17
Apr

20 After 20: 2005


20. King Kong (dir. Peter Jackson)
Believe it or not, kids, there was a time when special effects were actually special. When movies were filmed on actual sets. When digital environments were carefully rendered and not sloppily rushed out to meet a quarterly earnings call. Peter Jackson’s adaptation may be as large as the Kong himself, but there’s still the same movie magic present in all three Lord of the Rings movies. And once again the MVP is Andy Serkis, bringing to life a fictional creature with astonishing presence.


19. Batman Begins (dir. Christopher Nolan)
A comic book origin story that puts others to shame. Batman Begins is miles away from Joel Schumacher’s maximalism, but it’s not without its own sense of humor. Years before he got typecast as a man with a “particular set of skills,” Liam Neeson delivered one of the best villain turns of the decade as Ra’s al Ghul, whose contemptuous view of mankind sounds like a precursor to Thanos. Nolan would perfect his vision of Gotham a few years later, but this grounded starting point remains highly watchable, and a reminder of a time when superhero movies didn’t come with homework.


18. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (dir. Judd Apatow)
It’s crazy to think how different the comedy landscape would be now if this hadn’t been a hit. It’s unlikely The Office would have become a phenomenon. Seth Rogen wouldn’t be an impresario. Paul Rudd might still be doing guest arcs on sitcoms instead of playing a superhero. But everything about Judd Apatow’s sweet-but-naughty rom-com works, from Carell’s sincere turn to the tender relationship he develops with Catherine Keener’s single mom. It also helps that it has one of the funniest scenes ever, with improvised faux-profanity and genuinely horrified reactions.


17. Grizzly Man (dir. Werner Herzog)
An essential nature doc whose message is not conservation or wonder, but staying the fuck away from dangerous animals.


16. Downfall (dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel)
Anchored by a titanic performance from Bruno Ganz, Downfall captures the bleak final days of Hitler’s reign. It’s not a humanizing portrait by any means, but it does cut an almost mythically evil figure down to size. As the walls close in, he’s all too eager to blame anyone but himself for losing the war he escalated at every turn. That its images of Berlin could soon mirror Washington, D.C. just makes the film that much more powerful.

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14
Mar

Oscar Guide 2026


BEST PICTURE
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams

Will and should win: One Battle After Another
Could win: Sinners
Should have been nominated: Blue Moon


BEST DIRECTING
Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Will and should win: Paul Thomas Anderson
Could win: Ryan Coogler
Should have been nominated: Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident


BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Will win: Timothée Chalamet
Could win: Michael B. Jordan
Should win: Ethan Hawke
Should have been nominated: Jesse Plemons, Bugonia


BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
Emma Stone, Bugonia

Will win: Jessie Buckley
Could and should win: Rose Byrne
Should have been nominated: Jennifer Lawrence, Die My Love


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo, Sinners
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value

Will win: Stellan Skarsgård
Could win: Sean Penn
Should win: Delroy Lindo
Should have been nominated: Ralph Fiennes, 28 Years Later


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan, Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

Will and should win: Amy Madigan
Could win: Wunmi Mosaku
Should have been nominated: Mariam Afshari, It Was Just an Accident


BEST WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Blue Moon
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners

Will win: Sinners
Could win: It Was Just an Accident
Should win: Blue Moon
Should have been nominated: Eddington


BEST WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams

Will and should win: One Battle After Another
Could win: Hamnet
Should have been nominated: The Life of Chuck


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

Will and should win: Kpop Demon Hunters
Could win: Zootopia 2
Should have been nominated: N/A


BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
The Secret Agent (Brazil)
It Was Just an Accident (France)
Sentimental Value (Norway)
Sirāt (Spain)
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)

Will win: The Secret Agent
Could win: Sentimental Value
Should win: It Was Just an Accident
Should have been nominated: No Other Choice (South Korea)


BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Alabama Solution
Come See in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbor

