American Vandal (Netflix): Season 2 is out now, and it’s honestly not as disappointing as I thought it was going to be. If you haven’t watched the first season, it is something that you put on because you think it’s just going to be stupid and funny but in only 8 episodes it captures your attention, making you feel like you’re a detective just like them. The second season seems a little dull in the beginning but it does just the same and ends with a good message about the generation of social media. Don’t get me wrong, it is funny and ridiculous, but Netflix tends to be really good at balancing comedy with seriousness and attention-grabbing content.
Insecure (HBO): Insecure is a staple television show for not only the colored community but for television as a whole. Issa Rae does an amazing job of capturing life as a woman in her twenties who is just figuring out her life day by day as an African American. It tackles many subjects like social media, stereotypes, workplace issues, friendships, relationships, and, of course, the question of “Where is life supposed to take me?” Watching this show as someone who is in her early twenties and a person of color makes it easier to recognize the similarities in my own life and know what’s okay, what I should maybe change or just be aware of. As the third season comes to an end, you’ll have plenty of time to catch up before the next year’s season.
Brandi TV (YouTube): IF YOU LIKE CRYING LAUGHING UNTIL YOU CAN’T BREATHE BEFORE BED THEN WATCH THIS CHANNEL. Brandi Fernandez is a woman who is just a ball of joy. Her account recently blew up due to a Twitter shoutout from Joe Santagato and we are all grateful for it. Her funniest videos include her eating edibles and recreating makeup tutorials but she also does mukbangs, games with friends and her husband and even has a few covers of songs. For the most part, though, she is hilarious whether it’s just from her laugh, what she says or what she does by complete accident. It is a must see! I recommend watching her Pennywise or Grinch tutorial first and the rest will find its way to you.
The Fosters (Netflix): This show is highly underrated. If you are like me and watched for a few seasons until they replaced Jesus then also like me you made a big mistake. It is such an emotional rollercoaster as you grow to love or hate these children in a very diverse and loving family. I believe that this is the type of series all teens should grow up with as it faces the issues a lot of parents like to avoid, including sexuality, love, disabilities (mental and physical), race, politics and much more. It also doesn’t just focus on the children, but the parents because they have lives and feelings too and adult storylines tend to get neglected when the target audience is teenagers. If you gave up on this amazing show that I have cried for through countless episodes, I advise that you give it a second chance because it might change you.
The Amanda Show (VRV): I couldn’t decide which show to choose from the NickSplat channel on VRV (who has a free month trial). There’s a good chunk of options like Chalkzone, Clarissa Explains it All, Kenan and Kel as well as other Nickelodeon staples. Overall, The Amanda Show is a classic for those who grew up with it, or have just seen clips of “Totally Kyle” or “The Girls Room”. Watching the show as an “adult” is weird because you question Dan Schneider and his writing especially during the skits like “Meatloaf Crunch” (a commercial about a meatloaf flavored cereal) or “Stop Motion Amanda” (a skit where Amanda is on a date with a boy who has a huge zit and she falls in love with it, not him, IT). On the other hand, you can’t help but laugh at these crazy things because it’s ingrained in our childhood so just enjoy those moments while it’s still possible.