Review: The Lariat Bingelist

When discussing some of the greatest shows to binge, it can be difficult to avoid glaringly obvious critically acclaimed masterpieces, such as Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, or Orange is the New Black, or hit cult classics like Firefly, The Walking Dead, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. However, some of streaming’s greatest shows do not stand in the spotlight, and Cooper City High’s Lariat Staff wants to draw attention to these underrepresented television gems.

The Blacklist (2013-)

2 Seasons, Season 3 Airing, NBC

BY: NOAH CASTAGNA

The Blacklist centers around James Spader as Raymond Reddington, a notorious criminal on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list who surrenders himself under the claim that he can help the Bureau track down criminals and terrorists they were not even aware existed. Armed with his “blacklist” of fugitives, Reddington agrees to assist the FBI under the conditions that he communicates and works exclusively with Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), a tenderfoot profiler working under FBI Assistant Director Harold Cooper (Harry Lennix) and alongside FBI special agent Donald Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff), CIA field agent Meera Malik (Parminder Nagra), and FBI computer specialist Aram Mojtabai (Amir Arison). Elizabeth Keen’s life is overturned with Reddington’s arrival, straining her marriage with schoolteacher Tom Keen (Ryan Eggold) , and unraveling conspiracies centered around her family’s relationship with the elusive Reddington.

While the entire cast is strong, Spader shines as Reddington, delivering meaningful, insightful, and sometimes pretentious monologues that never cease to impress. Spader defines the character, in what some consider one of the strongest characters of his career. Spader cannot take all the credit, however, as Jon Bokenkamp’s (The Call, Taking Lives) writing carries the show through every twist and turn it can muster. The Blacklist doesn’t shy away from the “villain of the week” formula, going so far as to number each episode by the ranking of each episodic antagonist. Yet within this formula, Bokenkamp devises broad strokes of dramatic narrative that never fail to demand attention. The beginning of the first season and the middle of the second seem to drag, but both find their pacing and pay off to deliver an incredible ride.

Bojack Horseman (2014-)

2 Seasons, Netflix Original

BY: DANIEL LEIBOWITZ

You don’t really expect a show featuring an anthropomorphic cast of animals working side by side with humans to be the reason you have tears running down your eyes at 2 AM, but Bojack Horseman manages just that. Featuring the titular alcoholic horse Bojack Horseman, an old has-been actor famous for his family sitcom Horsin’ Around, his agent/one time girlfriend Princess Carolyn, and Bojack’s friend Todd, the show hosts a series of troubled characters.

Bojack Horseman is a slow burn. It starts off mediocre, a standard run of the mill “edgy” comedy. However, something special happens midway through Season 1. The show takes a turn. It becomes darker, grittier, and more authentic. The show is still animated, it is still mainly about a bunch of animals who act like humans, but it takes a pivot. It approaches darker topics. It explores the psyche of the typical “Hollywood” star; but it does not forget its comedic roots. Bojack Horseman manages to find its footing, simultaneously twisting hilarity with sorrow, blending an impressive, unique view of humanity while still retaining the comedic nature of the show. It doesn’t hold back in the latter half of the first season, barraging the viewer with emotional, gut wrenching moments, yet juxtaposing them with strong comey that compels you to keep watching through the tears. Then, the second season picks up right where the first season ended. It doesn’t slip for a second. It simply continues to embrace the unique tone it picked up in the latter half of the first season, pulling unexpected -yet understandable- twists and featuring truly unforgettable moments. It shows Bojack and those around him evolving. The show and its characters mature together, depicting an accurate representation of humanity… in anthropomorphic animal form. Viewers begin to understand Bojack, they begin to feel bad for him and see the deep emotional scars present in his life. The audience sees him take a few steps forward, launch himself back, and continue to march on, unfaltered. I see a speck of myself in this stupid, alcoholic horse. Far from his glory days, desperately attempting to regain some semblance of humanity and his former self, trying to attain a sense of happiness and joy again. Just like everyone else.

Bojack Horseman is a show that can’t be watched just once. It’s a show that constantly has background gags and allusions to previous and future events, it is a show that midway through the first season, managed to find a beautiful blend of comedic and dark tones and, somehow, depict an accurate representation of life in animated, anthropomorphic form. You should binge it.

Broadchurch (2013-)

2 Seasons, ITV (UK)/Netflix

BY: DARIAN SABLON

Broadchurch is your typical little town filled with small businesses and friendly people; everyone seems to know each other, a town bond that seems unbreakable on the outside. But then something happens that no one can imagine, the bloody body of an 11-year-old boy, Daniel Latimer, is found lying on the beaches of Broadchurch lifeless and still. Through all the turmoil, recently promoted and self loathing Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) comes from out of town in order to solve the murder of Danny Latimer and, along for the ride is Broadchurch native Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman), who is also the best friend of Danny’s mother, Beth Latimer (Jodie Whittaker).  DS Miller will have to work with the rude and silent DI Hardy in order to bring the murderer to justice. But with so many twist and turns, everyone is a suspect and no one is safe.

