Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all have an amazing 2023.
I’m Marianna, this is Impression Blend, and today I’m rounding up my favorite TV series of 2022.
It was another great year for TV shows and I have some really strong favorites this time around.
So here are 5 series I just could not stop watching!
OK, we’re actually going to start some with honorable mentions,
which is not something I normally do, but season 1 of “Yellowjackets”
started airing in late 2021 and had its last 3 episodes in 2022.
So because of that I don't know if you could really call it a 2022 show,
but also it's just something that I could not leave off this list.
“Yellowjackets” is half coming-of-age survival thriller, half mystery drama
about a high school girls' soccer team whose plane crashes in Canadian wilderness,
and it unfolds in two different timelines: 1996 and 2021.
Heavily influenced by the real stories of the Donner Party and the Andes flight disaster, it can
be described as “LOST” meets “Lord of the Flies”, but with an added bonus of living with trauma 25
years later, and some mysterious elements that may or may not have to do with the occult.
The show has great, well-written characters, an excellent cast including Christina Ricci,
Juliette Lewis, Melanie Lynskey, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and many more.
It has a great balance of mystery and drama, it uses the dual timeline very effectively,
and it gives you plenty of fuel for speculation and theories.
If you want to hear more about it - I made an entire discussion video about season 1,
including some of my theories.
But also, season 2 is coming this March, so if you haven’t caught up yet - I highly recommend you do.
Easily one of my favorite series of the year!
My other honorable mention is “Severance”, which is a series I actually just finally watched.
I know, I’m so late to the party, but better late than never, right?
As someone who went into it completely blind, not knowing what it was going to be about at all,
I was so pleasantly surprised by it, and I loved where it ended up going.
I’m going to be very vague here because if you don’t really know
what the premise of “Severance” is - I don’t want to ruin anything for you.
But rest assured, if you’re like me and you’ve been craving more “Black Mirror”
type stories - “Severance” is the show for you.
It’s smart, it’s well-written, it gets pretty dark, the cast is amazing, with Adam Scott,
Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken, just to name a few.
And it is so not your average office show - just trust me on this one,
go in as blind as you can and give it a try, if you haven't yet.
I will say, it took me a few episodes to really get into it,
but once I did - there was no turning back.
I am so happy they got renewed for season 2, and I am really looking forward to seeing where they’re
going to take all of this because season 1 ends on some massive cliffhangers and I need answers.
Now onto my actual top 5, and at number 5 I have season 4 of “Stranger Things”.
What a comeback for “Stranger Things”!
I don’t think this series needs an introduction or a plot description
of any kind, so let me just say I absolutely loved this season, so much more than I expected.
I was not a big fan of season 3 - I didn’t hate it, I just thought it was alright,
but because of it I’ve pretty much given up hope that they would be
able to recapture the 80s sci-fi horror magic of those amazing first two seasons.
And guess what? Season 4 might actually be my favorite of the entire series so far.
First of all, Vecna is the best and easily most interesting villain they’ve had on the show,
and because of how they’re treating that storyline and how it ties into the 1st season,
Vecna made season 4 lean a lot more into horror, which I loved.
The themes “Stranger Things” is dealing with now have also gotten darker and more mature.
Seeing the characters grow up and struggle with personal issues, seeing them try to
define themselves as people and how all of that affects their friendships has been fascinating.
And also, I have to give a special mention to Eddie,
whom I instantly loved, and who quickly became a top 3 character for me, as the season went on.
His character arc is done so well, he is funny, he is charismatic, he has so many great lines,
and the “Master of Puppets” scene alone is nothing short of iconic.
My other two favorites are still Max and Steve, if you’re curious,
who are also given interesting and very stressful journeys this time around.
If you’ve seen it - you can imagine how much anxiety I had watching it.
The issues I had with season 4 were very minor,
and mostly had to do with the Russia plotline being dragged out, but this
was really easy to overlook because the rest of the season was excellent.
It’s visually impressive, it makes progress with character development,
it gets you emotionally invested, it gives you 80’s sci-fi horror,
and even the soundtrack they had this season is the best they’ve had so far.
