marrgia orryon halyan
Evangeline Mellon
Netflix has come a long way since its days of mailing DVDs back and forth with millions of customers. Now, instead of getting home and checking the mailbox, people plop down on their couch, look at their remotes that have an actual Netflix button on them, and flip through thousands of different films and series. In the early days of the streaming service, the company was spread thin looking for the hottest movies and shows to acquire to get more people interested in the platform, but in 2012, things changed.
Netflix released its first own original series, Lilyhammer, a crime comedy-drama about a former gangster trying to start a new life in Norway. Then, in 2015, Netflix released its first original film, Beasts of No Nation. It has been all uphill since. More than half of the titles on the streaming service are Netflix originals. From shows like Orange Is the New Black and Stranger Things to films such as Bird Box and Red Notice, Netflix certainly has some of the most imaginative writers. With movie theaters taking a backseat in our society, some actors have praised Netflix for the work they're doing when it comes to putting out new material.
That being said, when it comes to original series, the streamer has built a sordid reputation for canceling shows after just one or two seasons, leaving many fans with unfinished endings. Check out the 10 best Netflix shows that are fully complete.
Based on Michael Dobbs' 1989 novel of the same name, the six seasons of House of Cards depicts the corrupt inner workings of the U.S. government. The storyline primarily follows Frank Underwood, a congressman who feels cheated by the system after he is passed up as the next Secretary of State. Instead of impulsively lashing out, Frank decides to plot his revenge and use any means necessary to move up the ladder.
While Orange Is the New Black may not have been Netflix's first original series, it was definitely one of the most popular in the early days of the streaming service. Based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, the series gained a huge following.
Fans thought the show was a perfect blend of hilarity and drama. Between the relationships among the prisoners (and some prison guards), the very real conversations about how prisoners are treated, and the Hollywood flare, this series is a great casual watch from beginning to end.
People who live average and mundane lives often think about what it would be like to live life on the edge. In Ozark, for one particular financial advisor and husband, Marty Byrde, he finds that living a double life has its highlights, but it also has a lot of downsides. Marty moves his family to central Missouri to run a money laundering scheme for a Mexican cartel, but as one can think, a lot of things go wrong. The family's safety is compromised, and people risk and lose their lives.
Netflix has gained traction with its collection of miniseries, and When They See Us is at the top of the charts. Based on the real-life experiences of The Central Park Five, these four episodes depict the wrongful convictions of five innocent Black and Latino boys. In 1989, after a woman was found beaten and raped, the police were out for blood.
The rise and fall of the drug kingpin Pablo Escobar is dramatically portrayed in the three seasons of Narcos. The first season follows Escobar in the early days of his cocaine trade when he was still figuring out connections and how to expand his business. The second season focuses on Escobar's lavish lifestyle and then how it quickly comes crumbling down around him after he is betrayed by his own men.
The third and final season shows the aftermath of how the DEA tries to track and shutdown the entire drug trade after Escobar has been killed. A companion series, Narcos: Mexico, was released in lieu of a fourth season.
Within 10 episodes, you will find yourself going through every single emotion during Maid. Margaret Qualley stars as Alex Russell, a single mom who is just trying to do right by her daughter. She struggles with finding help due to her father being estranged, her mother having bipolar disorder, and her child's father being an abusive and manipulative alcoholic.
Qualley's mother, Andie MacDowell, plays her on-screen mom, Paula, who simply cannot fathom why Alex ends up in such horrible situations. There are times when Alex's luck looks like it will turn, but things seem to change in the blink of an eye for this young and determined mom.
Dark humor is not for everyone, especially when the plot centers around a woman losing her husband and befriending his killer all in a short timeframe. Does Dead to Me now have your attention? Jen Harding is a no-nonsense real estate agent whose husband died in a hit-and-run accident.
After going to a support group, she befriends a bubbly woman named Judy, and she quickly learns the truth about her husband's death. From dozens of secrets kept and outed to the wavering friendship that is based on a couple of deaths, this series is equally funny and dark.
