ratings

TV shows I watched in ’22. Ongoing. If it has an * by it, it was a favorite this year.

Station Eleven – Started in 2021. So, I didn’t really know what the book was about before starting this but I’m amazed that no one is calling out the similarities in this story (book is 2014) with the 2013 BBC show UTOPIA (now a US show as well). Both stories have a graphic novel at the heart of the plot during a pandemic. Like??? UPDATE: I stopped watching. It was not good enough to make it to the last episode.
Inside Job* – first show I binged in 2022. Very Rick & Morty-esque except instead of aliens, it’s conspiracy theories. Glad to see Brett Gelman getting voice actor work. Season 2 below. Season 1 is better, imo.
Yellowjackets* – Started in 2021. Continually gripped each episode. One of the few Showtime shows I think I’m going to be obsessed with?
How to with John Wilson* – continued over from 2021. Season 2. Not as mind blowing as season 1, but still interesting and weird and heartwarming. I love it.
SNL – carried over from 2021. Should this even be on the list? IDK.
Search Party – Surreal. Will always love this show and it did match my expectations, but this season did not tickle my brain like past ones.
A Discovery of Witches – Season 3. Why did I watch this? It was so bad. I blame the script and director(s?), not the actors, although they did not try. Let me save you some time. Spoilers: she has twins this season and saves all creature kind with a discovery that they need to be nicer to demons because all creatures depend on demon DNA if the other creatures aren’t to be inbred or die off. Also, it is a bit on the nose that all demons seem to be people of color (?). Woke witches or whatever. I’ll not take up more of your time.
Hit-Monkey – I can’t get past the first episode. So dumb. Probably. Change my mind.
Wolf Like Me* – was over too soon, butreally comforting in how it deals with grief. Maybe I was in the right mental state at the right time. Can someone confirm?
Euphoria – season 2. Finally. I am obsessed but there’s something off kilter about the direction this season took.
Pam and Tommy – I stopped watching as soon as I realized I would have to wait weekly for the episodes. It’s not that good of a show. Also, Pamela Anderson didn’t approve of this so I’m conflicted. Talking penis was weird anyway.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole – Wtf am I watching. WHY tf am I watching? DNF.
Peacemaker* – Here for the eagle. I have mixed feelings about liking this show as much as I did. Am I a John Cena fan? I think I’m a John Cena fan?
Claws – the last season! I am waiting for fashion YouTubers to finally cover all the lewks of this show!!! (Mina, can you hear me?)
Killing Eve – I’m going to write my own ending where it left off, like, two season ago and pretend this pile of crap didn’t happen. I feel so baited.
Abbott Elementary* – I am loving this show so much. It’s like the new Parks n Rec for me. Hilarious.
Dollface – this show is going through growing pains, but I sure liked the characters more this season.
Inventing Anna – stopped watching after I found out the real Anna got paid for her life story. I dew nowt have tyme fore yew.
King of the Hill – I forget what episode I ended on, but this is really only something I would have on in the background. Much respect though for being better than I thought it was going to be.
WeCrashed – ICouldn’t after the first episode. Nothing about it convinced me to continue watching.
The Gilded Age – fine first few episodes but… (sighs heavily). I’m not looking for another Downton Abbey. Not the way I want to learn about history right now.
Our Flag Means Death* – I’m just glad it’s cool to like pirates again.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – I think I’m in love with Lenny Bruce? But that’s about all I’m in love with in this show.
The Dropout* – The best of all con shows out right now? I loved the complexity it brought. I had no idea!!!
Somebody Somewhere – Stopped at second episode. The small-town + religious folk just are really triggering for me regardless of the positive message. See next.
Life and Beth – the set up feels very similar to Somebody Somewhere but somehow I am more attached and attracted to this. Same vibes but this one lands better for me. Was a fine show to watch if you’re bored.
Minx – I couldn’t keep watching after episode 1. I was bored. Is this really the conversations we’re still having today?
Bridgerton – season 2. Every plot point was so contrived. I probably will not watch season 3. However, WILL watch any YouTube video Mina Le makes of the fashion.
Starstruck* – I loved this show so much. A good palate cleanser. Romantic comedy but the main thing you need to notice is their tiny fireplace (was it some sort of oven???).
The Flight Attendant – season 2. Pretty good follow up but I was not surprised at the twists. Worth watching for Zosia Mamet’s hand tattoo.
