Let's Take a Break Together

And talk about TV

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I’m still on my multiple week break from writing about politics. Let’s talk about something we all love. Television. Unless, of course, you hate being entertained.

We can all agree that social media has sped up the dumbing down of society, but I tend to think it all started with TV.

After all, it’s a lot harder to come home after a 12-hour shift from the coal mine to crack open a beer alongside a Dostoevsky than click on the TV remote and just zone out. Now the internet just makes it easier to be dumb.

OK, frankly, the real dumbing down is just capitalism working people to the bone. But that’s not why I’m here.

Let’s be more fun and talk about some recent shows I recommend.

I’m going to talk about shows on different platforms. My strategy to navigate all of these platforms is to wait until they offer me a great discount, sign up for the amount of time it’s offered, then cancel. This way I have one to two platforms at a time and save a bunch of money.

The Pitt (HBO)

A super high-stress show that takes place in an ER in Pittsburgh. Each season is a one-day, 15-hour shift, which is a fun idea. And each season has dealt with a major issue that the staff has to overcome. I would not recommend it if you work in the ER because it probably hits too close to home. I’m also not the type of person that typically watches doctor shows, but I got hooked on this one quickly. But I don’t do good with blood, so there are a lot of parts I have to look away.

Paradise (Hulu)

I guess I would describe this show as post-apocalyptic, but that’s not really what it’s about. A group of people live in a secret bunker because of climate change, but the first season revolves around the sudden death of the President. A lot more unravels from there, but if I start talking about it, I will spoil too much. Two seasons are released, and the third season will be the final season.

Widow’s Bay (Apple TV)

I hate Apple products, but Apple TV has some of my favorite shows: Severance, Ted Lasso, Foundation, and Shrinking. I'll just mention the most recent one I watched, mainly because I originally thought it was going to be dumb. I don't tend to enjoy horror because it's a lot of cheap scares, but this show was not that at all. It was more of a very dry humor. The scary parts aren't about jump scares, but built around suspense. I ended up really enjoying the show. I was hoping for more closure, but if that happened, there would be no eventual second season.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO)

This show takes place in the world of Game of Thrones. If you don't like Game of Thrones, don't worry, this one is fairly different. Much lower stakes and less political. And much funnier. It's also only 30 minutes, and you don't need to know anything about GoT to enjoy this one.

The Bear (Hulu)

A show about a restaurant on their chase for a Michelin star. I am currently finishing the final season. I was not going to recommend this one because I didn't care for the past couple of seasons, although the first two seasons were great. I'll even add that the start of season 5 was dull, but it ended on a strong note. And it's fairly acclaimed, so it's worth watching if you have nothing else. Another show classified as a comedy, and although there are parts that are funny, I would hardly call it a comedy.

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I can write about shows for days, but I will just leave the list there. Looking over it, I'm amazed that there aren't any sitcoms. Over ten years ago, that list would have been shows like 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, The Office, South Park, etc. Are sitcoms just not as good these days, or am I missing something?

Please recommend me some of your favorite shows in the comments section, but keep in mind I won’t ever have Amazon Prime, Disney, or Paramount, so nothing on those platforms.