2022 has been a ridiculously good year for the small screen. You might hear that every year, but this year production houses gave us some thrilling and heartwarming shows. As the big-budgeted prequel House of the Dragon continued to make HBO a fortune, Apple gave some surprising blockbusters like Severance. We saw Jesse Eisenberg getting addicted to dating apps in a witty drama that is closing the year. I have listed down some of my top picks which, to me, were the crème de la crème based on the creativity of the plot, eye-pleasing cinematography, masterful execution, and skilled performance by the actors.
Severance (Apple TV+)
New-age technology can have manipulative impacts and someone can use them to their advantage. Severance is an exemplary piece of the concept. Upon its release, Severance was arguably one of the best TV shows and widely discussed over the internet. On the surface, the show looks like a curated visual of dystopia and mad science. But with each passing episode, we see the essence of a painted reality behind this futuristic production. The severance procedure is fictional, but it is a very twisted solution to the growing and real issue of work-life balance.
The story scouts widower Mark (Adam Scott), a mid-level executive working in a biotech corporation. His memories, along with that of other employees, have been ‘severed’ between work and their personal life. Trouble begins as the not-so-noble corporation these employees work for starts exploiting the experiment. In the show, Mark had a chip implanted in his skull two years ago. Initially, he saw this segregation technique as a blessing to cope with the grief of his dead wife. Leaving your brain out in the open for a secretive company to play with sounds appalling, but then there is the truth of the contemporary world. Our workplaces ask too much for the minimum reward. It makes sense if one does not want to feel the swelling work pressure once they are out of the grinding mill. The minimalistic but mind-bending tale is jaw-dropping and keeps viewers on edge the entire time.
Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
The series is a savory adaptation of the Belgian series The Outlaws. Bad Sisters follows four sisters who plot to murder their brother-in-law: the husband of the fifth sister, Grace (Anne-Marie Duff). We begin the first episode with JP (Claes Bang), the object of their rage, not only dead but exhibiting an erection in his coffin. However, for the better part, Bad Sisters does not instantly reveal the murderer or tell us how he was killed, instead, it bounces between two timelines: the current inquiry into JP’s death and the recent attempts the Garvey sisters had taken at his life. The dark comedy is sometimes unnervingly funny revolving around the subject of gaslighting and domestic abuse. But the selling factor of the show is the perfect harmony of darkness and humor. The limited series was well-constructed, appropriately paced, and a personal favorite.
Fleishman is In Trouble (Hulu)
This limited series is the TV adaptation of the novel Fleishman Is in Trouble written by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Toby Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg) scuttles through a midlife crisis after separating from his wife of fifteen years. His wife, Rachel (Claire Danes) drops their adolescent kids at his apartment and goes MIA. The broken marital status and his wife’s disappearance throw Fleishman into rock bottom but his long-lost-then-rekindled friends convince him to explore some kind of romantic dalliance. What is further interesting about the series is the clever use of voice overs to highlight the perspective of different characters.
This Is Going to Hurt (AMC+)
This is not your regular drama-filled medical show like Grey’s Anatomy. Rather it is an explicit portrayal of how life as a doctor becomes nearly unbearable. This is Going to Hurt is a nod to all the hardworking NHS workers with Ben Whishaw portraying Adam Kay, a junior medic in OB-GYN. The harrowing job drains the energy out of Kay. As a result, he becomes a ghost to his supportive boyfriend Harry (Rory Fleck Byrne), a resentful son to his controlling mother (Harriet Walker), and an absent mentor to the newbie Shruti (Ambika Mod), who idolizes him until the crude health administration shatters her enthusiasm. Each episode brings a potpourri of distressing arrivals in the hospital. Even then, Adam breaks the tension and faces the camera directly to deliver a clever one-liner. In such sharp moments like this, the show garners respect for gathering a perfect blend of grit and humor. In a way, Whishaw’s inscrutable scorn reminds me of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag. From gory birth scenes to unexpected deaths, the injustice and lack of resources in a healthcare system, all lead to a bittersweet ending.
