2022 might not have been a banner year for movies but boy did it rip on the small screen. One of the best years that I can recall in terms of what was offered on television, whittling my favorites down to just a list of ten was an extremely difficult task. Choosing just ten meant I had to jettison shows I genuinely adored like Apple TV+’s Irish dark comedy Bad Sisters, AMC’s seductive Interview with the Vampire retelling, Netflix’s epic fourth season of Stranger Things, and the second season of HBO’s hysterical Righteous Gemstones. In a lesser year, all likely would have earned a slot here.
James Gunn’s Peacemaker (HBO) and Eric Kripke’s The Boys (Prime Video) were the two best superhero tangential properties of the year, although I found myself consuming the entirety of She-Hulk (Disney+, meh), Moon Knight (Disney+, meh), and Umbrella Academy (Netflix, lots of fun).
For comedic offerings, Barry (HBO) had its best season yet, Hacks (Max) proved it had life beyond its breakout debut season, Abbott Elementary (ABC) continued the tradition of lovable workplace comedies, and Atlanta (FX) continued to play around with form to offer something completely new. Apple TV+ proved it has true staying power in its third year of existence, offering a rolodex of interesting dramatic properties including the crime drama Blackbird, spy thriller Slow Horses, and medical disaster drama Five Days at Memorial. And although For All Mankind couldn’t quite deliver to the same level as its superb previous season, it was electric watching nonetheless and remains a flagship program for Apple’s platform.
True crime continued to tout its appeal with the Evan Peters-led Dahmer (Netflix) capturing the attention of the masses, The Staircase (HBO) providing a narrative version of events depicted in the documentary of the same name, and Under the Banner of Heaven (FX) investigating the events of a 1984 religious cult with startling clarity. Though not quite as heavy, Pam and Tommy (FX) offered a different kind of true crime, whirled into a wild ride of celebrity comeuppance and interpersonal toil. WeCrashed (Apple TV+) and The Dropout (Hulu) were powered by major stars (Jared Leto, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried) to turn headline stories of rockstar CEOs into single-serving stories of their rises and falls.
Some of the biggest tentpole debuts of the year fell flat; Boba Fett (Disney+) largely disappointed while the long awaited Obi-Wan (Disney+) series was frankly terrible (one or two moments aside). Prime Video’s Rings of Power struggled to remain consistent throughout its first season though had some truly outstanding moments, if you could hack through all the other stuff.
As for the best of the best, the top ten best TV shows of 2022 were:
10. House of the Dragon (HBO)
After ending in relative disaster, the Game of Thrones universe had lost its shine. It took a Herculean effort to revitalize the franchise and return it to its former glory and showrunner Ryan Condal did just that with House of the Dragon. While it hasn’t truly reach the same heights as Game of Thrones in it full power, House of the Dragon relishes in the royal intrigue, steamy romances, double (and triple) crosses, and superb production design. There’s simply nothing else on television like a trip to Westeros and one can’t deny that it’s good to be back.
9. Industry (HBO)
The world of finance has never felt so alive. Industry, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay’s spitfire English drama, hails itself as a collision of Succession and Euphoria and rightfully so. The series, now shooting its third season, is a smorgasbord of business politicking and power plays by day and sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll by night. The cast of characters are like few others (Harper Stern is one of 2022’s most perpetually fascinating curios) and the complex performances from the likes of Myha-la Herrold, Ken Leung, and Marisa Abela deliver in spades. If you’re looking for a white knuckle office thriller, you can’t do better than Industry.
8. Severance (Apple TV+)
A spot on skewering of soulless corporate drudgery, Severance is an eerie sci-fi mystery from creator Ben Stiller (yes, that Ben Stiller). The season starts strong and losses a bit of steam in the middle stretch but the central mysteries remain intriguing enough to drive watchers to a hugely satisfactory end that opens the door for so much more to come. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken, John Turturro, and more, Severance is a mystery box show done right; pointed, precise, and playful. Season two can’t come soon enough.
