Another year down, another year of crap consumed. What did I do with my free time in 2025? Mainly binge watch TV shows. I watched some movies and played some games, but most of my free time went to TV. You'll see that reflected on this list.
Cobra Kai
Television Series
Coming into 2025, I had written off Cobra Kai. The show had drawn me in during its first few seasons, but its rehashed storylines and overall decline in quality had lost me for a while. I wasn't even excited about the last season coming out. I only ended up watching it because I'm a completionist.
Towards the end of the show, something changed. All the storylines finally started to tie together. The stakes felt high, for once. It felt like the characters' actions were finally starting to mean something. Plus, the show finally looped around to what kicked it off and drew people in to begin with: Johnny. He is the real main character and star of the show, and I think the show kind of forgot that for a while. But when Johnny became the focus again, man oh man did it pay off. The training montage sent chills up my spine. Call it fan service but I call it an awesome throwback to one of the greatest movie sequences of all time. I am going to post a link to the scene below.
The last few episodes were great. Maybe it wasn't exactly realistic. Maybe things ended "too nicely" for our characters. But I didn't care. The final season hit all the right nostalgic feels, and tied things up perfectly for me. Coincidentally, the new Karate Kid Legends movie also came out in 2025. I haven't watched that yet, but I did watch the Jackie Chan Karate Kid movie just to "prepare" myself for when I do watch it.
Untitled Goose Game
Video Game
I've been trying to get my five year old interested in video games for a year or two now. Everything I've shown him has been met with indifference: Sonic, Mario, Pac-Man? Nah. Even newer games like Bluey or Peppa Pig? No interest. Who would have thought it would be Untitled Goose Game that would finally break the trend?
It started very early in the year, when I realized I had forgotten to watch House of the Dragon. Ten years ago, when Game of Thrones ruled the world, this would have been unthinkable. But the Song of Ice and Fire is so much of an afterthought now that this whole entire spinoff series somehow got by me without me even realizing I hadn't watched it. I mean, I knew it was there. But somehow the thought "you should probably watch that" never crossed my mind.
I listen to a lot of podcasts, but there are none that I enjoy more than The Retro Blast. You can tell that there are endless hours of hard work and devotion put into each episode. It is the most relatable podcast I've ever listened to.
I've seen Twin Peaks in its entirety a few times now. It's been an up and down road for me. When I first watched the series back in 2008 or 2009, I hated it. I thought "how in the world did this show get such a big cult following?" I filed it away in the back of my mind, vowing never to return to it.
It seems like 90% of my list this year is TV series. But that is what I have been spending the majority of my free time doing. Not playing games, or reading books, or watching movies. Watching TV shows. It truly is the golden age of television, and I am doing my best to make sure I'm all caught up on everything.
This game is a lot of fun. But it was even more fun watching my little guy get so excited watching me play. He'd yell, he'd scream, he'd bounce up and down on the couch. He was really into it. Of course, it was only a matter of time before I'd end up handing the controller over to him. He was extremely hesitant at first, but ended up figuring things out in no time. It made me so proud to see him pick up the game so quickly and adeptly.
All emotional reasoning aside, I would have enjoyed the game regardless. It is so entertaining running around as the goose and seeing what kind of trouble you can get into. How your actions will trigger reactions among the NPCs. Just seeing the physics of the game in action, like when you pick up items and drag them around. It's a super fun game, and it supplied us with countless hours of fun in our household.
If you have a young kid who you want to get into gaming, look no further. Even without one of those, I'd still recommend giving this game a try.
Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon
Television Series
Instantly, I was hooked. I was transported right back into Westeros like I had never been gone. I binged the show fairly quickly. I remember the thought rattling around in my mind: "I forgot how good Game of Thrones is!" I mean, this series isn't Game of Thrones. But close enough. It hits all the right notes. It feels genuine. I knew right away that this series was going to probably make my end of year list.
But as if this wasn't enough, I started rewatching Game of Thrones later on in the year. It was early December, as a matter of fact. I'm now on season 3, episode 5. In less than a month, I have binged through two and a half seasons worth of TV, the same thought rattling around in my mind yet again: "I forgot how good Game of Thrones is." There's a reason this show was a cultural phenomenon. There's a reason I read through these books about four times apiece back in the 2010s. There's a reason I'm still looking forward to Winds of Winter, whenever it might come out. There's a reason no one could stop talking about this show in my workplace for about four or five years straight. Because it is awesome.
