Best TV Shows of 2022

House of the Dragon proved that HBO audiences aren’t done with Westeros quite yet. The show not only overcame the stigma of Game of Thrones’s final season, but lived up to the original series’s glory years. Paddy Considine broke our hearts as King Viserys, Matt Smith entranced us as the unpredictable Prince Daemon, and an ensemble cast of up-and-coming talent had us falling in love (and then hate) with a cast of fascinating characters. That the show balanced epic action set pieces and intimate family drama would be miracle enough. That we can’t wait to see more is a testament to what a rousing success it was. — Meghan O’Keefe

Where to watch House of the Dragon

Watching Atlanta these past four seasons has been a damn delight. What else can you say about a show that took nearly every rule of television and poked and twisted them until the result was barely recognizable? Atlanta was hilarious. Atlanta was tragic. It was the most honest show on television and the most cartoonish. There is not much I can say about Season 4 and this show’s incredible legacy that Donald and Stephen Glover have not said through their art, and I respect them both far too much to risk butchering their words. But I will say this: It has been a unique and profound joy to experience this show, a masterpiece that has helped guide me through some dark moments. Whatever this team does next, I’ll be first in line. — Kayla Cobb

Where to watch Atlanta

Sensuous, grotesque, hilarious, and campy as all hell… AMC’s Interview with the Vampire pulled off a magical first season that had us falling harder than Louis for Lestat. This loving new interpretation of Anne Rice’s seminal work reframed the story’s politics for the 21st century. But what made the show so damn addictive was the intoxicating chemistry of series leads Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson. You truly believed they loved each other, loathed each other, and were tied to each other, body, heart, and soul. (Wait. Do vampires have souls?) — Meghan O’Keefe

Where to watch Interview with the Vampire

Sexier, scarier, and even more Sicily-er than ever before, Mike White’s hotel-based anthology series headed to Italy for Season 2. And though it didn’t shake up the formula, it did take a slow, dark burn that channeled the intensity of the Godfather movies, while still leaving plenty of time for sexy shenanigans and introspection (or lack thereof) on the meaning of wealth disparity, how we handle transactions of both money and emotions, and much more. But most importantly, it brought back Jennifer Coolidge, and for that we’re eternally thankful. — Alex Zalben

Where to watch The White Lotus

Taylor Sheridan’s first Yellowstone prequel series, 1883, follows the journey of James Dutton (Tim McGraw) and his family on the Oregon trail as they eventually settle in Montana in the aptly named Paradise Valley. On their way to a new life, they encounter countless hardships, including smallpox, raging rivers, bandits, tornados and death. Featuring compelling performances from Sam Elliott, Faith Hill, LaMonica Garrett, and the stunning Isabel May, this lovingly crafted tale of the American West is, all at once, gritty, tender, violent, romantic, and, most importantly, gripping. — Karen Kemmerle

Where to watch 1883

In yet another year of Too Much TV, FX’s psychological thriller The Patient managed to stand alone in plot, pacing, and performance. The limited series, created by The Americans executive producers Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, stars Steve Carell as Alan Strauss, a therapist who is kidnapped by his patient, Sam Fortner (Domhnall Gleeson). After chaining Alan to his basement floor, Sam reveals his compulsion for killing and his hopes that in-home therapy will help curb his murderous urges. In other words, it’s not your regular serial killer show! Over the course of The Patient‘s 10 short, suspenseful episodes, Alan experiences his share of emotional turmoil, deep introspection, and unexpected empathy while plotting his unlikely escape. Carell delivers a career-great performance that should finally (!!!) earn him an Emmy, while Gleeson nails the complex role of an effectively chilling killer who geeks out over food, idolizes Kenny Chesney, and drinks more Dunkin’ than Ben Affleck. From start to finish, the series is an unpredictable, adrenaline-pumping ride. And since you’ll frequently wonder how a show like this show could possibly end, take a sole shred of comfort in knowing that The Patient sticks its landing. — Nicole Gallucci

Where to watch The Patient

A well-known presence on the New York City cabaret circuit, Bridget Everett finally landed herself a hit TV series with Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen’s Somebody, Somewhere. Everett stars as Sam, a listless woman who returned home to Kansas to take care of her cancer-stricken sister and never left. As she deals with her dysfunctional family, Sam finds solace in Joel (the amazing Jeff Hiller), who introduces her to his community and encourages her to revisit her passion for music. Funny, poignant and filled with memorable characters and performances, Somebody, Somewhere is an enthralling dramedy that finds joy in the mundane and reminds us that it’s never too late to find our voices. — Karen Kemmerle

