# Whatcha Watchin' on Netflix? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2017, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084 "2017-06-04T03:36:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/1 "2017-06-04T03:36:11Z")
I’m starting this thread to serve as a general Netflix viewing thread. Major Nefilix series like Luke Cage and the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are popular and watched enough to sustain their own threads, but most of them generate threads with the lifespan of trout mayflies, and are long vanished by the time I get to them in my queue. The first series I would like to bring up is a relatively new (to Netflix) Japanese import called Samurai Gourmet (“Oniboshi no Gurume”). I put in my my queue primarily because it was Japanese, but I didn’t have high expectations. The copy made it sound like a fictionalized version of Tony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmer having exotic food adventures, but the actual show turned out to be quite different. Our main character, Takeshi Kasumi, is a recently retired salaryman (The first episode opens with him waking up in a panic, thinking he has overslept for work.) who was a workaholic who ate “Set Lunch A” in the company cafeteria every day. Retirement has left him at loose ends, as his wife has a busy social schedule and life of her own (She is always running off to yoga class or choir practice or an alumni meeting.), so he takes to wandering around town and learning to enjoy life at a slower pace. A lot of that enjoyment comes in the form of eating out. The promo pic on Netflix shows Takeshi in a natty suit slurping noodles in an immaculate restaurant. The show is more along the lines of: Takeshi dressed like an old-retired guy goes to the equivalent of Mel’s Diner. It doesn’t deal with exotic or luxurious dishes, or trendy neighborhoods. Some of the dishes Takeshi eats might be unknown to American viewers, but that’s because they are more on the home-cooking end of Japanese cuisine and won’t often be found in stateside Japanese restaurants. A show centered one one character like Samurai Gourmet, especially since a good chunk of screen time featuresTakeshi’s internal monologue, needs strong lead performance, and it gets on here. The actor conveys both Takeshi’s love of and his somewhat nebbishy anxiety about social conventions ("Will these people look at me like an old drunk if I order a beer with my lunch?"or “Should I say something to these loud, obnoxious jerks at the next table who are ruining this quiet coffeeshop?” ). It’s a very low-key, slice-of-life show that’s basically one old man wondering where he is going to eat lunch, but I find it utterly charming. There is an actual samurai. When Takeshi has one of his anxiety moments, he “sees” the scene time-shift to the samurai era. There, the main character is a scruffy ronin, who doesn’t care about social conventions and is determined to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. When Takeshi “returns” to the present, the ronin’s example helps him be a little more assertive and enjoy himself without fretting about what others think. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/2 "2017-06-04T05:40:55Z")
A few recommendations: **Master of None** - Aziz Ansari’s look at life in New York City. It’s definitely a “comedy”, and is very funny, but aims more for meaning and emotions than just laughs-a-minute. The second season was recently released, very consistently high quality throughout. The hardest I’ve laughed in ages was at a scene in the Thanksgiving episode of season 2. Some episodes focus on racial and minority issues, but I never found it preachy **Bojack Horseman** - Hard-to-categorize animated show about a past-his-prime former sitcom star living in Hollywood, trying to reclaim his former glory. Except that he’s a horse. Many of the people in this version of Hollywood are anthropomorphic animals, and it’s never explained or commented on, but it means they always have lots of animal jokes to make. Starts out seeming like it’s just for the laughs (and it’s VERY funny), but turns out to really be about depression and loneliness. VERY powerful at times. **Happy Valley** - British import. On the surface it’s a cop drama/mystery, but it’s really about a tough woman and her relationship with her sister. In some ways similar to Broadchurch, but with poverty instead of pretty views. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/3 "2017-06-18T13:47:05Z")
