The best series of 2022

If there's one thing that best series of 2022 What they brought back was originality. Of course, many still use the same formats, the same recording techniques, but it's still the script that ended up rescuing all the fun. Whether for an unpublished story, an adaptation with creative freedom or narratives told from a new perspective, most of the streams delivered unpublished content and new seasons that managed to hit the audience. 

This list is somewhat very different. You've probably already heard about some productions that will appear here and, in the case of others, I believe that they will at least arouse your curiosity. Anyway, check out the best series of the year — not necessarily in order of importance, but I warn you that I usually leave my favorites for last.

This is going to hurt

Based on the autobiographical book by Adam Kay, “This is going to hurt” is a British comedy-drama series that follows a team of newly graduated doctors in the obstetrics ward of a hospital. The plot, starring Ben Whishaw (Perfume – The Story of a Killer), manages to balance acidic humor with political criticism regarding the precariousness of hospitals. 

It is interesting to see that the author aimed only at the British community and the problems that surround it. So much so that the series was aired for the first time in the United Kingdom by BBC. But his indictment and remarks about a broken medical system ended up resonating with the public in a universal way. Of course, because it's scripted, the series goes into emotional and professional issues of the characters to give depth to the content, but I guarantee that it doesn't get boring – quite the contrary, everything ends up interconnecting. 

The Staircase

From the moment that Big Little Lies (2017-2019) became a highly successful miniseries, HBO began to break new ground and invest more in crime dramas of a similar and equally marathonable vein. Like that series, The Staircase (distributed as A Escada in Brazil) features the same powerful combo: a first-class cast – featuring names like Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Sophie Turner and Juliette Binoche), a narrative based on facts and the hand of Antonio Campos (O Diabo de Cada Dia), a director with a resumé full of drama and suspense productions.

Despite being yet another case that has been explored many times by the media, the miniseries manages to arrest for combining subtlety, insight and intelligence when presenting the nuances of the case. To produce this series, the homonymous documentary series by jean xavier by Lestrade, who accompanied the defense team of Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth in the HBO Max miniseries), a writer from North Carolina who was convicted of murdering his wife (played by Toni Collette) on the stairs of their home.

The Bear (The bear)

If you didn't get caught up in the hype of The Bear (O Urso, from FX), I am sorry to tell you that you are missing out on a great production that is among the best series of the year. Straight from Shameless to the world, Jeremy Allen White plays Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, a young chef who inherits The Beef restaurant and has the duty to transform it into one of the most successful establishments in Chicago.

In fact, this is a series about a specific work environment with a chaotic routine. But this all ends up serving as a great backdrop, after all The Bear ends up being yet another combination that involves family dynamics, traditions, traumas, mourning, gentrification, gastronomic culture and the constant battle of a restaurant and its employees in achieving ascension .

Derry Girls (3rd season)

Amid the political conflicts in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, five students face the challenges of adolescence. This premise does not deliver even 1% of the humorous and captivating narrative that unfolds in the plot, but it is a starting point. By the way, the entire series is wonderful and full of a very heavy accent (too good), but since the list is about the highlights of 2022, I will give credit to the third and final season of “Derry Girls”, from Netflix. 

It is rare to see a current sitcom that manages to maintain a sense of humor from beginning to end. Although “Derry Girls” does have a dramatic load, the comedy and the provocative comments of the characters have never been sidelined. Rather than following the formula of teens in crisis and the uncertainty of adulthood, director Lisa McGee's farewell actually delivers a message of hope. 

The third and final season shows the difficulties faced in Ireland and the impact of it all on the lives of the characters Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell), Orla (Louisa Harland), James (Dylan Llewellyn) and their families. But, in the same way that the Quinn family and the central characters persevered despite the chaos that was taking over the country, the series never forgets the central core and everyday situations. 

gaslit

The eight-episode miniseries available on Lionsgate + stars none other than Julia Roberts and Sean Penn. Being yet another production based on facts for the list, Gaslit presents details about the Watergate political scandal, which happened in 1970. But instead of following through clichés, the series chooses to tell this story through the unprecedented perspective of important personalities who were ignored at the time.

