Stream It or Skip It: ‘Marching Orders’ on Netflix, a Fast-Paced Look at a Superstar Marching Band

With hits ranging from Queer Eye to Making a Murderer, Netflix has become a power player in the reality/documentary genre. While Marching Orders isn’t a makeover show or a true crime docuseries, it carries on the streaming service’s tradition of serving up a slice of reality that you can stream. The 12-part first season takes you behind the scenes of the make-or-break world of college marching bands, focusing on the straight-up legendary Bethune-Cookman Marching Wildcats.

MARCHING ORDERS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Palm trees, the beach close-ups of marching band members, a voiceover hyping you up for the show of shows–the opening thirty seconds of Marching Orders sells the gravitas of the undefeated and undisputed pride of Bethune-Cookman.

The Gist: Marching Orders is a fast-paced look at one of the most elite marching bands in America, with every 10-ish minute episode giving you a look at the dedication and drive it takes to be this damn good on the field. The first episode focuses on the auditions for the Sophisticat flag corp and 14K dance team–and not just newbies hoping to land a coveted spot on the squad. Veterans have to audition every year, too, meaning that no one can coast and everyone has to stay on top of their game.

Our Take: I gotta admit, I’m a little predisposed to enjoying Marching Orders because I did march in my high school band for a bit (where my other bass drums at?). What Marching Orders does, though, is show not only how absolutely lame my experience was, but it also shows just how absolutely awesome a marching band show can be. Everyone from the dancers to the drum majors seem expected to do the splits at a moment’s notice. You’ll bust out in a sweat just watching these college students work.

What’s truly unique about this series, though, is its structure. Instead of the usual 60 minutes Netflix docuseries episodes balloon out to (I’m looking at you, Wild, Wild Country), Marching Orders episodes come it at a tight 11 minutes. Yeah, 11 minutes. The pacing and editing is as precisely executed as a 14K dancer’s sashay, and that makes this series crazy bingeable. Sit down to watch one episode and you’ll probably end up watching the whole season (which clocks in at around 130 minutes).

Even with the brief running time, the first episode still runs through over a dozen credited interviewees ranging from director Donovan Wells (he’s not God, but he’s also not Satan) to Deja, the ex-flag corp captain that faced a demotion after a fist fight broke out in her squad on her watch. The personalities shine through, leaving you wanting way more after the episode’s over.

Sex and Skin: There’s no sex in the first episode, but there’s plenty of skin if you count the magnetic 14K dancers’ uniforms.

Parting Shot: After watching the dance team try-outs for the majority of the first episode (more on that in the next section), the first episode leaves us hanging as we wait to find out who made the cut. Will some veterans get the axe? Will some freshman have their dreams made? The tension is palpable.

Sleeper Star: There’s a whole lotta personality in this episode, specifically the aforementioned Deja and Director Wells. But the person that gave me something I did not expect to see was Sheree, a woman trying out for the 14K dancers who’s overcome with a bad case of jitters. And what do you do when you feel queazy during a dance audition? You stomp it out with ferocity… and keep on stomping, out through the door and to the bathroom. If that’s Sheree’s only 30 seconds on Marching Orders, it was memorable.

Most Pilot-y Line: “The Marching Wildcats put on a show. Every time we show up, we show out.” That’s basically the thesis statement of the whole season.

Our Call: A 13-minute first episode packed with kinetic music and try-out drama? Yes. Stream it, stream it right now.

Where to stream Marching Orders