Don't Watch List Elyse and Claire

Happy (sad?) Claire-Has-Covid-Day! 
Ever wanted a show about queer pirates that feels like it should be a television musical but somehow isn't? Well Claire's got just the recommendation for you this week! They're reviewing Our Flag Means Death, a period romance that is.... loosely based on the golden age of piracy - following the reinvented lives of Stede Bonnet and Captain Black Beard.

Before we go:
Claire: Two newly released albums (which is a little bit cheating, but we'll allow it) Harry's House by Harry Styles and Dance Fever by Florence and the Machine. Listening comes with a 100% Sobbing Guarantee.
Elyse: Moulin Rouge, a jukebox musical that also happens to be the most romantic movie of all time. If you like Mamma Mia, but a little bit darker, and more focused on romance, and 79% more likely to make you cry, then this movie is for you.

Warning: This episode contains plot spoilers for the television series Our Flag Means Death.
Have any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email us at dontwatchlist@gmail.com!

Happy (Belated) Cinco de Mayo!  

Continuing on with the Reality TV trend, Elyse chose to review the "social experiment" sensation Love is Blind. Hosted by the possibly the most annoying people on the planet, this show seeks to find out if "Love truly is blind." Spoiler alert- it's super not. C'mon folks, it's reality TV. These people are, like, the worst. Love is gonna be as shallow as a puddle in the desert. Tune in to find out why this series is start-to-finish built for drama! Seasons one and two of Love is Blind are currently streaming on Netflix.



Before we go:  

Claire: We Read It One Night, a podcast hosted by sisters, Alison and Rachel as they give recaps of romance novels and movies. If you like our vibe (which like, why are you bothering to read this if you don't?), then you'll definitely like theirs. Check it out wherever you usually get your podcasts. So I guess wherever you're reading this description from.

Elyse: Bad Vegan, a Netflix documentary that follows vegan restaurant owner and Clean Eating influencer Sarma Melngailis as she slowly gets conned into bankrupting her business. One thing you should know going in? She didn't eat the pizza.



Warning: This episode contains minor spoilers for the reality television series Love is Blind.  

Have any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email us at dontwatchlist@gmail.com!

Happy Little Treat Day! 
Get yourself a little treat (or a big treat, who are we to stop you) and settle in to this week's episode, where Claire reviews our first reality TV show of the podcast - Survivor. Hosted by Certified "Chef Kiss of a Man" Jeff Probst, this reality TV show follows the trials and tribulations of a set of contestants who compete against each other over the course of 39 days to become the Sole Survivor. When you pit 20 hungry and exhausted castaways against each other for over a month, sometimes reality really can be trashier than fiction. Good luck figuring out where this show is streaming - you'll get two random seasons on Netflix, four on Hulu, a handful on Amazon Prime. It's like a fun, shitty little scavenger hunt.
P.S. Claire and Jordan's Correct Survivor Season Watch Order - 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28. After watching those, contact the show (at dontwatchlist@gmail.com) for the continuation of the list.
P.P.S. Don't eat Buffalo Wing Cheez-Its. If Claire hadn't edited out that section you'd know exactly why, but suffice to say, you've been warned.

Before we go: 
Claire: The Hulu movie Fresh, which is a new take on dating in the modern age!  ....or is it? It definitely doesn't have to do with cannibalism and meat-selling. Definitely no selling of any meats. Minimal meat-selling, and minor amounts of cannibalism. Don't worry about it! :)
Elyse: Taylor Tomlinson's Netflix comedy special Look At You. A Zillennial's take on the trials of life in your 20s - Therapy, mental health, long dead parents. Classic Zillennial hehe xD rawr.

Warning: This episode contains minor spoilers for the reality television series Survivor. 
Have any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email us at dontwatchlist@gmail.com!

