Best Television Shows of 2022

2022 was another big year for television. Many shows had strong sophomore seasons, several had successful first outings, and a series on this list had one of the most satisfying endings in a long time. And that last one is animated too.

Here are some of my favorite shows from this year in no particular order.

Interview with the Vampire

Every single time I think I’m out of the Anne Rice fandom, my best friend always finds a way to throw me back into the realm of these vampires. This year, she was aided thanks to the release of AMC’s series Interview with the Vampire.

There is so much I like about this series. This is how to do a reboot while still honoring the source material. In no way does this throw out the original books, instead working in that Louis is an unreliable narrator and always has been. Also, the choice to make Louis and Claudia African American recontextualizes the more troublesome parts of Rice’s writing adding to the power dynamic that Lestat has over them.

The other decision to make all the homosexual subtext fully textual and part of the canon is most welcomed. Louis is a gay man, Lestat is bisexual, and who knows how they’ll handle Daniel and a certain character revealed in the season one finale. If all goes well, the fans of the Devil’s Minion ship might be very well-fed in season two.

Jacob Anderson and Bailey Bass are a dynamic duo as Louis and Claudia. Eric Bogosian has my favorite one-liners as deadpan Daniel Malloy. I’m very intrigued where Assad Zaman will take his character because that person is one of my personal favorites in Rice’s canon. Zaman has soared in that role. But it’s absolutely Sam Reid who kills it (pun intended) as Lestat. He embodies that character in every way from the camp to the horror. It’s clear from interviews that he adores playing Lestat. Sam and Jacob’s chemistry is simply insane.

This series has plenty of heart, humor, and a heaping helping of horror to go with it. Sink your fangs into Interview with the Vampire if you haven’t yet.

Check out our video about The Evolution of Vampires and Queerness in Media.

The Owl House

The animated powerhouse that is The Owl House came out swinging with a much darker middle chapter for its second season and the first special of season three. Despite the show getting preemptively cut short, that didn’t stop Dana Terrace and her team from continuing their historic trek.

And The Owl House is historic in many ways. With both the first non-binary character and also the first bisexual lead on Disney, the show hasn’t slowed with writing incredibly progressive television. Sometimes it’s little things like in the most recent special “Thanks to Them” giving a character a desk nameplate with their “they/them” pronouns on it. Those small details go a long way, especially in an animated series. Many adult live-action shows could take notes because The Owl House is offering up a masterclass on how to write queer characters. The next generation will have some stellar representation to grow up with.

Because of the shortened third season, The Owl House’s second season hit the ground running with the plot. Sadly, gone are the days of the one-off adventures of season one which really explored the characters and their relationships. That’s not to say season two lacked in that department. We were introduced to fan favorite, Hunter, who went from a villain straight into his redemption arc and joined the heroes in a single season. His story is tragic, rifled with the pitfalls of propaganda, the dangers of conformity, and how to overcome familial abuse. Luz and Amity broke huge ground officially dating and sharing a kiss. Luz coming out to her mother, Camila, and then her mother wearing a Pride pin for the rest of the time she’s on-screen is stellar. Belos solidified himself as one of the most terrifying villains in any show. And the entire cast of characters supported to make for an excellent outing.

I adore this show. I’m going to miss it when it ends next year. I love writing reviews for it. As it seems like Disney is regretting their early cancellation, I hope we get to see a second series down the line on Disney+. If you haven’t checked out The Owl House, look it up on Disney+.

Our Flag Means Death

I first heard about the so-called “Gay Pirate Show” at 221B Con. There was so much interest to discuss it, the con directors moved the schedule around just to make a panel last minute where fans could celebrate their love for the series. That’s not an easy thing to do at a convention. There was something special about this series that I had to delve into.

Our Flag Means Death is indeed a very special show. A lot like Interview with the Vampire, it plays in the familiar tropes normally assigned to queer content. And like Interview, it takes the normal coding and subtext and smashes it into oblivion without making it a PSA or “A Very Special Episode.” These characters are queer. No question about that, and they just exist and thrive. When Jim comes out as non-binary, there’s about an episode where the characters ask questions since they’re honestly learning what this means for the first time. No one is shamed for learning. The others take a little time to adjust to Jim’s new pronouns. And then it’s never a problem after that. YES! Write queer media like this!

Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby are wonderful as Blackbeard and Stede, showing how they met, bonded, and slowly fell in love. Having two solid entries this year of men falling in love is important as there is such a horrible stigma against gay men. Apparently, it’s cool if two women fall in love, because cis-bros can sexualize them. But Hollywood still has a fear of showing men fall in love since it’s apparently “dangerous” or something. Blackbeard and Stede are handled beautifully from their internalized homophobia to breaking free of societal norms to be happy.

And the ensemble. Our Flag Means Death is very much an ensemble show, and it wouldn’t be what it is without the lovable crew of the Revenge. The rewatchability is with the crew, as they each have mini-storylines that add flavor and character to the show. The biggest question I have from the cliffhanging season one finale is centered on the ensemble, not the main leads. This series showcases the power of a fantastic ensemble.

Check out Our Flag Means Death if you haven’t.

The Legend of Vox Machina

As someone who had never dived into the world of Critical Role, I was a bit skeptical about giving this series a try. I wasn’t sure if I needed the backstory of the hundreds upon hundreds of hours of the tabletop webseries. But I really loved the animation of the trailer being a big fan of the company Titmouse, so I gave the first few episodes a try (you can read my initial review here).

Boy, did I love the heck out of this wild ride of a show! Matt Mercer and his team understood this would be a starting point for new fans like me and made sure to fully address that in the first episode. As many longtime fans have pointed out, this series is a good way to jump into Critical Role for the first time. It was my entry point and it got me to start watching the Vox Machina campaign on YouTube.

I’ve wanted more adult animated shows that break out of the strangled hold that series like Bob’s Burgers and Family Guy have on this market (that’s not a knock at all towards these series by the way). Lately, we’ve been getting some solid entries like Primal and Helluva Boss. Vox Machina is part of this trend too.

The party of Vox Machina is, again, another fantastic ensemble show. Each person gets a moment to really show off what their characters can do. The love between these relationships is palpable on both a character level and the people behind the scenes voicing them. That’s the key to this success too: Love.

This is a show made out of pure love, funded by fans, to make the best product. Critical Role absolutely succeeded in every way. Season two is one of my personal picks of shows I’m desperately looking forward to in 2023. If you want a high fantasy show with a ton of comedic gore and heart, look up The Legend of Vox Machina. Or at least check out the season one recap.

Abbott Elementary

There is so much to be said about the wholesome juggernaut of a series that is Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary. The hardest thing about this review is to keep this short because I just want to scream about how good and socially important this series is.

One of the biggest surprises of the year, this series has everything. The ensemble cast each gets their moments to shine and play a role in the overall arc. It has the ‘will they/won’t they’ relationship between Janine and Gregory. Even some of the more outlandish moments from characters like Ava are played straight and realistic to contribute to either a character’s narrative or to the overarching plot. Actually, the scenes where Ava gets serious are some of my favorite moments and are impactful. Watching these teachers bond as a unit in season one to help their school is inspiring. The message of the series has brought a much-needed conversation to the struggles real-life teachers go through, which is such an important discussion to have.

The entire cast of this mockumentary is stellar but especially the wonderful Sheryl Lee Ralph playing the veteran teacher Barbara Howard. She very much deserved her Primetime Emmy Award, and, if I may say, gave the best speech of the night.

If you haven’t given Abbott Elementary a try, you should. You’re missing out on one of the best shows on tv right now.

Amphibia

Gosh, I miss Amphibia. This is how you do a finale right.

Amphibia is the very definition of “character development is plot.” Sure, seasons two and three brought drama to the narrative, but season one with its more episodic “adventure of the week” format was all very important groundwork in lore, world-building, and the all-important character development of Anne. If season one didn’t stick its landing, then the rest of the show would have fallen apart.

Amphibia’s season three brought us back to Earth where Anne had to introduce the Plantars, her lovable frog family, to her world while her friends Sasha and Marcy were still trapped back in Amphibia. Creator Matt Braly and his team really set out to make something special with those final episodes. It never lost its heart or humor even with the world-ending stakes raised. The list of guest stars was amazing too from RuPaul, Anika Noni Rose, Kate Micucci, and so many more. But the surprising breakout star was Braly’s own mom, On Braly, voicing Anne’s mother. The range and emotion she brought to the role as a first-time voice actor were stunning.