Since I loved Samurai Gourmet, Netflix decided to recommend Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (“Shinya Shokudo”) for me. They are both half-hour Japanese series with a short (10-12 episodes) run focusing on food/restaurants, so they seem a close match. However, while Midnight Diner is indeed set in a restaurant, it doesn’t focus on the proprietor or his regular customers. Each episode is centered about a new customer who comes to the restaurant and their problem/story. A lot of the episode is set in the restaurant but most of the drama/resolution happens elsewhere. The setup is intriguing: The restaurant is a small counter-service place set in a quiet back alley in Shinjuku, almost a separate world from that neon-lit, bustling nightlife district. It doesn’t open until midnight, and has a very limited menu with three of the five spots on the menu board being beer, sake, and shochu (a Japanese spirit). The gimmick is that the owner/chef will prepare anything within reason if he has the ingredients or if the customer brings them. Each episode’s title is the dish that episode’s main character asks him to make. The clientele mostly consists of night-owl types: taxi driver, overnight DJ, bar hostess, nightclub comedian, etc). There are a few regulars, but they mostly act as a Greek chorus and usually don’t get involved in the stories. Over the course of the series, we learn absolutely nothing about the chef/owner, not even his name. (He is addressed only as “Master”, kind of like calling your bartender “barkeep”.) We don’t even learn the name of the restaurant. The letters on the curtain read “Meshiya”, but that isn’t a name, just the equivalent of a sign that says “Eats” or “Bar & Grill”. Midnight Diner isn’t bad, but if you have to choose, go with Samurai Gourmet. ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/4 "2017-06-18T16:09:49Z")
Just caught up with The 100. I plan to do the same with OITNB & Supergirl, and binge watch House of Cards, Arrow, and Once Upon A Time. Currently wating for next seasons of Longmire, The Walking Dead & The Crown. I highly recommend Sons of Anarchy, The Tudors, History of the Eagles, The West Wing (best tv ever made!) & From Time To Time. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/5 "2017-06-18T16:17:16Z")
I’m currently going through Community with my daughter. She’s only 11 so most of the references go over her head but she still enjoys it. Her favourite episode is the first season paintball episode proving she has very good taste. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/6 "2017-06-18T16:23:48Z")
I’m working my way through these: [Fifteen Darkest Episodes of Star Trek](http://screenrant.com/darkest-star-trek-episodes-ever-all-time-ranked/) ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/7 "2017-06-18T16:37:19Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > A few recommendations: > > **Happy Valley** - British import. On the surface it’s a cop drama/mystery, but it’s really about a tough woman and her relationship with her sister. In some ways similar to Broadchurch, but with poverty instead of pretty views. I love this show- I’m thinking about watching it again for the 3rd time- it’s probably one of my all-time favorites. I just finished Orange is the New Black (meh) and House of Cards (also starting to jump the shark but still decent). Everyone PLEASE give _The Last Kingdom_ a try- one of my favorite book series and I feel they’ve done a great job so far. Netflix “might” give it a 3rd season - it’s unclear if BBC cancelled it or if a 3rd season might happen at Netflix instead. Can’t recommend it enough if you like old UK history (and Vikings!). I’m not sure I’m ready to commit to the recent season of _Bloodline-_ I watched the first episode but I’m having a hard time getting interested in it again. Same thing for Peaky Blinders. \*The Hunt \*is pretty great- we are about half way through it- not for the overly sensitive but amazing predatory nature footage. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/8 "2017-06-18T17:29:22Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I’m working my way through these: > > [Fifteen Darkest Episodes of Star Trek](http://screenrant.com/darkest-star-trek-episodes-ever-all-time-ranked/) I’m currently watching DS9 as I never made it through the entire series in order. I’ve seen a couple on the list so far. It’s a pretty good list. I think Balance of Terror was the very best TOS episode. Have fun. 🙂 I’ve had a free few weeks after a bunch of crazy ones so I’ve done a lot of catching up on things I wanted to see. Besides DS 9 I watched the new seasons of Grace & Frankie and OITNB. I also saw Anne With an E which I didn’t expect to like, but it was _excellent_. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/9 "2017-06-18T17:55:24Z")
_The Crown_ was wonderfully written and with all roles extraordinarily acted, especially by John Lithgow as Churchill and Claire Low as Elizabeth. Even Matt Smith seemed to really be Prince Philip, not The Doctor. Can’t wait for Season 2 in November. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/10 "2017-06-18T19:15:21Z")