Where to watch Somebody, Somewhere

Christopher Miller’s endlessly creative series had an all-star cast, uproarious jokes, and an actually fascinatingly constructed mystery that played with both format and time. It also debuted early in the year, and seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle of prestige series that debuted since. Which is a shame, because The Afterparty is (as you can see from its inclusion on this list) definitely one of the best shows of the year. If you didn’t give the show a shot the first time around? Remember, everyone gets one shot, twice, so make sure to rectify that in 2023. You know, give 2022 a little afterparty of its own. — Alex Zalben

Where to watch The Afterparty

Yellowjackets aired only three episodes of its freshman season in 2022, but they were three of the most iconic episodes this Showtime hit released including the mushroom fueled apoca-prom in “Doomcoming,” and the season finale “Sic Transit Gloria Mundi” which managed to wrap up the season by proving Yellowjackets wasn’t the mystery box show we thought it was. Yes, the series has plenty of mysteries to spare as it jumps from a girls soccer team lost in the woods to the modern day, where some of the survivors are trying to figure out who is stalking them. But Yellowjackets is less concerned with being the next LOST than telling a good story that wraps things up at a regular pace with real answers. Bring on Season 2. — Alex Zalben

Where to watch Yellowjackets

When a show becomes as popular as Stranger Things, it becomes incredibly easy to dismiss it as mere inspiration for an endless churn of Funko Pops! rather than anything artistic. And then Stranger Things drops a new season — in this case Season 4 — and we’re all reminded of why this show strikes such a killer chord. This was Stranger Things as pure summer blockbuster, with pretty much every episode veering into feature-length runtimes. That the season still felt lean is a testament to the storytelling and Stranger Things actually having the meat to justify the length: the hunt for Vecna, Eleven and the boys’ road trip from Hell, the escape from Russia, the passion of Eddie Munson, the battle for the Upside-Down, Kate Bush’s first-ever song of the summer — and one powerhouse performance from Sadie Sink as mad Max suddenly became the show’s rebellious heart. Stranger Things gave us its all this year.

Where to watch Stranger Things

When you start Our Flag Means Death, the new HBO Max series from creator David Jenkins, you’ll think you’re watching a funny, quirky, silly little pirate show. And, to be fair, you very much are. Star Rhys Darby is delightful as a dandy, fanciful man named Stede Bonnet, who hears the call of the sea and decides he’s going to be the world’s first Gentleman’s Pirate. But then enters Taika Waititi’s character, Blackbeard, a leather-clad pirate bad boy who’s swept up in Stede’s charm. Suddenly this silly little pirate show evolves into a sweeping, earth-shattering, romance. You have been warned: Here, there be feels. (And thank god it’s been renewed for Season 2, after a passionate fan campaign.)— Anna Menta

Where to watch Our Flag Means Death

Heartstopper, based on the graphic novels by Alice Oseman, is a soaring, gorgeously directed series by Euros Lyn that will leave you sobbing with joy and changed as a person. Sounds like hyperbole, right? It’s not. The story of Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), a young, openly gay student who falls in love with jock Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) without knowing if he’s into boys, is the rom-com of the year, eight perfect episodes that will leave you swooning, screaming, and stanning in equal measure. Filled with an adorable cast of newcomers who help expand and flesh out the original comics material, Heartstopper is also filled to the brim with lovely little animations, and tableaus that will stick with you long after you finish watching the show. — Alex Zalben

Where to watch Heartstopper

Barry ratcheted up the intensity this year, and the high stakes season paid off. Bill Hader slowly unraveled on screen before us in a mesmerizing spiral, while Sarah Goldberg gave an equally compelling performance as Sally, who went through the ringer in Season 3. Barry continues to strike the balance between hilarious and heartbreaking, and remains one of the most captivating, twisty series on TV.  — Greta Bjornson

Where to watch Barry

There are innumerable accolades we can bestow upon the final season of Better Call Saul, but the fact that there’s a healthy debate about BCS surpassing its predecessor Breaking Bad in terms of quality is all you need to know about the final thirteen episodes of Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould’s small-screen masterpiece. The sixth season of Better Call Saul was true appointment viewing, vacillating between pulsating action (the mall heist from “Nippy”) and expertly crafted character beats (the Kim and Saul breakup from “Fun and Games”). The direction was beautiful, the writing was crisp, and the performances (especially from Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn) were exceptional. Television won’t be the same without the legendary Saul Goodman.– Josh Sorokach

