Bingeworthy TV: Boardwalk Empire

Period dramas can be an entertaining mix of historical facts and popular folklore. Writers of these historical dramas have a way of sparking a viewer’s interest in history that a dry textbook doesn’t. Boardwalk Empire is definitely one of those shows if you are a history enthusiast like myself. It is fascinating how the show’s creator and writers recreate a period piece to tell this type of story.

The show is set in the Prohibition Era and takes you inside the criminal underworld in Atlantic City. Boardwalk Empire is centered around the life of Nucky Thompson. His character is based on real life 1920s New Jersey political figure Enoch Lewis “Nucky” Johnson and his colleagues and rivals.

The inner conflicts of each character help the viewer get a glimpse of what life was like on both sides of the law. There are the criminals and there is the law, and even some law enforcement could not resist the temptation of booze. The conflict between the characters gives momentum to the story line in each episode and builds all the way to the final season.

This show has elements meant for a mature audience: sex, crime, scandals, and violence. Yet the story cannot be fully understood nor effective without them. In my opinion, if there were a “watered down” version of this show, it would not have lasted five seasons.

From the cinematic scenes to the finely recreated sets, the cast and crew bring the historic Atlantic City to life. This series is so compelling that you cannot get away from your TV. So, get your snacks and put on your comfortable clothes because this show is a must-see!

-Alanda, Circulation

Bingeworthy TV: The Librarians

What’s cooler than being a librarian? Being a librarian that collects and protects the world’s magical artifacts while battling those who want to misuse magic! The Librarians is based off of TNT’s hit movie series starring Noah Wyle as Flynn Carson (Carnegie-Stout has The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines and The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice).

Wyle reprises his role of Flynn in the TV series. It stars Rebecca Romijn as Colonel Eve Baird, Flynn’s guardian. She’s joined by three new librarians who each have special abilities. Cassandra Cillian (Lindy Booth) has an amazing ability to visualize difficult mathematical equations, Ezekiel Jones (John Harlan Kim) is a master thief, and Jacob Stone (Christian Kane) specializes in art history and architecture. John Larroquette also stars as Jenkins, the caretaker of the library.

The team goes on exciting adventures looking for magical artifacts while going up against super villains such as Prospero (from Shakespeare’s Tempest), James Moriarty (from Sherlock Holmes), and Apep, the Egyptian god of chaos. It has the perfect mix of action, comedy, and drama. What’s even better: this series is very family-friendly!

Unfortunately, TNT recently decided to cancel the series after four seasons. However, producer Dean Devlin is looking for a new venue to host the show… fingers crossed!

-Thea, Technical Services

Bingeworthy TV: Firefly

“You can’t stop the signal”

It’s never too late to become a Browncoat! I watched and fell in love with Firefly back when it aired on Fox in 2002 and wept when it was cancelled unceremoniously after one short season. In 2005, after a fan support campaign, the story continued with the movie Serenity and has continued since with the release of graphic novels, video games, board games, and, hopefully, an upcoming series of books. Even after all these years Firefly still remains my favorite show of all time.

Set in the year 2517 all the resources of earth have been used up and people have set out into space finding new solar systems and terraforming planets for inhabitation. The story centers around nine individuals living together as part of the renegade crew of Serenity, a Firefly-class spaceship. They live on the fringes of the galaxy taking jobs mostly within the pioneer culture of the struggling newly inhabited planets.

Each member of the crew is there for their own reasons, some transparent and others not. The captain and his first mate fought on the losing side of the galaxy’s civil war and haven’t completely given up the fight. A brother and sister are on the run from some sinister government conspiracy. The mercenary is along for the money. The preacher has a mysterious past. The pilot is there for love. The ever optimistic mechanic has an intuitive gift for machines. Finally, there’s the high society companion, slumming it on the fringes of society. Together this ragtag bunch try to keep flying, sometimes working together and other times trying to kill each other.

