Best TV of the year so far…

For a long time there, I could watch nothing but sitcoms. The world just felt too confusing to think about adding any extra drama into my life. Plus, I felt there was a dearth of genuinely good television (though I’m sure I was missing stuff in my irritability). Finally, I have been drawn back in, and I’ve discovered some truly excellent TV, some of which has made it onto my list of all-time favourites. Listed below is not everything I’ve watched, but it is the stuff I’ve enjoyed the most.

Severance (Apple TV+)

It’s been a long time since I was excited about a show as I was Severance. In this town, employees of the rather mysterious Lumon Industries can be ‘severed’. Their consciousness is bifurcated between work and personal lives; when they’re at work they don’t know who they are on the outside, when they’re at home they don’t know what it is they do on the inside, the ‘severed floor’. Of course, half of their consciousness is now essentially trapped in the prison of work, and chaos begins to ensue… It’s a clever sci-fi thriller but with a hefty dose of the absurd, bringing dark comedy and warmth to the show. The writing and performances are fantastic, as is the styling of the show and its overall ambiance. Some of the best TV I’ve seen in years, and I am very much looking forward to season two.

For All Mankind (Apple TV+)

I had heard that this show was great, but that it had a bit of a slow start. Well, the reviewers were not wrong on that front. This is one of the more unique shows that I have watched in recent years, though I can’t quite put my finger on why that is, why it’s so successful and why it has now cemented itself as another of my all-time favourites. I’ll try, though.

The premise is this: what would happen if the Soviets had landed on the moon first? Set in an alternate timeline, it imagines what the world might have looked like had the space race never ended, with funding still channelled into NASA for the exploration of the moon and beyond. I’m wary of space shows and books. Sometimes they really work for me, other times I can’t get on with them. I’ll admit to not being particularly drawn to this premise. But after a few long initial episodes, I found the show and its characters beginning to worm their way into my heart. By the time we got to episode eight, Zak and I were both in tears.  

So what makes it so good? The drama is well-balanced, and though the cast is big, there was rarely (if ever) a storyline or set of characters I wasn’t interested in. In that way, though the shows’ content couldn’t be more different, it reminded me of the heyday of Game of Thrones. Except in this show, the women really take centre stage. Like Severance, this show is also ambitious, though in a totally different way. It's not afraid to do big time jumps to really propel the story forward, avoiding the pitfalls of some shows which drag the story out into too many seasons or episodes (*ahem* Stranger Things…) And its effect only builds; by the time we got to the end of season three, I felt forlorn at having finished it. Again, I cannot wait for the next season.  

House of the Dragon (Sky TV)

So here we are again! I was nervous about this show, especially after the car crash that was the final season of Game of Thrones (maybe even the final couple of seasons…) But I have to say, I am really enjoying it. It has filled a hole that GOT left behind, and it is far more interesting than its source material Fire and Blood, let me tell you. I think the casting and performances have been great throughout, and I have been thoroughly sucked into its twisty plotlines. It’s a different show than Game of Thrones, for sure. It’s more focused and less funny. But it has undeniably got some of GOT’s magic. It’s just a shame the same can’t be said for Rings of Power which evokes none of the enchantment of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings. We could have had two good fantasy shows going… alas, we’ll have to be happy with just one.   

Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)

Another fantastic Apple TV+ offering. It seems they are really putting money into ambitious, interesting shows at the moment (rather than running their service according to some obscure algorithm á la Netflix… who will never be forgiven for the cancellation of The OA). This black comedy about four sisters attempting to murder the heinous husband of a fifth sister is highly entertaining. It’s funny, warm, and a meaningful study of sister dynamics.  

Stranger Things (Netflix)

During the first couple of episodes of the latest season of Stranger Things, the thought occurred to me – is it time for me to give up on this show? Why are they dragging the episodes out to feature length? Why am I so bored? But then it finally hooked me. It’s an uneven ride, but I can’t help but love this show, almost as much as its creators love it (Duffy brothers… you’ve got to kill a main character sometime).

Dopesick (Disney+)

I know this is old news, but when Zak and I finally got around to it, we found it to be just as good as everyone said it was. It’s about the opioid crisis in the US, and it is very thorough in its depiction of all sides of the story; from scenes from the inside of the (diabolical) pharmaceutical company that managed to hook millions on OxyContin to make billions of dollars, the country doctors that prescribed it, the victims, the sales reps, the DEA, and the legal case that finally brought it all to light. The performances are stellar, and the arc of the story is well managed so that each episode moves it along and brings something new. It is an undeniably difficult watch, but it remains respectful to the victims of Purdue Pharma’s insatiable greed, and I’m glad to have watched it.    

So that’s it! I’ll try to do these more often, and for now, I am eagerly awaiting the next season of Succession…