I am doing quarantine alone at home. It’s not that bad actually. I have a busy schedule of video calls with friends and relatives, I’ve cleaned every square inch of my apartment, and I’ve finally learned how to make uramaki rolls. I also bought a printer on Amazon, but I still haven’t managed to make it work (help needed).
There’s nothing like lockdown to catch up with things you never have time to do, including a TV binge. After all, there’s not much left after learning how to make sushi rolls. Here’s a list of TV shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime to pass (some of) the time.
Skam Italia (Netflix)
It is the international remake of Norwegian Skam and follows the same format as the original series: the plot is expanded through short clips released before and after airing, as well as social media posts and text message conversations. It follows a group of millennials between school, friendships, dysfunctional families and sex. The first three seasons are already available, while the fourth will be released later this spring (hopefully we’ll be able to leave the house by then: in the meantime, stay at home, ragazzi).
Hunters (Amazon Prime Video)
In the first 10-episode series in the US, Meyer Offerman (Al Pacino) leads a band of Nazi hunters who discover that war criminals are conspiring to create a Fourth Reich, while a second season will be released next year (or early 2022). The series is inspired by true events, but it’s not a documentary. Al Pacino’s character is inspired by Simon Wiesenthal, a famous hunter in real life. Unlike his fictional counterpart, however, he offered his help to the police and the media, with no action, explosions and interrogations. His incredible deeds led to the capture of Adolf Eichmann, one of the protagonists of Hitler’s disturbing vision (his trial is described in Hannah Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, a book you should totally include on your reading list).
Altered Carbon (Netflix)
What would life look like if we lived forever? “Altered Carbon” is settled into a universe where people’s consciousness can be plugged into new bodies, rending them immortal. Physical human bodies are called “sleeves” and only the wealthiest have the means to live forever through clones or remote storage of their minds into satellites. However, a person can still be killed if their device (called a “stack”) is destroyed. The plot follows Takeshi Kovacs, a member of a rebel group defeated in an uprising against the new world order, and his search for his lost love, Quellcrist Falconer. The second season was released last week (it’s so good!), while Netflix has announced that it will expand the AC universe with a new anime and a movie series featuring new stars.
Made in Heaven (Amazon Prime Video)
When the Covid-19 news bulletins are too much to handle and you just need to turn off your brain for a few hours, this is a must watch. It follows the lives of Tara and Karan, two wedding planners in Delhi running an agency named Made in Heaven. Do not expect a Bollywood-esque show; it’s a dramedy where old Indian traditions combine with modern cosmopolitan trends. I just love it.
Last but not least, watch a random episode of “Black Mirror” because, in an alternate universe, we are all the stars in an episode. It will get better; andrà tutto bene.
