Panorama reviews new Netflix

NEW ON NETFLIX Panorama reviews three popular TV shows that recently came out on Netflix

OVIYA SRIHARI

a&e editor

GRAND ARMY

“Grand Army” follows the lives of five students at Grand Army High School in Brooklyn, New York. The first episode literally starts off with a bang as a bomb goes off blocks away, and the school is sent into lockdown. While this is supposed to remain a central event throughout the first season, the writers quickly drop the plot point, marking the beginning of a season riddled with the same issue. In an attempt to seem socially conscious, the show slaps the characters with countless social injustices to juggle. Instead of handling these issues with care, it forgets about them by the next episode, finding a “trendier” problem to focus on. The characters could be compelling, but unnecessary plot twists often mean the character you’re rooting for ends up disappointing you. “Grand Army” tries too hard to be relevant, and is fully performative in addressing important issues. I would only watch this show again to see Leila’s outfits.

TINY PRETTY THINGS

“Tiny Pretty Things” follows a group of students at an elite Chicago ballet school after Neveah Stroyer is admitted to replace star dancer Cassie Shore, who is in critical condition after being mysteriously pushed from the school’s roof. “Tiny Pretty Things” specifically casted ballet dancers in its lead roles, which allows for beautiful extended dance scenes with the actors and actresses. Although the characters’ backstories and the drama of competitive dance would be enough to carry the season, the show often creates other drama to focus on. Between juggling individual problems, feuds between characters, dance drama and multiple mysteries, the show often feels like it can’t keep up with itself. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a well-executed plot, but “Tiny Pretty Things” is worth watching for the characters and dancing.

THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT

“The Queen’s Gambit” tells the story of orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon. The show successfully weaves flashbacks between Harmon’s childhood and the present to follow her competitive journey along with her struggles away from the chess board. The show keeps viewers constantly engaged by revealing Harmon’s story in bite-sized pieces throughout the season. Everything from Harmon’s hair to even the lighting all contribute to clean transitions between flashbacks that are interesting to watch. Every single scene is so thoughtfully created that “The Queen’s Gambit” manages to make chess matches feel suspenseful and high-stakes. Harmon — both in the past and present — and the characters that surround her are intelligent and relatable, but still interesting and nowhere near perfect. Chess player or not, the characters, setting and slow-but-dramatic plot all make “The Queen’s Gambit” hard to stop watching. A&E | HEALTH & SPORTS