TOP 10 TV SHOWS I WATCHED IN 2023

my favorite films i watched for the first time in 2022 ♥️

Control Z: shows you should watch instead

Control Z was an entertaining watch /at times/. However, I wouldn’t go around recommending it to people. The characters and the storyline lacked depth, and too many questions were left unanswered. While watching it I couldn’t stop thinking how much the plot, the characters and some directorial choices reminded me of other better shows. So here’s the list of those that I would rather watch instead. However, it can also be considered as a list of shows that you might like if you enjoyed Control Z.

GOSSIP GIRL [2007-2012]

Gossip Girl revolves around the lives of privileged white teenagers and their “problems”. Lots of sex, love triangles, mind games and secrets. Oh, and of course there’s a mystery blog that publishes all the secrets of Manhattan’s elite (that being basically four people). The secret identity of gossip girl isn’t that big of a plot point, at least early on. The main characters are probably too busy partying, hooking up and dealing with their terrible parents to care about somebody documenting their lives.

Gossip Girl has a lot of similar elements to Control Z, but it’s way more messier, dramatic, over the top and fast paced. Although its problematic moments and lack of representation definitely make it a guilty pleasure, it’s still one of the most iconic teen dramas to this day.

ELITE [2018-...]

If you want to watch another show in Spanish, this one’s for you.

Rich teenagers in a private school. Check. Mystery drama. Check. A LOT of secrets. Check. And on top of that, sex, drugs, parties and MURDER.

The most appealing thing about the show must be the striking set of characters with different backgrounds, struggles, fears and desires. Although, just like in Control Z you can’t really trust anybody as you set forth on this murderous journey.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS [2010-2017]

A story about four estranged friends, whose lives are turned upside down by an anonymous threatening their lives and unraveling their secrets.

This is honestly a mess of a show. Too convoluted, with many plot holes, and questionable storylines. What kept the attention of the audience throughout the years were the characters and the romantic pairings. Nonetheless, the show’s entertaining and suspenseful. With higher stakes if we compare it to Control Z.

T@GGED [2016-2018]

T@gged is a psychological thriller. We follow three girls who try to find out who’s tagging them in violent videos.

The production is low-budget, yet there’s beautiful scenery and camera work. It isn’t a typical glossy teen show. The characters and their struggles are realistic and relatable. It tackles such topics as drug abuse, suicide, depression, self harm, cyber bullying. It is darker and scarier that Control Z, and it is the only underrated show on this list.

SPOILERS FOR CONTROL Z BELOW

YOU [2018-...]

If you enjoyed Raul’s villain origin story in episode 7 and/or would like a more realistic and in depth glimpse into the psyche of an obsessive stalker, YOU is for you. It takes the stalker plot to another level, actually exposing it for what it is in real life, creepy and unhealthy. Watching a girl through her windows, following her at the park and kidnapping everyone who stands in your way is not cute. Joe is no Raul, but he is what Raul failed to be, a well-written villain.

SHERLOCK [2010-2017]

So, Sofia being able to read everyone’s secrets just because she’s introverted and observant was far-fetched. Moreover, it wasn’t original. The idea of cutting frames, flashing clues and close-ups was taken straight from Sherlock. It was the first show Control Z reminded me of. And if you want a detective show of higher quality, here you go.

Thanks for reading❤️ Hope you found something new to watch!

5 underrated teen «plotting» dramas on Netflix

1. Blood & Water (2020) - South Africa

a teenage girl enrolls into a private school to prove that the queen bee is her long lost sister that was abducted at birth.

2. Get even (2020) - UK

four students from different cliques join their forces to anonymously fight the injustice in their elite british school.

3. Dare me (2019) - USA

the show explores the power dynamics of female relationships in a ruthless team of competitive cheerleaders from a small suburban town that ultimately bring them to their doom.

4. Rebelde (2022) - Mexico

the new students at the most prestigious art school in latin america are being threatened by a secret society that is set to preserve the “purity” among its ranks.

5. Love 101 (2020) - Turkey

a group of delinquents are trying to set up their teachers in order not to get expelled.

my favorite films i watched for the first time in 2024 💜🔮✨

Emily in Paris is tres terrible

If for some reason you decided to check out the new Netflix show Emily In Paris, DON’T. Go watch The Devil Wears Prada instead. It’s practically the same thing, only in the latter you actually get good performances and character depth.

Coming into this show I was expecting a cute heart-warming story. 10 minutes in I thought how great it would be to watch a show about a woman figuring out herself and her work life in a new country. And then all my hopes went down the steaming bidet once Gabriel opened his door.

Emily in Paris truly tested my gag reflex, and here’s why.