Will win: The Perfect Neighbor
Could win: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Should win: N/A
Should have been nominated: N/A


BEST CASTING
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sinners

Will win: Sinners
Could win: The Secret Agent
Should win: Marty Supreme
Should have been nominated: Eephus

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
All the Empty Rooms
Armed with Only a Camera
Children No More
The Devil Is Busy
Perfectly a Strangeness

Will win: All the Empty Rooms
Could win: Armed with Only a Camera
Should win: N/A
Should have been nominated: N/A

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
Butcher’s Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
The Singers
Two People Exchanging Saliva

Will win: Two People Exchanging Saliva
Could win: A Friend of Dorothy
Should win: N/A
Should have been nominated: N/A

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Butterfly
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters

Will win: Butterfly
Could win: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Should win: N/A
Should have been nominated: N/A

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Marty Supreme
Sinners

Will win: Frankenstein
Could win: Sinners 
Should win: Marty Supreme
Should have been nominated: Train Dreams

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners

Will and should win: Frankenstein
Could win: Sinners
Should have been nominated: The Phoenician Scheme

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
Frankenstein
Kukuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister

Will win: Frankenstein
Could win: Sinners
Should win: The Ugly Stepsister 
Should have been nominated: Blue Moon

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

Will and should win: Sinners
Could win: One Battle After Another 
Should have been nominated: No Other Choice

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners

Will and should win: Avatar: Fire and Ash
Could win: Jurassic World Rebirth
Should have been nominated: TRON: Ares

BEST FILM EDITING
F1
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners

Will and should win: One Battle After Another
Could win: F1
Should have been nominated: A House of Dynamite

BEST SOUND
F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sirāt
Sinners

Will win: Sinners
Could win: F1
Should win: Sirāt
Should have been nominated: Warfare

BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Will win: Sinners
Could win: Hamnet
Should win: One Battle After Another
Should have been nominated: Marty Supreme

BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
“Dear Me” (Diane Warren: Relentless)
“Golden” (KPop Demon Hunters)
“I Lied to You” (Sinners)
“Sweet Dreams of Joy” (Viva Verdi!)
“Train Dreams” (Train Dreams)

Will win: “Golden”
Could and should win: “I Lied to You”
Should have been nominated: “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” (Sinners)

Winners:
Avatar: Fire and Ash – Visual Effects
Frankenstein – Costume Design, Production Design, Makeup & Hairstyling
Hamnet – Actress
Kpop Demon Hunters – Animated Feature, Music (Original Song)
Marty Supreme – Actor
One Battle After Another – Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing
The Perfect Neighbor – Documentary Feature
The Secret Agent – International Feature
Sentimental Value – Supporting Actor
Sinners – Original Screenplay, Casting, Cinematography, Sound, Music (Original Score)
Weapons – Supporting Actress

Losers: The Alabama Solution, Arco, Blue Moon, Bugonia, Come See Me in the Good Light, Cutting Through Rocks, Diane Warren: Relentless, Elio, F1, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, It Was Just an Accident, Kukuho, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, Sirāt, The Smashing Machine, Song Sung Blue, Train Dreams, The Ugly Stepsister, Viva Verdi!, The Voice of Hind Rajab, Zootopia 2

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13
Mar

My Dream Oscar Ballot 2026

BEST PICTURE
Blue Moon
Bugonia
Eddington
It Was Just an Accident
The Life of Chuck
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sinners
The Testament of Ann Lee

BEST DIRECTING
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Mona Fastvold, The Testament of Ann Lee

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Jesse Plemons, Bugonia
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

BEST ACTRESS
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Jennifer Lawrence, Die My Love
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
Amanda Seyfried, The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone, Bugonia

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12
Mar

Oscar Re-Do: 2015


BEST PICTURE
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

Should have won: Mad Max: Fury Road
Not even nominated: Inside Out

Along with 2017 and 2023’s batches, this is the strongest slate of the Academy’s expanded era, with not a dud in the bunch. While I certainly prefer some of these movies to others, this is a fantastic group that includes mega-blockbusters, tiny indies, and the kinds of adult dramas Hollywood shows no interest in making anymore. The latter ended up taking the top prize, and only one other Oscar, making it the winner with the fewest overall awards in modern times. And Spotlight is an exceptional film about the real journalists who help expose the network of abuse and corruption in the Catholic Church. But there are stronger choices here, and none of them are as awe-inspiring as Mad Max: Fury Road. It’s an absolutely insane action film that shouldn’t work, but provides non-stop thrills and themes that remain relevant.

