With endless shows to choose from, it can be hard to find the good ones. While we all have this unexpected extra time, Netflix has the perfect show for whatever escape you desire. Each one of these shows is unforgettable in their own way. 

“Jane The Virgin”

“Jane the Virgin” will take any audience to a world of magical realism. In the first episode, Jane Villanueva is accidentally artificially inseminated, and it only gets crazier from there. This series is an homage to telenovelas in all the best ways. There are fights, scandals and love affairs. The series also examines cultural norms, from religion to sexuality, and utilizes both Spanish and English speakers. With 100 episodes and 5 seasons, “Jane the Virgin” should keep you more than captivated.  

“Scandal”

Olivia Pope, the “Scandal” heroine, is a public relations genius who claims to fix situations before the public even knows there is a problem. Strong and unrelenting, Pope leads a team whose day-to-day tasks include covering up things like murder, infidelity and other unsavory deeds that vary from client to client. Located in Washington D.C., Pope’s firm, Olivia Pope and Associates, untangles cases that often revolve around political strife. But the plot follows more than just the firm’s cases – with a variety of subplots correlating to each member of the firm, “Scandal” supplies heated heartbreak, trauma and betrayal.   

“How to Get Away with Murder” 

Watching this show is court-ordered. “Scandal” and “How to Get Away with Murder,” both created by Shonda Rhimes, share a thread of unpredictability. Annalise Keating is a striking lawyer whose infamous reputation precedes her in every courtroom. She is a professor at a university where she picks five aspiring lawyers to work for her firm. Throughout five seasons, Middleton University is plagued with scandal and death, and in the middle of it all are Annalise and her sidekicks. Each character has their own secrets, and these secrets will drive them away from their peers and families and pull them together. 

“The Magicians”

In this sci-fi original, nothing is as easy as it seems.  In order to get admitted to Brakebills, students are chosen based on their expected ability to perform magic. These students, once admitted, go to college to learn about spells, charms and magical objects. The main characters are a group of misfits who try to use magic for good but don’t always succeed. In each season the stakes are raised: dilemmas become more life-altering and consequences even more threatening. 

“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”

Kimmy Schmidt was trapped in a bunker for most of her life. In order to escape the judgment and questions about her captivity, Schmidt adopts a new identity and moves to New York City after her rescue. This story could be overly depressing and dark, but instead, it’s sprinkled with humor. This is an easy show to love because of its diverse cast, absurd nature and wholesome spirit. Kimmy, her roommate and their landlord bring the show to life with their pointed discourse – they discuss the Redskins football team, gentrification in NYC and cult-like behavior, to name a few topics. Schmidt herself represents strength and empowerment. The theme song of the series repeats, “Females are strong as hell.” Schmidt shows this by fighting stereotypes and social norms that surround her. 

“The 100”

In this dystopian drama, the Earth has become unlivable due to destruction from nuclear warfare.  The lucky people who escaped the radiation fled to space to survive. Ninety-seven years later, the survival of the human race is reliant on their new home: a spaceship, which is running out of oxygen. A big decision must be made by the ship’s dictatorial regime: 100 teen prisoners are sent to Earth to see if the ground is survivable. This turns into a true “Lord of the Flies” scenario in which these prisoners must learn how to survive without the strict rules and harsh punishments of the dictatorship they were used to being under. There are strong characters, intriguing themes and dark revelations.

“Schitt’s Creek”

This is a comedy about a well-off, pampered family who loses it all. After Johnny Rose gets in trouble for tax evasion, the family of four is forced to utilize the only asset they have left: Schitt’s Creek – a town Rose bought his son as a joke. The family moves, and their lives change forever. The Rose family’s lavish lifestyle looks a little different now: adjoining rooms at a local motel are the new setting for their breakdowns, plotting and bonding. The endearing town’s citizens help and infuriate the Roses, and the hilarious dynamic only gets better with each episode. “Schitt’s Creek” emphasizes the pillars of hard work, family values and entrepreneurship in this small town. 

In such serious times as these, it can be therapeutic to indulge in fictional worlds, characters and relationships. You can even virtually watch these shows with your friends by downloading the extension Netflix Party on your desktop or laptop computer. All you need is the Chrome browser and a pal. Happy binging!