Regardless of whether or not we’ll admit to it, we’ve all hate-watched something before. Maybe it’s a movie because it was easily accessible and we had time to kill. Or, perhaps it was an unavoidable TV show central to the Discourse™ of the moment—something you think to yourself, “It can’t be that bad, right?” (Yes, it can be.)
Because of this, streaming services and studios continue to greenlight predictably panned projects that will get attention. All they care about is making a return on investment first, and making meaningful, interesting art second. Sometimes it comes straight from the creators of a project, too. The attention and provocation (without substance) is welcomed over a genuine interest in telling a good story and/or asking thought-provoking questions.
Living in an attention economy where no press is bad press, this feels especially frustrating as shows are hate-watched into more seasons. No streamer/production company is absolved from this. However, Max (formerly HBO Max and Discovery+) is one of the more egregious offenders. So, we’ve gathered some of the most hated scripted shows and provided some alternatives—especially, for shows that have more seasons coming in the next year.
No show or movie alternative is one-to-one. However, we’ve attempted to pin down the most interesting elements of these hate-watchable shows and introduce you to other programs doing the same thing successfully. Sometimes these alternatives are equally acclaimed, but more often, they’re less popular. Every entry also has at least one alternative on MAX, though we didn’t limit all alternatives to this particular platform. Happy watching!
Don’t watch: And Just Like That…
This show … let’s be frank, it’s a mess—a complete and utter mess. We were all hoping for something that could capture, even at the smallest level, the magic of the original Sex and the City, while also modernizing it to catch up with the world today. What we got instead was an oblivious, utterly absurd reboot that mocked core elements of the source material, as well as clumsily attempted to be more “woke” than the source material was.
Come on, now. If we want a show about a group of women living fancy free lives, we can do better.
Watch: Insecure
Lovingly set in Los Angeles, Insecure follows a group of Black friends in their late twenties and early thirties as they try to navigate adulthood—or, rather, their failure to grasp it. The story predominantly follows Issa Dee (Issa Rae), a burnt-out yet well-intentioned non-profit worker who’s tired of having to juggle both a non-appreciative workspace and a boyfriend who can’t seem to get his life together. Meanwhile, her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji) is a successful lawyer who struggles to maintain her work-life balance, with her relationships suffering for it.
Though the show mostly revolves around Issa, her friendship with Molly, and her on-again, off-again relationship with Lawrence (Jay Ellis), it’s a loving, sympathetic perspective on getting older, making mistakes, and surviving in Los Angeles—an easy city to hate, but a city that fosters love, nonetheless. While sometimes we can’t help but cringe at the cast’s mishaps, ultimately we also can’t help but relate to them and celebrate them as they move forward in their lives, step by step.
And Just Like That really tried to shoehorn in what Black friendships look like from the perspective of white women, in a halfhearted attempt to address some criticisms of the original series. It should hopefully be clear that there was no way in hell that revival was going to actually pull it off. You want authentic Black joy? Insecure is all about that, and it’s funnier, as well as more stylish, with better music to boot.
Watch: Harlem
This next suggestion comes from Awkward Black Girl collaborator (with Issa Rae), now known for Girls Trip and The Blackening, Tracy Oliver. If you have access to Amazon Prime and want something fairly light-heartened, try Harlem. The show features four women—Camille (Meagan Good), Tye (Jerrie Johnson), Quinn (Grace Byers), and Angie (Shoniqua)—navigating their complex lives between frequent brunches and happy hours. In addition to the NYC backdrop, it features at least one character in the fashion industry (an aspiring designer), like Carrie. The others include a professor, a dating app developer, and a free-spirited musician. Anthropology professor Camille starts as the lead, but her friends’ stories share center stage very quickly. She starts most episodes with part of a lecture to frame the episode, similar to Carrie’s column.
