SAN ANTONIO – This summer, I watched a total of eight TV shows, ranging from reality to drama to action, and I am eager to share my thoughts about each one.

If you know me, you know I love a good dinner and a show, especially after a long day. Watching TV shows as past pastime activity has been ingrained into my lifestyle since I was born. My family loved watching shows together every evening, especially competitive reality shows. I remember when Amazing Race was so huge in our household that we would place our bets during the first episode on which couple we thought would win. After the finale, if anyone’s couple won, we would be treated to our favorite meal at our favorite restaurant. So, believe me when I say TV shows are a huge thing in my life.

This summer, I had less free time than in past summers, but somehow I still managed to fit over 150 hours of TV into my busy schedule. My summer officially started May 8, my college graduation day, so I will be sharing shows that I have watched since then, including my favorite rewatches, new seasons, and a brand new series.

  1. Queer Eye – If you haven’t had a chance to watch this reality makeover show, you need to. The Fab Five doesn’t simply invade someone’s life and leave. The guys create genuine connections with their show guests and make sure they are set up for success beyond the week the Fab Five is there. Season nine premiered on Dec. 11, 2024, right when I was in the midst of winter break and the start of my last semester. However, I loved that I ended up watching it later because this season’s location was in Las Vegas, the perfect summer setting. The season starts off with a bang by helping a retired Las Vegas showgirl rediscover her spark, which will get your tears flowing fast. Queer Eye is one of the best feel-good, low-stakes reality shows out there, so if you’re looking for a show that you can relax and watch with friends or family, this is the one.
  2. America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders – I have to admit, I didn’t jump on the initial trend in 2024 of season one of this reality show. However, I finally understood the hype once season two premiered this year on June 18. From the first episode, I was hooked. The style of filming that the show has is more documentary style, which makes it more dramatic and intriguing. The cameras followed the entire 2023 DCC season, starting with Kelli Finglass, the director of the DCC, sorting through online auditions all the way until the return of uniforms before the next season’s auditions. I didn’t know much about the DCC process, but I thought I had an idea from watching other cheerleading shows. However, the DCC is on another level of hard work, dedication, and blood, sweat, and tears.
  3. Squid Game – This is another series that I, unfortunately, did not understand the hype of when the first season premiered. In my defense, I used to be so bad at watching violent shows, but Squid Game’s plot was too good. Squid Game became a world-renowned series almost immediately after its release, so the third season that premiered this summer on June 27 was one of the most anticipated final seasons on Netflix. After watching it, I had mixed emotions. I thought the ending didn’t give the main character, Gi-hun, the justice he deserved, and the flow of the season was very up and down. Nothing can beat its first season, but I had hoped for the series to be wrapped up in a nice bow. Instead, it has been unraveled into a Squid Game universe.
  4. The Summer I Turned Pretty – The first season of this show will always have a special place in my heart because the main conflict is something that I relate to on a personal level. Plus, it made me sob like a baby, so any show that makes me cry like that will always be in my favorites. The third season is currently airing on Prime Video with one episode a week, and it has divided our generation into two. If you haven’t watched the show, it is about a love triangle between two brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad, and their family friend, Isabel. Personally, I am Team Conrad and proudly so. Yes, he has his issues, but I can not accept Jeremiah being Belly’s (Isabel’s nickname) girlfriend. People thought our generation was crazy for Love Island, but we are even crazier for Jenny Han’s plot lines.
  5. Good Boy – Along with Squid Game, I got hooked on the addictive genre that is a K-drama. Everything from romance to comedy to action to mystery to thriller, K-dramas have it all. This new series, Good Boy, stars Park Bo-gum as a police officer who is determined to take down a wealthy, well-connected villain in the city. If you haven’t delved into the K-drama world, this series would be such a good one to be introduced to, as it’s the perfect mix of action, comedy, and romance.
  6. Friends – I will be forever rewatching this series. It is my all-time favorite show ever, and it is my number one comfort show that I will always choose to put on when I am having a bad day. This summer, it acted as my filler show while I found another series to watch, or if I wanted to watch something quick while I ate a meal. The last episode I watched was “The One Where They All Turn Thirty”, which shows Rachel’s 30th birthday, and then there are multiple flashbacks of each person’s 30th birthday. My favorite moment of that episode is Monica’s 30th Birthday when she comes home totally drunk from drinks with her co-workers, but is met with a fancy birthday party. Hilarious.
  7. Sex and the City – Another series I started to rewatch this summer was Sex and the City, which will never fail to make me want to live in New York City, have my own newspaper column, and buy expensive designer clothes. Carrie Bradshaw is an infamous character on television for a good reason. Her life is a roller coaster, and I’m glad I get to watch from the sidelines because the drama in her life is not desirable. However, as a woman, it’s a great series to watch in your twenties and thirties because it always manages to make me feel empowered and inspired.
  8. Abbott Elementary – Finally, my last TV show that I rewatched this summer was the witty sitcom, Abbott Elementary. I’ve rewatched this series every time a new season premieres, and I just have to say, Quinta Brunson is a comedy genius. I always tell people it is an elementary school version of The Office, but in my books, it’s even better. The comedic timing, the side-eyes to the camera, and the intense relatability to real teacher life are executed perfectly. Both of my parents were teachers, and a lot of my friends want to become teachers, so it’s one of those shows that you can connect and laugh with anyone about.

The sign that a TV show is good is when you keep thinking about it for weeks or even months after finishing it. All eight of these shows had that impact on me this summer.