Instead of Breaking Social Distancing, Watch These New TV Shows

Now that Georgia, along with many other states, have begun to loosen shelter in place orders, you can technically go see your friends, even go to a bowling alley. But that doesn’t mean you should. You could easily spread the virus without knowing it, or even put yourself and your loved ones in danger. But if you still have to spend more time indoors, there are so many good tv shows to watch! All of these have come out during this period of social distancing, and there will not be any spoilers ahead.

Tiger King, Netflix

It feels like everyone has been watching Tiger King, a documentary series about real, arguably insane, people who own tigers. Have fun watching a conspiracy theory about a woman shoving her husband in a meat grinder and feeding him to her pet tigers and her rival, the main character, Joe Exotic. It’s a fun show in a weird kind of way.

Little Fires Everywhere, Hulu

Rose Sanders wrote a great article about this TV show, so if you want an in depth review, I highly recommend that you check it out. But in short, this is a show about two seemingly opposite mothers, one black, one white, one poor, one rich, one with only one child, one with four. It shows the struggles of these mothers with each other and with themselves and explores themes of race, class, sexuality, and motherhood.

Upload, Amazon Prime

I just watched this one and loved it. It’s about a 2033 world where your consciousness can be uploaded to an electronic “afterlife.” The main character, Nathan gets uploaded to the afterlife after getting in a car crash. He and Nora, the living woman responsible for looking out for him, develop a connection. However, as Nathan realizes, the afterlife is very flawed, costing your living family members whopping prices to keep you uploaded, and leaving your life in the hands of whoever your account holder is. It’s a great satire about our strange technological evolution in capitalist heaven.

The Plot Against America, HBO now/go

This show has an interesting concept that’s executed well. It imagines a world where Charles Lindenbergh, an anti-semite and fascist, defeated Roosevelt in the 1940 election and through his leadership, the US gradually becomes a fascist state aligned with Nazi Germany. The main characters are members of a Jewish family in New Jersey who have to navigate a world where they slowly realize they are in danger. It features Winona Ryder, famous for yelling “Will!” very loudly in Stranger Things, doing things other than yelling “Will!” 

Outer Banks, Netflix

A bunch of hot 20-year-old actors playing teenagers get thrown into a crazy situation without expecting it. The story is set in the Outer Banks of Virginia, a place separated by wealth and class. John B’s dad goes missing and the story follows John’s group of friends searching for what he left behind.

So, for the love of God, if you have the option, stay at home, stay safe, and watch these TV shows. They’re very entertaining, they’re new, and they’ll help you pass the time.