dbyrde's Top 15 Shows of 2022 (And More!)

[dbyrde]

In TV, 2 years after COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020 everything went back on track but the creativity still struggles quantity over quality. The audience experienced some great, some mediocre, some terribble shows this year as usual. So, I'm going to share the shows of 2022 that I've watched. So, here we go!! (MS: Miniseries)

Dissappointments: 

2. The Dropout (MS)

1.  Killing Eve (S4)

Mediocres:

4. The Bastard Son & Devil Himself (S1)

3. Gaslit (MS)

2. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (MS)

1. The Flight Attendant

Honorable Mentions:

9. Love Victor (S3)

8. Dark Winds (S1)

7. A Friend of The Family (MS)

6. Irma Vep (MS)

5. The Old Man (S1)

4. Interview With The Vampire (S1)

3. Alaska Daily (S1 ongoing, returns in February)

2. Tehran (S2)

1. Ozark (S4) (https://www.thesbcommunity.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19465-my-top-10-shows-bonus-in-2021-2022-emmy-season-so-far/#comment-932725)

The Best of 2022:

15. The Staircase (Scripted) (MS)

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 4 : Common Sense by Emily Kaczmarek & Craig Shilowich

The Best Directing: Episode 4 : Common Sense by Antonio Campos

The Best Performances:  1. Toni Colette as Kathleen Peterson for Episode 4 : Common Sense

                                                     2. Colin Firth as Michael Peterson for Episode 8 : America's Sweetheart or: Time Over Time

There are still lots of holes that if Michael Peterson killed his wife Kathleen or she accidentlly died or the owl manslaughtered her. Probably it will never be found out the whole truth but it is certain that he is not totally sincere in reality comparing to the manipulative documentary series showed the audience. However this scrpited series verison has much more POV than the documentary. The reason is that Antonio Campos and his writer's room studied well to show a bigger picture.

14. Under the Banner of Heaven (MS)

https://www.thesbcommunity.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19465-my-top-10-shows-bonus-in-2021-2022-emmy-season-so-far/#comment-932725

13. What We Do in the Shadows (S4)

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 5 : Private School by Ayo Edebiri & Shana Gold

The Best Directing: Episode 8 : Go Flip Yourself by Yana Gorskaya

The Best Performances:  1. Mark Porskech as Colin Robinson. for Episode 10 : Sunrise, Sunset

                                                     2. Harvey Guillen as Guillermo de la Cruz for Episode 7 : Pine Barrens

                                            3. Matt Berry as Laszlo Cravensworth for Episode 5 : Private School

                                            4. Kayvan Novak as Nandor the Relenteless for Episode 6 : The Wedding

                                            5. Natasia Demetriou as Nadja of Antipaxos for Episode 3 : The Grand Opening

This season may not be the best but it still gives you glee and laughs. Actors still amaze me with their chaotic yet cuddling (?) characters. Anyways, let's hope that the Televison Academy would finally recognize their work next year.

12. Riget (The Kingdom): Exodus (S3)

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 5 : Exodus by Lars von Trier & Niels Vørsel

The Best Directing: Episode 5 : Exodus by Lars von Trier & Morten Arnfred

The Best Performances:  1. Mikael Persbrandt as Stig Helmer Jr. for Episode 4 : Barbarossa

                                                     2. Bodil Jørgensen as Karen Svensson for Episode 5 : Exodus

                                            3. Nicholas Bro as Balder for Episode 5 : Exodus

The cinema industry's one of the most controversial filmmaker of all time Lars von Trier returned to look after his satanic baby Riget (The Kingdom) after 25 long years just like David Lynch's Twin Peaks that inspired him to make this shit. Due to the cancellation after two season and some of the main cast members' death, the show's fate remained silent until now. Thankfully, Von Trier could manage the complete the storyline properly by introducing some new characters that took over their dead character's uncompleted mission with old faces. The Riget Hospital invites you the Round 3 of "Good v Evil" and "Danes v Swedes" boxing match. So, sit back, grab your popcorns & beer and enjoy the final two matches that takes place in this evil hospital. Idk which side you'll be on but Von Trier advices you to BE PREPARED TO TAKE THE GOOD WITH THE EVIL.

