Top Ten TV Shows of 2022

It’s that time of year again. The days are short, the temps are falling (at least here in Chicagoland), and it’s nearly the end of 2022. Which means that it’s time for my annual Top Ten TV Shows list! It was a heck of a year for television. Network comedies roared back into prominence with two gems (both of which found there way onto my list). There were a host of true crime miniseries starring some flashy names centered around various people who did various bad things (none of which found their way onto my list). And the late summer brought with it a clash of IP, with HBO’s House of the Dragon, Disney+’s She-Hulk and Andor, and Prime Video’s The Rings of Power facing off in a competition to see which insanely expensive series would capture the zeitgeist and charm critics. While I did enjoy a lot about The Rings of Power, only one of those four ended up on my list.

I enjoyed the Steve Carell vehicle The Patient but couldn’t find room for it on my final tally. Same for the gorgeous Pachinko and the compelling (but a bit too convoluted for me) Severance from AppleTV+ and Sandman over on Netflix. Strange New Worlds managed to take Star Trek back to its roots and also managed to charm me weekly, but it just missed the cut. And while I toyed with putting the strange as hell The Rehearsal onto my list – I’m still working through my thoughts on that one months after the fact – I just couldn’t justify bumping off one of my final shows.

A bit of housecleaning before I dive into the list. To make the list, the show needed to air new episodes in the 2022 calendar year (that means no Ted Lasso or Succession – two shows that made the list last year). If the series aired a couple episodes in 2022, but the bulk in 2021, I didn’t count it (that excludes Yellowjackets and Station Eleven, both of which I loved, but both of which I included last year). And, as always, this is a wholly subjective list. It might have some shows you loved. It might have some shows you hated. It might be missing shows you thought were incredible. I hope it brings back some fond TV memories for you – or even inspires you to try out a new series. After all, there’s so much damn TV out there, there’s definitely something for everyone. Oh – and if you’re looking for a bit more about the shows listed here, I’ve written more in-depth pieces about most of them. I’ve included links where that is the case.

10. Abbott Elementary (ABC)/Ghosts (CBS)

I watch exactly two shows that air on network television (and, judging from conversations with others in my age group, I’m not alone in that small amount of time spent on “traditional” television shows), and it’s these two comedy gems. Abbott Elementary is a classic workplace sitcom, infused with more heart than one can imagine, and sprung from the mind of the genius Quinta Brunson. Ghosts, on the other hand, is a touch more acerbic and is an American adaptation of a successful British sitcom of the same name. And both are ridiculously funny. For Abbott, there’s a joy in watching the cast bounce off one another, learning – albeit slowly in some cases – to be more conscious of how they impact their coworkers. Sure, the always chipper and often naïve Janine (Brunson) is starting to gain more self-awareness, but her sunny disposition is also slowly allowing her more jaded co-workers the chance to thaw out themselves. It’s the perfect combination of comedy meeting humanistic storytelling. And over on Ghosts, the series continues to be a laugh riot, finding new and interesting ways to throw together the large ensemble cast and cook up weird stories that expand our understanding of the various characters and their tragic (but mostly tragically funny) backstories. There’s a lot of edgy, dark TV out there, and these two rays of light help balance it all out for me.

9. The Bear (FX on Hulu)

If there’s something I love almost as much as television, it would be the world of fine dining. And, living in Chicagoland, I have no shortage of excellent restaurant options. Which is part of why The Bear, which takes place in the world of a Chicago Italian Beef joint, appealed to me. Sure, the Chicago bona fides of the show are pretty strong (the accents, less so), but the series makes its bones on creating a deeply connected family out of seemingly unconnected characters. Sure, there’s food – Yes, Chef! – and there’s a darkly sad backstory for just how Carmy ended up taking over the family business, but the series weaves the complex threads of pain, depression, loss, and hope together to create a beautiful tapestry of characters you can’t help be grow to love (or tolerate in the case of Richie). And then there’s the penultimate episode – the most intense 20 minutes of television this year. I’m not sure we need a second season of this one, but I’m interested to see how things change with the move from a Beef joint to a more fine dining spot. It is Chicago, after all, so we’re pretty discerning on our food. And for those who were horrified with my reveal in my season one review that I’ve never had an Italian Beef, well, I’ve since rectified that. And yeah, it’s a damn good sandwich.

