As crazy as it may seem, the start of quarantine was about a year ago today! Aside from the TikTok trends of frozen coffee and the “Supalonely” dance, quarantine was characterized by barely any Zooms (oh, how times have changed!) and staying up till the wee hours of the morning binging shows. Now, with the start of spring and things being slightly better with the COVID-19 vaccinations, we thought it’d be appropriate to check in on some of our beloved quarantine shows. Four shows that kept our sanity are: “Never Have I Ever,” “Outer Banks,” “Too Hot to Handle,” and “Love is Blind.” These shows grew in popularity, with thousands of households watching them, and fans are now eagerly anticipating more seasons. Let’s see what the news is now!
“Never Have I Ever” aired on April 27, 2020. The entire season, consisting of 10 episodes that were each 20 minutes long, was acclaimed not only for its humorous protagonist, Devi (played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), but also for its inclusion of diversity. Devi was from an Indian family, and personally, it was really nice to see some (accurate) representation of my culture. From the inclusion of Hinduism, a mom that was uncannily like my own, and the proper Indian name (that happens to be my middle name), this show made me really happy and proud of my culture.
Additionally, there was Asian representation with Paxton Hall Yoshida (a Japanese American played by Darren Barnet, and Eleanor Wong (played by Ramona Young). There was LGBTQ representation with Devi’s other friend Fabiola Torres (played by Lee Rodriguez), who is also insanely smart! The show, created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, is a high school comedy and coming of age drama, with a love triangle, loss (Devi’s dad dies before the start of the show), a struggle for identity, and a vivid imagination on Devi’s part. As of now, the show has been renewed for a second season, but we do not know when filming starts or have a potential release date.
“Outer Banks” aired on April 15th, 2020. The season consisted of 10 episodes, each being around 50 minutes long. It takes place in Outer Banks, North Carolina and surrounds a group of teenagers, who call themselves the Pogues. When a series of unfortunate events take place, the group of teenagers realize that they have no other choice but to hunt for a missing treasure and the leader of the teenage group, John B (played by Chase Stokes) father. While many people try to discourage and stop the teens from finding the treasure, the teenagers never take no for an answer and risk everything to find the treasure. This show is a TV drama and is rated TV-MA, so one would make sure it is okay to watch with their parents. The show was created by Jonas Pate, Josh Pate, and Shannon Burke. We remember really enjoying this show during early quarantine and it was a great escape from what was happening in the outside world. However, looking back at the show, while it is still enjoyable, we do not remember much details from it and would not like to rewatch the show.
“Love is Blind” is a reality TV show that aired on February 13, 2020. It has 11 episodes, each an hour long. The show’s purpose was to answer a question: is love blind? 30 Contestants went on “dates” by sitting in two separate pods, with a wall between them. They would rotate through the pods, trying to get to know the other person and taking notes, without knowing what the person looks like. After 10 days of speed dating, someone, usually the guy, would be able to propose to the girl. Then, the couple would be allowed to meet each other!
All the couples went to a resort in Mexico, and then they had to move into the same apartment complexes to test theri compatibility. After meeting the parents, the weddings were on! Some people did not find a partner, some couples did not last, but some couples managed to make it to the altar at the end of 3 weeks! At the altar though, we had some “I dos” and “I don’ts”, and the series also included a reunion episode of where the main couples were a year later! Personally, we were very invested in this show. We had our own opinions of who should be with who (not to flex, but we did have the right ideas and the couples we rooted for did last). We hated some couples, telling them to break up, and loved others, cheering them along and crying with them. Overall, this show, presented by Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey, was a rollercoaster! As of now, seasons 2 and 3 are being filmed, with no release date yet. We can’t wait to hear more, and in the meantime, we will stalk all the couples on Instagram 😀
“High School Musical: the Musical: the Series” is an iconic show that many teenagers and millennials watched to reminisce on the past. The final episode aired on January 10, 2020, right before the virus struck. It consists of 10 episodes, each being around 50 minutes long and created world renown stars including Olivia Rodrigo, who now has a hit single “Drivers License” that broke the charts, and Joshua Bassett. The show surrounds a group of highschool students, who put on a production of the popular Disney Channel movie “High School Musical.” Coincidentally, they go to the same school where “High School Musical” was originally filmed. This show consists of highschool relationship drama as well as real life issues that many teens, including ourselves, can relate to. This show was created by Tim Federle and directed by Tamra Davis. We personally enjoyed watching this show during early quarantine and cannot wait for season two airing May 14th, when hopefully the world will be coming out of quarantine!
