TV

Why is 'First Kill' So Popular on Netflix?

Why is 'First Kill' So Popular on Netflix?
Image credit: Netflix

A TV show about teenage vampire lesbians? Sounds like a new record-breaker for Netflix.

'First Kill' has shown unprecedented success after debuting on Netflix on June 10, climbing up to the platform's #3 on Top 10 English-language shows globally. It now boasts over 48 million hours viewed.

The show's surprisingly impressive figures come on the heels of pretty mixed reviews online. Many people have noted that the show is "giving off The CW quality" and does not in fact boast a very sophisticated storyline.

Still, the numbers speak for themselves. Moreover, fans are already rallying online to demand that the show be renewed for season 2 – sometimes with bizarre reasoning.

"I hope they get a million seasons! i personally could not finish the first one but everyone is so pretty and i want them to keep getting paid," – @thesammg.

But not everyone is siding with those who slam the show for "The CW quality".

"So happy for the cast and crew! It gets better as you watch it and the chemistry between the leads is on fire." – @MillieKerr12.

Given that the vampire drama about the lesbian couple has triumphed on the platform, the hopes for season 2 might be fulfilled pretty soon. According to fans, the show masterfully addresses the mundane tropes used in vampire movies and applies them in a new queer way.

"I love that First Kill is literally just taking lesbians and giving them every single trope known to man in the vampire genre that straight people get and getting rid of the same 3 homophobic ones and that alone makes it need 12 seasons." – @dansensolsens.

Those criticizing 'First Kill' for being corny, some people note, tend to praise (sometimes ironically, sometimes not) projects like 'Teen Wolf ', 'Twilight ', 'The Vampire Diaries ' and the like. Still, despite all the backlash, the show appears to prove critics wrong.

"Like I don't think y'all understanding First Kill is a new show and managed to chart with shows that are highly anticipated and have been on for years that's insane especially for a show with wlw as the mains." – @dansensolsens.

The supernatural lesbian drama centers around two girls: teenage vampire Juliette who is expected to make her first kill to prove her status among fellow vampires, and her love interest Calliope – who, of course, turns out to be a monster hunter.

'First Kill' consists of eight episodes. It premiered on Netflix on June 10.