Top 10 Shows I Watched In 2022

The strong appearances by major IPs on the silver screen drove much of the conversation throughout the year. Add to that a sophomore season for a great comedy, another great documentary, and a trio of Season 4s for ongoing shows I've always loved, and this Top 10 is packed with outstanding television.

No. 10 - The Dropout (Hulu)

I love a good corporate conspiracy, and this one might be the funniest one ever. Elizabeth Holmes drops out of Stanford because her professors don't believe in her (poor thing), so she decides to scam everyone she can as she plants herself as CEO of Theranos. Her company promises outlandish medical advancements that are clearly fabricated, but she somehow swindles enough morons with power - including a big wig at Wal-Greens and a high-up politician - to keep giving her money despite not having anything substantial to show for it. Elizabeth Holmes puts on such an incredible façade, delivered with absolute perfection by actress Amanda Seyfried, who nails the look, the vocal acting, mannerisms, and even postures.

It was fascinating to watch this young woman think she was actually going to get away with lying as much as she did. I love how smart she is throughout the show until the end, when she's made to seem like she has a childish mind, as if that's going to be some excuse for her. Nah, she's in jail. I've followed any bit of news covering her story, including her jail sentencing; she got 11 years!

No. 9 - Only Murders in the Building S2 (Hulu)

The characters, story, depth of the murder, and excitement level all flourished far more than what Season 1 offered because the sophomore season did not have to worry about establishing these characters on top of everything else. The show's flow and plot development far outpaced Season 1. For me, it was also fun just to watch more of Steve Martin and Martin Short play off each other again. Selena Gomez was easier to tolerate for me as Mabel, though I didn't love her character journey nearly as much.

What was fun about this season's arcing story was the number of possible suspects. The writers took their time and established motivation for a few characters while still fleshing them out as more than just possible culprits. It wasn't easy to predict anything this time around!

No. 8 - Marvelous Ms. Maisel S4 (Amazon Prime)

I wrote an entire blog on this season, and you can read it here. Suffice to say, it was an awesome season.

No. 7- Cobra Kai S4 (Netflix)

I wrote a full blog on this show, as well, so check it out here.

No. 6 - Moon Knight (Disney Plus)

Oscar Isaac may have turned in the best acting performance of any in MCU history. He was so brilliant as both versions of his Moon Knight character (or all three?!? That twist at the end was great). The story was zippy, fast-paced, and left the audience wondering what was going on, yet gave enough clarity to keep you engaged. That's hard to do considering the giant twist midway through the season and a couple of other shocking moments throughout the season. The finale was a little disappointing because it undid some major developments in the penultimate episode, which is why this show doesn't rank higher. That, and the possession-like moments weren't fun, either, though it's sort of how the character works. Still, I was okay with this MCU origin story not connecting to the larger story in any way, which I didn't think I'd like this far into the MCU's existence.

No. 5 - Stranger Things S4 (Netflix)

The top has been blown off the Hawkins mystery, and Season 4's cliffhanger set up the final season in incredibly dramatic fashion. Season 4 balanced stories across three different locations (though that didn't always serve the show well). The mystery surrounding the evil Vecna was though out well. Learning about Eleven's past was far more significant than I would've guessed. The way bullying was portrayed was impactful. Metaphors about the kids growing up abound throughout, including the play on the Dungeons and Dragons. There were just so many good story elements.

The budget obviously was noticeable, as well. The battle in the prison, the creatures, and of course, finally seeing the underworld where Vecna was all looked fantastic. The decision to stretch the last couple of episodes into basically short movies was questionable (wasn't totally necessary, to be honest), but that didn't mean it wasn't fun to watch. Can't wait to see how it all ends in Season 5.

No. 4 - Dexter: New Blood (Showtime trial through Amazon Prime)

Dexter is my favorite show not named Seinfeld, and I gushed over the new season. Read my in-depth thoughts here.

No. 3 - Andor (Disney Plus)

Andor was the highest-quality Star Wars product since Disney bought Lucasfilm, in production, acting, and writing. This is the more mature, developed side of Star Wars I hope we see much more of in the future. And the rhetoric out there that this show isn't really Star Wars is absolutely ridiculous. This show exposed a different side of the Empire and why it's the true enemy of Star Wars. I love the three-episode intro story arc, and I especially loved the story once it picked up. And for those who wouldn't want to stick it through because it was too slow simply have no appreciation for character building and story building. Dedra's determination and willingness to do whatever it took in the name of the Empire made her such a compelling character. The prison arc was fascinating, including a stellar performance from Andy Serkis. The finale was a perfect way to tie in all of the season's stories. Brilliant show.

No. 2 - Rings of Power (Amazon Prime)

Once upon time, before Marvel took off, the Lord of the Rings series was my favorite franchise not named Star Wars. I don't care what the "purists" out there say, Rings of Power thoroughly enriched the story in Fellowship of the Ring, and it reinvigorated my love for the franchise. It was fun trying to guess which characters from the show would turn out to be the key characters from the movies. The production value of the show is as high quality as any show in the streaming era. Yet, for how grandiose it was, there was a lot of care in the little details that enriched Tolkien's universe nicely. Sure, a couple of stories from the original lore were tweaked a bit, but that is not justifiable negative criticism of this show. I'm just so angry that we'll need to wait a couple of years before Season 2.

No. 1 - Kenobi (Disney Plus)

So many things could've gone wrong with this show. Creating a new story within a space that, more or less, has already been predetermined is no easy feat, but the writers pulled off a fantastic story that doesn't ruin the integrity of the original trilogy. Well, not too much, anyway; young Luke's encounter with Reva raised some questions (Reva's ability to survive Vader also was ridiculous).

Watching Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor sparring in the prequel trilogy era brought me such joy, and that scene also felt like it would've completely fit within that prequel timeline. That episode was the most well-written episode I watched from any show last year; the way the sparring lessons paralleled with the character moments were a perfect fit, and they perfectly fit within the character arc of Anakin and Obi-Wan. This character parallel was true throughout the season for young Leia, as well; her character was such a perfect imagination of what Carrie Fisher's Leia would've been like as a child.

Not only did the show have the best writing, but the show had the best finale of any show I watched last year, too. Obi-Wan and Anakin's fight was such an emotional journey. While we knew the fight had certain limitations because the characters meet again years later in A New Hope, there was such a feeling of closure that, quite frankly, was something I've always wanted to see since the end of Revenge of the Sith. The dialogue is some of the absolute best in the entire history of Star Wars. When Anakin tells Obi-Wan he is the result of his failure, and when you see the visual metaphor with the different looks of the helmet and hear the different voice effects that represent the conflict and completion of Anakin's metamorphosis into Darth Vader, there is such a finality to the rivalry of what arguably could be considered the most compelling, most complex relationship in all of Star Wars. That magnificent, monumental scene elevated the show to my No. 1 spot for all of 2022.