Seven Netflix Originals That are Too Relatable

By Sami Dugdale
Blog Content Contributor

Atypical

Atypical is a coming of age comedy series about a teenager with autism. If the title doesn’t get your attention then this eccentric plot sure will. Atypical features the life of the Gardner family, or more importantly, Sam, our 18-year-old autistic protagonist. When Sam asks his father for dating advice, Doug is more than happy to help. He even goes as far as driving Sam to his “crush’s” house so that he can ask her on a date. Things take a bit of a turn when we learn that Sam’s crush is his 26-year-old therapist. When Doug tells Sam that he needs to date people his own age, Sam gets help from his friends and family to learn all about the world of dating. This unique coming of age story is an exemplary display of our confusing teen years.

Chewing Gum

Chewing Gum is a hysterical Netflix series that revolves around the life of Tracey Gordon, a spunky 24-year old virgin from an über religious household. She’s had the same boyfriend for years, a good Christian man her mother set her up with, and Tracey begins to wonder about the sexual aspect of their relationship. She’s been told that she must wait until marriage, but as the show progresses, Tracey becomes more and more curious about her body and men. Tracey’s awkwardness is so relatable, and the fact that she constantly breaks the fourth wall to personally address the audience makes us relate to her and her emotions even more. This two-season series is such a perfect blend of heartfelt moments and comedy and I highly recommend it to anyone who relates to Tracey’s awkward personality.

Dear White People

Probably one of the most controversial shows in this list is Dear White People, a series about racial and other forms of discrimination students face on college campuses. Samantha White is a DJ at her campus radio station with her own talk show titled “Dear White People”. Sam addresses the actions of her predominately white classmates and brings light to the things they do that, while they may not notice it, are considered racist. The plot really starts to escalate when a frat house on campus throws a “black face party”, where students paint their faces and dress up as prominent black figures like Nicki Minaj and Drake. Dear White People is such an influential show because it shows how easily people turn their backs to blatant acts of racism and the privilege of certain groups of people, especially in the education system.

Grace and Frankie

Even though I am not a 70-year-old woman who just found out my husband is homosexual and cheating on me, Grace and Frankie are characters that we can all find pieces of ourselves in. Grace’s high maintenance attitude and dry sense of humor mixed with Frankie’s laid back and odd personality are characteristics that I believe most people can relate to. When Grace and Frankie, who are complete polar opposites and have never considered themselves friends, find out that their husbands are gay and leaving them to be together, the two are launched back into the real world. Together the women must relearn parts of their life they didn’t think they’d ever have to encounter again, especially the dating world, and find meaning in their lives after so many years of just being wives.

Master of None

If you’re Parks and Recreation fan, then you are probably familiar with the one and only Aziz Ansari. Ansari wrote, produced, and stars as the lead in this two-season comedic series that follows the life of Dev Shah, a 30-year-old actor just trying to make it in New York City. The title of the show alludes to the phrase, “jack of all trades, master of none”, meaning that when one tries to learn many things, they give up mastering any of them. I think we can all relate to Shah’s sarcastic attitude and struggle with balancing all the different aspects of his life.

GLOW

Alright ladies, let’s get in formation. Set in 1985, GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) is about an all-female wrestling team in Los Angeles, California. When wannabe actress Ruth Wilder fails to get a gig, she goes to audition for GLOW along with 12 other fierce women. In this single series comedy, we watch as the team tries to make its way to fame, and observe the power of sisterhood and resilience.

Love

Mickey is a wild and free spirit who just broke up with her free-loading boyfriend. Gus just got dumped by his cheating long-term girlfriend. Both characters are confused about the next step in their lives and how they feel about relationships in general when their paths cross. Although they may be different, the two instantly connect and help each other find the meaning of life and love. I highly recommend this two-season series to anyone who ever feels confused about their stance on relationships and commitment.

Featured image via IMDb.