What to binge-watch next, for every kind of person

If you want another Irish show but want a step back from just romance, try “Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope,” a two-season show available on Netflix about two codependent best friends trying to make their way in Dublin. It’s a lot noisier and busier than “Normal People,” but its characters have a similar “do I need to ‘escape’ to grow up, or is my desire to escape a sign of immaturity that I should overcome?” ambivalence.

Finally, I wound up bingeing “Normal People” (on Hulu) and “Never Have I Ever” (on Netflix) in the same weekend just because of scheduling, and weirdly, they go great together. “Never,” Mindy Kaling’s high school-set coming-of-age dramedy, asks some of the same questions “Normal People” asks, but in a totally different, poppier way: How does it feel to become who you are? How do people experience their own sexuality? What should you do if someone hurts you, and who taught you that? “Never” is much brighter and funnier — with some well-earned weepy moments — but it felt good to stay in a nostalgic, “ah, youth” emotional space, just less raw.

Q: After finishing “Fauda,” “False Flag” and “The Bureau,” each of which I thought was terrific, I am looking for my next foreign spy thriller. Any suggestions? — Peter
A: Because you like “Fauda” and “False Flag,” your first stop should be Hulu’s “Prisoners of War” (“Hatufim”), the Israeli series on which “Homeland” was loosely based. Two soldiers return to Israel after 17 years as hostages, but what should be a joyous reunion is also tainted by suspicion and violence.

For something with more visual flair, there are two recent mini-series adapted from novels by John le Carré that fit the bill: “The Night Manager,” starring Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie, and “Little Drummer Girl,” starring Florence Pugh and Michael Shannon. Each follows a new recruit — a former soldier, a young actress — who gets sucked in to a world of international espionage, and glamorous, dangerous globe-trotting ensues. (Both shows aired on AMC; “Night” is streaming on Amazon, and “Drummer” is on Sundance Now.)

There’s “The Heavy Water War,” a Norwegian series set during World War II and based on real events (available on Amazon Prime). It’s a little less of the heart-pounding tension and little more of the search for morality.

After all that, you might want a foreign spy comedy, in which case, try Netflix’s “A Very Secret Service,” a French series set in the 1960s that has a sort of “Archer”-y vibe.

Q: I am intrigued by survival content. I loved “All is Lost” the first time I saw it years ago and recently watched it twice. “Life of Pi” and “Arctic” were also hits. I devoured all the seasons of “Alone,” and I am even willing to go a bit off course, and let a few interlopers in, as when I enjoyed “The Terror” miniseries, and Shackleton documentaries. So what could be next? — Abby
A: One of my favorites, and among my most-recommended shows, is “The Last Alaskans,” a documentary series on the Discovery Channel about the few people still allowed to live in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. While it’s not strict solo survivalism, it’s close, and the stunning cinematography is unmatched in unscripted television.

Less poetic but much jazzier is “Naked and Afraid,” (on Hulu and Discovery Channel) in which people are, yep, naked and afraid — and in the harsh wilderness. Episode quality varies substantially, so feel free to bail on a boring one.

I think your best bet is going to be YouTube, though. “Primitive Technology” is probably the biggie in the genre, and it’s fascinating, if often well beyond what most of us will ever be capable of. I’m also obsessed with through-hiking videos and wilderness bushcraft expeditions. Whatever you lose in editing and narrative you gain in authenticity and volume. The way of the internet!