Recently, Netflix released a dramatic thriller series written by the acclaimed Ryan Murphy titled The Watcher. The show trended for a while and sparked lots of buzz, so naturally I had to tune in. I quickly regretted this decision after pressing the play button.

For starters, the acting is a bit poor. This could simply  be the fault of the script instead of the actors themselves, but that would be surprising seeing that all the series Ryan Murphy has created in the past are enjoyable start to finish (Glee, American Horror Story). The main characters of the show are the Brannock family; their home consists of the hardworking mother and father and their rebellious teenage daughter. None of these characters have likable traits, and I soon found myself rooting for the strange stalker antagonist.

The storyline feels almost like a parody of the mystery genre, someone is accused of something outlandish or a serious crime but later found innocent. This happens several times throughout one episode, and it only gets more and more cringeworthy to watch as the cycle repeats. 

Towards the finale the identity of the stalker terrorizing the family is revealed—but not really. An elaborate nonsensical event occurs that makes the main characters reconsider who the “watcher” really is.

Finding out that people genuinely enjoyed this show shocked me, it was subpar, lacked creativity, and left me feeling as if I had wasted my time. The fact that this rushed, confusing, redundant mess is a product of the entertainment giant Netflix only adds to my surprise. Perhaps in the future the quality of this show improves, but unfortunately I will not be seated to see if it does.