Lots of television this year! I spent 620 episodes in front of my TV, and I think you should know about the ones that are most certainly the best.
Cobra Kai – I mean, we got seasons 4 and 5 in about nine months, and the story lines just keep getting better and better! It’s even more cool to see how they can incorporate old characters from the film franchise. This time around we got to see Daniel and Johnny work together to take down not one, but two common enemies. The battles weren’t easy, but the interpersonal relationships made the journey a fun one! I cannot recommend this show enough.
Letterkenny – I needed a new comedy to binge, so the start of 2022 gave me just that with this Canadian powerhouse. It’s consistently hilarious and has given me new phrases to use in my daily life, such as “figure it out!” This year even gave us a new season, a spin-off (Shorsey), and a live tour! Very, very cool.
The Bear – I love a good FX series, and this one is no exception. It focused on the intense chaos at a Chicago deli, both in the kitchen and in their lives. Carmy comes back to this restaurant to take over after his brother’s death, but it’s clear he needed it, too. This show had me anxious, but in the best possible way. Plus, some super sweet cameos!
Stranger Things – What’s not to love about this sci-fi horror series? In my opinion, this fourth installment was totally worth the wait. We only got seven episodes, by a lot of them were the length of feature films! We saw most of out cast split into little pods, but the main goal was getting Hopper out of Russia and stopping Vecna from destroying Hawkins.
The Other Two – Man! I was pretty nervous this comedy was never coming back, but after several years and a new home, they finally delivered the goods. And what goods they were! I was concerned that I wasn’t going to like the second season as much as the first, but they proved me wrong! I cackled a lot during this ten-episode run, and I promise you will, too. What happens when two siblings try to find fame in their wildly famous brother’s shadow? Hilarity. That’s what.
The Afterparty – The creativity of this whodunnit was truly awesome! A mega star ends up dead at the after party of a group’s high school reunion. Each episode tells us just a little bit more as each member gets interviewed. Not only do we get to see different perspectives of the same night, but each is told in its own style! There’s a musical episode, a rom-com, an action take – you name it! Very fun.
The White Lotus – It’s so hard to compare to the delightful first season of this show, but I don’t have to because this season was just as great! A bunch of rich people congregate at the Sicily location of the White Lotus and a lot of messy lives are laid bare. Sex is the word this season and we sure see a lot of it. Similar to the first season, we have to figure out who’s dead and who did it. I know I couldn’t guess it!
Interview with the Vampire – In preparation for the new series, I watched the original 1994 film, but the books remain untouched for now. In that regard, I like that they kept a lot faithful to the story, but also taking a good amount of creative liberties. For instance, the time gets moved up to present day, but the bulk of Louis and Lestat’s canon romance takes place in New Orleans in the early 1900s. Lots of gore, opulence, and…vampires! A must-watch.
Reboot – I was unexpectedly surprised by this new comedy exclusive to Hulu. In catching the trailer from time to time, the cast had me intrigued, but the amount of times I laughed during it is what convinced me to check it out. I continued to laugh during this very meta comedy about rebooting a beloved early 2000s sitcom…in a much more adult fashion.