I’ll second Master of None and Bojack Horseman. Right now I am working my way through iron Fist. Was going to abandon it but it got just better enough for me to keep going and I only have two left. I also introduced a friend to Lost (I warned her the finale is divisive) and we watched the pilot which is split as two episodes on Netflix. Still one of the best pilots in TV history. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/11 "2017-06-18T20:00:27Z")
I am winding up the final (4th) season of _The Glades_. I had seen seasons 1 and 2 on broadcast and never caught 3 and 4. I always thumb through the expiring titles each month to see if there is anything I need to finish or rewatch one more time. HENCE, _the Glades_. I, too, am waiting with mixed emotions for thr final episodes of **Longmire**. Wish there were going to be more, but am interested in how they will end it. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/12 "2017-06-18T22:29:01Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I’m working my way through these: > > [Fifteen Darkest Episodes of Star Trek](http://screenrant.com/darkest-star-trek-episodes-ever-all-time-ranked/) I’m working my way through the entire series again, to keep up with the [Greatest Gen](https://art19.com/shows/the-greatest-generation) podcast. I’d like to try a few other series, but I’m always afraid I’d offend my housemate with anything more than TNG or Arrested Development and I couldn’t be bothered watching TV on my tablet. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/13 "2017-06-18T23:45:34Z")
Watched S3 of _Bloodline;_ it got a little weird, and felt a bit rushed; after S1 & S2, it suffers by comparison, but it does tie up the plot lines; poor Nolan. S3 makes him less scheming/conniving, and more sympathetic; he just wants to know WTF the Rayburns are about, and what happened to his Dad. John has some “Come-To-Jesus” realizations about who he and his family really are. Agree with others that the latest season of _Orange is the New Black_ is also not as good as previous seasons, but still good. A very compelling ensemble cast, which is its greatest strength, _and_ its greatest weakness, leading to dilution of the main “A” story with diversions into “B,” “C,” and “D” storylines. Which is a shame; the strong, _very_ strong and talented, ensemble cast delivers, in turn, funny, poignant, and/or heart wrenching/heart breaking stories. For goofy fun, try _The Ranch_, a comedy-drama about a family ranch and small-town life in rural Colorado. I can’t figure out if it’s straight-up rural -conservative, or slyly skewering it, but I don’t care. Sam Elliot’s performance alone is worth it. Almond milk? “Show me the tit on a fucking almond!” S3 turns him much less “grumpy-mean-bitter-old-fart” and more “slyly-grumpy-but-genuinely-good-hearted-old-fart.” Produced by Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson (of _That 70’s Show_) and directed by David Trainer (_That 70’s Show, Designing Women, Boy Meets World_). I liked S1 of _Longmire_, but never came back for subsequent seasons; I might go back and start over from the beginning and binge it. Plus one on _Sons of Anarchy._ “Hamlet-on-Harleys,” so don’t expect overly “realistic” plot lines. For a new take on old nostaligia, try _Voltron: Legendary Defender_, the Dreamworks take/reboot of the classic series. Decent artwork, good voice acting; I liked it on a “bubblegum-for-the-brain” level. Like most modern western animation, there’s some sly humor that’ll go right over most kids heads, and leave their parents laughing (or, at least, chuckling appreciatively). For one-off movies, I liked _Hyena Road_, a Canadian take on the “War on Terror” in Afghanistan. Also, _The Impossible,_ a based on-real-life story of one family’s ordeal in Thailand during and immediately after the 2004 Tsunami. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/14 "2017-06-22T15:06:17Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > A few recommendations: > > **Master of None** - Aziz Ansari’s look at life in New York City. It’s definitely a “comedy”, and is very funny, but aims more for meaning and emotions than just laughs-a-minute. The second season was recently released, very consistently high quality throughout. The hardest I’ve laughed in ages was at a scene in the Thanksgiving episode of season 2. Some episodes focus on racial and minority issues, but I never found it preachy > > **Bojack Horseman** - Hard-to-categorize animated show about a past-his-prime former sitcom star living in Hollywood, trying to reclaim his former glory. Except that he’s a horse. Many of the people in this version of Hollywood are anthropomorphic animals, and it’s never explained or commented on, but it means they always have lots of animal jokes to make. Starts out seeming like it’s just for the laughs (and it’s VERY funny), but turns out to really be about depression and loneliness. VERY powerful at times. > > **Happy Valley** - British import. On the surface it’s a cop drama/mystery, but it’s really about a tough woman and her relationship with her sister. In some ways similar to Broadchurch, but with poverty instead of pretty views. We just finished season one of **Master of None**. Very funny and charming. The show deserved the writing Emmy. I think it’s great that he hired his father to play his father. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/15 "2017-06-22T15:29:18Z")
