Our Netflix* Favorites for 2021

*And other streaming platforms.

One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is the one when Elaine is obsessed with the poppyseed muffins, and eats one every day. She’s working for J. Peterman and has the chance to go to Kenya to shoot the next catalog. But she fails her drug test because of the poppyseed muffins. When she goes to retake the urine test, she switches her urine for that of an older lady. When the results come back, Peterman tells her, “Elaine, you have the metabolism of an elderly woman.”

As I was making my list of series and movies that I’ve watched in the last year, I kept hearing Peterman’s voice in my head say, “KK, you have the movie taste of a 13 year old girl.”

What I watched in 2021

I can’t title this “my favorite shows” because I found myself watching cheesy movies to pass the time when Mr. KK was working late and I was bored. Some things I just watched because they were there.

We didn’t watch many shows in full this year. In fact, I should probably call this “Series We Started and Fell Asleep Watching” because that list is long: Queen’s Gambit, Mare of Easttown, Virgin River…

Also, this list would be longer if it included kids movies and series, which seem to overtake every TV in our house these days.

Netflix* Movies and Series I Watched Alone

*Mostly Netflix, but other streaming services too.

• Maid. LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this one.
• Firefly Lane. Really liked this despite the fact that 1. it stars Katherine Heigl who is not one of my favorites, and 2. it’s based on a book that I hadn’t read, and you know how the book is always better than the movie…
• Emily in Paris. Cheesy, but beautiful scenery and food. Plus, I love watching Millennials live life with a constant stream of cash that comes from jobs we know pay peanuts.
• To All the Boys Always and Forever and Kissing Booth 3. When we’ve watched the first two, and you know the third will be bad, but c’mon, you have to finish the trilogy…
• He’s All That. Teen angst is so addicting! And for those who want that “Kiss Me” song stuck in their heads for two weeks.
• Yes Day. I watched this because I needed to see if it was something we could show Little Mister to break the animation cycle. It’s not the right movie for him right now, and I didn’t want to give him any ideas. Overall, it was a fine movie.
• Afterlife of the Party. Cheesy, not particularly good, but it worked to have on while surfing on my phone and Mr. KK worked away in the office.
• LoveHard. Again, slightly entertaining but you can take it or leave it.
• Younger. (Season 7) Though if I’m being honest, I rewatched the first 6 seasons of the show in anticipation of Season 7. I don’t know what it is about this show, but I truly loved it. The characters (#TeamJosh!) and the premise that when you’re 40, no one wants to hire you (it’s funny because it’s true), Sutton Fosters awkward but lovable self, AND it’s the show that made me LIKE Debi Mazar. (Paramount Plus)

Hulu House Favorites

Perhaps our favorite series of the year, was one that used to be on TV a long time ago: Life in Pieces.

I can’t say enough about how awesome this show is. The characters are spot on, the writing is funny and quick, and the fact that a 30 minute show is broken up into 4 short segments (one for each family) is game changing (sometimes we only have 15 minutes left in us at the end of the night, just enough time for a few laughs before bed). I was so sad when this show ended for us.

The Mindy Project. We only recently started watching this, mainly because I’m such a Mindy Kaling fan. We’re still in Season 1, but I can see us watching this one all the way through. Bonus: seeing all of our favorite alum from The Office making appearances.

HBO Max for the Win in 2021

Most of our jointly-watched shows this year were on HBO Max, who really brought it when it came to irreverent, funny and thrilling shows.

• Love Life. I watched this one without Mr. KK because I have a girl crush on Anna Kendrick (Hello, Pitch Perfect!). I didn’t know what to expect, but was happily surprised. Looking forward to Season 2.
• The Sinner. It’s weird and shocking and addicting all rolled into one. Season 1 was definitely the standout for us, but the others were good too. Bravo, Bill Pullman, for playing the strangest character in 2021.
• The Undoing. I pushed through my dislike of Hugh Grant for this one, because the story was gripping. For me to watch the whole series with not one but TWO main characters that I don’t love speaks volumes for how good the show is.
• Flight Attendant. I wanted to watch this one because I had read the book (which was great!). The show was pretty good, too. It definitely strayed a bit from the book, but in order to make it a series (and have enough content for an apparent Season 2), it had to.
• White Lotus. At least once an episode one of us said, “This show is so weird.” And it was weird, but in a good way. Not a lot happens in this show as far as a plot goes, but the characters have a lot of personal growth throughout the episodes. Also, I have never witnessed a human pooping into luggage before, so there’s that.
• The Other Two. OMG, this show. We LOL’ed during every episode when we were cringing with awkwardness! Molly Shannon must be HBO’s actress du jour, as she was also the crazy mother in White Lotus. She has a more prominent role in The Other Two, which follows a family of two washed up child actors who have a younger brother who reaches Justin Bieberesque fame overnight from a YouTube video.

As we approach mid November, I’m excited for platforms to release their Christmas movies (can we please bring The Grinch back?), plus new shows (Sex And The City’s “And Just Like That”) and new seasons and episodes (Emily in Paris, Season 2). I still haven’t watched The Morning Show (HBO) or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Not to mention all the movies coming out now: Red Notice and the new James Bond.

What else should I be watching?