The Hell Am I Watching? (Spoiler Free)

We all have those "guilty pleasure" TV shows. Shows like Game of Thrones have developed a professional wrestling-like cult following. Sure, a lot of people enjoy it, but will they admit it? Of course, not! There's even been a rise in adults watching a My Little Pony cartoon. (I do not condone this, by the way, but that is a completely different subject.) At one time, television was consisted of family sitcoms, crime thrillers/mysteries, and the occasional comedic variety show or talk show. But as America and the rest of the world reach a point where having cable television is no longer completely justified, programs like Netflix and Amazon Instant Stream enter the spotlight. And I am loving every minute of it.

As soon as I got a job, the first thing I did was purchase a Netflix account. I rarely have enough time to watch shows as they are on television, so Netflix has turned into a staple of whatever free time I have. So, suggestions from many online forums and comments sections has led me to three shows. 2 of them are critically acclaimed and loved by people of all ages, while the third is looked at as a bit of an oddity among the cartoon-watching-adult community. The first two shows I am speaking of are Avatar: The Last Airbender and Breaking Bad. The third is a bit of a joke, an oddity in that it is a French-made anime, making it, well, simply put, not anime, called Code Lyoko.

I never got to fully enjoy Avatar as a kid, because as an impressionable preteen among other impressionable preteens, I was often teased for still enjoying children's shows. Luckily for me, my 8 year old nephew gave me a reason to watch this show, and I cannot thank him enough for giving me some kind of excuse for being into such a show. There are so many plot twists and so many little details put into this show. There are many fan-made timelines and stories from this show's universe that it is absolutely crazy. The show does an amazing job of creating a semi-realistic culture and civilization out of something that, in and of itself, has no business being described as "realistic." What I love most about this show, though, is that despite being a kids show, it takes itself seriously. Nothing is spoiled, and it is a show that one cannot truly enjoy without watching every episode in order.

Breaking Bad is another fantastic show, although I still have a difficult time taking Brian Cranston seriously. I keep expecting Hal from Malcolm in the Middle to show up a some point, but it never happens. Honestly, the best way I can describe the way this show messes with my head is by comparing it to Batman Begins/The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Rises. Watching Cranston slowly go insane, and slowly become intrenched deep within the realm of the black market is hypnotic, and ever so addicting.

Code Lyoko is weird as hell. That is really the only thing I can say about it. It features a lot of deaths, a lot scientific mumbo-jumbo, most of which is actually well researched upon further inspection. Even better, in a show that features many demonic possessions and many deaths and plague, the name of it's creator is Christopher Benoit. This kind of stuff cannot be made up. I should say though, for anyone who plans on watching this show, you will feel differently about a lot of the content than I do. A friend of mine is also going through every episode, and his opinions are the direct opposite of mine at this point in time.

So, these are just a few recommendations I have for anyone who wants to enjoy their free time by watching television. As always, opinions differ from person to person, but I really feel as if all 3 of these shows are enjoyable. That being said, I at least gave parents two good ideas for bearable shows for their children to watch that are not the insufferable crap that is on Disney Channel or Nickelodeon.