Medium Rare

Our Favorite Stories of Enlightenment Through Binge-Watching

Streaming recommendations from the Medium universe, with TV shows that changed perspectives and altered lives

Each week on Medium Rare, I’ll be sharing stories you might have missed that are definitely worth a second look. Got a suggestion for a piece we should feature? Pop it in the responses below!

• Cristina Escobar is taking the pandemic one day at a time with the show One Day at a Time, which features the gloriously iconic Rita Moreno in a multi-generational family sitcom revival that is both heartwarming and touchingly raw.
• Don’t bother asking someone how they’re doing these days, because the only appropriate response is not well, bitch! The freedom and unabashed messiness behind that classic Real Housewives refrain is what helped Emily Kirkpatrick through her depression. In times like these, the franchise gives women “permission to feel deeply, live loudly, and take up more space than we think we’re entitled to.”
• Zoey Miller tells the story of how Gilmore Girls reinforced their black identity. At first, they found escapism through the fictional town of Stars Hollow. But over time, Miller grew to appreciate their hometown roots. “It’s plainly and…