Whether you’re in the mood for an escapist steam-punk journey to faraway lands, a light-hearted mystery with a genius cleaning lady, or an eye-opening tale of tech-startup fraud, Hulu provideth.
Just in time for your weekend binge, these three hand-picked Hulu TV shows can easily be scarfed in one or two sittings, leaving you time to still enjoy the summer sun.
3
Washington Black
Release Year
2025
Seasons
1
Episodes
8
Overall Running Time
8 hours
Status
Ongoing
If you’re looking to get lost this weekend on a globe-trotting binge and tag along, through thick and thin, with a cast of authentic and heartfelt characters, Hulu’s latest exclusive Original series Washington Black charmed me, and it will charm you, too.
Based on the beloved bestselling novel of the same name by Esi Edugyan, we’re transported back to the 19th century to follow the life of the extraordinary titular young man, George Washington “Wash” Black (Ernest Kingsley Jr.). We first meet the young, brilliant inventor in 1937 Halifax, where he’s busy trying to change the world with his designs.
But soon, the story takes us back and forth in time as we learn of Wash’s tumultuous journey—from escaping his enslavement on a Barbados sugar plantation to making his way to Canada—to the people he meets along the way, including the brilliant inventor Christopher “Titch” Wilde (Tom Ellis), and Tanna Goff (Iola Evans), a young Black aristocrat who is hiding her identity by passing as a white woman. Series producer Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us, Paradise) also stars as Wash’s friend and mentor, Medwin.
Washington Black looks and feels like an adventure epic that harkens back to classics like Around the World in 80 Days, with a more steampunk modern flare and occasional dark turn like in that of His Dark Materials. Over the series’ eight episodes, you’ll ride on fantastic floating airships, schooners, and other imaginative vehicles, and traverse over dreamy landscapes, the high seas, and locales like glowing waters filled with bioluminescence. It’s also a series with a poignant message of love and perseverance that doesn’t shy away from looking at our past.
Related
10 Epic Historical Fiction Series to Binge This Summer
Immerse yourself in the world of swords and sandals with these unforgettable historical fiction series.
2
High Potential
Release Year
2024
Seasons
1
Episodes
14
Overall Running Time
9 hours 20 mins
Status
Ongoing
Stumbling upon High Potential was a happy accident, and couldn’t have come at a better time. I was roughly six seasons in to bingeing the disgustingly hilarious It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a show I think rides on the shoulders of my favorite character, Sweet Dee, played to pathetic perfection by the brilliant Kaitlin Olson. As much as I love Dee, it’s refreshing to see Olson play a character so unlike her, and own it.
Morgan Gillroy is a single mom working her butt off as a night-shift cleaning lady at an LAPD precinct. One night, while dusting and dancing her way around the office, she knocks a case file off a desk in the Major Crimes’ war room, spilling the photos and paperwork everywhere. As she cleans it up, we discover Morgan’s secret—she’s a “high-potential intellectual,” instantly spotting the flaws in the murder case and making some tweaks to their evidence board.
Morgan’s tampering is caught on security camera, which enrages detective, Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), but lead detective Daphne Forrester (Javicia Leslie) is so impressed she hires the reluctant Morgan as a consultant.
Olson plays Morgan with a sassy confidence (and wardrobe) that Sweet Dee could only dream of, balanced nicely by Karadec’s by-the-book gumshoeing. The odd-couple partnering makes for a humorous dynamic, as Morgan keeps showing up the seasoned detective while flaunting her straight-talking techniques and leopard-print furs.
Related
These Are My 10 Favorite Episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The Gang doesn’t need your trophies or your gold, but these episodes do!
1
The Dropout
Release Year
2022
Seasons
1
Episodes
8
Overall Running Time
7 hours 20 minutes
Status
Ended
Amanda Seyfried is absolutely chilling as Theranos CEO, and Steve Jobs-wannabe, Elizabeth Holmes in the Emmy Award-winning limited series The Dropout. Not only is she chilling in her embodiment of Holmes’ physical traits—from her pursed-lipped way of talking (especially to herself in the mirror) to her black-turtlenecked attire—but in her manic desperation to reach the unicorn, “change-the-world” status of Silicon Valley tech bros, no matter the cost.
But let’s back up. If you haven’t seen it, The Dropout chronicles the meteoric rise and cinder-block fall of Holmes, a Stanford dropout who conned the entire tech world with the promise of a revolutionary blood testing device that could instantly screen for everything from cancer and high cholesterol to diabetes and STDs, from just a few drops of blood. Problem was, it didn’t work. It never worked. And she knew it. Her medical startup, Theranos, run by her and her lover, Sunny Balwani (Naveen Andrews) bilked investors out of millions, and the pair were eventually tried and convicted of fraud.
Told over eight stunning hour-long episodes, the audience gets to bare witness to Holmes’ tragic journey from an ambitious young woman, teeming with potential, as she unravels under the pressure of making a name for herself in the male-dominated club of tech giants. Seyfried won a Lead Actress Emmy for her portrayal of Holmes, with the series also netting four other nominations.
Related
5 Must-See Movies to Watch on Hulu This Week (July 21 – 27)
From animated Predators to a biopic of a folk legend, these Hulu movies will get you through the week.
Hulu’s lineup of weekend-worthy TV shows is constantly changing, with titles coming and going each month. Sifting through the fluff can be challenging, but these three Hullu series are easy candidates for time well spent, and you can easily knock them off in a day, two, or even spilled into the week.
