Best TV Shows of January, 2022

Now that there are approximately 32 seasons of Drag Race every year, it takes a lot for a season to truly stand out. Leave it to the mother series, RuPaul’s Drag Race, to get 2022 started correct with a month of absolutely killer episodes. That two-part premiere into a ball challenge with the most lewks ever shown in an episode followed by a madcap acting challenge — what a start! Seriously: name another show that can pivot from a queen eating a dead dragonfly to a sincere and important discussions of the queer experience. You can’t, because RuPaul’s Drag Race is still that girl. — Brett White

Where to watch RuPaul's Drag Race

Mark Williams and Bill Dubuque’s series has always been among the better crime dramas on TV. But with the first half of Season 4, Ozark proved that it ranks among the all-time best. In its final season, the twists are sharper, faster, and more sickening than ever before. Yet it’s Julia Garner’s haunting performance as Ruth paired with Jason Bateman’s budding vulnerability and Laura Linney’s practiced callousness that elevates this season. We knew that the final chapter of Ozark would thrill us. Yet these first seven episodes hint that it may also break our hearts. — Kayla Cobb

Where to watch Ozark

Euphoria returned this month, as glittery and horrifying as it’s ever been. The show kicked things off on a strong note, giving Fez his own episode, but some of the best characters (Maddy! Kat! Etc.) have been kicked to the sidelines. Nevertheless, Sam Levinson’s gritty teen drama will never not be entertaining, thanks to plenty of extra pizzaz in cinematography department and stellar performances from all its young actors. Sydney Sweeney has killed it in the first batch of episodes, an exciting twist that’ll surely pay off as the series rounds into its back half of episodes this February. Euphoria always keeps us on the edge of our seats, and so far, Season 2 is no different. — Fletcher Peters

Where to watch Euphoria

In January, 1883 viewers experienced enthralling highs and devastating lows. Writer/creator Taylor Sheridan once again invoked the cruelty of the American West by killing off a major character in the midst of a bandit attack on the wagon train. He leavened that tragedy, however, with poignant and romantic scenes involving a number of the series’ likable characters. If we’ve learned anything about these intrepid pioneers over the first 6 episodes of the Paramount+ series, nothing will stop them from reaching Portland, Oregon, and new lands of opportunity. With stand-out performances from Tim McGraw, Sam Elliott, Faith Hill, Isabel May and an ensemble full of exciting new faces, 1883 is one of the most compelling shows on streaming. — Karen Kemmerle

Where to watch 1883

By the early 2020s, the TV mockumentary format used to great effect in shows like The Office and Modern Family had grown stale. Enter Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary, a sitcom about teachers at an underfunded Philadelphia public school that breathes some much-needed fresh air into the sub-genre. Thanks to its clever, sardonic writing and pitch-perfect cast, the series manages to subvert worn-out comedy archetypes and remind us how delightful a good sitcom can be. — Abby Monteil

Where to watch Abbott Elementary

Don’t watch The Gilded Age if you like subtlety. Julian Fellowes’ latest historic soap opera is all about excess. Set during a time of unabashed opulence, The Gilded Age is Masterpiece Theatre turned up, Spinal Tap style, to 11. The cast is a who’s who of Broadway elite, the sets are overwhelming in their scale, and the story is all about how money can literally buy power. The Gilded Age is pure escapism from its super-sized start: a gilt-covered truffle compared to your usual prime-time soaps’ mass market candy bars. — Meghan O’Keefe

Where to watch The Gilded Age

Did we need a Cheer Season 2? Not really, no. But did Cheer Season 2 deliver? Yes, and not only that: it backflipped, cartwheeled, and somersaulted to us in new episodes that were able to (hand)stand the test of time. Most of the Season 1 characters returned, returning to old plots, but the sophomore season also ventured into new characters, plots, and routines. Yet, the docuseries maintained that same self-aware nature it’s always had. And instead of avoiding that big Jerry dilemma, Cheer did what it always does: embrace the issue head-on, and thoughtfully at that. Amid scandal, fame, and a new competition, Cheer is as graceful as ever. — Fletcher Peters

Where to watch Cheer

Faced with paying off the two-year wait since Season 1, The Righteous Gemstones came out the gate swingin’ with a month of episodes that were as much of a spectacle as a Gemstone Sunday service. The Gemstones are cockier than ever and piling their plates high at the Seven Deadly Sins buffet. Kelvin’s harem of “Godly” beefcake, Judy’s frantic attempt to mold meek BJ into a Christian dynamo, Jesse’s impulsive desire to sink millions of his daddy’s money into a Jesus-themed resort, patriarch Eli can’t stop breaking thumbs — ain’t none of this gonna end well, but it’s making for a great season. — Brett White

Where to watch The Righteous Gemstones

Allow us to introduce you to your new favorite show: The Afterparty! Created by Christopher Miller, the eight-episode Rashomon-style whodunit centers on a murder mystery at a high school reunion, with each uniquely stylized episode featuring a retelling of the night in question through a different character’s perspective. The all-star cast is an embarrassment of comedy riches (Tiffany Haddish, Zoë Chao, Dave Franco, Ilana Glazer, Ike Barinholtz, Jamie Demetriou, and John Early, just to name a few), but Sam Richardson and Ben Schwartz steal the show. An inventive, joyful series with charisma to spare, RSVP a resounding yes to The Afterparty. — Josh Sorokach

Where to watch The Afterparty

HBO Max’s Station Eleven is one of the most extraordinary pieces of art to ever land on television screens. Based on the best-selling novel by Emily St. John Mandel, the series follows young Kirsten (played by the incandescent Matilda Lawler as a child and the extraordinary Mackenzie Davis as an adult) as she does everything she can to survive an apocalyptic flu pandemic. The two things that save Kirsten the most? Art and connection. Station Eleven is a masterpiece about the power of art to heal us through our worst moments and the triumph of the human spirit against all odds. It’s simply glorious, right down to its awe-inspiring ending. — Meghan O’Keefe

Where to watch Station Eleven

The final season of HBO Max’s critically-lauded charmer Search Party was a wildly ambitious whirlwind of weird, wild comedy… and we absolutely loved it. Creators Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, and Michael Showalter ended their masterful series on their own terms, seamlessly blending relatable stories of young adulthood uncertainty with cults, zombies, and journeys to the center of the Earth with Jeff Goldblum. Search Party’s dashing comedic bravado was a joy to watch, and the show’s unique style and storytelling fearlessness will be sorely missed. — Josh Sorokach

Where to watch Search Party

It’s hard to remember the last time a show became a viral sensation like Yellowjackets. Yet that’s exactly what happened with Showtime’s obsession-worthy mystery drama, and it seems like it became an obsession specifically over everyone’s holiday break. By the time the show returned for three stand-out episodes finishing Season 1 in January, Yellowjackets was all anyone could talk about; from wild fan theories, to online quizzes, to — most importantly — massive viewership for Showtime. But beyond all the (sorry) buzz, Yellowjackets succeeded by not only dramatically telling the story of a girls soccer team trapped in the Canadian wilderness while the survivors spiral out of control 25 years later, but also learning lessons from shows past. Unlike, say, Lost, Yellowjackets is decisively closing up mysteries as it goes; shutting down fan theories, but still thrilling fans with new questions and killer needle drops. So, when is Season 2 premiering? — Alex Zalben

Where to watch Yellowjackets