Ratched

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 18, 2020
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 48 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 48
  3. Negative: 13 out of 48
Watch Now

Where To Watch

Stream On

Review this tv show

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling

User Reviews

view
per page
  1. Dkolsen
    Oct 13, 2020
    4
    The biggest problem with Ratched is that it can't decide on who its main character is at her core (a major problem for a show that is supposed to be a character study!). Is she a fastidious conformist focused on the good of society or is she willing to break every rule and taboo to achieve her selfish goals? Is she a repressed scold or a creature of dark impulses? A naive, self-righteousThe biggest problem with Ratched is that it can't decide on who its main character is at her core (a major problem for a show that is supposed to be a character study!). Is she a fastidious conformist focused on the good of society or is she willing to break every rule and taboo to achieve her selfish goals? Is she a repressed scold or a creature of dark impulses? A naive, self-righteous worker bee or a master manipulator with uncanny charisma? Focusing on any one of these dualities and showcasing the conflict it creates in our title character could make for good drama, but the show instead plays her as all of these things, scene by scene, with no sign of internal conflict (except perhaps in some of the most awkward sex scenes ever filmed). Mildred Ratched does terrible things to people throughout the series, acting in cruel, violent or murderous ways almost immediately, yet in other scenes we are expected to view her as an innocent bystander or a sympathetic point-of-view character for the audience. These things don't work together. There's no emotional core for the audience to hold onto, nor does the plot propel the viewer deeper into the show. It's chock full of coincidence and baffling motivations, tied together with truly clairvoyant insight into the character flaws of others on Mildred's part, who is able to manipulate almost every around her with startling ease (and yet confusingly falls into the naïve heroine role with others). On the plus side, the costumes and sets are striking, and some scenes are genuinely horrifying if you're looking for that. If aesthetics and shock value aren't your thing however, give it a pass.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Most Discussed TV Season of 2020
67
#67 Most Shared TV Season of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
50

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 32
  3. Negative: 8 out of 32
  1. The Detroit News
    Reviewed by: Tom Long
    Nov 30, 2020
    58
    Sharon Stone is a vengeful heiress and that’s all she is; Corey Stoll is an incompetent hitman and that sums him up. This isn’t acting, it’s posing. Happily Judy Davis and Sophie Okonedo — both Oscar nominees — do eventually develop juicy parts. And “Ratched” becomes watchable entertainment. But that style-over-content thing makes you wonder if Ryan Murphy shows would be better off with less Ryan Murphy.
    Read full review
  2. The Playlist
    Reviewed by: Andrew Crump
    Oct 5, 2020
    75
    The pleasures of “Ratched” are dulled by the constraints of IP maintenance. ... Still, it’s a credit to Romansky that “Ratched” remains watchable in spite of the conflict between inspiration and obligation.
    Read full review
  3. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Sep 28, 2020
    50
    When it's not being too gross to watch or too ridiculous to matter, this series is a treat for the eyes. [28 Sep - 11 Oct 2020, p.9]
See all critic reviews »