Shockingly, we’re already a month into 2025. Chances are, it’s still pretty cold out where you are and outdoor plans are not happening for the time being. The good news is that it gives you more time to watch some great TV. Here are 5 of the thousands of shows you can find streaming right now that I’ve been really loving lately.
Apple TV+: Severance (2022 – present)
Holy god, if you aren’t watching this show, what are you even doing with your life? Easily one of the best thrillers on TV in a long time, Severance follows Mark S. (played by Adam Scott) who has undergone a procedure that separates his work self from his rest of the week self. At first glance, that might sound like a nice idea until you realize that means there is a half of you trapped at work that never gets to leave. The writing is tight, and every mystery is set up with purpose and precision by the show’s creators and writing team. Super binge-able and with a new season currently airing, it’s a great time to start.
FOR FANS OF: Westworld (season 1); Devs
Netflix: Pluto (2023)
Come on Val, you’re going to recommend anime? YOU NEED TO HEAR ME OUT. This show is probably one of the best anime mini series’ of all-time, and it was dumped on Netflix without so much as an ad or two. It’s a dark retelling of Astro Boy in a grounded dystopian future. This series is so good that I got twenty minutes before I paused it and restarted the episode so I could make my partner watch it with me. The storytelling and character writing is so excellent that it must be experienced and shared. It avoids a lot of the alienating tropes that fill a lot of anime (such as an overreliance on fan service or romance subplots), and it’s all wrapped up in only eight episodes, making it a great show to binge over the weekend. Please, just go watch it (but don’t blame me if you end up crying).
FOR FANS OF: Cyberpunk: Edgerunners; Monster
Netflix: Squid Game (2021 – present)
If you’ve been put off by this show because of Netflix’s over-commercialization of the games themselves, I don’t blame you. However, you should know that this show is fantastic. Yes, it’s a fun gory mess but it also has something to say. It isn’t subtle in showing the parallels between wealth inequality in our world today, and poverty leading to true and heartbreaking desperation. Season 2 just dropped and it just goes even harder. If you can stomach the gore (and it is pretty brutal), you should check this one out.
FOR FANS OF: Bong Joon-ho’s filmography; Severance
Hulu: What We Do in the Shadows (2019-24)
Imagine the office, but it’s about vampires trying to take over the world. This is how What We Do in the Shadows starts, in the titular main cast of Nandor, Lazlo, Colin and Nadja living in Staten Island with their familiar, Guillermo. The first episode is a little rocky, but Taika Waititi’s dry humor and the iconic characters make this show quotable and funnier than it even should be. Matt Berry in particular as Lazlo is so hilarious, the show would still be worth watching if everyone else was kind of boring (and they definitely aren’t). The show just ended with the finale of its sixth season, but there’s plenty to watch and it’s an easy one to binge with 20-minute episodes. This is a favorite of mine to throw on after a bad day, since I always end up laughing out loud at one of their many gags. Definitely check this one out, or rewatch it if you haven’t seen it in a bit.
FOR FANS OF: Our Flag Means Death; What We Do in the Shadows (the movie)
Peacock: The Traitors (2023 – present)
Reality TV is full of a lot of straight garbage, but every once and a while there’s one that’s just fun and really watchable. The Traitors is a weird mix of Big Brother and Mafia, where a group of three are deemed the Traitors and must “kill” one of the other contestants every night. The group will then have the option to vote to eliminate one of their own. If a Traitor makes it to the end, the group gets no money, so figuring out who the Traitors are and knocking them out of the game is the main priority. The mind games in this one are insane, particularly because of the choice to mix reality stars with a few regular folks, who are way better at this game than their famous counterparts. Set in a castle in Scotland and hosted by Alan Cumming, this is an incredibly fun watch.
FOR FANS OF: The Mole; The Trust
Have you seen any of these? Are you planning on checking any out if you haven’t?