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I love me some Netflix, and I’m not alone. Basically everyone loves Netflix, the streaming service that changed the way we watch TV. It took a long time for Netflix to get there, though.
Founded in 1997, Netflix was first a service that gave you DVD rentals by mail, because who really wanted to go to the store? Netflix knew that we all really just wanted our entertainment delivered right to us. And, deliver it right to us they did. In 2007, Netflix offered streaming service, wherein you could stream a movie or television show and watch it on your computer. GAME. CHANGING.
Then in 2013, another game changer occurred: Netflix released its first original series and they released the series all at once. Like, the whole season one on demand. This was revolutionary, as television had only been dulled out to us episode by episode before. Netflix didn't stop at one original. They have a lot. At this point, Netflix has 126 originals and counting. They'll probably have 127 tomorrow. They can't stop, won't stop.
Some Netflix originals are beloved by every single person who watches them. I mean, who in their right mind doesn’t adore Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt? However, some Netflix shows… well, they suck and everyone hates them. The difficulty with Netflix is that they release a whole season, so if they have a shitty show that everyone hates, they have a whole season of it. Money down the drain, though at this point, they have money to put down the drain if they want.
Below are 10 Netflix shows that everyone hates, and 10 that everyone loves. We’ll start with the shows that people hate, because why not?
Nobody Likes: Girlboss
Netflix’s Girlboss was released April 21, 2017 to a big, loud nothing. No one gave a sh*t about Girlboss, mostly because no one could get past the first episode.
Some background: Girlboss is based on the New York Times Best Selling book #GIRLBOSS. The book was written by Sophia Amoruso, who created Nasty Gal (a clothing retail company) when she was 23 years old. In 2016, Forbes named her one of the richest self-made women, so she's a "girlboss" of her own making.
Sophia Amoruso’s actual story is endlessly interesting, as she was an underdog and nicknamed the “Cinderella of tech.” Unfortunately, this didn’t translate to the screen. The main character – Sophia Marlowe, who was based off Sophia Amoruso and played by Britt Robertson – came off unlikable and completely entitled. Basically, this character gave millennials an even worse name than they already have. And, if you’re not rooting for the protagonist, what is the point of the show? Hell, I even rooted for Walter White to make meth and yet, I didn’t give a sh*t about Sophia Marlowe’s fashion empire.
The show hit its funny moments quite well, but the fatal flaw of having an entirely unlikable character turned people off. Most people claimed to turn it off after one episode.
Everyone Loves: Orange Is The New Black
Now, on to the Netflix shows that everyone LOVES, like really, really loves. I’m pretty sure some people love these shows so much that if their house was burning down around them, they wouldn’t stop binge-watching.
First up is Orange Is the New Black, because duh. People are obsessed with OITNB and for good reason. It’s a nice mixture of humor, drama, and dark truths about what it means to be human. The show employs a Lost technique by showing the backstory of a new character in almost every single episode. By doing so, the show not only shows the culture of the prison, but also explores crime outside of the walls of the prison and develops characters beyond their stereotypical prison personalities.
What was so impressive about OITNB is that it very much seemed to set the tone of Netflix originals. Netflix is the place where shows that would never be on any other network go. Netflix doesn’t care about genre, but rather story.
With five successful and binge-worthy seasons already out, OITNB has already been renewed for seasons six and seven, because duh.
Nobody Likes: Iron First
Premiering on March 17, 2017, Netflix’s Iron Fist was yet another flop. And, it was a Marvel flop, guys! This is especially disappointing, as Iron First was the last Marvel/Netflix release before the upcoming The Defenders, which is set to be released on August 18, 2017.
Taking note from the Marvel film strategy, Netflix has used pretty much the same structure in introducing all the individual characters in their own stand-alone shows, all in order to set up for a huge ensemble show. Will people still tune into The Defenders despite the failure of Iron Fist? Probably, because audiences love Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.
Finn Jones (previously Loras Tyrell on Game of Thrones) stars as Danny Rand/Iron Fist. Before the premiere, the show was off to a bad start, as there was criticism of white washing. Then, the show was released and it was… uh… pretty dull for a superhero story. It seems the show never proved early casting skeptics wrong.
Nobody Likes: Fuller House
Netflix clearly understands how strong nostalgia can be. They’ve tapped into society’s nostalgia time and time again, from Stranger Things to Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life to Fuller House. Unfortunately, tapping into the nostalgic feelings of the audience doesn’t automatically make your show good, and thus was the case of Fuller House.