Under the Banner of Heaven (FX)
The FX series Under the Banner of Heaven is based on the novel by Jon Krakauer and written by Dustin Lance Black. Set in the 80s, a brutal murder takes place in a predominantly Mormon neighborhood in Utah, where everyone leaves their doors unlocked. Detective Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield) is one of many devoted followers of Mormonism founder Joseph Smith’s visions and whims, which has since developed Mormon communities in a location like Pyre’s. Later revealed, the heinous double murders were performed by two Mormon Fundamentalist brothers, Ron (Sam Worthington) and Dan Lafferty (Wyatt Russell), who claim to have received a revelation from God directing them to murder two innocent victims, who happened to be their third brother’s wife and kid.
The series bounced back in two timelines to show the Lafferty family’s past and how their conservative attitudes grew into something more sinister. Moreover, Garfield’s acting is crucial. He portrays one of the most polite and pure cops in a true crime story—perhaps too sympathetic to wonder if he is cut out for this profession. As more knowledge about the Laffertys and the history of foundational Mormonism come to light, the tale becomes more about Pyre witnessing the beginnings of his whole world perspective. Pyre goes into a perplexed edge as the murder case brings his faith to the crossfire. The drama instantly became a searing crime TV property opening a can of worms. It’s no surprise that some Mormons have criticized this adaptation: it demonstrates their religion as a shelter of violent fanatics who bend the LDS doctrine to justify their crimes.
Ozark Season 4 (Netflix)
When it released in 2017, Ozark became a Netflix darling and gained a cult following. The fourth and final season came out this year. The Byrdes hit the jackpot when they grudgingly laundered money for a Mexican cartel. The finale season kept us waiting right until the end whether the maniac, calculative and ambitious Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy (Laura Linney) would come out of the mess alive, along with their kids. Viewers also rooted for Marty’s old protégé Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner), thanks to the brilliant performance her character deserved. Ozark kept the dramatic integrity intact from beginning to end.
Euphoria Season 2 (HBO)
Euphoria achieved record-breaking viewership with the premiere of season 2. The drama follows the life of a 17-year-old girl Rue (Zendaya) and her group of friends who navigate through life dealing with personal issues. Do not let the abundance of nudity and frank look at drug addiction fool you. Euphoria has broken the longstanding tradition of how the television industry portrays teen drama. The show continues to intertwine numerous separate individuals and their experiences around a bigger cautionary tale, ending in some unforgettable scenes that have been some staple pop culture moments.
Showrunner Sam Levinson created a riveting show taking inspiration from his childhood. With powerful yet flawed characters, heartache, melodrama, and eye-pleasing cinematography, Euphoria deals with some serious crises, many of which that YA era can resonate with. The famed HBO series has been renewed for a third season.
Everything I Know About Love (Peacock)
Sex in the City, but instead of four women in their forties bustling through New York, we have a younger clique in London. Based on the book of the same name by Dolly Alderton, this seven-part Peacock original looks at friendship and romance as four friends navigate their lives in their 20s and treat every day as an adventure. It is a fun interpretation of how millennials work on the togetherness of life and career. The protagonist Maggy (Emma Appleton) is self-obsessed and reckless, while her best friend, Birdie (Bel Powley) is beginning to make better choices in life. The contrast of directions might be a little cliched but makes their friendship dynamic somewhat rocky. Throughout the first season, the quartet experiences love, heartbreak, employment, and the ups and downs of friendship in an exciting way.
The White Lotus Season 2 (HBO)
Mike White’s comedy-drama was an instant hit upon its first season release last year and the second season was no less.The show is set in a naturally baroque luxury resort in Sicily. In the beginning, a slender, attractive blonde (who is a Ted Lasso fan) takes a farewell dip in the Mediterranean before heading to the US. Keeping the limestone cliffs in the background and immersing in the azure ocean, Daphne (Meghann Fahy) lets out a fearful gasp and detects a dead body. As dead bodies begin to surface, the series takes us back to what happened and which of the guests ended up dead. This season saw the recurring character of Jennifer Coolidge and saw some newcomers including Theo James, Aubrey Plaza, and Michael Imperioli.
