'The Get Down' Updates: Series Deemed as the Best Original Netflix Series of 2016, Shows True Value of Male Friendships
"The Get Down" features friendships like no other, removing social stigma and dreams of young people using music as their medium.
"The Get Down" is an original musical drama series from Netflix, which has just finished airing its initial six episodes. Most online entertainment sites describe "The Get Down" as a series that depicts the early rise of hip-hop in the Bronx area. Some online posts say that there is more to the series than just music history.
Review from a white audience
A recent online review was posted commending the show for more than its music. It is important to note that the opinion was from a white reviewer who knows hip-hop but is not a fan of the genre. The reviewer remarked that "The Get Down" is not only about music, as it also features coming of age, love stories, creative and driven young adults and the people around them. Music is just an avenue to let the message out.
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The review
The review also focused on the main characters such as Zeke (Justice Smith), Mylene (Herizen F. Guardiola), Shaolin Fantastic (Shameik Moore), and Dizzee (Jaden Smith). Adult characters in "The Get Down" are mainly composed of politicians, family members, and church leaders who, in one way or another, are affecting the lives of the young characters.
Breaks free from the clichés of the ghetto
"The Get Down" removes the social stigma that is placed on people who live in the ghetto. The characters are not gang members and are not drug dealers. They are not broken or antisocial but are full of life. Hope is also depicted in the music that they play.
Focus on male friendships
A number of reviews point out the poor technical aspect of the series, especially its inconsistencies with actual historical data from the music era. However, many also say that this is what makes "The Get Down" a success. A certain energy and heart makes the show appealing to viewers, especially centering on the male friendships which have blossomed in the first six episodes.
A reviewer classified male friendship in "The Get Down" as something that had to evolve to escape violence as well as poverty. He explained that it was the kind of friendship that one could fall back on after a heartbreak or in times of trouble. This friendship was captured by the boys Shaolin, Zeke, Dizzee, Boo Boo and Ra Ra in "The Get Down".
Part Two of the season will be released next year with a still undetermined air date.
