There is not a better feeling than binge watching your favorite TV show in a cozy spot on a cold winter day. However, it can be a hassle to search for a good TV show on Netflix. Netflix is the home of many popular shows, which makes it difficult to distinguish the underrated shows from the overrated ones. If you are in search of a marathon worthy Netflix show this winter, you have come to the right place.

The Good Place

Rating 5 stars

Underrated

Looking for a show with snarky, unexpected humor? The Good Place is a deep and humorous show that will leave you wanting more and wondering about the afterlife. The Good Place follows Eleanor (Kristen Bell) through her journey into afterlife, Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper), an indecisive ethics professor, Tahani Al Jamil (Jameela Jamil), an elegant celebrity, and Jason Mendoza (Manny Jacinto), a lovable dimwit. Together, they find themselves in “The Good Place” (which is equivalent to heaven), designed by Michael and his assistant Janet. As the show progresses, the six go on to work together and solve the problems of the afterlife.

The Good Place is a work of art, an incredible combination of moral philosophy and humor. Every scene is hilarious and heartfelt—most of the time both. Full of twists and turns, The Good Place will have you on the edge of your seat, laughing every second. There is one fight scene in season 3, but not a lot of action other than that. In terms of romance, The Good Place is different. Couples get together, break up, get together, rinse and repeat, but the way they do it is fresh and unique. This show is perfect, other than a few plot holes here and there, but I cannot say enough good things about it. 

Cobra Kai

4.75 stars

Underrated

The story kicks off with a middle-aged repairman Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) decades after his karate loss to Daniel Larusso (Ralph Machhio). Lawrence quits his job to open a dojo after saving Miguel Diaz (Xolo Mariduena) and beating up  bullies in true Mr. Miyagi fashion. Larusso forms a bond himself with Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan), who turns out to be Lawrence’s son. Sam Larusso (Mary Mouser) also becomes a student of her father eventually. Conflict arises, old rivalries are revived, while new rivalries made, and surprising friendships are also created. 

Old fans of the trilogy of The Karate Kid will love Cobra Kai, along with new fans searching for something to watch. Cobra Kai will bring back loved faces and new faces alike. The humor is on point, however the romance is semi predictable as it is one of the many mirrors to the original trilogy, but still engaging. Overall, the plot doesn’t fail to amaze, and each season is incredible. Full of action, Cobra Kai always gets your blood pumping. The only negative to this show is that sometimes it could be more realistic. There are mobs of fights, but no one seems to call the police when things get too far. Johnny seemingly has healing powers, as Miguel’s asthma disappears (along with various other injuries later in the series). Additionally, the power of characters remains inconsistent. Even if the odds are incredibly low, the character with plot armor that the writer favors will always win (Johnny Lawrence in the last episode of Season 5, and Hawk v.s Kenny in season 5).

Cobra Kai holds nostalgia with old characters returning every season, and new faces we have learned to love. This show is not just a karate spin-off show, it is a humorous, action packed, meaningful show with deeper parallels throughout the show.

Wednesday

4.5 stars

Underrated

Wednesday Addams, a sharp, grim and quick witted teenager (Jenna Ortega) is sent away from her family to Nevermore academy, a school for outcasts and finds herself with energetic Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers), her new roomate. Wednesday attempts repeatedly to escape, until she realizes that there is something wrong in Jericho. Wednesday then makes it her job to find the killer. She slowly learns about her ancestry and the town of Jericho itself. Friends are made, Romance blossoms, and everything is revealed in the end.

Full of action, mystery, and laughs here and there, Wednesday is a brilliant show. Wednesday’s character development along with the bonds she created are incredibly meaningful. Wednesday is unique as a character and changes dramatically from the first episode to the last. Jenna Ortega is a talented actress and perfectly mastered her role. An example of this is that she chose not to blink in any of the scenes to portray Wednesday as defensive and not willing to drop her guard. At the end of season one, Wednesday hugs Enid, even though she hates hugs and is “allergic to color”. While doing so, she closes her eyes, symbolizing how she feels safe with Enid and completely trusts her, allowing herself to be vulnerable for the only time in the entirety of the show. It’s a beautiful symbol of friendship, allowing one to be vulnerable to a friend because you know they will be there for you. The show doesn’t have incredible amounts of humor, but has enough so the show isn’t too dry. The romance is great, and it is fun to see Wednesday turn into a lover. Her relationship with Enid is beautiful as well. The plot is pretty interesting, Wednesday’s incredible wit brings clues to the watcher. I have to say, I practically found out who was a part of the scheme the first couple episodes as any audience with any background in mysteries would have, but one character caught me off guard. The end gets a little complicated, and my only other complaint is that Wednesday has amazing plot armor. She is smart, but she just sends “Thing” to do her deeds and practically solves every problem that way. 

Ultimately, Wednesday is a mythical show full of twists, friendship, romance, humor, action, and mystery, played by a lovable cast. It is the third most watched show on Netflix at 1.24 billion hours, a spot well earned.

These shows are favorites, for a good reason, and deserve more recognition. They are a good place to start when looking for a show.