TAGGED AS: streaming, television, TV
The 145 Best TV and Streaming Series of 2022 (cont.)
Adjusted Score: 96496%
Critics Consensus: Our Flag Means Death's gentle sensibility doesn't quite strike comedic gold, but its bemusing band of buccaneers are endearing enough that viewers seeking a comforting watch will find bountiful booty.
Adjusted Score: 94907%
Critics Consensus: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has seemingly run out of fresh material, but it continues to reward fans with expert delivery and snappy presentation.
Adjusted Score: 94637%
Critics Consensus: The honeymoon is over for Jessie and Tom's courtship as well as Starstruck's euphoric thrill, but Rose Matafeo's comedy still charms with observations about the ordinary challenges of sustaining extraordinary love.
Adjusted Score: 98033%
Critics Consensus: The Staircase doesn't hold many surprises for those already intimate with the original documentary, but this dramatization brings a fresh perspective and texture to the mystery -- along with a terrific performance by Colin Firth.
Adjusted Score: 98326%
Critics Consensus: Reacher captures the trademark bulk of its titular hero while trading away some of his definition, but fans of the novels will find plenty to love about this faithful adaptation.
Adjusted Score: 75244%
Critics Consensus: Whether she's fighting bad guys, defending a client, or managing her messy social life, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law passes the bar for bingeworthy viewing.
Adjusted Score: 96397%
Critics Consensus: Sarah Lancashire portrays Julia Child with infectious joie de vivre in this appetizing valentine to the iconic chef.
Adjusted Score: 97472%
Critics Consensus: Horror maestro Guillermo del Toro lends his household name to a collection of spooky tales directed by genre veterans and promising newcomers -- with each curious trinket adding up to a treasure trove of gothic storytelling.
Adjusted Score: 97470%
Critics Consensus: A spiritual successor to The Wire with an even more pessimistic outlook on law enforcement, We Own This City deftly explores compromised individuals to paint an overall picture of systemic corruption.
Adjusted Score: 93270%
Critics Consensus: Covering an era of tenuous peace with ferocious -- albeit abbreviated -- focus, House of the Dragon is an impressive prequel that exemplifies the court intrigue that distinguished its predecessor.
Adjusted Score: 96127%
Critics Consensus: Chloe can sometimes strain credulity, but Erin Doherty's excellent performance brings a human touch to this technological thriller.
Adjusted Score: 102279%
Critics Consensus: Swapping its tropical trappings for Euro chic while focusing primarily on the corrosive influence of carnal desire, The White Lotus remains a cookie full of arsenic that goes down smooth.
Adjusted Score: 102889%
Critics Consensus: A League of Their Own puts some spin on its pitch, lobbing a serialized expansion that swerves dangerously close to anachronism but hits home thanks to a roster filled with all-stars and a field rich with possibilities.
Adjusted Score: 101698%
Critics Consensus: John Cena's still in solid form in Peacemaker, leading a bloody good time that gives writer-director James Gunn full permission to let his freak flag fly.
Adjusted Score: 96051%
Critics Consensus: Blessed with Suranne Jones' exquisite performance and some of the crispest dialogue on television, Gentleman Jack remains a total ace.
Adjusted Score: 96150%
Critics Consensus: Like an addictive pop song, Girls5Eva is just as delightful the second time around, with its band of scrappy divas remaining one of the funniest ensembles on television.
Adjusted Score: 98202%
Critics Consensus: Ben Whishaw's live-wire performance of an exhausted doctor powers This is Going to Hurt, a smart drama full of humor and pain.
Adjusted Score: 99763%
Critics Consensus: Catnip for cinephiles and a welcome spotlight for the spellbinding Alicia Vikander, Irma Vep is a worthwhile expansion of writer-director Olivier Assayas' cinematic opus.
Adjusted Score: 99861%
Critics Consensus: Slow Horses refreshes the espionage genre by letting its band of snoops be bumbling, with Gary Oldman giving a masterclass in frumpy authority.
Adjusted Score: 97541%
Critics Consensus: Ably anchored by Harold Perrineau, From is an intriguing journey toward a mysterious destination.
Adjusted Score: 97345%
Critics Consensus: Undone broadens out into a family affair in a gorgeously trippy continuation that's as heady as it is moving.
Adjusted Score: 97442%
Critics Consensus: Finessing complicated financial jargon into scathing repartee, Industry's stock is way up in this superlative sophomore season full of frustrated ambitions and tested loyalties.
Adjusted Score: 98389%
Critics Consensus: Sweetly nostalgic without sacrificing substance, The Wonder Years captures the magic of the original while adding necessary nuance and context to its tale of Black life in America.
Adjusted Score: 97443%
Critics Consensus: Single Drunk Female's clear-eyed chronicle of the challenges of sobriety is a joy, thanks in part to some spiky satire and Sofia Black-D'elia's spirited star turn.
