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Well, we were supposed to start previewing opponents on the schedule for Georgia Tech this week, but the ACC decided to throw a wrench in a our plans, when they announced their new scheduling plan, which will now have the season starting a full week later. That means, we had to add another week of content, so we’re going back to ALTERNATIVE CONTENT!!!
We’ll probably still have some football-related stuff this week, but not today! Today, I’m going to be sharing my quarantine experience with you. I am a subscriber to pretty much all streaming services, so I have given them all a pretty hefty workout and have watched a ton of stuff. As you already know, I watched all the Pixar films toward the beginning of the pandemic, but I’ve watched a bunch of things since, some good, some bad, but I’m going to talk about all the ones I remember! Yeah, I’ll go ahead and tell you that I’m not sure if this list is exhaustive or not. I’ve watched a lot of TV, so I’m not entirely sure this is everything, but anyway, let’s get to it!
17. 13 Reasons Why (Season 4)
You know what they say about how when you watch a train wreck, you want so hard to look away and you just can’t? That’s my entire relationship with the show 13 Reasons Why. I watched the first season about the time it premiered because I had heard about all of the drama surrounding the show. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, the first season ends with a very graphic suicide scene, and the show itself does a poor job of dealing with the idea of depression. But, and I hate to say this, I kinda got hooked on the show. As each season came out, I had to watch it. Despite abhorring the show and pretty much everything it stood for, I couldn’t look away. Anyway, season 4 of the show brought the show to an end in a not super-satisfying way. The one character who actually had interesting development had a pretty crappy ending to his character, and overall, I just felt unsatisfied. I’m not surprised, but it is what it is.
16. Box of Movies from 2nd and Charles
So 2nd and Charles does this really cool thing where they sell a box of about 50 DVDs and Blu-Rays for $25. It’s all completely random, and you can potentially get duplicates, or just some really weird stuff. I actually got some decent movies, so I’m going to do a mini power ranking of what I got:
10. The Last Mimzy
8. Driven
7. Cats and Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore
2. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
15. Palm Springs
I watched this movie on a hunch because I like Andy Samberg, JK Simmons (both of whom are featured again on this list), and Cristin Millioti (the mom from How I Met Your Mother). Is it a rip-off of Groundhog Day? Yeah, probably, but it’s also a lot of fun. Samberg and Millioti have pretty great chemistry, and I think it takes a new angle at the whole “What would you do if you lived the same day over and over again?” plot device.
14. Airplane!
Believe it or not, I had never seen this movie until the pandemic. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Surely, you can’t be serious!” Well I am, and don’t call me Shirley! Anyway, this movie was all sorts of ridiculous and fun and is well worth the watch, despite some things in the film that didn’t really age well.
13. Titans
Ever since the original trailer dropped and Robin said “[Foreigner] Batman!” Titans has been almost immediately cast aside as not worth the time because it was trying too hard to be gritty. For the most part, though, I think the tone actually works for the show. I was pretty skeptical, but decided to give it a shot after watching another DC original series (which I’ll talk about later on the list). It wasn’t bad, but there were some parts that really let you down. I really like the characters themselves and think they form a pretty solid ensemble cast.
12. Monk
I watched Monk growing up, but this was really the first time I had watched it as an adult, and man, this is still a really good show! Tony Shaloub is absolutely brilliant as Adrian Monk, and his supporting cast (at least before Bitty Schram’s Sharona left the show) is amazing. If you’ve never watched it, I think it’s definitely worth checking out.
I’m still working my way through all of these, but most of them are actually pretty solid! I’ve been super impressed with the various Batman titles (specifically The Killing Joke and Under the Red Hood), but what really got me is how they got me to change my tune about Superman as a character. Superman is a very difficult character to write for, given his overpoweredness, but the DC Animated movies have done a good job of making him a more likable character.
10. You (Season 2)
I watched Season 1 of You not expecting to like it, but it did a great job of catching my attention. Penn Badgely does a great job of mixing his charm and creepiness in the character of Joe. In Season 2, though, we get someone even creepier than Joe, and it’s pretty rad. I’m really excited for the next season.
9. Galavant
I really love this show. It’s a musical that’s just plain over-the-top and super self-aware. I heard about the show when it first premiered, but never watched it until recently. I’m a big fan of Timothy Omundson from Psych (which is also on the list), and he plays the king, and everybody in the show is just absolutely delightful, though I will say, if medieval musical doesn’t tickle your fancy, you probably won’t enjoy this one quite as much.
And Andy Samberg makes his second appearance on the list with one of my favorite sitcoms of all time. This is one of those shows that you can enjoy by either watching the show itself or just watching clips on YouTube. I’m also happy to say this is what turned me onto the show:
It mixes incredibly smart comedy with enough serious moments and some great characters. Also, Jake and Amy are one of my favorite TV couples!
7. Psych
Another one of my favorite shows that I watched growing up. I really love how the writers managed to work in the various pop-culture references, especially the Hitchcock stuff. Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and Burton Guster (Dule Hill) make for a great leading duo. Plus, you get Timothy Omundson and some great cameos (even a couple from John Cena).
6. Community
Here it is: my favorite sitcom of all time. With Community, you get one of the best ensemble casts in all of TV (at least in my opinion) and some of the coolest moments to ever happen on TV. From the paintball episodes to the Dungeons and Dragons episodes, there’s honestly a little bit of something for everyone. And just for kicks, here’s the video that sold me on the show:
I fully believe Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the best TV shows in existence. It’s got everything you could want: a fantastical and epic story, a great group of characters that show considerable growth over the series, plenty of comic relief that doesn’t diminish the serious moments, and honestly, it gives you some of the coolest shots I’ve ever seen on TV.
4. Pixar Films
This was just a lot of fun, and I’ve already written a lot about these movies, so click on the link above and check it out!
3. Whiplash
This is one of my friend’s favorite movies, and he’s been trying to get me to watch it for about a year now, and I finally got the chance. Starring Miles Teller and JK Simmons, this movie gets really intense really quickly. You get great characters, great music, and it’s just a lot of fun (though incredibly intense).
2. Doom Patrol
So here’s the other DC property that got me to watch Titans. I’m a big fan of the new Doom Patrol series, and it all started with the first episode, which featured the big bad from the first season demonstrating how self-aware the show was going to be. Now, this show is incredibly weird, and it’s certainly not your average superhero show, but it does an incredible job with the characters, showing them working through their struggles. So much so, that that is actually the point of the show, not necessarily whatever villain might be around.
1. The Umbrella Academy (Season 2)
I actually just watched all of this on Saturday night, so it’s still pretty fresh in my mind. I love this show. I watched the first season when it premiered last year, and was an instant fan. It’s kinda weird like Doom Patrol, and that’s the kind of stuff that really appeals to me. I also love a good ensemble cast (if you haven’t been able to tell that by this point), and The Umbrella Academy does not disappoint in that aspect.
What’s the best thing you’ve watched in quarantine?