Our Top Five Binge-Worthy Series to Watch During the Summer Hiatus

She's back after a long, much-needed break, with a binge-worthy list to die for!

'Tis the season for season finales and series finales, and so begins your favorite TV shows' hiatus. While your favorite network series are off tanning somewhere in Malibu, you’re left staring into the abyss of your streaming menu, wondering, "Now what?"

But fear not, fellow TV junkie. Streaming platforms have stocked up on scandal, suspense, and just enough psychological drama to thoroughly entertain you during the summer months. Whether you’re into dark thrillers, political intrigue, or stylish home disasters, here are a few bingeable selections to get through some of this summer's television drought like the champion couch potato you are.

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1. You (Netflix) – For the Hopeless Romantic… with Trust Issues

If you haven’t met Joe Goldberg yet, consider this your formal introduction to literature’s most disturbingly charming stalker-turned-serial-monologuer. With every season, he finds a new city, a new identity, and a new woman to obsess over. It’s like The Bachelor, but with more blood and books. The final season dropped on April 24th, so you get this one from beginning to end.

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2. The Residence (Netflix) – For Fans of Scandal, Secrets, and Presidential Plumbing

Murder. Mystery. The White House. The Residence invites you behind the iconic façade and into the chaos of a staff-only whodunit. It’s part Clue, part West Wing, and entirely addictive. Who knew solving a murder in the most secure house in America would involve so much tea?

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3. No Good Deed (Netflix) – For the “That Could Never Be Me… Right?” Crowd

Three families. One dream home. Zero peace. No Good Deed is a slow-simmering social thriller that proves the road to real estate hell is paved with good intentions. Watch what happens when ambition, deception, and desperation move in under one roof. (Note: You will start side-eyeing your neighbors.)

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4. Cross (Prime Video) – For the Thriller Addicts Who Miss Luther

Based on the Alex Cross novels, Cross blends detective work, criminal profiling, and emotional wreckage into a binge-worthy cocktail of crime drama. With Aldis Hodge bringing the brooding brilliance, this show’s a must-watch for fans of smart suspense with depth.

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5. Your Friends and Neighbors
(Apple TV+) – For the Suburbia Sleuths Who Love a Juicy Secret

Perfect lawns, polite smiles, and hidden betrayals? Yes, please. Your Friends and Neighbors is where Desperate Housewives meets Big Little Lies—only darker, messier, and more “Did she just—?!” moments per episode. You’ll never trust a potluck again.

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Sure, your favorite network dramas may be off sipping margaritas until fall premieres, but who needs them when you’ve got mysterious murders, manipulative neighbors, and morally complex characters ready to fill the void? The summer heat is nothing compared to the fire these shows bring. So skip the sunscreen and pour another glass of whatever’s cold—you’ve got streaming to do.

Big Sky is Binge Worthy

 

I know, I know it's been a while.  Unlike so many, I was extremely busy during the pandemic and didn't get to binge-watch any good shows, read any good books, or keep up on the latest in music.  But now that I have found my rhythm in this chaotic world I have created for myself, I found time to binge-watch the first season of Big Sky.   First things first, there is a spoiler so if you haven't seen the first season you should stop reading now.  I am a big fan of crime dramas, especially when they have an element of mystery or thrill to them.  Big Sky is a combination of crime drama and thriller so I enjoyed that about the first season.  I was highly disappointed that Ryan Philippe's character did not last past the first few episodes.  

I have to honestly say that I had not read about the series before binging so I was definitely drawn to the series with the promise of Philippe being a part of the cast.  I will say that the show kept its momentum after losing Philippe and I was pleasantly surprised by that.  Although I feel like the series was a little scattered in a sense, I wanted it to be a little more structured.  I say that because from what's thrown at you, the show could have gone several different ways.  I don't think the show needed so much layering but who am I to judge, I'm no scriptwriter.  Having said that, it's not a terrible show and the plot was easy enough to follow.  Considering this is a show based off of a series of books from C.J. Box, I'm surprised I watched before reading the books.  As you should know by now, I like to read the book before watching the adaptation but this time I made an exception.  I like the dynamic between Cassie and Jenny, how that relationship is formed, and how it develops is an interesting aspect.  The show kept a consistent pace as far as keeping you on the edge of your seat wondering what would happen next.  I give it a 3.5 out of 5 for binge-worthiness, if you're looking for something to watch, check out Big Sky!

Binge Worthy Shows

Game of Silence originally aired 04/12/2016 on NBC.

In no particular order, we here at Nina Monroe would like to highlight some of our favorite shows that we have binged so far this year!

