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Netflix series

  • Everyone Says Crew Girl Is Cringe — So Why Can’t They Stop Watching It?

    Netflix has a strange new hit.

    Crew Girl has bad dialogue, unrealistic rowing, predictable romance and characters that some Reddit viewers describe as painfully one-dimensional.

    At least, that’s what its critics say.

    There is just one problem.

    They keep watching it.

    The teen drama premiered on Netflix on September 10 and quickly entered the streamer’s English TV Top 10.

    Less than two weeks later, Netflix made its decision:

    Season 2 is officially happening.

    So how did a show that people are openly calling “cringe” become successful enough to earn such a fast renewal?

    Maybe Crew Girl has accidentally discovered something Netflix understands very well.

    A show doesn’t always have to be great.

    Sometimes it just has to be impossible to turn off.

    Reddit Hates It — While Watching Every Episode

    The Reddit reaction to Crew Girl is fascinating.

    One viewer complained about the dialogue, acting and one-dimensional characters — and compared the performances to something from a vertical drama.

    Then came the revealing part.

    They were still watching.

    Another Reddit user described the series as “amazingly bad” and admitted to essentially hate-watching the entire thing.

    Even people defending the show sometimes use words that would normally sound like criticism.

    Cheesy.

    Predictable.

    Far-fetched.

    Messy.

    But then they add:

    “I enjoyed it.”

    That contradiction may explain Crew Girl better than any traditional review score.

    Even Real Rowers Are Complaining

    The romance isn’t the only thing getting criticized.

    Actual rowing fans have been picking apart the sports scenes.

    On Reddit’s rowing community, a former high school coxswain said the opening race nearly made them stop watching immediately.

    Others complained about technical inaccuracies and unrealistic behavior around the team.

    Normally, getting the central sport wrong would be a serious problem for a sports drama.

    But Crew Girl may not really be selling rowing.

    Rowing is the setting.

    The real product is something much more familiar:

    an outsider girl, an elite school, attractive boys, rivalry, family scandal and a love triangle.

    The boats simply give everyone somewhere beautiful to argue.

    Netflix Knows This Formula

    Teagan Tao begins the series as a talented 16-year-old rower whose life collapses after her father becomes involved in an embezzlement scandal.

    She moves with her mother to a small coastal town and enrolls at prestigious Easton Prep.

    There is no girls’ rowing team.

    So Teagan ends up becoming the coxswain of the boys’ crew.

    Then come the two boys.

    Josh is confident, competitive and difficult.

    Cam is warmer and gentler.

    And suddenly the question is no longer simply whether Teagan can survive Easton Prep.

    It becomes:

    Team Josh or Team Cam?

    It is an old formula.

    But old formulas survive for a reason.

    “Bad” Can Sometimes Be Extremely Watchable

    Prestige television asks viewers to concentrate.

    Crew Girl asks much less.

    You can understand the characters quickly.

    You know who likes whom.

    You know where the conflicts are going.

    You can predict some of the twists before they happen.

    And that may actually be part of the appeal.

    One Reddit viewer described it as something comfortable enough to play in the background without expecting too much.

    That comment may contain the secret.

    Not every Netflix viewer wants Breaking Bad every night.

    Sometimes people want attractive characters, beautiful scenery, obvious romantic tension and enough drama to make them click “Next Episode.”

    Crew Girl delivers exactly that.

    The Criticism May Actually Help

    There is another strange advantage to being “cringe.”

    People talk about it.

    Viewers post clips.

    Real rowers explain what the show got wrong.

    Romance fans argue over Josh and Cam.

    Other viewers watch because they want to understand why everyone is complaining.

    And then some of those people discover something embarrassing:

    they’re enjoying it too.

    That creates a perfect streaming loop.

    “This is terrible.”

    “Have you seen this?”

    “No.”

    “You need to watch it.”

    That recommendation may sound negative.

    Netflix still gets another viewer.

    And Netflix Clearly Saw Something in the Numbers

    Netflix did not wait long.

    On September 22, the company officially announced that Crew Girl would return for Season 2.

    Season 1 had only premiered on September 10.

    That means the renewal came just 12 days after release.

    Netflix said the series debuted in its English TV Top 10 and remained there after its premiere.

    Whatever critics or Reddit users thought about the dialogue, Netflix had something more important:

    people were watching.

    And apparently enough of them wanted more.