I can't wait to continue my way through the show. The Red Wedding and a few more heavy hitting moments are coming up soon. Game of Thrones isn't just good because it is "popular." I know some people like to boast about how they've never seen seen an episode of Game of Thrones. That's not really a flex. It's an awesome show. I'll go even further and say it is an awesome book series. And House of the Dragon is great, too. If you've been dodging it all these years, you've really been doing yourself a disservice.
The Retro Blast
Podcast
It is such a treat listening to the host, Patrick Brickhouse, lead us on a walk down memory lane with each episode. Each episode is more of a love letter to retro gaming than anything else. I have so many shared memories and experiences with him. We are of a similar age and grew up in the same era of gaming. So many times as I listen to this podcast, I think "I thought I was the only one who thought/noticed that!"
If there was ever a "comfort" podcast in my rotation, this would be the one. I can just imagine sitting down by the fire as an old man someday and putting this on and listening to all the episodes in order again. If I ever make a podcast someday, I want it to be like The Retro Blast. I cannot speak its praises enough. If I had to offer one criticism, it is that there are not enough episodes. I am all caught up in real time now, and it is agonizing waiting a month or two for each new episode. I guess that is the price you pay for quality.
Special shout out to the Retrovaniacs podcast as well. I have to restrain myself from listening to episode after episode. I look forward to each one. I'm only on episode 64, and there is still a massive backlog of episodes for me to play through.
Twin Peaks
Television Series
Years passed. The Return came out. It also got rave reviews. I decided to give the series one more shot. This time, knowing what to expect, I liked it. I binged the two original seasons, the movie, and The Return. But now I didn't like The Return.
More years passed. People have continued to rave about The Return. I decided what the heck? I am going to come back and watch it all one last time. The two original seasons, the movie, and The Return. And I liked it all this time, even The Return. Still don't really understand it, but I liked it.
The original series is still the highlight for me. I had forgotten so much about it. It was almost like watching it for the first time, even though it was my third. And now that I knew what to expect from The Return, I was able to come into it with an open mind. I've been a David Lynch hater all my life, but I finally have to admit that the series is genius. A real work of art. I don't think I'll come back to it again in my life, but I'm glad I finally was able to stop being a hater and appreciate it for what it is.
Batman
TV/Movies/Games
I am just going to drop everything that falls under the Batman umbrella here. Mainly, my 2025 Batman experience consisted of bingeing through The Animated Series, which I loved as a kid. All these years later, it still holds up. The Mr. Freeze and Mask of Phantasm movies are great, too.
But it didn't stop there. I watched the new Caped Crusader series on Amazon Prime. It was a nice throwback to the old cartoon. I also watched Batman and Robin, the George Clooney Batman movie. Not expecting anything serious, I was able to put my feet up and enjoy it and have a good time, despite hating this movie in the past. And last but not least, I ended up playing through a few different Batman games. First was Batman Returns for the Game Gear. Then Batman: The Video Game for Game Boy. And then Arkham Origins for the PS3. It was a good Christmas game.
It was a big year for Batman in my household. I suspect 2026 won't be as good. I plan to watch the Pattinson movies and the Joker sequel. I've been dragging my feet on these for a long time.
Fantasy Football
Fantasy Football is probably going to make this list every year. It is one of the things I look forward to the most each year. Even when it is not in season, I do a lot of research on the rookies and potential breakout players. I listen to several podcasts, like The FF Dynasty and Fantasy Football Happy Hour. Not that it helps me much. I was in 7 leagues this year, and I may not win any titles. In fact, the only league I'm still alive in is my home dynasty league, which I screenshotted above.
As I write this, the last game of the season (Rams vs Falcons) is taking place. Will my team hang onto its 46 point lead, or will I walk away from this fantasy season winless in the title game for the second year in a row? I'll update this with the results later. But yeah. I love fantasy football. It probably occupied my mind more than any other thing you'll see on this list here in 2025.
(update: I won!)
From
Television Series
I was obsessed with this show for a good portion of 2025. I binged through all three seasons of it fairly quickly. It is one of those shows that is always introducing new mysteries and keeping your mind working. It is almost like a horror version of Lost.