And the finale, oh that finale. It was poignant, beautiful, and I sobbed through the last ten minutes. It was a testament to the trials of growing up. Handling both the bonkers crazy space battle with the quiet moments of the final few minutes was a masterclass. It is a finale that when the young audience is older, they’re going to appreciate it in different ways. The best series are the ones that change in your eyes as you get older. Amphibia proved exactly why it’s going to hold a top place in the Disney pantheon for many years to come.

Also, since the show was ending and there was no fear of being canceled, bravo to Braly and his team for going all out with queer content too. He spoke of the important responsibility as a creator in our interview with him earlier this year. Check out that interview if you haven’t yet. I hope all creators take a page from both Amphibia and The Owl House’s books. They are defining the next generation of audiences.

I truly miss reviewing Amphibia every week. It really was an honor to do so.

Moon Knight

Y’all, Marvel burnout is very real. By the time Moon Knight rolled around, I really had no interest in watching a show about a character I cared very little about. Initially, I ignored it despite so many of my friends including the same vampire-loving best friend from above singing its praises. It wasn’t until one of my favorite YouTube channels, Cinema Therapy, covered the show and praised how healthily they portrayed D.I.D., or Dissociative Identity Disorder, that the series really caught my interest. And boy, was I a fool for sleeping on this show. A FOOL I TELL YOU!

While the world-ending magical stakes are there and there’s a beautiful romance with May Calamawy’s Layla El-Faouly, at the core of Moon Knight is a story of self-love. The story is so smart to start with Steven as the protagonist. He gets thrown into escalating situations because he doesn’t realize he’s part of a system with Marc. Both men have awesome journeys as Steven learns to be a reluctant hero while Marc realizes how much he needs Steven. They’re equally as important as the other, both contributing to the narrative.

Ethan Hawke kills it as the villain, Arthur Harrow, but I think his best work is when he’s playing the psychologist in the purgatory world. The doctor he portrays is, as Cinema Therapy points out, actually a good psychologist. It adds to the twisty nature of the show of how much of this is real and what’s in Steven and Marc’s head. Despite being a trip of a joyride, the last two episodes are some of the most beautiful and heartfelt moments on television all year.

I think the biggest shame in all of this with Moon Knight being a Marvel show, I’m almost positive that Oscar Isaac won’t receive any acting nominations. It sucks because Isaac plays three very different characters with Marc and Steven having gorgeous character arcs over the course of the first season. Isaac puts on a masterclass of why he’s one of the best in the business. It’s criminal he won’t get the award recognition. I hope he knows that fans see him and appreciate his work.

Moon Knight seriously (well, mostly) cured my Marvel burnout. It makes me wonder what other gems I’ve been missing while taking a break from the franchise. If all of the shows and movies are up to this level of storytelling, I might have to take a dive back into the MCU sooner rather than later.

Andor

Andor was everything I wanted this show to be and so much more. I know we’ve gushed about it over on our Geeky Waffle podcast, Space Waffles, but I just need to scream about it more.

It’s by far the show that took everyone by surprise this year. While Rogue One is my favorite Star Wars movie and this was my most anticipated series, I didn’t know how good it was going to be. It’s so unapologetically drenched in real-world politics and never once pulls its punches. It’s an uncomfortable show, making it so very different from the series that’s come before it. Andor wants you to squirm. It wants you to look at yourself and see which cog you are in the real-world systems that plague our lives. It punishing at times. Still, it knows exactly when to release the pressure of stress to inject much-needed hope before slapping you in the face again.

Diego Luna is back, truly reforming the character of Cassian in this second outing. His rise as the hero is so methodically done piece by piece. Every single character he interacts with has a purpose. It’s rightfully given for Luna to already get the awards buzz he’s receiving.

Don’t sleep on the supporting cast either. Genevieve O'Reilly, Stellan Skarsgård, and a very surprising addition of Andy Serkis all deserve praise. Each of them plays roles that are redefining their already prestigious careers. Like Oscar Isaac, it would be deplorable to me if they didn’t get some sort of award buzz. The entire supporting cast from the people of Ferrix to the terrifying ranks of the Empire adds to the show and Star Wars universe in spectacular ways.

I won’t go too deep on Andor, because, as I said, we already deep-dived on each episode over on Space Waffles. But my goodness, Tony Gilroy has made something special here. It’s not just good Star Wars.

Andor is some of the best television in a very long time.

What were some of your favorite shows of 2022? Let us know in the comments!