My Top 21 Shows in 2021

What a year for watching shows across all platforms for me and my wife.

Marvel unleashed its first four MCU shows on Disney+, a couple of wildly popular Netflix shows made triumphant returns, HBO Max turned in a couple of fantastic mystery dramas, Hulu produced comedy gold and one of the best documentaries we've watched in many years, and even Peacock had two of my favorite hidden gems of the year. I watched several animated shows, the best of which was on Amazon, and we watched a decent mixture of shows that released weekly and binge-worthy shows that released all at once.

When putting together my rankings for this year, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, this is a ranking of TV seasons that were released this year. Secondly, December was a busy month, so I didn't get to watch everything on my list. I did make time for Hawkeye (blog to come), and I found a great show on Peacock to close out the year, but I did not have time for Season 2 of The Witcher among a couple others. I'm also not counting shows that are not finished, such as Book of Boba Fett, Man in the Arena, or Dexter (the latter of which should be done this month, though). This year I watched a couple of shows that came out in 2020, but I either did not have access to them until this year or did not have time to watch it last year, so I'm making exceptions and putting a couple of those on my 2021 list (Queen's Gambit is the oldest show in my Top 10). I did not watch the megahit Squid Game (nor do I intend to), and I don't have access to Apple TV (sorry, Ted Lasso). I watched Mad About You for the first time with the intentions of watching the reunion season (akin to Fuller House), but didn't get through it all in time, so that reunion show will be on my 2022 watchlist.

Going by all this criteria (and including the two 2020 exceptions), here is my ranking of the 21 best shows I watched in 2021:

TOP 21 SHOWS OF 2021, RANKED

21) Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu) - I don't regret watching this show at all, and there were actually some great stories and redemption arcs for some of the characters (the father had one the greatest monologues of any character in any show all year). The acting was good all around, and the writing was mostly fine. But they did some weird stuff in this show that I could not get onboard with, and the gimmick of this ensemble show more than ran its course.

20) Marvel's What if? (Disney+) - As with most anthology shows that are only connected in theme and not story, this was pretty hit or miss for me. Doctor Strange's episode was my favorite by far. The zombie episode was weird, but fine. The episode when Thanos is making wisecracks and actually helping was way too cheeky and subversive of expectations to be funny or clever. I could see more seasons of this in the future to explore other fun ideas, but the show never will be more than a shallow, enjoyable, yet mostly forgettable, experience.

19) Lost Symbol (Peacock) - I had higher hopes for this show, I must admit. I guess I need to remember that TV budgets are so much lower than movie budgets; Da Vinci Code is a great movie, but thinking Lost Symbol would match those heights was a mistake. The acting was cringy at times, but great at other times. Much like the book (one of my least favorite Dan Brown books), the show's story was a little convoluted before coming together in the end.

18) Behind Her Eyes (Netflix) - I thought Behind Her Eyes was a great drama, but the mystery element got too fantastical for me. In a series so grounded on real-world problems (and enhanced by strong acting), the goofy ending reveal really undermined what the show was trying to accomplish. That's not to say it wasn't a great idea, though. That twist was pretty wild, but it felt completely out of place for me.

17) Star Wars: Visions (Disney+) - You would think anything Star Wars would be higher on my list, right? But hey, this should prove I'm not totally biased. While there were some great ideas explored here, the animation styles rarely worked for me (can we all just admit that a movie or show isn't automatically great just because it's done in the (somewhat overrated) style of Kurosawa?). The episode with the Star Wars band was goofy and mostly useless. Sure, there were some episodes with great Sith and Jedi fights, which felt important in their own way considering they did not have the typical stakes we'd expect in when watching the movies. I like the idea of knowing there are other random Sith warriors out there in the Star Wars universe doing their own thing. The sibling episode was fantastic, but too many of the other episodes didn't really accomplish a whole lot for me to care that much. That's the tough part about an anthology show; you have so little time to establish a character and a motive, which doesn't lead to satisfying conclusions all that often.

