It’s been a while since I put together a Faves of the Year list so I thought this was a good time to bring it back. If I’m tracking everything I’m consuming, might as well put that data to good use! To kick things off, I’m starting with TV. I made a Top 10 with some Honourable Mentions underneath that didn’t quite make the cut. Everything on this list is a show that aired in 2022. Aside from being on the list itself, they’re just in alphabetical order.
Read on…
Fave TV:
- The Afterparty (Apple TV+) – I think it’s safe to say that I am a Christopher Miller stan. I don’t think there’s anything that him or Phil Lord have created that I haven’t absolutely adored…and that definitely applies here. The Afterparty was something I went into fairly blind and wound up loving from start to finish. A well-crafted whodunnit with a stellar cast and comedy chops to round out the dark murder-ey component to the show. Sam Richardson is fantastic as is everyone else who each brings something unique and exciting to their respective characters.
- Bad Sisters (Apple TV+) – Another murder-ey show! Bad Sisters is the story of four sister who are desperate to save their fifth sister from an awful marriage. We go back and forth between the present and past as we navigate various POVs to unravel the mystery. Everyone is excellent in the series with standout performances from Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, and Sarah Greene. While I think I’d prefer the show to stay a limited series, I’m intrigued to know where they’ll potentially go with it from here (and will definitely watch!)
- Euphoria (HBO/Crave) – What can I say about Euphoria that hasn’t already been said? It feels like a show that was created for young fans of Skins that grew up and wanted something even edgier. Which describes me…minus the edgier part. I could watch seasons of Skins for always and it’s not a light and fluffy watch as is, but Euphoria is somehow moreso. Anyways, the second season is great and as many others have pointed out, Sydney Sweeney is such a bright shining star, as is obviously Zendaya.
- Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls (Prime) – This was maybe my favourite feel-good reality show this year. And I watched a lot of reality TV. But it’s the way that Lizzo broke the rules of a competition show that did it for me. Not wanting to eliminate dancers unless it was necessary and willing to have multiple winners in this season felt like such a strong, positive message. You know, along with the strong, positive messages conveyed throughout the entirety of the show. Lizzo is an icon and a legend.
- Minx (HBO/Crave) – It’s been a hot minute since I’ve watched this and I truly forgot that it came out in 2022 (what a year!) but what a great show. You can’t go wrong with Jake Johnson and then Ophelia Lovibond does such a great job at bringing exactly the right energy to her role. She bounces off of Johnson so well and the two have great chemistry together. I loved seeing a show focused on the female gaze and the efforts of the characters as they try to navigate their magazine and audiences.
- Ms. Marvel (Disney+) – Ms. Marvel was one of the comics that seismically shifted the current industry landscape. Sana Amanet, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, and the entire team created a series so compelling that it became an international sensation. It’s no surprise that they brought that magic to the silver screen! Similar to some thoughts I had RE: She-Hulk (along the lines of pacing, episode count, etc.) it had a few problems overall. But the greater enjoyment of the show and the impact that it has had outweighs any qualms I have. Iman Vellani is endlessly charming and charismatic in the role, even when she’s being a very typical young teen. A brilliant show that (also like She-Hulk) has something to say.
- Our Flag Means Death (HBO/Crave) – I’m on a rewatch of this show currently and continuing to love every moment of it. The first episode didn’t initially pull me in and capture me, but my friend told me to push on and I’m so glad I did. Pirates! Shenanigans! Kissing! It’s everything I could possibly want and more. It’s funny and endearing, all while having a great story to round out everything going on.
- Peacemaker (HBO/Crave) – After Suicide Squad, I was not at all interested in a series about Peacemaker. It just didn’t seem necessary or something that I would wind up really meshing with. But similarly to OFMD, people kept talking about it and my curiosity was piqued. The first episode didn’t grab me but then all of a sudden, I was invested. The music, the vibes, the characters, and the acting…it’s all such a joy! I definitely didn’t anticipate it being one of my faves of the year either, but here we are. What a well-crafted series with a cast that is ridiculously likable, even when they’re not.
- Sandman (Netflix) – I’ve never read the comics but decided to dive into the series and hoped that it would still be enjoyable…and it was! The cast is phenomenal and while I have nothing to compare it to in terms of source to adaptation, I think that it does a really fantastic job of pairing down the ideas in the original and bringing them to our TV screens. I’m sure lots of other people have thoughts specifically on how it translates but my opinion based solely on the show is that it was incredible, compelling, and very enjoyable overall.
- Severance (Apple TV+) – Last but not least on the list is Severance. Like many others, I was absolutely captivated by this series and horrified by it at the same time. While it doesn’t necessarily present as a horror show—I’d say more sci-fi/thriller vibes—it still has this deeply embedded horror component to it in showing us one of the worst versions of what an even worse capitalist society could look like. Not to say that our current world isn’t already that…but the ideas presented in Severance show us something that feels eerily plausible and terrifying as we try to figure out what’s going on and get to the bottom of things.
Honourable Mentions:
- The Bear (Disney+) – I recognize that this show is incredible. Great story, brilliant acting, and just an all-around stellar season. However, it gave me so much anxiety to watch that I don’t know that I’d necessarily call it a fave. So I’ve put it in honourable mentions here because it still deserves all the acclaim.
- Heartstopper (Netflix) – While I did love this show and it (like Euphoria) felt like Skins in all the right ways, it just didn’t quite break into the Top 10. It’s so heartwarming though, and the cast is truly special here as they tell a story that is sure to resonate with many a young person going through similar things.
- What We Do in the Shadows (Disney+) – I love WWDITS. Like, a lot. But this season—while still great—has to be my least fave of the series so far. It’s hard because the others are so strong and it’s nearly impossible to keep up that level of quality, especially in a comedy. The characters and situations they get in continue to be brilliant, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. At least not enough to make it into the Top 10.
And that’s it for my TV Top 10. The streaming services in brackets are for Canada, so if that’s not the place it streams for you…well, take that up with Canada.
What shows are in your Top TV lists? Let me know in the comments or say hello over on social media!