    Maybe “Cringe” Isn’t the Opposite of Entertaining

    This may be the most interesting lesson from Crew Girl.

    We often talk about television as if there are only two categories:

    good shows and bad shows.

    Streaming has created a third.

    Shows we know are ridiculous but still want to finish.

    Crew Girl appears to live comfortably in that category.

    Its flaws may be obvious.

    Its romance may be predictable.

    Real rowers may want to throw something at the television.

    But viewers keep pressing play.

    Netflix noticed.

    Season 2 is coming.

    So perhaps the real mystery of Crew Girl isn’t why Netflix renewed a show that Reddit calls cringe.

    It’s this:

    If you watched all eight episodes while complaining about how bad it was… did you actually hate it?

  • Should 13 Reasons Why Have Ended After Season 1?

    Almost a decade after 13 Reasons Why first became a Netflix phenomenon, viewers are still arguing about the same question:

    Should the series have ended after Season 1?

    What’s remarkable is that this isn’t merely an old debate being remembered nostalgically.

    People are still discovering the show, finishing the first season and asking whether they should continue.

    And in 2026, viewers are still posting that the series should have stopped much earlier.

    Why?

    Because Season 1 had something the later seasons could never fully recreate.

    Hannah Baker’s tapes.

    Season 1 Had a Perfect Story Engine

    The original concept was brutally simple.

    Hannah Baker is dead.

    Clay Jensen receives a box containing cassette tapes she recorded before her death.

    Each tape reveals another part of what happened to her.

    Netflix’s own synopsis still describes Clay as being drawn into mysteries set in motion by Hannah’s death, and the first season’s episodes are literally structured around the different sides of her tapes.

    That gave Season 1 something extraordinarily powerful:

    a destination.

    There were thirteen reasons.

    There were tapes.

    And eventually there would be no tapes left.

    Every episode moved Clay — and the audience — closer to understanding Hannah.

    Then Netflix Had a Problem

    The show was successful.

    But the central storytelling device had an expiration date.

    Once Hannah’s tapes were finished, what exactly was 13 Reasons Why?

    Netflix ultimately produced four seasons.

    The later seasons expanded the lives of Clay, Jessica, Justin, Tyler, Bryce and the other Liberty High students.

    The story became much larger than Hannah.

    And that’s precisely where viewers disagree.

    For some people, that expansion gave secondary characters room to develop.

    For others:

    That was the moment the show stopped being 13 Reasons Why.

    Reddit Is Still Having This Argument in 2026

    A July 2026 Reddit post came from someone who had begun Season 2 and quickly decided they wished the show had ended with Season 1.

    But the responses weren’t unanimous.

    Some agreed.

    Others said they enjoyed all four seasons.

    Another 2026 discussion makes the disagreement even more interesting.

    That viewer argued that the series should have ended after Season 2, not Season 1, because Season 2 still dealt with the aftermath of Hannah’s story and gave Clay a form of emotional closure.

    And this isn’t a new divide.

    Older Reddit discussions contain the same three camps:

    Stop after Season 1.

    Season 2 was necessary, then stop.

    All four seasons were worth watching.

    Years later, the argument hasn’t disappeared.

    The Strongest Argument for Ending After Season 1

    It’s narrative completeness.

    Season 1 is built around Hannah.

    The show’s title has a literal meaning.

    The mystery has boundaries.

    And the audience knows what it is trying to discover.

    Once those questions are answered, continuing requires creating a new reason for these characters to remain inside an increasingly dramatic story.

    That’s dangerous.

    A limited story can be powerful precisely because it ends.

    Not every successful television series needs to become a long-running universe.

    Sometimes:

    the ending is part of why the story works.

    But Season 2 Has a Strong Defense

    This is where the “end after Season 1” argument becomes less obvious.

    Season 1 tells Hannah’s story largely through Hannah.

    But suicide doesn’t end only one person’s story.

    The people around Hannah are left with consequences.

    Season 2 had the opportunity to ask:

    What happens afterward?

    How do the people accused on the tapes respond?

    How does Clay move forward?

    What happens to Hannah’s family?

    What happens when different people remember the same events differently?

    Several Reddit viewers therefore argue that Season 2 still belongs naturally to the original story.

    That makes another possible stopping point compelling:

    Season 1 = Hannah’s story.

    Season 2 = the aftermath.

    End.

    Seasons 3 and 4 Changed the Identity of the Show

    This is where criticism becomes much more consistent.

