NETFLIX AND FILL

As some have noticed (thanks, Mom!) I did not blog this past summer. I took a sabbatical to engage in what the kids today like to refer to as "self care," aka: Wine. In the process, I picked up a new hobby - Wine Pairing! After careful research and experimentation, I came up with the perfect Chardonnay or Pinot to go with Netflix programming. I call this activity Netflix and Fill (Your Glass.) Indulge me, if you will,  as I share with you the perfect grape/binge combo. Cheers!

Wine glass not included with Netflix subscription.

1. Let's begin with a big-flavored parody, "Documentary Now," starring and written by SNL alums Bill Hader and Fred Armison. These one-hour mockumentaries spoof the genre perfectly. If you don't have time for a sit-down for the entire two seasons, at least catch "Sandy Passage," where Fred and Bill play an elderly mother and daughter who reside in a dusty, old mansion ala "Grey Gardens" or  the two-part "Gentle and Soft" about a pair of singer-songwriters from the Chicago sausage-packing district. My favorite is "Kanuk Uncovered" which tells the tale of the Eskimo who starred in the silent film "Kanuk the Hunter" (shades of "Nanuk of the North.") Be prepared, though. Your heart will break at what the Hollywood machine did to this once gentle Eskimo.

"My contract rider says, "Filterless Camels." What's this Salem Lights BS?"

 While you're at it, sip the wine preferred by the "I only watch PBS and documentaries" crowd: Arrogant Frog

2. For something a little darker, try the charcoal grit of Black Mirror.  But, for the love of all that is holy, SKIP THE FIRST EPISODE!  Black Mirror is a Twilight Zone for the modern age. It's a science fiction anthology where each episode delves into the consequence of futuristic technology. Most are cautionary tales, but a few, like the Emmy-nominated "San Junipero," inspire us to dream.

Oh, hi, Jon Hamm!

Sort of. In a nightmarish, this-would-be-cool-except-maybe-not kind of way.  Because I'm hopeful this series will go on for a long time, I've paired it with 1,000 Stories, but please don't drink 1,000 glasses. Unless you refuse to follow my advise and end up watching the first episode. In that case, pour the wine directly into your eyes.

 3. Crazy Ex Girlfriend is perfect for those nights when you want something light and fruity.  It's a quirky comedy in which Rebecca Bunch relocates from NYC to Small-Town, California to pursue her ex, Josh. By "ex," we mean boy she briefly hooked up with at summer camp when she was a teenager.  After running into him in NYC, she decides to leave behind a lucrative legal career and take a job as a lawyer-in-a-box in Nowheresville. Never mind that he has a serious girlfriend and no real interest in Rebecca. Rebecca is a modern-day Mary Tyler-Moore, complete with the kooky best friend, but minus the common-sense and cool apartment.  Also, MTM never broke out in song in the middle of her sit-com.

 In pairing this show with the perfect wine, I didn't need to look farther than the brand brought to you by the most famous crazy ex, herself, Miranda Lambert! Settle in with a glass, and sing-along with Rebecca.

4. If you are looking for something with a hint of "It made me laugh, it made me cry," go no further than Atypical. This comedy about Sam Gilchrist and his family runs deep. 18-year-old Sam is on the autism spectrum, but, if you're hoping for a Sheldon from Big Bang Theory, you'll be disappointed. Sam is high-functioning, but we quickly understand how fragile he is. We witness a meltdown on a bus, a broken heart, and  times when Sam is mistreated by his classmates. "I know when people are  making fun of me," he confides, "I just don't understand why."

 Sam is smart, yet must rely on his younger sister to take charge of his lunch money each day. Meanwhile, as we get farther along in the show, we learn the ways in which the entire family has been affected by Sam's diagnosis.  His mother, in particular, has spent his life running interference for him, and when she finally feels it is safe to break from her role as "Sam's Mommy," she makes a dangerous and disappointing choice. His father has never truly connected with Sam, and Casey, his sister, feels she is always second to Sam. As such,  there was only one wine worthy of being paired with this show - Elephant on a Tightrope. The family is always teetering, trying to balance Sam's needs with their own.  Luckily, they do it with love and humor.

5. One of the best shows you've never seen is Rectify,  the story of a man who, at the age of 18,  was found guilty of raping and murdering his 16-year-old girlfriend (mostly due to a coerced confession.) He spent almost 20 years on Death Row  before new DNA evidence put his guilt in doubt.  Over four seasons, we witness Daniel and his family struggle with both his new freedom and his previous conviction. We also watch the powers-that-be attempt to prove, once and for all, that they had the right man the first time. The show takes us back and forth between present day and Daniel's time on the row, where he makes a true friend in the next cell, but must also deal with the crude, vicious mockery of the inmate on the other side. To make matters more complicated, Daniel is not sure he's innocent. He and his friends were drugged up that night, and he has no memory of the events that led to Hannah's death.  The struggle to survive outside of prison is real, and the show doesn't shy away from letting us see how the system breaks a man, then tosses him back into the world with nothing. Superb writing and even better acting keep us riveted, while some emotionally intense story lines keep us reaching for the tissue.

Honestly, with this one, you can pair it with a bottle of KMart Bluelight Special or anything else your heart desires. Particularly from Season 2 on, when all sorrows will need a good drowning on the regular.

But, Daniel and Tawny! And Kerwin. And Chloe. And Janettttttttt!

6. Last but not least is the wonderfully oaky Ozark, a show so filled with water-cooler moments that, if it ran weekly, the nation would suffer a work shut-down the day after airing.

This is a morality tale about greed that stars the boyishly charming Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, a Chicago accountant who gets involved in a money-laundering scheme. Unfortunately, the clients are some very bad people who are key figures in the Mexican drug trade. Their representative, Del (Esai Morales) thinks nothing of shooting people who cross them and entrapping their remains in barrels of acid. After Marty's partner skimmed $8 million off of Del's boss' profits, Marty finds himself looking down the barrel of a gun. He manages to cleverly talk his way out of being murdered, pulling out a brochure that his partner had presented him with earlier in the day advertising Lake of the Ozarks. The two had talked about taking the business to this resort town in Missouri, where potential wealthy clients were just waiting to partake of their financial expertise. He tells Del he can prove his worth by laundering $500 million in drug money. Del is intrigued enough to give him a shot, and the adventure begins.

Marty and his wife, Wendy (Laura Linney), relocate their children Charlotte and Jonah. They quickly learn that the people of the Ozarks are neither naive nor stupid, and he finds it challenging to make headway.  The biggest surprise is when Marty runs into a folksy older couple who turn out to be of poppy growers who provide the heroin for the state of Missouri and counties beyond. He soon  learns their schemes and manners of taking care of anyone who would cross them are as dangerous as Del's cartel. We find ourselves rooting for the Byrdes and wonder how a straight-arrow like Marty ever got talked into doing such dirty work. A back-story episode explains it all, leaving us to ask "What would do in his place?" In this show, nothing is black or white, up equals down, and a smart businessman from Chicago is no match for local mountain folks. Also, if you get offered a glass of lemonade in those parts? Make a run for it. Better still, stick to wine. Running With the Scissors is the perfect pairing for this "Didn't your mama tell you not to get involved with criminals?" series.

That's it! With cooler days finally here, it's time to fire up the television and Netflix  and Fill! Salud!