9 Shows You Can Netflix Binge This Weekend That Aren’t ‘House Of Cards’

With the ever-hyped second season of House Of Cards premiering this weekend, a lot of your friends may play the “sorry, phone got stuck between the couch cushions” card* so they don’t have to text you back, and can proceed to watch the whole season in two sittings.

These days, entire-season releases for acclaimed shows like House Of Cards offer a greater excuse for staying in than a coast-crippling snowstorm. So if you need something to do this weekend — and you aren’t very much into the House Of Cards hysteria — here are a few binge-minded alternatives. All are currently available on Netflix Instant:

*Acceptable card to play about once every 4 months. 

1. Bates Motel

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This just came on Netflix rather recently. A clever marketing campaign helped the show get off the ground, and it appears to be going strong after it’s first season. Bates, which has been described as a “contemporary prequel” to Alfred Hitchcocks legendary 1960 movie Psycho, chronicles the lives of Norman and Norma Bates prior to the events that unfold in the film. Season 2 of Bates gets underway in March.

2. Wilfred

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About 6-7 years ago, I had a sour pickle for the first time. At first, I found it very off-putting. But a few minutes later, I needed another bite. Now, I am a huge fan of sour pickles.

This, in a nutshell, is Wilfred.

3. Maron

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Comedian Marc Maron’s WTF Podcast, slowly nearing 500 episodes, garnered so much success it was turned into a TV show. The first season is now on Netflix, with the second coming to IFC later this year. Maron’s raw and emotionally involved brand of comedy works nicely in this format; for his little on screen experience, Maron plays his character well.

4. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

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Definitely not for everyone, but if you’re in a mid February rut, this is the perfect show to enable you to continue making terrible decisions. Episodes move really fast, and there are quite a few.

5. The Following

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There’s a lot of 24 influence here, and the pacing is pristine. The following is about an FBI agent chasing after a serial killer and a rather violent cult — perfect sort of binge material that blends together nicely.

The second season premiered a few weeks ago, so there could be no time drought if done right.

6. The Killing

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People loved The Killing, then hated The Killing. Won’t link anything because I’m lazy it might ruin the show for you. But after it was cancelled by AMC, Netflix ordered 6 more episodes of the show to conclude to the series. In the meantime, you could get caught up on the never-ending delve into the case of Rosie Larsen.

7. American Horror Story

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American Horror Story broke a lot of TV norms, and has very much paved the way for the “scrap pretty much everything after each season” miniseries model — with the success of True Detective, we’ll probably be seeing more of this. American Horror Story’s first season is on Netflix for your consumption pleasure.

8. Derek

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With House Of Cards and Orange Is The New Black making most of the streaming waves, Ricky Gervais creation went a bit overlooked. Derek is a mockumentary style series that stars Gervais as a care worker at a nursing home. The show has received some backlash – some have spoken out saying that the show makes light of mentally handicapped individuals – but Gervais has repeatedly defended against such accusations, saying that the character is “based on those people you meet who are on the margins of society. Nerds, loners, under achievers.”

9. Kitchen Nightmares

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Gordon Ramsey destroying people. It actually gets to be quite soothing after awhile.