16) Falcon and Winter Soldier (Disney+) - Easily my least favorite of the Marvel shows thus far, though that doesn't mean I didn't like it. It had some great comedy; Bucky and Sam were so fun to watch together. Their quips and jabs were highly enjoyable, and the social commentary (particularly in the finale) was on-point without derailing the show's true purpose and brought balance to the show's tone. The problem with this show was everything else around them. The Flag Smashers were a joke (including their childish leader Karli) despite being presented as this global threat. John Walker, the fake Captain America, was mishandled in many ways. Zemo was great in his own right, but also felt wasted by the end. Isaiah's story was terribly introduced. Sharon Carter's return sort of makes sense, sure, but not nearly enough time was invested to make her impact felt. Really the whole show was far too rushed. Maybe the concepts in the show were designed for a movie before getting piece-mealed out into six episodes, but if so, that just resulted in shoddy development and skiddish writing. What a shame, because the ideas had the makings of a great product.

15) The Bad Batch (Disney+) - The newest animated Star Wars show mostly avoided the pitfalls of disconnected mini story arcs that hindered the pacing of previous animated shows, which I appreciated. The Bad Batch simultaneously felt like a sad, but impactful, conclusion to the Clone Wars era as well as a set-up for future projects (Season 2 has been confirmed for 2022). The animation is some of the best I've ever seen in a CG show, especially the creepy episode when they search through the crashed ship. But like with most Disney+ shows, The Bad Batch mostly centered around the highlight reel of character cameos. Still, I'm hopeful that Season 2 starts blowing the lid off of bigger storylines that are getting set up now.

14) Undoing (HBO Max) - What a great murder mystery! Every episode made me think someone else committed the crime, even though it turned out to be the obvious suspect. What's great is how every character was developed enough to make their motives believable and satisfying. The finale did get a little carried away, but the conclusion was fitting. The cast was spectacular. There were some good thought-provoking social commentaries (particularly on classism, and it was interesting to see how the wife (Nicole Kidman) handled the entire situation in front of the public's eye. An all-around good show.

13) Click Bait (Netflix) - A good guilty-pleasure, binge-worthy show, Click Bait initially started with a strong message about the idiocy of people on social media. But it morphed into a good murder mystery. The writers tried to be clever by focusing on a single character each episode, but their execution was mostly clunky, and made a few characters feel contrived and one-dimensional more than anything else. Still, the story was incredibly gripping and kept me invested all the way to the finale...which is when the show tanked. The big reveal was awful, enough so to take this show out of my Top 10 consideration.

12) The Capture (Peacock) - This turned into quite the pleasant surprise to end my 2021 year (we just finished this show earlier this week). The popularity of deep fakes exploded in recent years (especially when Luke Skywalker returned in The Mandalorian Season 2 finale), so seeing the potential uses - and misuses - of the technology was fascinating. The story centered around a soldier in England who was involved in a crime that was caught on camera. But after Rachel - the do-gooder investigator who is on the fast track to moving up the ranks - looks into the matter, not everything is as it seems. Thus we are thrust into a world of digital deception, where every side has its own motives that are questionable at best and destructive and corrupt at worst. The Capture is another take on why Big Brother can be both useful and dangerous, especially when in the wrong hands. Note: if you want to watch this, I recommend using subtitles.

11) Invincible (Amazon) - This was a fun take on the superhero genre. An adult animated show that doesn't hold back on the violence, Invincible managed to tell a grounded story about a teenage boy who has a high-school crush and feels pressure to live up to his father's expectations. The superhero side of the show had crazy cool enemies, sci-fi-like stories, fun powers, and epic fights. Underlying all that was a fun investigation into a secret truth that opened up a whole new can of worms that likely will be explored in a Season 2 (if there is one).

