Even though we had two simultaneous strikes with the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America going on strike, there was still so much new TV we couldn’t watch it all. That’s why we’re going to highlight some of the best shows we watched with superlatives instead of a specific ranking list.
Best TV Series Wrap-Up: Reservoir Dogs – Season 3
Reservation Dogs Season 3 (Source: FX)
Reservoir Dogs has already earned a tentative place on our Best Shows of the Decade list (seriously, it’ll be hard to top) as it presented a specific world and incredible characters with an all too often overlooked POV that still resonates with so many. It also just deftly blended humor and emotional beats in a way that felt right, and yet on any other show could’ve fell flat or felt too forced. Our only complaint is that this show ended when it did, though it ensured it went out on a high note and for that we’ll still be forever thankful.
Best (Maybe) TV Series Finale: Ted Lasso – Season 3
Though many critics were a bit underwhelmed by the final season of Ted Lasso (and we should say it may or may not be the finale as there’s been a lot of speculation about a fourth season), we really enjoyed the show’s ability to give the characters a proper send-off that feels earned. Yes there were perhaps some unnecessarily long and winding paths to get there, but by the end we couldn’t help but still want even more time with all of these incredible characters.
Read our review of Ted Lasso’s finale
Best Breakout Show: Silo
One show we really dug this year (pun fully intended) is Silo. Silo is based off of the ‘Wool’ series by Hugh Howey, which we will now be reading, because we were hooked so hard by this series! The cast which includes Rebecca Ferguson, Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Commons, and Tim Robbins all do incredible work, and the setting and novel take on a dystopia really delivers. Even if you think you know where the season is going, you’re probably wrong which is exciting. We cannot wait for Season 2 which we hope will happen soon!
Read our review of Silo Season 1
Worst Plane Flight of the Year: Hijack
If you have to end up on a plane flight gone wrong, you could do worse by sitting on a flight with Idris Elba. In fact, in Hijack you would only want to be on a flight with Elba’s character Sam Nelson, who uses his corporate business negotiator skills to attempt to deal with the hijackers. Though it’s a rocky flight for the passengers, it was a fun ride for audiences as the real-time element of the show paid off by heightening the stakes. In short, we loved this show, even though we’d never, never want to end up on this flight Elba or not.
Best Live-Action Anime Adaptation (Ever?): One Piece
So the ‘Ever’ may be a little pre-emptive, as we do cautiously have hopes for some forthcoming series; however, I think it’s fair to say that thus far the ‘One Piece’ live-action is by far the best live-action TV adaptation of an anime. (Even including films it may still top the list.) Why? Primarily because it’s so clear how much love was put into the creation of this series. From show co-developer Matt Owens to the cast and the crew there’s just so much passion in everything that went into making this series happen. Even the changes were developed perfectly, and even though it was all under the eye and tutelage of Eiichiro Oda, one could almost imagine this group nailing the series on their own as much respect and reverence as they demonstrated for Oda’s work.
Read our review of the live-action adaptation of One Piece: Season 1
Best YA Series: School Spirits
Editor’s Note: We could have also labeled this as the best adaptation from a comic book that as of this publishing date hasn’t been released.
School Spirits, Paramount+
Paramount Plus has become known for its Star Trek dominance, seemingly having every title ever; however, in addition to that wonderful universe a few smaller titles shine bright including our personal YA favorite ‘School Spirits’. This series follows the Maddie Nears (Peyton List), who finds herself trapped in the spirit world with other ghosts. Worse then that she’s trapped in her high school, so she sees the living, including her friends, go about her business, while she and the other spirits are stuck in a metaphysical arrested development. Unlike those spirits though she doesn’t know how she died, and its this myster that is at the crux of the series. This show had us hooked pretty early because it’s a delightful combo of a mystery and a high school drama rolled into one. Though it may not end up on as many year-end lists as we think it should, we believe its charms will win even over more skeptical than not, and with a Season 2 on its way we’re excited to see how this world and its characters develop and grow.
Read our review of School Spirits: Season 1
Best Ships in a Series: Our Flag Means Death – Season 2
Leslie Jones, Taika Waititi (Our Flag Means Death Image by Nicola Dove)
We couldn’t make a superlative for Best Pirate show, because between this and One Piece we couldn’t choose. So instead we focused on one of our favorite aspects of Our Flag Means Death, which returned for a triumph Season 2, and that is the ships. Yes the actual ships, but more importantly the wonderfully queer romances that take place in this show. Though much of the season dealt with the fallout of the primary relationship between Blackbeard and Stede, and its rockiness, there were plenty of pre-existing and new ships to be had to delight in! Seriously this show just gives and gives so much to its audiences, that almost makes it hard (but not impossible) for fanfic writers since it’s all on the page! This is a wonderful problem though, because it’s always a pleasure to have a show this well crafted, charming, and wonderful in its representation of queer and POC characters on screen.
Best Feel-Good Series: Shrinking
Jessica Williams and Christa Miller in “Shrinking,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
With Ted Lasso wrapping up in 2023, there was set to be a gap in feel-good TV. Fortunately for fans of Ted Lasso, the creators Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein saw this coming, and as such they paired up with Jason Segel to deliver a heartwarming tale of a down on his luck therapist, played by Segel, and the community around him. Though Segel, a personal favorite of mine, does an excellent job, like with Ted Lasso it’s the cast of characters surrounding the primary character who really win our hearts. Jessica Williams and Christa Miller alone are worth the price of admission (or Apple TV+), and seeing Harrison Ford deftly deliver a comedic performance only adds to this show’s value. If all goes well with Season 2, and we hope it does, we may see this series on our list list again in 2024.
Read our review of Shrinking: Season 1
Most Powerful Series: A Small Light
Jan and Miep Gies, played by Joe Cole and Bel Powley, talk in the bathtub in A SMALL LIGHT. (Photo credit: National Geographic for Disney/Dusan Martincek)
For many, the tale of Anne Frank and her diaries were required reading in high school. Therefore when seeing ‘A Small Light’ you might be forgiven for thinking this is a familiar tale retold. Yet ‘A Small Light’ is so much more, not only because of its focus on Miep Gies, the employee of Otto Frank’s who helped hid the Franks, but also because it so deftly portrays the complex lives of all who did their best to survive through this horrific time in history. Yes it is a hard watch, but it’s also a must-watch.
Read our review of the limited series A Small Light
Weirdest Musical Numbers: Doom Patrol – Season 4
Season 4 of Doom Patrol (April Bowlby and Michelle Gomez) (Source: MAX)
This is the year that Doom Patrol went out not with a whimper but with a butt, which is appropriate for a show that this season delved further into the trauma inflicted upon (and sometimes inflicted by) these flawed characters. Filled with irreverance, which featured the second musical number of Shipoopi led by butts (yes, butts…), this show also wore its heart on its tattered, quirky sleeve. One of the most beautiful episodes was the finale, which was an perfect send-off to the show and its characters as tears and jokes intermingled freely. It’s a wonder if this show had a greater audience if there’d be more of an appreciation, in the way Umbrella Academy has become at least appreciated by a slice of fandom. However perhaps its appropriate that these screw-ups were doomed not only in life but in ratings. At least for those of us who watched it, we were given a weird treasure of a show we can always look back on.
