There are just some things that go well with Valentine’s Day: chocolate, flowers, a nice dinner, long walks outside, and maybe a nice card from a loved one. For couples, singles, and maybe a few lovelorn pets out there, one thing is perfect to do on the made-up holiday: watch TV.
Netflix is just the streamer to access some great shows to watch on Valentine’s Day. Tech Reader has selected three of the very best, from a sequel series to a beloved late 1990s show to an animated remake of one of the coolest movies ever made.
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (2016)
You either vibe with Gilmore Girls, or you don’t. The beloved WB show isn’t for everyone, and even its fans can acknowledge that its rose-colored view of small-town life and incessantly quippy dialogue can be grating at times. But the show has tremendous heart, and that’s due to the two central lead performances by Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel.
It’s too much to ask anyone to watch seven seasons worth of GG in one day (it’s also logistically impossible), so we’re recommending the sequel limited series Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. The show picks up almost a decade after season 7, with Rory struggling to make it as a writer (and having an affair with married Logan), while Lorelai deals with losing her father and her stagnant relationship with Luke. A Year in the Life is just as fantastical as its sister series, but it’s also just as charming. And the series finale’s cliffhanger is a genuine jaw-dropper.
Virgin River
You know that phrase, “Don’t mock it until you’ve tried it?” Well, apply that to Virgin River, a seemingly cheesy-looking show that just so happens to be surprisingly decent. Netflix’s hit rom-dram (romantic drama) Virgin River tells the story of Melinda “Mel” Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a former big-city nurse turned small-town midwife who moves to Virgin River to start a new life. Guess what she finds in the small town? Love, or something close to it, with hunky local Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson).
Virgin River‘s fifth season came out last year, so you have plenty of episodes to binge on Valentine’s Day. Just make sure you have some tissues to wipe away those tears and maybe some chocolate to satisfy some … cravings.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Don’t want to watch saccharine romances this Valentine’s Day? Honestly, I can’t blame you. But you have to watch something about love and relationships, so it might as well be Scott Pilgrim. No, not the live-action Scott Pilgrim vs. the World movie; the anime-influenced show Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, which came out last year on Netflix.
In this iteration, the story is being retold in O’Malley’s original art style, with Wright executive producing the show. Almost all of the main cast members reprised their roles for this series, including Michael Cera as Scott, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as his love interest Ramona Flowers, and in supporting roles, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, among many others. It’s a breezy way to spend the holiday, and it’s a show you won’t regret watching.
Editors’ Recommendations
