Anbody who has Netflix knows that there are a ton of – perhaps too many – options when it comes to Netflix Originals. This behemoth of a company pumps out a new show or film seemingly every month, so it can be tough to figure out which ones are worth watching. And hey, maybe they’re all worth watching; Netflix does, after all, generally dedicate quality production and content. However, if you just need a place to start and don’t know where to, here’s a list of five amazing original series that truly give Netflix a good rep. Since some of my top-listed shows such as Bojack Horseman, Master of None, and Sense8 already have posts dedicated to them, they will not be included on this list. However, here are some of my other favourite binge-worthy Netflix original series.
1. Orange is the New Black
Perhaps one of the true O.G.s on Netflix’s roster, Orange is the New Black has currently released it’s sixth season and is still going strong. It begins with a more clear-cut focus on a wealthy, WASPy main character Piper Chapman (based on writer Piper Kerman, whose memoir of the same name is what loosely influenced the show) and how her life ensues when she goes to a minimum-security prison. However, the show gets much more interesting as it continues, as it starts to equally showcase the perspectives of other women in the prison, transmogrifying into a multi-faceted show that continuously adjusts with its content. While I can understand that some may say it “glorifies” or inaccurately depicts life in prison, I say that it’s important to take any dramatized show with a grain of salt. Ultimately OITNB pushes boundaries and is not afraid to approach tough – sometimes highly uncomfortable or unbearably tragic – topics. Most importantly, it showcases issues that are very real and pertinent, such as rampant prison guard brutality, racial inequality and unjust incarceration of PoCs in America, the government in relation to prisons, corruption within the force – the list goes on. The point is, while at times the show may not seem completely realistic, it does not glorify the very valid and dangerous issues that go hand in hand with a prison context, as well as the many flaws and injustices found within the Western legal system. The cast is incredibly diverse, with an inherent focus on depicting real women no matter their age, size, race, or sexuality; there are no unrealistic Hollywood standards applied here, a point that more shows and film should take note of. OITNB hooks you from the start, and never lets up, remaining compelling through and through, with only a few hitches along the way.
2. Grace and Frankie
Another show focused on depicting minority groups, yet infinitely more light-hearted than OITNB, Grace and Frankie stars Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. The premise of the show is simultaneously funny and heartbreaking: Tomlin’s character Frankie is married to Sol (played by Sam Waterston) while Fonda’s Grace is married to Sol’s business partner Robert (played by Martin Sheen). However, they soon find out that both Sol and Robert are leaving their respective wives to marry each other. While Grace and Frankie are hardly friends to begin with due to their wildly differing personalities and interests, with their whole lives thrown into upheaval they find solace in each other and learn to foster an unlikely, and often tumultuous, friendship. What makes this show so good is not just the quick, witty, idiosyncratic humour or the natural way that Fonda and Tomlin make every moment so engaging. It’s the representation of those dealing with major life changes and reroutes in their older years (both Grace and Frankie, as well as Sol and Robert, are depicted as in their 70s), in a way that is hardly ever represented in most mainstream media. Aging is looked down upon in the Hollywood world, and ageism is rampant in popular culture. Grace and Frankie helps to fight against these inequalities and false notions, to show that we can all relate to each other no matter your age.
3. GLOW
It should come as no surprise that Jenji Kohan, the creator of OITNB, serves as the executive producer of another women-empowered, feminine fuelled show. Based loosely on the true story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling in the 1980s (read more about it here), this is a truly exceptional underdog story. Utilizing the meta concept of a show within a show, the characters on GLOW are primarily struggling actresses trying to find their big break in L.A., when they come across auditions for an all-female wrestling show entitled “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling”. Viewers watch as the actresses struggle with their own day-to-day dramas, as well as working their ass off to create a production that will garner enough attention to become successful. Chock-full of real wrestling moves, risky stunts, and completely badass women, GLOW offers an extremely gripping narrative, and a show that makes you root for its eclectic characters and what they stand for the whole way through.
4. Stranger Things
I probably don’t need to sell any of you onto Stranger Things, which is arguably the most popular Netflix original series out there. And no wonder, because it has all the qualities that make it compelling as well as unique: an insanely talented cast, mystery and intrigue, a great script, and nostalgia. It’s also really refreshing to see a show that predominantly focuses on its younger characters, embracing what it truly means to be a kid, and outlining that kids are generally much smarter and more in-tune with reality than we often assume they are. Not only is it set in the 80s, but is filmed with a soundtrack and visual style that embodies the era perfectly (if my words don’t do it justice, just take a look at the title sequence below and you’ll see what I mean). I don’t want to say too much about the premise, because the narrative is just one part of the experience of Stranger Things. It’s a combination of the narrative, the acting, the wonder, and the feeling of being transported to another era that all comes together to make one of the greatest shows out there.
5. The Crown
Last but not least, if the idea of watching a dramatized depiction of our very own Queen Elizabeth II’s life excites you (and perhaps scandalizes you, for the Queen is known for being extremely private about her personal life, so bear in mind that a lot of the show’s content is based off an amalgamation of sources and speculation), you should really start watching The Crown right now. It seems a bizarre concept to be watching a historical drama while the majority of its real counterparts are still alive, but let me assure you, it somehow makes watching it even more interesting. I often wonder whether the Queen herself has ever considered watching it (even though its highly unlikely), because while The Crown remains respectful and not too outrageous, there are definitely moments that make the viewers clutch their hypothetical pearls. More importantly, the series showcases the way immense public pressure and duty can affect personal lives, not only offering a perspective of the stresses the Queen might have lived through, but of her family’s and those surrounding her as well. Netflix definitely went all out with this one, too, as the production has cost over $130 million – and let me tell you, it pays off. The visuals are stunning, the production value is of the highest quality, the soundtrack transports you, and the actors are so uncannily suited to their real life counterparts that they will blow you away (Claire Foy’s “Elizabeth” accent is so on point that it continues to befuddle me). If you’re not really into period dramas or historical series, I would leave you with the caveat that The Crown can sometimes be slower moving than you may be used to; but if you find yourself getting hooked from the start, I assure you, it’ll be worth it to binge the rest.
Yet to Binge: Altered Carbon, The End of the F*cking World, The Get Down, and Big Mouth
~ Z ~
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
