Thanksgiving is here and all anyone can think about is Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping and how much they’re going to eat on Thursday. But an important part of Thanksgiving is getting through what can be a very stressful time surrounded by family, and using some of that time to binge TV shows together can be a great, stress-free way to spend quality time together.
While you’re busy planning your shopping over the weekend, or obsessing over perfecting that Turkey in your oven, we’ve put together a list of very binge-worthy TV shows so you don’t have to.
Whether you’ll be joined by the whole family, or if you’ll be watching episodes to escape the hectic Thanksgiving frenzy, here’s five shows you should binge during Thanksgiving weekend.
'Riverdale'
One of America’s favorite comic books, Archie, was turned into a surprisingly successful, real-life adaptation by Netflix last year and, with the second season currently airing once a week on Netflix, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to dive into Riverdale and get acquainted with Archie, Jughead and co.
The first season runs for 13 episodes, while the second season is on episode six, meaning you’ll be kept busy for a little over 14 hours. Riverdale found success for its unexpectedly dark and mysterious take on the Archie comics series. You’ll follow the high school-aged crew through a gripping murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns that keep you entertained.
'Mindhunter'
One of Netflix’s most popular new shows, Mindhunter goes back to the ’70s, when serial killers weren’t yet a thing, and follows the investigations of FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench who interview imprisoned serial killers to better understand the psychology of those who murder more than once.
While Mindhunter moves at a slower pace than other favorites like Stranger Things or The Punisher, both the struggle to understand how killers think and the setbacks the agents face in convincing the FBI what they are doing is worthwhile, are captivating enough to make you want to binge the show.
'Black Mirror'
Black Mirror isn’t new but that doesn’t mean you can’t binge Netflix’s darkest show over Thanksgiving weekend. The show perfectly lends itself to mindless binging due to the fact that each episode stands separate from the rest. You can jump in and out whenever you want.
This is especially valuable if you’re not binging alone, as you won’t have to worry about missing an episode due to cooking or cleaning duties.
'Peaky Blinders'
With Peaky Blinders season four joining Netflix’s ranks in December, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to catch up on the first three seasons. The brutal show follows Birmingham’s Shelby family in their quest to make a name for themselves as one of the most violent and ruthless mobster families in England.
Just like Black Mirror, the critically acclaimed Peaky Blinders isn’t new, however, the fact that there are three existing seasons to binge makes it a great option this Thanksgiving.
Jessica Jones
We couldn’t end this list without a superhero show and Jessica Jones is Netflix’s most popular show set in Marvel’s cinematic universe. Although the show is already two years old, debuting in November 2015, you’ll want to check it out before season two drops in early 2018.
One of the first superhero shows with a female lead, Jessica Jones is a gritty – and at times disturbed – superhero that everyone in the family can get behind. Both Rotten Tomatoes and MetaCritic have rated the first season very highly – another reason why you should consider it for your Thanksgiving TV program.
If you haven’t seen it already, we’ve come up with a survival guide on how to survive Thanksgiving weekend which you can check out here.