I experienced And Just Like That by reading my friends’ responses online and at The Mary Sue. Of the many frustrations, the biggest seemed like the mishandling of Che Diaz and Miranda’s relationship—or situationship? Harlem starts off with an established Black Lesbian lead (Tye) and shows another person coming into their sexuality. (No spoilers!) Tye’s story has a LOT going on. What I find most interesting is the pressures she faces when she has more than a one-night stand with a white reporter while being the face/owner/developer of a dating app specifically for queer people of color. The politics of interracial dating for women of color is already complicated. Having these intimate politics intertwined with your public image looks/is exhausting.
Angie’s chaotic good alignment makes her my favorite, though. Between her role as the struggling artist that has to do some questionable hustling (and role-taking) to avoid being gentrified out and these clips, she stays the highlight of the show for me.
Don’t watch: Velma
When it was announced that the Scooby-Doo brand was being expanded by giving one of its core characters a spinoff show, it sounded incredibly exciting. Velma is, without a doubt, the smartest member of the Mystery Team. While they do love and appreciate her, sometimes it could feel like she’s being sidelined for Fred’s plan or Shaggy and Scooby’s snacking.
However, things immediately started to feel off when Mindy Kaling, the creator of the show, announced that Scooby-Doo would be not appearing in the show. Then, the first trailer dropped and it was … a lot. The jokes were racial, offensive, and not funny at all, the gore was incredibly uncomfortable, and the Mystery Gang didn’t have any of the charm that made them animated icons. The entire show was such a mess. People mostly hate-watched it to make YouTube videos roasting how awful it truly was.
Watch: The Sex Lives of College Girls
Velma wanted to be a look into the inner lives of young people. While it failed spectacularly, Kaling’s other Gen Z-driven show, The Sex Lives of College Girls, has been a smash hit for the two seasons it’s been on Max.
The series follows the lives of four suitemates—Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet), Bela (Amrit Kaur), Leighton (Reneé Rapp), and Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott)—as they spend their freshman year at the fictional school of Essex College in Vermont. Over the show’s two seasons, we’re treated to the girls’ ever-changing love lives, financial woes, and heartbreaks, each instance strengthening the bond between the four of them.
Where Sex Lives succeeded and Velma failed is that Kimberly, Bela, Leighton, and Whitney feel like real people you could meet at school. While Velma is an animated show, it’s still focused on human characters, but none of the characters feel or talk like human beings. They’re all just caricatures of the characters they’re based on. They don’t really have depth or motivations outside of telling a racist joke or making fun of Velma.
The entire cast of Sex Lives, including the side characters, are three-dimensional beings with wants, needs, and emotions. The show makes you root for them, even if they’re in the wrong. You want to see them living their best lives week after week. It’s truly the best young people-driven alternative show to Velma.
Watch: Invincible
A lot (but not all) of what Velma marketed itself as, Amazon Prime’s Invincible actually is. Jaw-droppingly gorey, very mysterious, extremely star-studded, and featuring familiar characters—mostly for those that read the comics. Even for those that didn’t read the comics, many characters are one-to-one takes (and parodies) on familiar superheroes. Like Velma, this show also features Asian American leads.
The show follows Korean American teenager Mark Grayson (Steven Yuen) gaining his superpowers relatively late compared to the expectations of his extraterrestrial father, Nolan Grayson, a.k.a. Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons). His mother, Debbie (Sandra Oh), works to keep her son safe and help Omni-Man navigate life on Earth. I truly cannot say anything else because of the massive events that end the first episode—events that will either have you lunging to press “next up” on the remote or sitting there with your mouth hanging open.
The show isn’t perfect, but the biggest downside isn’t anything in the actual show. The fans who unfairly pile on to the Black romantic lead Amber (Zazie Beetz) are the worst.
Watch: Inside Job
Am I still angry that Inside Job was canceled? Yes. Will I continue to recommend it to anyone and everyone? ALSO YES.
Inside Job was one of those rare series that blended a cluster of different themes together and somehow made it work. It was Rick and Morty for women who had delusions of grandeur and wanted to run wild with it. It was hilarious, smart, punchy, and full of a surprising amount of heart that made it easy to love each and every single one of the characters, especially Reagan (Lizzy Caplan) and Brett (Clark Duke).
