Quarantine has been an adjustment for all of us. One common way to deal with our new homebody lifestyle is binging more than we ever thought possible. Some of us have kept up with new seasons of current shows like Umbrella Academy or PEN15. While others discovered old gems like Community or Avatar. And some of us just watched The Office for the umpteenth time.
No matter your binge journey during quarantine, there's still room for more. So the Bromunity Community has put together a few of our favorite shows that we've discovered during quarantine. Enjoy.
Girls
Ok, Girls isn’t exactly new (it premiered almost A DECADE AGO), and I’m definitely not the first to discover it. I actually took a crack at it a few years ago, after all the glowing reviews and relentless praise, and I came to the conclusion that I absolutely hated it. The characters seemed whiney and detestable and the overall vibe seemed bleak. Everything was so raw and real, and that really grossed me out. I was still accustomed to my tv shows being shiny and cute with a little bow on every episode. But here I was, years later, running out of tv to watch and quickly developing a new attachment to Adam Driver. Desperate for content, I leached off my roommate’s HBO account and instantly became obsessed.
What a younger me found upsetting and dismal, a much older and wizened pandemic/apocalypse me found enthralling. The brutal and agonizing struggles of being a human person in a messy world is really put on display. The characters aren’t meant to be likeable or admirable, in fact most of the time you’ll probably think they suck, and then you’ll have an inflated sense of superiority in comparison to them. But these tumultuous relationships are packed with so much feeling and truth that once you allow them past your wall of emotional security, you’ll find it difficult to look away.
Maybe, like me, you’ve already tried watching Girls and decided it wasn’t for you. And maybe it still isn’t. But you might be surprised how much your perspective can change after a few year’s worth of hard life experiences and Girls is definitely the show to give another shot. Adam Driver’s performance (presence) is reason enough to give it a watch.
-- Sam Menke
The Chris Gethard Show
If you’ve ever wanted to see the Eric Andre Show with real people and stories, I’ve got the thing for you. The majority of the show’s history took place on New York Public Access TV, but eventually transitioned to cable, before getting cancelled due to COVID. With such lovable characters as The Human Fish and Vacation Jason mixed in with a weekly panel, you are able to experience and connect with the show. There is also a rotating guest spot filled by a wide variety of famous and up and coming NY area comedians (i.e. SNL, College Humor, etc.) The Show draws you in with the strong community that it has created and openly embraces them through live audience interactions and call-ins that are central to the show. Each week is insanity, and the host Chris Gethard is barely able to keep it all together to create one of the most honest and endearing shows that has ever existed.
Watch the full show catalog on YouTube here.
-- Ryan "Chewe" Gutchewsky
Corporate
I am blessed to have a girlfriend whose family has a YoutubeTV account. The singular downside is that since YoutubeTV accounts are regionally based, I have been subjected to an excessive amount of commercials for the Ohio-based Skyline Chili. But other than that, it has allowed me to discover several great shows. My favorite, thus far, being Corporate, on Comedy Central.
The two main characters and co-creators of the show, Matt (Matt Ingrebreston) and Jake (Jake Weissman), work at a dark, but fanciful corporation called Hampton-Deville. They are very close work friends, but almost polar opposite people. Jake is nihilistic and gloomy while Matt is naive and optimistic. They battle challenges that everyone in the corporate world can relate to such as pointless meetings, irritating coworkers, or hating their lives. But also get caught up in ridiculous situations such as fighting the office to not go fully nude on casual Fridays or having a threesome with motivational speakers on a business trip. Corporate just wrapped up its third and final season this year. So not only is it an easy binge, but also makes many statements that are topical and easy to relate to. If you have YoutubeTV or access to Comedy Central, start watching Corporate ASAP. Check out the trailer to Season 3 here.
-- Caleb Tackes
Floor Is Lava
If you are trying to satisfy that itch the show Wipeout gave us 10 years ago then Floor is Lava is the show you HAVE to check out. Airing on Netflix, Floor is Lava consists of 25-30 minute long episodes where multiple teams of three individuals have to complete an obstacle course as quickly as possible. Oh and the floor is lava! So if an individual falls into the lava (water lit up with a red tint) then they are eliminated. Therefore, the team with the fastest time and most participants to finish wins.
What makes this show appealing is that each course is created uniquely. Unlike most obstacle course game shows which have a linear approach, courses in Floor Is Lava have multiple paths to the finish line. Part of the joy of watching the show is questioning a team when they don’t go down the path you’d take. There are five courses that get cycled through each with a specific theme of a household room such as kitchen or bedroom. Each course presents different challenges and secret paths to unveil. The host provides commentary throughout the episode and of course slow motion captures the sometimes stunning, but mostly silly moments of fail.
The only gripe I had with the show was how stalled out some of the episodes were. I found that my favorite episodes were ones where teams went through the course with speed. I would quickly lose interest if a team took their time and the show didn’t cut out the stalling points. I can only listen to a Mom yell at her kids that she can’t make the jump a few times before my ears start to ring.
Overall, this show isn’t built for a marathon watch, but it’s a great show to put on when you are looking for something comical and action packed. Oh and did I mention that the winners of each episode get $10,000 and a lava lamp. Sign me up!
-- Kyle Gosiewski
