Since March, American citizens have been stuck at home and are extremely limited to what they can do outside of their homes. For the sake of health, people have been stripped of their daily, pre-COVID-19 routines. Considering the severity of the virus and the government’s plans to initiate more lockdowns as necessary, the cycle of boredom and repetition of daily lives continue. With very little to do, consumption of technology has increased, including excessive hours on social media and video streaming sites. 

According to BBC News, Netflix saw a surge in user engagement and subscriber numbers in the first quarter of the year. Nearly 16 million people created accounts, and undoubtedly, O’Dowd makes up a fragment of that number. 

While there is a diverse range of watching habits in the O’Dowd community, the two most popular series are Grey’s Anatomy and Grand Army. 

Grey’s Anatomy is a 17-season medical drama series, focusing on a group of young doctors at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital, all of whom began their careers at the facility as interns. Kamora McKowan’ 22 took interest in Grey’s Anatomy around two months ago, drawn by her goal of becoming an oncologist. She states, “It’s really inspiring and encouraging, especially as a young woman of color. So many people are discouraged and intimidated by the number of years it takes to actually become a doctor and all the work required, but when I watch this show I see how rewarding it’ll all be in the long run.” Audrey Roche ‘22 also had the series as her current favorite. Audrey was shockingly able to finish 16 seasons in less than one month. Although she has no interest in going into the medical field, she persisted in watching the show simply for general knowledge and understanding of all that doctors do. 

In contrast, Grand Army had the hearts and interests of many other students. The new series shows what it is like to be a teen in Brooklyn, New York, laying out the challenges and struggles of homosexuality, minorities, mental health, women in a man’s world, and finances. One student claims, “I thought the series was brilliant and relatable, especially as a woman of color. I appreciate the accurate recognition of the everyday struggles all women face, black women in particular. I also appreciated how the script didn’t necessarily fall into the ‘poor black kid with all rich white friend’ narrative that’s often portrayed in films.” Despite the controversial news around the show, the Netflix original Grand Army did an excellent job portraying and properly representing the struggles of average high school, and arguably, college students as well.

As quarantine life continues, these 2 shows are a great addition to your watch list.