If you are wanting a bit of nostalgia along with some very sassy and strong characters, look no further than the two women who grew up on Firefly Lane, in the aptly titled Firefly Lane. Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke star in this drama series that focuses on their ever-evolving friendship over the decades.
Tully (Heigl) was the new girl in school, and after some initial hesitation, she and her neighbor, Kate (Chalke) became inseparable. They went into the news industry together as headstrong and determined women. Then, Kate took on a mom role, and Tully became a nationally recognized talk-show host. The series is extraordinary because it tackles harsh topics in the most realistic and respectful ways.
Between cable and streaming services, there seems to be an endless amount of crime shows. People are simply fascinated by mysteries, and trying to solve a murder is thrilling when there are low stakes through the screen. Among the dozens of shows, Mindhunter stands out from the rest because it focuses on getting into the minds of serial killers and understanding how and why they think the way they do.
The story follows special agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench along with a psychology professor, Wendy Carr, as they navigate the minds of some of the most esteemed killers. The series only lasted two seasons, but this show is more about quality than quantity.
Adult cartoons owe a lot of thanks to series like The Simpsons and Family Guy because they set the stage for proving that animation is not solely for children's entertainments. The premise of BoJack Horseman is that the titular character is a washed-up sitcom star from the '90s who is trying to find meaning in his life. He believes he will make a huge comeback after he completes an autobiography, but depression, alcoholism, and a few other factors get in the way of his work.
Official synopsis: "Set in a storybook Connecticut town populated by an eclectic mix of dreamers, artists and everyday folk, this multigenerational drama about family and friendship centres around Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter, Rory. Lorelai owns the town's bed-and-breakfast, the Dragonfly Inn, with best friend/chef Sookie, and contends with weekly dinners with eccentric, well-off parents Richard and Emily Gilmore (who always have something to say about their daughter's life)."
Official synopsis: "Cutthroat presidential advisers get their personal lives hopelessly tangled up with professional duties as they try to conduct the business of running a country. Fictional Democratic President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet suffers no fools, and that policy alienates many. He and his dedicated staffers struggle to balance the needs of the country with the political realities of Washington, D.C., working through two presidential terms that include countless scandals, threats and political scuffles, as well as the race to succeed Bartlet as the leader of the free world."
Official synopsis: "Set at a paper company in Scranton, Pa., the U.S. adaptation has a similar documentary style to that of the Ricky Gervais-led British original. It features the staff of Dunder-Mifflin, a staff that includes characters based on characters from the British show (and, quite possibly, people you work with in your office). There's Jim, the likable employee who's a bit of an everyman. Jim has a thing for receptionist-turned-sales rep Pam (because office romances are always a good idea). There's also Dwight, the successful co-worker who lacks social skills and common sense. And there's Ryan, who has held many jobs at the company."
Official synopsis: "Leslie Knope, a midlevel bureaucrat in an Indiana Parks and Recreation Department, hopes to beautify her town (and boost her own career) by helping local nurse Ann Perkins turn an abandoned construction site into a community park, but what should be a fairly simple project is stymied at every turn by oafish bureaucrats, selfish neighbors, governmental red tape and a myriad of other challenges. Leslie's colleague Tom Haverford, who delights in exploiting his position for personal gain, is as likely to undermine her efforts as to help her, while her boss, Ron Swanson, is adamantly opposed to government in any form, even though he's a bureaucrat himself."
Official synopsis: "Set in the mood ring and polyester era of the 1970s, the programme is a retro-hip situation comedy about an eclectic group of friends on the verge of adulthood. The group live in the suburbs of Wisconsin, where they yearn for independence amid the growing pains of becoming adults."
Official synopsis:: "After going through a rough breakup, awkward and upbeat Jess (Zooey Deschanel) moves in with three single guys. Intelligent and witty Nick is an underachiever who took the bartender off-ramp on his road to success. Schmidt obsesses over his social standing and looks at Jess as a personal project. Winston is a competitive former athlete who, after realizing he will never become a pro, moves into the loft. Together with Jess' best friend, Cece, they bond to form an unlikely, and dysfunctional, family."
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