Hyperdrive is Netflix’s wildest original series yet

Hyperdrive comes racing onto Netflix as TV’s most extreme car show, but what makes it worth binging are the personalities on and off the track.

Hyperdrive wants to be Netflix‘s answer to American Ninja Warrior, only with cars. It will no doubt appeal to those who have watched every Fast & Furious movie and think they’re the next Dominic Toretto. But while viewers will come for the racing, that’s not what makes the show a success.

Don’t get us wrong: watching souped-up cars fly around a sci-fi looking, brain-bending obstacle course is plenty of fun. The obstacles feel like they were designed with the same amount of glee as the American Ninja Warrior challenges—ridiculous yet ridiculously entertaining, especially the giant suspension bridge from hell known as “The Leveler.”

And there are plenty of eye-popping moments, from impressive drifts to the occasional accident that goes spectacularly wrong. If you’re here for the visceral entertainment, you’ll enjoy the ride.

But the competition is secondary. (Savvy TV viewers will know who wins by episode three, thanks to the edit and the hype around a certain driver.) What’s really interesting about Hyperdrive is the cast.

The show’s casting directors have put together an ensemble of racers that are genuinely fun to watch, and not just when they’re on the track. By the end of the first episode, everyone will have a favorite.

There’s the guy who’s called “clinically insane” by one of his competitors but is always amazingly fun to watch. There’s the husband and wife duo who are each racing, with their daughter serving as the spotter for her dad. And of course, there’s the kid who can’t legally drive but is still a drifting expert.

It’s no secret that reality TV shows want people who make good TV, and the Hyperdrive cast does that. But unlike most reality shows, they don’t feel fake or like they’re playing up for the cameras; they seem like people you want to hang out with—and therefore watch do crazy things with cars.

The best moments are the drivers watching each “race,” as the timed runs are called, and reacting to what their competition is doing. When things go well, they’re genuinely happy for one another; in the couple of times when things are seriously wrong, they share in the emotion and the agony. The true appeal of the show is watching them and becoming invested not only in each person’s individual story but the story of them as a group.

It helps that Hyperdrive has a solid cast of commentators who are far better than the usual talking heads—all four have actual sports commentary or reporting experience. You wouldn’t ever have expected to see them in the same room together, but that’s what makes them fun.

The standout is NBC Sports veteran Rutledge Wood because he’s the one who has the most car and car racing experience (as a NASCAR commentator, Top Gear survivor, and winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race). He’s there to provide the technical expertise and ensures that there’s actual depth to the commentary.

He also makes a fun team with UFC commentator and former Middleweight champion Michael Bisping. Bisping was a standout analyst when FOX Sports had the UFC, and while commenting on racing is something he’s clearly still learning, his enthusiasm is infectious. He also doesn’t hold back his opinion or his sense of humor, which is much appreciated.

ESPN veterans Mike Hill and Lindsay Czarniak round out the cast. Hill’s the main play-by-play announcer for Hyperdrive and does a solid job explaining what the viewer is looking at for the non-gearheads out there.

Czarniak, as the show’s equivalent of a sideline reporter, is actually underused; several episodes have moments where she’s just standing next to a spotter, waiting for something to say. But that also works in Hyperdrive‘s favor, because she’s not interrupting or breaking up the tension. If anything, we need more of the commentary team; by the finale Hill, Bisping and Wood are amped up with excitement and it’s infectious.

Hyperdrive has a ton of potential; it fits right into the lane of “extreme” competition TV like Wipeout, American Ninja Warrior and more recently, Holey Moley. The producers have clearly taken pains to make it super-cool and provide lots of high-speed action.

That may be what gets people in the door, but the show could slow down a little and be just fine. Come for the cars, but stay for the people who drive them. Hyperdrive season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.