But with two extra slots, I’m surprised Inside Out didn’t make it in when Up and Toy Story 3 had made it previously. It’s just as good as those Pixar films, if not better, dealing with complex emotions in ways kids can grasp but only adults can truly understand. It remains my favorite film of 2015.


BEST DIRECTING
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

Should have won: George Miller
Not even nominated: László Nemes, Son of Saul

Giving this to Iñárritu one year after Birdman is crazy, even if The Revenant is a stronger feat of filmmaking. It’s especially baffling given that George Miller, an idiosyncratic Aussie whose films are one of a kind, was right there. The Revenant certainly has a grand scope worth of awards. But it doesn’t hold a candle to even a jaw-dropping frame of Fury Road.

And speaking of jaw-dropping, the Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the most harrowing things I’ve ever seen. That’s because Nemes – in his feature debut! – immerses us in the everyday horrors of Auschwitz and the ways its prisoners attempt to remain human even as they’re degraded and slaughtered.


BEST ACTOR
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Should have won: Michael Fassbender
Not even nominated: Paul Dano and/or John Cusack, Love & Mercy

DiCaprio got his first, long-overdue award. But since I’ve already given him two, I’ll take his trophy and give it to Fassbender, who churned out several incredible performances in the eight years between this and his debut in 300. While he should have been nominated and probably won for both Hunger and Shame, he’s magnificent as the Apple founder despite looking nothing like him. Part of the film’s success is Aaron Sorkin’s terrific script (more on that later), but Fassbender makes him a distinctly brilliant asshole.

Love & Mercy is arguably the only post-Walk Hard music biopic that’s worth a damn. Splitting the duties between Paul Dano and John Cusack, the film is much more interested in exploring Brian Wilson’s mental illness and exploitation than in celebrating his genius. They’re both terrific – with Cusack locked in for the first time in years – and create a portrait of one of the greatest popular musicians that’s neither hagiography nor takedown.


BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Should have won: No complaints here
Not even nominated: Nina Hoss, Phoenix

It’s pretty baffling why Larson, a terrific actress and (at least seemingly) a very nice person has gotten so much online hate over the years. Sure, y’know, misogyny, but she’s been a very specific target for some of the most vile shit you’ll ever read. This is another case where a performer should have won for a movie that went completely overlooked (Short Term 12), but she’s just as good here as the imprisoned mom who has trouble readjusting to life on the outside.

And while I am a huge J-Law fan, we can forget Joy ever happened and replace her with Nina Hoss, whose multi-layered performance in Phoenix left me spellbound.

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23
Feb

The List: Top 10 ‘Scrubs’ Episodes

We’re a few months early for the 25th(!) anniversary of Scrubs, but ABC has resurrected the show once again, with a new season premiering on February 25. The show quickly became one of my favorite sitcoms with its outlandish visual gags, flawed but winning characters, sharp writing, and excellent needle drops. It’s no surprise creator Bill Lawrence went on to create similarly charming shows like Ted Lasso and Shrinking. We all probably got a little too much Zach Braff exposure between this and Garden State, but it’s fascinating he never got bigger than he was in the mid-2000s.

So without further ado, my 10 favorite episodes of the show.


