We've all heard the buzz surrounding popular Netflix original shows such as "Stranger Things" and "Orange Is The New Black," but Netflix has been pushing out a ton of new content that is flying under the radar. Recently I've done some digging (and by digging I mean watching) on some Netflix original shows that aren't getting the buzz they definitely deserve.
I've done my "research," and here are four Netflix original shows that are completely amazing and totally underrated.
1. Master of None
Being a huge "Parks and Recreation" fan, I had to watch this show because it is created and starred in by Aziz Ansari. The show is basically about Dev, who is played by Aziz, living in New York as an aspiring actor. He is accompanied by his two friends Arnold and Denise, and the three of them have incredibly funny conversations about life, love and even "8 Mile." But not only is "Masters of None" super witty, the episodes also touch on really important subjects that media and TV shows don't often discuss. By far my favorite episode out of the season was "Indians on TV," in which Dev goes into a casting call for the role of an unnamed cab driver. Upon doing the reading, the casting director asks Dev to do it with an Indian accent. Dev refuses and this begins a series of events that bring forth the issues of racism and stereotyping, especially in the world of acting and media. Dev shows the struggles of being an Indian actor and breaking the stereotypes of being a cab driver or a gas station clerk and getting a part of a character with real depth. To me this episode seemed very personal to Aziz, and I really enjoy the fact that this show sheds light on bigger issues in society in an amazingly witty and real way. This is for sure a show with a refreshing perspective and a style of humor that definitely deserves more recognition.
2. Lovesick
This British TV show begins with the character Dylan testing positive with Chlamydia. Because he has Chlamydia he is instructed by his doctor to contact all of his previous sex partners to let them know he has it. Each episode is named after a girl Dylan must contact, and the episode goes back in time to show how Dylan and the girl got together and why it didn't work out. The show, I must admit, starts off a little stale and I had a hard time getting into it, but as it goes on Dylan's past begins to reveal more and more about his present situation with his long time friend Eevie. The show starts to become less about the girls he previously slept with and more about how all of those events have led up to what is going on in the present. I found the way this show uses flashbacks to tell a story really interesting, especially because the episodes don't do flashbacks in chronological order. You're slowly learning about the past between the main characters, Dylan, Eevie and Luke, but in a mixed up order that doesn't come together until the end of the season. I think the writing of this show is incredibly unique and very quirky, definitely a must-watch.
3. Easy
I shamelessly binged this entire show in one day because it is THAT good. Each episode follows a different character living in New York and tackles different issues in the complicated world of life and love. I found the situations in each episode extremely real and relatable, plus it also includes cameos from actors such as Marc Maron, Orlando Bloom and Dave Franco. My favorite episode of the season was entitled "Vegan Cinderella," which is about a girl who starts dating this "cool vegan activist" and feels like she has to change herself in order for this new woman she's dating to like her. I think it's one of the most relatable situations, and done in such a good way that makes it very smart and real.
4. Love
I kept seeing promos for this show advertised on the Netflix homepage, and I put off watching it for a while because I figured it wasn't that great. Boy was I wrong! This show stars Gillian Jacobs and Paul Rust, but what really drew me in was that is is created by Judd Apatow, who is the producer of Girls, Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and many others. I had high expectations for this show after learning it was produced by Judd, and it definitely met those expectations. The show starts off with following Gillian and Paul's characters in their separate LA lives until one day they cross paths and strike up a friendship. The show does a wonderful job of being super raw and honest, especially within the contrast between the characters. The plot itself sounds like it could be very generic or cheesy, but by being so honest and raw it becomes very real and unique, and with season 2 premiering on March 10th, I think it's definitely time to binge watch season 1!
