Some of the best Netflix shows are kind of like the McRib or the Shamrock Shake. They go away for a while just to come back when you're starving for them. And while you might not like those fast food treats, we've got three zero-calorie shows for you to binge before they come back.
Here are the three biggest shows on Netflix that are about to come back. While two was just here last year, the biggest show of them all has had us waiting since 2019.
Each offers something different, as we've got Netflix's biggest retro sci-fi show, an animated anthology series and a reality TV series with a cast that probably has enough money to buy Twitter.
Two of these picks are on our best shows on Netflix list, and the third would probably try to buy its way in. But since everyone has a blind-spot or few, we won't hold it against you if you've still yet to dive in. Oh, and if you're already caught up on the below, there's also one show you should binge-watch now (that has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes).
Binge-watch these Netflix shows before you're even more behind:
Stranger Things
3 season to watch — each 8 to 9 hours in total length
The return of arguably the biggest Netflix show (each episode of Stranger Things season 4 cost Netflix $30 million) means it's the perfect time to make a trip to Hawkins. Whether you're doing a whole series watch or just a season three rewatch to remind yourself of where we're at is up to you.
Because as much as I'd love to posture and act like I'm above Stranger Things 4, I'm not. Aside from wanting to know what my friends are talking about, Stranger Things 4 actually has me intrigued. There's a war brewing from The Upside Down, Eleven's allegedly a crucial part of humanity's survival, Hopper's fighting demogorgons in Russia and Max is floating and mourning at the same time.
There's also two very creepy new figures in Stranger Things. First, you've got Robert Englund (Freddie Kruger himself) as an eye-less old man named Victor Creel who has roots in Hawkins. The other one? Well, the big new bad guy (seen above) teased in the trailers is named Vecna. He appears to be leading that war against humanity, and it feels like he could be the ultimate (or penultimate) villain for the series.
Stranger Things 4 part 1 arrives on May 27, giving you about a day per episode if you want to watch all 25 episodes from seasons 1-3.
Love, Death & Robots
2 seasons to watch — approximately 6.5 hours total
As my colleague Rory Mellon put it, "the best Netflix show you're not watching is coming back." Because while Love, Death & Robots is a sci-fi series, it's kinda kept under the radar for years, as practically the anti-Stranger Things. That may be because it's lacking the cute children — it's an animated series, and the cuter these characters get the more you risk alienating everyone — or the big strong storylines, as it's an anthology series. Relatedly, Netflix just lost a pair of its upcoming animated shows, as three Netflix and The CW shows just got canceled.
So while we encourage you to get familiar with Love, Death & Robots, our encouragement to "catch up" is different here. Only one episode from the first two seasons is going to connect to this new season, as season one's second episode "Three Robots" will bring our favorite trio of robotic scavengers back. But when you have a well-regarded series with voice-work from Michael B. Jordan, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John DiMaggio and Nolan North? It's hard to say you should skip.
The new season also looks remarkable. From an odd bejeweled figure dancing on water to scenes of combat, devastation, some sort of opera house and boudoir photos? LD&R looks like it has it all.
Love, Death & Robots season 3 returns on May 20, and you could watch all of the series in a weekend day — episodes are around 15 minutes long.
Bling Empire
1 season to watch — just under 5.5 hours total
Netflix makes a lot of reality TV, so you are more than excused if you let Bling Empire slip past your radar. This Netflix Original has a simple premise (which it brings up in the first episode): what if the movie Crazy Rich Asians was an unscripted series? Everyone is trying to out-bling each other, the parties are lavish and the drama is real. Or as real as reality TV shows get.
Let's just look at four of the cast members. Sneaker-head Kane is the heir to an oil and real-estate family has more kicks than a stunt-man, while narrator Kevin is a beefcake model. Anna (who is part-Japanese and part-Russian) was also born into wealth from her dad's company Pacific Architects and Engineers and Instagram queen Christine is a co-founder of Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery.
And the first season has plenty of botox, parties, accusations, rumors, bickering and ... have I mentioned parties?
Bling Empire season 2 arrives on May 13, so you have more than enough time
In other episodic TV news, Marvel's latest show is coming to a close, so here's our preview with all the details on how to watch Moon Knight episode 6 online. And for those who have seen it? If you're confused by the Moon Knight post-credits scene, we've got all the details you need to know. Oh, and it's almost time to watch Tehran season 2 online and see if Apple's espionage show gets better with the addition of Glenn Close.