First of all, the premise of somebody going to Paris – “a perfect romantic city” – is so overused and unrealistic. Paris sure is pretty but it’s also dirty, polluted, and has more than 29 thousand people sleeping in the streets. But of course Emily lives in some parallel universe where Paris is apparently Paradise. Idolization of anything, even a city is harmful. So this “perfect” Paris is not apreciated.

The Instagram followers ridiculousness. There’re actual people whose job is to promote Instagram accounts, you don’t become an influencer overnight by posting a pic of you eating un pain au chocolat (which is just bread with chocolate, stop creaming your pants, Emily).

On top of that, the abundance of French stereotypes is exhausting. Too hard to write complex characters and present actual reasoning for their actions? Don’t bother, just put every French cliche you’ve ever heard of.

And that chambre de bonne is just ridiculous. Who knew that maids used to have such big apartments? (By the way, you can see a more realistic room that you could get in Paris in the movie Monte Carlo. Ah, such a good movie.) The creators were going for an aesthetic, thus missed an opportunity to show Emily struggling to adjust to her new life. It’s quite impossible to believe that Emily’s going through a rough time when her life is seemingly perfect, and any inconvenience doesn’t affect her at all.

The ex. It’s very typical to introduce a romantic partner of the protagonist at the start of your story and not give them enough depth, so that the audience doesn’t get attached to them and the inevitable break up brings relief. Now they can root for the protagonist to get together with the planned love interest. Yay. 

However, this structure might work for a movie, but when you have 10 episodes to flash out your story and therefore the protagonist, wouldn’t it be better to use this opportunity to develop the secondary characters? Not for their own sake but to develop the main character through them. 

Every character you spend some time on should play some important role, right? Otherwise why should we  bother watching their scenes. Shouldn’t the current boyfriend of the main lead tell us something about the protagonist? Like, why did the main character choose to be in this relationship, what do they see in their partner and therefore what qualities do they value in people? How do they act in personal relationships? What role does their partner play in their life?

The main character is dull and unrelatable with zero character development. A conventionally attractive privileged white woman whose biggest struggle to overcome is her coworkers not being nice to her straight away. We’re constantly told that it’s hard for Emily to adjust but it’s never shown. In fact everything solves itself rather smoothly, carrying no repercussions for her.

With such an unlikable selfish protagonist you find yourself more interested in secondary characters. It actually feels like we get to know Mindy and Camille more. Compared to them, we know nothing about Emily’s family relationships or literally any backstory on her. Who is Emily? Why are we following her? Why should we care? What is her inner conflict? Oh right, she has none. Because by the end of the show she stays the same exact character that we met in the beginning. If Emily’s experience does not influence her at all, why should it matter to the audience? And what is the point of telling this story?

Feminism: the lost potential [episode 3]. “Non, Antoine. Sexism isn’t sexy. Shut the f*ck up.” That’d be enough for me from such a bland show. But no, we’re left with an ambiguous conclusion, when Emily doesn’t disagree with Antoine’s perception that women enjoy men’s unsolicited attention. And then this topic is not discussed again. Thanks for that, Emily in Paris. How about next time (which will hopefully never happen) you either have the bravery to actually speak on the issue and educate people or at least do not cause more damage.

Finally, the most annoying plotline that decidedly ruined the show. Did you ever watch a movie, and there’s a couple that you love, but you feel like something’s missing? So, you just think “I wish some cheating was involved”. If you actually do think that sometimes, media content has tricked you into thinking that cheating is sexy and exciting, when it’s actually destructive and disgusting. THE CHEATING. Stop normalizing it!!! Enough. It always takes away from a relationship. And we’re tired of seeing it. Give us some healthy couples. And if you think they’re boring, you just don’t know how to write them. If you get rid of the cheating plotline, the show becomes slightly bearable. It’s still boring and irritating, but at least it’s not as problematic.

Anyway. Similarly, to how “Enola Holmes” should’ve been a series, this show should’ve been a movie. There was no point of dragging out this – I want to say – story. Because nothing happened. Was there a big revelation in the finale, that we were led up to? No. Did Emily learn anything thanks to her “journey”? Nope. Was it just 5 hours of her hooking up with unremarkable men who all look the same, while being a terribly arrogant person? You decide.

TOP 10 TV SHOWS I watched in 2021

I’m like two months late with this wrap-up but here we go!

1.     Genera+ion (2021) on HBO MAX

it’s about a group of gen z kids exploring their identity and finding family amongst friends.

my favorite show ever! “genera+ion” is the kind of story i dreamed of for years but never expected to actually get. 