~Rebecca, Technical Services

Bingeworthy TV: Lost Girl

If you've read much ancient folklore, you might remember what a succubus is and why Lost Girl is not a show you'd want to watch with children. For those who are less familiar, a succubus is a feminine creature that gains power through absorbing sexual energy (the masculine equivalent is an incubus). While Lost Girl does include frank discussions of sex and sexuality, the actual sex scenes are fairly PG-13. This Canadian series aired on SyFy in the U.S., not HBO or Cinemax, so if you're comfortable with Outlander or Game of Thrones, you should be safe with Lost Girl.

Lost Girl falls squarely in the realm of Urban Fantasy where each week (or over the course of the season) our main characters face off against supernatural or paranormal dangers and mysteries. Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Supernatural. This show is a great mix of adventure, romance, and humor that keeps even high stakes stories from losing the fun.

Bo is our main character. She was raised by adoptive human parents and raised to believe she too is a regular human being until she discovers accidentally that she has the ability to kill through kissing or other sexual behavior by draining her partner of their vital energy. She spends years on the run, until she saves a young woman from a serial rapist and the local police (who also happen to belong to the local Light Fae Court) find her.

Bo decides to stop running and learn more about who she is and where she comes from. She takes up work as a private investigator of sorts. The young (human) woman she saved, Kenzi, has a troubled past of her own, but decides that she's going to stick with Bo. The friendship between Kenzi and Bo is probably my favorite part of the entire show. The inevitable love triangles that develop around a succubus are also entertaining, but nothing beats a best friend.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: The Sopranos

The Sopranos and The Wire often butt heads for first place for best-ever TV drama. I just finished watching The Sopranos -- over several months. You could binge-watch it but you might lose the will to live.

Not that The Sopranos isn't good; it's excellent, but, wow, can it be intense. The seven-season show offers a bird's-eye view of one Mafia family, headed by Tony Soprano, played by the late actor James Gandolfini, who manages to imbue the role with equal measures of sensitivity and boorishness, quick intelligence and thick-headedness.

Tony is a thug, a racketeer, an extortionist, and a cold-blooded killer, but he loves his wife and kids (he also loves animals). His love of family doesn't stop him from sleeping with an endless stream of  women or brutally offing relatives who've strayed from true north. He's in therapy about all this, a secret he prefers his mob associates not know.

The real beauty of the show lies in its huge cast of characters and their unfolding lives over time -- Tony's henchmen, their families, Tony's own extended family, competing crime families, and a revolving door of comers and goers (the latter often exit in pieces). Performances are great across the board.


I liked the domestic subplots the best, involving mob children growing up and independent (or not) and sympathetic mob wives and girlfriends who love their thugs and their church and the pope. The women lunch, they shop, they refuse to face the fact that their lives are entirely subsidized by blood money; all the while their men wreak holy havoc like outlaws in the Wild West except it's today and this is New Jersey.

~Ann, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

When I was small I loved watching musicals on the old movie channel on TV, but I never became a Musical Theater Fan. You don't need to be a capital-F Fan to enjoy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but you do need to be someone who isn't going to roll their eyes every time the cast breaks into a big musical number.

Because as delightful and human as the characters are, as wacky and insightful as the humor can be, you're going to be annoyed by the one or more choreographed songs in each episode. If, on the other hand, you check out this show because you love the idea of a musical sitcom, I hope that you'll enjoy the thoughtful and relevant soap opera-esque plot as much as I do.

This show looks like a goofy bit of fluff, and I'll admit it, the title alone put me off for months. However, the cast and writers manage to tackle some serious concepts and issues, including topics that are generally considered taboo, in ways that are nuanced and smart, while still genuinely entertaining. From sexuality and relationships to mental and reproductive health, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend covers a lot of ground.

Plus, the music's pretty darn good (and guaranteed to get stuck in your head).