The basic premise is that there is a group of strangers trapped in a town that they cannot escape from. When they try to leave, the road loops back around to the town. Monsters that imitate humans come out at night, and the strangers must hide from them or they will be killed. There's all kind of mysteries to uncover. What are these monsters? Why are these people here? Why can't they escape? Time travel even showed up as a concept in season 3. The show has a great ensemble cast, and it is one of those infinitely bingeable shows where you always want to start another episode when one ends.
If you haven't seen this show, you better get on it! I'm always trying to turn people onto From. It's one of my favorite shows of the modern era.
Survivor
Television Series
Survivor is a show that seems to make my list every year. Even though I don't love the current era of Survivor (seasons 48 and 49 aired in 2025), I still love Survivor as a whole.
The highlight of the year for me was Australia vs the World. It was a truly great, bingeworthy season of Survivor. I couldn't put it down. Most people I know only watch US Survivor. If you are a fan of the series at all, you NEED to watch Australian Survivor.
In addition to Australian Survivor, I've also slowly been rewatching the old US seasons. I'm up to season 33 now. I love these old seasons. They remind me how great the series used to be, and give me hope that it will return to glory someday. This itself is funny because as I was watching these old seasons originally, I considered them Survivor at its worst. Oh, how the times have changed. 2026 will bring us season 50 of the show, so hopefully seeing a bunch of returning players like Coach will help reinvigorate my interest in the US series.
The White Lotus
Television Series
Speaking of Survivor, here is a show with heavy Survivor ties. It was created by former Survivor player Mike White. It has several castaways in guest roles. Overall, it is a character driven show that tackles some societal issues while in a resort/vacation environment.
Like the other TV shows I've listed, this is an infinitely bingeable series. I was hooked from beginning to end. Season 1 is great. Season 2 is just as good (if not better). Season 3 is good, but not as great as the original seasons. If you've heard of this show, but haven't taken the plunge yet, I encourage you to. The acting and the cast alone should be enough to convince you. Murray Bartlett as Armond is one of the greatest performances I've ever seen. And throw in a bunch of other greats like Steve Zahn, Sydney Sweeney, Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Alexandria Daddario, Jennifer Coolidge, and Connie Britton, and you've got yourself a heck of an ensemble cast.
It's an anthology show, so you don't need to have seen one season to enjoy the others. But season 3 does bring up some stuff from season 1, so I would just advise watching them in order. As long as you just watch it, that's all I care about.
Yellowjackets
TV Series
Yellowjackets is everything I like in a TV show. It's got a big ensemble cast, it has interesting characters, it has a plot that keeps you guessing, it has mysteries with many layers. Similar to From, it is another "horror" show that is infinitely bingeable.
I watched seasons two and three in 2025. I had seen season one in 2024 (in fact, it made my list last year). Season 1 is peak TV. Season 2 is almost as good. Season 3 it starts to decline a little bit. It starts to become too ridiculous to believe. But there were some fun plot reveals that make me look forward to season 4.
Oh yeah, what's the show about? A girl's soccer team crashes in a remote location. The survivors may or may not resort to eating each other. The show flashes back and forth between the events on the island, and the survivors as adults. It is clear there is some type of mysterious thing that happened that the survivors are conspiring to keep quiet. I hate to make this lazy comparison a second time, but it is like a scary version of Lost.
This is another show I recommend to anyone who has actually made it this far reading my post.
The Last of Us
Video Game/TV Series
Later on in the year, I would go on to play through the second game. I didn't even really intend to. I was randomly scrolling the PS Network one day, looking for a game to play. I saw this included with my subscription, and I thought: "I'm going to play that." I didn't even have to think about it for a second.
I've played this in the past. I liked it, but didn't like it as much as the first one. I liked it a lot more this time around, though. In fact, I loved it. It is much better than the second season of the show, that is for sure. I really became attached to the characters and the world of the game, and I was sad when it ended. Just like Billy Idol, I wanted more more more. This may be an unpopular opinion but I do believe the second game is every bit as good as the first. The first time I played through this, I didn't think so. But I've changed my mind. Great game series overall.
