15 Most Binge-Worthy TV Shows of 2021 So Far

Well, we’ve done it. Now that we’re officially over halfway through 2021, the 2020/2021 television season has come to an end. Some of it was good, some of it was ugly, and some of it had us telling everyone we knew to try and get them on board.

Summer is the perfect time to catch up on old shows you might have missed or to jump in on the ground floor of shows that became hits this year. Whether you’re looking for a comedy, a drama, or mystery, there’s something on the list for everyone.

Here are our picks for the 15 most binge-worthy shows of 2021 so far:

1. Mare of Easttown

Oh, Mare. Not unlike last fall’s Kidman-led The Undoing, Mare of Easttown captivated audiences week after week during the spring. It was even able to inspire a Saturday Night Live short, probably worthy of its own Emmy. 

A murder mystery, Mare of Easttown threw out twists and turns until the finale, shocking viewers with the final reveal. Kate Winslet stunned as the eponymous Mare, and the series also featured Julianne Nicholson and Jean Smart, all three of which are deserving of accolades in the upcoming award season.

One of the delights of the HBO limited series was Evan Peters’ Detective Zabel, a mild-mannered city transplant in Easttown to assist with the case. If you didn’t already have at least a mild crush on Peters, just you wait.

At its core, Mare is a story of motherhood, and what lengths a mother will go to, to protect their child(ren). Even though it was created as a limited series, and the mystery at its core was solved, I wouldn’t say no to more Mare or more Easttown.

2. Cruel Summer

Unless you were living under a rock in the first half of 2021, odds are you saw an ad for Cruel Summer or you saw somebody online mention the show. The social buzz surrounding Freeform’s YA thriller was reminiscent of the Pretty Little Liars craze of the early 2010s.

And it was well deserved! Cruel Summer Season 1 presented one of the most entertaining, and certainly one of the most interesting, seasons of television so far this year. The intrigue was in part due to the unique structure of the story, told in three years, each with a distinct look and feel.

The story also flipped back and forth between points of view, providing us with opposite sides of the story between the two young girls at the center of the murder mystery. Set in the 90s, the fashion is also fun, sometimes cringe-worthy, framing the series in its own unique setting.

At the center of the series is a missing-highschooler, Kate Wallace (Olivia Holt), and the before and after of her disappearance and rescue. There’s a lot of misunderstandings, a lot of teenagers being teenagers, and even some morally ambiguous adults.

3. Hacks

This is the year of Jean Smart. From Kate Winslet’s mother in Mare of Easttown where she served as Mare’s touchstone (and the comedic relief) to the instantly iconic Deborah Vance in the HBO Max Original, Hacks, Smart has had a killer resurgence to her career.

If Mare of Easttown was a gritty drama, then Hacks is a gritty comedy. Deborah Vance is a legendary comedian, the kind of stand-up who would have Las Vegas residency for years. And who would be using the same material nightly, for years?

Enter Ava. Ava is the typical millennial stereotype, and I say that as a millennial myself. The relationship between these two women, a young gun and an old “hack,” creates a heartwarming, hilarious, half-hour comedy that provided a solid freshman season.

I can’t wait for Hacks Season 2, especially with the loose ends that our two heroines left unraveling at the end of Hacks Season 1. And I can’t wait for the Jean Smart renaissance to continue.

4. The Bold Type

Well, it’s been a good run for Freeform’s The Bold Type, and it’s just come to its conclusion after five seasons. If you haven’t been keeping up with Kat, Jane, Sutton, and company, now is the perfect time to binge not only The Bold Type Season 5, but the entire series.

The Bold Type is a delightful dramedy, focused on female friendships, navigating your career and passions in your early 20s all set among the social and political landscape that we currently reside in.

Throughout all five seasons, The Bold Type has featured storylines not many other shows (especially YA shows) dare to broach, making more than just another teen drama. With a total of 52 episodes by series end, The Bold Type makes a perfect weekend binge, and/or a great series to savor.

5. Batwoman

Another series that’s wrapped up its 2020/2021 season this summer, Batwoman now has two full seasons to binge through. Unlike most CW Arrowverse shows, Batwoman Season 2 was vastly different from Batwoman Season 1.

In part, that was due to the sudden departure of Ruby Rose as Kate Kane and the debut of Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder, taking over the helm and the cowl of the caped crusader herself.

The introduction of a Black Batwoman and the cultural events of 2020 also had a large impact on Batwoman Season 2, allowing the show to incorporate timely issues, particularly the “defund the police” movement in regards to Gotham City’s Crows Security.

These stories provided opportunities for the veteran cast of characters, from Colonel Jacob Kane, leader of Crows Security, to Sophie Moore, a Crow herself, wrestling with her identity as a Black woman and a member of a policing group that is getting out of control.

