Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Ever since Decider started in 2014, our Editor-in-Chief has tasked us with listing our favorite things in pop culture of the year at, yes, the end of the year. I’ve been here since our fateful launch, which means this is the third year in a row I’ve done this. What have I learned? I am a big, fat, stupid NERD. I like the weirdest, wackiest, most embarrassing things. One year I actually said watching Chris Pratt french braid a girl’s hair was a cultural high point for me. Who says that? Well, I guess I do.
So here we are again. Here is an unfettered look at the television, music, performances, and films that made my 2016 great. There are a bunch of foreign soaps, some really deep dives, and, yes, the annual nod to Game of Thrones. Still, I stand by each and every entry on this list as a piece of pop culture you should get hip to – even if what I’m suggesting is decidedly unhip.
’Fleabag’
The television landscape is littered with “sadcoms” about deeply flawed people struggling through existence, but Fleabag stands out because of its sheer perfection. It’s brittle and bossy, subtle and devastating. Most of all, it’s genuinely brilliant.
'Sing Street'
This lovely ode to New Wave music and youthful idealism with send a shock of hope into your system. Ferdia Walsh-Peelo plays Conor, a frustrated Dublin teen whose world is crumbling apart. He starts a band to impress a pretty girl and soon is discovering the power that music has to inspire and heal.
‘The Time In Between’
I have this thing where instead of watching the latest cool show I should be watching in my spare time, I stumble upon these odd foreign soap operas on Netflix and tear through them in the span of a week. My absolute favorite of these? The Time in Between. I gave it a shot when I was snowed in during New York City’s one big blizzard of 2016 and soon became obsessed. The show is about a young Spanish seamstress named Sira who follows her caddish boyfriend to Morocco. He blows her inheritance and leaves her alone and pregnant. Worse, the Spanish Civil War has broken out, so she is stuck in the African country until it blows over. Still, Sira is resilient and becomes a glamorous fashion designer/gun runner/Allied spy. It’s fantastic in the extreme and that’s why I adore it.
Pharrell Williams and Maggie Rogers
I’m a sucker for stories about artists making their dreams come true — HENCE SING STREET. So I was super excited when I found out that one of my favorite songs of the fall, Maggie Rogers’ “Alaska,” had a viral video origin story. Basically, Rogers was an NYU student picked for a taped “Masterclass” with Pharell Williams. He listened to the students’ compositions and made notes. However, when Rogers came up and played the demo for “Alaska,” Williams was gobsmacked by its originality and soul. Watching the look on both Rogers and Williams’ faces as the song plays is heartwarming and inspiring. It also gives me a strange sort of hope — seeing how people can communicate through art and find common ground despite their different aesthetics.
Kissy, "Killer Vibes"
I’m an unapologetic fan of pop music and, for my money, the best pop song of the year (that no one but me listened to!!!) was Kissy’s “Killer Vibes.” The song is about that kind of relationship that’s not really a relationship, but a deliciously bad habit. The sultry song has an infectious hook and deserves to be heard.
‘The Get Down’
Now that the dust has settled on 2016, I need to say something: The Get Down is better than Stranger Things. Sure The Duffer Brothers’ moody ode to ‘80s thrillers is addictive, but it is so because it wraps the viewer up in a warm blanket of nostalgia. The Get Down also lives in our cultural past, but finds a way to bend ‘70s New York City into a wonderland of horror and possibility. The Get Down took bigger risks and because of that, it had more obvious flaws, but it also had more soaring moments.
Misty Knight
I know the show is called Marvel’s Luke Cage, but for me it’s “The Misty Knight Show.” Marvel is full of superheroes with fancy suits and extraordinary powers. Misty felt powerful because she had nothing but her wits and her integrity. She was earthy, soulful, messy, and yes, a little bit horny. Above all, she’s a real woman trying to fix a world with super huge problems. She gets knocked down, betrayed, and lied to, but she doesn’t give up. She surges forward. She is awesome.
Kate McKinnon
I’ve recently written a whole piece on Kate McKinnon’s 2016, so at the risk of reiterating myself too much, I just want to say that I think she’s the new Queen of Comedy. Between her blisteringly brilliant take on Hillary Clinton and her star-making turn in Ghostbusters, McKinnon’s comedy won 2016.
Tom Bennett in 'Love & Friendship'
It’s hard for an actor to surprise me. Usually I have an encyclopedic knowledge of who’s who, who’s up-and-coming, and what every actor and actress is “good” at. So I was absolutely delighted when I saw Tom Bennett’s inspired comedic performance in Love & Friendship. He doesn’t just play Sir James as a buffoon, but as sweet lamb lost in a very genteel wood. He also makes peas funny. I don’t know where he pulled the inspiration for this performance from and that makes me love it all the more.
‘Magnificent Century’
Magnificent Century is the second of two foreign soaps that I discovered on Netflix this year – and promptly became obsessed with. This grand Turkish soap opera recreates the drama of Suleiman the Great’s legendary court. If you’re not hip to Turkish history, Suleiman was considered one of the most brilliant and capable rulers of the Ottoman Empire. The primary thorn in his side? The scheming women of his harem. Magnificent Century presents all the characters in vivid three dimensions and hooks you in with dramatic cliffhangers. The thing that I like most, though, is realizing that this proudly Muslim court isn’t so different from that of the British Tudors or the fictional houses of Westeros. People everywhere desire the same things: love and power.
Marcia Clark’s Cigarette Count
When most people watched The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, they were swept up by the nuanced drama and urgent politics. I was impressed by how many cigarettes Sarah Paulson’s Marcia Clark was seen smoking. To wit, I decided to count up all of Marcia Clark’s cigarette breaks throughout the series. In the end, she puffed 18 sweet tobacco sticks.
Where to Stream 'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story'
Tom Holland’s Marty McFly Peter Parker accent
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Tom Holland’s Peter Parker was by far and away the best part of Captain America: Civil War. Holland gave the film a jolt of innocence and wonder. The key to his Spider-Man? A Marty McFly accent. Seriously. Listen back. The British Holland is aping Michael J. Fox’s vowel sounds to glorious effect.
'Grantchester'
Confession time: I zipped through the first season of Grantchester mainly because I had a crush on its hero, Sidney Chambers. (Am I on the record about this crush? I BELIEVE I AM.) Anyway, while the first season is a charming small town detective series, the second season is a grisly meditation on morality. And it’s spectacular.
'Pete Holmes: Faces and Sounds'
I’ll put it succinctly: This is a very funny comedy special. My favorite part was about the “music concert.”
'The Crown'
Netflix’s opulent look at the lives of the Windsor family is far subtler than it might appear. Unlike other showy series, The Crown sets off its biggest emotional fireworks in the quiet moments between parents and children, husbands and wives, and sparring sisters. It’s like a traditional British historical drama, but done in the style of Mad Men.
‘Game of Thrones’
Not to be an embarrassing parody of myself, but I’ve done these lists for three years in a row, and for three years in a row, Game of Thrones is my favorite show of the year. I love, love, love, love, love, love this show and can’t wait to see next season. *NERD ALERT*
