From dragons roaring in Westeros to Saul Goodman making his final call, 2022 has been a great year for TV shows.
With 2023 upon us, we have put together the 10 best TV shows of the year.
Without further ado, let’s dive in.
1. Better Call Saul – Season 6
The prequel to the critically acclaimed series Breaking Bad concluded this year with one of the most perfect endings ever in television.
Season 6 of Better Call Saul has been a thrilling watch, with Jimmy’s transformation into Saul finally complete and the characters’ fates becoming more intertwined with those of Breaking Bad.
The show has always been a masterclass in character development, and the final season has taken things to a whole new level with its emotionally charged storylines and standout performances from the entire cast.
BCS season 6 is probably the best TV show of the year 2022.
2. Severance
This thrilling new series from Apple TV+ is without a doubt the best debut of 2022.
The show explores the various ways in which we divide ourselves in half, particularly the parts that refuse to stay put. It is set in the retro-futuristic offices of Lumon Industries, where employees’ work memories are separated from their personal memories upon arrival and dismissal.
The show’s true identity as a corporate secrecy conspiracy thriller emerges when the four employees of the Macro-Data Refinement department start to inquire about what exactly they do.
Severance never misses a beat despite its big ideas, tortuous pacing, and gorgeous filmmaking. The best television hour of the year is the frantic finale, a master class in suspense, tone, and acting.
And don’t worry if you’re stressed and puzzled about the ending, season 2 has started filming and will hit our screens soon.
3. After Life – Season 3
This show created and written by Ricky Gervais, has been a hit with audiences and critics alike. The dark comedy series follows Tony (Ricky Gervais) who continues to navigate his grief of losing his wife and try to find happiness in the midst of it all.
The final season of After Life has been a poignant and heartwarming watch. Not many series can accomplish the blend of humor with grief which Ricky has done so perfectly that will make you weep and laugh at the same time.
The series has a fantastic cast, led by the talented Ricky Gervais, and has received critical acclaim for its honest portrayal of grief and mental health. The show’s mix of humor and heart has made it a standout in a crowded field of comedies.
4. The Bear
The Bear follows fine dining chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), who returns to his hometown of Chicago to take over the struggling family restaurant after his brother’s passing, continuing the ultra-stressful yet incredibly compelling kitchen drama.
This fast-paced, boisterous, and impressively performed production presents a world that is more varied and deep than Carmy’s braised beef sandwiches.
We can’t wait to see more in season 2.
5. The Boys – Season 3
With Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy, The Boys season 3 manages to be even more gory, vulgar, and jaw-dropping than the previous one.
While the titular club of supe-haters makes every effort to be moral and use their abilities for the greater good, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) quickly embarks on his mission of vengeance, which involves finding Soldier Boy, the only supe powerful enough to defeat Homelander (Antony Starr).
This season has it all, including super-orgies, octopus foreplay, head explosions, the Ant-Man meme erupting inside a you-know-what, a musical, and much more.
6. Andor
Andor is the best Star Wars series to date which shunned the sort of pointless fan service that has marred so many recent films and TV spin-offs in favor of a forward-thinking plot, razor-sharp writing, and flawless casting.
From Morlana One to Aldhani to the prison moon of Narkina 5, Andor followed Diego Luna’s lone thief to trace the evolution of the resistance to tyranny in the galaxy before Vader and Rogue One.
Tony Gilroy deserves praise for replacing the inessential Obi-Wan Kenobi and the awful The Book of Boba Fett with one of the most politically significant television programs.
The cost and spirit of the Rebellion were better encapsulated in one climactic monologue delivered by Stellan Skarsgard and scripted by Beau Willimon of House of Cards than in any other scene in the entire series.
7. House of the Dragon
From epic sword clashes to airborne dragon battles, House of the Dragon will draw you into a close-up view of the Targaryens on the verge of civil war.
The conflict between love and hate between Rhaenyra and Alicent, which was expertly portrayed by Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Milly Alcock, and Emily Carey, served as a compelling narrative thread for the first season. House of the Dragon demonstrates that we still haven’t stopped thinking about Westeros, from the strong character development to the sheer power of dragons.
8. Mo
Mo is one of the most important and hilarious debuts of 2022.
The show focuses on Mo’s (Mohammed Amer) life, coupled with those of his Palestinian family, who are dealing with rising debt, a history of relocation, and an open asylum case.
Mo is forced to work odd jobs (including one in a strip club), strike a balance with his family’s expectations, and constantly navigate his own identity. However, the show treats each of these situations with heartfelt humor and nuance in every 30-minute episode.
In the end, Mo is a show about life, faith, and belonging, and it serves as a model for how representation in modern shows should be handled.
9. Under the Banner of Heaven
Under the Banner of Heaven is a true crime miniseries based on the bestselling book of the same name by Jon Krakauer. The show tells the story of the notorious Lafferty brothers, who were convicted of murder in the name of their fundamentalist Mormon beliefs. The series is a chilling and thought-provoking watch featuring excellent performances from its cast. Andrew Garfield gives one of his best performance till date.
Although it is not as reverent as stories so deeply rooted in these societies can be, and it is also more sympathetic to sincere believers, the show is held together by its fascinating, singular style of expressing faith. The show is a compelling inquiry in many respects, especially given how strongly it advocates asking questions to gain clarity.
10. From by EPIX
From follows a group of people who enter a nightmarish mysterious town finding themselves unable to leave, and must fight for survival against the horrors that lurk there.
Along with strong performances by Harold Perrineau and Catalina Sandino Moreno, there is gore and some genuinely terrifying moments, which make it easy to go along for the journey. There are many questions but few answers as we only catch a glimpse of the spectral monsters. But fans need not worry as the series has been renewed for season 2.
From is a creepy and suspenseful watch, and features excellent production values and a great cast.