Where to watch Better Call Saul

Compare Andor to the other Star Wars shows released this year, The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and it looks like a misfit. A show about a guy we barely know from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story? But like Andor the man, the show hid in plain sight, obscuring its revolutionary intentions under anonymity. No one expected Andor to be the show to fully explore the weight of oppression, the mundanity of tyranny, and the deadly toll of autonomy. Andor pushed Star Wars — a family-friendly saga — deeper into its political origins than it has ever gone before, making the franchise feel strikingly relevant. This narrative ambition executed by a cast of go-for-broke performers committed wholly to this cause (Emmys for Stellan Skarsgard, Denise Gough, Andy Serkis, Genevieve O’Reilly, Diego Luna, et al.) makes Andor not just the best Star Wars show of the year, but one of the best shows, period. — Brett White

Where to watch Andor

Quinta Brunson’s comedy proves network sitcoms still have plenty of promise. The ABC gem was thankfully renewed for a 22-episode Season 2 this year, and it’s delivered one hit after another since it returned to our screens in September. Abbott Elementary is like a sweet version of The Office, right down to the bumbling boss. But thanks to Brunson’s innovative writing and premise, it always feels fresh and current. — Greta Bjornson

Where to watch Abbott Elementary

The fourth season of What We Do in the Shadows was a hilarious, unpredictable treasure of a show. Jemaine Clement’s brilliant FX series remains the king of absurdity as the new season gifted us with unique storylines like a Djinn (Anoop Desai) who grants Nandor (Kayvan Novak) wishes, a vampire nightclub, the whole Nandor/Freddie/Guillermo/Marwa imbroglio and, of course, Baby Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch). The show is a beacon of strange, laugh-out-comedy that never disappoints. — Josh Sorokach

Where to watch What We Do In The Shadows

Christopher Storer’s new comedy-drama was such a hit, it left all of its viewers yelling “Yes, Chef!” in their own, personal kitchens. The series follows young chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (played by a ridiculously hot Jeremy Allen White) and his return to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop, the Original Beef of Chicagoland, after his brother’s death. And while Carmy might effortlessly knows his way around the grill, he also finds himself juggling eccentric employees (all resistant to change) and a bright-eyed newbie (Ayo Edebiri), along with his own traumas which arise from his prior toxic work environment and his bubbling grief. The series’ strong 8-episode debut on FX was filled with celebrity cameos, big laughs, and plenty of sob-worthy moments. It also unveiled Edebiri as an icon-in-the-making. — Raven Brunner

Where to watch The Bear

I can now divide my life into two eras: Kayla before The Rehearsal and Kayla after The Rehearsal. The fact that this is barely a joke is a testament to how deeply Nathan Fielder has burrowed into my brain. HBO’s docu-series? comedy? reality show? whatever we want to call it has changed me in ways I could have never predicted. For example, between it and Jeanette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died, part of me now thinks that child acting should be illegal. The costs now seem astronomically higher than the benefits. Because of this show, I’ve spent multiple late nights wondering about the ethics of using people as entertainment. Even when actors are part of a fictional story, on some level the emotions and pain they express stem from reality. I’ve spent even more nights questioning what my role as a professional TV critic is in this ethical headache. Who am I to dictate whether any one person’s story is “better” than anyone else’s? What right do I have to call any show more worthy of your limited time on this planet than another? Is this need to rank people’s experiences at all helpful? Or is it simply a projection of my own insecurities?

And now I sound like a Nathan Fielder monologue. Again.

Art is supposed to make us ask hard questions. That’s what The Rehearsal did on a minute-by-minute basis while also making us question reality itself. – Kayla Cobb

Where to watch The Rehearsal

When the end credits of Severance‘s nail-biting Season 1 finale roll, you’ll struggle to remember a time when you were more transfixed by a television show. The mysterious corporate thriller follows employees at Lumon Industries who’ve taken the universal quest for work-life balance to the extreme. After undergoing a procedure known as “severance” — which surgically divides their memories between work and personal lives — Mark (Adam Scott), Helly (Britt Lower), Irving (John Turturro), Dylan (Zach Cherry), and their colleagues find themselves desperate for answers. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller, the year’s standout Apple TV+ series brings its relatable yet confounding workplace to life with the help of a gripping Theodore Shapiro score, breathtaking cinematography, and eye-catching aesthetics. With fresh concepts, an ambitious execution, and outstanding performances from the cast — which includes Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken, Tramell Tillman, and Dichen Lachman — Severance delivered nine episodes of relentlessly palpable tension and the year’s most unforgettable viewing experience. Ahead of Season 2, a string of burning questions remains embedded in my brain like one of Lumon’s infamous chips. — Nicole Gallucci

Where to watch Severance