15 Best Netflix Originals Of 2020 So Far - Ranked
4. Cheer
Cheer opens the door on the sport of competitive cheerleading. This turns out to be one of the most thrilling, frightening and exhilarating watches of the year so far. For anyone who wasn't familiar with what this entails, this is an absolute must see, even if some of that time will be spent peering through your fingers.
This is not a sanitized, 'gosh everybody makes it' show. People get hurt, badly, in the course of the series. There is an echo of Steve Rodgers in Age of Ultron - 'If you get killed, walk it off'.
The coach of the Navarro College team, which the series follows, is Monica Aldama. Prison guards could take a lesson or two from her. She cares about the future of the team so fiercely that individuals pale in comparison. She pushes one cheerleader to the point of injury for defying her instructions, all to highlight the need for cohesion.
However, one thing that Cheer manages to radiate is a sense of family and community. The team members each bring their own tragic backstory to the front - many times coming from abusive or absent parents - finding their way as part of the team. Emotions are on show throughout the piece.
It is both an uplifting and tough watch. There are accidents that occur that seem both deliberate and random, shown to display what exactly can happen during training. The series is an excellent experience though.