To be fair, Fuller House didn’t completely suck. It stuck to the same corny tone of the original series and managed to wink at the older audience with sly dirty jokes. But, still, that wasn’t enough to make it good.
Most people stuck through season one and season two because it’s an easy watch. With 30-minute episodes, watching the series is easy breezy. However, audience members likely forgot ever watching it as soon as they finished binging. Overall, that's what it is: forgettable.
Everyone Loves: Stranger Things
Stranger Things was nostalgia done right. Yes, the show paid homage to basically every single film from the ‘80s that makes us feel that warm take-me-back feeling. But, Stranger Things was also its own thing. It wasn’t JUST paying homage (like Fuller House) but it rather brought something new and interesting to the game. It was also human, emotional, and heartbreaking. There was so much to it. AND BARB! Don't forget Barb, guys
The appeal and popularity of this show is that it’s interesting to so many audience members. Parents, millennials, teens, even pre-teens – there is something that appeals to every single age group here. Stranger Things also added to Netflix’s awards, helping prove the fact that Netflix is 100% a real network to compete with. Move over, ABC. (Actually, ABC has pretty much already moved over, so.)
Nobody Likes: Marco Polo
Marco Polo failed and it failed BIG.
The series showcased Marco Polo’s time with the Mongol Empire. It was probably supposed to be Netflix’s answer to the popularity of HBO’s Game of Thrones, as almost every network tries time and time again to have their version of Game of Thrones. (Let’s all be real though, there’s only one Game of Thrones.) For whatever reason, Netflix renewed Marco Polo for a second season, and again, no one cared about it. It was finally cancelled after the second season. It’s been reported that Netflix lost $200 million on the production of the show. UH, so every single show isn’t always a home-run for Netflix. That’s for sure.
Netflix’s newest historical drama, The Crown, was much more of a success. It may not have attracted the fanfare of say Stranger Things or 13 Reasons Why, but the show won both a sh*t ton of awards and critical acclaim.
Everyone Loves: House Of Cards
Premiering on February 1, 2013, House of Cards was Netflix’s very first original series. Yes, Netflix is pretty much the house House of Cards built and Frank Underwood wouldn’t want it any other way.
The political drama caught a quick, loyal audience, as people weren’t used to a series being released in its entirety. Now we’re totally used to a whole series being released at once, but when Netflix completely released House of Cards season one, this was a new, innovative concept. It was huge. We didn't know what to do. Do we watch it at once? Are we allowed?
Beloved by both critics and audience members alike, people tune in to see WTF Frank Underwood is going to do next. Both leads – Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright – have earned Golden Globes for their performances. Again, actually winning awards and being a streaming service is groundbreaking.
So yeah, Netflix kicked off their original series catalogue with a brilliant first show.
Nobody Likes: Haters Back Off
Haters Back Off is one of Netflix’s weirdest shows. Like almost anything weird, it works and it doesn’t. The show centers on a teenage girl who, despite being untalented, seeks fame on the Internet. The premise is extremely timely, as the main character is overconfident, untalented, entitled and looking for Internet fame. I mean, what would be more timely?
Most critics were torn on the show, as they cited it as off-putting but also hysterically funny at times. Despite so-so reviews, the series must have found a loyal audience, as the show was renewed for season two. Since it stars a teenage girl character (the YouTube star Miranda Sings), it’s likely that the show may have found a younger audience, who can relate to the YouTube culture displayed on the show.
Perhaps, in the second season it will iron out the flaws and find its voice. Until then, it’ll just be one of those Netflix shows that makes us all shrug.
Everyone Loves: 13 Reasons Why
13 Reasons Why is Netflix’s latest show that you HAVE to watch. People were obsessed with 13 Reasons Why. Perhaps you’ve watched it or perhaps you’ve just seen your Facebook friends sharing messages of how you have to #bekind after binge-watching it. Whatever the case, 13 Reasons Why has made a huge impact on our society. People are even painting their nails the same blue color as the show’s protagonist. That's how much people love this show.
The much discussed show is based on a novel by the same name, in which a girl kills herself and leaves behind 13 tapes to tell her story. With a plot like that, it doesn’t seem like there’s much room for a second season, but alas Netflix was ordered a second season, claiming that there’s more story to tell. Whether there really is more story to tell or if there’s just more money for Netflix to make off of the show will be revealed when the second season premieres.
The hot-button show may not be perfect (because what show other than Breaking Bad is?) but it was very ambitious for a teen drama, so we applaud it for that.
Nobody Likes: The OA
If you watched The OA, you probably loved it… until you didn’t.
