July 4 falls on a Tuesday this year, which means that for many of us, there’s a super-long weekend brewing. Meaning it’s a perfect time to binge TV, with plenty of shows having just finished seasons and several more about to start new ones. Here’s what you should be watching with your five-day weekend.
“Fargo” (Seasons 1-2 on Hulu, Seasons 1-3 on FX)
The third season of FX’s Emmy winning adaptation of the Coen Brothers’ 1995 movie just wrapped up, and it was another solid piece of television. If you’ve been holding off on “Fargo” up until to now, it’s a great time to catch up on Seasons 1 and 2 on Hulu. You can catch the third season on FX with a cable login.
“Glow” (Season 1 on Netflix)
The latest Netflix original series dives into the 1980s to follow a group of women who are primed to set the world of wrestling on fire. The goofy comedy packs a great cast, including “Mad Men” alumna Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin of “American Gods,” and plenty of hilarious moments as a group of women with no wrestling experience figure out how to become an ’80s sensation.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Season 1 on Hulu)
The powerful and tragic story, starring Elisabeth Moss, of a woman trapped in an authoritarian version of America is hard to watch, but it’s also essential viewing. Hulu has released the entire series, so you’re free to binge all 10 episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale” — just in time to reflect on the current trajectory of the country.
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Seasons 1-3 on Netflix)
The third season of Netflix’s hit comedy from co-creator Tina Fey, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” landed on Netflix last month. That means there’s a good chance you have a whole season of “Kimmy” to catch up on, and plenty of weekend days to get through 13 30-minute episodes.
“Orange Is the New Black” (Seasons 1-5 on Netflix)
The ladies of Litchfield are back in “Orange Is the New Black” Season 5, which picks up moments from the end of Season 4 and follows the inmates’ takeover of the prison. The fifth season released earlier this month, providing plenty of “Orange Is the New Black” to dig into to catch up.
“The Keepers” (Netflix)
The latest documentary series from Netflix delves into a murder mystery almost 40 years old. The killing of Sister Cathy Cesnik is unsolved to this day, but the documentary uncovers a scandal in the Catholic Church and years of abuse that might have played a role in what happened.
“Big Little Lies” (HBO)
HBO’s scandal- and rumor-fueled dark comedy “Big Little Lies” also bcomes a whodunit as its drama unfolded. With a star-studded cast that includes Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgard and Laura Dern, and clocking in at only seven episodes, “Big Little Lies” is a quick, high-quality watch that’ll leave you with time to binge some other shows this weekend.
“Designated Survivor” (Season 1 on Hulu)
Mixing high-stakes politics with “24”-esque action and drama, “Designated Survivor” tells the story of an attack on the capitol that leaves a lone Cabinet member suddenly taking on the role of president. As the FBI races to find the culprits, the inexperienced Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) has to figure out how to keep the country together.
“Iron Fist” (Season 1 on Netflix)
The next installment of Netflix’s Marvel TV shows, “The Defenders,” drops in August. If you’re not fully caught up on the latest superhero show (as well as “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones” and “Luke Cage”), now’s the time.
“Silicon Valley” (Seasons 1-4 on HBO)
The final episode of “Silicon Valley” Season 4 aired just a few days ago, meaning the full show is available to stream on HBO with no waiting just in time for the weekend. With TJ Miller departing, who knows what Season 5 will be like, but the first four seasons of the tech comedy are worth checking out.
“Master of None” (Seasons 1-2 on Netflix)
Aziz Ansari’s Netflix comedy is one of the best shows out there right now, squeezing tons of laughs out of stories about trying to navigate love and career life in New York City. Ansari’s show isn’t just funny; it taps some deep truths about modern life that make it deeply relatable.
“Timeless” (Season 1 on Hulu)
Saved from cancellation by its extremely dedicated fan base, NBC’s time travel adventure show “Timeless” is worthy of your attention. With its time travelers fighting to stop a terrorist who’s hoping to alter American history, each episode hits on great, key moments. This is a great chance to find out what so many people love about “Timeless.”
“Difficult People” (Seasons 1-2 on Hulu)
Hulu’s mean-people comedy “Difficult People” is kicking off the third season of Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner’s hilarious show in August, giving you just enough time to dig into the first two seasons.
“House of Cards” (Seasons 1-5 on Netflix)
The intense political machinations of “House of Cards” ratcheted up again in Season 5 as Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) fights for reelection to the presidency. There’s plenty more lawbreaking, lying and murder awaiting in the latest season, which released at the end of May.
“Better Call Saul” (Seasons 1-2 on Netflix)
“Better Call Saul” Season 3 just wrapped up, and the show’s been renewed for a fourth — and you can watch the first two on Netflix immediately. Grabbing Season 3 is a bit tougher, requiring you to purchase it through services like Amazon or iTunes, but it’s worth it to get fully caught up on the phenomenal “Breaking Bad” prequel.
“Veep” (Season 1-6 on HBO)
HBO’s political comedy about a powerless vice president and her constant attempts to be relevant (and also president) is consistently one of the funniest on TV. There’s also a ton of it — six seasons, with the last having just completed — making it a great way to celebrate the birth of America.
“Stranger Things” (Season 1 on Netflix)
You’ve still got a fair amount of time until “Stranger Things” starts its second season on Halloween, but with “Stranger Things 2” fast approaching, you might as well use your time effectively to get refreshed on Season 1.
“Insecure” (Season 1 on HBO)
There’s less than a month to wait for second season of Issa Rae’s comedy about trying to get her life together. If you haven’t started the first season, you absolutely should. Luckily, the holiday weekend is upon us.
“Transparent” (Seasons 1-3 on Amazon)
Award-winning comedy “Transparent” is three seasons deep now, with the fourth coming to Amazon in the fall. The experiences of a transgender woman transitioning in her middle age, and her family’s struggles to deal with the situation, in “Transparent” are consistently funny as well as personal, telling a heartfelt story of finding identity and supporting loved ones.
“Game of Thrones” (Season 1-6 on HBO)
We’re only weeks away from the kickoff of “Game of Thrones” Season 7 — making this the perfect time to power through a refresher of the last six seasons. Of course, six seasons of “Game of Thrones” is nothing to sneer at, but remembering amazing moments like the Battle of the Blackwater, Hardhome, the Red Wedding and Oberyn fighting the Mountain make this a great way to spend the holiday.
