Best Netflix Entertainment for character development

character development Decision Dashboard

Safest pick

The Gentlemen, Season 2

4.6 attribute score

Balances the attribute score, supporting reviews, and overall product strength.

Best overall product

Kylie, Season 1

4.5 overall score

Strongest overall product among items with scored evidence for this attribute.

#1 DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
5.0

Favorable takes praise the layered look at Dahmer’s upbringing and behavior, saying the series builds a fuller portrait without automatically excusing him. That depth is one reason some viewers stayed...

Pros: acting quality, cultural representation

Cons: ethical sensitivity, character balance

#2 Kylie, Season 1
4.8

Reviewers see a satisfying arc from manufactured pop figure to self-directed artist, with key relationships helping her grow in confidence and creative control.

Pros: emotional impact, interview and source material quality

#3 Voicemails for Isabelle
4.8

Jill and Isabelle’s bond is established with vivid personality and believable history, giving Jill’s grief real psychological weight. Wes also receives some welcome softness beyond the generic romantic-lead template.

Pros: story quality, emotional impact

Cons: plot originality, pacing

#4 Death of the Pastor’s Wife
4.8

The series is praised for keeping Mica at the center through her voice, journals, footage, and loved ones’ accounts, helping her register as a full person rather than only a...

Pros: emotional impact, educational value

Cons: plot clarity

#5 The Gentlemen, Season 2
4.6

Eddie’s evolution from reluctant participant to ambitious crime boss is one of the most consistently praised elements. Reviewers also note stronger growth for several supporting characters.

Pros: story quality, renewal interest

Cons: season pacing, plot clarity

#6 Virgin River, Season 7
4.5

The strongest arcs deepen parenthood, resilience and community bonds, with Mel, Jack, Lizzie and Denny receiving meaningful growth. Supporting characters often evolve more convincingly than the central romance.

Pros: story quality, emotional impact

Cons: drama quality, writing quality

#7 A Different World
4.4

Character growth is a major strength, especially as archetypes gain layers and Deborah develops beyond her impulsive first impression. The rushed season sometimes limits how fully that growth can land.

Pros: spin-off quality, cultural representation

Cons: romance quality, season pacing

#8 Heartstopper Forever
4.4

Charlie’s growing confidence and Nick’s identity crisis give the leads meaningful new dimensions. The compressed format and repeated anxiety cycles weaken some of the supporting development.

Pros: ending satisfaction, cultural representation

Cons: supporting cast performance, pacing

#9 How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, Season 1
4.3

The adult friends are given meaningful midlife frustrations, old wounds, and evolving self-understanding, with Saoirse especially well developed. Some reviewers wanted more depth for Dara, Greta, and a few supporting...

Pros: humor, story quality

Cons: plot clarity, season length

#10 Bridgerton, Season 4
4.2

The second half earns praise for giving Benedict, Sophie, Violet, Francesca and several supporting characters more growth and emotional dimension.

Pros: entertainment value, story quality

Cons: plot originality, writing quality

#11 Call My Agent! The Movie
4.2

Andréa and Noémie’s career changes give them plausible new strengths and vulnerabilities. Some other arcs repeat earlier lessons or feel thin without the show’s long backstory.

Pros: celebrity cameos, humor

Cons: pacing, ensemble balance

#12 Running Point, Season 2
4.1

Isla’s leadership, Ali’s professional self-worth, and several sibling arcs gain meaningful depth. Other takes argue that crowded plotting flattens Jackie and leaves some promising characters underdeveloped.

Pros: main cast performance, supporting cast performance

Cons: season pacing, episode structure

#13 My Brilliant Career
4.1

Sybylla and many supporting characters gain meaningful nuance, although a few critics find the suitors comparatively shallow or wish the heroine’s internal insecurity were explored more deeply.

Pros: main cast performance, entertainment value

Cons: plot originality, sexual content level

#14 The Witness, Season 1
4.1

Alex and André’s relationship gives the season its clearest arc, moving through grief, resentment, rebellion, and eventual understanding. The main pair are well developed, though one critic felt the secondary...

Pros: story quality, emotional impact

Cons: season pacing

#15 Best of the Best
4.1

Maya and Anjali are generally viewed as rounded, relatable leads with believable inner conflicts. Several critics say the supporting characters and male arcs are thinner or less reflective.

Pros: dance choreography, cultural representation

Cons: plot originality, romance quality

#16 Run Away, Season 1
4.1

Many reviewers like the depth given to supporting characters such as Elena, the detectives, and the assassins. Critics of the show argue that Paige and some other figures are underdeveloped...