My love for “Stranger Things” has been officially reinvigorated in a big way,
and I cannot wait to see how they wrap everything up in their final, 5th season.
At number 4 I have another sci-fi series. I don’t think you’re surprised.
But I am particularly passionate about this series
because I don’t think it’s getting the love and attention it deserves.
So, this is my official PSA: please, go watch “The Peripheral” because it’s great.
“The Peripheral” is set in the near future, about a decade from now, and revolves around a young
woman, who is a talented VR gamer and who finds herself testing a new, very realistic simulation.
But of course, it quickly turns out that things are not as simple as they seem.
Are they ever? Not really.
“The Peripheral” is based on the “Jackpot” book series by William Gibson, the famous
author of “Neuromancer”, and I love how well it maintains the balance between sci-fi technology,
action, futuristic politics, and themes revolving around our human nature.
It’s no surprise that this series comes from Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy - the creators of
“Westworld”, and this is the type of sci-fi I always want to see more of.
Chloë Grace Moretz plays the lead, Flynne, and I am very happy to see
her finally get an interesting role - seems like her character will get even more fun in season 2.
The entire cast is really good, and it’s definitely the type of show where every character
is revealed to have their own, very specific agenda that puts them in conflict with others.
The villains are great, and yes, there are multiple ones,
and what I love is that for each of them you actually understand where they’re coming from.
The world-building is also excellent - just really solid writing all around,
and the show made me very interested in reading the novels.
It does require a little bit of patience from the viewers because as with any good story it’s not
going to give you all of the answers right away, and it will take its time to properly develop the
setting and the characters, but at no point does it feel slow - there is always something going on,
and the action scenes, which there are plenty of, are a lot of fun.
And yes, I am once again keeping the premise pretty vague, but if you enjoy quality sci-fi,
and specifically the cyberpunk subgenre - “The Peripheral” is simply a must-watch.
One of the most exciting sci-fi shows I’ve seen in recent years!
At number 3 I have a series that really took me by surprise because it not only
lived up to the insanely high praise I was hearing about it from everyone,
but it was actually so much better than I could have imagined.
I’m talking about “The Bear” - not the type of show I would normally even watch,
but I loved it, and I need season 2, now!
Here’s what I kept hearing about “The Bear”: people would not stop describing
it as “Uncut Gems in the kitchen”, which seemed like an impossible combination.
But, this description is actually pretty accurate.
“The Bear” is set in Chicago and revolves around an Italian beef sandwich shop.
A young chef leaves the world of fine dining and comes back to his home town to
run this sandwich shot after the s**cide of his older brother.
Is he up for the challenge? Because the kitchen is kind of a mess,
the staff dynamic is chaotic, and there are debts to be paid off.
You'll obviously have have to watch the series to find out.
Listen, I know this premise may not sound like the most riveting story,
but this was my fastest binge of 2022 - I watched all 8 episodes within a
24-hour timeframe because I could not move on with my life until I finished the season.
It also helps that they’re pretty short episodes.
It made me happy, it made me sad, it made me laugh, it made me feel frustrated, it made me
very hungry (do not watch this series on an empty stomach), and it instantly made me crave season 2.
And yes, it is as intense as people say: the drama of it all immediately pulls you in,
and the family and workplace dynamic is as heart-felt as it is anxiety-inducing.
Also, Jeremy Allen White as the lead is absolutely perfect and award-worthy.
I cannot imagine how you could possibly not get invested in
this series - the chemistry between all of the characters feels real,
every dramatic moment is earned, and when the payoff hits, so does a wave of emotions.
There is even an 18-minute long take in one of the episodes that is pure brilliance.
I cannot praise this enough, I was instantly into it,
and if we’re talking about the most bingeable TV show of the year - “The Bear” has no rivals.
At number 2 I have a series that is now a source of sadness and frustration for me because as I
was about to sit down to film this video I found out that it wasn’t getting renewed.
I am of course talking about “1899”, the amazing, mind-bending series from the creators of “Dark”.