8. Somebody Somewhere (HBO Max)

I just managed to get my watch of this show in under the wire and I’m so thrilled I did. A grounded, humanistic look at life in small town Kansas, the series tackles the always relevant question of “Can you go home again?” While the first season doesn’t come down fully on one side or the other, it certainly makes a case for how returning “home” never really means returning to who you were then. Rather, and especially in the case of the show’s protagonist Sam, it means taking who you have become and seeing your past with new eyes. Reconnecting with people you might have overlooked before, recognizing that you don’t need to compromise your worldview simply to make others around you more comfortable, and that it’s ok to challenge those who seek to tear you down. One of the most valuable things to realize as you get older is that, while it’s important to have touchstones – whether friends, family, or both, it’s more important to love who you are. So, if someone is telling you to compromise your sense of self for their own selfish reasons (in the case of Sam’s family, it’s so they don’t have to feel their own guilt over abandoning their gay daughter and sister while she died), well, you certainly don’t have to do so. Once you’re happy with who you are you can finally start to surround yourself with others who love you for that innate sense of self. A necessary lesson from a sensational show.

7. Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)

For the first half of Our Flag Means Death’s first season, I enjoyed the series but didn’t find it all that special. But then the series figured a couple of key character elements out – chief among them that the central through line of the story was that the show was a queer love story between The Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard – and everything fell neatly into place. Ok, not neatly, but the story clicked, the characters were in great shape, and the comedy felt like it had a sense of purpose that had been lacking up until that point. And we ended up getting one of the loveliest love stories on television this season. Which I don’t think anyone expected when the series premiered this summer. But in addition that love story, we were also treated to to a fun and funny swashbuckling tale (complete with a murderer’s row of excellent guest stars throughout). A hell of a combination and I can’t wait to see how things shake out in season two.

6. Bad Sisters (AppleTV+)

The bonds of sisters run deep – and in this very dark comedy, they may even encompass the murder of one sister’s odious husband. But, nestled among that mystery – one that is resolved at the close of the season, with the series set to return for a second – is a story about how those we love the most can inspire us to take steps we never thought possible. Abuse is a complex and difficult topic to tackle – and in a comedy, no less – but Bad Sisters handles the subject matter with aplomb. We know who our villain is from the jump, but we also see that our heroes aren’t necessary the pure white hats one might expect from a series like this one. Rather, everyone on the show is flawed in some clear and relatable way. But the one thing that remains true is that these sisters genuinely love one another and would do anything – even commit murder – to see that their sister is protected from the monster in their midst. With sensational performances across the board, Bad Sisters was a cut above the rest.

5. Andor (Disney+)

As someone who wasn’t particularly invested in Rogue One (I found the characters to be one-note and the story fine, but nothing special), I was prepared to have similar thoughts on Andor, the Disney+ Star Wars series that aimed to tell the story of Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor prior to his role in the theft of the Death Star plans in Rogue One. Well, it turns out that Tony Gilroy managed to make a believer out of me with his stunning 12-episode first season of Andor. And he did it by making the titular character simply the catalyst for the rich, complex, and compelling story of the series. Luna is a fine actor, but Cassian is rarely the most interesting character on screen. Instead, we get to know Stellan Skarsgård’s secretive spy master Luthen, Fiona Shaw’s Maarva (who happens to be Cassian’s adoptive mother in addition to one of the Rebellion’s first major sparks), Denise Gough’s sadistic Imperial investigator Dedra Meero, and Kyle Soller’s Syril Karn, the Javert to Cassian’s Jean Valjean. And that’s not even getting into Genevieve O’Reilly’s regal and troubled Mon Mothma, not quite in her role as leader of the Rebel underground, but here a powerful Senator who is working as hard as she can to keep the Empire from destroying all in their path – and who is destined to lose all she loves in the process.