10. “My Way Home” (Season 5, Episode 7)
Possibly the silliest episode of the show – and that includes a musical and a “multi-cam” diversion – but one that successfully pulled off its Wizard of Oz homage, even with the metaphor stretching about as far as it will go. Carla needs courage, Elliot needs more brains, Turk literally needs a comatose patient’s heart, and J.D. just wants to go home. This half-hour packs in more visual humor than usual, as well as renditions of the classic film’s songs by the Worthless Peons.


9. “My Porcelain God” (Season 3, Episode 13)
This “supersized” episode makes the most of its guest spot from Michael J. Fox, making his first on-screen TV appearance since leaving Lawrence’s Spin City. When the visiting doctor has an “epiphany toilet” installed on the roof, it leads to revelations from all the medical staff, including Elliot, who suddenly has a case of the yips. It’s one of the warmest episodes of a show that never was afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve.


8. “My Old Lady” (Season 1, Episode 4)
The show’s first great episode, featuring the always dependable Kathryn Joosten. While Turk and Elliot are dealing with their own dying patients, J.D. is stuck with Babs, who decides against future life-saving measures. When she announces that she’s “ready to die,” the show delivers its greatest visual gag: a delivery of an actual ton of bricks to fall on our protagonist. This may be the perfect episode to introduce someone who’s never seen the show, as it’s the perfect blend of silly humor and earnest sweetness.


7. “My Cake” (Season 4, Episode 6)
John Ritter’s sudden death didn’t just affect his show 8 Simple Rules. It also forced Scrubs to address his passing head-on. Having played J.D.’s dad in the previous season, his brother Dan (Tom Cavanagh) shows up to deliver the bad news with cake to offset the sadness. J.D. and Dan both try to avoid the elephant in the room, but it’s surprisingly Dr. Cox who helps pull them out of their depression. While it’s a perfect balance of crushing and uplifting, this episode is also responsible for a line from Turk that’s rattled around my brain for more than two decades: “Your dad dying has stolen my diabetes thunder.”


6. “My Hero” (Season 1, Episode 23)
A standout episode for guest star Brendan Fraser as Ben – who will pop up later – but maybe the single best episode for Neil Flynn as the Janitor (“My Best Laid Plans” comes close). While undergoing treatment for leukemia, Ben finds his brother-in-law Dr. Cox strangely distant. At the other end of the spectrum, J.D. is freaked out by just how much the janitor knows about him. It’s a great encapsulation of their rivalry and Flynn’s perfectly deadpan performance.

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31
Jan

The Best Film Performances of 2025

In many of these categories, there were performances I liked more. But all of those were nominated for Oscars, and I’d rather shine a spotlight on the less-heralded turns this year.


ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY
Eephus
One advantage to make an amateur sports movie as opposed to a pro sports movie is the actors don’t have to be that good at the game itself. That frees up the casting director to pick interesting faces and big personalities. Spending an afternoon (and chilly evening) on the baseball diamond with these guys felt like hanging out with your buddies, a lost art in film.


ACTOR & SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, The Naked Gun
That they’re both great at comedy shouldn’t have surprised anyone, given how game they’ve been to poke fun at their own images. But they really are a comedic dream team, whether cooking, scat-singing, or having a threesome with a magical snowman.


ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
A performance so good you’ll be thinking “How was this her first movie?!” for the rest of time. Going toe-to-toe with both Leonardo DiCaprio (as her stoner dad) and Sean Penn (as her malevolent sire), this massive film shifts onto her shoulders in the last half-hour and she carries it without breaking a sweat.


SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Kevin O’Leary, Marty Supreme
I am well aware of how much this unscrupulous businessman sucks in real life. But he is absolutely perfect as, well, an unscrupulous businessman in this film. He’s not any less a hustler than Marty Mauser, but he has the wealth and leverage to humiliate him over and over. When he makes a bold, bizarre claim near the end of the movie, he might actually be telling the truth.

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30
Jan

The Best Movies of 2025


10. The Secret Agent (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)
The title is something of a misnomer. Wagner Moura’s Armando doesn’t really do much espionage. But as someone who refused to roll over to corruption in the authoritarian government of Brazil, a clandestine life becomes necessary. It would be an oversimplification to say the point of the film is that fascists suck and movie theaters are awesome, but apparently we need reminders of both these days.


