Your July 4th Binge Plan: Elle Just Dropped and I Already Finished It
The Legally Blonde prequel hit Prime Video on July 1 and I watched all of it before the fireworks started. Plus five more picks for your long weekend — whether you've got three hours or three days.
June almost killed me. Eight new seasons, two weeks, zero sleep. But the binge gods weren't done. July 1 rolls around and Prime Video drops all episodes of Elle — the Legally Blonde prequel nobody asked for but everyone's going to watch anyway.
I finished it in a day. Here's the damage report for your long weekend.
The Main Event: Elle 🔥
Prime Video • All episodes available • Binge-worthiness: 8/10
Let's get the obvious question out of the way. No, Reese Witherspoon is not in it. This is young Elle Woods, played by Lexi Minetree, and she's genuinely charming.
The show follows Elle in high school — pre-Harvard, pre-law, pre-everything. She's already Elle — the pink, the confidence, the underestimation from literally everyone around her — but she doesn't know what she wants yet. That's the whole premise.
June Diane Raphael as her mom is inspired casting. Chandler Kinney plays her best friend and gets some of the best lines. James Van Der Beek shows up as the school principal and plays it completely straight, which makes it funnier.
Is it as good as Legally Blonde? No. That movie is lightning in a bottle. But Elle is warm, funny, and surprisingly smart about what it means to be underestimated. The final two episodes hit harder than expected.
Already renewed for season 2. Earned it.
Still Going Strong: Avatar — The Last Airbender S2
Netflix • 7 episodes • Binge-worthiness: 9/10
I already did a full deep-dive on ATLA S2 last week so I'll keep this brief. If you haven't started yet, this weekend is your window. Season 2 found its footing. Toph is everything. The earthbending choreography alone is worth the seven hours.
If you binged season 1 and felt iffy — give season 2 a real chance. It's a different show now. In the best way.
The Weekly Watch: The Vampire Lestat
AMC • Weekly episodes • Binge-worthiness: 8/10
Four episodes into what used to be called Interview with the Vampire and is now The Vampire Lestat. The rebrand was the right call. Sam Reid as Lestat in full 1980s rock god mode is the performance of the summer.
This isn't a binge — it's weekly. But if you've been meaning to start, you've got four episodes to catch up on over the weekend. Do it Friday night, thank me Saturday morning.
Quick Picks for the Long Weekend
Rivals S2 (Hulu) — Six weeks in and it's still delicious. 1980s English aristocrats behaving terribly. Hayley Atwell joining the cast was the best decision they made. Perfect poolside viewing.
Dutton Ranch (Paramount+) — The Yellowstone spinoff is six episodes deep. Beth and Rip in South Texas, Ed Harris brooding in every scene. It's finding its groove. If you miss Yellowstone, this scratches the itch.
Love Island USA S8 (Peacock) — Look, I'm not proud. But four weeks in and the drama is finally heating up. Ariana Madix knows exactly what she's doing as host. Zero brain cells required. Perfect for the actual Fourth of July when you're too full of hot dogs to think.
The Rewatch Pick: Legally Blonde (2001)
Various platforms • 96 minutes • Binge-worthiness: 10/10
Watch Legally Blonde before or after Elle. I'm not telling you which order — both work. But watching Elle without revisiting the original feels incomplete. It's 96 minutes. You have the time. Treat yourself.
The Verdict
Elle is the surprise of the week. I went in skeptical and came out genuinely entertained. It's not trying to replace Legally Blonde — it's trying to earn a spot next to it. And it mostly does.
ATLA S2 is still the best thing on Netflix. The Vampire Lestat is still the best thing on AMC. And if you need zero-effort entertainment for the actual holiday, Love Island and a bag of chips will get you through.
Happy Fourth. Binge responsibly. 🍿
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