See? Pretty heady stuff, right? And not a lightsaber in sight. Rather than tread on nostalgia or give us more space battles and legacy characters, Andor instead committed to showing us the simple and mundane elements that lead to the rise of fascism and the growth of a rebellion. The people who are willing to look the other way while their own pockets get lined, the bureaucrats who keep their heads down lest they draw notice and lose their job. The freedom fighters who toil, unknown and in secret, until the time comes to spring their trap and they die, still unknown to the masses but having dealt a key blow that down the line might save a dozen lives. These feel like normal people; people with lives, families, jobs, that we can understand. It can be fun to watch galactic battles for the fate of the universe. I love it myself. But it’s refreshing to see that Star Wars can still surprise. And still feel fresh and new, even after all these years.

4. Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu)

Reservation Dogs is a show unlike any on television – a series written by and about indigenous characters on an Oklahoma reservation. But that’s not what got it its place on this list. No, Reservation Dogs is on this list because its second season had the most heart out of any series on television this year. Yes, it’s funny. Yes, it is, at times, pretty surreal. But it has so much damn heart. Telling the story of four friends (Devery Jacobs’ Elora, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai’s Bear, Lane Factor’s Cheese, and Paulina Alexis’ Willie Jack) attempting to make their dream of escaping the Rez for California a reality in the aftermath of their friend Daniel’s suicide, we see how life on the Rez is both suffocating, enticing, and complicated for them and their various friends and family members. But what makes season two so damn good is the show’s willingness to take its time to delve into how each of these four characters feels about their life – where in season one they operated more or less as a monolithic group (with the occasional break out moment for Elora or Bear), season two allows each of the four a chance to shine. We see how Elora’s California dreams are born more out of a true desire to escape a future she doesn’t want for herself, while Willie Jack wants to honor her cousin Daniel by fulfilling his dream.

Grief isn’t an easy emotion to successfully portray on film, largely because it takes such different forms for so many people. But Reservation Dogs threads that needle perfectly. We see how these teenagers come to their own understanding of who they are and who they want to be in the aftermath of such an overwhelming moment in their young lives. We also get a window into the adults of their lives – how they have been shaped by their experiences on the Rez and how that impacts their hopes and dreams for the next generation. But the main focus is always on our four central friends and their journey together toward their future. This series asks you to feel deeply, understand the complexities of love and loss, and, most importantly, open your mind to the possibilities of what we can accomplish.

3. Barry (HBO)

Barry is, far and away, the darkest comedy on television (even darker than Bad Sisters, a show where four sisters discuss the attempted murder of their brother-in-law). In fact, I’m not entirely sure I would classify the series as a comedy at this stage of the game, but oh well. Anyway, Barry’s third season was an intensely dark rumination on anger, pain, suffering, revenge, and how the abused can become an abuser in certain situations. With incredible performances from Bill Hader as the titular assassin turned actor, Sarah Goldberg as his on-again-off-again girlfriend Sally, and Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau, erstwhile acting coach investigating the murder of his girlfriend, this was a stunning season of television. From finally allowing Gene to get a clue about just who was responsible for Janice’s death and trying to out fox Barry to allowing Barry the chance to accept that he wanted to become who he became (and that his turn to becoming an assassin was a choice, not a matter of circumstance), this was hard to watch at times, but such a great extension of the series.

