3 binge-worthy shows to watch on Netflix this weekend (Dec. 19-21)

The weekend is finally here, and with it comes the all-too-familiar question every Netflix subscriber asks themselves: What should I watch now? With endless rows of new releases and trending series competing for your attention, choosing the perfect show can feel more overwhelming than relaxing.

Whether you’re planning a full-on binge session, looking for something to unwind with after a long week, or just want a series that grabs you from the opening episode, finding the right pick makes all the difference. That's where we come in.

Instead of spending your entire weekend scrolling through Netflix’s ever-changing library, we’ve done the hard work for you and narrowed things down to three standout picks that are easy to start and hard to stop. All you need to do is add them to your watchlist!

Emily in Paris

• Creator: Darren Star
• Cast: Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Lucien Laviscount, Camille Razat
• Seasons: 5

I’ll be honest. When I first started watching Emily in Paris, I didn’t expect to get so emotionally invested. I thought it would just be another glossy show with beautiful clothes and pretty scenery. But somehow, it grabbed me in a way I didn’t expect. Watching Emily navigate Paris, with all her awkward mistakes, impulsive choices, and relentless optimism, I kept finding myself smiling, laughing out loud, and even cringing alongside her.

The romantic comedy series starts with Emily Cooper, an aspiring marketing executive from Chicago, moving to Paris for a dream job she isn’t entirely sure she’s qualified for. While there, she finds herself thrust into a world that’s as enchanting as it is challenging and entangled in a complicated web of romantic relationships.

Emily in Paris season 5 was released on Netflix this week, and Emily seems to be happily in a relationship with charming Italian heir Marcello. However, she quickly learns that balancing her new position as head of Agence Grateau’s new Rome office with her blossoming romance is far more complicated than she anticipated.

Castle Rock

• Creators: Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason
• Cast: André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Bill Skarsgård, Jane Levy, Sissy Spacek, Lizzy Caplan, Paul Sparks, Barkhad Abdi
• Seasons: 2

You know those shows that make you feel really tense and really connected to its characters at the same time? Castle Rock is one of them. It's creepy, suspenseful, and weirdly emotional, and it’s also not a show that you can just start and then casually forget about.

You're going to want to keep watching, even when it’s late at night and you know you should be sleeping, because each episode pulls you deeper into the town’s secrets and the characters’ struggles. Before you know it, you've watched both seasons and are eager for more. But unfortunately, there are only two installments.

Since Castle Rock is a horror anthology series, each season tells a self-contained story. The first season follows Henry Deaver, a death-row attorney who unexpectedly returns to Castle Rock after a chilling discovery at Shawshank State Penitentiary. As he starts digging into what’s going on, he gets pulled into the town’s dark past, meets its odd and sometimes unsettling residents, and encounters a string of strange events that make it hard to tell what’s real and what’s not.

Castle Rock season 2, on the other hand, introduces a new set of characters and a fresh, twisted story while keeping the town itself as the central, haunting presence. This season follows Annie Wilkes, a deeply disturbed nurse, who becomes entangled in a series of horrifying events that uncover more of the town’s dark secrets.

Man Vs Baby

• Creators: Rowan Atkinson and William Davies
• Cast: Atkinson, Claudie Blakley, Nina Sosanya, Rosie Cavaliero, Sunil Patel, Susannah Fielding
• Seasons: 1

People love Rowan Atkinson, and they love it when he stars in roles that let him fully unleash his genius for physical comedy, awkward timing, and outrageous expressions. Back in 2022, Netflix released Atkinson's first comedy series on the platform, Man vs Bee, and it was a hit. I mean, who wouldn't want to watch Atkinson wreak havoc in a luxurious mansion while battling a tiny, relentless bee?

Now the comedic genius is back with a follow-up to that series. It's a show titled Man Vs Baby, and yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. In the new comedy series, Atkinson reprises his role as Trevor Bingley, the accident-prone but well-meaning man whose good intentions always seem to lead to chaos.

This time, instead of a bee, Trevor is tasked with looking after a baby while house-sitting a luxurious penthouse during the holidays. What could possibly go wrong? As expected, everything does, and in the most hilariously over-the-top ways.