One, okay two, things to look forward to in Batwoman Season 3 — Camrus Johnson getting to suit up more as Batwing, with his super cool, high-tech suit. And if the end of Batwoman Season 2 Episode 18, “Power,” is hinting at the next baddie heading to Gotham, it looks like Poison Ivy might be making an appearance.

6.  Sky Rojo

If you’re looking for something different, check out Netflix’s Sky Rojo, a Spanish (both the country and the language) series with one season currently out, and another on the calendar. From the creators of one of Netflix’s other top Spanish language dramas, Money Heist aka La Casa del Papel, Sky Rojo has a little bit of everything.

In the same vein as the film, Promising Young Woman, at its core Sky Rojo is a revenge thriller, following three women on the run after escaping from the clutches of their pimp and the strip club they are forced to work at. 

Their antics are a little wild, the drama is a little wild, and the characters are a little wild, making Sky Rojo Season 1 the kind of show that keeps you on the edge of your seat, excited to see what comes next. And, like a classic Spanish telenovela, just when you think you know what’s coming next, you will be surprised.

7. WandaVision

Odds are, if you haven’t already seen Disney+’s first Marvel series, WandaVision, then at least you’ve heard about it.

It was the series to watch in the first half of 2021, and rightly so. Whereas many Marvel projects are known for their action, WandaVision had a more muted approach, exploring the title characters’ psyche instead.

Of the three current live-action Marvel shows on Disney+, WandaVision has been the most intriguing. Maybe it’s because of how many other MCU projects were entwined within the story or maybe it’s the power of Elizabeth Olsen.

Vision (Paul Bettany) and Wanda (Olsen) had been mainstays among the Avengers crew since the second Avengers film back in 2015, and getting their moment in the spotlight, no matter how tragic, was well deserved. Kathryn Hahn had one of the most buzz-worthy reveals in recent TV memory. 10/10 all around.

The implications for the MCU at the end of WandaVision are important as Marvel moves into Phase 4 of their film slate. Even if you’re just a casual Marvel fan, and only dabble in the massive films, WandaVision is worth binging for the story alone.

You probably won’t need to see it for the future movies to make sense, but the performances are beautiful and worth your time anyway.

8. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier 

Like its Marvel Disney+ precursor, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier became a social phenomenon overnight. While the show had a shorter season overall, there were major character developments and introductions thrown into the limited series that, like on WandaVision, will have lasting impacts.

Namely, the reveal of the MCU’s new Captain America as Sam Wilson, “the Falcon,” himself. Whereas WandaVision was notable for exploring the lasting impacts of grief, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explored more of what legacy means for the characters in the MCU.

And like the other previous Marvel streaming project, this one wasn’t without its fair share of character cameos from previous MCU projects.

Fans knew Agent Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) was set to appear alongside Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl), two major players in Captain America’s storyline. It was the appearance of Ayo and some of the Wakandan Dora Milaje that had viewers buzzing.

The addition of Julia Louis Dreyfus in a new role within the MCU has me excited for what’s to come in both the features and future Disney+ series. I’m particularly excited to see the broader impact The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has on future Marvel projects, with both our new Captain America and a few potential new villains.

9. Pretend It’s a City

If you aren’t looking for a fictional story to dive into and would rather get hooked on a docuseries of sorts, I’d suggest giving Netflix’s Pretend it’s a City a try. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the seven-episode limited series can best be described as a book of essays, come to life.

The essayist in this case? Fran Lebowitz herself. Now if you’ve never heard of Fran before, have no fear — neither had I before coming across her series. If you have even the slightest sense of dry humor, she will have you hooked in no time.

Fran is a humorist and author, known for her sardonic sense of humor, and more recently, for her case of writers’ block. She’s published collections of essays, but mid-block took up more public speaking gigs and acting roles.

Pretend it’s a City is really just a look into Fran’s mind, in discussion with her good friend Marty, about how life and the culture of New York City, in particular, has changed since she moved there in her 20s. Lebowitz, now 70, is still living in the city.

Though set up as a documentary/biopic, Fran is a character in her own right, making Pretend it’s a City such an entertaining binge. She’ll have you laughing, then once you’ve finished all of the episodes, searching out more of her content on YouTube, I guarantee it.

10. Dare Me

High school-centric shows are so entertaining, partially due to the fact that high school just feels dramatic and because the stuff that happens in high school just doesn’t exist outside of that bubble. Take high-stakes cheerleading for one, and the social hierarchy of a cheer squad.

Dare Me, which sadly was nixed after only one season, is the perfect example of this. 

Ok so technically the drama did not premiere this year, though it did finally land on Netflix in 2021. Like One Tree Hill before it, Dare Me pitted two half-siblings against each other, against the background of high school sports.

