9 Shows You Can Netflix Binge This Weekend That Aren’t ‘House Of Cards’

If you need something to do this weekend -- and you aren't very much into the House Of Cards hysteria -- here are a few binge-minded alternatives.

By Lance Pauker

Updated 11 years ago, February 13, 2014

With the ever-hyped second season of House Of Cards premiering this weekend, a lot of your friends may play the “sorry, phone got stuck between the couch cushions” card* so they don’t have to text you back, and can proceed to watch the whole season in two sittings.

These days, entire-season releases for acclaimed shows like House Of Cards offer a greater excuse for staying in than a coast-crippling snowstorm. So if you need something to do this weekend — and you aren’t very much into the House Of Cards hysteria — here are a few binge-minded alternatives. All are currently available on Netflix Instant:

*Acceptable card to play about once every 4 months.

1. Bates Motel

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This just came on Netflix rather recently. A clever marketing campaign helped the show get off the ground, and it appears to be going strong after it’s first season. Bates, which has been described as a “contemporary prequel” to Alfred Hitchcocks legendary 1960 movie Psycho, chronicles the lives of Norman and Norma Bates prior to the events that unfold in the film. Season 2 of Bates gets underway in March.

2. Wilfred

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About 6-7 years ago, I had a sour pickle for the first time. At first, I found it very off-putting. But a few minutes later, I needed another bite. Now, I am a huge fan of sour pickles.

This, in a nutshell, is Wilfred.

3. Maron

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Comedian Marc Maron’s WTF Podcast, slowly nearing 500 episodes, garnered so much success it was turned into a TV show. The first season is now on Netflix, with the second coming to IFC later this year. Maron’s raw and emotionally involved brand of comedy works nicely in this format; for his little on screen experience, Maron plays his character well.

4. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

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Definitely not for everyone, but if you’re in a mid February rut, this is the perfect show to enable you to continue making terrible decisions. Episodes move really fast, and there are quite a few.

5. The Following

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There’s a lot of 24 influence here, and the pacing is pristine. The following is about an FBI agent chasing after a serial killer and a rather violent cult — perfect sort of binge material that blends together nicely.

The second season premiered a few weeks ago, so there could be no time drought if done right.

6. The Killing

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People loved The Killing, then hated The Killing. Won’t link anything because ~~I’m lazy~~ it might ruin the show for you. But after it was cancelled by AMC, Netflix ordered 6 more episodes of the show to conclude to the series. In the meantime, you could get caught up on the never-ending delve into the case of Rosie Larsen.

7. American Horror Story

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American Horror Story broke a lot of TV norms, and has very much paved the way for the “scrap pretty much everything after each season” miniseries model — with the success of True Detective, we’ll probably be seeing more of this. American Horror Story’s first season is on Netflix for your consumption pleasure.

8. Derek

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With House Of Cards and Orange Is The New Black making most of the streaming waves, Ricky Gervais creation went a bit overlooked. Derek is a mockumentary style series that stars Gervais as a care worker at a nursing home. The show has received some backlash – some have spoken out saying that the show makes light of mentally handicapped individuals – but Gervais has repeatedly defended against such accusations, saying that the character is “based on those people you meet who are on the margins of society. Nerds, loners, under achievers.”