Not every good show is actually good, and sometimes the worst ones are the hardest to stop watching. I’ve clicked Netflix’s “Are you still watching?” button more times than I can count for these guilty pleasures.
There’s just something about the feeling of secondhand embarrassment, ridiculous dialogue, and characters you love to hate that make them weirdly enjoyable. As hard as some of these series can be to get through, I’ll be the first to admit that some of these shows are worth the struggle.
Without further ado, here are my top three TV shows that are so bad you can’t help but keep watching!
- Never Have I Ever
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There are very few characters that truly encapsulate the blissful feeling of giving in to every impulse you shouldn’t, and no one does it better than Never Have I Ever’s Devi Vishwakumar.
Between having the perfect comeback without a second thought (a dream), having two boyfriends for no reason other than just wanting to, and every somewhat aggressive outburst across the four seasons of this series, her chaos is simply unmatched.
However, as relatable as Devi’s spiral-filled episodes can be, the show has two major faults: stereotypes and shallow plots. The cast is diverse, as the show incorporates their real backgrounds into their on-screen stories, but it’s been done in a way that reinforces stereotypes for viewers.
As for the shallow plots, the series tackles heavy topics like eating disorders, grief, and mental health struggles. While humor can be a great way for some to cope, others may find the representations of these very real experiences to be invalidating or insensitive.
While these faults are definitely real, there’s one thing that can’t be denied: Never Have I Ever is hilarious. Devi is one of those main characters that you feel like you shouldn’t root for, but you do anyway. Alternatively, maybe you can’t stand her, but find it fun to watch her anyway.
In my opinion, she’s one of the most relatable representations of a teenage girl on screen, and that’s what makes this sometimes-questionable show so appealing.
- On My Block
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This is one of those series with deep, heartfelt plotlines that’ve been tainted by arguably one of the worst dialogues aired on screen.
On My Block is full of themes such as cultural identity, coming-of-age, and everything else that makes a heartfelt show feel so good. It’s funny, interesting, and when you throw in a little treasure hunt and drama, it becomes one of those shows that keeps you binging for hours…
As long as you can get through the dialogue.
It’s so unfortunate when a show with such good plotlines and character building gets nerfed with the cringiest dialogue. Every time I watch an episode, I feel quite a bit of secondhand embarrassment.
If you can make it through questionable conversation and overly distracting facial expressions, this show is definitely worth watching. It’s the only series I can excuse the arguably bad writing for, simply because it’s just that good!
- The Secret Life of the American Teenager
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It’s no secret that this show is a victim of hard-to-listen-to dialogue, unlikable main characters, and showcases the undeniable fears for teen viewers. Teen pregnancy is a very real fear that this show used as its main plot driver.
When producing a show about teens, for teens, with a plotline as heavy as teen pregnancy, I think it’s important to stray away from stereotypes. This show had the potential to promote healthier ways to navigate a very real situation, such as this, and completely gave it up to appeal to the gossip-dependent profit for the show.
Despite it all, rough conversation and not-so-great representation aside, this series will get you hooked. Sometimes the awful qualities are what make something so addicting to watch, and this show is a prime example of that.
The over-dramatic flares and ridiculous plot twists make this such an entertaining watch, perfect for your guilty-pleasure night of binging alone with snacks and zero interruptions.
- Honorable Mention (Or Maybe Dishonorable): Glee
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Hot take, I know.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Glee just as much as everyone else who had it on their Spotify Wrapped this past year. The first few seasons were perfect; hilarious commentary, unironically great music, there’s nothing like it. Of course, introducing Sue Sylvester to the world, too, was another great thing about this show.
However, I know I’m not the only one when I say this show fell off after the first few seasons. After Season 3, when most of the main characters had graduated, the show switched to different plotlines. That’s when it fell off.
Glee is just one of those shows where it was perfect the way it was and should’ve ended when the main characters outgrew it. However, the show’s popularity was so insane that they surpassed The Beatles for the most appearances for non-solo acts in the Billboard Hot 100’s 52-year chart history, so I get why they kept it going.
Despite enjoying the show less and less as it went on, I persevered and finished the show as a devoted Glee fan does. Maybe it’s the Glee curse, or maybe I’m just picky (sue me), but Glee went from being one of the greatest shows to something some of us had to force ourselves to finish.
At the end of the day, these shows aren’t perfect. They’re messy, cringey, and have me questioning the hiring process of multiple writers’ rooms across production sets. Nevertheless, these shows are all worth the secondhand embarrassment for a good watch!
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