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)
There has been endless speculation and documentaries about the likes of violent serial killers like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. But when Ryan Murphy released the crime drama with Evan Peters as Dahmer, the internet went mad. It is expected as their collaboration brings promising end products. Evan Peters hugely portrays the notorious Milwaukee serial killer Dahmer who murdered 17 men between 1978 and 1991. The show drew mixed reactions from the viewers. Some heralded the show as an exemplar of the true crime genre. Some pointed out that perhaps there have been too many materials based on one man and the industry is breaking a code of ethics by making profits from depraved minds. Putting lovely actors as the face of the most infamous murderer does not garner the hate that they are supposed to receive but rather romanticizes them. While the release of the show raised some questions, Dahmer was a show of its own receiving heavy criticism from all over.
Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
The 90s was a wild era when the Internet was at an infant age. From the impeachment of Bill Clinton to the murder of Gianni Versace, binge-worthy TV dramas have been produced from these decade-special moments. There are still some quirky scandals worth revisiting from the decade Madonna ruled. Pam & Tommy is an example of such a decade-specific event. Adapted from Amanda Chicago Lewis’ article, the limited series delves into the sex tape controversy that enveloped the celebrity couple of the mid-1990s. Starring the magnificent Sebastian Stan and Lily James, the story envelopes the whirlwind romance of Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.
Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen) is a hapless, mulleted electrician fired for his alleged faulty work by a mercurial Tommy. Desperate for revenge, Rand steals a safe from the rockstar’s garage. The eight-part mini-series shows what happened as Rand eventually finds a private sex tape of Pam and Tommy in the safe and makes it public. The energizing performance of James and Stan makes the show an enormous success. James’ physical makeover almost hammers home. Instead of showcasing Pamela as the tabloid image of a blonde bimbo, James portrays her as a thoughtful and self-aware person. Tommy has a child-like persona with the temper of a raging bull. Beneath the layers of tattoos and an arrogant metalhead stereotype, Tommy’s love for Pamela is visible. Tommy is not the husband of the year, yet his ability to turn on the charm is a precise counter to the show.
The Summer I Turned Pretty (Prime Video)
Two brothers falling in love with the same girl is perhaps a story we’ve all heard at some point. Adapted from Jenny Han’s novel, the show explores teenage romance on a summer vacation. Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) spends her summer vacation every year in Cousins Beach in an elegant beach cottage that belongs to her mother’s best friend, Susannah (Rachel Blanchard). Susannah has two sons, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavi Casalegno). Belly has a one-sided crush on Conrad, and Jeremiah has a one-sided crush on Belly. The tale is as old as time and maybe even overdone on the screen. Yet, the anticipation this show brings still hits home as we wait to see which brother Belly finally chooses. An unoriginal plot, yet the teen drama is a sweet and breezy watch that leaves us wanting more. And yes, the show has been renewed for a second season.
The Righteous Gemstones Season 2 (HBO)
The love child of The Sopranos and Succession. Only instead of crimelords, we have a southern family full of corrupt pastors. On paper, it sounds boring, but the show is so creatively sound that it won the viewers’ hearts. Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) is the patriarch of a series of megachurches but it is time for his retirement. His eldest son Jesse Gemstone (Danny McBride) is expected to take over the reins but big daddy is not ready to say goodbye yet. The younger siblings are competitive to stay on the old man’s good side and reap the maximum benefits. This is where you smell the air of Succession. The second season picks up the hysterical doings and the subplots that get in the way of peace making the Gemstones more dysfunctional than ever. They eventually unite and deal with blasts from the past and overthrow the outside forces when needed. The premiere date of season 3 is unannounced but it is expected to release in mid-2023.
Honorable Mentions
House of the Dragon (HBO Max), Slow Horses (Apple TV), Tokyo Vice (HBO Max), The Offer (Paramount+), 1899 (Netflix), The Great Season 2 (Hulu), The Crown Season 5 (Netflix), Pachinko (Apple TV), Star Wars: Andor (Disney+)