The 20 best binge watches of 2018

Fun fact: Any comedy that features Lisa Kudrow in a prominent role (which this does in the first three episodes, with Kudrow as Grace's new friend Sheree) is a good binge-watching option. Why do you think everyone loves "Friends" so much? "Grace & Frankie" is a surprisingly low-key comedy considering its amount of high-level talent, but whenever a new season drops, it's always a joy.

This kind of came out of nowhere, didn’t it? — a television series starring Sean Penn, all about being one of the first people to visit Mars. Back in the day, this show would have been an event. It probably also wouldn't have starred movie actor Sean Penn. This is admittedly a slower binge than others, but it's worth it to soak it all in.

Desiree Akhavan created and stars in this beautifully awkward, honest (and quick to watch, at six 30-minute episodes) series about, well, a bisexual. It's obviously a lot more than that, and the joy of this binge-watch is seeing how Akhavan's Leila navigates her new and frequently judged desire to explore things with the opposite sex.

Some say there's nothing more bingeable than a depressed, self-destructive horseman. They would be correct. It seemed like most of 2018 was waiting for Netflix to finally announce the return of "BoJack Horseman," so when it did drop, you already probably binged the new season. But if you haven't, hop to it.

Well-cast, well-acted and well-written serialized horror? On Netflix? "Haunting of Hill House" is an anomaly and one of the biggest surprises of the year. It also serves as a reminder of one universal truth: You can never go wrong with Carla Gugino. (Just look to the "Pauly Shore" movie Son in Law.)

Who could have imagined that a Karate Kid spinoff series would actually be good? Somehow, it happened. Good news (unless you're thinking about the larger context of YouTube's original business models moving forward): For non-YouTube Premium viewers, you'll soon get to see this for free on YouTube. (The same goes for shows like "Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television"* and "Do You Want to See a Dead Body?," which you should definitely check out.)

After its first "Who drew the dicks?"-based season won a Peabody Award, one would assume Netflix would keep it around for the critical acclaim. However, apparently Netflix doesn't care about that sort of stuff (and it really should), and while the second season (with the mystery of the "Turd Burglar") came with a somehow even cruder mystery, it also lived up to the first's brilliance (possibly surpassing it). Thankfully, the series' self-contained nature means binge-watching this now will still be satisfying.

Satan. First of all, this binge-watch works well once you realize that it's not a reboot of the '90s sitcom "Sabrina the Teenage Witch"; they're both based on the Sabrina stories from Archie Comics but based specifically on two very different titles from that catalog. (And this is from a darker story...but it's honestly not as dark as everyone keeps saying it is. It's really more campy fun.) Second of all, two words: Madam. Satan.

While a lot of the talk about "One Day at a Time" became "save this show" talk (because of Netflix's crazy cancellation trigger finger this year), it's worth acknowledging that its sophomore season lived up to the standard set by the quality first.

Who doesn't love a road trip story? Exactly. Everyone loves them. Now, a twisted road trip story about a teenager who considers himself a psychopath and his possible victim/love interest? Very bingeable.

The worst part about this (final) season of UKS is the separation into two parts. Just when you really get into the Kimmy groove, it's all over. (And this is a season that has the greatest 30 Rock callback of its existence, with the classic Gals on the Town.) But while you wait for Part 2, you can listen to "Little Girl, Big City" on a loop.

Funnier, more emotional and also with more wrestling than the first season, GLOW Season 2 was honestly really awesome. While one can argue that the season peaks with "The Good Twin," the episode-within-an-episode, this is also the type of season where other episodes have plenty of claim to be the best. "Mother of All Matches," "Nothing Shattered"— and honestly, the performances from every cast member, but especially Betty Gilpin, Alison Brie, Kia Stevens, and Chris Lowell — this isn't just one of the best binge-watches of 2018. It's one of the best TV shows of the year.

The combination of this first part of Season 5 and the much-improved Season 4 remix ("Fateful Consequences") finally truly justified the return of "Arrested Development." OK, the actual Ron Howard cameo got a little iffy, but it led to Bryce Dallas Howard now being two-for-two on Netflix appearances. (The first was "Black Mirror"'s "Nosedive," the best episode of that season after "San Junipero.")

If you like dumb comedy — done smartly — then "Rob Riggle’s Ski Master Academy" is the show for you. It perhaps slipped through the cracks because it’s on Sony Crackle, but don’t let that deter you. Also, if you're not the biggest fan of Rob Riggle (he can be polarizing), it's worth noting that despite being the lead, he absolute defers command of the series and most scenes to his talented supporting cast, especially comedic genius Eliza Coupe and GLOW's Britt Baron.

Marvel's "Luke Cage" is dead. Long live Marvel's "Luke Cage." The Marvel Netflix situation is a disappointing one — no, it's not for Disney's streaming purposes, but it's for Netflix's ego reasons — but at least for now, you can binge-watch the recently canceled shows on Netflix.

Netflix has been proving with its recent original movies that it cares about the romcom, but no other original series hits that button (sorry, "Love" — you almost made this list) like "Lovesick." It's just so sweet and funny; heartbreaking at times, but mostly sweet and funny.

 Two words for this series: Parker Posey. In all the TV of 2018, it's easy to forget that Netflix created a well-received (both from critics and fans alike) remake of "Lost in Space." But it did, and it was one of the better binge-watches from the early part of the year.

This low-key comedy has stayed so far under the radar, it's worth a reminder that it's also kind of secretly brilliant. It's certainly worth a binge-watch if you haven't seen it yet. And just to be clear, the show isn't just about a relationship stuck in a rut (because while Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph are talented, that would be a waste).

This probably isn't the reason most people consider this a bingeable season of television, but seriously, how can you not still have "I Want Your Cray Cray" stuck in your head? As this season takes a look into Jessica's past (from her origin story, to her family, to her dysfunctional sisterhood with Trish), the series remains the best of the Netflix Marvel series. And now, due to Netflix's drunk-with-power status, it also remains the only Netflix Marvel series — alongside The Punisher — presumably until its next season airs.

Remember: "Homecoming" is the "My Best Friend's Wedding" reunion (Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney) we never expected. It's also a podcast-turned-TV show series from Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail (again, starring Julia Roberts—on TV), so it really feels like it's a show that shouldn't exist. The fact that it's a half-hour drama—making it even better for bingeing —also suggest that. But it does.