Shelter In Place Binge Guide: ‘Little Fires Everywhere’, ‘Picard’, ‘Ozark’ and More

As cities and states across the country are instituting mandatory shelter in place orders to help combat the devastating effects of COVID-19, the lack of things to do is quickly becoming a concern. Lucky for us, we live in the streaming age where instant access to whole seasons of television shows and movies can help alleviate some of the pains of social distancing and isolation. We’ve put together a simple list of the best series—some old, some new—on every major streaming site to help relieve some of your boredom during these long days of quarantine. Maybe you’ll find your latest binging obsession or perhaps be reminded of a show you meant to catch but didn’t. Either way, perhaps it’ll help take your mind off things for a little while.

Amazon Prime

Carnival Row

Even with only eight episodes available (and with the filming of season two put on hold thanks to COVID-19), Carnival Row is a densely plotted fantasy series that manages to pack some heavy ideas into its short first season. Starring a grizzled Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne, Carnival Row is one part murder mystery, one part steampunk drama, and one part fae fantasy. Set in a Victorian world of industrialization, Carnival Row explores a world after a devastating war has led to influx of fae creatures seeking refuge amongst humanity. Like all good fantasy, it explores real world problems in fantastic ways and the writing, led by Star Trek: The Next Generation alum Rene Echevarria, is always top notch.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

If you’ve been waiting to start this series then there’s no better time. Featuring a stunning turn from Rachel Brosnahan as the titula character, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel follows the ascent of a 1950s era woman from perfect housewife to foul mouthed stand up with hilarious and dramatic turns. Coming from Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is easily one of the ten best television shows currently airing. Not sure why you’ve waited this long, honestly.

CBS All Access

Star Trek: Picard

This direct sequel to the beloved Star Trek: The Next Generation takes everything we loved about Gene Roddenberry’s Trek universe and reframes it, forcing us to consider the world from a new angle. The series follows the adventures of the Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, now retired from Starfleet, after a mysterious young woman reignites his thirst for the stars. While Trek purists were quick to decry the tone of the show, which is decidedly more somber than the original, showrunners Akiva Goldsmith and Michael Chabon still manage to come back to Picard’s unyielding optimism in the face of existential destruction, showing us that even in the darkest hours hope is never out of reach.

Star Trek: Discovery

Set about a decade prior to Captain Kirk’s five year mission, Discovery, the cornerstone to the success of All Access so far, is a bold envisioning of Star Trek that recontextualizes much of the foundational lore of the franchise without ever losing that Trek je ne sais quoi. With the focus away from the bridge crew for the first time, Discovery works as something of a character study about life in Starfleet and takes us into the nitty gritty of life onboard a starship. It represented a stunning return to form for Star Trek that reimagines what a Star Trek show ought to look like.

Disney+

The Mandalorian

Now’s as good a time as any to join Disney’s streaming service. Not only do you get hours of Disney content to enjoy, but you also get Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, which is one of the finest examples of Star Wars storytelling since the 1977. Taking cues from westerns, Favreau has crafted an intricately plotted season of television that showcases all that’s possible within the universe. Even hates of the new trilogy loved what was done here, and with good reason. As an added bonus, nothing brings some good cheer quite like seeing The Child in action.

Encore

Even though I don’t typically care for the reality format, there’s something undeniably heartwarming about this Kristen Bell produced series. Each episode reunites a cast of a high school musical and gives them a week to restage their big show from their senior year. This leads to many poignant moments of closure and reconciliation that drives the emotional heart of the series. It’s a fantastic series for fans of musicals and former theater nerds alike.

HBO/HBOGo

Treme

For all the love The Wire gets, people sure did sleep on David Simon’s New Orleans-set follow up. Set in the years following Hurricane Katrina, Treme explores New Orleans from numerous angles the same way The Wire explored Baltimore. While lacking in the central crime drama of his previous series, Simon has a way of piercing the heart of humanity in quietly stunning ways. It is a beautiful series, every bit as powerful as The Wire and well worth the time to watch. Added bonus: plenty of music from New Orleans brass bands will make it hard to stay glued to the couch because you’ll be so inspired to dance.

Los Espookys

No one could blame you if you missed this charming absurdist comedy from last year but, if you’re aching for something new and weird then this Fred Armisen led Spanish language comedy is made for you. It follows a group of horror loving friends who start a business whose goal is bring horror into the everyday. A hilariously dry send up of horror tropes that is perfect for fans of the strange and unusual.

Hulu

High Fidelity

Next week marks the 20^th anniversary of the John Cusack led adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel. While we didn’t necessarily need for it to be remade as a TV series, Sarah Kucserka and Veronica West, both former writers on Ugly Betty, do a remarkable job at staying true to the novel while adding new twists to the familiar film. Starring Zoe Kravitz as Rob, the series unfolds in much the same way that the film does, but Kucserka and West add just enough original flavor to distinguish this and let it stand on its own. And the soundtrack is absolutely stellar.

Little Fires Everywhere

Reese Witherspoon stars alongside Kerry Washington in this adaptation of Celeste Ng’s best selling novel, which explores racial and class tensions in a well-to-do neighborhood. This was never going to be an easy nut to crack but Hulu has turned out a remarkably taut and beautifully made limited series that showcases the best that the format has to offer. While not every episode is available yet, it’s a good one to keep in mind and will give you something to look forward to every week.

Netflix

Ozark

The third season of this drug dealing drama, which has long since cast off its similarities to Breaking Bad, makes its debut on the streaming network today and, if you haven’t already hopped on this bandwagon, now’s a great time. Starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as a couple forced to abandon their Chicago high life for the Ozark mountains to launder money for a drug cartel, this series is a captivating and tense examination of a family life gone wrong. Filled with high drama punctuated by occasional action, Ozark is a fantastic addition to your binge lineup.

Love

Gillian Jacobs and Paul Rust co-star in this anti-rom com that defines the art of cringe comedy. It is a stunningly, hilariously awkward look at modern love and dating that will simultaneously make you look away in secondhand embarrassment and keep you coming back for me. It’s also extremely heart felt and, in its own definite way, very sweet. It’s absolutely one of the better unsung original releases from Netflix and you’ll voraciously eat up all 34 of its episodes.