4 Netflix shows (that are not Orange is the New Black) you'll want to binge watch this CNY

Ali Wong: Baby Cobra (Netflix special)

1/4

Watch: If you want to hear a feisty Asian-American lady talk about the outrageous things you've always thought about but never dared voice

Stand-up comic Ali Wong was heavily pregnant when she filmed this 1.5-hour special – perhaps a rather pointed demonstration of the multiple roles that women have to juggle to stay relevant in this society – and she doesn't mince her words when it comes to talking about her former (raunchy) dating life and marriage. 

Now, I don't agree with some of the things she says (I hope you were kidding about feminism being bad for women, Ali), but I think we can all empathise with this particular line: "“I don’t want to lean in [in reference to Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In book on female empowerment], okay? I want to lie down. I want to lie the f*** down!”

We all feel ya, Ali. 

Black Mirror (Three seasons)

2/4

Watch: If you enjoy dystopian-like setups and lots of sci-fi what-ifs in movies and shows.

Okay, Black Mirror totally isn't underrated, but the other day someone told me they haven't yet watched a single episode of it and I was flabbergasted. It dawned upon me that there are still people who are either not yet aware of the brilliance this show (the horror), or have not yet found the time to watch it. Well, here's your chance. 

The anthology series (isn't it awesome - you don't even have to watch it in sequence) features episodes that take place across unspecified timelines and verses, and each episode is centered around a dark and sometimes satirical look at the consequences of new technologies. 

Imagine what would happen if you were given the ability to record and playback every single moment of your life through special contact lenses, so you'd be able to relive every exhilarating (or excruciating) incident?

Or if your daily interactions with strangers and friends determined your social standing by means of a points system that affected your popularity score?

Granted, Black Mirror isn't a lighthearted show (and most of them end on a rather bleak note) but it does bring up some intriguing and thought-provoking discussion topics.

And hey, you could use some of them for CNY small talk with your annoying relatives! "No, I don't know when I'm getting married but hey: if your husband disappeared and you could get a 100% identical but artificial replacement of him who would only do whatever you said, what would you do?" Fun! 

Narcos (Two seasons)

3/4

Watch: If you want to find out how a Colombian drug lord (briefly) ended up in the Colombian government. And other violent shenanigans, of course.

Here's how I convinced my friends to watch the show: you will not believe that this is this guy's actual real life story. 

Look, Pablo Escobar isn't your standard issue drug lord. At the height of his power in the '80s, he was wrecking havoc in Colombia and the US (he apparently shipped 70 to 80 tons of cocaine to the US monthly), and ordering hits on the local police, army and politicians (he was allegedly responsible for the bombing of a domestic flight and the assassination of a popular presidential candidate) all the while being named of the richest men in the world by Forbes for seven years in a row. By the early '90s, he was estimated to have a net worth of US$30 billion. 

Of course, the series delves into a lot more than his rise to prominence. Pablo Escobar's story is also told from the point of view of two Drug Enforcement Administration officers on the hunt for him, and also sheds light on how Pablo reconciles his roles as a father, son and husband, all the while massacring all those who got in his way. 

Bojack Horseman (Three seasons)

4/4

Watch: If you're feeling particularly nihilistic this Chinese New Year and want to know that you're not the only one feeling this way. 

Bojack Horseman was hands down, my favourite show of 2014 when it first aired. Whatever you do, don't be fooled into thinking that this animated series where anthropomorphic animals and humans live in the same universe is a lighthearted show (a lot of my friends were fooled into thinking so, and their dismay at finding out how wrong they were was actually quite hilarious). 

In a nutshell, titular character Bojack Horseman (voiced by Will Arnett) is a washed-up, Hollywood has-been who tries to grapple with his celebrity (ir)relevance, midlife crisis and depression. As you can expect, it's not pretty. Bojack, despite being the lead character, is manipulative and self-destructive, nasty to friends and co-workers, and seemingly with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. But it's all a cry for help, of course, and Bojack's character is developed beautifully throughout the seasons as he tries to find redemption for his past mistakes. 

Ultimately, Bojack Horseman is a comedy first, drama second, and there are hilarious scenes poking fun at Hollywood celebrity culture. But it's the show's incredible ability to balance bleakness and joy, whilst throwing in sucker punches of quotable quotes that are just a little too real ("when you look at someone through rose-coloured glasses, all the red flags just look like flags" - OUCH), that makes this show a MUST-WATCH. 

And if all my waxing lyrical still doesn't convince you, trust the critics: seasons two and three of the show both received 100% approval ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.