Maid and Squid Game went really viral on the most-watched shows. But don't worry if those two programs aren't your thing. There was more to it. Netflix has produced something for everyone in the last twelve months, from the return of the adolescents of Moordale High to the appointment of a new Chair in the English Department at Pembroke University.
1. Maid
Netflix's limited series, based on Stephanie Land's memoir and starring Margaret Qualley, is a heartbreaking trip. It follows a young woman who flees an abusive relationship, moves to a shelter, and finds work cleaning houses to support her daughter. Maid is one of Netflix's most moving shows of the year, and it should not be missed.
2. Squid Game
It goes without saying that Squid Game is one of the greatest originals on the platform this year. It follows a group of residents who are heavily in debt who play children's activities in the hopes of earning $38 million dollars, as created by Hwang Dong-hyuk. However, it quickly becomes evident that the result of losing is a fate far more dreadful than any playground pastime should encourage.
3. The Chair
Sandra Oh stars as the recently appointed head of the English department at a fictional Ivy League university in Netflix's college campus drama The Chair. Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim is dealing with her own romantic and family troubles as she strives to modernize the English department in the face of funding constraints and academic culture conflicts. The Chair, one of Netflix's greatest dramas in years, is a sharp, humorous picture of modern academia.
4. Midnight Mass
It seems impossible to say that Mike Flanagan has done the damn thing yet again, but with Midnight Mass, a project that the writer-director describes as his most personal and longest-running plan in the works, he's probably crafted the closest thing to an original magnum opus. Like his previous adaptations of Hill House and Bly Manor, there are plenty of monsters to provide frights, but similarly, there's just as much emotional heartbreak wrapped up in the human story, not to mention characters who can be as terrifying as any ghost or as menacing as any vampire. Midnight Mass is a series that's more likely to make you weep than gasp, but that doesn't diminish its impact — or its staying power, not only on Netflix but in the annals of horror storytelling, period.
5. You
After Badgley's dramatic curtain call on Gossip Girl, the topic of his next TV endeavor was certainly on everyone's mind — but due to getting cast as the psychopathic protagonist in You, he may have just discovered his real calling (not to mention cornered the market on a rather pleasing talent at voiceovers). As Joe Goldberg, Badgley must tread the edge between seduction and obsession, with the audience privy to his most private thoughts about his current romantic infatuation – no matter how frightening. After a brief appearance on Lifetime, You found new life on Netflix, where it has remained ever since and is one of the streamer's most popular titles; it was extended for a fourth season before the third even aired this year.
6. Lucifer
The most impressive aspect of Lucifer, which began as a supernatural procedural on Fox before being revived by Netflix for three additional seasons, is how the show has managed to not only survive but thrive, developing a devoted fanbase who genuinely cares about the titular crime-solving devil and his associates. Season 6 officially concludes the plot, but not before offering the fandom with plenty of answers and some crazy creative swings, including a partially-animated episode and an episode that exposes how Lucifer (Tom Ellis) views people around him. If you've never seen it before, prepare to enjoy the binge — and if you're already a fan, prepare to cry a little.
7. Money Heist
What began as a Spanish TV show has become one of the world's most popular series, owing to Netflix — and also to its extremely captivating story of a well-trained squad of criminals who pull off a genuinely daring theft with the entire country watching. Money Heist, formerly named La Casa de Papel, is full of thrilling mystery and sensual turns, with a great ensemble of local performers who appear to be bound for worldwide recognition. Part 5, which will be released in two parts over the course of the fall of 2021, has our favorite red-jumpsuit-clad heroes battling for their lives in a war for their lives. Hopefully, there will be a happy ending.
8. Manifest
You've undoubtedly heard the buzz; now find out what's all the commotion about. Manifest began on NBC in 2018, and while it received positive reviews, the series was canceled after three seasons due to low viewership. But, around that time, the program debuted on Netflix and has since dominated the Top 10 — so much so that Netflix is now in discussions to renew the show for a fourth season to continue the plot. Oh, yes, the plot. The program opens with passengers on a flight experiencing some turbulence, only to land and realize that the flight has been missing for five years for everyone else on Earth. The show digs into the mysteries of this particular incident, as well as the transformations that these passengers have undergone during their voyage. The combination of intrigue, science fiction, and drama results in a binge-worthy show.
9. Friday Night Lights
You're going to find your new favorite program if you've never seen Friday Night Lights. This hour-long drama series is set in Dillon, Texas, where a new head coach (Kyle Chandler) has been hired to lead one of the country's most successful high school football teams. The plot covers the struggles and tribulations of the coach and his family, as well as the lives of his players and other high school students, in a community where Friday night football is the be-all and end-all. The show avoids teen soap drama in favor of more realistic, grounded, and emotional storylines — and it's all the better for it. Season 2 features one questionable narrative, but apart from that, this five-season run is near-perfect and ranks as one of the finest TV programs of the twenty-first century.
10. Shadow and Bone
You're going to find your new favorite program if you've never seen Friday Night Lights. This hour-long drama series is set in Dillon, Texas, where a new head coach (Kyle Chandler) has been hired to lead one of the country's most successful high school football teams. The plot covers the struggles and tribulations of the coach and his family, as well as the lives of his players and other high school students, in a community where Friday night football is the be-all and end-all. The show avoids teen soap drama in favor of more realistic, grounded, and emotional storylines — and it's all the better for it. Season 2 features one questionable narrative, but apart from that, this five-season run is near-perfect and ranks as one of the finest TV programs of the twenty-first century.
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