10) One of Us Is Lying (Peacock) - It's hard for a high school drama to stand out because they all play off the same old archetypes. There's the popular girl, the stud athlete, the castaway nerd, the school gossip, etc. While One of Us Is Lying certainly didn't stray from that construct, the gimmick of the show certainly turned that idea on its head enough to make the show interesting and the investment in the characters worthwhile. The murder mystery element was quite compelling, especially given the limiting circumstances in the first episode. Similar to Undoing, One of Us Is Lying invested enough time into each character to develop enough arcs and motives to make any of the characters a plausible suspect. And the show had a great couple of mini twists along the way to keep the show from overstaying its welcome.

9) Flight Attendant (HBO Max, 2020) - This was my first true exposure to Kaley Cuoco, and boy was I impressed. She exceeded all expectations, which, to be fair, were probably unfairly low knowing what her character was like on Big Bang Theory. But Cuoco nailed every scene she was in as Cassie, the lead of the show. As for the story itself, it tried to bite off more than it could chew as some story threads had flat endings, but by and large, the show was still gripping and kept me guessing throughout. Perhaps the best gift this show gave me was an introduction to Zosia Mamet, who was absolutely perfect as Annie, Cassie's sidekick who balanced Cassie's care-free mentality with poise and a level-headed approach.

8) Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) - Oh man, was it a joy to watch Martin Short and Steve Martin together. Sure, in some ways, they served as a backdrop for jokes about their disparity in age with the millennial crowd that was represented in dull, but adequate, fashion by Selena Gomez's Mabel character. But the show was at its best when it got out of the way and let Martin and Short go to work. They were funny in so many ways, even when they weren't really trying. On top of that, the show actually turned out to be an intriguing murder mystery! A truly delightful show that is totally set up for a second season.

7) Cobra Kai (Netflix) - Season 3 was maybe my least favorite of the three so far, but it was still fascinating. The arc of watching Johnny help Miguel recover from his devastating injury at the end of Season 2 was genuine and heartwarming despite how unrealistic his healing process was. Johnny's new karate class had a fun mixture yet again. Getting a glimpse into Kreese's background was useful, if not a bit undercooked. But the coup de grace was watching Johnny and Danny unite against their former Sensei. The acting and high school drama are cheesy at times, yet somehow they elevate in quality when needed. Cobra Kai is still one of the best shows going, and I can't wait to dive into Season 4 (seriously Netflix, who releases such a big show on New Year's Eve?!?).

6) Queen's Gambit (Netflix, 2020) - Wow, did this show have it all. Anya Taylor-Joy is a brilliant actress as Beth Harmon, who was such a strong lead character. Her presence and composure are mesmerizing and demand attention in every setting and situation. Watching her character growth - from childhood to the spotlight of not only the entire chess community, but the world at large - felt so organic and fulfilling; she truly grows up right in front of the audience while still maintaining her brash, confident attitude. Whether she wins or not, she's up for any challenge, and not only do you think she can win every time she plays, but you kind of want her to!

5) Hawkeye (Disney+) - After the first episode or two, this show was a bit frustrating. As if fans of the character don't feel he's been mistreated enough, here we are, watching a show that's actually called Hawkeye, and Clint didn't even seem to be the main character. Kate Bishop gets the full character development needed for us to be a fan of hers right away, no question, but I was worried it would be at Hawkeye's expense. Thankfully that was not the case, because the show kept getting better and better. We get to see Clint try to get closure with Natasha's passing. He deals with his past reputation as Ronin. He also deals with the tension of fighting actual battles while struggling with the battle in his home life as he runs out of time to spend with his family around Christmas. Echo's introduction was enough to generate some sympathy for her at her critical moment when fighting Hawkeye. We got the pleasure of getting more Yelena, whom I'm quickly liking as much as I've liked any MCU character, including Natasha. And that surprise bad guy was an awesome addition! This show accomplishes an awful lot for a six-episode run; that's probably because it didn't have any filler episodes (as a certain other Marvel show did; more on that later). The worst part of the show - and I know I'm going to catch some grief for this - was Haylee Steinfeld. I cringed way too many times when she was on stage, especially when paired with Florence Pugh, who danced circles around her every time they were on screen together. Thankfully Steinfeld didn't derail my enjoyment of the show all that much, but she needs to grow up a little bit before I'm sold on her.

