{"id":578463,"date":"2026-08-01T07:09:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T07:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/578463\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T07:09:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T07:09:12","slug":"3-great-netflix-shows-to-binge-watch-this-weekend-july-31-august-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/578463\/","title":{"rendered":"3 great Netflix shows to binge-watch this weekend (July 31-August 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

While Will Ferrell’s golf comedy The Hawk, Josh Duhamel’s ranch drama Ransom Canyon, and WWE’s Raw float around in Netflix<\/a>‘s top spots as we approach the end of the month this weekend, if you’re a U.S. subscriber looking for something worth adding to your watchlist, I have a few suggestions you might like.<\/p>\n

The first is a French action juggernaut that’s a surprise global hit, the second is a month-old live-action fantasy adventure that’s still got all the, er, elements, and my top pick is a little show about nothing that might be gone in a couple of months, so you’d best start binging as it could take a while.<\/p>\n

3 <\/p>\n

Elite Force<\/p>\n

France’s elite tactical unit faces its deadliest threat<\/p>\n

This French action thriller series became one of the summer’s biggest surprise hits, hitting No. 1 on the Netflix worldwide rankings within a day of its release this month. The country is no stranger to excellent action, thriller, and espionage series, with hits like Lupin and Le Bureau des L\u00e9gendes, and Elite Force<\/a> fits well among them.<\/p>\n

Originally titled GIGN, Elite Force comes from the team behind another gritty French crime hit on Netflix, Ganglands, and was made with the help of France’s actual elite tactical team, which adds an extra layer of realism to the show. The series follows David (Tomer Sisley, Balthazar), a senior officer who’s done his time and is looking forward to retirement, when a violent attack on his squad’s home base keeps him on the job to find out who’s behind it. Further complicating things is Max (Tristan Zanchi), a hotheaded new recruit who doesn’t like to follow orders and who also happens to be David’s godson\u2014and the son of a fallen colleague whose death David still feels responsible for.<\/p>\n

The action is packed, and the explosions and low-flying choppers are plentiful. All six 50-ish-minute episodes of season one are streaming on Netflix.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"How-ToQuiz<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t8 Questions \u00b7 Test Your Knowledge
\n\t\t\t\tBest Netflix action shows
Trivia challenge<\/p>\n

From drug lords to samurai \u2014 test how well you know Netflix’s biggest action
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tand thriller hits.<\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCharactersPlotOriginsCastingSettings \n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Begin<\/p>\n

\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/p>\n

Narcos is primarily based on the real-life rise and fall of which infamous drug
\n\t\t\t\t\tlord?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t <\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tAAmado Carrillo FuentesBPablo EscobarCEl Chapo Guzm\u00e1nDMiguel \u00c1ngel F\u00e9lix Gallardo \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Correct! Narcos seasons 1 and 2 chronicle the life of Pablo Escobar, the
\n\t\t\t\tColombian cocaine kingpin who built the Medell\u00edn Cartel into a billion-dollar empire. His story was so
\n\t\t\t\tcompelling that the show later spawned the spin-off Narcos: Mexico.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not quite \u2014 the answer is Pablo Escobar. While other cartel leaders like
\n\t\t\t\tEl Chapo appear in related Netflix productions, the original Narcos centers squarely on Escobar’s rise
\n\t\t\t\tto power in Colombia during the 1970s\u201390s.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/p>\n

In Lupin, what is the name of the gentleman thief played by Omar Sy, who is inspired
\n\t\t\t\t\tby the fictional Ars\u00e8ne Lupin?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t <\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tAAssane DiopBGabriel MoreauCMalik Tour\u00e9DChristophe Pellier \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Correct! Assane Diop is the modern-day master of disguise at the heart
\n\t\t\t\tof Lupin. His obsession with Maurice Leblanc’s fictional thief Ars\u00e8ne Lupin began in childhood when his
\n\t\t\t\tfather gifted him one of the books, setting him on a path to seek justice.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not quite \u2014 the correct answer is Assane Diop. Omar Sy’s character uses
\n\t\t\t\tthe classic stories of Ars\u00e8ne Lupin as a playbook, combining charm, disguise, and wit to outmaneuver his
\n\t\t\t\tenemies throughout the series.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/p>\n

