These will make you want to ride couch
“Friends make the worst enemies.” — Frank Underwood
Stranger Things
(2016-) A police investigation, the saga of a grieving family, and a Seattle mayoral campaign all interlock after the body of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen is found in the trunk of a submerged car.
Runtime: 1 season Rated: TV 14
Stephen Spielberg meets Steven King in Stranger Things. This show is really well acted and filmed but the story and the genuine 1980’s backdrop is what really shines here. Stranger Things could literally be a Steven King novel that Stephen Spielberg directed for the onscreen adaptation. The characters a rich with depth as they all maneuver their way through the plot and subplots. I really think Netflix has made something special here and can’t wait for season 2.
The Killing
(2011-2014) A police investigation, the saga of a grieving family, and a Seattle mayoral campaign all interlock after the body of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen is found in the trunk of a submerged car.
Runtime: 4 seasons Rated: TV 14
The Killing is a for sure pick because it’s a dark, wet, thriller that keeps on delivering. The cliffhanger endings want to make ride couch and plow through a handful of episodes in one sitting. The acting is very notable considering there aren’t many big names in it. The writing is tight and well thought out as is the direction. The characters are memorable and deliver great quotable dialogue.
Narcos
(2015) A chronicled look at the criminal exploits of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Runtime: 2 seasons Rated: TV-14
Bravo Netflix! This is a story that finally got the authentic, high-quality production it deserves. This show is truly gripping and fascinating as it is frightening.
Happy Valley
(2014-) Catherine Cawood is the sergeant on duty when flustered and nervous accountant Kevin Weatherill comes into her West Yorkshire station to report a crime.
Runtime: 2 seasons / 1 hour each episode
This was a big surprise to me. This BBC and now Netflix series is really amazing. The script and the acting make this one not to be missed. Happy Valley is very dramatic and filled with protagonists to root for and antagonists you want to just kill. The Yorkshire accents are pretty thick so, if you need to, click your subtitles on English so you don’t miss any of that great dialogue. If you Give it more than one episode and you’ll be hooked. This is what happens when your ask for a raise and don’t get it……
The Fall
(2013-) Two hunters, one cold, deliberate and highly efficient and the other, a strong, athletic man with a wife, two children and a counselling job… one of them is a serial killer and one is a cop.
Runtime: 2 seasons Rated: TV-MA
The Fall is a classic dark thriller with contemporary twists and turns. Gillian Anderson is brilliant as is her antagonist Jamie Dornan who’s character lives a double life as a serial killer. The Fall is a dark cat and mouse game that is well written and strategically filmed.
House of Cards
(2013-) A Congressman works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him.
Runtime: 4 seasons Rated: TV-MA
Politics is a ruthless game and this series celebrates it. This is a sly, well written, cynical look at American politics. The dialogue may not be Shakespearean but the depth, story, and characters do have a dark Shakespearean quality. Frank Underwood’s cunning, cynicism can be humorous and ruthless at the same time as he manipulates his way to powerful positions within the White House. “For those of us climbing to the top of the food chain, there can be no mercy. There is but one rule: hunt or be hunted.” Frank Underwood or F.U. for short.