Just took a break from House of Cards season 3 to watch OITNB, which we just finished. Now we’re back to HoC. We’re also watching Master of None when we don’t want to commit to staying up for a full HoC episode. It’s our “squeeze-in-an-episode” series right now (previous s-i-a-e’s were Scrubs, Cheers, Arrested Development and Flaked)-- shows we don’t binge, but watch when we need to fill a small time gap before bed. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/16 "2017-06-22T15:37:45Z")
Recently finished OITNB and I too am looking for a new gig so this thread is timely. Not a series, but I just watched a film called _The Discovery_ starring Jason Segel, Rooney Mara, Jesse Plemons and Robert Redford. A nice little sci fi pic that I had never heard of nor could I really tell what it was going to be about by the description. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/17 "2017-06-22T15:39:39Z")
I’ve been watching “Motorway Cops”. It’s like a British version of “COPS” that focuses on their version of the highway patrol. Also the old “Forensic Files”. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/18 "2017-06-22T15:47:13Z")
**I’ll Have What Phil’s Having** - funny, cute [del]cooking[/del]eating/travel show starring the creator of _Everybody Loves Raymond_ Phil Rosenthal. Even if you never liked _Everybody Loves Raymond_ (I did not), Phil is a funny and sweet guy (he FaceTimes with his elderly parents back in NY at the end of every episode, and it’s adorable), and there are occasionally celebrity guests like Martin Short and Ray Romano (shocking!). **Santa Clarita Diet** - comedy/horror series starring Drew Barrymore and that guy from _Justified_. I’m not really giving anything away by telling you the main plot of the series involves Drew Barrymore’s character inexplicably becoming a zombie, and the comical mishaps involved in her and her family having to deal with this new reality. Half-hour sitcom format and there’s only 10 episodes so you could watch them all in a night. Amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/19 "2017-06-22T17:13:40Z")
I’m 3 episodes into season five of **House of Cards**. It’s dropped off in quality, but Kevin Spacey can make anything interesting. My wife is making me endure S3 of **The Flash** right now, too. That show was fun for one season. S2 was not so good. S3 is quite bad. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084/20 "2017-06-22T17:19:45Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > _The Crown_ was wonderfully written and with all roles extraordinarily acted, especially by John Lithgow as Churchill and Claire Low as Elizabeth. Even Matt Smith seemed to really be Prince Philip, not The Doctor. > > Can’t wait for Season 2 in November. If you liked _The Crown_, check out _Elizabeth at 90_. These are (mostly) home movies, many taken by the Elizabeth herself. They’re utterly charming. Live commentary provided by Harry & William as they watch their grandparents play with Charles & Anne. Other royal relatives comment; some are seeing the films for the first time. _“Oh my goodness! That’s me! And there’s mummy in the carriage!”_ Lovely to watch. Those not into the royal family will be \*meh \*about this. For myself, I was born the day before Charles (in the same year), so I’ve always had my eye on the royals. Anyone watch _The Keepers,_ the Netflix documentary about the murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik in Baltimore in the late 1960s? It was linked to mega sexual abuse of teen girls at a Catholic high school by their scummy priest-chaplain. Top notch, 7-episode, step by step unfolding of the amateur investigation undertaken in 1994 that continues to the present day. If you can stomach the subject matter (there are no visuals, but plenty of shocking audio), it’s well worth watching. The editing is superb-- you always know where you are and who is talking. If you hate the Catholic hierarchy now, this will send you over the edge. I watched all seven episodes straight through. Couldn’t take my eyes off of it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-watchin-on-netflix/788084.md?page=2)