A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES STORY
Orange is the New Black
Orange is The New Black is a comedy-drama created by Jenji Kohan and was released as a Netflix original on July 11, 2013. All thirteen episodes of the first season were released all at once. The second season was released in June of 2014 and the third will be released in June of 2015. The show is based on Piper Kerman's memoir Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison. The show revolves around Piper's experiences in prison as well as her cellmates. Piper is at women's federal prison, Litchfield's Penitentiary where she is facing a 15 month sentence. Piper has been convicted of transporting a suitcase full of dirty drug money to her ex-girlfriend Alex Vause, who also happens to be an ex drug mule. The incident that leads Piper to go to prison had happened ten years prior to where the series begins. In those ten years she does her own things and meet her now fiancée Larry. Her sudden arrests stops everything in her life and all her relationships with others. When Piper goes to prison she meets many new women, all of them obviously in there because of a crime that they committed. This leads to many new friendships with all types of women. Some of them like her more than the others. Piper has her up and downs with people, she also find herself in predicaments but for some reason or another she always seems to find herself out of them. While she is in jail she is reunited with Alex, who might or might not have named her at her trial that could have ended in her friend’s arrest. They rekindle their friendship and learn how to deal with their fellow prisoners. We also see the downfall of their relationship and how they fight to keep it together. Throughout the show we also see how it is that her arrest affects the people that she loves the most like her fiancée Larry. The show often shows many flashbacks which helps us not only find out how it is that she ended up in prison but also helps us to understand Piper’s backstory. These flashbacks also contribute to our understanding of the other prisoners and how it is that they ended up in prison with Piper.
Orange is The New Black is different from any other show because it is so realistic, there seems to be little censorship and it is very open about some topics that other shows have not explored. Although there are some scenes or even episodes which are hard to watch because of its strong content, you will not want to miss a second of it because it is that good. There are times in which you will be shocked, and ask yourself “Wait, what?!” and other times where you are going to put yourself in their situation and think “How did they get through that”.
There are many ways in which Netflix is changing the game, when it first started it was beating out other video stores because you could return the video whenever you wanted to. It then started to beat out cable companies when it allowed Netflix subscribers to stream hundreds of shows and movies. This led to people dropping their expensive cable plans and switching to the more convenient and cheap Netflix. With Netflix’s popularity rising, they are also on their way to becoming a major premiering network like HBO. Their first Netflix original House of Cards broke records and quickly changed the standards for other main online streaming sites. Orange is The New Black and other Netflix originals has changed the way people watch series. People can now watch a whole season of an original show that they can not find anywhere else in a couple of days, or even in a day. With all the unexpected twist and turns of the shows plot you can definitely look forward to a show that is worthy of your time. It is definitely a show that you can binge watch and you won't even feel guilty about it.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Netflix throughout its’ history of existence has grown rapidly into becoming common knowledge for all the younger generations of society. With such rapid growing it has made it possible for Netflix to create their own Netflix Originals. Like myself we don’t always think that Netflix Originals will be any good. In the recent release of originals Netflix has proven their worth through countless originals that have audience members hooked as they binge watch the full originals series in one sitting.
As of recent Netflix has released a new series called Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. I can say that after listening to countless ads from Spotify, Pandora, Youtube, and even hearing about iit from friends and family members I decide to give it a chance. Before watching it I learned that actress Tina Fey had created it. I instantly wanted to watch it because Tina has proven her success in past work. These past works include the overly-quoted yet successful film Mean Girls which was released back in 2004. It was because of this, that influenced my decision, on pressing play on the remote to watch the adventures of Kimmy Schmidt unfold. When starting the first episode it begins with a very catchy auto tune voice of an interview explaining how Kimmy and the Mole woman were found. What is funny is that the theme song
is in a way making fun of the many times that people are interviewed and that is later remixed into a catchy song. For example this includes the viral videos of autotunes interviews such as
The series follows Kimmy Schmidt is rescued from her underground bunker that she was lived in because she was apart of a cult in Indiana. Once she is rescued Kimmy goes off to New York to adjust to her new life. In New York she meets people who become her friends, employers, and even love interests. In Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt we join Kimmy and watch as she tries tosurvive in the concrete jungle.
What makes Unbreakable really entertaining is Kimmy’s sense of humor. Because she was in a underground bunker for the majority of her young life she doesn't know much of new words and slang terms which creates a lot of miscommunication throughout the episodes making it fun and entertaining. Apart from Kimmy there are other characters such as Titus her flamboyant roommate who is an aspiring broadway performer. Titus at first takes advantage of her innocence but eventually helps her survive by teaching her not only language tips but dressing advice as well. Kimmy’s employer Jacqueline Voorhees, who is a wealthy mother who hired Kimmy as a nanny.
Without saying too much about the funny events that occur in each episode its easy to say that Kimmy will get you laughing in no time! This series was creatively written in a way that has only comedy but also sends a good messages to the audience. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a Netflix series that at first sounds boring because of the name title but remember to never judge a series by it’s Netflix cover.
This show has had many great reviews from magazine articles, to TV critique websites. TV guide states, “It’s the best new comedy of 2015.” Many praises have gone to Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. IGN reviews claim that Unbreakable is “Not only charming and funny, but it’s unabashedly kooky.” So the next time you find yourself not knowing what to watch on Netflix or you just want a good laugh be sure to check out Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt!
The Killing
One of the many Netflix original series is The Killing. The killing is on a police investigation, the saga of a grieving family, and a Seattle mayoral campaign all interlock after the body of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen is found in the trunk of a submerged car. This show is Based partly on a popular Danish TV series, "The Killing" is a moody, character-driven detective procedural that weaves a murder mystery through a full season or more. The stories unfold through the eyes of Sarah Linden, a detective with the Seattle Police Department and who, at first, must mentor Detective Stephen Holder, a former narcotics cop. While their backgrounds produce investigative styles that clash they manage to pull together for the case.