In this context, the narrative focuses on Martha Mitchell (Roberts), wife of the attorney general of the republic, John Mitchell (Penn). Mitchell was in this post during the term of Republican Richard Nixon. In the midst of this process, Martha was one of the first sources to leak information about Watergate's corruption schemes, including Nixon's involvement in the scandal. 

In revisiting the 1972 Watergate break-in and the ensuing scandal, showrunner Robbie Pickering does a great job, managing to connect the rot of Nixon's Republican Party with current American events and personalities. This is a series that shows how people are able to shape the narrative by personal interests and manage to go beyond “post-truth”, even more so when they have power in their hands. “gaslit” is a current term, but an action that happens is no longer today. 

High School

"High School”, one of the best series of this year, belongs to co-showrunners Laura Kittrell and Clea DuVall (who also directs the production) and is based on the eponymous memoir published in 2019 by the twin singers Tegan and Sara. So, the story accompanies the protagonists as teenagers on the journey of finding their vocation in the midst of youth dramas.

Naturally, this show takes the challenges of adolescence very seriously, but at the same time, it manages to be a lighthearted production that goes beyond the goal of just being the story of Tegan and Sara's musical careers. Just like “Derry Girls”, “High School” doesn't weigh its hand in the tragic and shows that sometimes, the young person is fine, with no strings attached to bigger problems.

Mo

Comedian Mo Amer produces and stars in “Mo”, series created together with Ramy Youssef (Ramy) for Netflix. In it, Amer plays a Palestinian refugee who lives in Houston, Texas, and needs to reconcile work, religion and family, in addition to worrying about his pending asylum application.

Based on Amer's own experience, Mo's refugee status ends up impacting every aspect of his life. Thus, “Mo” manages to be a family comedy, a romance and, depending on your point of view, a crime drama – without compromising or changing the tone of the main objective.

Our Flag Means Death

This series has Taika Waititi, you know… This is already a strong argument for being one of the best series of the year. Jokes aside (not so much), Our Flag Means Death (released in Brazil in the translation 'Nossa Bandeira é a Morte' by HBO Max) follows a group of amateur pirates led by Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby).

Better known as the Gentleman Pirate, Bonnet was born into a very wealthy English family during British colonization on the island of Barbados. After inheriting his parents' fortune (and failing miserably to manage the earnings), he decides he wants to join the world of crime and join a crew of pirates to dominate the ocean.

So far, you can already feel that a lot of things are going to go wrong, right? Especially since Bonnet has no navigation experience. Even when he ends up meeting one of the most famous pirates, Black beard (Waititi), everything gets much more interesting and funny.

Somebody, Somewhere (Somebody, Somewhere)

Inspired by the life of the comedian and singer Bridget Everett, Somebody, Somewhere (distributed in Brazil as Someone in Somewhere, by HBO Max) follows Sam (Everett) and his struggle to fit the molds of Kansas, his hometown. While trying to adapt, at the same time, he has to face the daily grief of losing his sister. 

Amid so much pain, the protagonist ends up finding comfort in the corner and ends up meeting a group of strangers who also don't fit in the city, but have all the strength not to give up.

Directed by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, the plot, in fact, is largely composed of tragedy. But on the other hand, the moments in which comedy is inserted end up reversing the situation and showing that the story is actually more about dealing with existence in general and not just dealing with losses.

Tuca & Bertie (Season 3)

Even outside of Netflix, Adult Swim has committed to making another season of Tuca & Bertie and all I can say is that it was worth it. Even the second and third seasons are currently available on HBO Max. 

The animation “Tuca & Bertie” explores with nuances and a lot of wit the internal dilemmas that young adults usually go through during this phase. For example, even though Tuca (Tiffany Haddish) loves her lifestyle and is extremely carefree, deep down, she fears not achieving her goals and is afraid of being stagnant forever, without maturing. Bertie (Ali Wong) sees her best friend and her boyfriend thriving - which makes her wonder if she's on the right track. 

Many emotional layers are explored, yes, but not in a dense way that tires the audience. The series is a dish full of comedy, jokes, cultural references and extremely colorful palettes, all mixed in a large bowl that is very good to consume. 

