The strikes of the Writers and Actors Guilds cut off the supply of new shows (and that’s good… withholding labor to get a fair contract is the right thing to do), but it didn’t matter. It still felt overwhelming to keep up with every new recommended show, not to mention the returning shows I loved. So once again, I’m expanding my list of favorites. This is Part One.
10. Justified: City Primeval (FX)
It shouldn’t have worked, and many would argue it didn’t. But transferring Raylan Givens from the hollers of Kentucky to the urban squalor of Detroit (adapting a story that didn’t originally involve the character) played seamlessly to me. This years-later sequel found time to focus on Raylan’s failings as a father, but also gave plenty of time to several Black characters, something it didn’t always do well in its original incarnation. But even outside of his usual haunts, Raylan soon discovered all cities run on some mix of bribery, corruption and chicanery, and no one’s hands are clean.
Standout episodes: “City Primeval,” “Backstabbers,” “The Smoking Gun”
9. Party Down (Starz)
Life being what it is under late capitalism, this premise needed absolutely no updating. Of course people in their 40s are still stuck catering the parties of rich assholes. But this new season perfectly integrated its original upwardly immobile waiters with a new generation of influencers. Jennifer Garner was the warmest of the new additions. As the recently divorced new girlfriend of Henry (Adam Scott), her role could have been thankless as a relatively normal person observing all the chaos. But she made it into something thornier. Of course, the show still belongs to Ken Marino, whose fearless performance has only gotten better (and sadder) over the years.
Standout episodes: “Kyle Bradway Is Nitromancer,” “First Annual PI2A Symposium,” “Sepulveda Basin High School Spring Play Opening Night”
8. The Great (Hulu)
Though some fans were bummed by the unceremonious cancelation, the show didn’t really have anywhere left to go after its dramatic (and ahistorical) shift midway through this season. The show was as funny, sexy and complicated as ever. And while I would have enjoyed seeing more of this extremely horny, extremely foul-mouthed, extremely well-dressed court, the show ended, quite literally, on a perfect note.
Standout episodes: “You the People,” “Fun,” “Once upon a Time”
7. Barry (HBO)
Speaking of perfect endings. While it seemed like Season 3 had the perfect place to end the show, Hader had one more season of insanity left in him. After getting arrested (and breaking out of prison after a botched hit against him), the show went even darker than before. A huge time jump showed the ripple effects of Barry’s chain reaction of bad decisions, with previously goofy characters like NoHo Hank and Fuches adopting hard exteriors to mask their pain. It was the least funny season of the show so far, but featured the best filmmaking yet.
Standout episodes: “Yikes,” “The Wizard,” “Wow”
6. Abbott Elementary (ABC)
All hail the return of the 22-episode network sitcom! The show remained a consistently hilarious and honest look at public education in America, while also delivering tremendous character growth and the single most romantic moment of the year (pictured above).
Standout episodes: “The Fundraiser,” “Teachers’ Conference,” “Festival”
5. The Last of Us (HBO)
Having never played either game, I can’t tell you whether the show’s creative and emotional decisions improved or degraded the source material. What I can tell you is that the show never felt stuck, even when its characters were. Pedro Pascal may be everyone’s daddy, but his soul-baring performance here overcame the story’s deficiencies. His former Game of Thrones co-star Bella Ramsey was every bit his equal, letting down her walls to find only more heartache.
Standout episodes: “When You’re Lost in the Darkness,” “Long, Long Time,” “Endure and Survive”
4. How To with John Wilson (HBO)
In the show’s final season, Wilson pulled out all the stops. He found community among vacuum collectors, learned to appreciate the big city after spending time in West Virginia, and even turned a quest to come clean into an elaborate conspiracy thriller, complete with ominous messages and exploding cars.
Standout episodes: “How to Clean Your Ears,” “How to Watch the Game,” “How to Track Your Package”
3. Reservation Dogs (Hulu)
Here’s to this scrappy underdog that found itself never quite making my top spot because it had the misfortune of competing with even more inventive or heartrending shows. In its final run, focus left the quartet. It was jarring at first, but the show’s world opened up even further, as we got to spend time with shit-ass elders, vengeful spirits and even Elora’s dad (a perfectly cast Ethan Hawke).
Standout episodes: “Deer Lady,” “Elora’s Dad,” “Dig”
2. Succession (HBO)
It was always going to come down to these two, but even I didn’t know what order I’d put them in until the last moment. Ultimately, I docked this mere decimal points for accurately-ish reflecting how fucked up our country is, where the ultra-wealthy decide what we’ll watch, who will be president and what size our crumbs will be. Their self-inflicted misery is no solace. Still, what an incredible season of television, starting with placing its most dramatic episode early in the run, instead of saving it for the finale, which was no less momentous.
Standout episodes: “Connor’s Wedding,” “America Decides,” “With Open Eyes”
1. The Bear (Hulu)
An already excellent show took the leap in Season 2, as the struggling neighborhood sandwich shop gets transformed – kicking and screaming – into a fine dining establishment. Its characters developed even more, with individual episode highlights for Richie, Marcus and Sydney. The show found time for quiet moments like ritually cutting mushrooms, exciting moments like speeding down the street blasting Taylor Swift, and stressful moments like the entirety of the Christmas episode. I can’t wait to see how the show will surprise me next season.
Standout episodes: “Fishes,” “Forks,” “The Bear”
VICTIMS OF PEAK TV
Fargo – Season 5
Reacher – Season 2
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Animaniacs (Hulu)
The Curse (Showtime)
Cunk on Earth (Netflix)
The Diplomat (Netflix)
Last Call (HBO)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Perry Mason (HBO)
The Righteous Gemstones (HBO)
The Secrets of Hillsong (Hulu) | Shiny Happy People (Prime Video)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
DIDN’T WATCH BUT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE LOVED
Beef (Netflix)
Bupkis (Peacock)
Command Z (extension765.com)
Daisy Jones & the Six (Prime Video)
Dead Ringers (Prime Video)
The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix)
Fellow Travelers (Showtime)
Full Circle (Max)
The Gold (Paramount+)
Hijack (AppleTV+)
I’m a Virgo (Prime Video)
Jury Duty (freevee)
Mrs. Davis (Peacock)
A Murder at the End of the World (Hulu)
Poker Face (Peacock)
Primo (freevee)
Rain Dogs (HBO)
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix)
Shrinking (AppleTV+)
Telemarketers (HBO)