11. The Engish (MS)

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 5 : The Buffalo Gun by Hugo Blick

The Best Directing: Episode 5 : The Buffalo Gun by Hugo Blick

The Best Performances:  1.  Rafe Spall as David Melmont for Episode 6 : Cherished

                                                     2. Chaske Spencer as Eli Whipp/Wounded Wolf for Episode 5 : The Buffalo Gun

                                            3. Emily Blunt as Lady Cornelia Locke for Episode 1 : What You Want and What You Need

In this epic revenge tale an elite aristocratic Englishwoman Cornelia comes to West for hunting a man who is responsible for her son's death while ex-sergant of US Army Eli Whipp who is a Pawnee man is being determined to seek his right of a land which he earned. So, they met and became a fellow traveler eachother by an unfortunate circumstance. But they don't know yet that these two has an indirectly connection between them in the past. What I liked about this miniseries that it subverted problematic tropes of the western genre. It gave the voice of Eli Whipp and many Indigenious Americans like him. Also, it introduces to the audiences with three-dimensional female characters. In Western genre, female characters were either written-off or one dimensional hookers or damsel in distress who needs saving by a man. Emily Blunt's character Cornelia definetly subverted the damsell in distress trope. Yes she was that character and saved by Eli Whipp but she also can be a badass figure and be vulnerable both. With impressive supporting characters, a mesmerizing cinematography and a fablous score; The English is definetly worth to watch if you love Westerns

 10. Sherwood (2022) (S1)

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 5 by James Graham

The Best Directing: Episode 5 by Ben A. Williams

The Best Performances:  1.  Lindsey Duncan as Jennifer Hale for Episode 4

                                                     2. Lesley Manville as Julie Jackson for Episode 6

                                            3. Adeel Akthar as Andy Fisher for Episode 3

                                            4. Lorraine Ashbourne as Daphne Sparrow for Episode 6

Inspired by two seperate killings occured in Nottinghamshire, Sherwood asks the question how these killings were inspired by a mining strike in 1984/85 divided the mining murders and the division between them affected their lives, families, friends etc. This show is more than a simple crime drama. It is also a political tragedy that one event can tore the community apart.

9. The Boys (S3)

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 6 : Herogasm by Jessica Chou

The Best Directing: Episode 6 : Herogasm by Nelson Cragg

The Best Performances:  1.  Antony Starr as Homelander for Episode 2 : The Only Man in the Sky

                                                     2. Erin Moriatry as Annie January/Starlight for Episode 6 : Herogasm

                                            3. Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko Miyashiro for Episode 5 : The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies

                                            4. Laurie Holden as Crimson Countess for Episode 5 : The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies

                                            5. Colby Minifie as Ashley Barrett for Episode 6 : Herogasm

Although Season 3 is not the best season than the first two, The Boys still manages to tackle issues like racism, anti-semitism, pinkwashing, facsism, captalism, corporate greed, manipulation etc. and it still bashes to superhero genre. However the show is tend to point out the dark sides of "The Boys" team especially The Butcher. (Oi, I'm fuckin' telling ya, CUNT!!) The "Herogasm" episode really gave the expectations that I hoped for. In conclusion though the season finale is too weak, I'm certain that this show will do make more mayhem in S4.

P.S. "Gen V" spin-off looks DIABOLICAL, can't wait for both!!!

8. Heartstopper (S1)

https://www.thesbcommunity.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19465-my-top-10-shows-bonus-in-2021-2022-emmy-season-so-far/#comment-932725

7. Black Bird (MS)

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 6 : You Promised by Dennis Lehane

The Best Directing: Episode 6 : You Promised by Joe Chapelle

The Best Performances:  1.  Paul Walter Hauser as Larry Hall for Episode 6 : You Promised

                                                     2. Taron Egerton as Jimmy Keene Jr. for Episode 6 : You Promised

                                            3. Ray Liotta as Big Jim for Episode 3 : Hand to Mouth

                                            4. Sepideh Moafi as Lauren Mccauley for Episode 2 : We Are Coming, Father Abraham

                                            5. Greg Kinnear as Brad Miller for Episode 1 : Pilot

The true crime genre became a new trend of television. We've seen dozens of them and sometimes this trend became questionable for etchical issues wheter it's glamorozing murders. Black Bird does the exact opposite. It tells its story by making Jimmy Keene and Larry Hall playing mindhunterish mindgames to eachother. The story is not expolittative and yet disturbing. That's because of the conversations around prisons about how Larry allegedly (!) kill young girls and hide their bodies under dust. It's also a redemption story of Jimmy. Once a promised football player became a kingpin of drugs and weapons. He got caught and got sentected to minimum secured prison for 10 years without parole. So, he had to play gamble of his life by transferring to maximum secured prison in a criminally insane facility and befriending Larry Hall in order to confess his murders. Actings are tremendous, escpecially the insense converstaion between Jimmy and Larry. Last but not least the late Ray Liotta as Jimmy's dad who suffocated from his disease will make you depress and heartbroken. In conclusion, Black Bird is a worth to watch how the system fails to finding missing women and one person can easily manipuate to the autotharies by actually confessing his murders but making them to think that this guy is just bullshitting.

