In this age of mass streaming, most tv services have shifted to one of two equally destructive routes: 1) Creating shows for the sake of temporary virality at the expense of a captivating storylines, only strip them of air time once their 5 minutes of fame have expired (Yes, I’m looking at you Netflix); 2) Continuing productions on shows that, frankly, have enough seasons to pass off for 4 separate dramas. So, seeing as entertainment is on the decline, what better way to share my gripe than list shows I wish streaming platforms would just stop investing in.
1. Grey’s Anatomy
WHY, WHY, WHY must we keep adding seasons to this show? The storyline is all over the place, half of the original cast is dead, and practically all the hype surrounding this show upon its initial release has run its course. In fact, the show has gone on so long that Ellen Pompeo has announced that she would be leaving after nearly 2 decades of playing main character Meredith Grey and, I say, good on her. We’ve seen this woman suffer through residency, pregnancy, marriage, and the death of her husband. I speak for everyone when I say that Dr. Grey has been through more than enough. As a matter of fact, Pompeo’s exit from the show would be the perfect opportunity for the network to have cut their losses and end the show seeing as… well… how exactly would you have GREY’s Anatomy without Grey? But, of course, no one seems to know how to let things die a peaceful death. I’m begging you ABC, Let. This. Show. Go.
1. Euphoria
Ok, so, *truth time*, my disdain for Euphoria has as much to do with its executive producer, Sam Levinson, as it does with the show itself. The show glamorizes drug usage and promiscuity at a young age, among many other problematic subjects. The fact of the matter is, none of this would be so without the guiding hand of Levinson. The amount of explicit scenes which do not inherently add to the plot but rather serve as a way to play out disturbing fantasies is enough to make any sane person a little queasy. Ultimately, although I do think that the show initially had potential to be great, along the way it has lost the original plot of the story and began running on straight adrenaline. While Maddy is still a fashion queen in my eyes, it’s simply not enough for me to believe that this show deserves any more air time. Case adjourned.
3. Catfish
MTV, how many episodes can you mimic and attempt to repackage before your audience (mainly me) becomes exasperated. While, in its earlier years, the show proved to be considerably more entertaining as it followed Nev and Max lending their help to random strangers in an effort to discover whether the individual they had been conversing with was either a catfish or who they claimed to be, the concept became old fast. I mean, it’s 2023 for goodness sake! How is it that individuals can find themselves speaking to other individuals on the internet for years on end, with no facetime, no calls, or face-to-face interactions, and not reckon that they’re being tricked. Besides many, if not all, of the techniques which Nev and Max employed to uncover the catfish not only remained the same throughout the show’s 8-year run, but were also fairly easy to replicate. Save yourself the watch. Next case!
4. You
This one hurts my heart to admit. Upon its release in 2018, You became an instant hit as audiences found themselves enthralled with fictitious serial-stalker/killer, Joe Goldberg. Yet, after the 2nd or 3rd season, the show began a downward descent into the realm of predictability and anti-climatic endings. In fact, many of the aspects which initially made the show exciting, namely Goldberg’s ability to commit these heinous crimes and escape the consequences unscathed, become the very parts which now make it… stale, for lack of better words. The 3rd season provides nothing new to the series as Joe has yet to answer for any of the actions which he has committed, meaning that we are getting yet another season of watching Goldberg be the most obvious criminal while everyone plays in the background. It’s time for this show to call it a day.