Imagine this: You’re scrolling across Netflix and you stumble across an interesting title card of a TV show. You’ve never heard of it before, but from the picture alone, it looks like it could be somewhat decent. So you click on it and investigate further, then you read the short description and now you’re extremely interested. And what’s this? Multiple seasons of the show are ready for your viewing pleasure? This seems too good to be true. You are already hooked and are ready to devote the next few hours to binge-watch the entire first season. But for the hell of it, you decide to head on over to Rotten Tomatoes and check out its critic score. And then it hits you square in the face: Not only has this show been deemed “rotten,” but it’s considered flaming, rotten garbage by just about every critic out there.
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Most of us have probably been in this exact situation. It almost makes you want to immediately give up on the show and rewatch Stranger Things for the 20th time. Well, maybe you don’t have to throw in the towel so early next time. As it turns out, there are plenty of “rotten” Netflix shows out there that are actually really good. While it should come as no surprise that critics would have a disconnect with a show for one reason or another, it is downright shocking that so many high-quality shows have been hit with the “rotten” label. Luckily for us, we now have a popcorn meter for audience reviews.
Huge in France
Watching a “fish out of water” story sometimes feels like a crap shoot. Either you relate to the fish or you don’t. For the majority of critics, Huge in France failed to really resonate with them. However, the show offered a fresh look at a person trying their hand at making it big in Los Angeles. The show follows Gad (Gad Elmaleh), a famous comedian in France who craves a chance to really leave his mark on the comedy world. He decides to leave his comfort and fame behind and move to Los Angeles. There, he also hopes to reconnect with his estranged, comedy-allergic teenage son. But things aren’t quite as easy as Gad expected them to be.
It’s never a fun time when you realize you aren’t as special or as well-liked as you originally thought. In real life, it can be a downright depressing realization. However, in the TV world, it makes for some entertaining storylines. Huge in France explored that very idea with a compelling lead character and some genuinely funny episodes. The series was based on the real-life exploits of comedian Gad Elmaleh, who really did achieve stardom in France before trying his hand in America.
Gypsy
You can throw Naomi Watts into anything, and chances are that people are at least going to give it a try. Unfortunately for this “rotten” Netflix show, viewers just didn’t feel like sticking around. Netflix cancelled Gypsy after just a single, 10-episode season in 2017, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking out. In this psychological thriller series, Watts stars as Jean, a therapist in New York with a successful practice and what appears to be an idyllic life. But like any good show, things aren’t always as nice as they appear to be. As Jean throws herself into unethical relationships with the people in her patients’ lives, the line between her professional and personal lives becomes blurred.
Gypsy came equipped with the tagline, “Who are you when no one is watching?” Besides sounding like one of those little blurbs you get inside a Dove Chocolate wrapper, the tagline accurately summarizes the show in eight words. Throughout the first and only season, viewers watch as Jean slowly begins to unravel, losing her grip on reality. Watts does an excellent job adding depth to a character who could very easily come across as gross and immoral. It’s a shame we couldn’t see where a second season would take her.
Another Life
As the most “rotten” Netflix show on this entire list, Another Life is one of those shows that you should still give another chance. You just have to watch it while leaving your brain at the door. With a 6% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, Another Life is nearly as “rotten” as you can get. Created by Aaron Martin, the 2019 sci-fi series follows astronaut Niko Breckinridge (Katee Sackhoff), who is determined to search the world for alien intelligence. She heads a crew that is on a mission to explore the origin of an alien artifact that has been found back home on Earth. But as Breckinridge and her crew search throughout the universe, they face unimaginable dangers that put all of their lives in jeopardy.
While the production values of this Netflix original are top-notch, the show is unintentionally hilarious with how many cliches and eye-rolling sci-fi tropes it’s able to fit into each episode. Another Earth is so flawed that it is tough to watch at times, and that’s what makes it so good. The show is so severely flawed, that despite Sackhoff’s best efforts, you are led to believe that the show was made this way on purpose. But there is a certain charm to the show that makes it so endearing, even if it’s not one of the best Netflix shows to binge right now.
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Devil in Ohio
Devil in Ohio may be yet another “rotten” Netflix show, but its gripping story is engaging enough to leave you wanting more. The series follows Mae (Madeleine Arthur), a teenager who has recently escaped from the clutches of a cult and finds a savior in psychiatrist Dr. Suzanne Mathis (Emily Deschanel). With a sense of duty motivating her, Suzanne offers to put the girl up in her home while looking for a foster family. But as Suzanne investigates the devil-worshipping cult that Mae ran away from, her life begins to spiral out of control.
While Devil in Ohio fails to bring anything new to the table in the horror genre, it offers up a decent amount of scares and mystery that will keep you guessing. You may find yourself questioning the decisions that a few of the characters make throughout the season, but what’s a horror show without a few questionable choices? Devil in Ohio maintains a terrific atmosphere throughout its eight-episode season. Although it’s not perfect, Devil in Ohio is a really good show for anyone craving another fix of some cult-horror.
Between
Created by Michael McGowan, this Netflix series puts a new spin on the survival-thriller genre. Between follows Wiley Day (Jeanette McCurdy), the pregnant teenage daughter of a minister. Set in the fictional town of Pretty Lake, Wiley weighs her options of what to do when a mysterious disease kills everyone over the age of 21. As the town is quarantined by the government, the remaining young survivors must fend for themselves, navigating lawlessness, power struggles, and the fear of getting older. Like most young adults, the survivors must figure out how to piece together their lives without any idea of what will happen next.
