I watched so many television (and/or streaming) shows this year. In my notes, I was trying to jot down all of the shows that I had seen and, given that I also watch a lot of movies every year, I was even a little bit shocked at how much time I spent watching entertainment (especially because I was very busy with other stuff this year). But, hey, I do love crashing and/or chilling in front of the television, watching a good show, and then jotting down my notes. And, you know, there were a lot of good shows this year. Some of the shows that it hurts to have to leave off the list this time around are Bad Sisters, Disclaimer, The English Teacher, Under the Bridge, The Boys, and Sugar (and I could, honestly, go on). But there can only be ten shows on this list, and let’s now have a look at what shows made it!
#10 – Families Like Ours
From my review of Families Like Ours:
“On the whole, Thomas Vinterberg’s Families Like Ours is an effective Danish prestige drama about the climate change refugee experience and the fight to avoid an erosion of national culture once your country ceases to exist. Although it does contain moments of weakness in its performance-work and its character decision-making, the good definitely outweighs the mediocre, and Vinterberg’s moments of gracefulness, beauty, and melancholy in the face of significant and scary societal change are really effective. Although it wasn’t without blemishes, there was so much to love about this prophetic mini-series. “
#9 – Say Nothing
One of the very late entries onto this list, Say Nothing is a powerful historical drama series about ‘the Troubles’ of Northern Ireland, from the perspective of an IRA member, who took on an active role in their ‘war for freedom.’ It is an incredibly gripping series both when it follows the younger versions of the main characters and when it gets closer to modern day and they have aged and grown bitter about the state of their fight for freedom (as well as who gets to rise to the top and avoid punishment). It hooked me from minute one and never let go. It is a haunting, heavy, and eye-opening reminder of the period. Don’t skip it.
#8 – Presumed Innocent – Season 1
From my review of the first season of Presumed Innocent:
“Although this is a story that has previously been adapted into a feature film starring Harrison Ford, Kelley’s version definitely lives up to the film with this modern-esque spin, which has retooled certain aspects and which some may feel tops the film itself. Without going into detail, I’ll say that the ending is dark and twisty, though I suspect some may feel its attempt to subvert expectations leads to some disappointing loose ends or the like. It was a thrilling show to watch week to week, as each episode would gradually reveal new information that would leave you on the edge of your seat excited to see what comes next. Although the scenes between Ruth Negga and Gyllenhaal are quite good, I think the show shines the most when it highlights four central performances of characters going up against each other, namely the dueling legal teams with O-T Fagbenle and Peter Sarsgaard on the one side and Bill Camp and Gyllenhaal on the other. Fagbenle does some really interesting character work, and I am such a fan of Bill Camp, who is just note-perfect in the role as the good friend and former boss of the main character. And then you have Sarsgaard and Gyllenhaal. The real-life brothers-in-law deliver some of their best performances in years, with Gyllenhaal excelling in this very emotional and rash version of the character.”
#7 – Shrinking – Season 2
The second season of Shrinking, which I unfortunately haven’t had the time to review in its own post, was, in many respects, an improvement on the first season, as certain supporting characters got more room to show their positive qualities, and the show was better for it. But, frankly, the greatest joy of watching this show — which, at its best, is an important, well-written, and moving reminder to seek help when dealing with stress, anxiety, and more — is seeing Harrison Ford getting to do some of the best acting of his entire career. Seeing Ford be vulnerable and raw in this series is special and super impactful, and he, especially in the season finale, delivers one of the best and most moving moments of acting of the entire year. It is the kind of show that will make you cry, heal your heart, laugh, and make you smile all in one episode (and week after week). It’s a really special show.
#6 – Mr. and Mrs. Smith – Season 1
From my review of the first season of Mr. and Mrs. Smith:
“It really is a romantic action drama that goes through so many romance movie steps from episode to episode, such as the awkward meet cute, getting together, first fight, double date, saying “I love you,” contemplating children, therapy, and so on and so forth. It is such a smart structure for the season to have each episode be built around the realization of certain rom-com tropes but executing it with an espionage angle that also really works. And, ultimately, I grew to really enjoy the leads’ connection which feels more cute than Brangelina’s sizzling chemistry did, and I found that Glover and Erskine were particularly good in the handful of really strong scenes that allowed them to utilize their significant comedic talents — including in a truth serum scene in which the characters showcased honesty and how much they care in a really charming way despite the (delightfully) over-the-top espionage developments.”
