but he’s still seeing things and Joyce is not pleased. Actually, Joyce is still stressed. Watch for whatever is replacing Christmas Lights in the Joyce Byers book of stress management. Also: Hopper has dad-issues, and Eleven needs a hug. 11/10, would hug tighter. I enjoyed this installment mainly because I was able to watch it in full (I watched Season 1 with one eye closed the entire time so maybe I only half-enjoyed that one). The boys are still boys, but I spent an inordinate amount of time yelling “DUSTIN, NO!” at the TV. Good times.
So that’s 5 things I liked. Here’s one I did not like:
13 Reasons Why (season 1, Netflix)
This is the only one on this list that I did not like, mainly because I have a thousand issues with this show’s handling of suicide. Add this to the fact that this is a show about a girl who was repeatedly abused and ignored until she eventually killed herself, and somehow, it still was able to make it all about a white boy and his feelings. That’s just unbearable. Anyway, I still have to write this down, because it stirred something in me — never mind if that feeling was revulsion. That said, I cannot stress this enough: We need to have a consistent, medically grounded, level-headed mainstream conversation about mental health, mental illness and suicide. Hell, I hope we can have a conversation about mental health and mental illness that is not framed by suicide.
Hello, 2018!
There’s so much TV to catch up with: Black Mirror! Mr Robot! The Bold Type! Westworld! I can’t wait.
What was good on your TV this year? Maybe I can still watch them before 2017 ends (hehe) or line them up in 2018. Comments and recs welcome :)
