The Best TV Shows of 2022
HONORABLE MENTIONS: ABBOTT ELEMENTARY (ABC), THE AFTERPARTY (Apple), BARRY (HBO), THE BOYS (Amazon Prime), GIRLS5EVA (Peacock), HEARTSTOPPER (Netflix), ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING (Hulu), RICK & MORTY (Adult Swim), THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES (HBO), WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (FX)
10. INDUSTRY (HBO)
The most “TV-ish” TV show to come out in a while, Industry reached even soapier heights on TV in its second season with the addition of a deliciously smarmy Jay Duplass. Cribbing liberally from Mad Men, the series found its greatest success this season in its numerous double crosses (and double double crosses) and its enjoyably thorny characters. It’s also the sexiest show on television and there’s not much competition.
9. CHUCKY (USA)
A masterpiece of genre television, the second season of Chucky doubled down on its gore and subversive delights, with Jennifer Tilly (sometimes playing herself!) almost running away with the entire season.
8. THE BEAR (Hulu)
Full disclosure, I was looking forward to The Bear because I learned a friend was writing for the show. Imagine my surprise when it became one of the biggest shows of the year. Thankfully, it’s also one of the best, with Jeremy Allen White giving one of the very best performances of the year, showcasing acting skills on this show that Shameless fans know all too well. It’s also one of the most lived in shows of the year, and one of the most stylistically interesting, taking cues from Uncut Gems but wisely putting its own spin on the “intense workplace” genre.
7. THE RESORT (Peacock)
I’d say it’s a surprise that The Resort is as good as it is, but that’s discounting the star power of The Good Place’s William Jackson Harper and Palm Springs’ Cristin Milloti. The couple elevates the delightfully screwy and existential antics of The Resort, the rare streaming show that manages to evoke a unique visual and thematic vibe consistently throughout.
6. STATION ELEVEN (HBO Max)
While airing only three episodes in 2022, I still had to include the masterful Station Eleven, which is one of the most profoundly moving shows I’ve seen in a long time. A love letter to art and hope in the literal worst of times, Station Eleven could have been unbearably corny, but thanks to the performances, the deft writing (courtesy of series creator Patrick Somerville, also a writer on The Leftovers) and breathtaking direction from Hiro Murai (one of the best directors working in television at the moment), Station Eleven is superb.
5. THE WHITE LOTUS (HBO)
The White Lotus literalized its thematic concerns in its second season, to even better results, surprisingly. Whereas the first season was concerned with wealth and class, the second season dug into the thorny waters of sex and transactional relationships, which gave writer Mike White even more room to skewer the types of rich people that can’t help but ruin their own happiness. The casting continued to be great this season as well, with Aubrey Plaza, Meghann Fahy, and newcomer (to America, at least) Sabrina Impacciatore propelling the show to new heights. I had concerns about continuing the show (which was supposed to be a limited series), but the second season of The White Lotus proved that White still has plenty of more story to tell in this well realized world.
4. BETTER THINGS (FX)
I’ve said many great things about Better Things over the past six years which have largely remained true up until its final season this past year. Bittersweet and hopeful until the end, the series captured modern life so well and it’s sad to see it go. Pamela Adlon still remains one of television’s biggest hidden treasures, a master in voiceover, acting, writing, and direction.
3. THE REHEARSAL (HBO)
I didn’t think Nathan Fielder could ever top Nathan For You, but The Rehearsal proved that Fielder is so much more creative and possibly insane than I could have possibly thought. An ingenious premise (rehearsing personal events as specifically as possible so nothing goes wrong during the real act) gives way to the sharpest reality TV satire possibly ever aired on television and an increasingly metatextual story that effectively fooled many viewers, despite using the same tricks that every other reality show uses. The show’s philosophical views on regret, aging, and anxiety are as dark and convoluted as they are deeply hilarious, which is the real genius within Fielder’s humor.
2. BETTER CALL SAUL (AMC)
Heartbreakingly tragic and beautifully realized, the ending season of Better Call Saul was everything I could’ve asked for, and genuinely advances the argument that this spinoff is actually better than the original Breaking Bad. While they have essentially the same premise (ordinary man becomes an unrepentant criminal), Saul added so much soul and romanticism that it became unbelievable that we’d ever meet the man who’s human slime from his very first scene of Breaking Bad. It’s a testament to the pantheon level performances of Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn, as well as the careful writing and methodical direction that such a trajectory felt so natural and progressive over the course of six seasons.
- RAMY (Hulu)
The Hassans are the most interesting family on television and season three of Ramy cemented the show as the best on television, with fearless episodes revolving around Palestine and therapy wrangling as many laughs as they do tears. The show’s unrelenting darkness is its biggest strength, with the titular character’s cyclical journey underlining his fatal flaws and viciously skewering the easy paths we tend to take towards self-betterment. A character has never been as simultaneously sympathetic and unlikable since Tony Soprano, and it’s a credit to both the writing and Ramy Youseff’s performance that I feel comfortable making that comparison.