Russian Doll – season 2. Not as good as season 1 and made even less sense and less use of their male protagonist. And there tried to be a trans narrative in there maybe? I’m not sure it worked and I still do not understand why these things keep happening to them.
Made for Love* – Filling the gap left by Silicon Valley now. 2 seasons in and I’m just now learning it’s based on a novel by the same name??? Wanna read.
Moonknight – more like Goodnight, am I right? Like, that’s it?
I love that for you – I found myself cringing too much after the first episode so I’m not sure I will continue because I don’t want my face to stay that way.
Undone* – season 2. This season undid me. Literally balling at the screen and mumbling to myself “it matters what stories story stories, what worlds world worlds.”
Outer range* – they risked a lot, expecting me to be patient enough for that ending. But without risk comes no reward so yeah, it’s worth a gamble on this show. Ante up your magic dust because I’m in.
Hacks* – season 2. This show is getting SO GOOD. Kaitlin Olson bird memes that came out of this season were the highlight.
Barry – Season 3. Consistently good. Laughing and rooting for a murderer is such a thrill. But, like, where is this going, exactly? In the past I was along for the ride but I’m not so sure now.
Shorsey – why did I watch this whole thing? Why is this what they would rather be working on than improving the sh!tshow that is Letterkenny?
The Man Who Fell to Earth – a bit melodramatic. I tried to watch the film first and couldn’t get through that either though, so this may be an aesthetic problem? DNF.
Conversations with Friends – I found the relationships very boring but kept watching for Jemima. I don’t know if I’ll continue on to season 2.
Under the Banner of Heaven – Well, I liked the juxtaposition of the past acted out to help explain the reasoning of the present. But Andrew, please, stop taking these roles where you have to play a Christian. It’s becoming a type.
Stranger Things* – season 4 pt. 1 is running up that hill. I can’t help but like this show and you will never get a better opening credits. Pt. 2. Screaming “kiss!” at the screen is appropriate 99% of the time with this show. Brett Gelman is my favorite and I would like to know what happened to him.
The Boys* – season 3. So, like, are d!ldo fight scenes the new trope of 2022? I think so.
Roar – I watched to the Betty Gilpin episode. It was all metaphor with no meaning. I gave up.
The White Lotus – So, this show did get better (season 1) but I stopped watching for a while after the first episode. Then, after not understanding what reviewers were saying, picked it back up. I get what it was trying to say and I definitely think the conversations it has likely started for some people were necessary (ie don’t go on vacation to Hawaii) but I think a show with a similar vibe that was more interesting was Nine Perfect Strangers. This one had more to say about toxic whiteness but it held up a mirror and that was all. It had nothing to recommend.
- Season 2 review: OK. I get it now. That was pretty amazing but I expect there to be a carry over character like there was in from season 1 to 2 for the next season.
Severance* – this show is amazing. There are no words to describe how good it is. I NEED MORE.
The Old Man – These dogs better be OK. //I thought this was going to be a favorite show for me but nah. I’ll wait to see how season 2 does because I wasn’t impressed with that ending. The female companion character also started being a manipulator too fast. It was weird.
Rutherford Falls* – Season 2. This show deserves a Peabody. How dare it be cancelled. But, yeah, fine, I’m not sure where it was going either.
LOOT – Watchable. Rooting for them.
Only Murders in the Building – I’m not so sure I’m digging this season? The writing and character development are so shallow except for bunny and the Crazy Cat Lord. The twist at the end was abrupt and off but fine. Also, why are so many shitting on Oklahoma these days?
Westworld – Season 4. Meh, let me guess. Dolores is the game designer now and all the robots and humans are in it. // Update at season 5: this season did better at making the Matrix come into real life without virtual reality than season 4 did, I’ll give them that. Also, you could tell the world was “wrong” by the fact Dolores was a writer who, like, got paid. This season went full on _The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya_. I’m OK with it being cancelled. It wasn’t the same show.
Umbrella Academy – Season 3, right? So, like, they’re just making Klaus a Nathan from Misfits? This show is so dumb now. Still an improvement from the graphic novels. I will not be watching future seasons.
What we do in the shadows – season 4. So, Colin Robinson isn’t a baby in a nightclub? He’s a pre-teen in a nightclub? I love this show but what’s with cramming in SO MANY comedians?