In The Night Agent, protagonist Peter Sutherland works for which U.S. government
\n\t\t\t\t\tagency before being drawn into a conspiracy?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t <\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tAThe CIABThe NSACThe FBIDThe Secret Service \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Correct! Peter Sutherland is an FBI agent assigned to a mundane watch
\n\t\t\t\tdesk in the White House when a late-night phone call thrusts him into a deadly conspiracy. The show
\n\t\t\t\tbecame one of Netflix’s most-watched English-language series ever.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not quite \u2014 Peter works for the FBI. Despite being stationed in the
\n\t\t\t\tWhite House, his role starts as routine night-shift monitoring before escalating into a high-stakes
\n\t\t\t\tthriller involving a mole at the highest levels of the U.S. government.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/p>\n

In which country is the Netflix thriller series Elite set, following students at an
\n\t\t\t\t\texclusive private school?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t <\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tAItalyBFranceCSpainDPortugal \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Correct! Elite is set in Spain at the fictional Las Encinas, one of the
\n\t\t\t\tcountry’s most prestigious private schools. The Spanish-language series blends murder mystery with
\n\t\t\t\tsocial class drama and quickly became a global hit for Netflix.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not quite \u2014 Elite is set in Spain. The show follows three working-class
\n\t\t\t\tstudents who receive scholarships to the elite Las Encinas academy, where clashes with wealthy
\n\t\t\t\tclassmates quickly turn deadly and scandalous.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/p>\n

Blue Eye Samurai is set in which historical period of Japanese history?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t <\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tAThe Sengoku periodBThe Edo periodCThe Meiji eraDThe Heian period \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Correct! Blue Eye Samurai is set during Japan’s Edo period, a time when
\n\t\t\t\tthe country was closed to foreigners under the sakoku policy. The show’s protagonist Mizu, born of a
\n\t\t\t\tJapanese mother and a European father, navigates a world that has no place for someone like her.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not quite \u2014 the correct answer is the Edo period. This era of Japanese
\n\t\t\t\thistory, roughly 1603\u20131868, is notable for its strict isolationist policies, which form a central
\n\t\t\t\ttension in Blue Eye Samurai as mixed-heritage protagonist Mizu seeks revenge.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/p>\n

Which actor plays the lead role of Monkey D. Luffy in Netflix’s live-action
\n\t\t\t\t\tadaptation of One Piece?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t <\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tAMackenyuBJacob Romero GibsonCI\u00f1aki GodoyDTaz Skylar \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Correct! Mexican actor I\u00f1aki Godoy plays the rubber-bodied pirate Monkey
\n\t\t\t\tD. Luffy in Netflix’s live-action One Piece. His energetic and charming performance was widely praised
\n\t\t\t\tby fans of the original manga and anime as a faithful and fun interpretation.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not quite \u2014 I\u00f1aki Godoy plays Luffy. The other actors are also part of
\n\t\t\t\tthe main cast: Mackenyu plays Zoro, Jacob Romero Gibson plays Usopp, and Taz Skylar plays Sanji, making
\n\t\t\t\tup the core Straw Hat crew.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/p>\n

In Cobra Kai, which classic 1984 film does the series directly continue the story
\n\t\t\t\t\tof?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t <\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tAThe Karate Kid Part IIBThe Karate KidCBloodsportDNo Retreat, No Surrender \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Correct! Cobra Kai picks up decades after the events of the original
\n\t\t\t\t1984 Karate Kid film, revisiting the rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. The show
\n\t\t\t\tbrilliantly recontextualizes the original movie by giving Johnny a more sympathetic perspective.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not quite \u2014 the answer is The Karate Kid from 1984. Cobra Kai revisits
\n\t\t\t\tthe All Valley Karate Tournament rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, exploring what
\n\t\t\t\thappened to both characters in the years since their famous final match.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/p>\n