You want the sci-fi mystery elements of Velma? You got that here. You want the offbeat humor, but not so clunky? You got that here, too. You want a diverse cast that wasn’t written in a way that hurts others? Inside Job, baby. Inside Job. Reagan Ridley is my fellow neurotic half-Asian queen and I love her.
Don’t watch: The Idol
As if behind the scenes “drama”—that includes allegedly pushing out Amy Seimetz in favor of a story with less of a “female perspective” (despite being 80% through filming) and allegations (since recanted) of “sexual torture porn” from the crew—wasn’t enough of a red flag, this first collab between Euphoria creator Sam Levison and pop star The Weeknd (Abe Tesfaye) screams “watch me because I’m scandalous and shocking.”
The teaser, promotions, and comments from Levinson at Cannes all line up with this. The premise started as a grimy exploration of the horrors of a young aspiring star manipulated by a cult-like leader. So, here are some other, similar things to watch instead of hate-watching this into another season like other Levinson projects.
Watch: Pleasure (movie)
Based on what we know of The Idol, this movie looks to have roughly the same level of violence. The main differences are the industry in focus and the story’s perspective. With that in mind, many of the same warnings are still present. For some, regardless of how sexual violence is framed, this movie can be a challenging and triggering experience. So, please proceed with caution or feel free to skip this entry.
Built from a short film by (the same) Swedish filmmaker Ninja Thyberg, Pleasure observes the journey of Linnéa, a.k.a. “Bella Cherry” (Sofia Kappel). From a small town in Sweden, Linnéa travels to L.A. in an effort to become a famous porn star. To climb to the top of the porn industry, Bella finds herself pushing the limits of her pre-established boundaries and friendships with other women she lives with. While many moments start as shocking, they quickly become distressing. Her “whatever it takes” attitude and actions may clash with people’s idea of consent and power.
Pleasure is very specific to the adult film industry, with well-established performers and agents taking several supporting roles. This is due in part to Thyberg’s extensive research and short tenure in the industry during the research phase of the film. However, the events in Pleasure feel familiar to other working and personal relationships. Patriarchy and capitalism may look differently in this industry, but the dehumanizing and violent situations happen in every field.
Watch: Spring Breakers
While The Idol prides itself on being incredibly scandalous with its depictions of sex, drugs, and alcohol, it ultimately falls flat on its face as it’s obvious that the show, and by extension its creators, are taking themselves way too seriously. If you’re trying to be a satire about the partying lifestyle, it’s better to stay on the side of being a bit goofy.
That’s why 2014’s Spring Breakers works so well. Starring Ashely Benson, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, and Rachel Korine, the movie follows a group of girls who travel to Florida for their Spring Break. While in Florida, they indulge with myriad illegal substances and become romantically involved with a rapper, drug dealer, and arms dealer named Alien. The girls find themselves in increasingly dangerous situations as they spend more and more time in the darker side of Florida’s Spring Break.
The film, while being a depiction of how a normal college student could end up on a scary path, is also a campy, ridiculous film with an impressive amount of party shots set to dubstep. The reason why Spring Breakers works is because no one involved thought they were making the next groundbreaking piece of fiction. They wanted to make a fun movie where their characters go on a wild, life-changing adventure. The girls do drugs, drink, and have sex, but none of it feels glorified or exploitative, which is not something I can say about The Idol.
Watch: Normal People
Based off the book of the same name by Sally Rooney, Normal People follows two young Irish people, Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) as they ebb and flow out of each others’ lives. The story begins in high school, where Marianne is outcasted for being a cold intellectual, while Connell is a popular football player. They’re ultimately brought together because Connell’s mother cleans Marianne’s family’s house; when he comes to pick her up, he and Marianne quickly realize they actually have a lot in common, and a spark is developed between them.