The Righteous Gemstones (Season 2)

With a very talented cast such as Danny McBride (who is also the creator of the series with Jody Hill), Adam Devine, Edi Patterson and John Goodman playing the strangest characters possible, “The Righteous Gemstones”, from HBO Max, is an endless comedy. And the second season is no different. Executive produced by David Gordon Green and Jody Hill, there was a lot of investment in the sets, effects, costumes and everything you can imagine. This dedication makes a lot of difference, as it complements the ironic jokes and acid humor of the script.

in the plot, Eli Gemstone (Goodman) is a powerful pastor known for his somewhat aggressive salvation techniques, international Masses, and his weekly TV show. As heir to this Gemstone legacy, you are Jesse (McBride), the pastor's eldest son. Already Kelvin (Adam Devine), the youngest, decides to leave the church for not agreeing with his father's methods. And among all that, is Judy (Edi Patterson), who doesn't even have a choice because she's a woman. The absurdity escalates so much that it is impossible to stop watching. 

Pachinko

Sweeping novels involving concepts of time and space may be tried-and-true entertainment staples, but they can rarely sustain the intimacy and sense of constant discovery that “Pachinko” provides. 

Adapted from Min Jin Lee's 2017 novel of the same name, the Apple TV+ drama follows Sunja Kim and three generations of her family. One of the arcs begins in the 1920s, when Sunja (played by Minha Kim) meets a young businessman (Lee Min-ho) who changes her life forever. 

The second storyline takes place in the 1980s, when Sunja is now a grandmother (played by the winner of the Oscar Youn Yuh-jung). Her son (Soji Arai) runs a pachinko parlor to help the family and her grandson, Solomon (Jin Ha), is a businessman with big ambitions to succeed in the West. When we meet the Yale-educated young man, he's lost a promotion in New York and, desperate to impress his bigoted bosses, he plans to return to Japan to close a deal he trusts only he can complete.

The young man's return home ends up tying the lines of time, since the reunion with his grandmother and father intrigues him to better understand the family past. In this, one of the best series of the year, “panchinko”, addresses perspectives on how cultures are affected by colonialism through the life stories of each one.

Euphoria (Season 2)

It is undeniable that Euphoria's debut in 2019 was resounding. With an extremely talented cast, the second season of the series not only maintained its popularity, but also surpassed it in terms of quality and drama. So many things happened in 2022 that it doesn't even feel like this arc premiered that year - that feeling is also given because the episodes were so immersive that time passed too quickly.

Incidentally, it was because of the second season that Zendaya won the Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series – specifically in the fifth episode for her great performance and portrayal of the consequences of addiction on Rue and all those around her. But anyone who thinks that the highlight was all for her is wrong. Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), Maddy (Alexa Damie), Lexi (Maude Apatow) and Fez (Angus Cloud) gave the name and delivered subplots as interesting as the main story, making the entire series endearing, bizarre and full of memes at the same time .

In short, Euphoria's second season was one of the best of 2022 because it delivered nothing less than teen savagery mixed with anything but light subjects. I would even say that it is a good competitor to dethrone the late Skins (2007-2013).

Peaky Blinders (Season 6)

Peaky Blinders is another series that ended in style, delivering its best to the fans and well in the reinforced style of the series. There were fights, family moments between the Shelbys, a greater focus on Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his motivations.

Sadly, actress Helen McCrory passed away before the sixth and final season aired. It was not easy to shape the script from this great loss to the audiovisual sector, but even so, Polly Gray (McCrory) was present in these last episodes and the arc ended in a very beautiful way. Even though this is a series that passes far from the eyes of the awards, it deserves to be recognized as one of the best dramas of recent times.

Ozark (Season 4)

Five years and four seasons later, Ozark still manages to surprise with a few cards up its sleeve. For the final episodes, after Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) and wife Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney) settle down in Missouri to work in a drug cartel – and eventually bump into Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner) – the ending brings an ending. dramatic and honors the end of one of the best series of recent times.