6. The Devil's Hour (S1)

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 6 : Amor Fati by Tom Moran

The Best Directing: Episode 6 : Amor Fati by  Johnny Allan

The Best Performances:  1.  Peter Capaldi as Gideon Shepherd for Episode 6 : Amor Fati

                                                     2. Jessica Raine as Lucy Chambers for Episode 6 : Amor Fati

                                            3. Nikesh Patel as Ravi Dhillon for Episode 5 : The Half of Ourselves We Have Lost

 Years after watching Twin Peaks and Hannibal I binged another show that haunted me enough called "The Devil's Hour". Although it has supernatural elements, it points out rather than showing. It does by fucking someone's up psychologically. That is why I was more instersted of an unknown horror. The key factor of it is the main antanogist Gideon played by Peter Capaldi. He is the main mystery as it should be. Because, in the show it seems that everything is connected to him and Peter Capaldi never given in inch from his character's mysteriosness. That is the reason of why he terrifed me. But this show would not be impossible without our protaginists Ravi, Lucy and Lucy's creepy son Isaac. The cinematography and the editing is mesmerizing. Tom Moran was amazing at writing all episodes. If you want you fill yourself with great psychological horror, The Devil's Hour is a perfect stop for you but beware of time 3.33, it might give you horrors. 

P.S. Nikesh Patel is damn HOT! My next daddy!

5. The Bear (S1)

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 7 : Review by Joanna Calo

The Best Directing: Episode 7 : Review by Christopher Storer

The Best Performances:  1.  Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu for Episode 7 : Review

                                                     2. Jeremy Allen White as Carmen Berzatto for Episode 8 : Braciole

                                            3. Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richie Jerimovich for Episode 7 : Review

                                            4. Lionel Boyce as Marcus for Episode 7 : Review

I think The Bear is one of the most accurate depiction of managing worklife crisis. Sometimes it succeeds, sometimes it fails just like we experienced in modern life. In this show Carmen Berzatto who became the runner of Mr. Beef in Chicagı, North River has to deal with his older brother's suicide, the debts of the restaurant which Carmen's late brother was reason of it and his sloppy staff around him escpecially his late brother's old friend Richie (COUSIN!!!) after he came from toxic workplace in a fine-dining restaurant that he struggled. Anyway even though you don't work at a kitchen, you can find yourself in that show, specifically in Episode 7. In the End The Bear became FX's new fresh meat. JEFF'S KISS xoxo.

4. Andor (S1)

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 9 : Nobody's Listening by Beau Willimon

The Best Directing: Episode 10 : One Way Out by Toby Haynes

The Best Performances:  1.  Stellan Skatsgård as Luthen Rael for Episode 10 : One Way Out

                                                     2. Andy Serkis as Kino Roy for Episode 10 : One Way Out

                                            3. Denise Gough as Dedra Meero for Episode 9 : One Way Out

                                            4. Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma for Episode 9 : One Way Out

                                            5. Fiona Shaw as Maarva Andor for Episode 12 : Rix Road

                                            6. Diego Luna as Cassian Andor for Episode 11 : Daughter of Ferrix

To be fair, I had no interest to watch the entire Star Wars Universe. I love space operas but Star Wars is not my type. But Andor change my mind to enter my Star Wars journey. That is because of the writers room of Andor. Tony Gilroy who is the creator of Andor (Michael Clayton), Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler), Stephen Schiff (The Americans) and Beau Willimon (House of Cards (US)) was enough for me and I knew it was gonna be amazing. These four horsemen of apocalyspe did an tremendous job by writing a 5-chaptered storyline. The Directors and DOP made an amazing job of showing us great views. The Production Design is splendid. Acting is amazing. So far, Andor became the most dark and brutal show that is streaming on family friendly Disney+. It is an anti-Disney show that you can find in Disney's library. That's because Tony Gilroy never gave a single shit of hardcore SW fandom, instead he and his writer's room cared about the storyline structure. The relenteless politics of The Empire reminds people who are under opression of their contriues of what's really happening in their world. The Empire makes us feel their influence like police brutality, heteronormative values, imperalism, dictatorship, interrigation violence, misogny, racism, genocide, increasing incarceration, racial profiling etc. Hence, it's not a show for everyone. Andor is not a fairytale. It's a portrait of an ugly world that is surrounding us every single time.

