The Get Down: an underrated masterpiece

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Rachel Ditmarson

Rachel’s take on The Get Down

If you’re looking for a Netflix show that provides you with not only a great storyline, but an award-worthy soundtrack and stellar outfits, look no further than The Get Down. 

The Get Down follows the storyline of a group of teenagers in the 1970s, raised in the Bronx, on the quest of making a name for themselves with their music.

Part 1 of the 2 part series focuses on a high schooler named Zeke, who meets Shaolin Fantastic, an aspiring DJ, who becomes his guru and helps guide him with his poetry to become a successful MC rapper. The two form a group together with the help of Zeke’s friends to become a group called “The Get Down Brothers.” The show also follows Zeke’s love interest, Mylene.  Mylene strives to become a disco star, but struggles an uphill battle, as her father is religious and thinks the lifestyle to be unholy. In the midst of the plot, it incorporates the hardship of living in the Bronx and the multiple gangs and dangers of the area.

The show does an amazing job of depicting the lengths that young people will go to achieve their dreams and to hold onto love and the relationships they make while trying to accomplish these aspirations. I think they picked the perfect actors for each role, and it is so easy to get intertwined in the characters and their storylines. Not only does the plot of each character keep you on edge and intrigued the whole time, but the overall aesthetic and costume design are so extravagant that it will enthrall you every episode.

With each episode reaching around an hour in length, this series will keep you busy for awhile. Nevertheless, all good things must come to an end, and being so, The Get Down was cancelled after only 2 parts. Due to the show being too expensive and difficult to make, director Baz Luhrmann had to abandon it.

The uniqueness, unexpected twists, and realness of The Get Down is what makes it, in my opinion, the best show on Netflix. No matter what kind of shows you enjoy, this show has something for everyone.