With summer slowly drawing to a close, there’s still plenty of time to make the most of those final warm days, but not everyone will be sad to see the heat go. If you’ve spent the season counting down to cooler temperatures, staying indoors and finally catching up on your Netflix watchlist might sound far more appealing than heading outside. And if you’ve been putting off a few shows all summer, now could be the perfect excuse to settle in and start watching.
Netflix’s lineup is constantly changing, with new shows landing on the service every week, so there’s no shortage of options if you’re looking for something to watch. But with so much to choose from, deciding what to start next can be easier said than done. That’s why I’ve narrowed it down to three Netflix shows that deserve a spot on your watchlist.
That includes the newest (and final) season of an action-adventure teen drama, a tense crime thriller about tracking down a serial killer, and an original spin-off series set in the same universe as “Interview with the Vampire.” If you’re looking for something new to watch on Netflix this weekend, start with these three series.
‘Outer Banks’
The biggest Netflix release this week is “Outer Banks,” which just dropped its fifth and final season. As one of Netflix’s long-running global hits, particularly among its teen and young-adult audience, it certainly feels like the end of an era. And with a strong chance of it reaching No. 1 over the weekend, I expect plenty of viewers will be returning to binge the series from the beginning. Rather than a typical high school drama, the series is more like a modern “Goonies” or “National Treasure.”
Season 5 picks up in Morocco, with John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) left to mourn their friend. With Chandler Groff still on the run, the Pogues set out to track him down and reclaim the stolen treasure (J. Anthony Crane). Their journey takes them into another dangerous race, with Dalia (Pollyanna McIntosh) and the Corsairs also pursuing the crown and the Kooks making it difficult for them to return home. Rafe (Drew Starkey) joins the group in an uneasy alliance as they chase Groff and fight to secure their future.
Watch "Outer Banks" seasons 5 on Netflix now
‘Blood Sacrifice’
“Blood Sacrifice” is a Swedish five-part crime thriller, created and written by George Kay, the British writer behind streaming hits like “Lupin” and “Hijack.” The series appears to focus heavily on institutional panic, exploring what happens when a department begins to unravel after its own emergency protocols are turned against the people tasked with responding to a crisis. Netflix’s non-English-language shows don’t always get the recognition they deserve, so hopefully this one gets a real chance to hook viewers.
The series begins when two police officers are sent to investigate a reported home invasion at a summer house in the Stockholm archipelago. The officers arrive to find no sign of an intruder, but their bodies are discovered the following day. As more police officers become victims, Detective Thomas Berg (Jakob Oftebro) takes charge of the investigation and struggles to identify the person behind the killings. With few leads, Thomas turns to his estranged father, Alfred (Peter Andersson), a retired detective, for help.
Watch "Blood Sacrifice" on Netflix now
‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’
Anne Rice’s “Talamasca: The Secret Order” is a supernatural spy thriller series that serves as the third installment in AMC’s expanding “Immortal Universe,” following “Interview with the Vampire” and “Mayfair Witches.” The show expands the franchise beyond direct book adaptations, taking an original, procedural approach. In Rice’s literary lore, the Talamasca is a secret organization that monitors vampires, witches, spirits, and other supernatural beings, with the series positioning the group as a connective link between the franchise’s other stories.
Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton) is a young lawyer who is recruited by the Talamasca, a secret organization tasked with monitoring supernatural beings around the world, including vampires and witches. After learning that the group has been watching him since childhood, Guy leaves his old life behind and begins training as an undercover agent. His first assignment takes him to London, where he must investigate the mysterious Jasper (William Fichtner) and uncover what is happening inside the Talamasca’s London headquarters.
Watch "Talamasca: The Secret Order" on Netflix from Aug. 23
