Winter Watching

It's currently winter in Cape Town and I haven't left my house in days. It's cold, the weather looks miserable and my room is very warm right now. Can you think of anything better to do on a cold winter day than to curl up in your bed and watch either a series or a movie? Didn't think so. Please let me know if you disagree. I prefer watching series, not only because they're longer than movies but because I like character development. I like to keep track of what's going on with who and seeing characters grow and all of that mushy stuff. I also like seeing when they'll catch the killer. I've compiled a list of series to watch over your winter break. Please bare in mind that these are some of my favourite TV shows, most of them are thrillers but none of them are "Game of Thrones" concentration level series. Who wants to think hard when it's cold outside? Get ready for the series binging.

I don't know how I did it, but I somehow came across Orphan Black one day. I had no idea what I was in for, I knew nothing about the show. If you'd like to have the same experience as me, I suggest you scroll past this section before watching the first episode; with an imdb rating of 8,5 – you know that you're in for something good. Potential spoiler alert: it's a series about clones living in America. There is violence, swearing and lots of superimposition 
this show. There is also  trusty and flamboyant gay sidekick/brother, Felix, who will always make you laugh. The show follows Sarah, the protagonist clone, on her adventure in finding the truth about herself and the other girls. The show also deals with the ideas of nature versus nurture, accurately proving that environments do effect the outcomes of situations (and how children grow up). Tatiana Maslany is a seriously versatile actress who seems to suit every hairstyle in the catalogue. The season 3 finale aired only a few days ago and ended with some major cliffhangers, which I'm sure will ensure that the show continues to see a fourth season.

The Following is a really twisted crime, thriller and cult type series that is great if you're not squeamish. The show follows (pun?) FBI agent Ryan Hardy – played by the beautifully nosed Kevin Bacon – and his team of agents while they try to track down a serial killer. To be specific, it's kind of like a cult of killers. There are hundreds of killers and they all follow Joe Carrell (James Purefoy); their role model who organised everything while behind bars. He's clearly good at his job. I thought that the first two seasons were really incredible and edgy. The third season was good, but there was definitely a moment when I felt that I could stop watching the show after that episode, I didn't need to finish the season; but I did and probably shouldn't have, but it didn't kill me to, I just lost a bit of sleep. Season 3 ends with a hardcore cliffhanger, so I'm sure the show will be picked up for a fourth season. It's really hard to describe the show without giving anything away but the show is just filled with twists and if there's one thing that I've learnt from this show, it's that you literally cannot trust anyone.

The incredibly popular show Orange is the New Black recently released it's third reason and ALL IN ONE DAY. How kind is Netflix? Very. Quick recap/what it's about: Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), the blonde protagonist smuggled drugs with her ex-girlfriend, Alex Vause (Laura Prepon, a few years ago and now they're paying the price at the same prison. The show is based on a true story – scandal. The characters are wacky and wonderful. Each episode shows the backstory of a character and you learn to love these women, regardless of the incriminating things that they've done. Season 3 focuses less on Piper and more on the other inmates, which I really liked. Season 3 also introduces a new character, Stella Carlin (the gorgeous Ruby Rose) who I'm sure has been a driving force for new viewers. I have been close to tears in so many episodes, I have also been smiling like a big happy oaf.


I just noticed that this post is essentially dedicated to shows that started in 2013 and are on the third season. This was not intentional; I'm so sorry, but if you haven't started any of the shows, then you've got some serious watching to do.

Happy watching
Xx