MovieManifesto

Entering the home stretch, we’re nearly finished with our rankings of every TV show of 2022. For prior installments, check out the following links:

#s 110-96
#s 95-81
#s 80-61
#s 60-41
#s 40-31
#s 30-21

20. The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu, Season 5; last year: 12 of 108). Here’s a philosophical conundrum: What if a once-great TV show stayed great and nobody noticed? It’s fair to accuse the fifth season of The Handmaid’s Tale of creative stasis, at least in stretches; there are only so many ways for Elisabeth Moss to gaze intently at the camera in prolonged close-up. But even if the series stops short of fully reinventing itself, it nevertheless continues to reshape its thorny dystopia in provocative ways. Moss brings her “A” game every episode, the visuals still possess their haunting amber glow, and Bradley Whitford has turned an archetype into one of the most weirdly complex villains on TV. “Do you have an irony deficiency?” he deadpans at one point. But The Handmaid’s Tale doesn’t lack for much—not black humor, not unpredictability, and not spellbinding shots of Moss staring into your soul. Read More

Our weeklong project of ranking every TV show from 2022 continues. If you missed earlier pieces, you can find them at the following links:

#s 110-96
#s 95-81
#s 80-61
#s 60-41
#s 40-31

30. Hacks (HBO, Season 2; last year: 16 of 108). The theory of Hacks is that stand-up comics risk falling into a creative rut if they keep performing the same material over and over. Obviously, the same concern applies to TV shows, so it’s gratifying that Season 2 of Hacks takes pains not to just repeat the charming, antagonistic banter of its first go-round. To be sure, Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder still make beautifully dyspeptic music together; there is no shortage of zingers, comebacks, and eye-rolls. But the series is smart enough to change up the pace, taking its literal show on the road and exploring the logistical and artistic challenges of a late-career pivot. That sounds meta, but by this point, Smart and Einbinder’s caustic chemistry is its own main attraction. The characters may worry about staying relevant, but the actors don’t need to change a thing. Read More

We’re ranking every TV show of 2022. For prior installments, check out the following links:

#s 110-96
#s 95-81
#s 80-61
#s 60-41

40. The Gilded Age (HBO, Season 1). As befits the work of Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey, Belgravia), this is a ridiculous show, featuring two-dimensional characters, predictable writing, and painful contrivances. It is also delightful. Part of this lies in its sumptuous trappings; there are opulent mansions, magnificent dresses, splendid hats. But there’s also a sincerity to the storytelling that feels heartwarming rather than cloying. Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector shine as the Big Apple’s ultimate power couple, while Christine Baranski lobs casual insults like she’s tossing grenades. Everything about The Gilded Age is clankingly obvious and shamelessly engineered. But railroads run on power, not subtlety, and this series is a locomotive, steamrolling over all criticism with unstoppable, beautiful force. Read More

Our exhaustive rankings of every TV show of 2022 continue. If you missed prior entries, you can find them at the following links:

#s 110-96
#s 95-81
#s 80-61

60. Tokyo Vice (HBO, Season 1). In the #PeakTV era, one of the most irritating things you can say to someone about a show is, “Make sure you give it a few episodes.” People’s time is limited; they can’t just aimlessly fritter away random hours on series that don’t grab them immediately. And with that in mind: Make sure you give Tokyo Vice a few episodes. It gets off to a bumpy start, delving into obscure yakuza minutiae as Ansel Elgort attempts to keep his head above water as the only white dude at Japan’s biggest newspaper. But over time, the picture sharpens and the characters gain dimension. As an outsider trying to assimilate, Elgort’s natural awkwardness suits him well, but the real stars are the natives: Ken Watanabe as a patient detective, Shô Kasamatsu as an ambitious gangster, and the invaluable Rinko Kikuchi as a weary editor. (Poor Rachel Keller is forced to carry a dreary subplot involving a nightclub.) The plot can still be overwhelming, but Tokyo Vice slowly steeps itself in immersive detail, and its sense of exoticism gradually gives way to real intrigue and suspense. Read More