~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Star Wars Rebels

The animated series Star Wars Rebels takes place 14 years after Revenge of the Sith and 5 years before A New Hope. Galactic forces are getting stronger and Imperial forces are hunting down the remaining Jedi Knights all the while a fledgling rebellion is forming. A crew of rebels unite aboard a ship called The Ghost and their activity takes place around the planet Lothal. Kanan Jarrus, a Jedi Knight, discovers 15-year old orphan Ezra Bridger on Lothal and realizes he has a strong connection to the Force. The rest of the crew includes pilot Hera Syndulla, a Twi'Lek*, Sabine Wren, a 16-year old Mandalorian, Zeb Orrellios, a Lasat honor guard, and Chopper, a C1-10P droid.

I've watched all the Star Wars movies, but I never watched the animated series The Clone Wars.  There are several references to characters from The Clone Wars and some of them even show up on Rebels. Versions of characters from the movies also appear in Rebels. Basically Rebels is the story of what is going on in the universe leading up to and during Rogue One. Fun Fact: A few of the Rebels characters show up in Rogue One. You have to have an eagle eye to see them, but if you want a heads up on when they appear, check out this interview with Lucas Film Story Group's Matt Martin on StarWars.com.   

Initially Ezra is a whinier version of Luke Skywalker. He grows both in character and power as the series progresses. Kanan is a surlier version of Obi Wan Kanobi. He is a reluctant teacher and has a lot of anger over the destruction of the Jedi Order. Hera, Zeb, Sabine, and Chopper round out the cast nicely, each with their own set of skills. As with all the Star Wars movies, I find the droids to be the stars of the show and Chopper is no exception. He/it is a droid with attitude! There are only 4 seasons of Rebels; the last episode aired on March 5, 2018.

If you are wondering how all the Star Wars stories fit chronologically check out this Digital Spy article. The list does contain spoilers.

*There are a lot of different species in the Star Wars universe. Wookipeedia is a great place to go for information. 

~Amy, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: New Girl

Are you a fan of the TV show Friends? New Girl reminds me of Friends. Except, New Girl is more awkward and a touch more racy. Both shows are, however, hilarious and both celebrate the depth and true meaning of friendship and how hard adulting can be sometimes. New Girl is about a group of mismatched oddballs who live together in a large loft apartment. Also similar to the Friends and their New York City apartment - the group in New Girl would scarcely be able to afford their big Los Angeles apartment.

Jess Day (Zooey Deschanel) is the lead. She is energetic, super-awkward, very earnest yet still endearing. She talks her way into living in an apartment full of men (hence the name "The New Girl," much to their chagrin). As a teacher, she is at heart an optimist. Opposite her is Nick Miller (Jake Johnson) - a bartender, opposite in so many ways and ever-dissatisfied with life. Together, their chemistry is perfection and their witty banter is lightning-fast.

Whoever did the casting is genius! Jess, Nick, Schmidt, CeCe, Coach, Winston - they are a group of great characters with unique personalities and the actors fit their parts perfectly. For all the underlying angst, this is a pretty lighthearted show. We get to laugh at their jokes and cringe at their relationships and complicated interactions with each other and the world at large. Somehow, they always end up in the midst of ridiculous and hilarious predicaments.

I think it is a great update to the Friends model.

The show is still being produced. Carnegie-Stout owns the first five seasons on DVD. Season 7, which is the final season, premieres this spring on television. The library will purchase the last two seasons when they are available.

~Angie, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Jessica Jones

There are a lot of television shows based on comic books these days, and it often feels overwhelming to try to keep up with them all (even before you consider the movies and comics...). I'm happy to say that you can watch and enjoy Jessica Jones without watching any other Netflix or Marvel TV series. You certainly shouldn't feel any pressure to read Brian Michael Bendis's comics that introduced the character, as the entire story has been altered, updated, and, in my opinion, improved.

This is not a series for young viewers. Bendis's original comic was part of an effort to break out of the restrictions imposed by the Comics Code Authority, and the TV series includes sex, violence, sexual violence, drug use, swearing, and alcohol abuse. When I read the comics, they often felt sexist and dated in a way that left me uncomfortable. In comparison, the TV series is an exploration of abuse, recovery, and revenge that feels very real.