Dahmer: An American Cannibal

Despite divided opinions, it is not new that true crime has been one of the genres most exploited by streaming, whether through documentaries or the fictionalization of cases. Jeffrey Dahmer was yet another serial killer represented on screen and amazingly, the repercussions were almost instantaneous.

In yet another unhealthy role, Evan Peters plays the killer Dahmer in 10 episodes on Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's Netflix series. Based on facts, the story follows the Milwaukee serial killer and his brutal murders between 1978 and 1991. The approach also includes racism and institutional failures coming from the police, who turned a blind eye to cases that did not even try to be hidden. . 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=getE-JuEOUE

“Monster” will be extended into anthology seasons focusing on different serial killers. In English, the series is called Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, so the second part of the title will change according to the figures covered. Even though the series is on the edge of danger of somehow glorifying Dahmer and other murderers, the narrative ends up being inclined to denounce the nauseating horrors that surround the non-fictionalized reality that we find ourselves in.

Pistol

Pistol is a six-episode limited series based on the memoir of Steve Jones, the guitarist for the English punk rock band the Sex Pistols.

Definitely one of the best series of 2022, the dramatic comedy sets a very faithful scenario of 1970s Britain. It manages to bring perspectives beyond the cliché of music productions and shows Jones' vision and relationship with friends, family and the world in which he lived.

Kleo

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a former spy assassin is released and embarks on a revenge spree against the people who conspired to betray her.

The stories in which women turn around and make revenge their main goal in life are no longer news. Even so, there is something very special about accompanying them on this trajectory, even though some of them are even considered great villains – miss you, Villanelle!

And speaking of her, not to mention the disastrous ending of Killing Eve, we have a good indication to fill that gap. Kleo is a German series that takes place after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In it, a very arrogant former spy assassin is released and then embarks on a wave of revenge against the people who conspired against her. All this wearing wigs amidst action scenes and pop music. Does anyone remind you? 

Hacks (Season 2)

hacks, from HBO Max, is amazing. Without going into spoilers too much, the Emmy-winning comedy from Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky and Paul W. Downs wraps up the second season on a very satisfying note. Many of the characters achieve long-cherished personal or professional goals. Tense relationships are solidified and important partnerships are dissolved. Everything was so tied up that fans even got scared, thinking that would be the end of the series. But luckily for the nation, Hacks has been renewed. They just made a decent season finale anyway. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_vejwSYhpk

The comedy-drama series “Hacks” is built around Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a legendary Las Vegas comedian who becomes a mentor to ava daniels (Hannah Einbinder), a 25-year-old woman at a loss for life. The persistent dissatisfaction shared by the protagonist duo makes it clear that they have more work to do - with each other and with themselves. 

The Good Fight (Season 6)

Robert and Michelle King's spin-off to "The Good Wife” managed to hitch in the first few seasons and kept the pace, even though he had suffered some injustices in the middle of the way. The series that was originally from CBS All Access has moved to Paramount+ and is available on Apple TV+. 

In history, an economic blow throws the name of a young lawyer in the mud and wipes out the savings of Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), her mentor. After being sent to the street, the two join one of the most promising companies in Chicago, where they will work alongside Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo).

Andor

In the midst of a sequence of spin-offs, “sequels” and everything that franchises are entitled to (or not), nostalgia won despite the difficulties of Star Wars with Disney. Andor, from Disney+, leaves aside the more of the same and reaches out to the public to accompany growing rebels in the most surreal and emotionally charged scenarios. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) has already conquered a little space here.

New faces are introduced along with their rigorously crafted props and practical effects that ground the Rebellion in a stunning reality – one that speaks of an age eager for its own revolution. "Andor" causes "Star Wars” feels relevant again. More blockbusters should follow their lead and aim for the galaxies (we hope).

Better Things (Season 5)

The semi-autobiographical comedy, Better Things, tells the story of Sam (Pamela Adlon), an actress and divorced mother who raises her three daughters alone. Despite being an actress, her life is not as glamorous as people expect, not least because she ends up living to pay the bills and take care of three: Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward).

Either way, a simple list of events that happen on the journey of "Better Things" should be more than enough to bring a smile to your face - even for those who haven't yet appreciated Pamela Adlon's endearing and empathetic ode to motherhood, to the family and the discovery of happy moments in life, far beyond the obligations that routine imposes. 