In The Gentlemen, the protagonist Guy Ritchie’s series follows aristocrats entangled
\n\t\t\t\t\tin a drug empire primarily set in which country?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t <\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tAScotlandBIrelandCEnglandDAustralia \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Correct! The Netflix series The Gentlemen, inspired by Guy Ritchie’s
\n\t\t\t\t2019 film, is set across the English countryside and London, following an aristocratic family who
\n\t\t\t\tdiscover their inherited estate is at the center of a vast marijuana empire. The show blends sharp
\n\t\t\t\tBritish wit with stylish crime drama.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not quite \u2014 the answer is England. The series leans heavily into British
\n\t\t\t\taristocratic culture and the English countryside, with the stately home at its heart serving as the
\n\t\t\t\tunlikely hub of an underground drug operation worth hundreds of millions of pounds.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

See My Score<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\tChallenge Complete
\n\t\t\t\tYour Score<\/p>\n

\/ 8<\/p>\n

Thanks for playing!<\/p>\n

Try Again \n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t <\/p>\n

2 <\/p>\n

Avatar: The Last Airbender<\/p>\n

The live-action epic returns for a sweeping second season<\/p>\n

As a fan of the Nickelodeon animated Avatar series (2005-2008) that I watched with my daughter, I was skeptical that a live-action version of the beloved show was necessary. But after checking out the first season of Netflix\u2019s offering, which blew up the charts, drawing a reported 21-plus million viewers in its opening weekend, I was hooked.<\/p>\n

Season two of Avatar: The Last Airbender <\/a>roared back on June 25th, and while it didn\u2019t hit quite the opening numbers as season one, it still made the No. 2 spot on Netflix\u2019s chart. For the uninitiated, the series is set in a world split into four nations where certain people can manipulate the elements\u2014water, earth, fire, and air\u2014but only one, the Avatar, can wield them all to keep the peace. That\u2019s young Aang (Gordon Cormier), whose team of friends managed to defend the Northern Water Tribe at the end of season one. For season two, the second of a confirmed three-chapter arc, Team Avatar must now trek across the Earth Kingdom to take on the Fire Lord as Aang trains to master his next element\u2014earthbending\u2014on his way to becoming the complete Avatar.<\/p>\n

All seven episodes of season two and eight episodes of season one are streaming on Netflix.<\/p>\n

1 <\/p>\n

Seinfeld<\/p>\n

Catch the show about nothing before it’s gone<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve taken for granted that all nine seasons and 180 episodes of Seinfeld<\/a>, arguably the greatest TV sitcom<\/a> of all time, have been sitting there in my Netflix watchlist for years, untouched. But when I heard recently that the Emmy-winning “show about nothing” was leaving the service at the end of September, like Elaine in line for a bowl of the Soup Nazi\u2019s delicious Mulligatawny, I became terrified there would be no soup for me if I didn\u2019t get watching.<\/p>\n

Co-created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, Seinfeld, of course, follows a fictionalized version of comedian Jerry and his three obsessively self-absorbed friends who turn every tiny frustration of New York life into comedic gold. Perpetually flailing George Costanza (Jason Alexander), sharp-tongued Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and enigmatic neighbor Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) are at the core, with a laundry list of scene-stealing support from legendary characters like George\u2019s parents Frank and Estelle, Jerry\u2019s nemesis Newman, Puddy, Peterman, and too many more to mention.<\/p>\n

Built on Larry David\u2019s famous “no hugging, no learning” rule, which kept the group hilariously selfish, petty, and emotionally stagnant, Seinfeld made mountains out of molehills like man hands, double-dipping, parking spaces, muffin tops, restaurant waits, and dating quirks for some of TV’s most quoted moments.<\/p>\n

A diverse weekend’s watching<\/p>\n

Whichever of these Netflix shows you fire up first, you’re set for the next few nights, or at least until the wave of August titles arrives. And when you’re ready for more, our streaming sectio<\/a>n keeps the recommendations coming.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscription with ads \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYes, $8\/month<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSimultaneous streams \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTwo or four<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tLive TV \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNo<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tPrice \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStarting at $8\/month<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While Will Ferrell’s golf comedy The Hawk, Josh Duhamel’s ranch drama Ransom Canyon, and WWE’s Raw float around…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":578464,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[93,61,60,282],"class_list":["post-578463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/578463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=578463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/578463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/578464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=578463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=578463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=578463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}