    As Hannah became less central, 13 Reasons Why increasingly relied on new mysteries and new crises involving the remaining students.

    Even viewers who defend Season 2 often describe Seasons 3 and 4 as feeling like a different series.

    Netflix’s own description of the final season shows just how far the premise had moved: the graduating class is dealing with a dangerous secret and difficult choices before leaving Liberty High.

    That’s still a teen drama.

    It’s still about these characters.

    But compare it with:

    Clay receives Hannah’s thirteen tapes explaining what led to her death.

    The narrative DNA is very different.

    Success Can Be Dangerous for a Story

    And that’s what makes 13 Reasons Why an interesting Netflix case study.

    A successful first season creates an obvious business question:

    Why stop?

    But a story asks a different question:

    What is left to say?

    Those two questions don’t always produce the same answer.

    Season 1’s success created demand for more.

    But the thing that made Season 1 successful was partly its tightly defined premise.

    Extending the series meant abandoning that structure.

    The show gained more episodes.

    But it could never get Hannah’s tapes back.

    So Should 13 Reasons Why Have Ended After Season 1?

    There’s no single answer shared by viewers.

    Season 1 provides the cleanest standalone story.

    Season 2 offers a defensible epilogue by exploring consequences that Season 1 couldn’t fully resolve.

    And some fans remain attached to the characters enough to value Seasons 3 and 4 despite the dramatic change in direction.

    But the fact that people are still asking this question years later reveals something important.

    13 Reasons Why began with one of Netflix’s strongest storytelling devices:

    Thirteen tapes.
    Thirteen reasons.
    One dead girl.
    One boy trying to understand why.

    Once the final tape stopped playing, Netflix could continue the characters.

    It could continue Liberty High.

    It could continue the drama.

    But there was one thing it couldn’t continue.

    The original reason the story existed.

    And maybe that’s why, for so many viewers, Season 1 still feels less like the beginning of 13 Reasons Why —

    and more like the complete story.

  • The Gentlemen Season 2 Is Finally Here — Is It Worth Watching? Reviews, Reddit Reactions & What to Know

    The Gentlemen Season 2 Is Finally Here — Is It Worth Watching? Reviews, Reddit Reactions & What to Know

    The Gentlemen is finally back on Netflix.

    After more than two years away, Guy Ritchie’s stylish crime series returned on September 3, 2026, bringing Theo James and Kaya Scodelario back into a world of old money, new money, gangsters, aristocrats, expensive suits, and increasingly dangerous ambition.

    But there is one question that matters more than the release date:

    Is The Gentlemen Season 2 actually worth watching?

    Early reactions suggest the answer is mostly yes — but Season 2 is not simply a repeat of the first season.

    Eddie Horniman has changed.

    The criminal world has expanded.

    The stakes are bigger.

    And viewers on Reddit are already debating whether the new season is better than Season 1 — or whether Guy Ritchie has made things a little too complicated.

    Here’s what you should know before watching.

    The Gentlemen Season 2 Release Date

    The Gentlemen Season 2 premiered on Netflix on September 3, 2026.

    Unlike shows that split a season into multiple parts, the new season arrived as a binge-ready release.

    Netflix had already generated significant anticipation before the premiere. The official Season 2 teaser discussion on Reddit’s r/television received more than 1,000 upvotes, with many viewers commenting on how long the wait had felt since Season 1.

    Netflix has also already confirmed something important:

    The Gentlemen Season 3 is officially happening.

    So this isn’t the end of Eddie Horniman’s story.

    What Is The Gentlemen Season 2 About?

    Season 1 introduced Eddie Horniman as an aristocrat who unexpectedly inherited his family estate — along with a criminal marijuana operation hidden beneath it.

    Initially, Eddie wanted out.

    Season 2 gives us a very different man.

    A year has passed, and Eddie is no longer simply trying to survive the criminal world.

    He wants to conquer it.

    Together with Susie Glass, Eddie begins expanding the operation beyond Britain and into Italy.

    That puts them in contact with Italian crime boss Marco Moretti and fixer Cico Maldini, while Eddie simultaneously attempts to increase his influence in Britain’s legitimate establishment.

    Netflix describes ambition as one of the central ideas behind the new season: Eddie wants more power, more territory, and more status.

    And that change in Eddie is already one of the biggest talking points among viewers.

