We all have experiences with chaotic energy from time to time. Some of us live this every day. When I was in the Marine Corps, we had a saying: “Hurry up and wait.”
But when the “waiting” time is finally over, buckle up. But it’s not the chaos of chaotic energy that makes these shows so popular. That’s just part of the formula.
No show can survive with a fast pace and too many subplots. Season 3 of The Wire, Season 8 of Game of Thrones, and the random, often pointless subplots of What If…? These are just a few examples.
Amid the maelstrom and chaos of madness, there has to be an element of stability—a story that takes us from point A to point B, regardless of the track design between roller coasters.
If you want to watch something a little crazy, something to match the intensity of your heart, then here’s a collection of hot content for you to binge-watch when you’re not indulging in it.
bojack horseman
BoJack Horseman is an absolute gem of a show that is insultingly misunderstood and that many people either don’t know about or haven’t seen. It is like a mirror that reflects the messy, complex reality of human existence.
It does this in a dark barnyard way that is often complex and thoughtful as well as laugh-out-loud funny.
BoJack struggles with addiction and depression and is often self-destructive, sort of like a teenage daughter sitting at the breakfast table after a breakup.
The cast is great, too—probably one of the most unconventional and diverse casts on television today. They also address a variety of related issues, including career, identity, relationships, and personal growth.
It sounds a little boring when I write it, but it’s not. Mixing wry Hollywood, relatable (if a little dark) humour, personal crises of self-worth, social issues and plenty of existential themes is a recipe for controlled madness.
It’s also fun to watch.
Watch BoJack Horseman online
brooklyn nine-nine
My father is a retired Florida Highway Patrol trooper, and the chaotic energy of police work is no stranger to our family.
Sure, there’s downtime with paperwork and sitting in a patrol car in the middle of an empty parking lot, but presenting all of that on the small or big screen is not how show business works.
The prevalence of stress-related humor in police work is no different than in the military, especially the Marine Corps, where dark and crude humor is as much a part of life as facing some mean chili mac in the cafeteria.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine humanizes the police while amplifying the chaotic energy of teamwork among disparate personalities, as well as the interpersonal dynamics of workplace bonds and relationships, including those of a romantic nature.
Humor is often a stress reliever, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine does a great job of presenting a coping mechanism. It humanizes an inherently flawed personality.
“Overcome, adapt, and improvise” (yes, the Marine Corps motto is all over my head today) is at the heart of the series that ran for nearly a decade.
Police work isn’t RoboCop stepping out of a 1986 Ford Taurus. It’s gritty, sometimes boring, and sometimes confusing. In other words, it’s a fun binge-watch.
Watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine online
desperate housewives
The characters in “Desperate Housewives” are not completely hopeless, nor do their chaotic energies stem from a sense of depression.
What Desperate Housewives does (and does extremely well) is burst the translucent bubble that perpetuates itself around everyone.
The cheerful cashier you meet at the convenience store, the grumpy businessman on the subway car, the coach of your son or daughter’s sports team are all people you encounter by chance, each with their own history, perceptions, and moments of despair , these all determine their current situation.
However, the bubble is translucent, and those personal moments never pass through the doors they reveal to the surrounding public. Desperate Housewives tells the story of four suburban women.
They take drugs, are unfaithful, make bad, bad decisions, backstab, stress out, struggle, sometimes succeed, sometimes fail. The bubble is blown and Desperate Housewives does a great job of revealing things we can’t see for the time being.
It’s a mess of chaotic energy, no doubt about it, but it works because of its dramatic scope and how closely it connects to family in a way that’s uncomfortably familiar to many.
Watch Desperate Housewives online
flea bag
First and foremost, Fleabag is a character study that breaks the fourth wall at times, creating an atmosphere of despair for the entire series—despair being the desire to escape.
We can all relate to this. Humor as a defense mechanism, impulsive decision-making, shallow relationships due to fear of commitment, and grappling with the death of loved ones are all included in this unique collection of characters.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge was not penniless. But beneath the middle-class facade lies a troubled business, complicated family relationships, a recently deceased best friend, failed attempts at a business loan and a fruitless dating life.
In other words, the incredibly chaotic energy of a woman in the rain, and when it rains, it pours.
Not exactly living the high life, which is, of course, the whole purpose of the show. After all, people love their dramas, and Fleabag is an excellent drama with a believable lead.
Unfortunately, “trustworthy” means being exposed to the traps that attack us every day, unless she’s on a heavy dose of medication.
Watch Fleabag Online
shameless
Well, this is definitely a show that takes its chaotic energy to an almost unbelievable level at times, similar to the next one on the list, Euphoria.
Think of it as a mirror holding up the chaos of our lives; only the mirror is an interactive pseudo-television that takes our daily struggles well beyond the red line.
Shameless encompasses everything from moral ambiguity, impulsiveness, and parental irresponsibility to pure survival mechanics and wild family dynamics.
Shameless manages to manage and contain the chaos, which is a commendable effort considering all the characters and subplots.
Even better, it expresses the consequences of the community in both negative and positive perspectives. Although the Gallaghers live on Chicago’s South Side, they are both secluded and integrated into the surrounding community.
For those living on the edge of suburbia or moving to a new area for the first time, this dichotomy is an all-too-familiar feeling.
Watch Shameless online
Euphoria
Euphoria is absolute madness, crammed into a Pandora’s box of hysterical madness. This may be one of the most straightforward compilations of depravity in modern television history.
Surprisingly, the scenes presented in the series actually happened in real life. Somewhere in the United States, a family was engaged in a bitter, drawn-out battle over a family member’s missing drugs or alcohol.
Euphoria is a manic manifestation of the cruel and unforgiving toll of addiction. It was also a referendum on social media, which often heavily amplifies social issues.
It’s a sordid and hallucinatory look at adolescence and the impact of mental health, identity, substance abuse and technology on teenagers growing up.
As a fictional series, while the show effectively amplifies many of the issues facing young people in America, or anywhere, there are definitely some over-the-top moments throughout.
As an expression of chaotic energy, there’s nothing on television today or at any time before that can match the level of youthful turmoil in “Euphoria.”
If you are starting this series for the first time, it is best to take small doses.
Watch happiness online
Bear
Bear condenses the ups and downs of daily hustle into the smaller framework of working life. In this case, the job is the kitchen.
Yet kitchens tell the story of the disorganization and chaos of the people who work there—the chaotic energy of life affected by loss, grief, excessive stress levels, and the confusing and often misaligned relationship between relationships and work. The impact of boundaries.
It’s a culinary obsession that’s often hailed as one of the most angst-inducing shows on the small screen. Euphoria and Shameless might have something to say about that.
It is worth mentioning that Jeremy Allen White, the leading actor of “Bear”, also plays an important role in “Shameless”. Bear is not a show to sit down and watch after a stressful day at work.
In fact, you should probably avoid any and all stimulants like coffee and nicotine before indulging in an episode of Bears.
Watch “The Bear” online
Are there any other shows you’d like to add that accurately (or even semi-accurately) reflect the chaotic energy in our lives?
Let us know in the comments!
