Entertainment
7 Prime Video Shows That Have Aged Like Milk
Prime Video might be having its moment, but it definitely has its misses. The streaming platform introduced the world to the depravity that is The Boys and the all-around justice of Reacher. Certain shows have made an impression on critics, earning Emmys for titles like Fallout and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. But every so often, some shows just don’t bode well over time.
That isn’t to say they’ve grown increasingly unpopular. On the contrary, some have become ultimate fan favorites. Still, as these shows progress, they increasingly lack substance or simply rub people the wrong way. Whether it’s behind-the-scenes drama or reductive writing, these shows might not have stood the test of time. Without further ado, here are the Prime Video shows that have aged like milk.
‘Expats’ (2024)
With a title like Expats, it’s not surprising that the miniseries portrays a particular social bubble in a foreign country. In a vaguely similar Lost in Translation fashion, Expats follows the lives of wealthy American expatriates living in Hong Kong. Albeit their luxurious apartments and exclusive social gatherings, these expats share an existential crisis, which evolves into a thriller-like tragedy involving the main character’s son. Although the show is about feeling like a fish out of water, it doesn’t bode well for its supporting characters—mainly the domestic workers—or for the aestheticization of Hong Kong’s real-life problems.
Domestic helpers make up a big aspect of the plot, but their stories exist only in relation to the expatriate families they work for. It fails to integrate challenges like Hong Kong’s problematic domestic worker system, which has long been imbued with inequality. It doesn’t help that the show was produced during the height of the protests surrounding the Hong Kong National Security Law, where 300 people were arrested, and 45 activists were sentenced. Its out-of-touchness comes from both inside and out.
‘Good Omens’ (2019–Present)
First premiering in 2019, Good Omens won the hearts of audiences with its frenemy-led duo that’s as old as time: the demon Crowley (David Tennant) and the angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen), as they work together to stop Armageddon and track down the Antichrist. On top of all that, they have to beat the living lights out of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Because of its contemporary adaptation of religious references, Good Omens feels like a relatable show despite its grand divine interventions.
Good Omens was only one season short of concluding its story. However, allegations against its creator, Neil Gaiman, temporarily halted production in September 2024. The author was accused of “sexual misconduct by eight women,” to which Gaiman responded by claiming he was the victim of a “smear campaign.” A month later, he exited the project. In the aftermath, the usual six-episode order for Season 3 was drastically reduced to a single 90-minute episode, set for release in May 2026.
‘Swarm’ (2023)
Stan culture takes a sinister turn in Swarm. A young woman, Dre (Dominique Fishback), spends her days obsessing over a Beyoncé-like pop star named Ni’jah (Nirine S. Brown) and her Beyhive-style fandom. Her fixation consumes her life, and her love for Ni’jah spirals into full-blown worship. Fandom culture becomes Dre’s vehicle for releasing her innate psychotic rage, shaped by a traumatic past that includes her foster sister. From attacking stans who criticize Ni’jah to breaking into her concert just to catch a glimpse of the pop star, Dre knows no limits.
The problem with Swarm lies in how Dre is written. While parasocial relationships can lead to dangerous obsession, the series reduces her to a one-dimensional figure, with violence overshadowing the trauma that drives her. This risks reinforcing the “violent Black woman” trope. Donald Glover‘s direction to play Dre “like an animal and less like a person” further strips her of nuance, distancing her from the grief of losing her foster sister—ultimately weakening the show’s exploration of fandom and trauma.
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ (2022–Present)
Fans of The Lord of the Rings expected nothing but the best from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Set in the Second Age, the show is meant to explore the forging of the rings and the alliance between Elves and Men. However, putting aside the notorious review-bombing, the prequel series fails to deliver substantial storylines, attempting to cover every part of the lore while lacking depth in all of them.
There’s a noticeable imbalance between the arcs of Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo), or Sauron (Charlie Vickers) and Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), compared to characters like Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) and Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova), who are given far less spotlight than they were in Season 1. Other behind-the-scenes issues Rings of Power has faced stem from its decision to cast non-white actors, which has rubbed some stubborn fans the wrong way due to accusations of “wokeness.” For a series whose Season 1 cost approximately $465 million in production fees alone, it has struggled to retain viewers.
‘Sausage Party: Foodtopia’ (2024–Present)
There can only be so many food puns. Sausage Party: Foodtopia takes place directly in the aftermath of the original 2016 film, Sausage Party. The main difference is that, in the film, these comically alive food characters question the purpose of their existence when they realize that humans are buying them for consumption, prompting the four main characters (or foods) to convince everyone at Shopwell’s supermarket to save themselves and get rid of the humans.
Season 1 of Foodtopia shows promise with an interesting premise: how does one rebuild society following the “demise” of the human race? With the food’s fragility (they can’t survive under rain or crows), they have to reconnect with a human willing to work with them. Season 1 manages this political questioning while keeping the comedy fresh. However, Season 2 shifts into outdated jokes, from the Will Smith Oscars slap to Oprah‘s giveaway. There’s only so much nostalgia this comedy can take.
‘Beast Games’ (2024–Present)
Nothing screams “concerning” more than a reality competition show inspired by Squid Game. Worse still, this isn’t the first time it’s been done. Back in 2023, Squid Game: The Challenge was under fire due to the conditions contestants were put under, with several requiring medical attention. Squid Game is meant to be fiction and fiction only, but YouTuber MrBeast, who is notoriously famous for his outlandish, algorithm-driven videos, decided to move forward with Beast Games.
The point of Squid Game is to highlight the dangers of capitalism and how the top one percent is responsible for the suffering of the working class. This critique becomes muddled with Beast Games, where the idea of winning money at any cost is aggressively celebrated. However, even before the show aired, five contestants filed a lawsuit against YouTube and Amazon. According to the lawsuit, contestants cited “dangerous circumstances and conditions as a condition of their employment.”
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ (2022–2025)
One shouldn’t expect proper dating advice from a show like The Summer I Turned Pretty. The show begins with the tried-and-true foundation of nearly every romantic drama: the love triangle. Only this time, there are two brothers and their childhood best friend involved. With their summers spent at the Cape Cod-inspired Cousins Beach, The Summer I Turned Pretty becomes a show where dreamers escape into blissful salty air, white sandy beaches, and the promise of an unforgettable first kiss.
Throughout its three seasons, this love triangle becomes the core of The Summer I Turned Pretty. One way the show sustains that conflict is by introducing unnecessary drama the moment things seem calm. The problem is that many of these issues could be resolved with better communication and smaller egos. It may feel cute in Season 1, but by Season 3, the constant back-and-forth between the two brothers becomes repetitive and increasingly tiring to watch.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
- Release Date
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2022 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Prime Video
- Directors
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Erica Dunton, Jesse Peretz, Jeff Chan
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Lola Tung
Isabel ‘Belly’ Conklin
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Christopher Briney
Conrad Fisher
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