There's more television shows than ever to ideally watch and keep up with. Between the shows airing on the broadcast and cable networks and the streaming original series, our watch lists continute to overflow with an incredible amount of content. Unfortunately, it's impossible to keep up with everything, especially when Netflix gives us full seasons to binge-watch all at once.
Binge releases have become a normal release strategy for streaming services, and Netflix remains committed to the pattern it popularized. But with so many Netflix original series released each month, sometimes you have to call it quits when you're not connecting with a show. Whether you don't like the characters, it's too dark, or you've just had enough, knowing when to stop is key.
Even when we're overwhelmed with the vastness of choice when it comes to television series, we shouldn't feel as though we need to watch and finish everything. Personally, I DNF'd ("did not finish") multiple Netflix original shows for different reasons. From needlessly dark teen dramas to comedies with untapped potential, I'll never go back to finish these five Netflix shows.
13 Reasons Why
When 13 Reasons Why premiered on Netflix back in 2017, the teen drama series based on the young adult novel of the same name became an instant sensation. But it also became an instant lightning rod for controversy. The series stays true to the book's premise of Hannah Baker, a teenager who died by suicide and left behind cassette tapes explaining what (and whom) contributed to her decision. Netflix caught fire for showing graphic depictions of suicide and depression in teens.
13 Reasons Why ultimately ran for four seasons and ended its run after 49 episodes in 2020. For me, the show ended after the second season. The series continued to unnecessarily push the envelope in its portrayal of trauma, all involving teenagers, and I couldn't watch anymore. If you enjoyed watching the show and the representation it was giving to certain social issues, that's great. But I didn't feel the need to give the show more of my time after a certain scene in the season 2 finale.
Wayward
You're probably thinking, "Wait, Wayward is currently one of the most popular Netflix original series right now. Why are you hating on it?" Well, I'm not hating on it at all. In fact, the series boasts a very intriguing premise about a peculiar and unsettling small town with a history of dark secrets. These secrets unravel as a cop investigates the shocking past of his wife in connection to a mysterious facility for troubled teenagers led by a chilling leader. It's a great, twisty thriller.
However, for my binge-watching taste, I decided to part ways about five episodes in because the characters and story weren't progressing at a pace that felt satisfying. After you have watched so many of these streaming limited series, you tire of them hitting the same beats and just wish they would have made a tight, properly-paced movie instead of an eight-episode commitment with hour-long episodes. There's simply too much on to force interest in something you aren't into!
Sex/Life
You have to wonder how many people actually watched Sex/Life to completion and how many people just took part in the viral trend of watching that season 1 scene. You know, the one with Adam Demos' character's shocking full-frontal nudity moment. Well, enough people watched the erotic drama series to warrant a second season, a second season that ended up being the final season and a second season that I ultimately didn't watch after being exhausted by Billie's decisions in season 1.
Honestly, I'm very supportive of Billie doing what makes her happy and pursuing whatever that is whether it's Brad, her husband Cooper, and a different path entirely. (She ultimately ended up with Brad, by the way.) But she made her crush on an old flame in the midst of her marital boredom all of our problem. Maybe it's just me, but Sex/Life wasn't much fun to watch and I didn't tune into season 2 (and don't ever feel the need to). Again, if you loved the show, I really do love that for you!
Friends from College
As a bigger fan of comedy than drama, this one stung the most. Friends from College had potential bursting at the seams. I mean, look at the cast: Nat Faxon, Cobie Smulders, Fred Savage, Jae Suh Park, Billy Eichner, Annie Parissa, and Keegan-Michael Key. The show was also co-created and directed by Nicholas Stoller and Francesca Delbanco. What could go wrong? Well... Unfortunately, the stars did not align with all of the talent in front of and behind the camera.
The characters were unlikable, and not in a way that's endearingly humorous like with HBO's Girls. This group was borderline unbearable, and that's painful to say given the stars playing them. After the underwhelming trajectory and overwhelming disappointment of the first season, I didn't even bother to watch the second season two years later. Friends from College was canceled one month after season 2 dropped. It's a shame that the series didn't live up to its promise.
Sweet Magnolias
Listen, Sweet Magnolias has its strengths and its fans, and its deserving of the love it gets. The leading cast members — JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Heather Headley, and Brooke Elliott — are wonderful in their roles and make the show something worth watching. A lot of viewers find the romantic drama series comforting and a cozy watch, and that's definitely needed when there are so many shows that are dark and violent.
But after three seasons, I poured it out with the Sweet Magnolias for the last time. For starters, the third season ended in a way that could have also ended the series. There weren't any cliffhangers and the characters each had a natural ending point. But the show came back for season 4 and will be back for season 5. Because of the glacial pace the narrative tends to move at, I won't be returning to Serenity, but I can appreciate the joy and levity the series brings to its fans.