#5 – Fallout – Season 1
From my review of the first season of Fallout:
“The cast and crew have created captivating storylines that make you genuinely invested in all of the pivotal characters. Of the performers, Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell really stand out, with the former managing to give a supremely entertaining performance despite being covered in make-up and/or prosthetics for most of the show. Meanwhile, Purnell really pulls off the naivety and innocence of her privileged, goodie-two-shoes vault dweller, who is always really fun to watch because of her well-chosen attitude. The show was so good that it felt like such a shame to have this be released all at once as opposed to weekly when it could’ve dominated water cooler discussions all over the world. It vastly exceeded my expectations. “
#4 – Baby Reindeer
From my review of Baby Reindeer:
“I think that the first trailer sold the show more as a dark comedy with thriller elements, but, in reality, while it does sometimes feel like that, the show is much more hard-hitting than that. Frankly, for some, this will be a very triggering show. This is a raw, honest, complex, and vulnerable account of a man being stalked by a lonely older woman that turns into a horrifying male story of being the victim of grooming, abuse, and sexual assault, which warped his sense of self and sent him into a crisis of identity, sexuality, conscience, and depression. It does a phenomenal job of handling some very taboo subject matter and is, ultimately, an extremely good show. It is extremely impressive that Gadd not only wrote something this good but also that he successfully turned in an equally good — if not better — lead performance despite his limited acting work experience. In addition to that, though Gadd may take the headlines, it should also be said that Gunning is also terrific in he series, as she manages to give layers to a character that is more than just one note in large part because of the well-tuned portrayal.”
#3 – Shogun – Season 1
From my review of the first season of Shogun:
“It is such a rich show that is full of emotional and cultural complexities and which is unafraid of being bloody or violent in its action, or even overwhelming in its language focus. There is no need to be afraid when it is executed as well as it is here, with strong performances and excellent writing. Although it’ll maybe feel a little bit like an overload of complex information in Japanese for some Western audiences in early episodes, I think, like myself, most people won’t have that problem. The dynamic and acting chemistry between characters like Mariko (Sawai) and Blackthorne (Jarvis) is so gripping, and the way their culturally distinct aspects are exchanged and interpreted makes for a fascinating watch as the total clash of cultures leads to some fascinating scenes where the weight of words, gender politics, and ritualistic significance or obliviousness means everything. This is especially true in the phenomenal fifth episode.”
#2 – The Penguin
From my review of The Penguin:
“It, of course, helps that you have a world-class movie star actor in the lead role. Even when buried under incredibly believable make-up and prosthetics that completely transform him, Farrell’s talent and performance shine through, as he delivers an incredibly effective performance that sucks you in. His rapport with Rhenzy Feliz’s Victor Aguilar is also a particular strength of the series. The other major performance in the show is the one delivered by Cristin Milioti, which it is only right to describe as star-making work. She completely captures her character’s intensity and emotional complexity, and she turns in powerhouse work (it also doesn’t hurt that she often wears character-building, distinctive, and memorable costumes). In addition to their performances, Deirdre O’Connell also shines in the role of Oz Cobb’s mother plagued by troubling past trauma and dementia. In totality, this is not just worthy of being considered one of the best superhero series ever made, this reinvention of the titular character’s story also happens to be one of the best shows of the year, regardless of genre.”
#1 – Ripley
From my review of Ripley:
“Despite following in the footsteps of a widely seen and quite popular film, the end product is astoundingly good. Zaillian has taken what, for many, will be a familiar story and made it stand out as something that feels and looks different. But while it looks and feels different, it always feels true to the central story, which, in the hands of writer-director Zaillian and cinematographer Robert Elswit, becomes an incredible noir streaming series full of rich black-and-white images. And, while it has become a cliché to state it, it really is true that every frame could be a painting here. Ripley is darkly stylish, precisely made, and meticulously paced, and the filmmaking and editing also thrive when it highlights the character’s paranoia or the occasional moments of levity that are, frankly, pretty funny. Some people will undoubtedly be thrown off by both the black-and-white look and the relatively slow, deliberate pace, but, frankly, those elements serve a purpose and work really well.
Because of the incredible cast of the aforementioned film, many will also be inspired to compare these new performances with the ones many of us know and love. Frankly, I thought there were choices made here that made the performances feel quite different, which is perhaps intentional because it is tough to go toe-to-toe with that cast. That said, I really do think Andrew Scott delivers an acting masterclass here as the titular main character and con artist. Scott’s Ripley may not have the same boyish characteristics that Damon had way back in the Minghella film. Nevertheless, Andrew Scott makes the character his own through both big choices and exceptionally nuanced acting and an approach that is perfect for the style that Zaillian is going for.”
And there you have it! Now the wait begins for the 2025 list, which will come your way in, give or take, twelve months. That said, there are a couple of film lists yet to be posted, and one of them will be up very soon. So, there are more lists headed your way, if you stick around — and please do!
– Article Written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 