Thanksgiving is finally here, giving us all reason to reflect on what we should truly be thankful for: a fantastic year for television. Seriously. Many of us will be downing our turkey dinners with a side of drunken hilarity, family dysfunction, and tense political discussion. But when the plates clear and you’re sinking into a food coma, rest assured that there’s some great TV waiting to see you through the long weekend. Here are some recommendations for what to watch while you digest.
Looking for an escape
Westworld (HBO)
John P. Johnson / HBO
Westworld is HBO’s latest and greatest puzzlebox of a show. If you’re not watching already, start now! There’s still time to be inevitably disappointed by a season finale that can’t possibly satisfy all of our questions. Armed with an incredible cast and stacked high with mysteries, the show is the sci-fi slow burn that keeps you coming back, no matter how frustrated you are.
Best seen with: That relative who finally finished Lost and is looking for a new show to theorize about.
Stranger Things (Netflix)
Netflix
Stranger Things took the entire summer by storm and remains a must-watch of 2016. The series follows the kids and adults of a small town as they’re dragged into the mysterious disappearance of local boy Will Byers. It’s a weird, wonderful tribute to genre classics from the ‘70s and ‘80s that combines terrifying hell-monsters with waffle-loving, telekinetic little girls.