Geek Network Top 10: Best TV Shows of 2022
2022 was an amazing year for television. Streaming services leaned into original shows and produced some incredible stories and cast some amazing actors. Fans had so much to consume this year that it was hard to narrow the list down to just 10 shows. We have watched, researched, agonized, and came up with this list of our top favorite shows in 2022.
Check out our ranking below:
10. The Midnight Club
Mike Flanagan‘s The Midnight Club took us on a heavily emotional and spine-tingling series that took what Flanagan does best and amped it up to extreme levels. Following the terminally-ill teenage patients at Brightcliffe Hospice, the series was driven by the wonderful cast and characters they portrayed in a series that felt like two worlds intertwined between the happenings in the hospice and the anthology-style stories that were shared when the small group gathered at the stroke of midnight.
The only bad thing about this series is that Netflix chose to cancel it and the endless unanswered questions seemed to haunt us upon the news. Thankfully, Flanagan gave fans the answers they deserved in a blog he released after the news of the cancellation. The riveting series is still worthy of watching, especially with the notion of being able to follow up on the blog to get the burning questions in your head answered.
9. Wednesday
Netflix‘s Wednesday took the iconic characters from The Addams Family and jolted them into modern days as we see Wednesday Addams during her time at Nevermore Academy. The role previously held by Christina Ricci was handed down to Jenna Ortega who absolutely slayed it in the role.
From the now infamous dance scene in the series to her dedication to the role of actually learning to play the cello, and taking fencing, archery, canoeing, boxing, and German lessons secured her success in the role. The supporting cast also emulates the characters we have followed since childhood and curated a series that served as a bridge for longtime fans and new fans to celebrate the original goth family.
8. The Gilded Age
The Gilded Age is an American Downton Abbey. Set in late-19th-century New York you follow the lives of families living on Fifth Avenue. This series pits two groups against each other: old and new money are fighting to preserve or ascend the social hierarchy. In Downton Abbey fashion we also have the intrigue of the lives of the servants and their agendas relating to their households or competing households. This show has a huge cast, beautiful sets, and gorgeous costumes so if period pieces are your forte we definitely recommend this show.
7. How I Met Your Father
How I Met Your Father did a lot of things right and hopefully the series ending, whenever that happens, is one of them. However, the first season was a great start to a funny and light-hearted show that’s an easy watch. Hilary Duff is hilarious and relatable, as well as the rest of the cast. They are diverse and interesting and seem to be a bit more relatable to the older 20’s-30’s age group.
If you were a fan of the original, How I Met Your Mother, then you’ll appreciate the subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle nods to the original and even enjoy characters from HIMYM returning to reprise their roles. All in all, HIMYF is a fun and entertaining show and we’re super excited for the next season.
6. Obi-Wan Kenobi
As Star Wars fans there’s a lot, we could say about how much we enjoyed this show. It was the perfect blend of action, nostalgia, and heart that makes you love the franchise. Ewan McGregor did an amazing job showing us just how much the Empire taking over destroyed him.
This once-gifted Jedi Master is now working for scraps and living under the radar, it was a hard pill to swallow as a fan to see him fall so far. It was a shame Carrie Fisher left us before she could see Vivien Lyra Blair’s portrayal of Leia, she perfectly emulated what a young Leia would have been like and made us love Princess Leia more than we already did.
Lastly, Hayden Christensen‘s return as Darth Vader and the epic showdown that gave us an emotional and wreckless battle between these once former friends to yet another devastating encounter that showed how much hate had consumed Anakin. It was both beautiful and heartbreaking to experience and it only solidified the duo’s rise and fall as one of the greatest stories in the Star Wars universe.
5. Peacemaker
After James Gunn‘s soft reboot of Suicide Squad dropped. It both revitalized our love for the ragtag villain team and also gave us a humorous but mischievous Peacemaker that we wanted so much to love but after seeing him murder Rick Flag, we were convinced the character could not be redeemed even if played by the incredible John Cena. That all changed with the premiere of Gunn’s Peacemaker series that followed the character after the events of the film as they take on an alien race that is using humans as their hosts.
The series had plenty of humor and possibly one of the greatest opening sequences of any series but it managed to humanize Peacemaker and touched on some of the baggage that made him the emotionally broken character we first met. He showed many redeeming qualities as the series progressed and with a cameo of some members of the Justice League sweetening the finale, the series easily landed at the top of our list with Cena and the rest of the cast’s flawless chemistry.
4. Tulsa King
A series following a New York City mobster seems as if it’s something that’s been done ten times over. Tulsa King paints that picture on the surface but it’s far more than that and far greater than anything within that genre. Sylvester Stallone embodies his character to give one of his best performances we have ever seen. Taylor Sheridan is easily a mastercraft storyteller who shows that his vision expands much farther than the Yellowstone universe he is creating.
Seeing Stallone’s commanding presence in the small town of Tulsa and the almost humorous disconnect of his character with the modern world after being locked away for 25 years has given us a refreshing series that touches on so many aspects of the life of organized crime. This is one that has you rooting for the bad guys and is a series that absolutely nobody should pass on.
3. The Bear
If you haven’t seen The Bear, you are missing out. This show will stress you out and make you hungry. The Bear tells the story of a young chef (Jeremy Allen White) from the world of fine dining who comes home to Chicago to run his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop after the death of his older brother, who left behind debts, a rundown kitchen, and an unruly staff.
The performance of White and the rest of the cast was unmatched, and the writing was incredible. If you’re looking for a restaurant dramedy that will keep you on the edge of your seat and a cast of characters you will be come attached to and break emotionally right alongside them, then this is the show for you, and it’s already been renewed for a season 2.
2. The Sandman
Netflix brought fans of Neil Gaiman’s comic book a beautiful and entertaining adaptation that was years and years in the making. While a lot of us don’t put much faith in Netflix as they have an itchy trigger finger when it comes to canceling shows, we believe Netflix did right by The Sandman. The casting was on point, especially with the main character Tom Sturridge as Dream/Morpheus, Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian, David Thewlis as John Dee, and even Patton Oswalt as Matthew the Raven.
The show simmers with unrelenting tension and while it’s not a perfect translation it is quite possibly one of the truest adaptations of a comic. The story follows Morpheus as he’s captured by an occult group in 1916 and imprisoned for decades before escaping and rebuilding his dream kingdom. The show was renewed for a second season so fans can rejoice knowing Netflix didn’t pull the trigger to cancel.
1. House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon was a huge surprise this year. With the ending of Game of Thrones, we were not expecting much but it exceeded expectations. The highlight of the show was Paddy Considine’s portrayal of King Viserys. George R.R. Martin even complimented him stating his version of King Viserys was better than the written one. The show takes place 172 years before the birth of Daenerys and the death of her father the Mad King, Aerys and fans get a unique view of the Seven Kingdoms before Robert’s Rebellion takes out most of the Targaryen line.
The casting was perfect in our opinion as the age jump for Rhaenrya and Alicent was barely noticeable, with both young and older versions doing an incredible job. Overall, the drama of each episode kept you on the edge of your seat and seeing how dragons were common and a part of each character was amazing!
Matt Smith‘s portrayal of Daemon was what we believe is an award-worthy performance. From delivering one of the most impactful scenes in the first season without a line of dialogue to his creative genius that led to two improvised scenes making it into the final cuts of the season. He was a silver-haired dark hose in the series that only further elevated the already stellar cast and characters in the series. We cannot wait until Season 2.
Honorable Mentions: From, All of Us Are Dead, Cabinet of Curiosities, and Paper Girls
