Congratulations, you made it to the weekend! The Canadian rock band Loverboy knew what they were talking about when they sang, “Everybody’s working for the weekend.” So many people use the weekends for some rest and relaxation after a long work week. If you’re spending some time on the couch, stream a show that you can finish before Monday rolls around.
These four shows can be binge-watched over the course of one weekend. Watch a few episodes on Friday night and Saturday afternoon before finishing the last few episodes on Sunday night. Some of my selections include a mysterious Netflix thriller, a Paramount+ Western, and a riveting HBO crime drama. However, my No. 1 pick is Hulu’s riveting adaptation of a beloved novel.
The runtimes match those listed on the streaming services.
4
The Stranger
Enter Harlan Coben’s enigmatic world
Name a thriller on Netflix, and it probably comes from a Harlan Coben book. I’m kidding, but Coben has 13 shows streaming on Netflix, so my joke isn’t that out of bounds. Coben’s shows are predominantly thrillers, with captivating hooks that draw you in like moths to a flame. The Stranger is a juicy mystery of lies, deception, and tragedy.
While watching his son’s soccer game, Adam Price (Richard Armitage) is approached by a strange woman (Hannah John-Kamen), who lets this family man in on a scandalous secret about his wife (Dervla Kirwan). While Adam investigates, the Stranger reveals more secrets to other members of the community, blurring the lines between truth and fiction. The Stranger is a show in which one secret causes a domino effect that ends with an explosive conclusion. Strap in, and prepare for chaos.
The Stranger consists of eight episodes with runtimes between 42 and 51 minutes.
3
1883
The Duttons head west
Taylor Sheridan created an empire with the success of Yellowstone. Once Paramount+ took off in 2021, Sheridan went to work on developing several spin-offs. The first was 1883, a Yellowstone prequel about how the Dutton family came to settle in Montana. In 1883, James Dutton (Tim McGraw) and his family, including wife, Margaret (Faith Hill), and daughter, Elsa (Isabel May), plan to travel to Texas by train.
When the train becomes too dangerous, James links up with former Civil War captain Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) and elects to join his wagon train on a path to Oregon. The Dutton family is the only common ground between 1883 and Yellowstone, as the shows are completely different in tone. Yellowstone is a drama that romanticizes the West. 1883 is a harrowing depiction of the brutality and hardships faced by many Americans during Western expansion. It’s arguably Sheridan’s best series on Paramount+.
1883 consists of 10 episodes with runtimes between 43 and 66 minutes.
2
The Night Of
What happened to Andrea?
I remember being blown away by the pilot of The Night Of, an HBO miniseries from Richard Price and Steven Zaillian. It is an exceptional pilot—it introduces the main characters, sets the scene, and poses the mystery at hand. Riz Ahmed stars as Naz Khan, a Pakistani-American college student who steals his father’s New York City cab to attend a party.
Naz picks up Andrea (Sofia Black-D’Elia), and the two spend a drug-fueled night together. The next morning, Naz wakes up and finds Andrea’s dead body. What happened the night before? With Naz incarcerated and waiting for trial, it’s up to an underestimated attorney (John Turturro) to save his life. So many cast members turn in sensational performances in The Night Of, including an Emmy-winning turn for Ahmed. The Night Of is one of the best thrillers HBO has to offer.
The Night Of consists of eight episodes with runtimes between 57 and 96 minutes.
1
Normal People
There is nothing normal about this series
I always love it when two relatively unknown actors have their breakout moment in the same project. In 2020, I didn’t know much about Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal. After Normal People, I knew these two actors would be around for a long time to come. That’s how moved I was while watching their performances.
Normal People follows Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) from high school through college. As teenagers, Marianne, a lively outcast, and Connell, a kind jock, embark on a secret relationship. Once they get to college, Marianne steps out of her shell and embraces her popularity, while Connell becomes quieter and more reserved. The two have an on-and-off relationship throughout the years, but their love for one another never changes.
Normal People is the most realistic depiction of young love I’ve ever seen on television. If you have a soul, this series will move you and bring up emotions you thought you never had. That’s a great thing to get from a television show.
Normal People consists of 12 episodes with runtimes between 23 and 34 minutes.
What else should you watch this weekend?
If you need more content this weekend, I have you covered. If you’re a fan of Reacher, the spin-off, Neagley, is now available to stream on Prime Video. Plus, check out more new shows, including Jay-Z in 8 and Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.