“genera+ion” went there and did that. multiple poc and queer characters! the different povs storytelling! the found family trope! teenagers talking and looking like teenagers! it’s not overdramatized, there’s no unnecessary trauma dumping, and no sexualizing teenagers. it is refreshing, relatable, and authentic. this is the best show recipe for me.

it was unfairly canceled by hbo max, but I believe it still works as a stand alone story and is worth checking out.  

2.     Daybreak (2019) on NETFLIX

it’s a post-apocalyptic reality where all adults had turned into zombies and the teenagers are left to fend for themselves. the main character sets on a quest to find his girlfriend with the help of his sidekicks, while trying to avoid getting eaten.

it’s a shame I overlooked this show when it first came out because it turned out to be a perfect fit for me. I’m usually not a fan of dystopian stories BUT this show has my favorite type of humor and way of storytelling. I’m talking breaking the fourth wall, insertion of animated scenes, absurdity and chaos all around.

I must admit, the main character wasn’t that compelling to me (perhaps that’s the reason why I didn’t pick up the show when it was premiering). same goes for his love interest. although I did like the unmasking of the manic pixie dream girl archetype. [slight spoilers] for most of the show the audience sees Sam and their relationship only from Josh’s perspective. but Josh turns out to be an unreliable narrator, when Sam becomes an actual person instead of the idiolized version created in josh’s head. I don’t think we get to see shows exposing their main male characters as “the nice guy” very often, so that’s the part of their story arc that I liked. [spoilers over]

for the most part I was much more invested in the secondary characters (wesley, turbo, kj, eli & mona lisa are my favorite). and I think the cast really is an ensemble, even though there’s a designated main character. other characters also get to exist on their own and even take over the narration.  

i also much preferred the love story ivolving secondary characters. it came as a huge plot-twist surprise, and embodied some of my favorite tropes.

I watched this show twice and it goes on my all time favorites list for sure, along with genera+ion.

3.     I know what you did last summer (2021) on AMAZON PRIME

if you’ve seen the 1997 cult classic you already know the premise. a group of friends cover up a murder, and a year later start getting threats from an anonymous who claims to “know what they did last summer”. however, apart from the familiar concept, the show is quite different from the movie, with a new setting and new characters.

most reviews i’ve seen of this show were negative, but I LOVED IT. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that the plot twists, and all the clues, and foreshadowings worked for me, and the finale gave me everything I wanted. it was so twisted and toxic and didn’t shy away from it, but it was also funny and entertaining. plus, I’m obsessed with the sapphic love storyline and the characters involved in it (almost as obsessed as they’re with each other but I’m not that unhealthy).

I feel like I can’t rationally explain why I love this show so much, maybe the writers and I are just on the same wavelength. I think if you’re gen z and you like messy characters (and thrillers, duh) you have a higher chance of enjoying this series.

4.     Young royals (2021) on NETFLIX

it’s a series about a swedish prince struggling to balance the matters of the heart with the responsibility of the crown, after his parents sent him off to a boarding school.

this show manages to stay relatable and grounded even though we’re following a literal royal in a prestigious school. it’s real, vulnerable, and cleverly written. and it’s a beautiful heartbreaking love story. it’s been compared to “skam” so if you’re a fan of it (and good television), this one’s for you.

5.     Betty (2020) on HBO MAX

a remake of the 2018 movie skate kitchen. it follows a diverse group of young women navigating the predominantly male oriented world of skateboarding.

it’s always great to see stories about strong female friendships, and this one also feels like a “found family” trope (which I love! and I mean, who doesn’t?). it feels very real as well, like we’re just watching people’s lives without them being overdramatized. it’s beautifully styled, and it makes you want to learn how to skate.

6.     Cruel summer (2021) on FREEFORM, HULU & AMAZON PRIME

the action simultaneously takes place over 3 summers during the 90s. after it-girl kate mysteriously goes missing, another girl takes her place as the popular one, along with her friends and boyfriend. the narrative switches between two girls, while we try to uncover who’s telling the truth about what happened.

i’ve seen people compare it to “pretty little liars”. it doesn’t give me the same feeling, but I guess it does have similar themes. like, a popular girl disappears, only this one isn’t the embodiment of evil, there’s a teacher-student relationship but here it’s not treated like something romantic or desirable, and the lying - which is a big part of both shows - but here the build-up actually pays off.

some of the acting and dialogue can be a bit awkward, but olivia holt’s performance makes up for all of it. she carried this show. this is by far her best acting performance (with “cloak&dagger” being second).

