Top 5 Shows to Hold You Over Before Revenge Returns
Revenge got a shot of energy last Sunday, with Emily helping Louise take down her conniving family, Victoria reclaiming her throne as Hamptons queen bee and Jack quitting the police force. Unfortunately, the next new episode doesn’t air until March 8, leaving a giant hole in our TV watching schedule. Here are five television series you can check out in the meantime. Most of these shows are streaming on Amazon, Hulu Plus and Netflix, and they should hold you over nicely while we await our return to the faux Hamptons.
Desperate Housewives: This iconic show arguably brought back the primetime soap genre, focusing on strong women dealing with issues both real and over-the-top. The series begins when seemingly perfect Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong) commits suicide, prompting her friends—plucky divorcee Susan (Teri Hatcher), harried businesswoman-turned-mom Lynette (Felicity Huffman), Stepford wannabe Bree (Marcia Cross) and adulteress trophy wife Gabrielle (Eva Longoria)—to investigate the dark secrets she was keeping. The addictive show lasted eight seasons, with each focusing on a new mystery.
Dallas (2012): A continuation of the mega-popular 1980s drama, Dallas reunited most of the main cast—Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray—and introduced the new generation of the embattled Ewing family, following in their families’ dysfunctional footsteps. Fans of Revenge will revel in the struggles for power, long-buried secrets and sexy romance. Dallas was canceled and ended on a cliffhanger, but it was consistently strong and never lost sight of the melodrama fans love.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: On the off-chance you actually enjoy Revenge’s ridiculous action-spy stories, you’ll probably love this fun show. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. follows Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his team of fellow secret agents as they go on various science fiction adventures in world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Avengers, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, et al). A midseason twist in Season 1 turns the entire premise of the show upside down, and we promise there’s no Initiative or Malcolm Black. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is currently in its second season and doesn’t return until March, so there’s plenty of time to catch up. And, happily, it airs Tuesdays, so it won’t conflict with Revenge when both shows return.
Veronica Mars: Another show with a strong female lead, Veronica Mars stars Kristen Bell as a teenager who spends her time solving mysteries. But Veronica Mars is no Nancy Drew—this show features stories dealing with murder, rape, class struggle and other touchy issues that most “teen dramas” wouldn’t dare explore. Veronica Mars ran three seasons and returned in 2014 for a Kickstarter-funded movie that continued the story with the same cast. There are also two novels that follow the events of the film, so there’s lots of Veronica Mars content in which to get lost.
Downton Abbey: A period drama about a powerful family in post-Edwardian England, this witty and surprisingly edgy series manages to tell stories that are relatable and suspenseful despite its historical fiction pedigree. Fans who enjoy Revenge’s depiction of upper class decadence and excess will love Downton Abbey, which focuses on both the great home’s “upstairs” and “downstairs” residents. Now in Season 5, Downton Abbey is definitely the first watercooler-level PBS series!
Our next Weekly Hamptons Revenge Recap won’t be up until Monday, March 9, after the show returns with its first new episode on Sunday, March 8! Read more Revenge Top 5 lists here.