Raised By Wolves
TV Series
Well, would you look at that? Another television series. I can't help that I watched so much good stuff in 2025. Now, I want you to know that I've seen this already. I really liked it the first time around, but that was back in 2020 or 2021 when my kid was a baby. I was very, very distracted. I wanted to come back and watch things more closely now that my life has settled down a bit. It's always interesting watching something when you know what is going to happen as well, and looking for hints and foreshadowing.
The show is even better the second time around. I swear, many times I thought to myself: "Is this the best sci-fi show I've ever seen?" It is truly peak sci-fi, and peak television in general. I was going to offer a brief recap so that I could convince people who have never seen it before to watch it, but I don't feel as if I could truly do it justice without sitting here for three hours and going into way too much detail. It would take forever.
If you like science fiction, you'd probably like this. It has great atmosphere. Ridley Scott had a hand in this, so picture the vague vibe of the first Alien movie. In fact, this entire series has an odd Alien vibe to it, even though it isn't related to the series. It feels so much like it is. The ships feel like Alien ships. There are androids with white blood. You could easily see it being part of the Alien universe. Anyway, I loved it. And I am sad that it did not get more seasons. That's really the only bad thing about it: its abrupt cancelation.
The Leftovers
TV Series
For those not familiar, the show revolves around a fictional event known as "The Sudden Departure" where 2% of the world's population just blinks out of existence with no warning whatsoever. Poof. Gone. But it is not really about the event itself; the how or why of what happened. The series has a more ground level approach, dealing with the grief and the aftermath regarding the event. It mainly deals with the Garvey family and how it is splintered by the Departure, even though they did not lose anyone. And it brings in other characters like Nora, who lost her husband and all of her kids in the Departure. This is very much a character driven experience. Expect the show to try to make you cry early and often. You always know it is coming when you hear the music start to queue up.
I loved the show the first time I watched it several years ago. The second time was just as good, if not better. I remember being really confused by the Kevin Garvey side of things with the dreams and the Jesus parallels the first time I watched this. But this time around, I just went with it, man.
I feel like if there ever was to be a show that is mandatory viewing, this should be it. Again, if you have read this far on my post and you have not seen The Leftovers, you need to go out and see it.
The Challenge
TV Series
The Challenge has made my list for three years in a row now, and it will probably continue to for several more years as well. There are a ton of seasons to watch! I started at the end, and have been slowly working my way back in time towards the beginning. I'm "up to" season 32 now. And then I'll watch 31, then 30, etc. I am doing this because a lot of the early seasons are extremely difficult to find online. I'm hoping that by the time I get to them, they will be easier for me to watch.
I'll admit, this is easily the "trashiest" thing in my TV rotation. It's a lot of people hooking up. It's a lot of drinking and fighting. A lot of yelling and screaming, and people being overly dramatic. The people on this show are crazy. Are they really like this or just playing it up for TV?
I was initially drawn to this because I know that Survivor and Big Brother players often make it onto the show. It's been interesting seeing people like Josh, Michele, Paulie, Da'Vonne, Dee, Kacy, and other Survivor/BB players playing this crazy game. The Challenge has its own eccentric cast of originals like CT, Bananas, Nany, Turbo, Cara Maria, Devin, Tori, Aneesa, Ashley, etc. These guys play very often, some of them every single season. It's not like Survivor or BB, where players only come back occasionally or rarely. These people make a living being on the Challenge over and over again. And it creates a lot of drama between the players, as they are a lot more personally connected than players would be on other shows.
Again, it is probably the trashiest thing I watch. But I don't care. It's an endlessly addicting show, and there is just TONS of Challenge content out there. I've been watching this for almost three full years, and I still have 30 plus seasons to watch. I love this show and I am not ashamed to admit it.
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Things that did not quite make the cut:
Collateral Gaming/Cinema podcast
The Cartridge Club podcast
The Devil's Plan series
Doom games
Fargo series and movie
ET movie
Silo series
Bridge to Terabithia movie
Pluribus series
Staff Picks podcast
Tomb Raider games
Squid Game: The Challenge
Mass Effect game
The Fugitive movie
The Losers Club podcast
The Amazing Race series
The Traitors series
X-Men movie series
Far Cry 4 game
Planet of the Apes movie series
Phantom Menace movie and PS1 game
Dune movie series
Ice Age: Scrat's Nutty Adventure game
For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click
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