Woot woot!
New year's eve is upon us! 2023 is imminent, so it's time for the final end of year rankings. First off, my ranking of the TV shows I watched this year. I've said this in my past few rankings, but I'll say it again. 2022 wasn't a great year for movies. It was a great year for TV shows. There were some fantastic new shows and some awesome returning ones. I'm so excited to talk about them here. Let's dive in.
14. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
I've voiced my hate for this show a lot already, but I'll do it some more. She-Hulk was awful. Absolutely atrocious. It felt like Marvel just creating content for Disney+ and not actually putting any effort into it. A legal comedy has no place inside of the MCU, especially when it's a bad legal comedy. The writing was horrific. The acting wasn't even that good. The story was a mess. If it wasn't in the MCU, I probably wouldn't hate it as much, but since it is in the same universe as the Infinity Saga, it feels like such a huge drop-off and low point for the franchise.
13. The Book of Boba Fett
I didn't really have high expectations for The Book of Boba Fett. Glad I didn't, because this show sucked. It was easily the most bored I've ever been with Star Wars. There were two good episodes in here, and both of them were more episodes of The Mandalorian than they were episodes of The Book of Boba Fett. The story was bad. The characters were dull and forgettable. I did not like it at all.
12. The Sandman
The first half of The Sandman was good. It wasn't great, but I thought it was pretty good. The last four episodes of this show, though, followed it's own little story arc...and became awful. The dip in quality between episodes one through six and episodes seven through ten is insane. It's like they changed writers and gave us a bad CW fantasy show. This show showed promise, but I cannot forgive the immense nosedive it took after the sixth episode.
11. Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel was fine. The first two episodes were a great teen coming-of-age superhero story, but then it slowly devolved into a worldwide adventure and family drama that I did not enjoy as much. The story was incredibly clunky. Certain characters disappeared for the middle part of the season. We have two villains, neither of which are related in any way shape or form. Neither of them are good, either. It's just a mess of a show that is elevated by a great central character and performance with Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan.
10. Moon Knight
Much like Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight showed promise after its first two episodes. It was cool. It was different. It had supernatural elements. It felt like a psychological thriller. But after episode two, we went to Egypt, and it suddenly became bland Marvel noise. While Oscar Isaac is great and there are some genuinely shocking moments, Moon Knight never fully comes together. It becomes a much bigger show than it should've been. It went from reserved psychological thriller to massive kaiju spectacle in six episodes. That's too much. But I do like the character and I think there's a future with him in the MCU.
9. Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi was my most anticipated TV show of the year, and it was slightly disappointing. It was massively redeemed by what I thought was a fantastic final episode, but overall, the story and characters just didn't entirely work as well as they should've. First off, it's a very simple and generic Star Wars story. Secondly, it makes no sense that Obi-Wan and Leia would've had this whole adventure together and then Leia would just forget him. Finally, the character of Reva didn't work for me at all. I think seeing Obi-Wan again was fun. Seeing Hayden again was fun. And seeing Ewan McGregor take on Darth Vader was awesome. The novelty of all of that makes this show good. But a good story and better execution would've made this show great.
8. Werewolf by Night
Werewolf by Night was a fun throwback Halloween special. It's definitely too short, but it's really well done. The story is quick and efficient. The action is exciting and fun. And Michael Giacchino's direction is fantastic. I love the fact that we have a fifty-minute Marvel special that's in the style of Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Wolf Man. It isn't great. It still has too many MCU jokes. But I really, really dug this project and I hope they do more stuff like it.
7. House of the Dragon
I've never seen Game of Thrones, so House of the Dragon was my introduction to Westeros. And what an introduction it was. This show was very good. It started off great, but it lost me a few times throughout the season. If you eliminate the insane amount of time jumps, House of the Dragon would probably be top three. It's still a really good show. The fact that they can balance a huge ensemble of characters as well as they do is incredibly impressive. The conflicts are paid off by gigantic, shocking moments that will have your jaw on the floor. Very solid show. Cannot wait for a second season.
6. Wednesday
I fully admit that House of the Dragon is higher quality than Wednesday, but this show is so charming and so entertaining. Jenna Ortega is magnetic in the lead role. She makes the show worth the watch, but beyond that, it is an intriguing mystery that has a supernatural edge infused with a bit of dark comedy. All of that combined makes for a really fun ride that does feel a little bit too CW-ish at times, but is still entertaining nonetheless.
5. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Like Werewolf by Night, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is short and sweet. The difference here is that we already know and understand our characters, so it doesn't feel underdeveloped and annoying at times. We get to spend a lot of time with Mantis and Drax, who solidify themselves as a top tier MCU duo. It's a hilarious story about the two of them trying to get Kevin Bacon as a Christmas present for Star-Lord. That's a concept that only James Gunn can come up with, and I absolutely love it. This was a great way to close out the year for the MCU.
4. Peacemaker
Peacemaker kicked off 2022 in fantastic fashion. This was a great year for TV, and this show started it all. James Gunn took this horrible, despicable character from The Suicide Squad and gave him an incredibly compelling backstory that makes him very sympathetic. He creates an ensemble cast of characters that are all very likable and charming. And he injects his crazy sense of humor that I absolutely love. John Cena is hilarious. The story gets a bit muddled sometimes. The whole alien invasion plotline is a little bit odd. But overall, Peacemaker was a blast.
3. Cobra Kai (Season 5)
I don't know what happened after season three, but it seems like Cobra Kai just got a major injection of some kind of drug that just boosted it all the way up, because seasons four and five have been on a different level than the first three seasons. Cobra Kai V gives us a team-up between Daniel, Johnny, and Chozen as they all fight to take down Terry Silver. This season is full of some great, long-awaited payoff, most notably Robby and Miguel finally working out their differences. Terry Silver makes his case for the best villain in the Karate Kid franchise as he brutally attacks Daniel and co. throughout the season. This was a great continuation of Cobra Kai, and I cannot wait to see what happens in future seasons.
2. Severance
Severance was amazing. Just on a technical level, this show was worth the watch. The cinematography and music alone are worth watching, but then add on the insane story and great characters, and you’ve got a gigantic hit from Apple TV. The concept is interesting, and the show takes itself in several very shocking places that you do not see coming. It’s so eerie and unsettling while feeling so normal at the same time. There are a lot of unanswered questions, but that just makes for an exciting future for this show.
1. Stranger Things (Season 4)
Stranger Things is my favorite TV show of all time, and there was no doubt in my mind that season four would reach the incredible heights of the first three seasons. And, of course, it did. This show has become massive. The stakes are ridiculously high. The scope is gigantic. There are tons of characters. All of the episodes are over an hour long, with the finale being two and a half hours long. This increase in size doesn’t make the show feel overinflated. Instead, it makes it feel more emotional and more impactful. It still has great characters and a thrilling, fantastic story. Vecna is a terrifying foe that has set a big stage for the final season. I absolutely adored season four and I am anxiously, anxiously awaiting season five so that Stranger Things can solidify itself as one of TV’s greatest.