In my unprofessional opinion, January-March is the hardest time of the year to get through.

Winter just isn’t fun after December, especially in Ohio. The snow is nice the first time it falls, but anything after that is simply a nuisance to daily life. Mornings are cold, I never want to leave my bed, I can’t revive myself in nature, and university courses are in full swing. For those of us who struggle with seasonal affective disorder (SAD/seasonal depression) these three months can be extra tricky, just waiting for spring to arrive without wishing the days away. However, despite the tumultuousness of the world in the beginning of 2025 and the monotony of the winter months, the film and television industry has become a beacon of hope in the form of three television shows streaming as we speak! Severance, The White Lotus, and Yellowjackets are currently streaming on Apple TV+, Max, and Paramount+ with Showtime, respectively. These three bangers are keeping me afloat, giving me something to look forward to each week, and helping me nurture connections with the people I love most in watching them together and discussing them. Need something to strike that spark in your heart again? See if any of these shows catch your eye and find solace in the time-old tradition of sitting down in front of the couch each week for a new episode of one of these gripping thriller series, or all of them!

Severance on Apple TV+

Welcome to Kier! We hope you enjoy your stay…

Watch these two videos to get a quick “elevator pitch” about the show, and then we can dive right in!

If that didn’t pique your interest, then I’m not quite sure what will.

First premiering in February 2018, and now Apple TV+’s most watched show, Severance is a gripping tale of the work/life balance so many of us aspire to have. Featuring an outstanding cast, director Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson crafted the magically odd world of Kier, PE (a mysterious state, its location unknown). Featuring Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, John Tuturo Christopher Walken, and Tramell Tillman, Stiller takes us on a wild ride through work relationships, memory loss, corporate control, and goats? (that’ll come later, you have to start from the beginning).

This show has been praised for its stunningly captivating production design and cinematography (my favorite part of course), impeccable score, story, and riveting performances. I am obsessed with the aesthetics of analog technology, seemingly midwestern gloom, sterile corporate offices, and brutalist architecture. The dialogue is incredibly witty and provoking, and each episode leaves you wanting more and more (and that really is the only complaint I have.) Each episode is methodical and intentional and set up to give the viewer just enough information, but no finite answers until the end of the season and then sparingly at that. However, that is just part of the beauty and intrigue to me. I love uncovering more and more each time I sit down to watch an episode. I binged season one right before season two premiered, but I was still gnawing at the bit waiting in agony for answers to my biggest questions. My boyfriend and I have been watching season two together, every Friday night as a new episode drops each Thursday at 11:59pm. It is easily my favorite part of my week and I always look forward to spending time together, immersed in this insane world that feels so eerily at the tip of our fingers.

The marketing for this show has also been top-tier. I have loved every Instagram post Apple TV+ has made in the last two months regarding the newest season, and their live action event in New York City, swept me off of my feet. Take a look below!

The thought behind each piece of this show’s creation is truly detailed and its allure will certainly have you mindblown. I highly recommend this show, regardless of if you enjoy sci-fi or not, I think there will be a little bit of everything for everyone. With four weeks left in the second season, only time will tell what happens to our beloved characters, and the fate of severance as we know it.

All episodes of season one and six of season two are streaming NOW on Apple TV+. Here is the release schedule for the rest of the season.

• Episode 1, “Welcome Ms. Cobel”: January 17
• Episode 2, “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig”: January 24
• Episode 3, “Who Is Alive?”: January 31
• Episode 4, “Woe’s Hollow”: February 7
• Episode 5, “Trojan’s Horse”: February 14
• Episode 6, “Attila”: February 21
• Episode 7: February 28
• Episode 8: March 7
• Episode 9: March 14
• Episode 10: March 21

The White Lotus

Need a vacation? Look no further than the white lotus.

The White Lotus is a black (dark) dramedy (drama-comedy) anthology series from HBO which takes place at the global White Lotus Hotel chain. Season one takes place in Hawaii, two in Sicily, and three in Thailand. Renewed for a fourth season, this show will take you through the trials and tribulations of the eccentric cast of guests staying at the resort during their weeklong trips. Long story short, someone always dies (and don’t worry it’s not a spoiler!) The show starts off with the dead body and you work your way back to it!) You get to know each character a little more than you want to, and this show feels like a significant invasion of privacy, yet it quenches the voyeuristic thirst we all have. Each season features a knockout cast and some recurring characters, which add to the story’s mystery, all set against the backdrop of a luxurious vacation destination. You will 100% recognize these actors from at least one other television show or movie you have seen previously, and it is super fun to try and place each actor from where you know them from. A few of this season’s features include: Leslie Bibb, Walton Goggins, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aimee Lou Wood and Jon Gries. All in all, I highly recommend this show. It’s crude and zany, but will most certainly keep you on your toes.

All episodes of season one, two and three of season three are streaming NOW on Max. Here is the release schedule for the rest of the season.

• Episode 1, “Same Spirits, New Forms” : February 16
• Episode 2, “Special Treatments” : February 23
• Episode 3, “The Meaning of Dreams” : March 2
• Episode 4, “TBD” : March 9
• Episode 5, “TBD” : March 16
• Episode 6, “TBD” : March 23
• Episode 7, “TBD” : March 30
• Episode 8, “TBD” : April 6

Yellowjackets

These girls will eat your heart out! Literally.

And finally, we have Yellowjackets. I hate to say it, but this show did give me a few nightmares, particularly the first season. I am all for a good ol’ fashioned psychological horror/thriller series, however, the animalistic thing they have going on here put me on edge, especially the haunting music used throughout the show. Regardless, I still think you should give it a shot 😉 Yellowjackets follows a high school girls soccer team in 1996 when their plane taking them from their home state of New Jersey to nationals in Seattle crash lands in the Canadian wilderness and the girls and their coach are left to their own devices. We follow the teens, but also, their older counterparts, 25 years later in 2021. You seriously will not be able to get enough of this show, and it wins bonus points for featuring gay characters! Woo! This season picks back up from a cruel cliffhanger where the fates of the girls in the forest remained unknown and the surviving women in 2021 were running around in chaos and disarray. This season features the majority of the cast from season one and some newcomers from season two, including Melanie Lynskey, Sophie Nélisse, Tawny Cypress, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Christina Ricci, Samantha Hanratty, Simone Kessell, Courtney Eaton, Lauren Ambrose, Liv Hewson, and Steven Krueger. A bonus is that everyone is HOT in this show! Just look at their premiere red carpet…jaw dropping. If there’s one thing you won’t be, it’s bored. The whispers of the wilderness will keep you wanting more and it is so worth it to see what happens to our beloved yellowjackets.

All episodes of season one, two, and four of season three are streaming NOW on Paramount+ with Showtime. Here is the release schedule for the rest of the season.

• Episode 1, “It Girl” : February 14
• Episode 2, “Dislocation” : February 14
• Episode 3, “Them’s the Brakes” : February 21
• Episode 4, “12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis” : February 28
• Episode 5,”TBA” : March 7
• Episode 6, “TBA” : March 14
• Episode 7, “TBA” : March 21
• Episode 8, “TBA” : March 28
• Episode 9, “TBA” : April 4
• Episode 10, “TBA” : April 11

If you are anything like me and always looking for something new to watch, look no further than these three killer shows. I know the different streaming platforms are a pain, but reach out to your friends and family and see if you can share services until you finish the shows. It’s always worth a try!

Happy watching,

G