Eventually, this spark evolves into a sexual relationship that he begs her to keep a secret. Obviously, this does not go well. But as they continue to be a part of each others’ lives, even well into university, it becomes clear that their lives are worse off without each other.
This is a beautiful, heartbreaking, at times TOO real show that highlights how you can portray sex, sexual situations, and sexual complications in ways that actually work and honor the people involved. And more than the sex, it does so much justice to the pains that young people go through, without fetishizing them, minimizing them, or blowing them out of proportion.
If these aren’t quite doing it for you, we’ve still got more alternatives for prospective viewers of The Idol right here.
Don’t watch: The last three DCU movies
It’s no secret that superhero fans are feeling a bit of fatigue as we’ve been getting several superhero live-action movies per year since Iron Man premiered in 2009. However, while the MCU continues to thrive despite the decline of interest in superheroes, the DCU has been on a sharp decline for years. There’s not really one thing you could blame for the poor quality of films from DC, but there’s no denying that, compared to their counterpart, their movies kinda suck.
The last three movies from DC (Black Adam, Shazam, and The Flash) are unique because they highlight the real issue with DC: inconsistency. Black Adam was supposed to be the launching pad for Dwayne Johnson into the DCU, but its plot was all over the place and made little to no sense. Shazam had a cute premise and wasn’t outright terrible, but the disconnect between Zachary Levi and Asher Angel, who both were supposed to be playing the same character, was enough to take you out of the movie constantly, and this year’s sequel wasn’t nearly as well received as the first installment, making less than half as much money at the box office.
And while The Flash isn’t in theaters yet, the chaos behind the scenes thanks to Ezra Miller’s many, many crimes is more than enough for fans not to see it. Plus, from the trailer, the movie seems to be focusing more on Batman and Supergirl rather than, you know, the Flash, which could be linked to Miller’s actions.
At the end of the day, the DCU’s biggest issue is that the quality of their movies have not been consistent. For every one decent movie, there’s been four that are garbage. The only hope the DCU has right now is James Gunn and Peter Safran, who were named co-CEOs at the beginning of this year. Only time will tell if their efforts will be enough to save this dying movie franchise.
Watch: Watchmen
There’s not one singular thing you can point at to trace the failure of the DCEU. However, a recurring theme is that most of the projects do not feel like they add to or have anything to say about the source material. The pre-Peter Safran & James Gun era of the DC Universe will likely only be remembered for non-stop controversies (to the very end) and how Warner Bros. Discovery screwed Zack Snyder. The same can’t be said for this entry. HBO’s The Watchmen is the best adaption/continuation of a graphic novel, period.
The one-season show not only expanded upon the 2009 film but expanded the graphic novel source material, too. Set in 2019 (34 years after the finale of the Watchmen graphic novel), the story follows the story of Tulsa cop and vigilante Angela Abar, a.k.a. Sister Night (Regina King), investigating the murder of a fellow cop by local white supremacist group the Seventh Kavalry. The show (still set in the alternate universe where Vietnam was annexed by the U.S.) features a variety of new and old characters alongside one of the coolest retcons in page-to-screen history. (You don’t need to watch the movie or read the graphic novel to enjoy the show, but it enriches the experience.)
The most impactful element is how the miniseries tackles Black American history and the idea of legacy. Inspired by Ta-Nehisi Coates’ 2014 essay The Case For Reparations, the show explores what that could look like. Additionally, in the FIRST EPISODE, Watchmen introduced one of the most shameful real-life days of racial violence in American history to millions for the first time. Very little is embellished—the planes were real. The show is in direct conversation with Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ 1980s 12-issue graphic novel, just as bold but with a new center.
Watch: The Arrowverse
While the DCU has failed in terms of creating great movies, that energy didn’t transfer to their TV shows, which have been thriving. One of the biggest accomplishments this brand made was the creation of the Arrowverse on The CW, a collection of superhero shows that have yearly crossovers. The Arrowverse includes the shows Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, and Batwoman. The universe started with Arrow in 2012 and just recently ended with the series finale of The Flash in May 2023.
