OT: Great shows to binge watch

Don't ever talk to me again.  

Seriously though, yeah it's a formula that either works for you or it doesn't.  (Speaking strictly of L&E here when it comes to 'true crime', as I haven't seen Criminal Minds, CSI, or any of the other shows like those.)  I don't disagree with a lot of your criticism, I think I like it for those very same reasons.  I like that the story is a one-off puzzle that will be resolved.  It's the same reason I always preferred Star Trek TNG to say DS9 for example.  I enjoyed the format; it's a morality play in space, then you move onto the next one.  X-Files was also great, and I preferred the episodes that were investigating some random creature as opposed to this vast global conspiracy.  It makes it easy to just jump right into any given episode and still be able to get the complete story.  The narrative may be easier to digest, but the best episodes still give you plenty to chew on.  Another staple of this kind of storytelling is the epilogue.  A character sums up what you just saw and puts it into context.  Whether it's the Captain's Log, Mulder's notes, or the DA commenting on the case, the show is literally asking you how you feel about what just happened.  I guess it's up to the audience how long they want to ponder it. 

If I want a serialized drama, it'll be sci-fi or fantasy based, because again it's a commentary on the human condition using metaphors.  The fantastical element is what makes it palatable to me as a serialized story.  I can't sit through Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Succession, etc.  'Come watch assholes be assholes, the end,' has never been my cup of tea.  It's ironic I guess that I find Breaking Bad (using it as an example) to be too simplistic for me.  There isn't any gray area, no moral dilemma, no questions to ask yourself.  It's the story of an asshole who made poor life decisions, filled with overactors trying to win emmys. 

I talked about this a bit in my write up of Zero Zero Zero.  Loved that show, despite the fact that none of the characters were remotely 'good.'  The intriguing part to me were the interwoven plotlines that spanned the globe.  I don't think any of the characters were overly complex, but all of them seemed to have more depth than the cartoonish Walter White.  And the character I was most disappointed in on Zero Zero Zero was the seemingly morally conflicted corrupt Mexican police officer whose arc actually becomes less interesting as he goes along, because he turns into a power hungry mobster in his own right.  The Walter Whites, John Gottis and Donald Trumps of the world are the least compelling characters I can imagine.  They're generic bullies.  They're angry nine year olds.  There isn't much I can take away from that story unless I'm studying child psychology.  "I want more, and I'll run over whoever gets in my way."  Yawn.    

But you're right about the cardboard cutouts in Law & Order.  In fact, I think it's weird when every once in a while the show delves into their personal life.  That's not why I'm watching.  Let's figure out who did this, why, and what it means if we can't convict.  How do we prove this happened?  How did the system fail?  Is there more we could've done legally?  Illegally?  Did we cross a line?  Did we get the right person?  These are the kinds of things they often leave hanging at the end of episodes, and I eat it up.  Each episode presents a new moral dilemma to be pondered.  Mad Men tells you ad execs in the 60s were dicks, and oh yeah, remember when you could drink in the office?  I'm sure the performances are fine, the production design is second to none, all that stuff.  But I want to walk away thinking about what just happened; I mean really thinking, not just repeating clever quotes or babbling about a shock value character death.

This thread in itself is a fascinating examination of how we all process storytelling differently.  I'm sure someone can come along and tell me why they enjoy the shows I've been ripping in my post, we're an articulate bunch here.  And they won't be wrong, because clearly they connect to that material in ways that I don't, just as I connect to a show you find completely ponderous. 

TL;DR Don't be talking shit about Law & Order!                                   

You have some good ones there.  I watched The Sopranos, Oz, and The Shield in real time and binge watched The Wire & Breaking Bad.  All great shows.  Hard to pick but if I had to I'd probably say The Wire was my top.  The Shield had, imo, the best pilot and best finale of any show ever.

Have you gotten into Better Call Saul?  Can binge watch most of it as the 2nd half of the last season hasn't come out yet.  Ozark was very good too and worth a binge watch if you haven't already seen it.  

My wife and I just started watching Ray Donovan.  We're half way through the 2nd season and so far so good.

I get a little tired of the format honestly. I don't think they are necessarily bad. There are some really good episodes of SVU. However after a while I just get tired of the format. I prefer shows that are more serialized and character driven. The latest Law and Order spinoff is really good in my opinion because they use an arc format. They solve a case or crime over the course of say 8 episodes and then go on to a brand new case for the next 8. I feel like they really do each case and circumstance justice rather than trying to wrap literally everything up in an hour (43 minutes without commercials). 

The Boys is awesome.

Since I dont get Amazon TV I tend to buy the season once they've aired and binge watch them that way. Heard that my boy Jensen Ackles is killing it as Soldier Boy this season.

Even Tom and Greg?

Loved Ozark.

Exactly. I remember when the show got described to me I was sold upon it right away describing the A-Train/Hughie's gf scene. That was all I needed to get me to try it. That first season was a lot of fun. Season 2 had its moments but was lacking imo. However from what I've seen so far it's back on track with season 3. I think they over hyped the herogasim episode in terms of the "mature content" but that was to be expected. They're bringing in real world issues so well but so easily yet imo it just works with the ground work of the show. A lot of writers would try and get too cute with it while The Boys are seemingly thinking let's not try and over think it. So while it may seem lazy, it also just works so well. It's a lot of fun. Probably the most fun show I've watched since Archer.

Only show I've binge watched since getting streaming services is British cop drama Line of Duty.

Only other shows I might binge are "warm pair of slippers" stuff like early Simpson's, MASH, 70s Dr Who. Just stuff I've seen a billion times. Only exception is Seinfeld. While I still enjoy watching it I just can't handle George for more than 20 minutes at a time. Not because he's a bad character, he's great at being nauseating.