Though Haters Back Off has classic Miranda Sings moments, the character may be most at home on YouTube rather than Netflix.
I’ve been a Miranda Sings fan since some of her first videos appeared on YouTube in 2008. I’ve been to one of her shows when she performed in a theater with around 100 people. So when Haters Back Off was announced by Netflix, I couldn’t believe my favorite YouTube star was about to have her own show.
Though Haters Back Off is full of Miranda’s classic quips and mannerisms, the truth is that the 30 minute episodes of the show feel like a touch too long. We’re used to the four-minute, over-the-top antics of Miranda from her videos. Unfortunately, while scenes are naturally developing her character for those who may not be one of her three million YouTube subscribers, they feel like they are taking too long to get to the meat of what Miranda brings to her fans.
Fans will love Miranda Sings, Ballinger is a pro
That’s not to say that Miranda Sings fans won’t love Haters Back Off. Every time Miranda is on screen you wait to hear how she pronounces a word, cries about something or reacts to the simplest moments. I went into this series wondering how Colleen Ballinger would perform as an actress. Making the leap from YouTube to Netflix can’t be easy.
Ballinger not only executes as the Miranda we all know and love, she also makes it look like she was born to bring this character to life in a big way. All of the quirks, cries and burps fans may love from Miranda the YouTube star are exaggerated to perfection within the show. So much so that regardless of the success of Haters Back Off, Ballinger should consider herself a bonafide television actress at this point.
Miranda’s supporting characters aren’t so supportive
It was hard to root for anyone else in Miranda’s world, including her mysterious uncle her YouTube fans have been wondering about for many years. Miranda’s mom, mother and sister (oh, she has a sister?) are all supporting characters who add to Miranda’s story but don’t stand out in any way on their own.
In the end, existing fans will love Haters Back Off, but it’s unlikely to stir up any grandiose excitement to be a replacement of the Miranda we know from YouTube.
Haters Back Off is eight episodes long and available to stream on Netflix now.
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