While each of these focused on its respective heroes and their crews, the universe had a yearly crossover where all of the heroes would meet up in one of their universes and fight the big bad of the moment. Across the entire Arrowverse, there have been 10 crossovers, starting with “Flash vs. Arrow” and ending with “It’s My Party and I’ll Die If I Want To.”
The reason these shows succeeded where the DCU movies failed is that they were given the time and space to flesh out their characters and dive into their individual stories before teaming them up for crossover adventures. Much like what Marvel did with the original Avengers, the DC shows let their heroes go through their own personal struggles and triumphs before linking them up with other people. It’s important for any character to be able to stand on their own two feet, but it’s even more prevalent for superheroes as they’re responsible for much more than their own worlds. If you’re looking for superhero fun with a lot of interpersonal and worldly stakes, look no further than the Arrowverse.
Watch: Harley Quinn: The Animated Series
Speaking of thriving DCU shows, Harley Quinn is one of the best DC projects since Birds of Prey. Much like BoP, Harley Quinn is focused on showing a different side to the character and giving her more to do than just being Joker’s girlfriend. During the show’s three seasons, Harley becomes a real person and creates her own found family including Poison Ivy, Clayface, King Shark, and the Bat family.
While Harley is an incredibly famous DC character, not much was known about her past surface-level information in the shows and movies she appeared in. Harley Quinn gives her the chance to do something new, like be the leader of a criminal syndicate or help out Batgirl, Robin, and Nightwing when Bruce Wayne is sent to prison. It’s a super fun way to get new fans to tune into the DCU while not taking itself too seriously.
And, the best part about it is that the show constantly delivers quality storytelling. The creators of the show are incredibly in tuned with all of their characters and seem devoted to exploring their depths while staying true to their motivations. Nothing feels rushed or out of place; it’s just a show that wants its fans to have a good time from start to finish.
Don’t watch: Girls
Maddy here, I have to be candid: I did actually enjoy Girls when I watched it, and even so, I would not recommend a hate-watch of it, purely because it can be pretty insufferable (which might be the point). I enjoyed it for its seemingly self-aware portrayal of a certain type of people who are more privileged than they realize, and also for simultaneously validating the modern struggle of being in your early-to-mid 20s.
However, the struggle of now, versus the struggle of then, is very different, and considering all that Lena Dunham is known for, it’s a little hard to rewatch the show and feel sympathy for any of the characters. Plus, there are some moments that make you wonder how the hell the show even got aired, such as Jessa’s random spurts of racism that are treated as moments of “refreshing honesty.”
The following shows are less egregious perspectives on the urban struggle, for better and for worse.
Watch: Broad City
When Broad City first released, I drank it up, because I loved how delightfully messy Abbi and Ilana were and how they completely leaned into it. While yes, in hindsight, it was absolutely a product of its time, it’s still such a delightful portrayal of young womanhood that I think many can relate to.
Abbi is an artist who wants to make her passion her main career, but for now, she’s hustling at a local gym, making ends meet. Ilana, meanwhile, kinda does whatever she feels like, with the ultimate goal of doing nothing and just having fun.
Watch: High Maintenance
While this show isn’t explicitly about young people trying to survive in the city, it captures that same spirit of living, and loving, in a city that’s hard to do either in. High Maintenance takes us throughout New York City, perhaps being one of the best shows out there showcasing the many different kinds of people who live there. One episode might be about a Desi college girl trying to hide her wilder side from her family, who assume she spends most of her time studying; another might follow an agoraphobic man mourning the death of his mother by collecting LaCroix cans.
At the center of it all is The Guy (Ben Sinclair), who might just be one of my favorite TV characters ever. He’s a nonjudgmental, open-minded, and cucumber-cool guy in his thirties who does his job purely because it connects him with others and shows him how interesting the city can be.
(featured image: Max, remixed by Alyssa Shotwell)
Published: Jun 15, 2023 04:04 pm