Once I watched the first season I got hooked on this show.The series was developed and produced by Veena Sud. The plot for this show is set in Seattle, Washington, the season follows the investigation into the murder of a local teenager named Rosie Larsen. About every episode covers approximately 24 hours. The first season covers the first two weeks of the investigation, and it also has three main storylines: the police investigation into Rosie's murder, the attempts of her family to deal with their grief, and the changing electoral fortunes of a political campaign that becomes tied up in the case. The main character is Sarah Linden, who is an experienced homicide detective that is about to retire at a young age to follow her fiancé to Sonoma, California. On Sarah’s last day on the job, she is partnered with detective Stephen Holder who is considered a rookie homicide detective and who has recently transferred from an undercover job dealing with narcotics. The two are sent to investigate a possible crime scene in a local wilderness park, where a bloody woman's shirt and a credit card belonging to a man named Stan Larsen were discovered. The detectives talk to Larsen's wife Mitch who lets them know that the family has just returned from a weekend camping trip and their seventeen-year-old daughter Rosie had not gone with them. They then find out that no one seems to know where Rosie was, and her father Stan and the police quickly begin their search for her. Eventually, a car belonging to a councilman named Darren is pulled from a lake in the park, and Rosie is shockingly found dead in the trunk. They begin to investigate who killed Rosie Larson. They first suspect her rich boyfriend and his friend who is also a drug dealer who were at a party with Rosie the night she went missing. But, they soon realize they had nothing to do with it. Then, they move on to their second suspect, Bennet Ahmed. They suspect of him after finding out that he used to write Rosie letters and discovered that Rosie visited Bennet’s house the night she went missing. But, he soon gets an alibi from a friend who was also at his house that night. After proving two of their suspects had nothing to do with Rosie’s death they find some intriguing news out. They find out that a previous suspect, Darren Richmond (the one involved in the political campaign), knew Rosie and had previously gotten an alibi about him told the police which got him off the hook. But, it turns out the alibi was incorrect and the person, his campaign manager who he was romantically involved with, had been incorrect. She confesses that Richmond was gone for many hours that night and then a picture gets sent to the detectives which portray Richmond driving the car in which Rosie was found dead. The case is then closed and detective Linden boards her plane to leave. While boarding the plane the plot twist takes place. She is informed that the toll booth camera from where the photo was taken had been broken and contained no pictures, which meant that the photo previously shown was false and Richmond was being falsely incriminated.
This show is extremely well put and keeps you on the edge. It keeps you thinking about who the real suspect is and what really happened to Rosie Larson the night she was killed. I advise anyone and everyone to watch this because you will love it! It is a must watch Netflix Original that you will not want to stop watching. It has really changed the way I watch TV because after starting this series I never watched regular TV and only watched Netflix shows. I would go to Netflix to find exactly what I wanted to watch instead of looking through channels and hope to find something that is somewhat interesting.
House of Cards
On its third season, House of Cards is what many would say is good television, me being included. Its about a Congressman named Frank Underwood. Frank is from the Carolinas and has had a passion to become the President of the United States. His wife Clare Underwood could be said is just as ambitious. This dynamic duo plunge their lives into the filth of US politics and get very messy along the way. With some help from a couple of close confidants they all set out at the impossible mission of rising to the top, with deception, and fear as their weapons they leave a wake of blood and carnage. House of Cards along with other Netflix Originals have made a big splash in the television industry, to the point that some see Netflix and other companies becoming bigger than television.
House of Cards like other Netflix Originals have had phenomenal success. The last television series to show the ins and outs of Washington DC well was the famous West Wing television show. But unlike West Wing, House of Cards has taken a much more gritty and sinister tone of our nations capital. As an example, in the first season Frank Underwood finds out about another politician Peter Russo, and his DUI along with the soliciting of a prostitute. Frank uses this man but ultimately Peter can’t be the politician Frank needs so he kills Peter by leaving the car running in a closed garage with Peter in it making it look like suicide. This is just one of many instances where Frank Underwood get down and dirty. With many others the question you constantly ask yourself is, “where is the line?”
What makes House of Cards different is the way they present the story. What I mean by that is often Frank will talk to you as if you are there, and because you see everything you as the audience are his closest friend, his cheering squad. This relationship bring the view in on a level that most shows don’t. This is my favorite part of watching House of Cards is that connection you get with Frank as the audience. Netflix has been working hard to make a name for themselves, and when they work to create unique way of presenting the story like House of Cards you find yourself wanting more of that kind of content.
House of Cards isn’t the only Netflix Original title, In fact there are many others. Some will be listed here. Netflix has found what makes a good television show, that being a good story with character development. On television today you will see many doctor shows along with criminal investigation shows. These genres have flooded television and have deluded much of the industry. Many television companies are looking for what will increase ratings in a proven way. Netflix has found a better formula. With the structure of a good story and good character development you can a show about mobster living in norway to a dramatisation of the life of Marco Polo. With almost endless possibilities for a good story its draws me to see what else Netflix will show. There is also a sense of relief knowing that at the very least whatever they put out will be something original.
I hope to see more from Netflix in the way of movies and television shows. It seems to me that Netflix has been pushing hard to make great entertainment to the greater masses. I hope that the drive Netflix has today will continue on for many years to come. I would like to see more shows like House of Cards where I am happily surprised, in that I see a creative way of getting the audience connect to the show. I am excited to see where we end up in ten years. Will we be totally online while leaving dish and cable behind or will these modes of entertainment adapt to the shifting sand of technology?
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