Must-watch TV shows of the season

With the beginning of the fall season for television approaching, many people are getting ready for new seasons of their favorite shows. Unfortunately, this coming season is slated to be the last for many beloved and popular shows. Consequently, I decided to compose a top five list things students should watch. Lately, I’ve been noticing that I have a tendency to watch the same handful of Netflix shows, while my queue just grows. I asked some of the Poly staff to contribute to my list, which makes up for my rankings for this upcoming season.

Black Mirror, Netflix

As much as I hated to admit it, this show has spent the longest time in my queue. I kept getting asked by my friends why I hadn’t started it, so I finally gave in and watched an episode, “Hang the DJ,” with a friend. The show brought British science fiction anthology to the American mainstream as soon as it hit the platform back in 2016, originally airing on the British Channel 4 five years prior. Black Mirror is one of the most captivating science fiction television shows I’ve ever seen, mainly for its plots and themes regarding how new technologies affect modern societies. The show is especially interesting because they never use the same cast, since no storyline is related from episode to episode. Those looking for a current twist on classic sci-fi shows like The Twilight Zone would enjoy Black Mirror. Regardless of personal preferences in genre, this show is a must-watch.

Jane the Virgin, CW

I started watching Jane the Virgin in its first season with my mom, mostly because it revolves around a Venezuelan family in Miami as the perfectionist Jane becomes accidentally artificially inseminated. This is the show that introduced and popularized telenovelas on American programming. Though Jane the Virgin follows some tropes, it brings a sort of charm and humor to the genre that makes it incredibly popular with western audiences. In all honesty, Gina Rodriguez—the lead—could make anything more charming. The only downside to starting this great show now is that the upcoming season is its final one.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine, NBC

The longest-running show on this list, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a great addition to anyone’s watchlist. The show is pretty unique for its genre, being a sitcom set in the fictional 99th precinct for the New York Police Department. It stars Andy Samberg, who plays Detective Jake Peralta; Terry Cruz, as his Sergeant Terry Jeffords; and Andre Braugher, as the captain of the precinct. The show has been praised for Samberg’s unlikely pairing with Braugher, as well as for having funny, well-written dialogue. Brooklyn Nine-Nine was even brought back by its fans 24 hours after being canceled. Unfortunately for those adding this to their next watchlist, this upcoming season is its last.

The Good Place, NBC

This show has one of the most unique plots I have ever seen. It stars Kristen Bell as a new member of The Good Place—their version of heaven—and Ted Danson as an angel helping with her transition into the afterlife. The writing is especially intriguing, as it has some really sentimental insights into morality and the ethics of life. The Good Place is also famous for its big twist at the end of season one. New viewers don’t have to wait on a cliffhanger, since season two was just recently added to Netflix.

Riverdale, CW

As the lovely Ed/Op Editor Anahit Hovhannisyan ’19 put it, “it’s trash, but you can’t stop watching.” Based on the Archie Comics characters, the show follows a group of high school friends who explore the secrets of a small town. If you can get over the fact that the actors don’t look or act like high schoolers—typical of most dramas—you’d realize that some of the acting is actually pretty good, specifically that of Lili Reinhart, who plays Betty Cooper. Hovhannisyan went on to say, “I started watching it for the clothes, I stayed because I have low standards.” Netflix acquired the exclusive rights to broadcast internationally from The CW less than a day after Riverdale’s U.S. original air date.

Personally, this is the list I’ll be following for this upcoming watch season. Keep an eye out!