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I kind of loved everything on this list, so this is just arbitrary and could change at a moment's notice. I did try and put more effort into the actual part that counts. 30. In The Dark (4) Brutally big swing of a final episode in an up-and-down but always trying CW show that never had much budget but always slapped the absolute max that it could on screen. The platonic ideal of a final season, in that it was ambitious and crowd pleasing but still swung its own way when it wanted to, and always had a very sly sense of humour. 29. Kevin Can F**k Himself (2) An ending that was smart but a bit too much of a thinker for me. I ultimately found it a meaningful and sweet. 28. Interview With The Vampire (1) Smartly constructed take on abusive relationships that fully leans into being pulp trash (in a basic cable way). 27. The Dropout (miniseries) Dramatically very compelling, with a propulsion that I appreciated. Very good at what I've seen called "audience positioning", i.e. the way a show can manipulate the viewers' perspective and sympathy with the way it reveals more about their character and their situation. Amanda Seyfried is appropriately outsized and Naveen Andrews underplays it beautifully, they do a great job of modulating their choices throughout the season. 26. Chloe (miniseries) Pretty good, like a more serious version of the first season of Search Party. 25. Primal (2) Wild colours, particularly in the first half. Unfortunately I found the last arc to be drawn out. Ending made an impact though, I like the reading that conceives of it a reflection of the "survival at all costs" allegory in the seasons' fifth episode. 24. The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey (miniseries) Pretty tight. Good adaptation, best Samuel L Jackson performance in what feels like decades. 23. High School (1) Morphs into an authentic take on what it feels like to create music. Never liked Colbie Smulders better than she is in her role. Criminal it's not been renewed yet. 22. Leopard Skin The horniest show on television. 21. The Rehearsal (1) there's just no substitute for the real thing 20. Three Busy Debras (2) This owns. Just mad. 19. Atlanta (3 + 4) I wish this resonated with me more. A technically excellent show that just never hooked itself into my brain the way that other elements lower on this 18. Euphoria (2) Wildly obvious this was edited together based on a troubled production. Still insanely good television; the entire play was wild. Intensely horny too, and all the actors are vamping it up with these incredibly intense performances that only sort of make sense as a sort of massaged reality. 17. Raised By Wolves (2) Batshit. The idea of marrying Hellenistic storytelling and a story about emerging consciousnesses together in a way that recognises that the primitive storytelling style can be made uncanny when coming out of the mouth of a highly advanced, possibly psychotic mouth. Characterisation is diminutive in service of a weird monolith plot, which still works because the plot is genuinely fascinating and it's already given itself permission to be uncanny. tldr; it was wild in a way that worked for it. Cancelled. 16. Moonhaven (1) A utopian science-fiction story for cynics like me, that wonders about the fraught attempt to introduce progressive ideals into a culture that desperately fights against them even as it ultimately dooms them. Great lead performances, fun with language and a sly sense of humour. Cancelled. 15. Search Party Savage. Charts the series' overall excellent arc -- from a totally grounded, so-believable-it's-boring slice of life to whatever-this-was with great success. The show is a minor classic, this season is just a very funny extended coda. 14. Station Eleven Nicely written, handsomely shot, sort of magical realist series that doesn't quite lean hard enough into the fantasy to make me believe a handful of the character motivations. Otherwise really great, loved all the cast, found the performances really strong too. Very loving moving when it wants to be. 13. The Wilds (2) Loved it. Brings to male relationships a sort of focus that's normally reserved for women, in a way I felt was fresh rather than reactionary. (Not Dennis Leary's Rescue Me, is what I'm saying.) Developed a very dark sense of humour this season. Gutted it's cancelled. 12. Am I Being Unreasonable? (1) Fun as gently caress character study/dark comedy thriller. Twisty in a way I did not see coming. Karla Crome steals the show. 11. A League Of Their Own (1) Sweet, if a little syrupy, but it's fantasy wish fulfilment narrative about people overcoming obstacles and fighting for their dreams, it's the charm of the kind of story. The sixth episode that talks about outing is an excellent episode of television, and would be the kind of thing that would turn up in old AV Club articles with titles like "best episodes in shows you've never heard of before reading this list". Why no renew? 10. This is Going To Hurt Youch. This hurt. 9. The Bear (1) One of those dramas that can only be half an hour of else it would get too intense. loving good. That episode about instituting a new cooking order is awesome, the single take episode is great. 8. I Hate Suzie (2: I Hate Suzie Too) This season shifted the vibrant character study of the first season (which was kind of like a more committed, less murdery, honestly better than, 7. Industry (2) Lol, just when I was forgetting that this show hates all its bankers[/s] I mean 6. ZIWE (2) gently caress she's funny. Love how she makes her guests squirm but only when they let her. Feels fair rather than gotcha journalism, even though it totally is that by admission. 5. The English (miniseries) Stunningly constructed -- and very much a constructed show. Love the way it holds all its cards close to its chest and makes even costuming choices end up being relevant to the narrative. Really gut wrenching when it wants to be. 4. House Of The Dragon (1) A friend called this "feminist medieval horror" and it definitely starts out that way, before morphing into a tragedy punctuated by bleak, satirical jokes. Manages to feel way more purposeful than most IP tie ins do (something Andor succeeded at doing too). 3. Better Call Saul (6) The first two thirds of the season are good, but not to the point where I'd place it this hard. It's hard to criticise Better Call Saul since all of that was its characters and plots forward, and creating impressive sequences that feel monumental even as they only serve to creep the story forward, all the better to ratchet up the tension. But I was honestly kind of tired of it. The back few episodes managed to get me more involved thanks to the appearance of fresh characters and a slight tip into magical realism. The first half of Waterworks is my single favourite stretch of television to air all last year. 2. Babylon Berlin (4) It's like Andor except there's dancing instead of laser fights. The dancing in this particular entry was the best, with a big multi-episode number inspired by the choreography from Metropolis. Serious about its topics but knows how to have fun too -- by leaning overly into pulp. This season has a heist episode, a horror episode, and a holiday episode. It had a wild spy subplot involving zepplins. An animated Constructivist cartoon! gently caress this got me where I live. 1. Severance (1) I am not a type of bellybutton, I am a free man.
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Jan 20, 2023 06:04
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edit: goddamn, wrong thread
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Feb 1, 2023 01:48
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Great list Looten, thanks for doing this. Can't argue with most anything -- even though I don't agree and everyone else is WRONG!!!! -- it was a really great year for shows. Lmfao that my innie/outie Prisoner joke made the comments.
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Feb 3, 2023 08:10
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