The OA is about a woman who had been missing for seven years and just suddenly comes back. The kicker is that she used to be blind but now she can see. The sci-fi mystery elements propelled people to binge-watch it in the same fashion of Stranger Things. The sci-fi/mystery elements include a scar on the once-blind woman’s back and talks about other dimensions. But, then it's reveal that the woman is maybe lying... but you don't know... but maybe. There’s so much going on and the ending left audiences with more questions then answers, and not the fun kind of cliffhanger questions. No, this ending mostly just pissed off audiences.
Netflix announced another season, so perhaps season two will be better about providing mystery, but not too much mystery. Though, if anyone has had experience with Britt Marling's projects, the creator and star of the show, they should have been prepared for this kind of confusion. Girlfriend loves to leave you thinking.
Everyone Loves: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
If you don’t like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, you don’t like happiness or joy of any kind. Plain and simple.
The show stars Ellie Kemper who is literal walking sunshine. She’s a real life version of a puppy or teddy bear or butterfly or hug. Basically, she’s everything good in the world. So, obviously a comedy starring Ellie Kemper is going to be joyful. Though, she nearly gets upstaged by Tituss Burgess’ character, who steals most scenes in which he appears.
Created by Tina Fey, the show follows Kimmy Schmidt, who spent 15 years living in a cult bunker. She’s finally experiencing the world for the first time and she is pretty much the most clueless person ever about almost everything. On top of a great premise, hilarious characters and an all-star cast, the show also features cameos from about half of Hollywood.
It’s been renewed for its fourth season, so there will be more Kimmy to come. THANK GOD.
Nobody Likes: Hemlock Grove
Premiering in 2013, Hemlock Grove was one of Netflix’s first original series, and one can only assume that it was that certain kind of loyalty to their first shows that made Netflix renew this show for THREE seasons.
Eli Roth was behind this kind of scary, kind of not scary show. Set in a steel town in Pennsylvania, the population is both extremely wealthy and extremely poor. With the steel mill having shut down, the only real employment is at the Godfrey Institute for Biomedical Technologies, which may or may not be conducting weird experiments. Oh, and the show goes for the cliché and opens with a murder. Eye roll, because what scary show doesn’t open with a murder mystery?
The show was ambitious, but its attempts to do too much were what killed it. No one missed it all that much when it was gone.
Everyone Loves: Jessica Jones
Netflix’s Jessica Jones was a very ambitious superhero show, and it pulled itself off. It pulled itself off so very well.
Jessica Jones is a superhero with super strength, who had an abusive relationship with Kilgrave, the villain who can control people’s minds. While in their relationship, Kilgrave controlled Jessica’s mind and thus could harness her super strength for himself. But, he also controlled her mind and forced her into a sexual relationship with him, so rape. The whole first season of the show dealt with Jessica’s PTSD due to her abusive relationship with Kilgrave. It took superhero material to the next level. I mean, how great is this show to explore real issues via a superhero? Oh, and it was also wildly entertaining.
The show was praised by audiences and critics alike for its social relevance and entertainment value. Jessica Jones has been renewed for a second season, but there's no release date yet. We'll probably have to wait for after The Defenders to get any information on the second season.
Nobody Likes: Sense8
Sense8 was supposed to good. It was supposed to be good, guys! But, it wasn’t.
Sense8 was hyped up to be the new Lost, or Heroes, or anything else that people were really obsessed with. It was about eight individuals around the world who suddenly found they were connected to each other. While the premise was confusing and, at times, illogical, the characters were compelling. Unfortunately, it was not enough to entertain audiences in the same way that Heroes and Lost did. Maybe that’s because audience have to both understand and care about what’s going on?
Though, those who did connect with Sense8 were loyal fans. I’ll give the show that. Even the small group of loyal fans couldn’t save it from being canceled after the second season.
Everyone Loves: Daredevil
Of course, Daredevil has to be on the list. It was the first Marvel/Netflix show, which helped launched the whole series of Marvel/Netflix shows. Oh, and it also saved the character Daredevil from forever just being remembered for that regrettable Ben Affleck films.
The first and second seasons of Daredevil have premiered to much fanfare, especially for the fight sequences. UM, the hallway fight sequence? Amazing. There are many publications that have even named that particular fight sequence the best fight sequence ever on TV. Due to the success of the show and love for Frank Castle/Punisher, a spin-off series entitled The Punisher was ordered by Netflix. Netflix also renewed Daredevil for an upcoming season but, like Jessica Jones, we’ll have to wait until after The Defenders.
