Netflix loves to encourage a good binge-watch, and (sometimes) we agree. While I personally love shows that come out one week at a time — Euphoria season 3 may take forever to get here, so I’ll accept a weekly pause— I know that certain situations call for marathons.
Such is the case in the dawn before a new season arrives, as many of us love to consume shows alongside others. Whether it’s live tweeting new episodes as they air (again, hello Euphoria), or talking to your friends as you’re all engrossed in the latest season to drop in one fell swoop, there’s a joy to be found in sharing a show together.
This is why I’m taking a look at three big shows that are returning to Netflix. One just dropped its fourth season, while another is about to start its final run next month. Each offers something different, with personal dramas, gossip-heavy courtships and high stakes racing.
All three of these picks are on our best shows on Netflix list, for what it’s worth. But since everyone has a blind-spot or few, we won’t hold it against you if you’ve still yet to dive in.
Binge-watch these Netflix shows before you’re even more behind:
Bridgerton
1 season to watch — around 8 hours in total length
Okay, let’s start off easy. One of the best shows on Netflix is back, as the ton assembles at the end of March for Bridgerton season 2. The drama of a new courtship awaits, and fans are even more excited about the series now that we know which character is behind the gossip that’s distributed amongst the characters.
And while some may have dismissed Bridgerton as being a guilty-pleasure kind of show for its scandalous tales of courtship and high society drama, it’s too good to be thought of as low culture. Sure, the actors are gorgeous — though we’re shy a sexy duke, as Regé-Jean Page is absent this season — and the sets are so fabulous that they’re worthy of being called “interior design porn,” but Bridgerton is satisfying for more than just its good looks.
Thanks to fantastically written and acted characters, Bridgerton drew in a seriously wide audience for a period piece series when it became the Netflix’s biggest hit back in 2021 when it debuted. It’s even up there with Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder as executive producer Shonda Rhimes most critically beloved work.
Bridgerton season 2 arrives on March 25, so you’ve got more than enough time to watch before it gets here.
Better Call Saul
5 seasons to watch — around 7-8 hours per season
I am personally just discovering something that Tom’s Guide published in 2020: Better Call Saul is one of the best shows on TV. The series, which tracks the origins of Saul Goodman, who first appeared in the beloved AMC series Breaking Bad.
But since Better Call Saul is very dissimilar to Breaking Bad, with less violence, drugs and anger — so far — some (myself included) bounced off of it. But time passed, and I eventually came back to discover that I actually love Better Call Saul as much, if not more than, Breaking Bad.
It’s now time for everyone to join me in giving Better Call Saul Saul another look, as its sixth and final season is about to start. But before we get to that, we need to go over some good and bad news.
On the upside, Netflix streams the first four seasons, and Better Call Saul season 5 hits Netflix on April 4. The (kinda) bad news: Better Call Saul season 6 debuts in a little over one month, on April 18. That means anyone looking to join me on social media as we rant about each episode will need to do about a season a week. Trust me, though: it’s more than doable. With the right lazy attitude, I’ve been able to take down whole seasons in a single day.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
4 seasons to watch — around 6-7 hours per season
If you’re anything like me (and please, I hope you’re not), you’ve probably seen a recent uptick in chatter about Formula 1 racing. The name Lewis Hamilton may have appeared on your radar, either while he was breaking records or standing on the right side of history by bringing the “Black Lives Matter” message to the world of racing.
All along, you might have been confused by the interest. That’s especially the case if you saw how these races take place at ungodly hours in the morning for those of us in the U.S., as they’re mostly raced across the Atlantic. But, as Amanda Mull explained in The Atlantic, that change in interest isn’t likely because of racing getting better, but because of the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive.
Right now, we’re a mere week away from the 2022 F1 season beginning, and so it’s a damn good time to rev your streaming device and hop into the world of Formula 1. Netflix’s excellently-produced docuseries gives fans and novices alike an excellent behind the scenes look at the emotions of all the drivers through the past four seasons. Season 4 of Formula 1: Drive to Survive just dropped on Friday (March 11), but if you start now, you may be a convert by the early days of the new F1 season.
Jessica spends 12 hours a day on the internet managing security for web assets and loves her macha tea