Adjusted Score: 99472%
Critics Consensus: The Rehearsal gives Nathan Fielder carte blanche to take his absurdist comedy to the limit, which he pushes even further past with deadpan aplomb in what might be his most uncomfortably funny feat yet.
Adjusted Score: 97443%
Critics Consensus: Atlanta takes Paper Boi and his entourage out of Georgia, but this inspired third season proves that the more things change, the more they stay weird.
Adjusted Score: 96857%
Critics Consensus: A gritty adventure told from the ground perspective of the Empire's reign, Andor is an exceptionally mature and political entry into the Star Wars mythos -- and one of the best yet.
Adjusted Score: 98052%
Critics Consensus: Evan Rachel Wood is fearless in Phoenix Rising, a harrowing exposé on abuse, tabloid complicity, and the long process of healing.
Adjusted Score: 98932%
Critics Consensus: Employing some risky stylistic flourishes that Andy Warhol himself might have approved of, these Diaries are a revelatory glimpse into the inner life of a purposefully unknowable artist.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 99420%
Critics Consensus: For All Mankind's third season goes as far as Mars while maintaining a homey focus on its original ensemble, delivering another epic adventure with an intimate focus.
Adjusted Score: 99518%
Critics Consensus: Jamie Dornan makes for a compelling guide through The Tourist, a beguiling drama that deepens its mystery with solid shocks and welcome moments of levity.
Adjusted Score: 99516%
Critics Consensus: Diabolical's animated shorts pack the same supersized punch as The Boys, transposing the original series' scabrous social commentary into a cartoonish medium that's just as much devilish fun -- and definitely not for kids.
Adjusted Score: 99517%
Critics Consensus: Whether you're a fan of stop-motion animation or just looking for something deeply, alluringly weird, The House will feel like home.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 101006%
Critics Consensus: The rapport between Ophelia Lovibond and Jake Johnson is the irresistible centerfold of Minx, a bawdy and sharp comedy that merits a full-page spread.
Adjusted Score: 101958%
Critics Consensus: The Old Man is just as intrepid and spiky -- and derivative -- as younger action heroes, with Jeff Bridges lending invaluable gravitas to this bone-crunching thriller.
Adjusted Score: 102059%
Critics Consensus: Intricate yet intimate, Pachinko is a sweeping epic that captures the arc of history as well as the enduring bonds of family.
Adjusted Score: 102547%
Critics Consensus: Not all of Russian Doll's gambles pay off in this ambitious and thrillingly audacious second season, but the show's willingness to take risks is often its own reward.
Adjusted Score: 104814%
Critics Consensus: Dennis Lehane's penchant for authentic grit is on full display in Blackbird, an absorbing prison drama distinguished by its moral complexity and elevated by an outstanding ensemble.
Adjusted Score: 107042%
Critics Consensus: Audacious, mysterious, and bringing fresh insight into the perils of corporate drudgery, Severance is the complete package.
Adjusted Score: 67042%
Critics Consensus: Foregrounding its characters and namesake again after an anthological sojourn in Europe, Atlanta closes out in its sweet spot: funny, insightful, and weird as hell.
Adjusted Score: 104840%
Critics Consensus: W. Kamau Bell deftly unpacks the Cosby scandal by allowing the conversation to be uncomfortable, yielding a robust examination of the disgraced entertainer and the culture that enabled him.
Adjusted Score: 104013%
Critics Consensus: Only Murders in the Building gets a new lease on life with a knottier sophomore outing that retains the series' core charm and wit.
Adjusted Score: 106381%
Critics Consensus: Managing to up the ante on what was already one of television's most audacious satires, The Boys' third season is both bracingly visceral and wickedly smart.
Adjusted Score: 67035%
Critics Consensus: Ms. Marvel is a genuinely fresh addition to the MCU -- both stylistically and substantively -- with Iman Vellani ably powering proceedings with her super-sized charisma.
Adjusted Score: 102691%
Critics Consensus: Strange New Worlds treks across familiar territory to refreshing effect, its episodic structure and soulful cast recapturing the sense of boundless discovery that defined the franchise's roots.
Adjusted Score: 102863%
Critics Consensus: With a playful tone and an expansive sweep that allows Anne Rice's gothic opus to mull like a chalice of blood, Interview with the Vampire puts a stake through concerns that this story couldn't be successfully resurrected.
Adjusted Score: 103179%
Critics Consensus: Better Call Saul remains as masterfully in control as Jimmy McGill keeps insisting he is in this final season, where years of simmering storytelling come to a scintillating boil.
Adjusted Score: 101052%
Critics Consensus: Issa Rae's razor-sharp sensibility is fully felt in Rap Sh!t, a raucous chronicle of female camaraderie and youthful ambition.
Adjusted Score: 101054%
Critics Consensus: Lizzo acquits herself splendidly as master of ceremonies in Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, a joyous reality competition that's equal parts fun and uplifting.
