With a long weekend coming in, if binging on quality Netflix series is your plan then check out some of the latest releases on Netflix below to keep you occupied.
Upon release, Indian Matchmaking instantly grabbed eyeballs, but for all the wrong reasons. Arranged marriages have been a popular practice in India for decades. And while most of them have evolved for the better, others remain true to traditional influences of deep-rooted patriarchy, unrealistic demands and our favourite word ‘compromise’. Season one of the show left quite an impression with Sima Aunty casually shaming progressive women for their demands, and telling pretty much every character to lower their standards and settle for what they get. Season two, however, gets an extra dose of spicy drama with season one favourites like Nadia and Aparna making a comeback. Among the new entries is a very nauseating character named Akshay who idolises Elon Musk and calls himself the “world’s most eligible bachelor”. One of the most controversial and unnecessary moments on the show was when Sima Aunty dissed Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ pairing due to the 10-year age gap between the two, proving just how regressive the show can be at times. Despite its many flaws and eyeroll moments, there’s no denying that Indian Matchmaking is an entertaining watch, and dare we say, a guilty pleasure for the days where you just need an unnecessary dose of drama.
Masaba Masaba revolves around the powerful mother-daughter duo Masaba Gupta and Neena Gupta playing themselves, taking viewers through their daily routines, their work and their personal lives. Season one focused on Masaba Gupta’s glamourous lifestyle which is mostly her thriving fashion label, her industry friends, and a new found freedom after an amicable divorce. Topping that is her mother, Bollywood actress Neena Gupta who stands to defy age norms and lives out her best life. Come season two, the show gets a double dose of drama, heartbreak and glamour with new faces from the industry and a few beloved social media personalities including Kusha Kapila, Barkha Singh and Karema Barry in prominent roles. The show also pays tribute to late designer Wendell Rodricks who is Masaba’s mentor, delivering her very real, human reaction to the news of his death. In contrast to season one, season two is a warmer, more emotional ride with the age-old conundrum of a girl having to choose between two very attractive men, Dhairya (Neil Bhoopalam) and Fateh (Armaan Khera).
Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever has a special place in our hearts for its relatability. Awkward Indian teen, check! Overprotective Indian mother, check! Typical high school drama, check! While season one focused on Devi’s attempt to become the ‘it girl’ and find a boyfriend, Season two was about her attempts of juggling two boyfriends, Ben and Paxton, while contesting with a more perfect version of herself, a new student named Aneesa Quereshi. After two successful seasons, Never Have I Ever is back with a season three that picks up right where it left off. Devi is now living the life she wanted, as the girlfriend of popular boy Paxton Hall Yoshida, while Ben continually pines for her, while dating Aneesa. The complicated love triangle soon turns into a square with a new addition of Des, a good-looking, book-smart Indian student who’s caught Devi’s eye. Adding to the list of new romances is the quirky duo Eleanor and Trent, and Kamala’s blossoming love affair with Devi’s teacher Manish. With all the drama and romance, the final season turns out to be quite a memorable close for the show.
You can love it or you can hate it, but you can’t ignore it, that is the effect that Riverdale has left on the world. A thriller based on the popular Archies comics, Riverdale has a very dedicated set of followers who eagerly await a new mystery in the eerie town of Riverdale. Following the journey of Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, Veronica Lodge, and Cheryl Blossom, the series has a new demon to fight every season. From Black Hood to the Gargoyle King, Riverdale has tackled its fair share of enemies, some relevant, some absurd. Over the last season, Riverdale took quite a leap forward, moving on from high school kids to grown-ups with careers. Season six, however, takes a whole new turn into the supernatural world with ghosts, curses, witches, demons, and human sacrifices. In addition to our main leads, the series also brings in a very special guest appearance by Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Kiernan Shipka.
Netflix’s new series Uncoupled brings back the beloved Neil Patrick Harris portraying a newly-single gay man in his late 40s. A thriving real estate agent in New York City, Michael Lawson has seemingly the perfect life. However, on the night of his partner Colin’s 50th birthday, Colin decides to break up and get out of a 17-year marriage. The newly single and unsure Michael walks the streets of NYC looking to find himself while managing to get a date. If the plot sounds familiar, it’s because it was created by Sex and the City’s Darren Star. And so, the series can only be described as a male point of view of Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw. The light-hearted series is a relatable watch for its representation of the seven stages of grief, and the struggles of getting back on the horse after a breakup. Supporting the progressive, relatable plot is a series of queer tropes like the Grindr dating app, closeted studs and the occasional portrayal of gay men as narcissistic and promiscuous. The series has nonetheless given us quite a few aww moments between Michael and his alleged rival turned love interest Tyler Hawkins, making the show a great late night binge.
