Every TV Show I've Watched in 2023

It's been over a year since my last post. 2023 was full of ups and downs for me but one thing I did was move into an apartment by myself for the first time, which means I bought a nice television to keep myself company on lonely weeknights. The result has been the most active media binging I've partaken in since COVID-19. Here are my takes on all of them:

Severance (Apple TV+)

It physically ails me when I think about how so many people didn't watch or even hear about this show last year. I'm not kidding when I say it this first season will rank in my top 10 seasons of television of all time. The show follows a team of office workers who have their consciousness surgically separated between their home lives and work lives, until one day a former co-worker shows up outside of work and leads them down a mission to find out the true purpose of their work and the mysterious bio-tech company they work for. I could not stop watching and the cliff-hangers are next level. It's the best thing Apple TV+ has put out and makes Ted Lasso look like something off the CW network.

The Last of US (MAX)

It is truly a magical thing to see a beloved video game get perfectly adapted. THIS is how you adapt a video game. Stay faithful to the source material, but be willing to deviate when necessary. I've been getting some Pedro Pascal fatigue lately, but he was perfect as Joel. People getting upset over Bella Ramsey's portrayal of Ellie was dumb as hell because she was incredible, especially for her age. I didn't think I'd ever watch another zombie show after I stopped watching The Walking Dead, but it's so good to be back.

The Bear - Season 2 (Hulu)

After sweeping the Emmys and the Golden Globes, it should be no secret that this show is one of the best out there right now. Fantastic writing, incredible directing, and one of the most anxiety-inducing, star-studded, perfectly-written episodes of television I've ever seen (you know which one I'm talking about). If you're one of the few who still hasn't seen this yet, get on board.

Blue Eye Samurai (Netflix)

Us cultured individuals who enjoy good animation have been eating good this past year. Blue Eye Samurai is an original story about a half-Japanese, half-white woman who goes on a quest of revenge against those who brought her into this world. MORE OF THIS. Netflix, I know I clown on you for your horrible Tik-Tok star rom-coms, but you really knocked it out of the park with this original R-rated story. Gorgeous 3D animation blended with a 2D aesthetic provides some of the coolest scenery of any animated show I've seen. The main character is a complicated woman who has some amazing character development. The fight scenes are insanely well-choreographed and the plot delivers in every way. It was such a surprise hit that they greenlit Season 2 within a few hours of it's release, so go get on the bandwagon while you can.

Suits (Netflix)

My recent guilty pleasure watch. Yeah, the episodes and plot get a little repetitive as the seasons go on, but holy shit was this fun to watch. The dialogue suffers from Sorkin-Syndrome (unrealistic smart dialogue that no actual person would say), but like all screenplays Sorkin has written, I enjoyed every second. It's surprisingly funny and Harvey Spectre is like Don Draper with a better moral compass. The first handful of seasons were so good that I thought for a second that it might be cool to be a lawyer, until I remembered this show is to lawyers what Grey's Anatomy is to doctors.

Vinland Saga - Season 2 (Netflix)

Again, us animation junkies are eating good lately. Season 1 was one of my all-time favorite shows, following a young boy filled with blood-lust and rage on a quest for revenge for the death of his father. When season 2 came around, it brought what is, hands down, the greatest character development I've ever witnessed in fiction. My all-time favorite character archetype is the flawed man/woman who works to become a better person, and witnessing Thorfinn's journey brought me to tears multiple times. It's a story about love, loss, war, and religion, and it pairs it with beautiful animation to boot.

Succession - Season 4 (MAX)

I am so happy that they ended this show when they did. They could have dragged this on for another 3 seasons if they really wanted to, and I would've watched every minute. But thankfully, they decided it end it while on top, at the perfect point in the story. No doubt this show will be listed among the all-time greats with The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, & Game of Thrones.

Shrinking (Apple TV+)

Watched this while sick one day and man was it pleasant surprise. How I Met Your Mother fans rejoice, because Jason Segel is back in action and he's fantastic. He plays a grieving therapist who begins to use unorthadox methods to help his patients as he also attempts to reconnect with his daughter. It's light, it's funny, it knows when to pull its punches and go for the emotional moments, and it has some of the most underrated comedic performances this year. Especially Harrison Ford, who plays a grumpy old man and actually seems like he's having fun with the role instead of wanting to kill himself like he usually does.

Abbott Elementary (Hulu)

A pleasant surprise for me. I don't find many comedies I enjoy anymore, but this show filled a similar niche that The Office used to fill. Good, episodic comedy. There isn't a lot of those kinds of shows that don't make me cringe when I watch. This series has good character dynamics and just enough wacky antics to keep me engaged but also good dramatic chops that get you to really care about the cast.

Andor (Disney+)

Finally. It finally happened. Disney got Star Wars right. I've fallen so out of love with the Star Wars franchise that I haven't watched a single show since season 2 of the Mandalorian. The low-budget, green screen, trash with cringe dialogue just didn't interest me. Then I heard there was one show that got it right, and it was the show I was the least hopeful about. It literally blew me away. Characters making believable decisions leading to understandable motivations - it's like I'm in a different franchise. What makes me sad is that this had the lowest viewership among all Star Wars shows, so Disney will surely not listen to their fans and continue pushing out Marvel-style trash, but this was nice to imagine what Star Wars could truly be for a little bit.

Silo (Apple TV+)

My most recent watch that was a big surprise. You follow what we understand as the remnants of mankind who live in an underground bunker called The Silo. There a few individuals begin to question the shady government that controls The Silo and what is actually outside. If you've ever played the Fallout games or read the City of Ember, then you get the idea. It's a thrilling mystery that has perfectly-placed cliffhangers.

Attack on Titan - The Final Season (Hulu)

It's over. The greatest show I've ever had the pleasure of watching has finally ended and I feel like a part of me has died. Attack on Titan might just be the best story ever told. A show with so many twists and turns that it had me foaming at the mouth waiting for each new episode because the stakes would only get higher. It made me cheer, it made me cry, and it left a giant hole in my heart that I'm not sure another show will fill. It is quite literally PEAK FICTION.