There’s so much that annoys me but nothing so much as the latest news that Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act (Netflix) has been canceled. As a person of color myself – Indian and Puerto Rican descent – I was in tune with Minhaj’s style, ideals, and cleverness with news from around the globe. I had originally included it for review here but it doesn’t seem to matter anymore, right Hasan???  Well, I suggest watching it because it is informative and Minhaj’s delivery is intriguing. Instead, I focused on a number of different shows because well, it’s still pandemic season and there isn’t much to do unless I want to be surrounded by people I don’t wish to be around. But as shows go, let’s be serious for a moment: Netflix has dropped an insurmountable amount of clever shows this year. This is what we want from a multibillion-dollar company, and that’s quality.

Everyone’s catching up to Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence’s (William Zabka) characters made famous in the 80s Karate Kid franchise. Yes, Cobra Kai has increased in popularity is on the rise since Netflix picked up the Will Smith produced YouTube series for seasons 1 & 2. People are now catching up. This is only a mention, but the storyline picks up with the modern-day lives of the characters whose popularities have shifted. The writers have worked the characters and their offspring beautifully, embodying the 80s competitive spirit while keeping it completely grounded in the present. Ok, onward and upward…

TEENAGE BOUNTY HUNTERS (Netflix)

Mostly on the fence in regards to Teenage Bounty Hunters, which stars Maddie Phillips and Anjellica Bette Fellini who star as sixteen-year-old fraternal twin sisters Sterling and Blair who unwittingly find themselves entangled with bounty hunter Bowser Jenkins, portrayed by Kadeem Hardison. For one thing, it’s great to see Kadeem Hardison (A Different World) in a much more mainstream show. Also in the supporting cast as another bounty hunter is Terrence Coin, portrayed by Clifford Smith. Why is that important? Well, it’s Method Man, who steps out of his comfort zone as a bounty hunter with a friendly disposition. But I digress.

The sisters, who are obviously still in H.S., have a chance encounter with Jenkins while he pursues a skip (that’s bounty hunter talk for someone that jumps his bail). Fortunately for Jenkins, he runs into two kids who handle his skip well because they know how to handle weapons, thanks to years of training with family members. Jenkins mistakes them for a couple of rogue skip tracers and offers them a portion of the reward. The girls are then taken under his wing as prospects in order for the girls to pay for the repair on their father’s cherished vehicle. Ok, all caught up now.

Within the context of the storyline here, the girls try to navigate through Catholic H.S. life while lying to their parents about their part-time jobs and dealing with all the trauma of being a teen (love, sexual identity, etc.) What’s fascinating though is how the two have mind-melding conversations only the two of them can hear when attempting to rationalize whatever they have going on at the moment. Sterling and Blair have a great rapport as siblings and maneuver through school and home life through lots of hard work. The show ends with an unnerving twist that even had me gasping. This show was definitely worth the time.

SNEAKERHEADS (Netflix)

The premise of the show is so ridiculous that even my wife refused to watch it. The glimpses she had of the storyline, as I moved from episode to episode, was something she couldn’t quite gel with. I think it was one of the reasons it allowed me to move so quickly through it. The premise of the series revolved around Devin, a reformed “sneakerhead” played by Allen Maldonado (The Last O.G.), who gave up his old life of expensive Jordans for the family life. After running into former best friend Bobby played by Andrew Bachelor (Babysitter 1 & 2), he goes on a scheme with Bobby for a large sneaker score, which turns into a costly one landing him in the hole for $5K. He needs to recoup the funds before his wife becomes aware which leads him on a worldwide journey for the mythical “Zero” Jordans.

Ok, so yes, the show borders on the ridiculous but it was cleverly done with guest appearances from “Mark Wahlberg” and alludes to Jason Statham. It’s a bit odd but still, clever. But back to the main story. Devin and Bobby enlist the help of Nori, a street-savvy businesswoman who buys & flips kicks, portrayed by Jearnest Corchado, as well as Stuey, played by Matthew Josten, a flipper in training. The adventure sends cast members on a search around the world for that shoe that will hopefully change their lives.

Sneakerheads is funny but some might be put off by Bobby’s character like my wife was. She found him annoying as did I, but I also found him entertaining. He’s that one friend that everyone puts up with, for what else? Entertainment purposes. The show comes together in the end and was in fact entertaining. As a semi-sneaker enthusiast myself, the Sneakerheads life is understandable. I myself wouldn’t travel across the world for a pair of sneakers, but I would be bummed if a pair I wanted was sold out. As a one-off season, it was worth the watch. If there are plans to extend for additional seasons, it would be a bit much.

REALITY Z (Netflix)

Everyone is familiar with the zombie genre which hasn’t left many concepts for fresh ideas. Or are there? I don’t want to spend much time but I thought this was a bit interesting. Imagine a zombie story that revolves around a reality television show, secluded from others, with a broadcast that continued throughout the apocalypse. But of course, the rest of the country’s infrastructure has collapsed. Thank goodness for this reality show.

Reality Z is a show that originated from Brazil and everything is quickly paced. Zombies run after you – which are the scariest kind – as some contestants still vie for favoritism on the live reality show. It’s odd but still, fun to watch. Of course, there are those outsiders that have infiltrated the compound, and everything goes to hell as expected. Regardless, a good watch although I don’t expect another season.