Pros: entertainment value, story quality

Cons: plot clarity, finale satisfaction

#17 The American Experiment, Season 1
4.0

The documentary makes founders feel like flawed people rather than marble monuments. Personal stories about figures like Washington and Adams help humanize the history.

Pros: interview and source material quality, theme depth

Cons: modern political framing, season pacing

#18 Worst Neighbor Ever, Season 1
4.0

The show can sketch relationships and family dynamics clearly enough to make the stakes matter. Decider especially credited the first episode with building a good picture of Shawna and David's...

Pros: suspense, entertainment value

Cons: theme depth

#19 Rafa, Season 1
4.0

Rafa gives a layered picture of Nadal as disciplined, anxious, resilient, and physically depleted. Some critics still wanted more access to his deepest motivations, but the strongest responses felt the...

Pros: theme depth, interview and source material quality

Cons: episode pacing, season length

#20 DANG!
3.9

Growth is present and becomes more meaningful later in the season, especially when the family returns to its roots. Some critics still find the leads one-note early on, but others...

Pros: cast chemistry, animation quality

Cons: humor, plot originality

#21 The Boroughs, Season 1
3.9

Character development was one of the show’s strongest selling points when reviewers focused on Sam, Wally, Judy, Art, and Renee. The dissenting view is that some arcs and backstories are...

Pros: entertainment value, acting quality

Cons: episode pacing, plot originality

#22 Little Brother
3.8

Marcus receives the most affecting development through his abandonment and found-family arc. Rudd’s growth works for some viewers but feels predictable or unearned to others.

Pros: acting performance, chemistry between characters

Cons: humor, entertainment value

#23 Crew Girl
3.8

Character work ranges from thin archetypes to some of the season’s strongest material. Josh’s growth and Teagan’s layered resilience earn praise, while Juliet, Britney, and some adults are seen as...

Pros: sports storyline quality, character development

Cons: romance quality, plot originality

#24 Emily in Paris season 5
3.8

Character development is one of the season’s biggest points of disagreement. Some see meaningful growth for Emily, Gabriel, Sylvie, and the friendships, while others think the characters remain shallow or...

Pros: character development, entertainment value

Cons: character balance, story quality

#25 East of Eden
3.7

Cathy and Lee gain substantial texture in this version, but the added focus can come at the expense of other characters. Charles and Aron are frequent examples of arcs that...

Pros: main cast performance, story quality

Cons: character balance, episode pacing

#26 The Beast In Me
3.7

Character work divides opinion: some see damaged, fully realized people with meaningful emotional movement, while others find the leads familiar, static, or insufficiently changed by the end.

Pros: bingeability, main cast performance

Cons: plot twists, writing quality

#27 Enola Holmes 3
3.7

Character growth is a major selling point in warmer reviews, especially Enola's move into adulthood. Harsher takes say some characters feel thin or underdeveloped.

Pros: lead performance, action sequences

Cons: plot clarity, entertainment value

#28 Avatar: The Last Airbender, Season 2
3.6

Growth is uneven but often rewarding: Zuko, Toph, Sokka, Iroh, and others gain meaningful material, while compression leaves several arcs feeling rushed or incomplete.

Pros: character development, action quality

Cons: faithfulness to source material, season pacing

#29 Human Vapor, Season 1
3.6

Character work is a real strength in the positive reviews, especially once stock-seeming roles gain history and emotional weight. The sharpest negative review saw the detective and reporter as familiar...

Pros: special effects quality, story quality

Cons: season pacing, drama quality

#30 Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, Season 1
3.5

The family gradually gains texture, especially Jules and Nell, but Nicky and several supporting figures remain too thin for a story built around relationship choices.

Pros: suspense, theme depth

Cons: season pacing, story quality

#31 Squid Game: The Challenge, Season 2
3.5

When the edit narrows its focus, relationships and finalist stories become easy to invest in. Other critics felt too many contestants remained thinly sketched or were introduced through interviews without...

Pros: emotional impact, plot originality

Cons: entertainment value, character likability

#32 Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story
3.5

Character work is uneven. Some reviews praised the human stakes and Bridget's complexity, while others felt major figures were thin or unrealistically written.

Pros: acting quality, entertainment value

Cons: faithfulness to source material, violence level

#33 Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine, Chapter 2
3.3

Berlin and several emotional arcs gain meaningful texture, but critics disagree on whether the supporting characters truly grow or remain thin romantic functions.