Dare Me is a good show, full of mystery, complex characters, and just enough unsettling storyline to hook you and keep you wanting more. It could have been great, it just introduced the mystery too late in the game. 

Still, the drama at the center of Dare Me mixes family drama, murder mystery, high school mean girls, and a little bit of teacher-student boundary crossings. 

11. Bling Empire

If you’re looking for a little mindless reality show fun, Bling Empire, one of Netflix’s recent dips into the unscripted originals pool, is certain to entertain. The show was positioned as Crazy Rich Asians, in real life.

Set in Los Angeles (usually Beverly Hills), Bling Empire follows the lives of a group of wealthy Asian socialites, and Kevin, the voice of reason/everyman who navigates the world of the rich and famous, like any kid from Philly dropped into this new environment would.

Bling Empire can go head-to-head with any Bravo reality show in terms of drama and glamour. In one early episode, Christine Chu shuts down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to throw a Chinese New Year party, and Anna Shay spontaneously jets off to Paris with Kelly Mi Li to celebrate Kelly’s birthday.

The relationship drama is there as well, both between the “friend” group and between their respective significant others. Anna and Christine feud over owning the same necklace, Kelly has her on-again-off-again boyfriend (the red Power Ranger), and Cherie Chan struggles over her partner’s hesitance towards marriage.

12. Made for Love

HBOMax’s Made for Love is the perfect comedy for the current digital environment we live in.

Part dark-comedy and part cautionary tale, the show stars Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, and Ray Romano. Magnussen and Milioti are the seemingly perfect couple, him a tech-genius CEO (*cue Bo Burnham’s Bezos I*) and her the no-worries wife.

Romano stars as Milioti’s estranged father, whose closest relationship is with his female-doll companion. You have to believe it to see it. 

Made for Love seems to be set in the not-so-distant future, where technology has advanced enough where “what’s mine is yours” has extended into personal consciousness as well.

Tech has also evolved enough to create completely virtual realities that seem completely real. No spoilers but you can probably see how many dangerous possibilities that technology can be in the wrong hands.

If you like Black Mirror, Made for Love was made for you, and you can look forward to the imminent second season.

13. The Nevers

Joss Whedon’s The Nevers was hard to pin down at first.

What started out as a steampunk Victorian period drama (with magical powers sprinkled in), took a hard turn on The Nevers Season 1 Episode 6, “True.” That mid-season finale opened the world up to a whole new set of possibilities, which I’m excited to see explored in the back half.

The release strategy was interesting for The Nevers; due to lockdown restrictions, only the first half of the episodes were able to complete filming, and thus HBO decided to split The Nevers Season 1 into parts. They were lucky that they ended up on a cliffhanger that was interesting enough to pique interest for the delayed part 2.

Have no fear, if you jump into The Nevers and find yourself confused or desperate for answers, stick to it throughout Part 1 — it will start to make sense.

That’s also why it’s the perfect time to binge! Instead of having to wait for a week for the next episode, hoping for things to start coming together, I’m here to tell you you’ll get the answers by the end of the journey.

14. Pose

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to watch Pose, the time is now.

The series finale dropped earlier this summer, wrapping up three seasons with a powerful final bow. Billy Porter, the soul of the series, had a stunning final season and is completely deserving of any and all awards recognition he’s due to receive.

If Billy Porter was the soul of the series, then MJ Rodriguez was the heart.

The actress, who was recently nominated as Outstanding lead actress in a Drama series, came full circle as Blanca Evangelista, sending her children off into the world to nurture others, as she had nurtured them.

Without getting too far into the details so you can watch for yourself, Pose has always provided representation on the silver screen for a lot of underrepresented populations, and I hope that another series takes the helm now that Pose has wrapped up. 

15. Elite + Short Stories

Elite is probably what you would get if you mixed Degrassi with Gossip Girl with How to Get Away With Murder. The series is well worth the watch, guaranteed to suck you into the world of Las Encinas and the absolutely insane drama that occurs within one group of students.

With murder mysteries (yes, more than one!) and missing students at the center of the first three seasons, Elite is the kind of show you’ll zoom through in one sitting, becoming enamored with each of the characters in their own way.

At the end of Elite Season 3, a section of characters graduates from school and moves on, opening up room for new characters in Elite Season 4. Spoiler alert: the newbies are just as messy as the graduates.

There’s something extra special between Season 3 and 4 — short stories. They are 15-20 minutes long and focus on a single group of characters, a single relationship, or serve to wrap up a storyline thread that was still hanging.

The Elite Short Stories allow longtime fans to get nice closure and expand on the universe a little bit. They’re also a nice dip in the pool for new fans, trying to see if the series Elite is something of interest.

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Did your favorite show from the year not make it onto the list? Which series are you ready to start watching next? Let us know in the comments below!

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