Happy Discussing-Niche-Topics Day!
This week, Elyse and Claire again fail to make their episode shorter than one hour. Baby steps, listener. Baby, virtually non-existent steps. Elyse leads this episode with one of the most popular shows on Netflix right now - Bridgerton. A cross between Pride & Prejudice and Gossip Girl, this show really has it all. Drama, scandal, gossip, romance, balls, and most importantly, HANDS. A fun revamped version of the period romance, this indisputably trashy TV show set in the Regency area really has something for everyone.
Before we go:
Claire: Lovely War, a novel by Julie Berry. Lovely War is a spiral narrative, with the outer narrative following Aphrodite defending her infidelity with fellow god Ares to her husband Hephaestus. In order to do so, she tells the story of four lovers during World War I - and through these stories show how love and war are inevitably drawn to each other.
Elyse: The Tinder Swindler, a Netflix documentary about a romance Ponzi scheme. A con artist scams women through connecting with them on Tinder, and subsequently uses the money he gains from them to pursue the next victim of his scheme. Be sure to watch the whole documentary to see the satisfying petty vengeance one woman pulls on this conman.
Warning: This episode contains plot spoilers for the television series Bridgerton.
Have any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email us at dontwatchlist@gmail.com!

Happy New Episode Format!

This week, Elyse and Claire spice things up by changing Don't Watch List's episode format (in the hopes of making each episode a bit shorter, which Listener, you'll see has questionable results). Claire and Elyse from now on will switch off who recommends - or doesn't recommend - each biweekly show. Claire boldly takes on the first episode using this new configuration, and dives into the Netflix sensation Inventing Anna. A dramatized retelling of real events, Inventing Anna follows the story of a Russian-born con artist who goes by the name of Anna Delvey as she fronts her way through the ranks of New York's elite, all towards the end of fulfilling her dream of creating what she calls the Anna Delvey Foundation. A fascinating show through and through, both of our hosts highly recommend giving it a watch.

Before we go: 

Claire: The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. The Night Circus is a fantasy novel from 2011 that follows a mysterious competition (with secret rules) being held between the protagonists of this novel. If you're looking for something with delicious caramel apple description, give this book a read.

Elyse: Bunny, by Mona Awad. Bunny is a thrilling psychological horror novel that you'll assuredly be thinking about for weeks after reading. It'll have you wondering what's real, what's not, and have you desperately begging all your friends to go read it so you'll have someone to talk to about it.

Warning: This episode contains plot spoilers for the television series Inventing Anna.

Have any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email us at dontwatchlist@gmail.com!

Happy Belated National Margarita Day! 
Which is the best hobby - gaslighting a margarita, gatekeeping Patrick Swayze movies, or lying for fun? Follow-up question - what does that have to do with trash TV? The answer to both is the same: wouldn't you like to know, weatherboy. This week, Elyse analyzes the complex nature of reboots through the new iteration of How I Met Your Mother, which fittingly is called How I Met Your Father. What makes a good reboot? Is there such thing as a good reboot? Think on it for yourself, because we're sure not going to get into all that mess. Coming out weekly with new episodes, you can find the first few episodes of How I Met Your Father currently streaming on Hulu. Claire, on the other hand, introduces Murderville - an episodic murder mystery improv comedy show. This show has a unique concept, as every week a new guest star improvises their way through the show, giving each episode a different flair. A very interesting show who's analysis gets briefly derailed by a conversation about why Elyse is so damn suspicious all the time. Check it out now on Netflix.

Before we go: 
Claire: Howl's Moving Castle, the Studio Ghibli animated movie. Claire was absolutely enamored by the soupy animation and beautiful soundtrack, and highly recommends checking out this classic movie if you haven't already.
Elyse: The Enigma of Amigara Fault by Junji Ito. This is a short horror manga that is sure to stick with you for far longer than you realize. 

PSA: Starting next episode, we will have a new format! So enjoy the long episodes you have, because from now on you're getting mere hour-long episodes or less. Probably.

Warning: This episode contains plot spoilers for the television series "How I Met Your Father" and "Murderville". 
Have any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email us at dontwatchlist@gmail.com!