Top 10 Shows of 2022

My favorite shows this past year.

1. YellowJackets (Showtime).  Lost meets I don't know--"Alive"--with a generous dash of Mean Girls and all-star performances from the present day actresses (Christina Ricci! Amazing!) as well as the girls trapped in the Canadian wilderness some 25 years ago. Buzz buzz buzz.
2. Reservation Dogs (FX/Hulu). A hidden gem of a series. Ostensibly a comedy, with some laugh out loud funny moments, but really just a sweet, slow-paced, comfortable ride focused on life on the "Res" and the drive to escape for four teens dealing (for 2 seasons now) with the pain of their best friend's suicide and their own family struggles.
3. Severance (AppleTV).  Almost a miracle of a show, with so many mysteries and yet so much heart and warmth among the characters (and horror). 
4. The Bear (FX/Hulu). Gripping, perfect performances. High tension with seemingly small stakes that become literally life or death in the hands of the writers and talented actors.
5. Station Eleven (HBOMax)  This is a show that started in 2021 but ended in 2022 (much like YellowJackets) so it counts in my book. Post-apocalyptic gripping drama with a perfect first episode then a time-shift into the future, with at first mixed results but all the storylines come together wonderfully by the end. I'm planning a rewatch this winter.

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6.  The Rehearsal (HBO)  "Nathan for You" on cringe-alert acid. Hard to watch at times but so, so well done, especially the "acting class" episode. I could not stop laughing (and cringing). Not for all tastes but definitely for mine.
7. Heartstopper (Netflix) Yeah this is right up my alley as a YA author of gay teen romances but it's so well done and performed. The two leads really carry the emotions on their faces. Highly recommended.
8. Never Have I Ever (Netflix)  It's got some uneven episodes but the third season of this YA high school comedy is laugh out loud funny at moments and I've really come to love all the characters, rooting hard for Devi and Ben to finally come together (spoiler alert: maybe they maybe did?)
9. The White Lotus (HBO). I binged both seasons recently but I guess officially only the 2nd season qualifies for this list. It's a really great, very addictive show. Got a little goofy at times and I don't know if I ever liked the Mia and Lucia storylines but solid otherwise.
​10. The Peacemaker (HBOMax). From James Gunn, a spinoff of his goofy and kinda okay Suicide Squad remake, featuring one of the most hateable characters from that movie--Peacemaker, played by John Cena--in a bizarre, gross, action-packed fucking hilarious TV series with great characters and performances and I sure as hell hope it comes back even after Gunn has moved up to co-CEO of DC Films. 

Honorable Mentions:
Slow Horses (AppleTV)
Mythic Quest (AppleTV)
Players (Paramount+)
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime)
The Summer I Turned Pretty (Netflix)

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