I gotta be honest. Right now, my depression cycle is hitting hard.
During the early months of the year, the depression cycle of my Bipolar I disorder rears its ugly head. I grow lethargic and unmotivated, and my world becomes really insular as a result. All I can really handle is going to work, if that. My ability to be around people who aren’t Shila, Jenna, or my mom completely vanishes. It suuuuucks.
Since I spend basically all of my time outside of work lying around in my pajamas, marathoning netflix shows, I thought I’d make a little list of programs that are mending my bruised heart this season.
- Queer Eye – When I first heard that it was getting rebooted, I rolled my eyes and shrugged it off. I never watched the original, but it felt like it reinforced stereotypes. But I decided to give the reboot a shot, and it is the most genuinely heartwarming thing I’ve ever seen. I cry every single episode, no matter how many times I watch them.
- The Great British Bake-Off – This competition show is the most delightful experience! The amateur bakers aren’t competing for money or any sort of prize, they just want the honor of winning, and learn a ton along the way. Because they aren’t in it for any real accolade, the bakers truly love and support one another. It’s so pure.
- One Day at a Time – This show is SO IMPORTANT. It’s a sitcom about a Cuban family in California, and it is so cute and hilarious while still touching on significant issues such as immigration, veteran PTSD, and LGBT+ acceptance. There is even a nonbinary character whose they/them pronouns are respected, which is not something you see in the realm of sitcoms. I cry during most of the episodes, but I also laugh so much. It truly handles every conversation it features with aplomb. Highly, highly, highly recommend.
- Mortified – This is a show that is also available as a podcast. Basically, people go on stage and read diary entries from when they were teenagers. It is so well executed and wonderful, I laugh basically start to finish. The stories are relatable and cringe-worthy and hilarious.
- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – This is one of my all-time favorite shows. It’s feminist and hilarious and has musical numbers!! So, so great. I recommend it to literally everyone. In season three, they finally take the main characters’ mental illness head-on and give her a diagnosis, and watching her deal with the weight and the freedom of it was so cathartic. I SOBBED, but it was handled really, really well.
- The Good Place – This show is the most brilliantly executed, hilarious, and surprising thing on television. Every turn it takes rocks me off my feet, and every character is so absurd and unique. I love everything about it.
- Brooklyn 9-9 – If this show gets cancelled I will riot. It is everything good in this world. The characters’ relationships with each other are a work of art, and the way they handle writing a comedic show about a police precinct in this political climate is just so so so so so so important.
That’s it for now! Other shows that are personal faves that I just haven’t been watching super recently include Buffy, Sense8, and Orphan Black. ❤
-Ryn
The Fourth Leaf 