Pros: audience appeal, drama quality

Cons: story quality, character development

#34 Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
3.2

Tommy’s reckoning with grief and Duke’s struggle with his father’s legacy work for many reviewers, but the compressed format leaves several supporting characters—and, for some, Duke himself—feeling thin or underdeveloped.

Pros: ending satisfaction, faithfulness to source material

Cons: story quality, pacing

#35 Vladimir, Season 1
3.1

The protagonist is often praised as contradictory, messy, and psychologically rich, but several critics found Vladimir, Sid, and other supporting figures underdeveloped or flattened by her viewpoint.

Pros: main cast performance, theme depth

Cons: story quality, character development

#36 Office Romance
3.1

Jackie’s growth into a more self-assured leader is the clearest arc, while Daniel’s family history and several side stories feel only partly developed.

Pros: supporting cast performance, lead performance

Cons: chemistry between characters, humor

#37 Below
3.0

Calvin and Wade receive the strongest emotional attention. Mary, Jay and several secondary residents often have too little development for their numerous subplots to matter.

Pros: entertainment value, main cast performance

Cons: writing quality, season pacing

#38 Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials, Season 1
3.0

Bundle’s more emotional, grief-driven characterization gives her stronger motivation, but not everyone likes the tradeoff. One critic found the character writing weak, while another saw the added emotional focus as...

Pros: entertainment value, acting quality

Cons: faithfulness to source material, season length

#39 A Merry Little Ex-mas
3.0

Character work lands unevenly. Supporters like the no-villain approach and the extra room given to side characters, while detractors call key figures thin, stereotyped, inconsistent, or too easily redirected by...

Pros: supporting cast performance, lead performance

Cons: humor, genre satisfaction

#40 Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, Season 1
3.0

Character growth is uneven. Mike, Will, and the newer relationships receive some heartfelt development, but the fixed timeline also forces several arcs to repeat lessons the characters learn again later.

Pros: entertainment value, animation quality

Cons: spin-off quality, acting quality

#41 People We Meet on Vacation
2.9

Character depth is one of the most divisive areas. Some critics find Poppy and Alex relatable and meaningfully changed by their years together, while many others say the compressed vacations,...

Pros: entertainment value, romance quality

Cons: character development, story quality

#42 The Witcher, Season 4
2.9

Development is uneven. Yennefer, Geralt, and Ciri receive meaningful growth in some reviews, while others say rushed flashbacks and altered characterization fail to earn those changes.

Pros: action quality, villain quality

Cons: entertainment value, faithfulness to source material

#43 Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, Season 2
2.9

This is one of the biggest divides. Some viewers appreciate added material for Max, Mike, Eleven, and Nikki, while many others feel the timeline permits only tiny, repetitive, or inconsequential...

Pros: animation quality, acting quality

Cons: story quality, character development

#44 I Will Find You
2.8

Character development is a major dividing line. A few reviewers found the ensemble layered and compelling, but many felt characters were thinly sketched, underexplored, or just vehicles for plot movement.

Pros: bingeability, suspense

Cons: plot twists, entertainment value

#45 Mating Season, Season 1
2.8

Character work is the main divider. Supporters like Penelope, Fawn, and the friend group as messy but lovable; critics say Josh, Ray, and some arcs stay underdeveloped or reset too...

Pros: cast chemistry, acting quality

Cons: humor, character development

#46 Ricky Gervais Alley Cats
2.5

Gus’s growing bond with Kitten is the main source of character growth and lands strongly for some viewers. Many critics, however, argue most characters remain one-note and that emotional turns...

Pros: main cast performance, episode length

Cons: humor, emotional impact

#47 Goodbye June
2.4

Characterization is one of the most repeated weaknesses. Many critics call the siblings archetypal, thin, or too neatly defined, though a few find real texture in the family roles and...

Pros: acting performance, emotional impact

Cons: screenplay quality, story quality

#48 My Secret Santa
2.4

Character depth is one of the most disputed areas. Taylor earns praise for emotional texture and some arcs show growth, but many reviewers found supporting characters thin, underwritten, or rushed...

Pros: lead performance, emotional impact

Cons: humor, originality

#49 Animals
2.3

Thin supporting roles and poorly explained kidnappers frustrate many viewers. More enthusiastic reactions find credible flaws and moral ambiguity in the central couple.

Pros: supporting cast performance, casting quality

Cons: entertainment value, screenplay quality

#50 Calabasas Confidential, Season 1
2.2

Jemma and a few cast members get some trajectory, but the broader ensemble often feels underdeveloped, interchangeable, or short on charisma.

Cons: audience appeal, story quality