what i’ve been watching recently #1

Hello, friends!

Today’s post will be slightly different from my bookish discussions. Instead, I wanted to talk to you about some of the TV shows I’ve watched in the past three months and my thoughts on them.

I don’t know how often I’ll write these posts, but I realized I also have a passion to write about shows as much as books, so hopefully you won’t mind. I don’t watch a ton, so I think these posts will be really spaced out, but hopefully, you all won’t mind talking to me about others than books.

Onto what I watched:

WAYNE (S1)

TW: graphic violence, scenes of torture, abusive parents 

Wayne is a show on YouTube Premium and shares the same vibes as NETFLIX’s The End of the F***ing World. In this 10-episode show, we follow our two main characters, Wayne and Del, who are teenagers from a rough neighborhood in Boston and are taking a roadtrip to Florida to retrieve Wayne’s father’s car.

For a YouTube show, I was definitely surprised by the acting. A lot of people may find the Boston accent weird and out of place, but I think being a foreigner and already used to accents, made it so there was no effect for me. The first episode was not the best and I considered not continuing the show, but I’m glad I did, because it gets a lot better and the plot makes a lot more sense by the second episode.

I will say, though, I only cared for Wayne and Del. The show has parallel storylines of other characters who are going after the two and taking the same trip, but I didn’t care that much and found myself skipping those scenes because I truly was not interested in anyone else. Wayne and Del were great, though, and made me feel all the things.

Even if you didn’t enjoy The End of the F***ing World, but was intrigued by the concept, I’d recommend this one, because the circumstances in which the characters were in definitely made their behavior more realistic. Just be aware because it is a lot more graphically violent. I still enjoyed it a lot and am hopeful that we’ll still get a S2 somewhere.

ON MY BLOCK (S1~S2)

TW: gang life, gun use

Following our four main characters in a Black-Hispanic neighborhood of Los Angeles, ruled by gangs, On My Block is a really sweet and hilarious Original NETFLIX. I was so surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this, despise not being a huge fan of comedy.

What’s so great about this show is that it’s relatable. At least for me, being a fellow Latina. There are literally no white characters in this show, which is a given. Jamal and Ruby are absolutely hilarious protagonists, while Cesar and Monse carry the more romantic and dramatic layer of the show incredibly.

Is the acting good? No. Probably a 6/10. But it still made me so happy, just by following these characters wherever. The family dynamics are also either really pure or really complicated and I was obviously loving both.

Even though this show is mostly funny, it also discusses gangs and violent neighborhoods really well. I just appreciate a lot how diverse and comical it is and it’s definitely one I’d recommend if you’re looking for an easy show to follow.

ELITE (S2)

TW: drug use, internalized homophobia, incest, anxiety/panic attacks

Elite is another Original NETFLIX and by far my favorite. It centers around this prestigious boarding school in Spain, and its dynamic changes after three scholarship students enroll. The first season covers the murder of a main character, and this second season the disappearance of one of them.

I talk about this show a lot on my blog, but please know that it is not for everyone. This is an adult show for a lot of reasons and sensitive audiences should definitely check out a more in depth list of content warnings. I also think it’s because teenagers can romanticize some of the behaviors in this show, which is definitely a problem, because absolutely every single character here sucks. (Except for Omar. We stan an unproblematic king).

I said before, but I’ll say it again: it’s okay that the characters are awful and flawed. You don’t have to excuse them out of their actions in order to like them. It’s okay to acknowledge your favorite character is problematic.

This show is problematic. Here I am, acknowledging that no matter how much I love Elite and that I’ve literally watched this season twice now, this show has tons of issues. It shows underage sex for a mature audience. The cast lacks a lot on diversity. The Muslim representation is full of problems.

But, still, I love the heck out of this and I simply can not wait for S3 already.

THE POLITICIAN (S1)

TW: cancer, suicide, suicidal thoughts

The Politician is a recent Original NETFLIX that I devoured in pretty much one day. Directed by Ryan Murphy and starring Ben Platt, the show is a satire on US politics, set in a prestigious school in St. Barbara and following the elections for student body president. (Aren’t the actors too old to be playing teenagers though, you may ask. Yes, friend. They totally are).

This show is *a lot*. It’s probably the most expensive thing NETFLIX has ever produced. From the settings to the outfits, everything is extravagant and expensive. It is also incredibly smart and I loved the dialogues – all the characters have to speak around 12 words per sentence, which I’m so here for.

I was still bothered by some things. A suicide happens in the first episode of the show and is barely acknowledged. There are no actual discussions of what led to it, why that character felt like it was their only choice, and it’s simply an event that happens and everyone moves on quickly. I think, always, whenever representing suicide, you have to be responsible about it and I don’t think it was handled well at all.

I also think they were trying to push a “musical-storyline” because, well, it’s Ryan Murphy and Ben Platt, I should’ve seen it coming, but it didn’t make any sense and I pretty much skipped all scenes when someone started singing, because it truly did not add anything to the plot whatsoever.

With that being said, I still think it’s a fairly entertaining show. I appreciated the diversity too and especially how none of the characters are actually labeled for their sexuality, because, you know, not everyone needs to be comfortable with labels and sexuality can be a fluid thing. I predict S2 is going to be badass.

Let’s talk: what have you watched recently? Did you watch any of the shows I mentioned? And what’s your favorite Original NETFLIX?