The mystery of Daniel Latimer spans over the entire eight episode long season. But unlike most American crime dramas, in which the mystery is solved in the stupidest of ways, and the culprit is just some random person with no character depth other than “he/she stole my love” or “I’m greedy, that’s why”, Broadchurch’s reveal of who the culprit really is will be jaw dropping and the cast plays an amazing part in bringing the fallout of solving the murder into a realistic representation of what would happen in real life.

Moving onto the cast, they were wonderful, although two of the standouts would certainly be David Tennant and Olivia Colman as DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller respectively. David Tennant delivers an amazing performance as the self-loathing DI Alec Hardy, giving him depth, a sense of realism, and internal emotional pain. Olivia Colman is equally enticing as DS Ellie Miller, instead of being just a moral compass like most shows would have her as, she becomes easily one of the most important and relatable characters, basically being the audience’s eyes and the interaction between David Tennant and Olivia Colman is easily one of the best parts of the show.

Young Justice (2010-2013)

2 Seasons, Season 1 on Netflix, Cartoon Network

BY: CHRISTINA RIVERO

Young Justice is one of the most critically acclaimed shows DC Entertainment has produced since Teen Titans and Batman Beyond. The show follows the same principle, by pursuing a young superhero team trying to take on the world and save it. With their mentors’ guidance (Batman, Superman, Aquaman, The Flash, etc.) they are able to grow and adapt to any situation thrown at them and still make it to homeroom on time.

The show introduces some familiar faces in the beginning with Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Speedy. Their mentors (Batman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Green Arrow) are there too, but this story is not about them. It is a shame, however, that most people steer themselves away from the show due to the lack of the overused Justice League members ( looking at you Batman). For people like that, I honestly cannot say what they were expecting. You are not getting another Superman show. Get over it.

Even with that in mind one cannot help but instantly fall for all of the team members introduced. With the individual storylines, plots that will not stop, and the suspense that constantly consumes viewers, the show is an instant attention grabber.

Even with a limited time frame and a crazy plot one line is still able to become enamored by the show. If it were not for this show, I do not believe my love for superheroes would be the same. It is because of this show that  I decided to get into comics in the first place. I have never seen a show that constantly adds more fans to its roster after it had been cancelled. Young Justice has nearly doubled r tripled it’s fan base since its end in 2013.

If this does not convince you to sit down and watch this show I really do not know what will. I mean why not? They are not sidekicks after all.

Once Upon A Time (2011-)

4 Seasons, Season 5 Airing, ABC

BY: RACHEL CALLAHAN

This is one of the best shows I have watched on Netflix and I only watched it because I accidentally clicked on it. Once Upon A Time is about fairy tale characters who were transported to our world by a curse cast by the Evil Queen. They live in a little town called Storybrooke located in Maine and have no recollection of who they are. It is up to a 10 year old boy named Henry to help the fairy tale characters remember who they are and where they came from. I know it sounds ridiculous at first but the show is executed well and perfectly cast. This is not just a retelling of the classic fairy tales- it is a whole new take on them.

One of the biggest liberties the show takes is making traditional damsel and distress characters such as Snow White into badass heroines. One of the best characters is not a classic fairy tale character, but an original creation, Emma Swan, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Swan believes she was abandoned on the side of the road by parents who did not want her, when in truth her parents saved her from the curse by putting her through a magical wardrobe. Her journey to believing and accepting her parents is one of the central focuses of the show. Once Upon A Time is created by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis who were both executive producers of Lost. Once Upon A Time uses similar methods of storytelling such as flashbacks. While the show has its flaws,t the great characters redeem even the worst episodes.

Louie (2010-)

5 Seasons, Season 6 On Hiatus, FX

BY: NOAH CASTAGNA

Louie follows a fictional adaptation of stand-up comedian and single father Louis C.K. as he juggles his career and the chaos of New York City while providing for his family. While the plot may seem to fit an outdated sitcom, Louie manages to paint a realistic picture of New York City that delivers a refreshing blend of drama and humor. Louie never feels the need to fall back on clichéd, drawn out scenarios to deliver emotion or humor. Louis C.K. is genuinely incredible as the fictional Louie, sincere and amazing to watch on and off the stage. He is cognizant of the fact he is not a perfect father, and refrains from portraying himself that way, which only enumerates the depth he manages to bring to the character.

Surrounding C.K. is a phenomenal supporting cast, including Hadley Delany and Ursula Parker, who portray his daughters Lilly and Jane, respectively. Child actors can really shine with the right material, and Louie confirms this assertion, as Delany and Parker retain quirks that go further than the standard child act solely meant to elicit coos of adoration. Susan Kelechi Watson portrays Janet, Louie’s ex-wife, a divorcee that, refreshingly, does not want the worst for her former spouse, encouraging his attempts at a better career and relationship with Pamela Adlon’s Pamela. Like Louie, Pamela is flawed and resistant to what her relationship with Louie entails.