    Reddit Viewers Immediately Noticed a Different Eddie

    One of the most interesting early reactions isn’t about the action or the locations.

    It’s about Eddie himself.

    In the Episode 1 discussion on r/TheGentlemenTVShow, viewers immediately noticed how different he feels from Season 1.

    One commenter contrasted the new Eddie with the man who previously seemed primarily concerned with keeping himself and his family safe.

    Now?

    He’s thinking much bigger.

    Another viewer who binge-watched the entire season on release day praised Theo James’ transformation, saying Eddie now feels much more powerful and aggressive than the clever but comparatively restrained character of Season 1.

    That’s arguably Season 2’s most interesting change.

    Eddie isn’t being dragged into the criminal world anymore.

    He’s choosing it.

    Theo James May Be the Biggest Reason to Watch

    The early professional reviews are pointing in the same direction.

    Critics have highlighted the darker evolution of Eddie, while one review described Theo James as moving into his “Michael Corleone era.”

    That comparison makes sense.

    Season 1 asked:

    Can Eddie survive this world?

    Season 2 increasingly asks:

    What happens if Eddie starts enjoying it?

    That is a much more dangerous question.

    A viewer who finished Season 2 on its first day described Eddie’s character shift as one of the strongest parts of the season, saying he genuinely begins to feel capable of becoming the “monster” Bobby Glass warned about.

    Without spoiling what happens, that transformation gives Theo James more room to play with the character than he had in Season 1.

    Eddie and Susie Are Still the Heart of the Show

    Of course, a large part of the appeal of The Gentlemen has always been the relationship between Eddie and Susie Glass.

    Theo James and Kaya Scodelario have an unusual chemistry.

    It’s not quite romance.

    It’s not simply friendship.

    And it’s definitely not a normal business partnership.

    Even before Season 2 premiered, Reddit fans were debating whether the two should finally become a couple.

    One highly visible sentiment in the trailer discussion was essentially:

    Give us Eddie and Susie together somehow.

    Others argued that keeping the relationship non-sexual actually makes their partnership more interesting.

    Season 2 seems deliberately aware of that tension.

    Netflix itself describes their connection as complicated, with affection, attraction, danger, and conflicting ambitions all operating at the same time.

    That may be smarter than rushing them into a conventional romance.

    What Reddit Likes So Far

    The strongest positive reaction is surprisingly simple:

    The show is still fun.

    Guy Ritchie knows exactly what kind of television he’s making.

    Beautiful locations.

    Expensive clothes.

    Sharp dialogue.

    Gangsters.

    Absurd situations.

    Violence.

    Dark comedy.

    And people who are far too confident for their own good.

    A highly upvoted r/television discussion after the Season 2 reviews appeared praised Ritchie’s recent television work and celebrated the fact that The Gentlemen has gradually built a strong fan base. Another viewer who had already binged Season 2 said they thought it was even better than the first.

    Professional reviews have also praised the entertainment value.

    Decider recommended streaming it, highlighting the Eddie–Susie dynamic and the show’s combination of crime, humor, and British aristocratic absurdity.

    Another review gave Season 2 four out of five stars, arguing that the series has become darker and more dramatic without losing its distinctive Guy Ritchie style.

    But Reddit Viewers Have One Major Complaint

    The reaction isn’t universally positive.

    And this is where the Reddit discussions become more useful than promotional material.

    A recurring criticism is:

    There may be too much going on.

    Season 2 dramatically expands the world.

    There are new criminal factions.

    New characters.

    Italy.

    British politics.

    The aristocracy.

    Family problems.

    Romantic complications.

    And Eddie’s growing empire.

    One viewer in the Episode 4 discussion said Season 1 generally concentrated on a smaller number of story threads, while Season 2 tries to juggle much more at once.

    The result, in their view, can feel messy.

    They also felt the large influx of new characters reduced the screen time available for some returning favorites.

    Another viewer who watched the whole season in one day made a similar criticism: the overall plot sometimes feels overdone and becomes increasingly chaotic toward the final episodes.

    That’s worth knowing before you watch.

    Season 2 is bigger than Season 1.

    Whether “bigger” also means “better” will probably divide viewers.

    The Italy Storyline Is Already Dividing Fans

    The expansion into Italy is another interesting point of disagreement.

    Visually, it gives the series a gorgeous new playground.

    Story-wise, not everyone is convinced.

