10 Reasons Maniac Is The Best Netflix Original Series Since Stranger Things
5. Inventive Plot Elements And Structure
The constantly-bending reality and non-standard plot structures keep every episode of Maniac fresh and unpredictable. Better yet, these interesting scenarios end up tying to each character's arc, always working in service to the central storyline.
A espionage-style heist sequence may appear to be filler, but the prize hidden away in the vault is something precious to the person dreaming the scenario. Someone has a dream in a medieval fantasy land because a dear family members of theirs loved the fantasy genre. Storytelling here is non-traditional and avoids being formulaic whenever possible.
Rarely is anything told in-sequence outside of the simulations. One episode will focus entirely on Jonah Hill's character, the next will tell what happened with Emma stone's character while running parallel with the episode before. Each episode unveils another layer to everyone in the show, introducing new components to people you thought you already knew. Many Netflix shows have needless filler, but Maniac manages continuous development with its main players in a concise eight episode season.