No One Expected This Thriller Series To Be Netflix’s Next Hit
· Thought CatalogAnd yet this new German series has hit number one.
Updated 15 hours ago, March 7, 2025
If you had told me that Netflix’s next big hit of 2025 would be about a homophobic German robot who looks like the Jetsons maid, I would not have believed you.
And yet, here we are. Cassandra, a German series about a smart home that’s maybe too smart, has climbed the Netflix charts since its February 6 debut to become the streamer’s #1 non-English series globally for two weeks in a row. Color me not surprised. This show has everything … An overdramatic robot, Christmas trees, a punk anthem about the shape of Tom Holland’s butt …
If that sounds campy to you, then that’s because it is! Though it’s primarily set in the present day, Cassandra is pure retro-style sci-fi thriller bliss, with an added dash of commentary on gender norms and mental health. It will also make you feel better about all the problems going on in the United States, since clearly Germany is going through it, henny. I haven’t even mentioned all the twists! Of course, I won’t spoil anything major here, but let’s review some of the reasons why this show is so gut.
The mom is right the whole time
Cassandra is a robot with a TV for a head. She is also linked to a central communications system which operates every appliance and door in the house, and which the show remembers whenever it’s convenient for the plot. She is also creepy, which the mom of this show clocks right away. I won’t say much, so as not to detract from your experience, but suffice it to say that Cassandra and the show’s matriarch do not hit it off very well. This makes for a classic pulpy telenovela-type situation, made all the more campy by the fact that one half of this feud is a TV on wheels that can only move at two miles per hour. Terrifying!
Oh and if you’re wondering if this show embraces the trope of men in retro sci-fi thrillers being clueless, condescending, selfish, and impulsive, then yes! Menfolk, listen to your partners when they tell you that their smart home robot has bad vibes.
Cassandra’s face
Whoever conceived the technology used for Cassandra’s face deserves an Emmy. Even though her digital face has been programmed to smile more (which is as chauvinistic as it sounds; this will make more sense later), she experiences temporary fugue states in which her true emotions (fear; anger; horniness) flash across her face. These manifest themselves as glitches in her system, contorting her face into a terrifying, inhuman visage. While there’s a real actor behind Cassandra’s expressions, the series’ visual effects folks have modified them to uncanny valley perfection.
The pacing never lets up
In its final stretch, this series suffers a bit from Netflix’s “money over material” strategy, which favors shorter seasons over well-developed storylines. The result is a somewhat rushed conclusion, requiring a great degree of suspension of disbelief. That said, it’s also not a boring conclusion, and if you’re just looking to turn your brain off and get some thrills, then Cassandra is perfect. Plus, the first half of the series delivers its thrills at a satisfying pace without creating major plot holes.
Germany has problems, too!
Are you convinced that America is the worst country on the planet right now? Don’t worry. Cassandra is proof that Germany still has problems in 2025, too. In addition to portraying an undercurrent of homophobia and a general lack of diversity in its rural German setting, Cassandra demonstrates that Germany might also have a small gun problem. So, next time you meet a smug German out on vacation who brags about how much more efficient, safe, and progressive their country is compared to the U.S., just show them this article and give them the ol’ Cassandra smile. That is to say: Stare at them with lifeless eyes and slowly lift the corners of your mouth into a Joker-like grin until they politely excuse themselves from the conversation. Then, if you haven’t already, watch Cassandra! It’s currently on Netflix as a “limited series” and it’s roughly six hours of sci-fi bliss. If enough of you watch it, then maybe Netflix will give it a Season 2.