7. The Rehearsal (HBO)
Nathan Fielder is a comedy genius. His latest effort, The Rehearsal, expands upon the cringe comedic styles of Nathan for You in shocking manner, making for a truly human house of cards unlike anything that’s ever been conceived of, let alone seen, before. The premise is simple: Fielder recruits people who want to practice for an important life event, staging that event so that the subject will be able to adequately navigate difficult situations once they’re actually in them. Where it goes from them is so much more, with Fielder reckoning with his process, his means of manipulation, and his own shortcomings as a family member and partner in ways that must be seen to be believed. It’s the funniest show of 2022 but also genuinely groundbreaking.
6. Euphoria (HBO)
I slept on the first season of Euphoria when it debuted in 2019 but was caught hook-line-and-sinker by the two episode arc between seasons mid-Covid. Season two offered many of the same seductive appeals: unmatched production design, truly groundbreaking filmmaking, electric performance from the likes of Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, Angus Gloud, Maude Apatow and others. Creator Sam Levinson couches all the high school melodrama in an explosion of visual bombast, making this the best looking and arguably best directed show of the year.
5. Station Eleven (HBO)
Although Station Eleven technically debuted at the very end of 2021, Patrick Somerville’s electrifying adaptation of Emily St. John Mandel’s novel of the same name shouldn’t be left out of the conversation of the best TV of 2022. A thrilling piece of apocalyptic hopefulness, Station Eleven was the perfect anecdote to viral melancholy in the second COVID winter. The world building was second to none and the cast led by Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, and Gael García Bernal proved one of the finest ensembles of the year. As rich and well-conceived an adult-oriented dystopian thriller as there was this year.
4. White Lotus (HBO)
White Lotus creator Mike White takes the bones of his celebrated first season of White Lotus and runs with it with a pitch perfect season two. This time around, his guests travel to Sicily where they confront their sexual proclivities. Dishonesty, deviance, and desire burn bright amongst the perfectly cast ensemble, with the backdrop of another whodunnit murder mystery adding another layer of salacious intrigue. What’s amazing is that HBO’s out-of-left-field monster hit show still feels like it’s just getting started. With the ability to introduce a fresh cast each season while pocketing the option to continue various plot threads held over from previous vacations, White Lotus truly has bloomed into something titanic. White has teased that the third season will take place in Asia and explore themes of religion and I can’t wait.
3. The Bear (FX)
FX’s refreshing little Chicago kitchen drama about a fine dining chef who returns home to take over his deceased brother’s Italian beef sandwich shop is just that: a breathe of fresh air. From its kitchen accurate setting to its unique characters and original exploration of grief and grieving, there’s something just so fresh and alive about The Bear. The dramedy from creator Christopher Storer can pivot from hilarious to heartbreaking over the course of a scene and elevates a cast of unknowns into richly drawn characters who feel like family by the end of the eight-episode run. Storer manages to do so much with so little (episodes are around 30 minutes long), making for the most deliciously revitalizing debut season of TV this year.
2. Better Call Saul (AMC)
What started as a humble spin-off of one of the greatest television shows of all time became itself one of the great TV shows of a generation. And no season of Better Call Saul bested its sixth and final season which forced the three versions of our protagonist (Jimmy McGill, Saul Goodman, and Gene Takavic) to come to a head. Time and again, creator Vince Gilligan showcased his prowess as a storyteller, staging little cons and heists all season long, leading to an epic final episode that’s deeply character-focused and even better than Breaking Bad’s curtain call. Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn deserve all the flowers. They will be missed.
1. Andor (Disney+)
The most exciting television show of 2022 came from the most unexpected of places: the Star Wars universe. Over the course of the last decade, the newly minted Disney-Star Wars property became increasingly uninspired. And then came Andor. A powerfully told story of small-scale rebellion against a fascistic regime, the show from Tony Gilroy isn’t great because of its association with the high-value IP. It’s great in spite of that. Gilroy and company manage to tell a fascinating saga of the human cost of rebellion with striking set pieces, incredible dialogue (Andor features the most rousing writing of the year), and top-notch acting, making for a season of television that is genuinely thrilling, edge-of-your-seat stuff. With Andor, Star Wars finally grew up alongside its audience.