Righteous Gemstones – season 1 & 2. So, this show is ridiculous but I also can’t stop watching. I don’t think they get evangelicals, honestly. Not that you have to, to make fun of them.
The Resort – I’m having issues with understanding some of the character’s motivations or really understanding who they are except for a “couple bored with each other.” //Update: I didn’t really like it. It was kind of too whimsical for me.
Los Espookys – I’ll finish this in 2023.
Papergirls – I lasted longer with this than I did the graphic novels. In that I still didn’t finish them. Nothing makes sense.
Solar Opposites – OK, now I’m tired of the people in The Wall. But I love the “healthier” alien relationship(s).
The Sandman – I, like, don’t understand why Neil Gaiman is so popular. His stories are not that good and his philosophy is problematic. His characters are gripping. I’ll give him that.
The Rehearsal – If asking if it’s fake isn’t the question, I question what exactly this show is questioning. Stopped watching for the same reason I stop watching reality TV.
Bad sisters* – Sisterhood is wonderous. If you’re not willing to murder for your sister, are you even good?
Archer – I’ll finish this in 2023.
Rings of Power – is this a * or not? I don’t know? I loved it but I don’t know if I loved if I loved it.
Everything’s Trash – didn’t finish. The way politics are handled in the show is what turned me off, I think?
Dark Winds – I’m going to wait for more reviews before I finish this. Getting scared to death doesn’t turn your hair white, scientifically speaking.
The Serpent Queen – the tone and the historical inaccuracies are… hard to overlook. DNF.
Reservation Dogs – I see no improvement in terms of my critique for last season. But the way the show processes grief is beautiful.
She-Hulk* – I’m still working out my feelings but I liked it and need more. Daredevil connection did me in.
Abbott Elementary – season 2? In the same year? Woah. I feel so blessed. But this is getting cheesier than I really would have liked. Overly confident amounts of cheese. Maybe say when already. Season’s not over yet, though, as I am writing this on 10/21/22.
Derry Girls* – season 3. The soundtrack is “cracker” and the ending made me tear up a little.
House of the Dragon* – I hated myself for even giving it a chance.
Interview with the Vampire* – the poor man’s Anthony Bourdain is a pretty interesting new aspect to this story. I like the updated timeline too. The Claudia rollout could have been a bit more…eloquent, maybe?
The Reboot – The potential is there but I’m not so sure I’m invested yet even after the season ended.
Ziwe* – season 1 and 2. I just discovered this show and I love it. Ziwe for president. And God.
High School – I love Tegan and Sara, but not this. DNF.
Little Demon – DNF. It was just too gore for me. Not enough laughs.
Mythic Quest* – Season 3. I’m very into the explorations of platonic friendship/love here.
Wednesday – I just didn’t like how cheesy it was so DNF but might pick up again when I need something to watch.
The Patient – Well. That was certainly an exploration of empathy.
Dead to Me* – season 3. Loved it. No notes. Can do no wrong.
Inside Job – Season 2 – started the same year I binged the first season?
The Watcher – watching this was like the ending of the movie Parasite throughout but the ending isn’t as deep as you think it might be.
Mo – I will finish this in 2023.
The English* – I loved this show and I think I want to say I loved its attempts to force the viewer to at least grapple with colonialism. The nuance was there, and it succeeded in a balance I’ve never seen before. But the story felt too rushed and the villains without clarity or motivation to really feel satisfying. There’s also probably something to say about the body horror (that only seemed to mostly affect women, except for one bad guy, if the person was still alive?). It didn’t necessarily feel ableist, but perhaps was slightly romanticized in certain parts? But geez I liked it.
Fleishman is in Trouble – not thrilled about the unexamined acceptance of birthright tours, but watching my elder millennials suffer is quite cathartic. The one that shifts to the ex-wife’s PVO is amazing as well. Recommend this recap and examination.
Kindred – DNF. I haven’t read the book but was hoping this show would compel me to. It did not. The show felt overacted or the motivations behind their actions unjustified. Overall, the story and plotting felt slapdash. I know changes were made for the show and I can say none of it paid off. Really interesting concept though.
Letterkenny – season 11. So, I think this season was much better than 10 and it’s redeemed itself.
His Dark Materials – season 3. Well. That was terribly sad, as expected, and I liked it a lot better than season 2. I loved this embodiment of Lyra’s parents and getting to see more of them. But, like the book, the ending was a little meh for me.
The Afterparty – better than Glass Onion, for real.