By KADEN WEAVER
GUEST WRITER
At the very beginning of this semester, I walked excitedly into my friend’s room, ready to commence a five-minute hug fest, when I was shocked by the sight of something on her dresser: a Netflix envelope. It was like the opposite of happening upon an old Gameboy, Tamogotchi, or any other favorite toy. Instead of being overjoyed by a surge of nostalgia, all of my past nightmares came back to haunt me at once. The thought of the old Netflix routine: holding on to a DVD for seven weeks, never watching it, and then returning it in self disdain, was a memory I was not happy to revisit.
Thankfully it is now the year 2014, and instead of that dreaded waste of money that represented Netflix of the past, there exists a myriad of awesomely modern streaming services. If you do not have a membership to Amazon Instant Video, HBO GO, or Netflix that you are using to watch anything and everything, then you are no doubt leeching off of someone else’s account.
For students every where success is no longer limited to a transcript or points earned in a sport, finally you can brag to your friends that you made it through a couple seasons of a TV series in a single, lazy Sunday. Now even your time spent conquering a show is a terrible thing to waste. Although theses websites are infinitely magnificent, they create a first-world, albeit still complicated dilemma: what in the hell should you watch?
Well never fear, St. Lawrence student body, I have sorted through the wealth of programming to suggest only the finest shows. Let your friends and family be amazed by your superior taste in television.
My first pick is: True Detective
Last week I watched an episode of Jeopardy! and one of the clues was True Detective. After taking out my dentures and setting down my cane I thought to myself, if Alex Trebek is even mentioning True Detective then it must be time that every college student has at least seen an episode.
The show is a crime thriller that follows the lives of two Louisiana state detectives, Rust Cole (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson), as they investigate a series of twistedly linked disappearances and murders on the southern coast of the state. McConaughey continues his run of recently stellar roles as a troubled, yet giftedly badass policeman, while Harrelson takes on an atypically serious role as the seemingly more balanced of the two.
There are three main reasons why you should be on top of True Detective now as opposed to later. First, there is only one season so far, and with just eight episodes it is not hard to finish and feel accomplished. Second, the fourth episode of this show features undoubtedly the best moment of television that I have ever experienced in my life (but I do not want to spoil it for you). Lastly, the second season is set to drop next summer, starring Colin Farrell alongside Vince Vaughn and a yet-to-be-named third star. Although True Detective is available on HBO GO, it can also be found quite effortlessly through Video Dailymotion.
Stayed tuned as I reveal more of my top TV choices for you and your college dorm room.