PREAMLBE

Over 2021 I cataloged every piece of decent-to-good media I consumed in my phone’s notes app.

I mean everything. Podcasts. Movies. TV shows. Music. If I didn’t hate myself for wasting time afterwards, it went in the list.

Starting January 1st, 2022, I began writing little reviews concerning each piece with the intention of turning my thoughts into a simple 10 minute video. But the more I went on, the less and less interested I became in actually making the video itself. It was fun to write the list, reminisce on the past year, but I didn’t really want to edit everything down into something consumable for other people. It was just, kinda, for me?

So around February I ditched the whole idea of making a video, and here we are.

I’ve decided to share my thoughts with you dear reader, but in order to get to the good stuff, you’re going to have to READ! Mwhahahahaha!

Thank you for giving even a half ounce of care in regards to my opinions on these things. And here we goooo!

Chernobyl

I don’t know what I can say about Chernobyl that wouldn’t be obvious from the first 5 minutes of the pilot. It’s just good television. Electrifying performances, detailed visual execution, and writing that reaches into those deep human problems to pull out profound truths.

I thought I knew what I was getting into with this one, and I kind of did. But by the same token each moment fell down with this crushing weight I never anticipated.

Chernobyl left me with a hollowness that’s hard to describe. Be in the right mood to watch but definitely watch all the same.

Only Murders in the Building

The characters are interesting and likeable, the mystery is earnest but easily played for laughs, and they NAIL the cozy New York visuals. From tone, to structure, to casting, Only Murders in the Building is an absolute jam.

In a lot of ways this show feels like the culmination of so many shows that came before it.

Longform comedies with dramatic twists like American Vandal, Arrested Development, and The Good Place.

Detective comedies like Psych, Monk, and Imposters.

And the best kind of old school, screwball, zip, zap, zop, joke a minute type shazz that Steve Martin and Martin Short have been doing for decades.

Ya know, the classics.

Only Murders in the Building is consistently clever, full of pathos, the good kind of meta. It’s certainly the best thing I’ve seen on Hulu in a HOT minute. Pick it up on a Friday and you’ll be done with it by Sunday.

Hacks

I loved Hacks and could probably write more about it than I have most of the stuff on this list. But I think what I loved most about the show was how much it surprised me.

I had ZERO context on this program before going in. Drama? Comedy? Actors? No idea.

I had vaguely remembered my brother saying it was pretty good? I think? So one night I jumped on HBO Max and hit play. That feeling of discovery, that randomized goodness, it ended up being one of my fondest experiences of the last year!

So in the hopes that I will pay that happy memory forward I’m ended the review early with a simple: hey, Hacks is a good show!

Fleabag

In 2 seasons Fleabag does more than shows with 6+.

An enthralling character portrait stuffed with equal parts humor and drama - I was gripped by every moment.

The finale is what I found most impressive. To tell a story and end it so perfectly and completely is rare. I know the show’s creator/star, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, has gone on record saying she’d never return for more episodes and I hope she sticks to that. 10/10

WandaVision

How did every Marvel fan totally buy into a show that starts out with a FULL LENGTH Dick Van Dyke parody? Honestly. Somebody tell me. I want to know.

The plot itself is decent but its the acting which carries 90% of the show. Kathryn Hawn is such a godsend to every project she's in. Paul Bettany commits so hard it doesn't even seem like commitment. And Elizabeth Olson SELLS. HARD. Trying to keep you invested in melodrama this melodramatic is not easy, especially in 2021, but she does it with aplomb.

Did I like the finale? Eh. It was okay. A little rushed. A little goofy. But thaaaaaaaats Marvel folks! Overall it's way more interesting and enjoyable than the other Disney+ superhero offerings. So give it a shot if you're interested!

The Last Dance

In a lot of ways this was the year I decided to give sports a try. I started playing fantasy football and keeping up with the NFL, I went to my first major league baseball game (it got rained out), and I watched The Last Dance.

While I don’t think I’ll ever be “a sports dude” the journey I took into 1990s basketball with The Last Dance was something special. The story of the 97’-98’ Chicago Bulls is not all about basketball. It’s about how American culture has developed over time, the NBA’s growth from side sport to multi-billion-dollar industry, and more than anything, it’s about individual approaches to success, talent, and failure.

In junior high I had a lot of teachers use Michael Jordan’s life as a metaphor for encouragement. “Jordan didn’t make his high school basketball team and now look at him! Never give up!” And though the truth of his story is a lot more complex than the pull quote, watching The Last Dance really makes me want to try harder.

Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso might seem pretty eyeroll-y at a glance, but there’s a lot going on under the surface that makes this show a quality watch.

First of all, its not a straight up comedy. People comparing it to Parks and Rec or New Girl have their hearts in the right place… but those shows are nothing like this show. Ted Lasso is a light drama with a bunch of comedic elements. Not a comedy. I haven’t really seen anything like it since, I dunno? Gilmore Girls? But that show was wayyyy more sarcastic.

Ted Lasso is the kind of program that plays everything with an assured earnestness. It treats the audience with respect and its characters with even more respect.

For example, Ted is not just a folksy southern character that’s progressive enough for liberals to love, as you might guess in passing. In fact, this is a person going through heartbreak and self-doubt and persevering with a sort of unwavering joy that is absolutely infectious. He’s got a brilliant arch, rich in subtext and full of surprises! The supporting cast is equally complex and brought to life with great attention to detail.

