My Week in Geekery - The Binge is Back

Summer is a great time for catching up on all of those shows that you meant to watch, but just haven't gotten around to because you're busy watching current stuff or, like, having a life (lame). But during the summer, most of the shows that you're really into are between seasons, and the only stuff on TV is bullshit like I Wanna Marry Harry, aka "I Wanna Vomit in My Mouth."
My plan this summer is to put up a hammock between two appropriately spaced trees and have a few drinks while I work my way through a few series.

Orange is the New Black is, as most of you are probably already aware, one of the most diverse shows not on TV. Although the point of entry is an upper middle class white lady named Piper, as the series progresses we learn the backstories of many more of the inmates, who come in many ethnicities, socio-economic statuses, and sexual orientations. The breakout star of the show has probably been Laverne Cox, who plays a trans* inmate named Sophia who engages in credit card fraud to fund her transition. I just watched the first episode of season 2 last night, and if that's any indication, I'm going to be just as obsessed as I was last year.

When Supernatural debuted in 2005, I couldn't have cared less. If BtVS was Chicago style deep dish, Supernatural was cafeteria pizza - cardboard smothered in bad cheese. After a couple of years of hearing how good it was, though, I finally checked in out on Netflix last year, and I'm really glad that I did. It's about two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, who travel the country in a classic car hunting monsters. They can be super wangsty sometimes, and the show has a serious women issue, but it's a lot of campy fun, and the two guys that star are mouth-wateringly beautiful. I'm just starting season 6, and I'm hoping to get caught up with the series by the end of summer.

I like reading TV commentary, and I regularly read reviews and recaps of shows that I've never heard of, much less watched. I saw the name Blackadder pop up on a couple of sites that I read, and given my love for British television, history, and comedies, it seems like a natural fit for me. I haven't started the series yet, but it's very high up on my list of ones to start. It's a historical sitcom that hopscotches through eras, following Blackadder as he tries to improve his lot in life. It's so highly revered among fans that I'm not sure it can really live up to the expectations, but I'm eager to give it a try.

Twin Peaks is another show that people are obsessed with to the point where I'm not sure it can live up to the hype. On the other hand, if everyone that I know who's seen it loves it, it's a good bet that I should at least give it a try. This cult favorite revolves around the mystery of "who killed Laura Palmer?" Created by David Lynch, this show is supposed to have the same sense of WTFery as his movies.

The French drama The Returned has been on my radar for a while now. Based on a 2004 film Les Revenants, the series begins with the dead rising, apparently healthy, from their graves and trying to return to their old lives. Both the living and the newly resurrected struggle with this sudden, seemingly miraculous event, particularly as other strange events follow in the wake. Described by various critics as beautiful, haunting, eerie, and brooding, it's almost as universally loved as the previous two series that I've mentioned. The only reason I haven't started watching it yet is that it's subtitled, which makes it difficult to watch when I'm trying to get ready for work or make dinner or whatever.
I know for some people binge watching is a winter hibernation thing, but on lazy days when it's nice outside, it's great to grab my laptop and get engrossed in a great show. Anyone else got a show they're looking forward to bingeing on?