📺 The Best and Worst of 2022 Streaming
Happy New Year! We hope you had a relaxing holiday week and are looking forward to what’s to come in 2023. But while it’s still fresh, we’re taking a look back at the best and worst streaming content of 2022. And stay tuned for an upcoming podcast episode with our ranked lists of top 10 shows of the year.
— Jess Spoll and Jenni Cullen
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The Best…
Our top picks of 2022 in no particular order.
Abbott Elementary (ABC/Hulu). A mockumentary in the style of Parks and Rec and The Office, Abbott is set in an underfunded Philadelphia public school following a group of teachers and staff who are mostly doing their best. We’ve both agreed that this is the first network sitcom in a while that has managed to be excellent from the very first episode, and we’re hooked. -Jenni & Jess
Bad Sisters (Apple TV+). The show that came out of nowhere and ended up on both of our top 10 lists for the year, Bad Sisters follows the five tight-knit Garvey sisters after the sudden death of one of their husbands, and all signs point to one of them having offed him. It’s funny, it’s poignant, it’s lovable, and we can’t wait for season 2… even if we thought it was supposed to be a miniseries. -Jenni & Jess
Severance (Apple TV+). The sci-fi mystery that’s sure to be the next big water-cooler show, Severance follows a man (Adam Scott) who has elected to undergo a brain surgery in which memories of his home life and work life are permanently split. The premise is the hook, but the mysterious and disturbing twists and turns will keep you glued. -Jenni & Jess
White Lotus, Season 2 (HBO Max). A new assortment of neurotic and morally questionable characters graced our screens, this time at a White Lotus Resort in Sicily. This show has everything — satire, social commentary, mystery, comedy, a stacked cast, a haunting score, and beautiful scenery. We hope they never stop making new seasons of this show. -Jenni & Jess
Hacks, Season 2 (HBO Max). In this comedy about comedy, Jean Smart plays Deborah Vance, a waning stand-up legend in Las Vegas who begrudgingly hires 20-something TV writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to help modernize her routine. The show is really fun to watch, the acting is all top-notch, and even though the characters are cynical and downright unlikeable at times, their chemistry and devotion to their craft is frankly intoxicating. -Jenni & Jess
Reservation Dogs, Season 2 (Hulu). Reservation Dogs is a quirky, completely original comedy that knew exactly what it was from episode one, and proved with its second season that it still has plenty of runway for fresh stories. The series follows four indigenous teens in rural Oklahoma navigating their lives (with lots of growing pains) and trying to save enough money to get off the reservation. It’s hilarious, at times bittersweet, and a complete breath of fresh air. -Jenni
The Bear (Hulu). One of the most talked about shows of the year (at least on Twitter) was this original 30-min (but not a comedy!) show about a young chef who moves back home to Chicago to run his recently deceased brother’s failing restaurant. In a sea of puzzle-box shows and existing IP dramas, The Bear is charmingly simple in its concept and refreshingly realistic. -Jess
Atlanta, Seasons 3 & 4 (Hulu). If you haven’t started watching Donald Glover’s incredible show yet, this is your sign. Everything in this comedy-drama feels deliberate, well-thought out, and connected — though you might not get exactly how just yet. Every episode from the first to the last keeps you intrigued, slightly on edge, and primed for an unexpected laugh. -Jenni
and The Worst…
Our least favorite content of 2022 in no particular order.
Blockbuster (Netflix). Loosely based on the actual last remaining Blockbuster, this short-lived series follows the owner of the store (Randall Park) as he tries to keep his business afloat in the age of streaming services. As hackneyed as it was pointless, it is no surprise that it wasn’t renewed for a second season. -Jess
Persuasion (Netflix). As an attempted fresh take on a beloved Jane Austen novel, this adaption fails miserably. It lacks both spark and any real resemblance to its source material. As a haughtier Bridgerton imitation, it fairs slightly better, but even then is too self-righteous and boring to be worth the nearly 2-hour watch. -Jenni
How I Met Your Father (Hulu). I love Hilary Duff on principle and she and the rest of the cast are charming enough individually, but together they have zero chemistry. On top of that, all the jokes in this series just feel…empty? Like an AI bot pooled all the existing sitcoms and built the shell of a comedy but forgot to add a soul. -Jenni
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (Netflix). This could have been a pretty funny 5-minute SNL skit, but instead I was subjected to 4 hours of lukewarm comedy with no discernible point of view about the genre that the show is parodying. Even Kristen Bell couldn’t save this one. -Jess
Something from Tiffany’s (Amazon Prime). As charming as she is, Zoe Deutch could not carry this holiday rom-com alone. While it is not the modern day Serendipity I was hoping it’d be, it might still be worth a watch if you’re really in the mood for something syrupy and feel-good. But I’d urge you to go in with low expectations. Actually, maybe just skip it and watch Serendipity again instead. -Jenni
Partner Track (Netflix). This show is a legal drama in the loosest sense of the term. It’s a bit like someone mixed the New York deification of Sex and the City with the workaholic nature of Grey’s Anatomy and a sprinkle of Suits-esque legal jargon topped with a cherry of romances and characters you don’t want to root for. This is one series I was not bummed to see canceled. -Jenni
Roar (Apple TV+). Roar is The Twilight Zone if instead of ghosts or aliens, the horrors are the issues that women face in the world today. I went in with high hopes that were quickly dashed. At best, the show lacks any subtlety or nuance in the allegorical tales, and at worst it doesn’t actually say anything about the topics that it’s supposedly highlighting. -Jess
The Watcher (Netflix). Based on a true story about a family that purchases their dream home only to find that they’re being stalked and threatened by someone “watching” the house, this should’ve been a gripping and scary thriller. Instead, the series fails to maintain a truly creepy tone, venturing too far into the unbelievable and over-the-top. Somehow it got picked up for a second season… call it the Ryan Murphy effect, I guess. -Jess
Thank you for being part of the Double Take community in 2022!
We’ve loved sharing our recs with you. Cheers to a great year of TV to come.