So I may have mentioned this before, but the guy I was seeing…and kind of hoping to marry broke up with me not too long ago. So I’m kind of somewhere between sad and bitter.

So you may be asking yourself… “What do I do with all this free time?” You may not be ready to jump out into the dating scene, nor do you want to play the role of the third wheel to all of your stable coupled friends, so you find yourself at home browsing Netflix to distract yourself.  A bleak outlook for some, but losing yourself in a  couple of good movies or TV series that you were too busy to see when you were coupled up, may be just the time waster you need right now. And boy does Netflix deliver…at least right now it does…I’m sure that within a month or so some of these will have been removed (in that case try Hulu or Amazon Prime)…

So here we go this is my Netflix Break Up Remix:

NUMBER 1

House (AKA House MD) (2004-2012)

Length: 8 seasons; 177 episodes

What better way to forget about your Ex, than by immersing yourself in a critically acclaimed medical drama (heavy on the drama in the later seasons)? Hugh Laurie is amazing as Gregory House, the curmudgeonly brilliant, drug addicted Diagnostician at Princeton-Plainsboro hospital. I love this show! I love the medical jargon, the unique cases, and the way House always seems to get things right! House is such a flawed character that despite hating him, you just can’t help but love him.

What really made this show for me were the character interactions, both professionally and personally. Wilson and House are the ultimate power couple, and despite the ups and downs in the relationship, you really can see the trust and growth that the two share.

So Why is this a good break up show? Well, it always helps, especially when you’re down, to see someone that is more miserable than you are. And House is probably the most miserable fictional character I have ever seen, but you love him for being miserable.

NUMBER 2

Bridget Jones’s Diary/ Bridget Jones Edge of Reason (2001 & 2004)

This is probably the break up staple film, but it’s actually pretty good. I can never get enough of Renee Zellweger  as bumbling 30 something Bridget Jones as she navigates her way through through life as a “singleton” and roller coaster romance with Colin Firth’s Mark Darcy *swoon*(I almost had a fit during Kingsman…Colin Firth + Glasses= Hot).

You really relate to Bridget at the beginning, being single, is the big elephant in the room, you try to deal with it gracefully, but at some point you just kind of resign yourself to being single. Then, all of a sudden, it’s not okay, you start a diary, and make it your mission to do everything to end your spinster days for good. Though sometimes that’s easier said than done.

Why is this a good break up movie? Well, it has everything, tubs of Ben and Jerry’s, jamming out to break up songs, hook ups with your hot boss (who’s actually a prick), finding love, and a super crazy face off between two gorgeous men with accents! Edge of Reason though not as great, is still a good romp, and still worth the watch.

NUMBER 3

Psych (2006-2014)

Length: 8 seasons; 121 episodes

Laughter is the best medicine, and Psych is full of laughter. Follow James Roday as Shawn Spencer and his unwitting sidekick/best friend Gus (Dulé Hill) as they solve crimes along side the Santa Monica police as  Psychic Detectives. Sean is a brilliant slacker, with an eye for the detail (literally), it’s almost like a sixth sense, and Gus is a Pharmaceutical Tech with heightened olfactory senses. Together the pair solve crimes using witty puns, over the top theatrics, and  at times good detective work!

It’s just a great show and absolute gem, and I was sad when it ended, but everything ended nicely, so I guess I’ll survive. My favorite part of the show are the character interactions. The dynamic between Shawn and just about everyone, is fun to watch pan out. You watch Shawn grow and change as the series progresses and as a result his relationships with the detectives, his father, and Gus grow as well.

Why it’s a good break up show? The laughter! It’s a non-stop whirlwind of drama, action, and fun. You can tell the actors are having a good time, so you do too. Definitely a great pick for when you’re feeling low. Also, you can have fun playing “Find the Pineapple”, there is a running gag in the series that there is a pineapple in just about every episode of the show!

NUMBER 4

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman…what’s not to love? So at it’s core this movie is a romance.

You may be asking, “Why would I want to watch a romantic comedy right after a break up?” Well the short answer is…why not? Sure you may be a little bitter about love, but remember love always seems to find you when you least expect it. The movie follows Lucy a single and lonely, CTA employee, who spends all of her holidays in a token booth watching as the world around her seems to pass her by, but all of this changes when a man (she has been secretly pining over) gets pushed onto the train tracks. She jumps on the track to save him, Lucy accompanies the man (now in a coma) to the hospital, but is unable to see him. Frustrated she utters the single most stalker-ish lines ever, “I was going to marry him.”

A nurse overhears and misinterprets this to mean that she is the man is her fiance…Enter the man’s worried family, who thinking she is their son’s fiance, accept her with open arms and so ends he lonely existence. Lucy embraces her new adopted family, taking part in their family activities and eventually falling in love with each and every one of them. With the arrival of comatose fiance’s brother, Jack, shenanigans ensue, as the pair fall in love.

Why is this a good break up movie? It’s so heartwarming and sweet, not only does Lucy find romantic love, in Jack, but she also finds familial love in the family. Something that she has been desperately searching for. The take home message: Love finds you in unexpected ways, so don’t worry, give it time…maybe love will just fall onto your track.

