Laurel Finlay, 136 YinD
Here in Thailand, one of my greatest comforts has been watching a show at the end of a long day. I love being able to take myself out of my sometimes overwhelming reality for a few hours. I’d say I’m a professional binge watcher, and I, of course, am biased to believe that I have excellent taste in television. Here are my honest reviews of all of the series that have accompanied me through the last nine months of service. If anyone has any further series recommendations, please send them my way!
January: The Office
A childhood classic. I will not tolerate any Office slander, especially from those who have never sat down to watch more than a few episodes (specifically from seasons 1-4). I didn’t binge this or watch in any order, but I definitely turned on a few episodes at random to escape the chaos of PST. This show shaped my sense of humor. I still find it just as funny as I did when I was 13.
February: The White Lotus, Season 3
What are the odds that the third season of one of my favorite series ever would be set in Thailand, released just one month after my cohort arrived? It was so fun to watch this while being in the same country; it definitely helped romanticize my life in those first few months. I’ll never forget sitting at Pang Pang Coffee with a pina colada in hand, hunched around someone’s laptop screen, attempting to load the next episode. The location was obviously great, but if I’m being honest… this season flopped for me. I thought the writing of seasons 1 and 2 was better, and I was much more captivated by the characters in the previous season. This isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy it, but it didn’t live up to the five-star expectations that I had.
March: Narcos
This was one of the shows that I’d heard about for years, but never had the motivation to watch. With my newfound unlimited free time most evenings, it felt like the perfect time to dive into a series like this. I LOVED this show. It has a great balance of artfully shot scenes in settings like the beautiful Colombian mountains, followed by the craziest action packed, violent 20 minutes ever. Not a huge fan of gore, but they did it in a way that felt justified, knowing how horrific the violence actually was during this time. I have to say that I felt like my Spanish comprehension increased slightly after watching all three seasons. Wagner Moura, the actor who plays Pablo Escobar, was amazing and definitely made the show the hit that it was.
March/April: Sex and the City
This show was a staple part of my nightly routine in college. I lived in a house of six girls, and my favorite part of the day was when we would curl up on the couch and watch the next episode of Sex and the City together. I hadn’t re-watched this show since I graduated, so I spent my first few months at site leaning into the comfort that this show brings me. Do I convince myself I need to move to NYC every time I watch it? Yes. The first few months in a new community can be hard and scary, and I’m grateful I had Carrie and Big’s relationship drama to distract me from the much more real, complicated problems I was going through in my life.
April/May: Hacks
Hannah Einbinder, you will always be famous. I can’t wait for the day when I forget most details of this show and can rewatch the series in its entirety. This was recommended by my PCV bestie, Garrett Schliep, and it absolutely consumed me for April/May. The writing was hilarious, captivating, and had the perfect balance of comedy while tackling some serious subject matter. It made me fascinated with Las Vegas, I’ve never been, but it’s now on my list… HBO never slacks on quality, and the majority of my 5-star watches are found there.
May: The Rehearsal, Season 2
Nathan Fielder, you will always be famous. If I want to truly LOL, I’ll always turn to Nathan Fielder. Nathan for You has been a repeat watch of mine for many years, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves painfully awkward, satirical comedy. If you suffer from horrible second-hand embarrassment, his style of comedy might not be for you. The Rehearsal Season 2 is pure genius, and the plot is absolutely outrageous. If you’re feeling down and want something to make you giggle, and maybe cringe a little bit…you need to watch this. The only reason I’m withholding half a star is that the first two episodes were a little slow, but once you get into it, you’ll be hooked.
July: Industry
I honestly hadn’t heard much about this series before I started. I just saw that it was created by HBO and thought I would give it a try. The first season held my attention, and felt adjacent to Succession, both shows about business and money- two topics I know very little about. I was hooked on the first season, but quickly lost interest in season two as the plot began to feel repetitive. If you love workplace drama and have any interest in investment banking or living in London, I would give this a watch.
August: Below Deck, Season 8
I’m normally not a reality TV girl, but my mom wouldn’t stop telling me about her obsession with the show Below Deck, so I had to give it a try. Honestly, it grew on me faster than I expected. It follows a yacht crew through a season of lavish charters in the Caribbean, where customers are paying upwards of $500,000 for three days. It’s a gross display of wealth, but it also quickly convinced me that my next job needs to be a deckhand on a super yacht. This show is nothing groundbreaking, but a great mindless watch for when life feels a little too serious.
September: Breaking Bad
Talk about being late to the party. This show came out 17 years ago, and somehow I’m just getting around to watching it now. Well, better late than never, because this show absolutely lives up to its hype. The drama of this show is intense, and I’ve been absolutely captivated by it. By the time this is published, I’ll have finished the series, but I’ve currently watched 4 ½ seasons in around 3 weeks. I love that this show takes place in New Mexico. I’m fascinated by the Southwest, and I thought it was such a unique place to film a show like this. Jesse and Walter are such sympathetic characters, you can absolutely hate them and root for them at the same time. I’m glad that I finally gave this show a chance, and I’m sure I will rewatch the series a few years down the road.
Sticky Rice 
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