There’s a reason it won a metric crapton of Emmys and I’m happy it exists.

Bo Burnham's Inside

This is not a movie. It’s a comedy special. And because of that I’m putting it in the TV category. Because that is where I typically watch comedy specials!

I know there was a lot of debate about WHAT exactly this IS? In part because Inside was nominated as a film at the Grammys…but that’s wack. Inside is not a movie. It’s a comedy special. If you want to give an Oscar or an Emmy or whatever to Bo Burnham then create a category for best comedy special or variety program!

There are so many good people making wildly creative stuff like this. Stuff that doesn’t really fit our narrow understanding of FILM or TV – especially stand ups.

To be honest, stand up specials have NEVER been acknowledged as the creative feats that they are! The fact that there are NO award shows giving props to that right now blows my mind. Stop being pretentious and recognize these comedians as the practiced artists they have always been! You can’t just lump Bo Burnham in with a bunch of other Oscar noms because his alternative take on the genre spoke to you louder than Jo Firestone’s. THEY BOTH MADE COMEDY SPECIALS!

With my soapbox over I think I can now say that Bo Burnham's Inside is probably the single greatest thing to come out of the Pandemic. This one man’s journey to make something completely alone in lockdown mirrors so many of our lives as we spent time mentally deteriorating over 2020. I don’t think anyone else will ever be able to quite capture the sheer hope and hopelessness coming at us through the screen as we desperately tried to grapple with new realities quite as well as this does.

Oh, and its really funny too!

If you’ve seen any of Bo Burnham’s work before you know he has this wry sarcasm that lets him skewer emotionally complex issues while simultaneously acknowledging their complexities. It feels good to have a mutual laugh at our growing dystopia! And especially with a soundtrack & visuals this good, what’s stopping you?!

Pottery Throwdown

This is Great British Baking Show but with pots and plates. You can watch it on HBO Max. It’s absolutely as good as it sounds.

The contestants compete in like an old plate factory rather than a tent. Their Paul Hollywood isn’t an emotionless douchebag, in fact he cries at tea kettles and is super nice and talented. Siobhán McSweeney is an amazing host, filled with humor and genuine care for the people she’s schticking with.

I love it. I love it. I love it.

Infinity Train S4

I’ve talked about Infinity Train a lot, both in my best of 2020 video and in other blogs, so I’ll keep this brief.

Infinity Train Season 4 feels a little like the “final song” a band plays before their rehearsed encore. Still amazing, but as a fan you’re waiting in anticipation for everyone to come back from behind the curtain. And now with the news of the shows cancellation by Cartoon Network, everyone in the crowd is getting a little restless. Here’s hoping another network *COUGH COUGH HBO MAX COUGH* picks them up so they can continue delivering home runs.

Season 4 is a sweet meditation on friendship, personality conflicts, and the importance of communication. It’s not as dramatic or high concept as other seasons, but I 100% cried at certain points after seeing myself in the characters. All Hail Chicken Choice Judy.

Westworld S1

Catching up with this show kinda feels like work. Each episode is thematically DENSE, there’s a lot of medical-y shots (which personally creep me the heck out), and at any given point you are simultaneously following 4 to 5 different plot lines.

It reminds me a little bit of Lost in that way. But where Lost goes more grounded, Westworld likes to expand and expand until you’ve been lost in questions my college professors would have loved.

What is sentience? How do you know? Why do we associate actions as good or evil?

Etcetera Etcetera Etcetera

Like I said, I’m not exactly DONE with Westworld yet. Still moseying through Season 2 while writing this. But it’s a well-made show with a title sequence that’ll knock your freakin’ socks off. And if sci-fi philosophy is your thing – you’ve come to the right place.

Mythic Quest

Another show I haven’t finished yet but really like is Mythic Quest. A sitcom poking fun at the egos, showmanship, and general insanity of the video game industry. The team behind this project clearly has a respect for their subject matter.

So often with this sorta thing you get REALLY lazy jokes about gamurhs and how stupid and lame and juvenile they are. But Mythic Quest never really punches down, instead playing into the niche type of people who work at video game companies, and their bizarre relationships with art, business, fans, and each other.

There is massive talent in this show. Proven legends like Ron McElhenney, Dani Pudi, and David Hornsby get a chance to stretch their range as actors while lesser known performers like Charlotte Nicdao, Aparna Nancherla, and Jessie Ennis, match them toe for toe. (Side note omg Jessie Ennis is she’s the best part of the show. So committed. I love it.) And the writing staff is constantly hitting you with tightly plotted stories, character driven jokes, and a tone that’s wickedly sarcastic while also being surprisingly heartfelt.

My favorite episode however isn’t even really like… part of the main series? I mean it is, but also, it isn’t?

Season 1 episode 5 titled Dark Quiet Death feels almost like a standalone short film. Staring Jake “I can do no wrong” Johnson and Cristin “A to Z never even got a chance” Milioti it’s a thematically deep, well performed, earnest take on romance and the conflicts that come with art/commerce. I was enthralled. Even if you watch the pilot and decide the main series isn’t your cup of tea - watch episode 5 too. It’ll be worth it. Trust me.