NUMBER 5

 Okay so this is a cop out…

Parks and Recreation (2009-2015) & The Office (2005-2013)

Length: 7 seasons; 125 episodes (P&R) & 9 seasons; 201 episodes

I said it once, and I’ll say it again… Laughter is the best medicine…that and time, so what better way to waste time, than by watching two television powerhouses! Both shows have quirky characters and plots that will make you forget all of your troubles as you get invested in their hook-ups, break ups, and power struggles.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry…you may even slam your fist through your computer screen in frustration, but I bet you won’t be thinking about your break up!

Why they’re good break up shows? Because they are awesome! These shows are awkward and quirky, and the characters are flawed messes. And with such diversity among the cast you are sure to find a character that you can relate to, someone that just speaks to you.

NUMBER 6

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

While technically this movie isn’t on Netflix, it’s still worth the mention. I love this movie! Ben Stiller is Walter Mitty the often overlooked, Time Magazine Negative Asset Manager, with habit of daydreaming about adventures he never has, on the cusp of a noble quest. Well, alright maybe it’s not noble, per se, but it is a quest of self discovery and adventure.

In the first scene of the movie we see Walter checking out the E-Harmony page of a woman, agonizing over whether to send he a “Wink” to her. Dating sites, the bane of the newly single! Unfortunately when poor Walter finally musters up the courage to send the wink, the page gets pulled down. The day only gets better, when Walter makes it to work he finds out that Time magazine is undergoing restructuring and that there will be major layoffs. Then on top of that he loses an important negative containing the image for the final cover of the soon to be defunct Time magazine from Sean O’Connell (played by Sean Penn). Walter follows the trail of partial negatives left by O’Connell across the globe and into the unknown. Walter finds more than the lost negative, he find himself!

Why it’s a great break up movie? Because it shows you it’s okay to take chances! You can’t sit around dwelling on what could have been, go out, seek, discover, explore. Try something new, do something spontaneous and crazy! Make mistakes! There’s a whole world out there for you to explore! Get comfortable being you, enjoy your own company. You don’t have to go to Iceland or Yemen to find adventure, maybe you just need to go to the park. What’s important is that you GO!

 NUMBER 7

The Walking Dead (2010-)

Length: 6 seasons (presently); 73 episodes (and counting)

So you’re pissed…while you may have the sudden urge to kill your Ex, DON’T, I assure jail is a real thing and you don’t want to go there! So how does one deal with all of that pent up aggression? Sure you could go join a gym, maybe even take up kick boxing, but for those like myself, who are allergic to exercise, there’s a show for that!

Watch as Rick Grimes and his band of post zombie apocalypse survivors as they shoot, cut, burn, and carve their way through the hostile zombie ridden world. The characters are the driving force of this gritty television drama, and it works, you see what happens when the rules no longer apply. Some cling to the last vestiges of a society that no longer exist, while others cast off the chains of humanity and embrace the beast!

Why it’s a good break up show? ZOMBIES! While you can’t actually kill your Ex for breaking your heart, you can at least glean some tiny piece of enjoyment watching zombie guts splatter through the air at an alarming rate.

NUMBER 8

 

The Tarantino Triple Threat

Kill Bill Vol. 1&2 (2003 &2004), Django: Unchained (2012), and Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Say what you will about Quentin Tarantino, but the man knows how to put together an explosive, revenge filled plot, with tons of fake blood! Follow Uma Thurman, Jamie Foxx, and Brad Pit and a whole host of characters as the seek justice for themselves, for others, and just for the hell of it!

You’re mad! Maybe you want to get even, get some revenge on that Ex that tossed you aside like a used tissue, well Tarantino has a film for that! Whether he ruined your dreams of marriage, took something that was precious to you, or was just dictator with a complex, you will find something to relate to in these three revenge flicks!

Why they’re good break up movies? Revenge…

Vengeance is often more satisfying if it is not exacted immediately.

-proverb

Revenge is a dish best served cold!

-proverb

NUMBER 9

So this wouldn’t be a Netflix list without…

Orange is the New Black (2013-)

Length:3 seasons (presently); 39 episode (to date)

So maybe you’re still plotting the perfect murder for your Ex, well here’s a look at what’s in store for you if you do decide to off your Ex. Life seemed to be going well for Piper Chapman (Taylor Shilling), what with her upcoming nuptials, but life has a way of knocking us down a peg. 10 years after unknowingly transporting drug money for her Ex- girlfriend, Piper is sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Afraid and alone, Piper has adapt quickly the social order of the women’s correctional facility that is now her home.

The selling point of this series are the characters, each one has a past and strangely enough a future, everyone in the show is just trying to make the best of a really crappy situation. Drama, Love, Angst, Laughter, Joy, Pain, this show has it all in equal parts.

Why is this a good break up show? Prison is real! While this may not be the most accurate depiction of prison life, there is some truth to the situations that occur in the show. So cast aside that silly murder plot and dive in to this amazing Netflix original series.

NUMBER 10

Finally, number 10! So, I know, you’re probably still not over that Ex, or maybe you guys made up, or maybe you found someone new, or maybe you’re just gonna enjoy being single,eh, that’s just how life is. For my final Netflix Break Up Guide pick *drum roll*

CHEESY ROMANCE!

Uh, yeah I said it, romances! Whether romance is the last thing on your mind or all you ever think about, don’t give up on it! Love is everywhere, you just have to find it. So watch a couple of sappy romances, cry, drown your sorrows in Ben and Jerry’s, hell eat a whole cake if you want. Curl up in a ball and watch a silly romance and then go out and live! Who knows, your love might be right where you least expected to find it!

Go out there find your own ‘Meet Cute’!