14.) The Rehearsal (Season 1, HBO)
I should probably put a whole separate post on everything The Rehearsal. I was an unabashed Nathan For You fan, and the show had so much promise. Ranking #14 is a sign that it was still incredible, with some incredible comedy, some perfect Nathan-esque moments of awkwardness, and some lasting "it becomes funnier and funnier everytime" images, like the fake snow around the fake house that he was living. I have no real thoughts on the "controversy" at the end with people wondering if Nathan was psycologically traumatizing kids, and I am all in on the idea that this is all a ruse, from the show, to the "real" people in teh show, to the replacements for the actors, and everything in between. My only real quibble is that I wish they had a couple more episodes that just focused on the gimmick itself - like the premier of the man breaking to his bar trivia team that he was not as educated as he made it seem. But even then, for moments like Nathan dressed as another character listening to fake Nathan teach "the method", to again that damn image of the fake snow, and I'm brought in all again.
13.) Minx (Season 1, HBOMax)
Of course a lot of media attention to Minx was the generous amount of, in the words of every It's Always Sunny cast member, "hanging dong", and fair enough given the inequal amount of female nudity to male nudity over the years. But hidden behind that whole piece was an excellent little show about an enterprising woman, a surprisingly heartful skeevy shag-mag exec, and a whole host of weirdos. Namely a comedy - and it was plenty funny - it was to me better in its dramatic moments, in its hyper-focused look on the rise of feminism in America in a more subtle way (so compared to Ms. America in 2021, which hit you over the head with it). Every moment between Ophelia Lovebond's Joyce ad Jake Johnson's Doug was gold, but so were the scenes Bambi and Richie and all the rest at Minx. There will be a seaosn two, with Minx surviving the HBOMax purge, and I couldn't be happier for that.
12.) The Bear (Season 1, FX)
Admittedly, I was squarely in the target audience for this show, about the inner workings of a low-down restaurant, which featured a whole series of close-up shots of chefs doing their mise-in-place, and enough Michelin-star flourishes to make it worth my while as a home cook. But even for someone who doesn't know a pan from a griddle, this was an incredible show, showing mania, tension and anxiety better than any I've seen. The whole show was shot in such an intentionally frazzled way, nothing better than the 28-minute episode shot in a oner-style, showing the whole restaurant coming apart at the seams when they try to service online orders. Yes, there was a sense of "really, another problem they somehow get over" to it, but the characters also were so well drawn, from the pastry-chef-to-be, to everything with Carmie and Sydney's relationship, to everyting with Cousin Richie did. The show ended its season in a satisfying place, and I can't wait to see the focus turn a bit more to fine dining. At the end of the day, I'm a foodie watching a show that is great for all, but even better for foodies.
11.) Andor (Season 1, Disney+)
Yes, I'm not a full on Star Wars fan, to where I'm sure I missed a whole lot of Easter Eggs. Yes, I generally hesitate to put these Disney+ shows on this list. Yes, as someone who is not a Star Wars fan, the various names that are all vaguely similar becoming super hard to follow. All of that is true. It is also true that Andor was an incredibly well told, and more than anything well shot show. Maybe it is true that in this day and age, stuff that is on the periphery and has nothing to do with anything Skywalker, can kind of be treated as a standard piece of art, and this was beautiful. The acting was great. The story itself, cresting with the grand finale funeral, was touching. The action was great. I couldn't believe I was tearting up during the scene of the breakoaut from prison, with Cassian and others jumping into the sea. There was still a patina too much "The Empire" and the senate and the rest of that gobbledygook but at the end of the day, Andor could've been a one-off story that had nothing to do with the larger Star Wars universe and it would've been super enjoyable anyway. For once I'll say this: truly well done, Disney.