4) Loki (Disney+) - This show may be one of the greatest brain burners of all-time. Featuring my favorite villain in the MCU, Loki absolutely gripped me from the opening episode. Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson (the latter of whom we didn't get enough, if you ask me) made for one of the best pairings in all of TV this year. The show's twists never stopped, even during the one complete waste of an episode (the character moments in that episode were mostly fine, but not worth taking over an entire episode). The final couple of episodes got as crazy and wild as I was hoping they would. The comedy with the other Lokis was always abounding. The finale was mostly just exposition, which I didn't mind, as a new big bad-type character was revealed in Kang, thus injecting a lot of intrigue to the future of the MCU. The way the cliffhanger set up a second season was brilliant. Even though the audience is made aware that something sinister was always at play, we were taken for a surprising ride that was compelling and fun throughout the journey.

3) Dopesick (Hulu) - I'm thoroughly impressed with how Dopesick balanced telling a broad story about the opioid crisis while honing in on so many individual character-driven arcs that all play their part perfectly within the bigger picture/overall framework of the show. The idea of progressing each storyline topically was genius and makes me want to read the book. You feel sad about the doctor's story as he was coerced into putting his patients in harm's way. You feel frustration as the DEA agent struggles to expose what is so clearly wrongdoing on "Big Pharma's" part. You feel cheated and angry at the Sackler family. You root for the state lawyers who are the unsung heroes of national news stories that get uncovered mainly because they do the tireless, thankless work that few others are willing or allowed to do. The focus and pacing were tight, yet the character development was allowed to breathe. Incredible, eye-opening show.

2) YOU (Netflix) - Season 3 of YOU elevated the show to a whole new level of crazy. Watching Love and Joe, two psychopaths, try to live normal lives while working together to kill anyone who gets in their way was hilariously compelling. Introducing another love interest to Joe felt fitting. You knew that watching Joe and Love try to raise a baby together had disaster written all over it. Though it wasn't perfectly executed, the twist in the finale was a great idea. Between the mind games and dealing with the weirdo neighbors, everything blended together for a superb binge-worthy experience.

1) WandaVision (Disney+) - Where do I even start? The mysterious nature of what exactly was happening was so bizarre and compelling, and the pace of doling out answers and pulling back the curtain ever so slightly was just enough to keep me begging to know what happened next from week to week. We already knew about Wanda and Vision from previous MCU entries, but Marvel elevated their stories in touching, emotionally driven ways. The different style of show from week to week to match different sitcom tropes somehow gelled well with the material presented each week. The implications this show has on the future of the MCU can be big (Scarlet Witch is going to rock, no question about it), but the brilliance of those theoretical possibilities is they did not deter from the main story. People on the Internet always find reasons to complain about stuff, and WandaVision's finale was no exception (I'd wager most people built up expectations from too many reddit theories that are best to be ignored in the middle of a show), but I truly appreciated the show for what it was from start to finish. That finale was so satisfying, heartfelt, and such a strong, true conclusion, which is becoming rare for Marvel these days. The acting, the production, the costumes, the side characters, the comedy: I loved it all. My favorite show of the year.

Older shows I liked that were new to me this year:

-Seven Seconds

-Living With Yourself

-Chernobyl

-Somewhere Between

THE WIFE'S TOP 11 SHOWS OF 2021

11) One of Us Is Lying

10) Loki

9) Hawkeye

8) Only Murders in the Building

7) Behind Her Eyes

6) The Flight Attendant

5) Queen's Gambit

4) WandaVision

3) YOU

2) Dopesick

1) This Is Us