However, the standout was Goldberg’s portrayal of Sally, a woman who survived a truly horrific abusive relationship, turned it into art, and then was willing to change her story to fit the Hollywood aesthetic as necessary. In doing so, the show posited, she lost her sense of self and her own inner strength. Turning into an abusive, angry, and self-centered asshole, Sally represented the rot that has arrived for all the show’s characters since Barry entered their lives back in season one. How the series will turn things around in season four – and find some lightness to go with it, as even reliable funny guy NoHo Hank had a particularly dark ride in season three – I don’t know. But I do know that season three of Barry was a stunning meditation on how far these characters have devolved into the basest elements of themselves – and a ride worth taking.

2. Hacks (HBO)

Season one of Hacks was excellent. Season two of Hacks was an all-time great. What started as a story of two women of different generations butting heads over comedy evolved into a series about two women of different generations working together, finding the strengths in the other, and using their combined abilities to create something beautiful. It became a love story of sorts, with Deborah and Ava becoming a true team. Putting the pair on the road together allowed for some truly inspired fish out of water moments for both characters (while season one saw Ava often the butt of the joke, season two allowed both women a chance to shine and learn and grow – a key change in the balance of power between the characters), but more importantly it allowed the pair to understand that they make each other better, both on and off-stage. Which is why that season finale was such a massive gut punch – we know how great the two are together (while the writing was superb throughout, the season wouldn’t have worked as well as it did without the insane chemistry between Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, breathing life into the starring duo), but we also know Deborah is right in her assessment of Ava’s future. This season was a chance for the pair to grow together, learn key truths about themselves, gain the confidence they needed to become their real selves – personally and professionally. But they can’t stay together indefinitely. Season two of Hacks was hilarious but heartbreaking. And I have no idea if the upcoming third season can top its greatness. But I can’t wait to find out.

1. Better Call Saul (AMC)

Ending a series is hard. Ending a prequel to one of the greatest shows to ever air on television is a herculean task. But Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan managed to land the Better Call Saul ship in such a way that the series ended up being better than Breaking Bad. I remember when it was announced that Gould and Gilligan were going to do a prequel series explaining how Saul Goodman came to be. It would be lighter, looser, more comedic. I wasn’t sold on it. I loved Breaking Bad, and a dramedy about a great supporting character sounded like it would tarnish the reputation of one of TV’s all-time great shows. How wrong I ended up being. The final season of Better Call Saul was plain sensational. Thrilling, emotionally draining, terrifying, heartbreaking. It gave us one of the greatest moments in television history – Rhea Seehorn, sitting on a bus, sobbing in black and white – and brought an end to Jimmy McGill’s incredible streak of luck, showing us glimpses of how it could have been different for our favorite Albuquerque defense attorney if only he was willing to take a step off the ledge at the various moments he was offered the chance.

But, perhaps most importantly, we got the ending we needed – not necessarily the one we wanted. Fans of the series have been wondering, for years, about Kim Wexler’s fate. We wanted to know why Lalo and Nacho were name dropped in Breaking Bad but never appeared. We wondered just how charmed Howard Hamlin’s life might continue to be. And we wanted to know if Gene Takovic, the manager of an Omaha Cinnabon, might keep on keeping on in his soulless job in perpetuity or if his life as Saul Goodman would come back to haunt him. We got all those answers – some we guessed, some we kind of saw coming, and at least one shocking surprise. The beauty of the series wasn’t in the ending, though it was great. It was in how rich and multi-faceted these characters were. How nuanced the performances were. We fell so deeply in love with these characters that we couldn’t imagine something horrible happening to them (well, ok, I think we all wanted Lalo to lose to Gus, although we did love that psychopath more than we should). This rich world, these incredible characters. I didn’t want to say a final goodbye to them. When Breaking Bad ended, it felt right, like the story had come to a clear and correct ending. With Better Call Saul, I found myself feeling the same. Only more emotional, more sad, but also more content. I loved these characters, I felt like I knew them. This was a more grounded show than its precursor in many ways, and that allowed even its more out there characters to feel more realistic. Better Call Saul started out as a show I didn’t think would work, but it ended as one of the best shows of all time. And that’s saying something.