As always with television, as much as I’ve tried to keep up with what’s new, there will always be content that slips through my fingers. Therefore there will be some notably absent shows from this list like Abbott Elementary, Shrinking, Dead Ringers, The Diplomat, Poker Face, and more. Nevertheless, here are some of the best series of the first half of the year.
Beef
A character study of some truly awful characters, Beef explored a number of ideas without losing focus of its central premise. That is, the inescapable self-destruction of two people who continue to make terrible decisions. Anchored by terrific performances from Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Young Mazino and more, creator Lee Sung Jin explored a simple premise – a road rage incident occurring at the worst possible time for two people – without watering the show down. Too many TV shows and limited series over-utilize the freedom afforded to them by streaming companies by stretching out their runtimes, usually to their own detriment. Thankfully Beef said all it needed to on issues like class inequality, sexual politics, and the Asian American experience, while still managing to be darkly comedic.
The Last of Us
Video game adaptations aren’t supposed to work (case in point, the Super Mario Bros. Movie). Yes, the source material for The Last of Us was inherently cinematic, but Craig Mazan and Neil Druckman brought their own unique touches to smartly deviate from what made the game great. From the emotionally rich third episode (featuring Emmy-worthy work from Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman) to the action-heavy set pieces to the chemistry between Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey to the fantastically detailed production design, the show forged a new path for how to execute post-apocalyptic stories. In fact, the show subverted expectations by barely featuring the Infected throughout the bulk of its episodes. The end result was a smartly executed story about what remains when we have nothing left, and left enough fertile material for future seasons.
The Other Two
Showbiz satires are a dime a dozen in the television landscape of the 21st century. 30 Rock may be the gold standard in the genre, but what The Other Two excels at is its titular protagonists’ relentless pursuit of fame at the costs of their own sanity. Its third season, now on (HBO)Max, has taken a much different turn from the first two, offering more somber and bizarre episodes, often containing some of the funniest material of the show’s run. Whether utilizing Cary’s (Drew Tarver) new role in a procedural show as an homage to Pleasantville or turning Brooke (Heléne York) into a normie Invisible Man, showrunners Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider have found new and hilarious ways to bring the siblings ever closer to the limelight before yanking it away. That The Other Two manages to blend character and situational humor with scathing critiques of the entertainment ecosystem proves that it’s worthy of being mentioned along with the best of the genre.
I’ve made no secret of my agnosticism towards Disney’s Star Wars projects, but my natural love of animation led me to both volumes of their anthology show. What’s remarkable about Star Wars: Visions is in how it can appeal to casual and diehard fans of the galaxy far, far away. But the animation is the star of the show time and time again, showcasing varied styles and media in each episode. From the explosively expressive Sith episode to Aardman’s stop-motion I Am Your Mother and more, Disney expands its artistic contributions in volume two in exciting ways. Too much of Star Wars feels beholden to its larger Skywalker mythology, but the primary focus of Visions is in telling basic stories of good versus evil, which just happen to be within the Star Wars universe.
Succession
Even if it had ended with the stunning third episode Conner’s Wedding, the fourth and final season of Succession would easily make its way onto this list. But throughout all of its nine episodes, Jesse Armstrong’s drama found new ways to dig deeper and deeper into the inner lives of the Roy family and the world they inhabit. Whether through its trademark nihilistic humor or heartbreaking drama (Roman’s failed eulogy in Church and State will live with me for a long time), Succession cemented itself as one of the best shows of the modern era without losing a step. Of course, everyone in front of the camera was at the top of their games this year as well, from Jeremy Strong to Sarah Snook to Kieran Culkin and Matthew Macfadyen, and many more, deftly handling every development that Armstrong and the writers threw their way. Only time will tell on where Succession will stand in the pantheon of greatest TV shows, but there’s no denying that its fourth season was a hell of a way to go out.
The Movie State 