7.     The lying game (2011) on AMAZON PRIME 

Emma finds out she has an identical twin sister Sutton, from whom she was separated at birth. Sutton asks Emma to take her place for a couple days to go look for their birth mother. However, things get messy when Emma discovers that Sutton has more secrets than she led on.

this might seem like an outlier on this list, being made over a decade ago and all. however, this is the third show with an “identity theft” theme here, so it’s very on brand for me.

as gen z, the only nostalgia I get is for the 2010s and back then I used to watch a ton of teen dramas that nobody cared about: “the secret circle”, “twisted”, “switched at birth”, “make it or break it”, “10 things I hate about you”, etc. the only show that escaped my attention was “the lying game”. I decided to fix that.

I missed the vibe of those shows that I used to watch as a kid. if you’re like me, you will enjoy this. just don’t come in expecting great writing, thought-out storylines, or high-level production. it’s full of missed opportunities, unanswered questions, cartoonish villains, and characters that come, disappear, and are never brought up again. (if anything, this show is like “pretty little liars”!) but it also has entertaining love storyline(s), and a likeable cast of characters. not counting Sutton of course, she’s a disaster. I know this is based on a book, but I feel like the success of “the vampire diaries” inspired the show’s twin sisters. the actress looks like Nina Dobrev, and they went with the nice sister vs evil sister. only here the mean one is underdeveloped to the point of her being completely unsympathetic. she just becomes an annoying villain with no real motive.

beware! the show leaves off on a cliffhanger so don’t look forward to getting the mystery solved, just enjoy the ride of a 2011 teen messy drama.

8.     Shadow & bone (2021) on NETFLIX

based on the worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, “shadow and bone” follows an orphan Alina Starkov in a fantasy world full of magic, darkness and danger.

not being a fantasy fan, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this. I don’t have anything negative to say. it seems like a great book adaptation. the level of production that went into this is incredible, the world-building and the characters are captivating. i’m looking forward to season 2.

9.     Chucky (2021) on SYFY

the continuation of the “child’s play” movie franchise. a Chucky doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, and thus begins a series of horrifying murders in the town of Hackensack.

this show turned a bit too cheesy and far-fetched for my taste by the end. but i’ve been told that it kept the same tone from the movies (i’ve never seen one, this was my first introduction to chucky), so that must be good for the original fans. overall, I still enjoyed it. it’s gay, campy, and very disturbing. it’s also always great to see teenagers playing teenagers. safe to say, i’m never buying a vintage doll.

10.     The girl in the woods (2021) on PEACOCK

Tasha and Nolan meet a mysterious girl who escaped from a colony that guards a secret door in the woods.

so, i’m not into watching scary stuff, which you probably wouldn’t think looking at this list. but somehow, despite being very creepy, this show manages to feel warm and safe. most of it comes from the relationships between the three main characters. this series also has the best portrayal of a non-binary character that i’ve ever seen. they get to explore their identity and face the issues that come with it, without it coming off as a trauma story. also, they’re the best effing character. 

it’s a cute short thriller. bonus point, it has Sofia Bryant from “I am not okay with it”.

 phew! this was fun! and here’s top 4 worst shows I watched last year: 1. bridgerton 2. ginny and georgia 3. one of us is lying 4. gossip girl (2021)

MY TOP MOST LISTENED ARTISTS IN 2024 🖤

peak teen tv

TOP 5 FAVORITE MOMENTS FROM 2022’S QUEER AS FOLK

1. Mingus’ performance to “sacrilege” by yeah yeah yeahs

my first association when i read the title of this episode was this song, so i was immediately captured when it actually started playing. mingus’ look during the performance was ethereal and mesmerizing. you could really feel the spiritual rebirth they and the audience were going through.

2. Brodie blowing up Daddius’ parents’ car to kimberly nichole’s cover of “house of the rising sun”

nothing more cathartic than getting revenge on your best friend’s homophobic parents. brodie might be impulsive but it’s admirable how much he cares and fights for his friends.

3. Brodie saving Mingus’ life in Babylon

the most memorable shot during the babylon attack, which the show flashed back to a couple of times, was brodie body-slamming mingus after he sees the terrifying look on their face and realizes what’s happening.

4. Brodie and Ruthie’s kiss in the rain

okay, so i’m not saying i ship it. but their relationship plays as the main love story of the show.

sure, at first we don’t get anything but a “platonic besties” vibe from them. yet, even in the beginning it feels like in ruthie’s relationship with shar there’s always another person aka brodie. later when we find out brodie and ruthie were each other’s first love it all starts to make sense. brodie had to stuff his feelings for ruthie after she came out to him as trans, but he never really got over them.

i wonder what direction their relationship would go, were we to get a season 2. all obvious reasons tell me they wouldn’t last long, but who knows? sexuality is fluid.

5. Brenda’s coming out

this coming out is pure camp and i live for it. it was as unexpected as my love for her, and yet completely in character. julian and brodie’s reaction to “you get it from your mama” was priceless.

it's not your fault, they're identical.. look at them.