Sometimes it’s hard to pick up a show on Netflix that’s a doozy. When I’m done one, I’m on to the next like a hawk about to attack its prey. Even when I choose a show that’s being talked about and has made headlines across the internet, I just can’t seem to get as wired on it as people would probably like me to be. After all, not every show is going to please every person, and sometimes we’ve got to take that plunge to figure out what we do and don’t like.
Thirteen Reasons Why
When Thirteen Reasons Why premiered, most of the buzz around it started when it was announced that Selena Gomez was the executive producer. That, and the fact that the book by Jay Asher was finally seeing the light of day. Naturally, I had to find out what the big deal about this show was. After hearing my friends, coworkers, and family members rave about it, I decided to pick it up near the middle of summer 2017. I had watched about three episodes before I figured out why I disliked it so much.
One thing that stuck out to me was how giddy the theme song was. I’m not sure why, but this bothered me to the point where it started off the show wrong for me. It sounded a little too lighthearted for a show that was about suicide. Although that wasn’t a major let down, it still put me off a little.
Also, I get it—small things can hurt people in big ways, and we never know how we’ll affect people in the long run. But the fact that Hannah killed herself shouldn’t be highly romanticized. It’s like we’re supposed to watch this show where suicide is some interesting character trait.
Another area of the show was how annoyingly artificial some aspects presented themselves. For example, when Clay asks out Skye, there’s a sense that it’s as if he didn’t realize that he wanted her all along—which seems cliché as far as TV couples go.
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey contains everything I love in the universe—England, tea and fancy dresses. The first time I tried watching the show, I didn’t think there was a single thing I could hate about this show. But I was terribly wrong. Why? A couple of minor reasons, but enough to make me have some strong feelings about it.
The first is that there’s a lot of side conversation that happens between the important stuff. Which is totally okay, because what’s a show without lots of dialogue, right? But this kind rubbed me the wrong way, to the point where each episode seemed a little melodramatic.
Also, it feels like nothing significant is going to happen—ever. And when something dramatic does happen, it’s out of the blue. It seems unrealistic, which makes the characters less likeable. That might be fine, because not every character is supposed to be that great in any show. But I feel like when drama occurs, it’s far-fetched and sudden.
-Keena Alwahaidi
Riverdale
The CW’s Riverdale is a teen drama based on the characters of the iconic Archie Comics. I’d like to stress that while I’m not a fan of the show, I’m also not a hater—I grew up reading the Archie comics so it’s nice to see it reincarnated, but I feel CW has taken all the fun and made it cringe-worthy. Riverdale started off with a good plot, surrounding a mystery murder in a small town, and a popular jock and his friends through trials of love, family, and lies.
Warning: spoilers ahead.
Let me point out some cringe-worthy Riverdale moments that highlight just how nonsensical this popular show is. One, the incestual theme. Riverdale has a strong incestual vibe between Cheryl and Jason which is so uncomfortable, and it’s not a good plot line. A Simple Favor had it, Pretty Little Liars had it, Game of Thrones has it, we don’t need it from you, Riverdale. Two, all of Veronica’s lines. I think it’s safe to point out that Veronica is basically Blair Waldorf but worse. She has the same wardrobe and the same sassy dialogue, but badly written. All of her lines involve “Archiekins” or “It was my father, you know the big gang leader.” Three, the creepy strip tease. The scene where Betty randomly does a strip tease whilst singing was uncomfortable for various reasons. Also, the Dark Betty plot line is terrible in every sense—it’s just Betty in lace and a black wig. If the writer truly wanted to explore Betty’s sexuality, don’t make her dress goth or do strip teases—she’s a teenager! What exactly does this teach teens who are watching this show? Four, Jughead’s character. Jughead seemed like a cool, detached but lovable narrator in the beginning of season one, but then everything stopped making sense. Jughead’s always complaining about something and it’s getting tiring to watch. Jughead’s edgy lone-wolf white boy act and his speech about his own “weirdness” is my top cringe moment. What were the writers thinking? No one talks like this. Honestly, I don’t think the producers and writers expected for Riverdale to become such a hit, as all the plots became predictable and the stopped making sense.
-Abeer Baig
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
I was first introduced to the overly-romanticized, extraordinarily fake Kardashians at the age of 12. This was long before Instagram influencers had really made a career of scamming people out of their money. Kim, Kourtney and Khloe were doing their staged fights, Kris occasionally intervened, and Scott Disick was still with Kourtney. At the time, I was enthralled by the fake beauty that each sister radiated, combined with false feminism.
Last year, I watched another episode and continued to find the show overrated. Any show that preys on the insecurities of young girls should not still be streaming. Furthermore, I am struck by the fact that they are still in the public eye. Each episode tries desperately to stay relevant and interesting. The fact that the Kardashians have made money off a reality show, which is just one long commercial for Kylie’s lip fillers and countless instances of cultural appropriation, is shocking. They are not interesting. They are more of a representative of what not to be. If you want a good family drama, Netflix has millions of them.
-Maya Super