9. No Other Choice (dir. Park Chan-wook)
A pitch-black comedy from a master director, No Other Choice will surely be relevant to anyone who’s been laid off and/or had to sift through hundreds of job postings on LinkedIn. After an American conglomerate buys the paper company Man-su (Lee Byung-hun) has devoted his life to, he’s distraught and can’t find work. Months after his worst-case scenario has come to pass, he gets a novel idea: eliminate his competition. It’s nasty, thought-provoking and often hilarious, as most of Park’s work is.


8. It Was Just an Accident (dir. Jafar Panahi)
I’ve not seen any of exiled Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s earlier work, and apparently this one is atypical for him. A relatively straightforward thriller with knotty emotions and morality, It Was Just an Accident explores what happens when revenge meets reality, and whether our oppressors deserve the mercy they never showed their targets.


7. Bugonia (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
Emma Stone continues her fruitful run with Yorgos Lanthimos, delivering another performance for the ages. As the She-EO Michelle, her icy and off-putting demeanor has her employees on edge. When two ill-prepared doofuses kidnap her, she assumes they want a ransom. But no, they’re convinced she’s an alien and they want to travel onto her mothership. What follows is a tense and devastating battle of wills that keeps you guessing until the very end.


6. Sinners (dir. Ryan Coogler)
To anyone who’s going to complain this isn’t higher… it’s my list! Make your own!

Anyway, Coogler’s wildly ambitious musical horror film has higher highs – including the audacious number pictured above – than just about anything this year. It overflows with ideas about race, identity, music, religion, assimilation, community, and more. They don’t all get fully explored, but what a great problem to have! At a time when so many big budget movies don’t have two brain cells to rub together (looking at you, Jurassic World Rebirth), this truly original work gives me hope. It’s no surprise audiences responded so favorably.

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28
Jan

The Best TV Performances of 2025


ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
English Teacher
This was already a tight ensemble, but promoting Carmen Christopher to series regular took their rhythm to another level. At any moment, one of them could say the most absurd, outlandish thing you’ve ever heard. At the next, they’re giving genuine advice and occasionally showing real affection for their co-workers. Gonna miss these crazy kids.


ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Nathan Fielder, The Rehearsal
As brilliant as the show is, it doesn’t work if Fielder isn’t equally committed as a performer. While “Pilot’s Code” features an insane recreation of Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s life from birth to heroic landing, it’s Fielder’s “regular” persona that keeps the show compelling every episode. He walks an extremely fine line between playing a role and just being himself, and it’s often hard to tell which is which.


ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Rose Byrne, Platonic
Byrne is finally an Oscar nominee, and she’s almost as good week-to-week on AppleTV’s unheralded Platonic. She plays another put-upon mom dealing with life mostly on her own – though here her husband is home a lot more, which is not exactly helpful – but her indefatigability and “up for anything” nature make her one of the more compelling characters on television.

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27
Jan

The Best TV Shows of 2025, Part 2

Best Comedy Special


Robby Hoffman: Wake Up (Netflix)
Since Curb Your Enthusiasm ended last year, I’d been wondering who would step up to become the next Larry David. Having only seen Hoffman on this season of Hacks, I had no idea it would be her. But this rowdy special covers her petty grievances and take-no-prisoners POV in a way that’s utterly relatable, even as it seems extreme. Her delivery is second-to-none.

Honorable Mentions


Abbott Elementary – “Birthday”
The funniest and saddest episode the hit comedy aired in 2025. While Jacob worked on a Sufjan Stevens-inspired Christmas pageant for the kids – a subplot that felt squarely aimed at me – Janine dealt with her mother’s latest attempt to swoop in, hog the limelight, and passive-aggressively criticize her only daughter. Realizing she’d rather spend more time with her chosen family than her blood relations is an all-too-familiar feeling.