    One early Episode 2 commenter joked that the Italy subplot felt as if Guy Ritchie simply wanted an excuse to spend a few weeks filming there.

    Another viewer pushed back, arguing that the Mafia gives Eddie and Susie a more powerful and connected enemy than they faced before.

    This is exactly the kind of disagreement that makes Season 2 interesting.

    The series isn’t simply replaying the same formula.

    It’s trying to expand.

    The question is whether that expansion ultimately makes the world richer or just busier.

    The Gentlemen Season 2 Reviews: What Are Critics Saying?

    Professional reviews are somewhat divided too.

    The Financial Times gave the season three stars, essentially describing it as entertaining, stylish “fast-food TV”: enjoyable, energetic, but not necessarily deep.

    Other reviewers have been considerably more enthusiastic.

    What’s on Netflix awarded it 4/5, praising the higher stakes, Theo James’ character development, visual style, and willingness to surprise the audience.

    Decider’s verdict was straightforward:

    Stream it.

    So far, the broad picture looks like this:

    The people who loved Season 1’s mix of Guy Ritchie crime, British aristocracy, humor, and style will probably find plenty to enjoy again.

    Those who wanted a tighter, simpler story may be less convinced.

    Is The Gentlemen Season 2 Better Than Season 1?

    It’s probably too early for a definitive answer.

    But the first wave of viewers already seems to agree on one thing:

    Season 2 is different.

    Season 1 was largely about Eddie discovering a criminal empire underneath his respectable aristocratic life.

    Season 2 is about what happens when he stops resisting that identity.

    That gives the story a darker edge.

    One Reddit viewer summed up the change particularly well by describing Season 1 Eddie as more of a “cunning fox,” while Season 2 Eddie feels significantly more aggressive and powerful.

    That’s the reason I wouldn’t describe Season 2 as merely “more of the same.”

    It’s becoming the story of Eddie’s transformation.

    And that could ultimately be much more interesting.

    Should You Watch The Gentlemen Season 2?

    Yes — especially if you enjoyed Season 1.

    Don’t expect an entirely different show.

    The tailored suits are still here.

    The ridiculous criminals are still here.

    The dark humor is still here.

    And Guy Ritchie’s fingerprints are everywhere.

    But Eddie has changed.

    The world is larger.

    The criminal stakes are higher.

    And the relationship between Eddie and Susie has become even more complicated.

    The biggest potential weakness is exactly what some Reddit viewers have already identified: Season 2 occasionally tries to do too much at once.

    But there’s another way to look at that.

    Chaos is part of the fun.

    And when Eddie’s carefully constructed empire begins spinning out of control, Theo James gets some of his best material yet.

    The Gentlemen Season 3 Is Already Confirmed

    There’s another good reason to watch now rather than wait.

    Netflix has officially renewed The Gentlemen for Season 3.

    Guy Ritchie said the show’s ambition has accelerated and its world has expanded, making another season feel inevitable.

    That means Season 2 isn’t simply a late sequel created to capitalize on the first season’s popularity.

    Netflix is clearly treating The Gentlemen as an ongoing franchise.

    And if the early fan response turns into another global Netflix hit, Eddie Horniman may be around for quite a while.

    Final Verdict: The Gentlemen Is Bigger, Darker — and Eddie Is More Dangerous

    The most interesting thing about The Gentlemen Season 2 isn’t Italy, the Mafia, the clothes, or even the bigger criminal empire.

    It’s Eddie.

    Season 1 showed us a gentleman forced to become a gangster.

    Season 2 asks a more unsettling question:

    What if the gentleman discovers he likes being a gangster?

    That’s where Theo James’ performance becomes particularly interesting.

    Reddit’s first wave of viewers is already divided over some of the season’s sprawling plotlines, but there’s clear enthusiasm around Eddie’s transformation, the Eddie–Susie dynamic, and the sheer entertainment value of Guy Ritchie’s world.

    If you liked Season 1, Season 2 is absolutely worth trying.

    And with Season 3 already confirmed, this increasingly looks like one of Netflix’s crime franchises to watch.

    Rating: 8.5/10

    This article contains no major Season 2 ending spoilers. Viewer reactions referenced above reflect individual Reddit users and should not be treated as representative polling.

    Watch The Gentlemen on Netflix

    The Gentlemen — Netflix official page

    For official cast information, Season 2 details, and future updates:

    The Gentlemen Season 2 — Netflix Tudum

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