I don’t know about you but I absolutely LOVE to set aside tv series or movies to binge watch on lazy days or nights in. While ‘Netflixing and chilling’ with a friend or my love is without a doubt among my favorite past times it is no easy feat to find a show that tickles you enough to continue hitting the ‘next episode’ button,
but hold onto your remotes people because these two shows that I am telling you about are beyond addicting.
Whether you are a Netflix loyalist or have yet to dive into the world of ‘smart TV’ these two series are incredibly intriguing and unique in their own right.
In terms of the ideal type of show: I prefer to steer clear of violence and goor. I enjoy diverse characters and most of all, despite my preference for ‘Hallmark’esqu’ shows, I am most admirable of a well written psychological thriller. Let me just say that both of these brand new shows fit the mold to a tee.
Show: The Sinner
Network: USA
Date and time: Wednesdays 10pm est
ABOUT THE SHOW: In its first season (the first episode aired three weeks ago) The Sinner follows a young woman (Jessica Biel) who unexplainably lashes out and commits a heinous crime with (what seems to be) no apparent rhyme or reason behind it. Each episode follows her journey as the plot unravels, exposing a new and unexpected dynamic to the horrific event that ensued. This show would probably be classified as more of a crime thriller but also a psychological one as it dives into the psyche of this young mother who otherwise seems completely normal and sane. The main force threading each episode together is the obsession that a detective (Bill Pullman) cannot seem to let go of in discovering what really happened to trigger her actions. As they work together to figure it all out they share the journey of revealing a hidden past and dark secrets. This show is hands down one of the best I have seen. A self-admitted fan of the oh so popular hit series Seventh Heaven back in the day, I was hesitant in my expectations of Jessica Biel being the main character, after all I am mostly familiar with her playing the wholesome teenage daughter of a priest. But The Sinner has brought Biel to a whole new level and all I can say is WOW. She has thoroughly outdone herself in showcasing her beyond impressive raw talent in this twisted tale. I will give fair warning in that the first episode does in fact have a bit of violence and goor – by a bit I mean that it is literally five minutes of turn-away-or-cover-your-face-and-peek-through-your-fingers screen time and then it is over.
With only 8 episodes in this first season The Sinner would absolutely be binge worthy if it were on Netflix but seeing that it is on the USA channel it requires patience for the weekly episode update (or DVR) – conversely and quite conveniently if you need to catch up to speed the episodes that have aired so far are free to watch on demand.
Watch the trailer here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tMsjMFcvy64
Show: Ozark
On: Netflix
ABOUT THE SHOW: The Netflix exclusive show Ozark is a drama series that follows Marty Byrde,(Jason Bateman) a seemingly straight and arrow financial planner, who is forced to pay owed debt to a Mexican drug dealer after a a money laundering scheme goes terribly wrong. Focusing on the daily life of Marty, his wife Wendy (Laura Linney) and their two children this series reveals the depths of Marty’s debt and the extremes he is forced to go to all while scheming from their new home in a summer resort community in the Ozarks after abruptly relocating from Chicago. With the fate of his family and their safety flapping in the wind this unusual plot subtly reunites the family through the dysfunctional and wild experiences of their new life and identities. Created by Bill Dubuque (“The Accountant,” “The Judge”), this drama series is beyond addicting and fascinating. With what is mostly a crime and psychological thriller the violence is not too intense and the plot remains consistently strong throughout each episode all the way to the end. The only downside I can think of when it comes to Ozark is that since this is their first season they only launched nine one hour episodes and an 80 minute finale. Get the popcorn and prepare to be addicted! This could very well be Jason Bateman’s best work to date.
Watch the trailer here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5hAXVqrljbs