Jessica Jones stars Krysten Ritter as the title character. Jessica gained superpowers in a tragic childhood accident, and as a young adult she was inspired to use those powers to help others. Unfortunately, this brought her to the attention of a manipulative, superpowered villain who abused and broke her.

Jessica copes with her trauma in unhealthy ways, primarily by drinking too much and isolating herself. Instead of a flashy career as a superhero, she uses her skills as a Private Eye, though she can't resist helping those in need. When a case suddenly provides a clue that might allow her to bring down the villain who hurt her, Jessica suddenly has a new and dangerous focus.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: The Office

The Office, based upon the BBC series of the same name, brings us the antics of a paper company called Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  While the show initially featured Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and B. J. Novak as the main cast, towards the end of its run there were numerous changes to the ensemble. I have to thank The Office for introducing me to the delightful Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?) who, along with B. J. Novak, was also a writer and producer for the show.

The Scranton branch, for some reason, is the subject of a documentary about office workers.  Through nine seasons we get to see the everyday lives of these workers.  What goes on in this office is absurd, and you often wonder how any of these people still have jobs.  The employees take their cue from the top. Michael Scott is perhaps the world's worst boss (but he thinks he is the world's best boss).  He is socially awkward, has terrible people skills and no filter, and is really not very intelligent. Just about everything he says and does is offensive; people tell him he is being offensive, but he is just completely clueless. Dunder Mifflin is Michael Scott's life and he thinks of most of the employees as his friends and family.  He does stupid, inappropriate, ridiculous things, but he does it out of love for his job and the people who work there.

Much of the series also focuses on the rivalry between the sales people, usually Dwight and Jim. One day Comedy Central was running a marathon and I happened to see one of my favorite episodes: Dwight is using one of those exercise ball chairs and being...well...Dwight.  Jim, his desk mate, gets seriously annoyed and punctures the exercise ball with his scissors.  Every time I see that episode, I laugh-out-loud.

To simulate the look of an actual documentary, the show is filmed in a single-camera set-up without a studio audience or laugh track. The documentary crew films confessional style interviews with most of the office workers and this allows us to see what they really think and feel about what happens in their place of work. Additionally, the characters often look directly at the camera, especially during the antics of Michael or Dwight. 

The day-to-day life of a paper salesman should be pretty uneventful unless of course you happen to work in an office full of Michael Scotts, Dwight Schrutes, Jim Halperts and Pam Beasleys.  Though The Office is at times politically incorrect (purposely so, I think) and many of the characters can be annoying, it is still one of my go-to binge-watching shows.  

~Amy, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Call the Midwife

Recently I've needed a gentle, upbeat escape in the evenings, so I started watching Call the Midwife. This historical drama about a team of young nurse midwives and Angelican nuns in the late 1950s takes its inspiration from the memoirs of Jennifer Worth. Worth served as a nurse midwife in an impoverished neighborhood in London's East End where she encountered both great hardships and a supportive community.

The characters do face enormous challenges. Pregnancy and childbirth still pose a medical danger to this day, but sixty years ago there were even more unknowns and fewer medical interventions possible. One of the most frequent tasks undertaken by the midwives in this program is to visit the homes of expectant mothers and ensure that the environment is suitable for giving birth. It's only in later seasons that hospital births become an option.

A good part of the optimism and good cheer of Call the Midwife comes from the fact that the characters are taking an active part in improving the health care for their patients. There are frequent reminders of just how much more grim things were a generation ago (even without taking the Blitz into consideration). New tools, new techniques, better hygiene, cutting edge medicines, and a talented and dedicated staff all work together to create a better chance for happy endings in each episode.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Farscape

When I was in high school and college I watched Star Trek: The Next Generation all the time. I think that was when I realized how much I love shows about space. When I discovered the Sci-Fi Channel (now SyFy) I was thrilled. Sci-Fi introduced me to Farscape. If you can get past the annoying opening theme song*, Farscape is a wild ride of SciFi goodness.

