"Bones"

My boyfriend had dumped me. The next day I was laid off due to budget cuts. My friends had either been his friends or work friends - so now what was I supposed to do? I was new to the city and didn't have anyone with who I could spend my now very ample free time.

Enter "Bones" on Fox, well, on Netflix at the time. Between searches for a job, glasses of whiskey, and many bouts of uncontrollable sobbing, I had "Bones" playing on my computer for at least eight hours a day.

In season one, we meet Doctor Temperance Brennan and Special Agent Seeley Booth, and their ragtag team of characters who join together to solve mysteries. Not just any mysteries, mind you. No, these are the most mysterious of mysteries - this team of people rely on bones alone to tell the victim's story and fight for justice.

We get to follow this unlikely cast of friends for twelve whole seasons. Twelve whole seasons of will they won't they dynamic in, not one, but four relationship arcs. Twelve whole seasons filled with serial killers, stalkers, terrorists, and one-off murderers. Twelve whole seasons filled with tears, fear, laughter, and love.

To this day, "Bones" is still my favorite tv show to binge with mostly no shame. Are you looking for a new binge show? "Bones" can currently be streamed on Hulu or Amazon Prime, and trust me, it is worth your time. Here are three reasons why I think this should be your guilty or guilt-free binge show.

1. The Crime Statistics and Random "Facts."

As someone who has always been part fascinated and part terrified of true crime, Bones is easily the best fictional true crime show for fun statistics and "facts."

Less than 1% of serial killers are cannibals. Comforting.

Babies are more likely to look like their fathers at birth. Interesting!

People new to performing at carnivals are called First of May. Who knew?

Are any of these statistics or "facts" true? I have no idea, but I assume the writers had some responsibility to research at least some of the claims the show makes. Either way, I'm fascinated by how often I can pull out a trivia answer based solely on the information I received from this show!

2. The Outrageous Storylines.

In one episode, Temperance Brennan wakes up in New Orleans covered in blood with no memory of what's happened over the last day. Another episode shows a case being solved by literally smelling the butts of suspects. Who is coming up with this? There are episodes told from the victim's point of view and the cast's point of view. You can see recurring storylines of specific serial killers or find out that a victim was in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Bones" will always keep you guessing.

3. The Relationships.

"Bones" showcases romantic relationships, and platonic relationships, and sometimes a sweet mixture of both. I have laughed with these characters, been shocked by these characters, and mourned for these characters. Most importantly, I relate to these characters. I can see a bit myself in Brennan, a bit of my partner in Booth. Some of my sister here, some of my best friends there. These characters are not flat but three-dimensional, real-life characters. During the time of my life, where I spent most of my days binging "Bones," these people became my friends.

"Only middle-aged moms watch that show," my friends tell me. Well, take it from me and these educated middle-aged moms - give "Bones" a quick binge, and tell me you're not in love with the show.