Seasons: 1
Starring: Uzo Aduba, Nicole Beharie, Morgan Freeman
Description: A seven-part anthology series that explores what it means to be human through a fantasy and science-fiction lens, “Solos” has some big names like Anne Hathaway, Anthony Mackie, Helen Mirren, and more. Each one has its own little story; there’s plenty of slick production and some fun high-concept science-fiction ideas.
Why it’s a stinker: Just like with so many pieces of art, the writing is terrible. The actors and actresses have to do their best with overwritten globs of text, mostly thanks to writer David Weill. Every confession has to be full of tears; there are far too many current-year pop-culture gags and despite the show’s best attempt at “Black Mirror” episodes, none of them are able to get elevated above even middling.
The Terminal List (Worst)
Seasons: 1
Starring: Chris Pratt, Constance Wu, Taylor Kitsch
Description: Navy SEAL Commander James Reece decides to turn to vengeance as he investigates the mysterious murder of his entire platoon. He applies everything he’s learned after spending all that time in the military’s most elite group, hunting down the people responsible.
Why it’s a stinker: Somehow, this show was able to strip Chris Pratt of his unique charisma and replace it with almost nothing. It has a certified rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes. It becomes little more than a by-the-book revenge story that also doesn’t portray the military all that well. It’s earned genuinely terrible reviews except on Amazon (and it’s hard to trust those), and this show has little more to offer than something to throw on for the big Pratt fan in the family.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (Worst)
Seasons: 1
Starring: Madison Iseman, Bill Heck, Brianne Tju
Description: An adaptation of the famous slasher series from the late nineties, this series has basically the exact same plot as the original movie, with a group of teen friends being stalked by a killer a year after they witness a fatal accident. Is that a spoiler? We’re not sure anymore.
Why it’s a stinker: Critics called the show, a whole eight episodes, a tough slog. Even the original movie isn’t an amazing film, and it drags. Stretching that plot out to eight forty-five-minute episodes makes this one a snoozer you can easily miss. In addition, the dialogue seemed out of touch. Pairing up the teens of today with slashers just doesn’t seem to mesh that well.
Tell Me Your Secrets (Worst)
Seasons: 1
Starring: Lily Rabe, Amy Brenneman, Hamish Linklater
Description: Originally written as a show for TNT, this show purports to be a complex thriller revolving around three mysterious characters that have intersecting motives. Emma is a woman who is in love with a dangerous killer, John is a former serial predator looking for redemption, and Mary is a grieving mother obsessed with finding her missing daughter.
Why it’s a stinker: With rug-pulls, timeline-shifting plot points, and oodles of melodrama, the show is just too in the weeds for its own good. The secrets that are promised in the title are barely worth the time the show gives them, and it’s clear this series languished on the shelf for too long before Amazon Prime picked it up.
Jungle (Worst)
Seasons: 1
Starring: Junior Okoli, Chas Appeti, Kurban Kassam
Description: A combination of UK rap culture and crime drama brings a show like never before. In near-future London, a pair of young men try to improve their lives but end up constantly facing the consequences of their actions. It’s a musical that has tons of rap, and characters are constantly speaking in rhymes.
Why it’s a stinker: First off, it has the same title as the Daniel Radcliffe movie from 2017, so just finding it is a hassle. Second, it’s obvious immediately that some members of the cast are a lot better at rapping than others. These actors have a hard time carrying their weight, eliciting groans every time they take the stage. There’s plenty of style in the show, just not enough substance.