Modern day astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder) accidentally flies into a wormhole and ends up in the far reaches of space on a living ship called Moya. On the same day, Moya picks up another stranger by the name of Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black). Moya was being used as a prison transport under the control of the Peacekeepers. The prisoners on Moya take over the ship and as a result are on the run from the Peacekeepers. Farscape is interesting because the alien makeup and prosthetics are a product of The Jim Henson Company. In fact Farscape was produced by The Jim Henson Company and Hallmark Entertainment. Two of the main characters, Rygel and Pilot, are puppets created by Henson's Creature Shop.

Farscape is odd, even in space opera terms. Some of the episodes seem to make no sense, but watching the crew grow closer and change due to their relationships with one another is entertaining.  Ben Browder and Claudia Black have amazing chemistry, so much so that when the two actors showed up on later episodes of Stargate: SG-1** I was crazy excited. The series was planned for five seasons, and was cancelled after four. Fortunately a three-hour TV movie, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, was made to wrap up the story.

*There is some debate as to the annoying opening theme song. Some feel that the opening song is great, it is the closing credits song that is annoying.  You be the judge :)  

**Speaking of Stargate: SG-1, that series had a 200th-episode parody of all kinds of science fiction space shows, and one scene had other actors playing versions of John Crichton and Aeryn Sun.  Additionally, when Claudia Black's character on SG-1 first walks into Stargate Command she sees Ben Browder's character and says, "I know we haven't met. That I'm sure I would remember." Browder's character responds, "Nice outfit."  Yes, I'm a SciFi-show nerd.

~ Amy, Adult Services

Staff Review: "In the Country We Love" by Diane Guerrero

You might recognize Diane Guerrero from Jane the Virgin or Orange is the New Black, but this isn't your typical celebrity memoir. Guerrero's In the Country We Love: My Family Divided is the story of a young woman who overcame the challenges in her life, challenges that sometimes seemed insurmountable, to achieve her dreams. Even if you don't watch much TV, I highly recommend you check out this emotional and inspiring memoir.

With the assistance of co-author Michelle Burford, Diane Guerrero shares how both her worst nightmare and her most impossible dreams came true. From her earliest memories, Guerrero dreamed of being a performer. A dream that seemed impossible for her as the American-born daughter of undocumented Colombian parents.

Guerrero's parents, like so many others, had arrived in the United States with valid visas and then simply stayed past their expiration date, hoping to avoid the notice of government officials. Her family moved from neighborhood to neighborhood in Boston and lived in apartments where landlords would take cash without asking questions. They worked long hours for little pay for employers who exploited their lack of legal protection.

Over the years, her parents tried to gain legal status, but in navigating this complicated and changing system, they fell prey to unscrupulous scam artists. Which is how, one day at the age of 14, Guerrero arrived home from school to discover that her parents had been picked up by immigration to be deported. Guerrero, a native-born U.S. citizen was not a target for ICE, nor did she receive any support from any other agency. From the government's perspective, she fell through the cracks, and she spent her high school years living with family friends.

Diane Guerrero's story is powerful and timely and provides a different perspective on the topic of immigration. If you are a fan of her work as an actor, don't worry! Later chapters do provide a behind the scenes look at her experience working for Netflix and in Hollywood.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Master of None

I enjoyed Aziz Ansari's performance on Parks and Rec, but his next project, Master of None, was only available on Netflix so I've only recently been able to watch. Ansari plays Dev Shah, a struggling actor in New York City. Dev isn't really struggling with his career -- it's going okay, if not spectacularly, but it's unfulfilling. His love life is likewise lackluster.

This is a comedy series about being young and trying to find your path through the world, which means the humor is often bittersweet and occasionally crude. They don't shy away from difficult topics, but consistently demonstrate that it's possible for all of us to work towards being better versions of ourselves. This is a clever show that embraces opportunities to play with style and storytelling methods, while still developing interesting characters.