Los Espookys (Season 2)

HBO's first comedy series in Spanish follows a group of friends who turn their love of horror into a quirky business, bringing horror to those in need, in a dreamy Latin American country, where the strange and sinister are part of life. everyday. In summary, it's a weird series that leans towards the great side. Despite the synopsis that at first glance, it may give the impression of being somewhat crude.

Created by Ana Fabrega, Julio Torres and Fred Armisen, sitcom half an hour is a full plate that evokes loud laughter, both for the absurd situations and for the astute insights. In addition to being one of the creators of the series, Fabrega plays Tati, who delivers the most absurd lines with an impossibly serious face. Together with team leader Renaldo (Bernardo Velasco) and Tati's sister in charge, Ursula (Cassandra Ciangherotti), each episode is full of iconic phrases.

Bad Sisters (Family Bad)

Sharon Horgan and Malin-Sarah Gozin set themselves an almost impossible challenge when it came to creating “bad sisters”. Adapted from the 2012 Belgian series “Clan,” the Apple TV+ comedic mystery was scripted with three main purposes: the first was to create a lousy male antagonist who manages to represent the worst of many men; the second was to convince the public to accept the narrative of what would lead someone to commit murder (not in a hypothetical scenario, but taking into account the person's morals and the consequences in society); and last but not least, that people could have fun with the series.

On balance, they managed to successfully exceed the target. As the synopsis delivers, the series is a combination of suspense and acid comedy. bad sisters (Mal de Família) follows the lives of the Garvey sisters, united by the premature death of their parents and the promise to always protect each other. The series stars Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff (“Suffragettes” and “The Salisbury Poisonings”), Eva Birthistle (“Brooklyn” and “The Last Kingdom”), Sarah Greene (“Frank of Ireland” and “Dublin Murders") and Eve Hewson ("Behind Your Eyes" and "The Luminaries") as the Garvey sisters.

Better Call Saul (Season 6)

With "B”, from Netflix, the end is just the beginning. From the beginning, the "prequel" to "Breaking Bad", by Peter Gould, Vince Gilligan and Moira Walley-Beckett has followed Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) in the process of becoming Saul Goodman - the sleazy lawyer used by Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul).

The magnificent ending of “Better Call Saul” considers the character's study through the past and the future (which, even after “Breaking Bad”, is still the past). Moving and moving, deep and direct, the final season embodies a series that has become an essential and unique experience week after week. 

Barry (Season 3)

Bill Hader and Alec Berg's dark comedy, available on HBO Max, revolves around a particularly difficult question: When you lose your morality, can you get it back? It is like? Well, in season three, Barry (Hader) does not find easy answers. Thrown into an emotional pit after a Season 2 relapse (no more spoilers), Barry is in over his head. He has given up shaving, no longer showers, much less looks for a way out. He accepted that there is no way he could forgive himself for what he did, and the rest of the world shouldn't be forgiven either. So why not kill some losers and earn some extra cash? 

“Barry” defies expectations in the best possible way with its acidic humor, which goes well with a series that asks such impossible questions to answer. This gives us more reason to believe that a satisfying resolution is on the way, even when Barry can't see it. 

Yellowjackets (Season 2)

The premise may seem vaguely familiar as it chronicles the journey of a girls' soccer team who, during high school in 1990, survive a plane crash in the distant Ontario desert. Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Yellowjackets, available on Paramount+, blends psychological horror and drama into a story of survival. Quite Lost, not?

The similarities are limited to the accident. That's because Yellowjackets manages to build an identity of its own that, in particular, encourages the public to watch one episode after another. So much so that most of the success of the series is due to word of mouth from fans on social networks like Twitter and Reddit – nothing better than a good leaflet from fans –. The crowd is for the production to become increasingly popular and manage to extend more seasons like the ones that were released. 

House of the Dragon (The House of the Dragon)

After the end of Game of Thrones, the hype stops House of the Dragon (The House of the Dragon) was bordering on nil. But much to the delight of many, the series set 200 before the events of the main series is proving to be a very positive surprise.