Similar to Devil in Ohio, Between doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to the survival thriller genre. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. While it follows a tried and true formula, Between does offer up a fairly fresh spin with the focus turning on the survival of young adults. The series acts as a nice metaphor for people who are entering into full-fledged adulthood. Life is scary and filled with the unknown. Without “real adults” around to tell you what to do, it can feel like an impossible challenge. Between does an excellent job of staying within the boundaries of its premise.
Flaked
As the voice of the titular anthropomorphic talking horse in the iconic Netflix show, Bojack Horseman, Will Arnett knows a thing or two about being a cast member in a critic darling. He also starred in Arrested Development, yet another favorite of critics. Unfortunately, his short-lived live-action comedy Flaked never received the same love as his previous two shows. The “rotten” Netflix show was given just two seasons before it was cancelled. In the show, Arnett stars as Chip, a resident of Venice Beach, California. Similar to Bojack, Chip is an alcoholic who struggles with his own baggage and has a difficult time keeping up with the world around him.
As a perpetual screw-up, Chip is oddly relatable and sympathetic as a lead character despite his inherent flaws. Flaked may have been a victim of being made at the wrong place and at the wrong time, because the show is painfully relevant today. For anyone feeling like they too are wandering aimlessly through life, Chip can be looked at as something of an inspiration. Even though he continuously messes things up, he always presses forward and tries again. There’s something compelling about Flaked that makes it a really good watch.
Fuller House
Sometimes we know exactly what to expect when watching a TV show, and sometimes, that expectation is that we know what we’re watching is pure schlock. But it’s usually entertaining schlock that is near and dear to our hearts. It’s not award-winning television, and it doesn’t even matter. It just strikes a chord with you. Fuller House is one of those shows. It’s predictable, it’s filled with recycled plotlines, and it doesn’t really stand out from Full House in any way. But that little twist of nostalgic charm works wonders for this “rotten” Netflix show. It’s a comfort show that does its job.
Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Andrea Barber, John Stamos, and the late Bob Saget are among the original Full House cast members who have returned in this spinoff. Fuller House primarily follows D.J. (Cameron), a widow and a mother to three sons, who just so happens to find herself back in her childhood home alongside her sister Stephanie, an aspiring musician, and her lifelong friend Kimmy Gibbler, who is also a single mother. All three women attempt to work with each other to hold their joint families together as life throws a hefty amount of curveballs their way.
Girlboss
Another “rotten” Netflix show, another one-season cancellation. But don’t let that deter you from this show that was inspired by businesswoman Sophia Amoruso’s book. Girlboss follows Sophia (Britt Robertson), a recently fired shoe store worker who decides to start selling vintage clothing online. As her business begins to grow, Sophia is forced to navigate the minefield that is the business world. Despite her increasing success, Sophia must also work on her personal life or risk losing everything that she has worked for.
Girlboss is a show that is clever and funny without relying on the classic cliches. The show pulls back the curtain on the complexity of how a successful businesswoman is able to balance both their personal and professional relationships, and the trouble that may arise because of it. Girlboss is never boring, even as it builds its world early in its one and only season. Although Robertson plays her role very well, the character of Sophia was a large reason for the disconnect from critics. While it is difficult to like her at first, she does grow on you, so it’s a shame we never got a second season. At least the cancellation of Girlboss didn’t hit quite as hard as when Netflix cancelled what was arguably its best show.
Disjointed
If you wish hard enough, sometimes your dreams really do come true. Co-created by David Javerbaum and Chuck Lorre, Disjointed follows Ruth (Kathy Bates), an outspoken advocate for the legal use of marijuana. Everything falls into place in Ruth’s life when she gets the chance to run her very own cannabis dispensary in Los Angeles, Ruth’s Alternative Caring. In order to properly get her dispensary up and running, she is aided by her staff of weirdos, which includes her business-savvy son Travis (Aaron Moten), Carter (Tone Bell) a security guard suffering from PTSD, and her collection of “budtenders.”
Much like Fuller House, Disjointed isn’t a perfect show. In fact, it still felt half-baked by the time it was cancelled after its second season. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not a fun show. Like always, Bates is the crown jewel of the show. She knows exactly how to carry a show and has no problems with doing much of the heavy lifting in Disjointed. If you manage your expectations and sit back with your favorite bowl of munchies, then watching this show is the perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon.
Friends From College
If the word “friends” is the first word of your sitcom’s title, then you’ve likely already captured the attention of your desired audience. While this Netflix original series never came close to the popularity of Friends, it managed to amass a decent following before being cancelled after just two seasons. Friends From College follows the complicated stories of a small group of friends who all previously met at Harvard. Ethan (Keegan-Michael Key), Lisa (Cobie Smulders), Sam (Annie Parisse), Marianne (Jae Suh Park), Nick (Nat Faxon), and Max (Fred Savage) are not perfect, but they all try their best to not be a complete failure.
Like most shows about a group of pals, Friends From College focuses on the trials and tribulations of making your way through life as an adult. For some, it’s a challenge. For others, it’s even more of a challenge. But that’s what makes life fun. While nobody in Friends From College could be considered your typical “good person,” it doesn’t stop them from being there for each other, at least in their own unique ways that is. This “rotten” Netflix show may be a bit rough around the edges, but it has enough charm to keep you tuned in throughout its limited 16-episode run.
