Alright y’all… top rated TV shows on Netflix and Hulu are currently destroying my sleep schedule and I’m not even mad about it.
It’s 3:17 a.m. in my tiny apartment somewhere in the American Midwest (okay fine maybe it’s closer to the rust belt), the only light is coming from my 55-inch TV that’s way too bright, there’s a half-dead Monster Energy can sweating on the table, and I’m on episode 7 of something that’s making me cry and laugh at the exact same time. This is my current life. And honestly? I wouldn’t trade it.
So here we go — my very personal, probably flawed, definitely sleep-deprived ranking of some of the top rated TV shows Netflix Hulu has right now (as of early 2026). These are the ones that are getting insane critic scores + people won’t shut up about them on group chats.
And yeah, the Monster Energy can is basically a character in this story — condensation and all:
Catfish Fever – BayouLife
The Absolute Must-Watch Gods-Tier (95%+ on Rotten Tomatoes / universal obsession)
- The Pitt (Max — but people keep saying it’s the spiritual successor to peak ER and everyone’s pirating it anyway… don’t @ me)
- Adolescence (Netflix) — British coming-of-age that hits like a truck
- The Studio (Apple TV+ but Hulu has the vibes) — Seth Rogen + Hollywood satire = chef’s kiss
- Dying for Sex (Hulu/FX) — Michelle Williams just casually breaking hearts every episode
- The Last of Us Season 2 (HBO/Max — again, vibes are everywhere)
Starting with The Pitt (Max) — the spiritual successor to peak ER, starring Noah Wyle in intense, real-time medical chaos that’s got everyone hooked (and apparently pirating anyway… vibes):
Next up, Adolescence (Netflix) — the British coming-of-age drama that hits like an emotional freight train:
Adolescence Poster | Netflix Series | TV Show Wall Art | Wall …
Then The Studio (Apple TV+) — Seth Rogen delivering razor-sharp Hollywood satire perfection:
The Studio: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes
Don’t sleep on Dying for Sex (Hulu/FX) — Michelle Williams absolutely shattering hearts in this powerful, raw limited series:
Watch Dying for Sex Streaming Online | Hulu
And of course, The Last of Us Season 2 (HBO/Max) — the post-apocalyptic vibes are inescapable, with the tension cranked to 11:
The Last of Us’ season 2 gets premiere date, new character posters …
The “I Binge These Illegally Fast” Tier (currently melting brains on Netflix & Hulu)
- Black Mirror Season 7 (Netflix) — the “Hotel Reverie” episode had me staring at the wall for 40 minutes after
- The Bear Season 4 (Hulu/FX) — Carmy’s spiral is now my personality
- Nobody Wants This Season 2 (Netflix) — Kristen Bell + Adam Brody chemistry is criminal
- Poker Face Season 2 (Peacock but Hulu crowd loves it)
- Severance Season 2 (Apple TV+ — but again… you know)
I finished The Bear S4 in like 36 hours and then cried in my kitchen while making instant ramen because I felt attacked. True story. My therapist is gonna hear about this next week.
The “I Tell Everyone They Need to Watch This” Tier
- Shōgun (still reigning, Hulu has the extended cuts now)
- Slow Horses S5 (Apple — Gary Oldman yelling is my love language)
- Andor S2 (Disney+ but the discourse is on Hulu comment sections somehow)
- The White Lotus S3 (Hulu — Thailand chaos incoming)
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (animated but stupid good, Hulu kids section stealing it)
Look… I know some of these aren’t technically only on Netflix or Hulu. But in my world, if the group chat is screaming about it and someone has a Hulu login I can borrow at 1 a.m., it counts as top rated TV shows Netflix Hulu energy. Sue me.
The Guilty Pleasure / “I’m Ashamed But I’m Not Stopping” Corner
- The Waterfront (Netflix — S1 was trashy perfection)
- Sirens (Netflix — Meghann Fahy supremacy)
- Forever (Netflix — that damn Maya Hawke smile)
- Dept. Q (Netflix — Matthew Goode doing crime drama British accent? Yes please)
I watched three episodes of Sirens while eating cold pizza at 4 a.m. and then texted my ex “we need to talk about how toxic we were” at 4:42 a.m. Do better? Maybe. Will I? Probably not.
If you want more details about literally any of these top rated TV shows on Netflix and Hulu, just yell at me in the comments. I have extremely strong opinions and zero chill left.