Season 1
4 episodes Nov 27, 2019
Overview
This investigative docuseries shows how negligence and deceit in the production and marketing of popular consumer items can result in dire outcomes.
Seasons
1 listed- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 4 episodes
- First aired
- Nov 27, 2019
- Last aired
- Nov 27, 2019
- Episode length
- 60m
- Network
- Netflix
Latest episode: S1 E4 Recycling Sham (Nov 27, 2019)
Cast
Reviews
3 min readThe Things We Buy, The Things We Bury
I didn’t expect to spend an evening watching a documentary series about consumer goods and come away feeling like I’d been punched in the gut. But that’s exactly what Broken does. It’s not just about the stuff we buy—it’s about the lies we’re sold, the dangers we ignore, and the systems that profit from both.
And it’s far more unsettling than it has any right to be.
The series, produced by Zero Point Zero—the same team behind Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown—takes a page from its predecessor’s playbook: investigative journalism with a human face. Jenise Morgan, the narrator, guides us through four hour-long episodes, each dissecting a different industry’s failures. But where Bourdain’s show was a love letter to global culture, Broken is a eulogy for trust.
It doesn’t just inform; it implicates.
Take the episode Big Vape, which traces the rise of Juul and the epidemic of teen nicotine addiction. The episode doesn’t just rely on statistics—though there are plenty of those, and they’re damning. It zeroes in on the human cost: a high schooler named Daniel, who started vaping at 14 and now can’t go an hour without it.
The camera lingers on his hands, fidgeting with the device like it’s a lifeline. It’s a small detail, but it’s devastating. The episode doesn’t just tell us that Juul targeted kids; it shows us how.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
"A Netflix documentary series exposing hidden costs of consumer goods, praised for its eye-opening revelations but criticized for uneven pacing."
Viewers appreciate the series for shedding light on the darker side of everyday products, finding its investigative approach compelling and informative. latestnetflix.com's view is that however, some note that the storytelling can feel disjointed or repetitive, with a few episodes standing out more than others.
What viewers praise
- Eye-opening content Reveals surprising and often disturbing truths about common consumer goods, leaving a strong impact on viewers.
- Informative and engaging Provides valuable insights into industries that are rarely scrutinized, making it both educational and thought-provoking.
Common complaints
- Uneven pacing Some episodes drag or feel repetitive, making the series less consistently engaging.
- Disjointed storytelling The narrative flow can feel fragmented, with some segments not connecting as smoothly as others.
Recommended for
Documentary enthusiasts Social justice advocates Conscious consumers Investigative journalism fans
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsNetflix’s "Broken" (2019): The Documentary That Sparked Conversations—And Confusion
Netflix’s Broken (2019) arrived with little fanfare but quickly became a talking point for its unflinching look at systemic issues. Starring Jenise Morgan, the series was marketed as a documentary, though details about its production and reception remain frustratingly scarce. latestnetflix.com's take is that what we do know paints a picture of a project that aimed to provoke—and may have succeeded, at least in part.
**What Was Broken (2019) About?**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCmm2LxZVXg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFvFPgvtyVo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz40vcV4pp8
The evidence is thin, but trailers and user reactions suggest Broken was a hard-hitting documentary series, not a scripted drama. Clips from the official trailer hint at investigative storytelling, with Morgan’s involvement framing the project as a serious, possibly activist-driven endeavor. One YouTube reaction video describes it as a "Netflix documentary," though the exact subject matter isn’t clear from the available snippets. Rumors (unconfirmed) swirl that it tackled social or institutional failures, but without episode breakdowns or reviews, the scope remains speculative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVjJa3jxpbQ
What is confirmed? The series exists on TMDB [catalog target], and multiple trailers—including a "full movie" upload —position it as a documentary. Netflix’s branding on the trailer suggests it was a platform original, though no official Netflix press release or critical coverage has surfaced in the provided evidence.
Jenise Morgan’s Role: More Than Just a Face?
Morgan’s casting is the most concrete detail about Broken (2019). She’s listed as part of the cast, but her exact contribution is unclear. Was she a narrator, investigator, or on-screen subject? The lack of interviews or behind-the-scenes material leaves this open. One YouTube title implies she was central to the project, but without quotes or production notes, it’s impossible to say whether her involvement was substantive or merely promotional.
The absence of director or creator credits is another oddity. Most Netflix documentaries highlight their filmmakers, but Broken (2019) seems to have flown under the radar—perhaps by design.
**Why Did Broken (2019) Disappear?**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh1ZqP503I
Here’s the biggest mystery: Broken (2019) has no discernible cultural footprint. No reviews, no think pieces, no awards buzz. Even the trailers have low view counts, suggesting limited marketing or a quiet release. Possible explanations:
- Niche Appeal: If the series tackled a hyper-specific topic (e.g., a local controversy), it may have struggled to find an audience. The SERP’s noise about the Broken Arrow mosque controversy
—a 2025 zoning dispute in Oklahoma—is a red herring (wrong year, wrong subject), but it hints at how easily Broken could get lost in search results. - Platform Strategy: Netflix has quietly buried projects before, especially if they underperformed or clashed with brand priorities. Broken (2019) might be one of those.
- Mislabeling: The term "documentary" is used loosely in the evidence , but could Broken have been a hybrid or experimental series? Without episode descriptions, it’s hard to say.
The Verdict: A Series Worth Revisiting—or Forgetting?
Broken (2019) feels like a ghost: present in catalogs, absent in conversation. The trailers suggest ambition, but the lack of follow-up—no interviews, no critical analysis—makes it hard to judge. If you’re curious, the trailers and a "full movie" upload are the only windows into what it might have been.
For now, Broken remains a footnote in Netflix’s vast library—one that raises more questions than it answers.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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