The Bear – “Bears”
A bit messier than an uneven Season 3, but still often quite wonderful. And few things warmed my heart on TV like this wedding episode. It was long, nearly plotless, and seemed to ignore the laws of physics. But there really was nothing quite as magical as everyone under the table, talking about their fears.


English Teacher – “COVID in America”
Probably my No. 11 show of the year, this sadly canceled workplace comedy got even sharper in Season 2. I could have picked almost any episode, but I went with the sheer cringe comedy of the premiere, which saw the students putting on their own musical about growing up during the pandemic instead of the “boring” Angels in America.


Hacks – “A Slippery Slope”
This fourth season had some of the realest, rawest emotions on display. But it often felt disjointed. But not in this Emmy-nominated penultimate episode, which saw everything go wrong on Deborah’s show, leading to arguably the first selfless decision the comedy legend had ever made. It made for great “real” TV.


The Handmaid’s Tale – “Execution”
I had basically given up on this show, planning to skip its final season entirely. But multiple folks said it had recaptured what made it great, and they were right. This last season sees the handmaids in open revolt, with a much higher body count. This might have been the single most intense episode the show ever produced, with something resembling a victory. But one with a huge cost for all the freedom fighters.

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26
Jan

The Best TV Shows of 2025, Part 1

The problem I had last year didn’t show up in 2025. In fact, there were way too many good shows. I even had to cut down my honorable mentions (coming soon). But before we get to that, here are my top 10 shows of the year:


10. King of the Hill (Hulu)
Aging up Hank, Peggy, and especially Bobby could have gone wrong in so many ways. But the writing staff, which included younger people who grew up on the show, found the perfect balance for making the Hills face modern issues – like cultural appropriation, open relationships, and toxic masculinity – without betraying any of the characters’ personalities.
Standout episodes: “Chore Money, Chore Problems,” “Kahn-scious Uncoupling,” “No Hank Left Behind”


9. The Chair Company (HBO)
Some shows take a while to get used to their storytelling rhythms or performance styles. And then there’s The Chair Company, which never gives its audience any sense of direction. Every time the show seems to be heading for an obvious or mundane explanation, it takes one crazy-ass detour after another. Did the mystery resolve in any way? Not really. Will I still be watching Tim Robinson continue after everything has told him to stop? Absolutely.
Standout episodes: “Life goes by too fucking fast, it really does.” “@BrownDerbyHistoricVids Little bit of Hollywood? Okayyy.” “Minnie Mouse coming back wasn’t on my bingo card.”


8. The Studio (AppleTV)
This show was seemingly made for me in a lab, yet it’s only No. 8 on this list. That’s how much good TV there was this year. Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg’s relentless Hollywood satire didn’t pull any punches and had style to spare. Even the celebrity cameos had their own flavor, a key difference from a lot of streaming sitcoms of recent years.
Standout episodes: “The Oner,” “The Missing Reel,” “The War”


7. Severance (AppleTV)
An occasionally messy season still had higher highs than a lot shows, thanks to outstanding direction and cinematography, and of course the incredibly locked-in performances of its cast. Even though it frustratingly takes three years between seasons, every penny of its massive budget is apparent onscreen, creating a show that looks like nothing else on TV.
Standout episodes: “Woe’s Hollow,” “Chikhai Bardo,” “Cold Harbor”


6. The Lowdown (Hulu)
As someone who loved all three seasons of Sterlin Harjo’s previous show (Reservation Dogs) and loves just about everything about Ethan Hawke, I was immediately in the tank for this show. They delivered an outstanding pilot, then kept delivering on all its potential, exploring the white supremacist history of Tulsa and how that reverberates to this day. That the show managed to be this thrilling, thoughtful, and funny week-to-week made me believe there’s still at least some space in the modern TV landscape for people who love film noir and paperback crime novels.
Standout episodes: “Short on Cowboys,” “This Land?,” “Old Indian Trick”

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