Overall, Louie is an impressive feat for director, actor, and producer Louis C.K., an ideal blend of raw human emotion, character drama, and self aware narrative that delivers some of the strongest arcs of American television.

River (2015- )

1 Season, Season Renew Unconfirmed, Netflix/BBC

BY: DARIAN SABLON

The anti-hero has become a staple in modern television, someone who constantly fights their inner demons in order to make a better world for everyone and commonly falls into self destruction, making the character overall much more relatable than say an archetype Mary Sue or Gary Stu. A flawed character is one that has depth and in turn gives depth to the characters around him or her and. Along with a superb cast and excellent writing, these qualities can make for a tremendous show and River check all these boxes.

River is a crime drama centered around DI John River (Stellan Skarsgård), dealing with the recent death of his partner DS Jackie Stevenson (Nicola Walker) as well as his rampant hallucinations of her and the victims of the crimes he’s trying to solve. Stellan Skarsgård delivers an amazing performance as DI John River, delivering poignant scenes and giving viewers some of the most suspenseful scenes on television. Nicola Walker also acts magnificently as the hallucination of the recently deceased DS Jackie Stevens. As Season 1 progresses, Nicola Walker gives DS Stevenson a new complexity that many actors would struggle with. Yet to put these two as the greatest part of the cast would be unfair to the entire cast of River, who brought the show to new heights.

In addition to the cast, the writing is spectacular and each line delivered is one of poetry and serves the characters in every way, unlike many other shows and movies where the lines given to the character seem out of place and cringe worthy. River does everything right and easily becomes one of the best shows streaming today, but is sadly underappreciated.

Sense 8 (2015- )

2 Seasons, Netflix

BY: WENDY LUN

For any lovers of science fiction or drama, the Netflix original show Sense8 could be a new favorite. The show stars eight different strangers around the world that are connected psychically. They each learn that they are sensates – a type of human that can share knowledge, skills, and life telepathically – with other clusters of sensates. The episodes link the lives of all eight together as they struggle with their own problems while helping each other. The villains of the story are sensate hunters who plan to capture sensates for experimentation. The cluster works to avoid the hunters. There is only one season out, with twelve episodes in total.

Sense8 explores topics that go deeper than science fiction, encompassing politics, social inequality, religion, and more. Though there are many star characters compared to most shows, each character has a story so unique to them that it is near impossible to forget any of them. Since the characters all struggle with different issues in different circumstances, a viewer can sympathize with at least one character. The reviews have been positive with an audience score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rick and Morty (2013- )

2 Seasons, Adult Swim, Hulu

BY: NOAH CASTAGNA AND DARIAN SABLON

Within the first weeks of its debut, Rick and Morty had rocketed in both appraisal and ratings, becoming one of the most successful shows Adult Swim has ever aired. Helmed by co-creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, the Adult Swim sci-fi comedy is most likely too overwhelmingly loved for it to qualify as an underrepresented gem. However, the brilliant comedy writing and incredible voice acting can never be too appreciated. Rick and Morty sets the example for what animated sitcoms such as modern Family Guy, American Dad, and The Simpsons can and should be. Rick and Morty is a witty, innovative, and ultimately fun show that should be enjoyed by all.

The plot revolves around elusive and alcoholic scientist Rick Sanchez as he scours the galaxy and a variety of dimensions with his naive adolescent grandson, Morty Smith. Their relationship is dysfunctional to say the least, but the characters and crazy adventures are what make the show refreshing, reinvigorating a medium long thought dead for strong television comedy. A written review really can not bring the show justice, as the only way to truly absorb the genius of the show is to watch it. Rick and Morty demands attention from the viewer.

Community (2009-2015)

6 Seasons, Hulu, NBC/Yahoo Screen

BY: NOAH CASTAGNA AND DARIAN SABLON

Community is a comedy series focused around a study group of misfit students attending Greendale Community College. After having his falsified lawyer degree revoked, Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) attempts to seduce Ian Duncan (John Oliver), a community college professor at Greendale Community College, into helping him cheat his way through college. After being denied a one way ticket to a degree, Winger forms a study group in an attempt to catch the attention of fellow classmate Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs). But in his attempt to swing Britta, Jeff is forced to interact with fellow classmates, Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi), Annie Edison (Alison Brie), Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs), Troy Barnes (Donald Glover), Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase), and Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown).  

Community does not cling to one single format to deliver refreshing comedy, rather it shifts from an action centric paintball episode to a claymation Christmas special whilst making the transformation feel natural and, more importantly, impactful. Community is built soundly upon character development and interaction, and each member of the cast brings with them complicated and multi-faceted identities. The quirks and style of each character helps to keep the show entertaining without becoming tedious to watch, although this does falter for many in Season 4. One of the largest drawbacks of the show is the sudden, jarring disappearances of cast members. After becoming so totally engrossed within this phenomenal cast of characters, it is difficult to let go as they slowly drop off, leaving the crew a husk of what it once was.

This attachment only speaks volumes to the lengths the show will go to entrance you into truly caring for these characters, and really highlights the quality of Community.