The fact that Netflix canceled it despite good viewership numbers
is ridiculous and a mystery to me, but even as is,
season 1 is absolutely worth your time and it is easily one of the best series I watched in 2022.
This was hands-down my most anticipated series of the year,
and considering how much I love “Dark” (it’s one of my all-time favorites),
my expectations were pretty high and “1899” delivered.
I’m sure by now most of you know how much I love ambitious, twisted stories,
atmospheric mysteries, and a large cast of characters that slowly reveals its secrets.
“1899” has all of those things and more.
Set on a steamship, the series follows a group of mostly European emigrants,
traveling from the UK to New York City.
Everything looks moody and mysterious,
and soon they stumble upon a ship that has been missing for months, which changes everything.
It’s no coincidence that the opening theme song of the show is a cover of “White Rabbit”.
Every episode feels like it takes you deeper into the mystery,
and if you’re someone who likes to theorize about what’s coming next - your theories
about what’s actually happening are going to be constantly changing.
The show is a puzzle, and yes, you do have to be patient with
it - you can analyze the symbolism, you can watch storylines converge,
you can wonder how much of this has to do with memory, psychology and perception,
but ultimately you need to let this series take on you its journey and see where you end up.
I obviously loved “1899” - it made me want to look deeper into what it was trying to communicate,
to explore mythological connections and seek out other people’s interpretations,
which is always a good sign.
Great cast, great atmosphere, layered storytelling - it’s everything I was hoping for from this show,
and it’s really unfortunate we won’t be able to see the other two seasons
that were planned for “1899”, because for me it really was the most fascinating series of 2022.
And finally, at number 1…
You know what series this is, because there is only one TV show missing from this list.
Say it with me: “House of the Dragon”.
I am so happy to be excited about Westeros again,
I love that George R.R. Martin is heavily involved and it really shows in the quality of the writing.
And after the disastrous finale of “Game of Thrones” this is the
comeback I needed from the World of Ice and Fire.
The Targaryens are back, and so are their dragons in this prequel series to “Game
of Thrones”, based on George R.R. Martin’s fictional history book, “Fire and Blood”.
I am not going to lie, I was worried about this one, not just because they were working
with a book that barely has any dialogue in it but also because of the constant time
jumps and big casting changes for major characters halfway through the season.
But it turns out I didn’t have much to worry about,
and “House of the Dragon” quickly established itself as a distinct,
separate story, filled with complex characters, political intrigue,
rivalry and twisted relationships - just exactly the things I love to see when it comes to fantasy.
And obviously, on top of all of this, the show looks absolutely stunning.
That attention to detail when it comes to the production design and costumes just makes this
feel like a real, lived-in world, and the dragons are absolutely glorious - I love
that they actually made them distinguishable from one another, based on their age and personality.
Dark fantasy, when done right, is a gripping subgenre,
and “House of the Dragon” is definitely doing it right.
All of you who refuse to watch this series because you’re still
upset about “Game of Thrones” - I get your frustrations, but it’s time to let it go.
Let yourself enjoy this new, royal family drama, full of unhinged people who have pet nukes.
The writing is great, the visuals are great,
the setup for what’s to come is great, and the cast is great.
I specifically want to single out Paddy Considine, who made King Viserys, a character that could
have easily been bland, into one of the most interesting and compelling parts of the show.
Also, other MVPs include Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy as Daemon and Rhaenyra,
who really bring that Targaryen fire into the mix.
And Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower - we love to hate his scheming
face the moment he shows up on screen, and that’s a sign of a great villain.
I am so glad HBO is doing the source material justice, and we will definitely talk more
about this show closer to season 2, but for now “House of the Dragon” is nothing short of epic,
and I couldn’t be more excited to see how crazy things are about to get.
And that is it for my top 5 series of 2022 that I just could not stop watching,
and would definitely also rewatch, which doesn’t happen that often - I rarely rewatch TV shows.
But I would rewatch these.
Let me know what were some of your favorite shows of last year, and what TV series are
you looking forward to the most this year, so I can make sure to add them to my watchlist!
Thank you so much for watching this video, I hope your year is off to a great start, and I will see
you very soon in my next one. Bye!