Game of Silence (Amazon)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
True Detective (HBO)
13 Reasons Why (Netflix)
Harlots (Hulu)
The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Castle Rock (Hulu)
You (Netflix)
Bosch (Amazon)

We hope to be able to bring you a monthly bingeable list but there are only so many hours in a day and we do have real jobs.

In the meantime please post some of your favorite bingeables in the comments!

Jordyn Woods Breaks Silence... Too Soon?

Red Table Talk/Facebook

We here at Nina Monroe Says just finished watching Jordyn Woods explain herself on Jada Pinkett Smith's Red Table Talk.  The question is, is it too soon or not soon enough?  Any way you slice it, it is a lose-lose situation.  Jordyn put herself in an incredibly difficult position, now, was it her intention to have an affair with Tristan Thomas and just not get caught or was it like she made it seem during the interview, a not so innocent mistake.  As Kylie Jenner's best friend, Jordyn should have never gone to that party.  It was inappropriate to be there and the fact that she didn't comprehend that at the time is questionable.  However, it takes two to tango and we have yet to hear anyone say one thing about Tristan's role in all this.  And why should they, he has done it before and has done it again, and will continue to do for as long as Khloe puts up with it. 

She is furious with Jordyn and understandably so but the visceral that she is directing at this very young very immature girl seems a little misguided.  Where is the anger for Tristan, no one has said anything about this man's behavior out of that camp?  Everything from their sources has been Jordyn this and Jordyn that.  Khloe even tweeted after the interview about Jordyn breaking up her family...   Really, Jordyn did that all by herself, interesting.  The thing is this, Tristan cheated on the mother of his first child with Khloe and Khloe flaunted the hell out that entire situation.  As a matter of fact, it has been said that she stole Lamar Odom from the mother of his children.  Now, this is all hearsay, we don't know any of this to be fact but we suggest that the next time Khole enters into a relationship, make sure the guy is single and we mean single single.  No one deserves to be cheated on but karma is a cold-hearted evil bitch that will come for your ass every single time!

Liam Neeson Is in Hot Water, As He Should Be

By now everyone has seen the posts or heard the news regarding Liam Neeson's very racist statement, if not just Google his name.  I am trying to understand why he is even trying to justify his statement, there is absolutely no justification for it.  The person who conducted the interview in which he made this statement, actively tried to put some psychology behind it to justify him feeling that way.  Are you kidding me, he actively went looking to kill any random black person because his friend was allegedly raped by a black man (I say allegedly because no other information corroborating the event was given).  After the statement came out he tries to say he was not being racist, if that's not racism, wanting to harm or kill a person because of the color of their skin...  Seriously are we even questioning this, really...  I know many black people who have been viciously attacked by a white person and never not once have I ever heard any one of them say "I want to walk around and kill random white people."  If I ever hear them say anything close to this I will definitely let them know they are being racist and they need to seek some professional help.  There are bad people in the human race, every bad person in the world is not a black person.  Why would you randomly go out and kill innocent black people because your friend was allegedly raped by a black man.  All of you out there trying to provide justification for Liam Neeson, you all are worse than he is.  No more Liam Neeson movies for me, and that's all I'm going to say about that. 

Sharp Objects, HBO Series vs. Book

So I finally finished the Sharp Objects series on HBO, I made it a point to finish the book before I watched the series.  I have to applaud HBO because the series stays true to the book, well almost.  The series was a little drawn out but that is understandable because it takes a lot to stretch a book that could be a 2 hour movie into an 8 episode series.  I will say although the series was a little dry and drawn out, for some reason it did keep my attention.  My only disappointment was the ending, the book spelled out the ending a little more than the series did.  But...maybe there will indeed be a season 2.  Maybe that is why they left the ending in the series up to interpretation, or maybe it is what it is, a cheated ending.  I mean, as long as that series was, HBO definitely had plenty of time to make sure the ending was more defined and I am curious to know why they didn't.  Overall the book was definitely better than the series, however the series was good as well and if you are not a book reader, the series is good for those who enjoy good suspense!  We give the series a 3.5 and the book a 4 out of 5.

Janet Jackson - "No Sleeep" (Audio Stream)

Janet, Ms. Jackson.........You Know The Rest

Janet Jackson has resurfaced from her self-imposed hiatus with new music and a new tour.  Fans and media alike are excited for the return of Ms. Jackson, as many have wondered where she has been and what she has been doing.  Janet is married now so we can assume that she took time off to enjoy life with her husband.  However we cannot forget that before she was married, Janet slowly began pulling away from the public eye after her brother Michael died in 2009.  Whatever the reason, we are glad she is back and we would love to know what you all think about the new song and upcoming tour!  Janet's Unbreakable tour kicks off in Vancouver August 31st and wraps in Hawaii November 12th.