The family strife and diplomatic intrigues that led to the collapse of the Targaryen dynasty brought magic to the universe of George RR Martin back to the game. It's been fun watching the power struggle, betrayals and lust split the main families in two. Of course the dragons are lacking, but every rug pull between houses is making up for that. Oh and an honorable mention for Emma D'Arcy's performance, simply chef's kiss.

Irma Vepi

Adaptation of adaptation, the miniseries Irma Vepi, from HBO Max, brought the best of Alicia Vikander to streaming screens and continued the metalinguistic legacy of Olivier Assayas – French director who made the 1996 film, in addition to the current series. Definitely one of the best series of the year for those who enjoy audiovisual metalanguages.

In this version, Mira (Vikander) is an American movie star who is invited to lead a remake of The vampires (1915 – 1916), the series of silent films by Louis Feuillade. At the helm is the hysterical René Vidal (Vincent Macaigne). As the chaotic shoot proceeds, the fine line between actor and character becomes dangerously blurred. It becomes a satire and a tour behind the scenes of cinema.

Who is a fan of the work of assayas will have a lot of fun with the series. This is because, in addition to being dense, it brings many allusions to the filmmaker's own life and work. As for those who are falling from a parachute, it is still a production that instigates the public to automatically open Google and search absolutely everything about Irma Vep. 

Undone (Season 2)

The first season of Kate Purdy and Raphael Bob-Waksberg's rotoscoped animated family drama follows Alma (Rosa Salazar) as she delves into the past to uncover the truth about her father's death. So far it's just another cliché, right? But here comes the twist: who helps the young woman to look for her father is Jacob (Bob Odenkirk), her own father. Yes, he's dead, but the duo figured out a way to travel back in time together to piece together this puzzle.

Along the way, unwelcome discoveries alter the present, Jacob's misaligned priorities are exposed, and Alma's enduring connection to her father is investigated. As his decisions in the past influence her choices in the present, many issues are brought up and, consequently, new situations are triggered.  

Season Two returns with not only an answer but also a shift in focus. Alma starts to turn to her mother. The time travel model is tweaked when she and Jacob again look into the past, only this time it's to better understand Camila (Constance Marie). With these changes, creators Raphael Bob-Waksberg and Kate Purdy strategically drive the continuation of the narrative, maintaining elements that worked well in the first season while expanding on the same themes and still interesting plot ideas. 

Sex Lives of College Girls (Season 2)

The only shortcoming of this series is that it only has 10 half-hour episodes per season. There are four protagonists with equally important and interesting stories, so the reduced time ends up harming the script and limiting the depth of each one of them. This actually turns out to be a criticism for good because it means we want to see more of Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet) White (Amrit Kaur) leighton (Renee Rapp) and Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott) – also because, due to the rush, especially in the second season, some directions ended up being unexpected because they did not speak to the personality of each one, so having a more approach, perhaps the unfolding of the narrative would be clearer. 

Created by the titanium mind of Mindy Kaling (The Office), one of the best series of the year explores sexuality in a broad and taboo way while also presenting the daily lives of young women dealing with the pressures of college and adult life. With distinct personalities, each of the protagonists explores their relationships according to their reality, trying to create connections with others, but also seeking to build their own identities.

Sandman

Adapted from Neil Gaiman's comics for Netflix, Sandman is one of the best adaptations ever made of the writer's literary universe. Strong cast, current narrative and well-structured arcs make this another avid marathon of episodes – I, particularly, didn't even feel the hours pass. To decide if I thought the production was good enough, I use as a thermometer the number of times I hovered the mouse over the screen to see how much time is left for the episode or movie to end. In Sandman I really don't remember ever going through. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUg4xE-7LyM

In that first season, after years imprisoned, Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), the King of Dreams, embarks on a journey between worlds to recover what was stolen from him and restore his power.

Atlanta (Seasons 3 and 4)

After years of abstinence,Atlanta” returned with not just one but two new seasons in 2022 – the fourth being the last of the series. The level of both is extremely high and, of course, you couldn't expect less from the brilliant mind of Donald Glover. He simply took the concept of "Twilight Zone" and created, in parallel and independent episodes of the main story, surreal tales related to racism - which, stopping to analyze, are not situations that are so impossible and that are so absurd, that probably at some point in time history must in fact already have happened. They were basically about reparation, identity and exploration.

