[GUEST POST] 5 Shows Worth Binge Watching This Summer

With the summer heat, it’s nice to take shelter indoors with some of our favorite shows. Special thanks to archeddoorway.com for allowing us to share this list on their page. If you’re already watching “Game of Thrones,” check out this insightful post about one of the more recent episodes.

Prepare yourselves—summer has come at last. For some of us, that means little; work pauses for no season. Thankfully, this is not the fate of every poor soul. But with time off comes an extreme need for things to do aside from cleaning out the sock drawer or finally going through the closet. Some of us just want something to sit down and zone out to.

As such you may be wondering what to watch. After all, there are thousands of options to choose from, particularly if you have a streaming service such as Netflix. We hope to make that decision just a little easier by providing you a list of series worth watching if you’ve been too busy (or you simply never even knew the show(s) existed). Proceed below.

1. Game of Thrones

Despite its popularity, there are still plenty of those who have not seen a single episode of “Game of Thrones” yet. At present, it has 58 full episodes to watch, each about an hour long, and is part of an ongoing story guaranteed to persist at least another few seasons. Based on the novel series written by George R.R. Martin, the show follows the plots of each book in the series as the cast competes for love, power and glory.

In general, I’d like to avoid spoiling any of the plots too much, but with “Game of Thrones,” expect to see a very medieval swords-and-magic type of environment. Given that the show is being done by HBO, the production quality is pretty high. It’s worth watching, but be warned—since it is ongoing, you’ll be left craving for more by the time you’re done.

2. The Walking Dead

Another great series is “The Walking Dead.” This one appeals to a slightly different audience than “Game of Thrones” in that the primary focus is on zombies (called Walkers, Roamers, Biters, basically anything but zombies, in the show), and the drama that results from living in a post-apocalyptic world filled with them.

Clocking in at 83 full episodes and still going strong, expect to spend plenty of time watching the series if you haven’t seen any of it yet. While the show strays in some ways from its source material—a comic book series—the consensus is still very positive. It’s a show I’d recommend even if you’re not really into “zombie” type stories as there’s still more than enough character development with that aside.

3. Orange is the New Black

“Orange is the New Black” is a Netflix original series that focuses on the life of Piper Chapman and her time spent in prison for smuggling drug money. With a mixture of drama and comedic elements, it has quickly become a highly popular show on Netflix (the most, as it turns out). But while Piper is the main character, she has a fairly significant cast of co-stars that appear to play increasingly significant roles as the show progresses.

Currently at 52 episodes, you’ll have plenty to watch if you’re interested in following this prison drama. Given how intrinsically interesting the prison culture is, this is one series you may not want to miss out on (especially if you’re hoping never to experience it firsthand!).

4. American Horror Story

Up to this point, all the shows we’ve listed have had relatively continuous plots, but you’ll find a very different experience with “American Horror Story.” Unlike the other shows where one season leads into the next, each season is very much self-contained in “American Horror Story,” meaning there isn’t a “to be continued” at each ending. This is good news if you’re worried about having to follow the show once summer ends, as there won’t be any cliffhangers here.

As a result in the differences between seasons, it’s hard to pin down an exact description for “American Horror Story.” In general, each season focuses on a single event, typically about ghosts, demons or other related supernatural phenomena (and always “based on real events”…to a degree).

If these types of shows are your thing, it’s worth checking out. There are currently 63 episodes for a total of five seasons, so you’ll be able to follow five different stories if you watch the whole show.

5. Breaking Bad

Despite ending three years ago, “Breaking Bad” is still a show well worth watching. It follows the story of Walter White as he shifts from living a regular life as a teacher to becoming a criminal chemist. As one of the most recognized shows of all time, it has received positive reviews from most everyone who has seen the entire thing.

With a full stock of 62 episodes, expect to be very busy if you get into watching this one. Because of its excellent writing, acting and ambiance, you aren’t likely to be disappointed.

Watch Where You Please

If you’re planning to do any traveling abroad for your summer break, you may be disappointed. Many of these shows are featured on Netflix, but Netflix’s library availability varies widely by your physical location. If you want to watch most of these shows but are traveling out of the US (or simply don’t live in the US), you may be out of luck unless you try a VPN.

A VPN, short for Virtual Private Network, allows you to circumvent regional restrictions by connecting to a remote server in a different country. While there are other benefits such as improved internet security, the main point here is that you can change your perceived location to inside the US, allowing access of all of these great shows.

Whatever your circumstances may be, summer has already begun. If we missed one of your favorite shows or if there’s anything you think might be worth checking out, share with us in the comments below. It’s going to be a hot one this year, so be ready!

About the Author: Caroline is an internet security specialist and entertainment enthusiast. Particularly in the summer heat, she enjoys cooling down in the A/C to a good flick. You can find Caroline on Twitter at: @CultureCovC