 3. The White Lotus (S2)

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 7 : Arrivederci by Mike White

The Best Directing: Episode 7 : Arrivederci by Mike White

The Best Performances:  1.  Aubrey Plaza as Harper Spiller for Episode 6 : Abductions

                                                     2. Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid-Hunt for Episode 7 : Arrivederci

                                            3. Meghan Fahy as Daphne Sullivan for Episode 7 : Arrivederci

                                            4. Will Sharpe as Ethan Spiller for Episode 7 : Arrivederci

                                            5. F. Murray Abraham as Bert DiGrasso for Episode 6 : Abductions

                                            6. Sabrina Impacciatore as Valentina for Episode 6 : Abductions

                                            7.  Leo Woodall as Jack for Episode 6 : Abductions

Mike White still amazes me to embrass the riches. Emmy Wiinning The White Lotus continues to bat-shit crazy things that is happening in The White Lotus luxury hotels. The next stop is Sicily. The second season got way better than the first season. It has lots of twists and turns. Sex, drugs, murder (?) and Rock 'n' Roll baby. You'll be mesmerized by its insane intro and amazing views of Sicily and lots of lots of sexy and chaotic men.

2. Severance (S1)

https://www.thesbcommunity.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19465-my-top-10-shows-bonus-in-2021-2022-emmy-season-so-far/#comment-932725

1. Better Call Saul (S6)

https://www.thesbcommunity.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19465-my-top-10-shows-bonus-in-2021-2022-emmy-season-so-far/#comment-932725

Spoiler

The Best Writing: Episode 13 : Saul Gone by Peter Gould

The Best Directing: Episode 8 : Point and Shoot by Vince Gilligan

The Best Performances:  1. Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler for Episode 12 : Waterworks

                                                     2. Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman/Gene Takovic for Episode 13 : Saul Gone

                                            3. Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca for Episode 8 : Point and Shoot

                                            4. Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo Fring for Episode 9 : Fun and Games

                                            5. Carol Burnett as Marion for Episode 12 : Waterworks

                                                     6. Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmanhaut for Episode 8 :  Point and Shoot

                                            7. Juan Carlos Canto as Manuel Varga for Episode 9 : Fun and Games

                                            8. Steven Bauer as Don Eladio Vuente for Episode 9 : Fun and Games

                                            9. Mark Margolis as Don Hector Salamanca for Episode 9 : Fun and Games

                                            10. Sadrine Holt as Cheryl Hamlin for Episode 12 : Waterworks

                                            11. Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader for Episode 13 : Saul Gone

BCS ultimaltely has one of the best final seasons you can ever get. So far I've only reviewed its first part, you can click above for it. Hence I'm gonna continue to review the second part of BCS The Final Season. After a bone chilling cliffhanger although it was never supposed to be, BCS returned in July with an intense hourlong episode. It was frightening and utterly breathtaking as hell. "We're set." A week later Episode 9 was calm yet suspenseful. With this episode we said goodbye to the prequel though the show didn't end with and we witnessed the complete transformation of Saul Goodman. "Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.". Episode 10 was quite fun. The editing was splendid. I loved every single of it "Gene, Gene, The Cinnabon Machine!". This was a prepation for Saul's final act. In episode 11 we see Saul POV that how he got involved in Walt and Jesse's drug business. In this post-Breaking bad era Saul/Gene is ready for his final scam but something went wrong. "I'm gonna start BREAKING BAD!". Episode 12 was quite heartbreaking. We've got to see Kim's post BCS/BB life. She's far away from her town. She wanted to forget every single of Jimmy and Kim's fun and games but Jimmy seems to remind her what they did. Hence she returned to ABQ and has to confront with Howard's widowed wife Cheryl about her and Jimmy's fun and games. It wasn't easy for sure, it ended up Kim having a meltdown on the bus. Rhea Seehorn literally killed it. All the pain and suffering of Kim went thorugh. Jimmy/Saul/Gene btw his final scam went wrong by his complicit made a small accident that is noticed by the police. So, Saul seems to lost Monopoly. "Have an nice life, Kim." Now in Episode 13 Jimmy finally had to face with his crimes. After he realizes that Kim is in trouble, he took full responsibility of his actions both in BCS & BB timeline. In the courtroom Saul went full "Ozymandias" that Walt wouldn't be powerful without him. During the trial Saul went back to his origins as Jimmy. "The name's McGill. I'm James McGill". In the end Jimmy still has popularity among incarcerated criminals as Saul Goodman and Jimmy & Kim shared a smoke in his visiting day just like in the old times.

Every episode felt like a chapter of a novel, an act of a play. In conclusion BCS became the total masterpiece without being overshadowed by Breaking Bad. With this show's ending Walt, Mike, Gus will never be same to us. But let's not forget that Better Call Saul couldn't be made without Breaking Bad. "THAT'S SAUL FOLKS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!!"

 

Edited September 7, 2023 by dbyrde