A lot of great films and shows came out of 2021. It was the year that shows like Netflix’sSquid GameandMaidtook the world by storm. Unfortunately, it was also a year of some failed shows. As with anything good, though, comes the bad. Although many of these shows had some traction before they came out, most of them fell flat once they were released.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, some of this year’s Netflix streaming series just didn’t hit the mark for one reason or another. Some of these are reboots, while some are new ideas that didn’t do great among critics and audiences. Surpirnsgly, many of these shows also got renewed for a new season.
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The One(41%)
Netflix’sThe Onehas an admittedly unique premise: A new company called MatchDNA pairs people with their “soulmates” based on their DNA samples. The CEO of the company, Rebecca, is highly ambitious and means well with this new way of dating, yet everything begins to spiral before her eyes.
The series is based on John Marr’s 2016 novel of the same name. Although the plot seems interesting enough on paper, when it unraveled on screen, it just didn’t do what it was supposed to. First of all, the show seems to be trying to do a lot at once, which is never good. On the one hand, it is a drama; on the other, it seems to bea commentary on modern dating apps.
On top of it all, there is also a considerablemurder mystery element, which is where it went wrong in many’s eyes. If the show focused on the topic of DNA sampling to find one’s soulmate only, the performance would’ve been more captivating, but with all the different plots and characters, it can get rather confusing.The Onewas renewed for a second season, so fans and critics will just have to wait and see if it took some advice from the reviews.
The Crew(40%)
This comedy starring Kevin James as the crew chief of a NASCAR garage had so much potential, but it fell flat when it came to the screen. The show’s premise had James as the crew chief, who begins to disagree with his new boss and staff as they take over the garage. It is rather interesting to seewhat shows meet the season renewal markand which ones don’t, as the above ones that did horribly got renewed, yet, althoughThe Crewhas an 81% audience rating, it, unfortunately, couldn’t make it past the mark.
The cast is pretty hilarious, the writing is brilliant, and the premise is unique and not a reboot for once, so what went wrong? Sometimes shows just don’t get renewed, and it doesn’t always mean the series was terrible. This is another series that could’ve shown what it is worth in its second season,as many critics notedthe show got better as it continued: “The jokes get better and the cast chemistry stronger as the series goes on. By the fifth episode, James and crew have it running like, well, a well-oiled machine.” It’s just too bad that James and his crew can’t give the audience more of their charm.
Jupiter’s Legacy(40%)
This is the first show on the list that didn’t do well among critics, but audiences liked it more. Whereas it has just a 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, it had a relatively average 73% audience rating. Thepremise ofJupiter’s Legacyis pretty interesting: children of superheroes struggle to live up to their parent’s success. With Marvel and anything superhero-related being on the forefront of film and television, it is surprising that the show didn’t do great.
Unlike the top two shows,Jupiter’s Legacywas canceled after its first season in June 2021, which actually left some critics and fans upset. Although the first season might not have been some’s cup of tea, many,including critic Sabrina Barrsaw the potential that a second season could’ve provided: “Despite being chock-a-block full of cracking action sequences and absorbing exchanges, the first season ofJupiter’s Legacyhas only just scratched the surface of this tale.” With so much competition in the superhero field,it seems thatJupiter’s Legacyjust didn’t make it. Maybe it could have secured a second season if it was released a few years prior.
Fate: The Winx Saga(37%)
With it being another reboot of a children’s show, it isn’t shocking thatFate: The Winx Sagadid so horribly among critics and fans alike. The Netflix series is based on the ultra-popular original Nickelodeon animated seriesWinx Club,created by Iginio Straffi. The original show is about a group of girls called Winx, who are students at the Alfea College for Fairies and fight villains. The series ran from 2004-2009 until its renewal in 2011. The show then had a four-year hiatus until 2019, when its 8th season was released, yet Straffi and most of the original crew did not return.
The Netflix series is a live-action rebootand is basically the same exact premise. Like the above show,Fate: The Winx Sagawas surprisingly renewed for a second season in February 2021. Whereas the show modernized the original series and made it more acceptable for an older audience, it didn’t reach the amount of success it could have.
The show leaves much to be desired with basically the same premise, and nothing new added aside from more adult scenes. The thought of an action-packed live-action version of fairies beating up villains sounds amusing; hopefully, the second season has a lot more to give.
Sex/Life(23%)
Although Netflix’sSex/Lifewas renewed for a second season, the critic reception wasn’t great. Great is a strong word;Sex/Lifeactually did rather horribly among critics, garnering just a 23% on Rotten Tomatoes. One particular critic,Adam Sweeting, even compared it to Looney Tunes, stating, “A Road Runner cartoon has more sophisticated characterizations.”
The premise for the show seems funny enough: a happily married mother of two begins fantasizing about her past, in particular a specific ex. Although married to a well-achieved investment broker, she begins to question if her “happily ever after” marriage is really what she wants after all. The show is inspired by the novel44 Chapters about 4 Menand was created by Stacey Rukeyser, who is known for being the writer and producer on ABC Family’sGreek andon the popular tv showsOne Tree Hill, The Lying Game,andTwisted.
Working on suchwell-known dramasand comedies, it is a shame thatSex/Lifegot such terrible reviews. The general consensus seems to be that the writing wasn’t the best, and even the excellent acting couldn’t help it much. Hopefully, the potential that Netflix sees is worth it because the series was renewed for a second season two months after its release in September 2021.
