What I’ve been bingeing during COVID-19 is…

…The “Assassin’s Creed” videogame series 

Jack Baudoin | Columnist

There are two things I have a deep love for: history and video games. Thankfully, there is a series with over 12 entries that beautifully mesh these together: Assassin’s Creed.

This series follows the Assassins, an underground group throughout history that has fought to protect humanity’s free will all over the globe. Players are able to experience many different periods and locations in human history including renaissance Italy, ancient Egypt and Greece, the American and French Revolutions. The player interacts with important people from these eras and also participates in historical events. Each game includes database entries on these as well as the architecture, factions, activities of that specific part of history. The time periods and events were extensively researched by the developers, which can be seen when exploring the game world or partaking in the story.

The overarching story of how best to achieve peace is very compelling. Each game is incredibly well written, with areas such as philosophy, science, and religion going into the question of how will humanity best find peace: through free will as the Assassins believe, or through control, like their enemies, The Templars. 

No matter how great the story is, games still have to be fun to play. The “Assassin’s Creed” games are some of the best around. The series is never boring, whether you’re blending in with the crowds to stealthily take out enemies, getting into a sword fight with ten guards, or running around ancient cities with the series’ incredibly satisfying parkour and climbing mechanics. 

The “Assassin’s Creed” series is definitely worth the binge.

….”Search Party” 

Mikayla Magdziarz | Columnist

“Search Party” is a satirical dark comedy thriller that keeps you cringing, laughing, and on the edge of your seat all at once. Originally picked up by TBS and now streaming on HBO Max, “Search Party” is set in New York City. It follows four 20-somethings as they entangle themselves in the disappearance of a girl they barely knew, but yearn to find. 

Dory Sief, played by Alia Shawkat, is searching for work and purpose beyond running errands for a rich divorcee when she comes across a missing person flyer for Chantal Witherbottom, played by Clare McNulty, a former classmate from NYU. Compelled by the mystery and intrigued by the lack of leads, Sief becomes obsessed with Witherbottom and determined to find her. Plunging deep into her role as an amateur personal investigator, Sief drags along sweet yet awkward boyfriend Drew Gardner played byJohn Reynolds, and their friends Elliott Goss, played by John Early who’s as manipulative as he is attention-seeking, and Portia Davenport, played by Meredith Hagner a bubbly upcoming actress, into the search. As Sief puts the pieces of Witherbottom’s disappearance together, the four friends embark on a journey with an unpredictable outcome, one that will bring them closer together before it tears them apart, and changing their lives forever. 

This thriller comedy is unlike anything I have seen before, and its 20-minute episodes make perfect bite-sized servings for binge-watching. Think of it as if “Nathan For You” met HBO’s “Girls” with a suspenseful, dark twist. Character development and new themes present themselves in each season, so there is never an absence of new flavors on the expanding palate of “Search Party.”

…”The Good Place” and “Gossip Girl”

Aidan Bengford | Columnist

I’ve been bingeing a couple of things since the pandemic started. The increased free time we’ve had has caused a lot of us to experiment with new things.  I would never have started watching one of these shows if it wasn’t for the pandemic because I wouldn’t have had time for it. 

The first series I binge-watched was “The Good Place,” a show that I had intended to watch for a long time but had never ended up getting around to it. “The Good Place” is an incredibly spoilable show, but it’s sweet, comedic, shows a lot of growth from its characters, and its afterlife setting is interesting and well developed. I’m glad I finally got around to watching the show with the time I had and will be watching it again sometime in the future. 

Actress Kristen Bell did an incredible job portraying Eleanor Shellstrop in “The Good Place,” so I decided to see what other work she had done. Two prominent shows popped up: “Veronica Mars” and “Gossip Girl.” I watched the first episode of “Gossip Girl” and then a bunch more. I can guarantee you this show is something I would never have picked up if I was busier last summer. It’s six seasons, the episodes are 45 minutes long (which I didn’t notice till the first episode was almost over), and the premise isn’t something I’d typically be interested in. In the spirit of trying new things, I gave it a watch, and Bell’s voiceover is incredibly good throughout the seasons; the main cast does a pretty good job too. The story is incredibly convoluted and ridiculous at points, but once you accept that most of the characters are bad people it’s easier to enjoy watching. This wasn’t my favorite show that I binged during the pandemic, but there’s a lot going on in it, sometimes for no reason.