On the note of Marvel/Netflix, Luke Cage is also amazing and beloved. The only Marvel/Netflix flop has really been Iron Fist, which is why Iron Fist hurt so bad. How dare Iron Fist tarnish the good name of Netflix’s Marvel shows.
Nobody Likes: The Ranch
via bustle.com
Netflix brings the heat comedy-wise. Between the societal comedy Master of None, the slightly fantastical comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and the drama-comedy hybrid Orange Is the New Black, Netflix has not only been providing funny shows, but it has been reinventing the comedy game. I mean, some of the storytelling techniques on Master of None are innovative as hell. That said, Netflix’s The Ranch is pretty standard. (Yawn.) It’s a predictable comedy set on a ranch outside of Denver. It’s… well, it’s just nothing special. Don’t waste your time binge-watching this one. And, guess what, most people didn’t waste their time binge-watching this one. Seriously, have you heard a single friend talk about this show? Nope.
The star of the show, Danny Masterson, also just so happens to be being investigated for sexual assault allegations. So, if you needed another reason to skip this show, there’s that.
Nobody Likes: Arrest Development (Season 4)
Netflix’s reboot of Arrested Development may have been their most disappointing show to date.
After its three year run on Fox, Arrested Development had achieved cult classic status, as people LOVED this show. And, what’s not to love about it? It stars Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera and Tony Hale. I MEAN, what is not to love about a show with that much talent?
Seven years after cancellation, Netflix announced they were bringing the show back with 15 new episodes. While the new season tried to continue with the same style of humor and running gags, there was something missing. A certain energy was gone. It just wasn’t it anymore, which broke the hearts of fans who had cheered on this return.
Netflix announced another season due out in 2018, which – hopefully, hopefully! – will be more of a return to the original glory.
Everyone Loves: Master Of None
Many of Netflix’s original series shows are great, but their comedy selection is especially impressive. Something about binge-watching 30-minute episodes of comedy television is just so easy and so addictive. This is especially the case with Aziz Ansari’s Master of None, of which both seasons have earned 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The thing that so amazing about Master of None is the innovative style of storytelling, like a relationship’s dissolution told through mornings spent together or a woman coming out to her family told through Thanksgiving Dinner scenes. It is SO GOOD. Master of None is loved by audiences and also landed on Best TV Shows of 2015 lists by Entertainment Weekly, Variety, Time, and The New York Times.
Long story short, everyone loves this show. However, the renewal is pending. This is likely because Aziz Ansari may want to explore other options and definitely not because Netflix is hesitant. I mean, Netflix has absolutely nothing to be hesitant about with this show.
Everyone Loves: Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life
This one was difficult to categorize but, due to the hype, I'm going to go with everyone loving this show.
The original Gilmore Girls series ran from 2000 – 2007. Before the last season of the series, the creator Amy Sherman-Palladino parted ways with the series over contract disputes. This left fans feeling like the last season wasn’t the real last season, the real one Sherman-Palladino wanted. So, when Netflix ordered a four-part miniseries by Amy Sherman-Palladino, fans were shook.
Premiering on Black Friday 2016, most people consumed it in one sitting. Some of us (hi!) may have even watched it at midnight on Thanksgiving and stayed up until 6:30am to finish it, but that's neither here nor there. The show suffered from the Arrested Development flaw, wherein it wasn’t as good as it once was. However, it wasn’t bad either. The show played into fanfare and grew up with its characters. The famed last four words, during which Rory (Alexis Bledel) tells Lorelai (Lauren Graham) that she’s pregnant left fans angry AF. They NEED to know who the father is.
While the ending may have polarized audiences, successfully pulling off a reboot is a difficult thing that Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life actually pulled off well. Another season has yet to be announced.
Everyone Loves: Making A Murderer
I saved the best for last: Making a Murderer.
Making a Murderer was HUGE. It was so huge that people couldn’t stop talking about it for weeks and weeks. The docu-series tells the story of Steven Avery's time in prison, Teresa Halbach's murder, and the police misconduct of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. The complex tale painted a perhaps one-sided, but also very compelling story.
After seeing the series, many people took to social media to demand that Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey be released from prison, as they were SURE these guys were innocent after viewing the documentary series. Surprisingly, their voices have been heard and steps have moved forward for Brendan Dassey. Whether you believe they are innocent or not, the 10-episode series makes you ponder on some deep questions about morality. The show was renewed for a second season, but there is no information beyond that. I'm kind of DYING for some information about the second season. Just sayin'.
Those are the 10 Netflix shows everyone absolutely hates (Fuller House, please just go away), and the 10 everyone is totally obsessed. If you disagree, sound off in the comments below.
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