So, you've already maxed out your FSA stocking up on toilet paper, the workday is over, and you've got nowhere to go and a bunch of time to kill?
Fear not! It may be unsafe to go to the cinema, but these days, your best bet for gripping entertainment may actually be streaming directly into your home!
In fact, with the advent of streaming and on-demand moving pictures (in both feature film and episodic formats), the cinematic medium has evolved to provide us some of the best storytelling ever committed to … I want to say "film" here, but someone is going to point out that most filmmakers no longer use film. We'll say, committed to film or 1s and 0s.
Here are some recommendations to help you while away the hours as you adjust to your new, shut-in lifestyle.
Best Show
If you haven't watched Joss Whedon's Firefly yet, stop what you're doing and get on that. Seriously.Firefly is a sci-fi western, but don't let either of those genre labels deter you. My girlfriend likes neither sci-fi nor westerns, and even she enjoyed it.
I won't go into the tragic tale of FOX vs. Firefly here, but when you finish watching "Objects in Space" (S1 E14) and frantically scour the internet looking for the next episode, just know that all the Browncoats throughout the 'verse feel your pain.
P.S. The next episode is a feature film called Serenity. You should watch it, too, but not until you've watched all 14 episodes of Firefly.
Sci-Fi Free, But a Good Dose of Western
So sci-fi – even sci-fi that my Grey's Anatomy loving girlfriend enjoyed – is a hard pass?How about something with no sci, but a good dose of western? Plus some of the most brilliant character development and storytelling in the history of character development and storytelling.
Intrigued? You should be, because whether you watch Firefly or not (and you should), you want to add Justified to your watch list.
Honestly, had Firefly continued for multiple seasons and had a chance to stumble a little (hey, even I have to admit that Firefly couldn't have kept up that level of perfection forever), Justified might reign in the Best Show slot. It is nigh perfect, and it sustains that quality level through six seasons (no movie, though).
Award-Worthy Character Development
You've already watched Firefly and Justified, and you're looking for another show populated with compelling characters you'll realize you miss after you finish the series finale? Try one of these:Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul
Six Feet Under
The West Wing
The Chocolate Chip Cookie of TV Shows
What if you like good characters and great storytelling, but you also want something a little easier to snack on when you've spent the day exercising every region of your brain?What you need is some quality time with Sam and Dean Winchester.
Sam and Dean are the main characters in a little CW show called Supernatural.
Supernatural is exactly like a chocolate chip cookie (Except it doesn't have any calories. And it's not round. Or edible.) Here's why.
Chocolate chip cookies are good, even when they aren't great. I mean, have you ever eaten a chocolate chip cookie and been like, "That was awful; maybe I don't like chocolate chip cookies"?
Same goes for Supernatural. Even when it's average (with 15 seasons, you can't expect every episode to be a winner), Supernatural is still pretty darned enjoyable. Much of this can be attributed to the charm and chemistry between the two stars, Jensen Ackles (Dean) and Jared Padalecki (Sam), as well as Misha Collins as the angel Castiel and Mark Sheppard (yes, that guy who played Badger in Firefly) as the demon Crowley in later seasons.
Also, once you eat one chocolate chip cookie, it's extremely difficult not to grab another one; you'll find that you also can't watch just one episode of Supernatural.
Plus, eating a truly good chocolate chip cookie is like consuming a little piece of heaven; the same analogy applies to watching Supernatural's best episodes. When the show wins, it wins big. A good smattering of the show's episodes are unforgettable and truly inspired.
Finally, your love for chocolate chip cookies never fades; once you dive into Supernatural, you'll become a lifelong fan. And the showrunners do a masterful job of wrapping up the series. The final season is a loving gift to the fans, and it is everything it should be.
Little Snippets of Hilarity
Maybe you like chocolate chip cookies a lot, but you're watching your waistline and can't get sucked into something that's going to turn you into an unhealthy whale (or, in this case, monopolize all your time).Here are some of those little 100-calorie packs of goodness; equally delightful ways to pass the time, but without all the calories of an hour-long dramatic series.
Community
The Office
Parks and Recreation
Bob's Burgers
Solutions in One Hour or Less
Sometimes it can be incredibly satisfying to see an entire mystery introduced, investigated, and solved in a single episode. Here are a few series in which extremely likable characters repeatedly follow a familiar pattern of set-up and solve.Bones
Burn Notice
Lie to Me
White Collar
and finally ...
Hope for the Best, but Prepare for the Worst
Finally, there's absolutely no reason for you to sit around worrying about what might happen if you were to venture out during an outbreak of a mysterious plague. After all, what's the worst thing that could happen?The Walking Dead