For some, this new structure disrupted the cadence of the main story. For others, it was great (I'm still included in that group). Especially because, at a certain point in the seasons, everything ends up intersecting. It was a brave season with some very clever insights. We need more creators, writers and directors with projects like this.

Months later, Season XNUMX switches its focus to the future and away from the experimentation of the past arc. Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry), Van (Zazie Beetz), Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) and Earn (Glover) face their greatest difficulties, but without seeming like this is a definitive goodbye.

What We Do in the Shadows (Season 4)

This fucking guy. Few things are more pleasurable than listening to Nandor's (Kayvan Novak) accent – ​​that in any of the seasons. But the fourth really managed to overcome itself in a lot of things. There was a vampire club, a parody episode of the Canadian reality show “Property Brothers” and Mark Proksch having his face ridiculously placed in montages of babies, children and teenagers. This series is totally out of character and one big vampire clown. That's exactly what makes it so good. It's almost like a vampire version of Friends (only much better).

Severance (Break)

O corporate thriller directed by Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller rocked Apple TV+ for good reason: It was built around a curiously compelling sci-fi premise. If it were possible to surgically separate your work memories from your personal life memories, would you do it?

From that kickoff, Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Jen Tullock and Trammell Tillman bring audiences into a familiar and unique world. 

Em Severance (Rupture), five employees of a company called Lumen agree to participate in an experimental procedure where their personal and work memories are permanently separated. When they are in the office, they only have memories related to work and when they leave the corporate building, they do not remember professional situations. But behind this strange procedure, there are several dark secrets that the company wants to keep confidential. 

The Rehearsal

A project as crazy and original as this one is about to be created. Nathan Fielder's documentary comedy, available on HBO Max, surprises at every turn. “The Rehearsal(The Essay) immediately grabbed audiences' attention with its surprising plot twists, clever construction, and somewhat uncomfortable laughs.

Fielder, like himself, embarks on a journey to help people prepare for life's daunting challenges. His method consists of creating the scenario that the participant fears so that they can rehearse all the possibilities that can happen in the real situation, before carrying it out.

For Fielder, rehearsals are a comfort; they help eliminate social issues that he believes may alienate potential friends. “I've been told that my personality can make people uncomfortable, so I have to work to compensate for that,” he said in the series premiere. “Humor is my instinct of choice, but every joke is a gamble.”

Even though his gambles paid off in six rather darkly comic episodes, it's Fielder's fear of failure that forms the emotional underpinning of the series. As his essays become more and more elaborate, the thing that keeps the series from spiraling out of control (or seeming like nothing more than an overpriced joke) is Nathan's motivation. He wants this process to work because he wants to feel more comfortable in his own interactions. 

"The test” was chosen as one of the best series because it features broader discussions of what it takes to know yourself, how to make crucial decisions, and how to know who to trust along the way. It can also be seen as a critique of reality TV production and culture, as well as our obsession with gamifying life. 

The White Lotus 

Lastly, The White Lotus. "These gays, they're trying to murder me!"

The first season was a success. The second, a big bang. It was the plot that spawned thousands of theories in TikTok videos, on Reddit forums, and extensive Twitter threads. Mike White nailed it with the cast, story and setting. 

A second Seasonal This comedy-drama is set in an extremely luxurious resort in Sicily, Italy. In fact, during this season, there was a lot of dialogue in Italian as well – I almost signed up in Italian on Duolingo. Just like the first season, not everything is what it seems. Another wave of rich people arrive with their discord and secrets to torment the Italian White Lotus.

Best of all, every arc over the seven episodes is interesting, even if some characters are downright hateful. In addition, The White Lotus, like the rest of HBO Max series, is proof that the best formula for audience engagement is the weekly release of episodes, rather than all at once. It was a great expectation for Sundays to arrive and prove the theories prophesied during the week.

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Sources: IndieWire e Vogue