The Quarantine Binge: 5 shows to restore your faith in humanity

I'm facing a dilemma. One one hand, the quarantine is giving me plenty of time to write. On the other hand, it's stressing me out so I don't want to write. I know that it's hard to think of other things when we're being bombarded with news about COVID-19. And it's definitely not news we should ignore. But at the same time, we need some positivity and community in our lives to keep ourselves from going insane. So I've compiled a small list of 5 of my favourite shows (all available on Canadian Netflix) that shed a positive light on humanity during these tough times. Here they are:

1. THE GOOD PLACE

The Good Place is one of my favourite shows ever. The wonder of this show is how it explores death through philosophy. Now, I know you're wondering why you would want to watch a show about death right now. But trust me, this is the most positive and funny show about death you'll ever get to watch. The characters are phenomenal and flawed. The show spends its four seasons exploring how people all have the potential to be good if they're given love and support. It's an important message to humanity about how being perfect isn't the goal, but becoming better is. Understanding your fellow humans is. And worrying about life after death? It's not such a big deal when you're busy truly living. Give this show a chance and you definitely won't regret it. (Also, the last season isn't on Netflix so you might wanna download that if you don't wanna wait.)

2. BOJACK HORSEMAN

This next show isn't all rainbows and sunshine. Consider yourself warned. But it's probably the most real animated show there is out there. The animation and art style is great, so it's incredible to look at. And honestly, I never knew anthropomorphic animals living alongside humans could teach me so much about life. Bojack and the entire cast of characters have real, serious issues that they try to deal with as they live in one of the places in the world with the highest expectations-- Hollywood. It's a really good exploration of how much pressure we put on ourselves to be the very best-- and how easily we give up on ourselves when we don't think we're good enough. While a lot of this show is a bit dark, I would never say it's negative. Like The Good Place, it teaches us how to be better humans. And pay attention to the background in each episode for some of the best jokes.

3. SCHITT'S CREEK

You've probably heard of this masterpiece of a show. Can you believe I only got into it this year? At first, this show annoyed me a little. Shallow characters with shallow problems. It was fun to watch, but mostly to make fun of. Then the characters started to change and I realized that they'd showed me exactly what the problem was: we judge before we even know someone's circumstances. We ask people to change, but we never really give them the chance to. The beauty of the Rose family is that they aren't the best people, but they learn to be overtime as they're exposed to a life so different than what they're used to. They develop real relationships, deal with real problems, and they come out of all of their hardships better for it, proving that there really is a silver lining to everything. Plus, the show is hella funny. I promise, you'll be hooked.

4. LIFE IN PIECES

I'm going to warn you right off the bat that this show has been cancelled. But it doesn't really end on a cliffhanger or anything, so I think it's still definitely worth a watch. The show follows the separate and intertwined lives of the members of a large, eccentric family. All of the characters are lovable in their own way and the show really takes you on a journey with them. It's a lighthearted, fun show that gets you hooked quickly-- and it's also a nice remedy if you're missing your family right now. What I love about this kind of show is that it really makes you appreciate what you have. And it doesn't have to create the biggest problems in the world for it to be heartfelt, funny, and relatable. If you need an escape right now, I definitely recommend this one.

5. SEX EDUCATION

Most people are already watching this one, but I'd be lying if I didn't say it was one of my favourite, most positive choices in television. I feel like this show circumvents the usually drama of a high school show and is more realistic in the sense that yeah, people have problems, but teenagers do relate to each other and don't just throw hate around every chance they get. My favourite thing about this show are the relationships the teenagers--and their parents--make with each other. Watching these kids interact is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket. And if you're a still a bit iffy on this show, give it a chance for the accents alone. Seriously, there's nothing more soothing to have on in the background.

In case you've watched all of these or want a few more options, here are some positive, binge-worthy honourable mentions: One Day At A Time, Great News, Next In Fashion, Atypical, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Do you have any quarantine recommendations for me? Please let me know in the comments! And remember: stay safe, stay inside, and stay positive.

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