Adjusted Score: 101149%
Critics Consensus: A gripping mystery that draws immense power from its sterling cast and the specificity of its location, Sherwood is such a rich series that it makes the competition look all the poorer.
Adjusted Score: 101052%
Critics Consensus: Spanning an epic runtime, George Carlin's American Dream is an exhaustive and revealing retrospective on the beloved comedian's career that ought to be mandatory viewing for standup fans.
Adjusted Score: 101149%
Critics Consensus: The Responder is unrelentingly dark and inescapably absorbing, with Martin Freeman's hangdog performance carrying the drama.
Adjusted Score: 101150%
Critics Consensus: High School is as effervescent and sensitive as a Tegan and Sara album, delivering a highly specific coming of age comedy that rings with universal truth.
Adjusted Score: 101248%
Critics Consensus: Bittersweet, funny as ever, and brimming with wisdom, Better Things's final sendoff is as good as it gets.
Adjusted Score: 101541%
Critics Consensus: The Serpent Queen dramatizes one of history's most infamous monarchs with a deft, sardonic touch, with Samantha Morton's commanding star turn likely to swallow viewers' attention whole.
Adjusted Score: 101637%
Critics Consensus: Parting is such sweet sorrow, but Derry Girls' final season promises to milk as many laughs as it can before viewers say a fond farewell to this lovable band of miscreants.
Adjusted Score: 101540%
Critics Consensus: Who woulda thought? -- Harley Quinn graduates from a ribald spoof into one of the most heartening additions to the DC canon in a diabolically clever and emotionally textured third season.
Adjusted Score: 101541%
Critics Consensus: Slow Horses says neigh to the sophomore jinx with a second season that might be even better than its supremely addictive predecessor.
Adjusted Score: 101637%
Critics Consensus: Peaky Blinders' sixth season gracefully addresses the untimely passing of star Helen McCrory while setting the stage for a fitting climax to this epic saga of likable scalawags.
Adjusted Score: 101638%
Critics Consensus: The Kids in the Hall have become seasoned comedy veterans without missing a beat, delivering a fresh set of sketches that will delight longtime fans.
Adjusted Score: 101930%
Critics Consensus: Led by a captivating Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere explores the human condition with tenderness, grace, and warmth.
Adjusted Score: 101834%
Critics Consensus: Aside from turning this demonic household into Three Vampires and a Baby, What We Do in the Shadows doubles down on what it does best without drastically changing the formula -- and remains fang-tastic all the same.
Adjusted Score: 102029%
Critics Consensus: Marrying state of the art visual effects with equally immersive narration by David Attenborough, Prehistoric Planet wondrously brings viewers back to the age of dinosaurs.
Adjusted Score: 102518%
Critics Consensus: Zahn McClarnon is riveting as a coiled cop in Dark Winds, a solid procedural that derives much of its texture from an underrepresented cultural milieu.
Adjusted Score: 102713%
Critics Consensus: Reservation Dogs has bittersweet bite in its sophomore season as it mines more difficult dilemmas than before with its spiky sense of humor, making for a piquant portrait of a community and a place.
Adjusted Score: 102225%
Critics Consensus: Frequently hilarious while possessing an absorbing sense of place, Mo is a thoughtful depiction of the immigrant experience that is light on its feet.
Adjusted Score: 102713%
Critics Consensus: Fluidly animated and intelligently scripted, The Legend of Vox Machina is an addictive treat for fans of Dungeons & Dragons-style RPGs.
Adjusted Score: 103300%
Critics Consensus: The Last Movie Stars delivers the goods as a revealing retrospective of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward's romance, but director Ethan Hawke elevates this docuseries into a revelatory exploration of marriage and stardom.
Adjusted Score: 104277%
Critics Consensus: Hacks hits the road, but Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder remain very much at home with each other in a sterling sophomore season that finds novel ways to deepen the central pair's lovable friendship.
Adjusted Score: 104763%
Critics Consensus: Dark secrets are a family affair in Bad Sisters, a riotously funny murder mystery that makes fine use of its gifted ensemble while exemplifying creator and star Sharon Horgan's penchant for salty warmth.
Adjusted Score: 103766%
Critics Consensus: Bill Hader and company can take a well-deserved bow -- Barry makes its belated return to the screen without missing a step, retaining its edge as one of television's funniest and most unsettling offerings.
Adjusted Score: 104863%
Critics Consensus: An inclusive romance told with striking sensitivity, Heartstopper is so effortlessly charming that viewers won't dare skip a beat.
Adjusted Score: 106818%
Critics Consensus: Like an expertly confected sandwich, The Bear assembles a perfect melange of ingredients and stacks them for optimal satisfaction -- and thankfully keeps the crust-iness for extra flavor.
Need more suggestions? Check out our comprehensive list of the best TV and streaming shows of 2021 — there are 129 Certified Fresh TV seasons on last year’s list.
Looking for more TV and movies to watch? Check out our guide to the best in streaming and TV, Binge Central.
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