Menstrual Delights: Best TV Shows to Watch When You're on Your Period

Yep, it’s that time again. It seems like your Red Sea just parted last week, but now you are back in your kayak and riding it again. Why not pair up with your best buddies and have a little TV time to calm your condition? No matter what your feels are, I have the perfect pairing of TV shows to go with your flow.

Chillin’ with my girls

Sometimes, I just need a woman’s perspective. It is in those moments I hit up Chick Hyperdrive on my favorites button. The New Girl has been one of my favorite shows since it aired, especially so when I am feeling a bit puny in the pantaloons. Zooey Deschanel’s Jess Day is the truth, every other character is hilarious and unique, and one day I am going to figure out how to play True American, the gang’s favorite drinking game/history lesson/human Candy Land. Now if doe-eyed comedy is not your flavor tonight, and you feel like kicking a little ass, Jessica Jones

Want to kick it a little old school? I showed up late to the Gossip Girl party and devoured it on Netflix like a bulldozer of Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups. I wanted to hate it, but it got me. The constant push and pull between Blaire and Serena. The smoldering lust between Blaire and Chuck (Chuck Bass, I love you) had me in suspense. And then there is Dan, the budding writer with his twenty-five cent words and desire to both not fit in, but be prom king reminds me fondly of my high school buddy, Sean. After power watching season after season, I went into mourning when I came to the (disappointing) last episode. But Sweet Sally, it got me through at least two cycles where I couldn’t even think about biological functioning.

The Yum-Yums

When my uterus is thumping in the not so comfy way, I like to self-medicate with my TV boyfriends who make it hum in a happy way. Save money on Pamprin by settling in with Ray Donovan. Liev Schreiber, well, he’s Liev Schrieber, and he plays the title character. He’s tall, intense, and wicked hot. The show’s writing gets better every episode and has a great supporting cast. But I would just like to say again, Liev Schrieber.

Lucifer has also caught my nether regions in a choke-hold with its Brit-accented, bad boy playing none other than the Devil himself. He’s clever, he’s quick, and he’s missing clothing frequently. While I am not in love with the female lead, all the other characters are well-drawn and are just as interesting as Mephistopheles. I would like to thank the wardrobe designer of this show for not being so picky about the male characters and shirt (pant) wearing.

Finally, when I want a buffet of man-lovelies to turn my lady parts into my own internal heating pad, I turn to Sons of Anarchy. There is something for everybody here. If you like a Hamletian biker with a soulful stare and multitudes of inner conflict, Jax is for you. Tall and lumberjackish your type? Look no further than my personal soulmate, Opie. Hot body mandatory? Try out Juice. Again, the writing is phenomenal, and hey, every girl likes a bad boy. Why just choose one?

The Circle of Life (and the Afterlife)

Occasionally, my monthly condition makes me think about life and what is important. Depending on the day, it changes. Sometimes it is family, and honestly, sometimes it is Thai food. But for these moments, I have a few friends in these TV shows.

I love Blackish. I love everything about it. It’s not only unrelentingly funny, but it goes to a deeper social consciousness. There are heart and head in its brilliance. I also have a festering girl crush on Tracee Ellis Ross (finally in a prime time role that truly shows her comedic genius) and am in sick envy of her clothes and hair. Another family-centered show I didn’t think I would like, but now am addicted to is This is Us. At times the characters can be annoying, but damn it, you can’t help but root for them. It works in a quasi-flashback way that is done well and gives you insight into the characters at different times in their lives. The sentimental reason I love it is it talks about making the family, the life, and the identity that is unique to you and standing up to those who would fit you in a Jello mold of their making.

Speaking of life, The Good Place is the most interesting look at life after death that I have seen since Defending your Life. If you have ever felt like you screwed up a party by attending, imagine wrecking heaven with your mere presence. Kristen Bell’s portrayal of Eleanor, a woman who should not have ended up in heaven but did by a weird coincidence, is both funny, endearing, and eye-opening. It makes you think about how we as a people qualify good and bad behavior. It also makes you think about how you would design your perfect heaven if you were the architect (mine would include Liev Schreiber, surprise). A guest cameo by Adam Scott also makes the most recent episode beyond amazing.

Snuggle in with your favorite comfy sweats, pizza, and a vat of wine and enjoy a little girl’s night in time.