Dev is unquestionably our main character though so most of the stories are told from his perspective, though any episodes that feature Dev's parents are among my favorites. Interestingly, Ansari's actual parents play his character's parents in this show.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Veronica Mars

Take one plucky teenage sleuth, add the murder of a wealthy, high-profile teenage girl, and you have the makings of a fantastic show called Veronica Mars.

Kristen Bell stars as the eponymous character, progressing from high school to college moonlighting as a private investigator under the tutelage of her detective father. Her best friend, Lily, was murdered and season one is all about Veronica trying to prove that the wrong man was convicted for that murder. The show ran for three seasons and each season has an overarching mystery arc. However, Veronica works many cases and each episode has a smaller mystery to solve.

 
Kristin Bell and Enrico Colantoni (who plays her father, Keith) are so believable as father and daughter. Bell brings such emotion and vulnerability to Veronica, you believe she is a teenager just trying to survive high school. Sadly the show did not get a 4th season, but through an amazing Kickstarter campaign, Bell and Veronica Mars creator, Rob Thomas, raised enough money to film a movie in 2014. Rob Thomas has also written a couple of books to keep the story going. 

~Amy, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Bob's Burgers

Even if you've never seen Bob's Burgers, you probably recognize Louise's pink bunny hat. In fact, the entire Belcher family has been one of the more popular group-costume options in recent years. This is a cartoon with a wider appeal than most due in large part to the great family dynamic at its heart. Though the humor ranges from silly to adult, Bob's Burgers is an overall bright and optimistic show.

I haven't seen every episode of this series, and the episodes that I have watched were almost entirely out of order. This isn't a long-running plot show, but rather a traditional sitcom where no matter how crazy things get, everything returns to almost normal by the end of the episode. So if the Belchers's restaurant is horribly damaged in one episode, everything will be fine by the next. While new viewers aren't punished for jumping in wherever, there are rewards for loyal viewers. You'll discover running jokes and recurring characters who gradually build depth and personality beyond a single gag, .

While I enjoy the visual humor and quick wit, the use of music and original songs are probably my favorite element. In fact, I started watching after a co-worker played a song about Thomas Edison electrocuting an elephant. Not only is it a catchy song, it's hilarious in context. (The song below is an official cover animated in the style of the show.)


~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Psych

Attention all 80's trivia lovers (children of the 80s, especially)! Psych is a hilarious cozy mystery television show - with wacky high jinks galore and nods to all sorts of popular culture references of the 1980s and beyond.

The show centers on two friends, Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and Burton Guster - known as Gus (Dulé Hill). Shawn has extremely keen observation skills (drilled in him from an early age by his tough-cop father played by Corbin Bernsen). His observations are so good in fact, that in the pilot episode, he finds himself about to be fingered as the criminal - because no one could possibly know all that he knew about the crime unless he was the one who did it. In an act of desperation and self-preservation, Shawn pretends that he knows all about the crime because he is psychic.

Shawn then decides to capitalize on this and his new relationship with the Santa Barbara Police Department by creating a detective agency called "Pysch" and working for the police on the side. He drags his none-too-enthusiastic best friend Gus into the endeavor.

The episodes treat crime in the typically cozy mystery fashion - not much gore, and very lighthearted given the topic. It is very fast-paced and energetic. The fantastic chemistry between Shawn and Gus is electric: the funny lines are flying and there are blink and you miss it moments of subtle hilarity throughout. The rest of the cast are great too, but the heart of the shows lies with Shawn and Gus and their sincere friendship.

There are cameos by a number of familiar faces from the 80s - these are a particular fun treat. Look for their Halloween episodes, which are surprisingly scary and suspenseful, and the fantastic homages to the film Clue (1985) and the TV show Twin Peaks (1990-1991). There are 8 seasons of Psych and 1 musical (yes, a musical!) - all of which are available to check out at Carnegie-Stout Public Library. These two best friends make great detectives and a great show to binge-watch.

~Angie, Adult Services