Hey there TV fans.
Once again I'm really late in doing this highly anticipated, very important monthly review of TV shows due to my tight schedule.
It's truly appalling because it is a fact that the past two months have been the most explosive and proactive months yet in the realm of TV shows this year.
October and November 2021 were months that several TV networks went all out in producing and releasing smash hits in both new shows and sequels.
These past two months, Netflix has certainly made its mark as the most proficient cinematic company/streaming network with the production and airing of an astounding amount of spectacular works.
In terms of TVshows. Netflix in the month of October blessed us with a twisted, intensely dramatic and fantastic third season of the infamous drama-thriller series; YOU.
The twists and turns were even more unnerving than the previous seasons, and the experience of binging this sequel was truly a non-stop thrilling ride.
The second season of Locke and Key also aired this month as well, and while being as intriguing and entertaining as ever, was still a step down from the first season.
If the perfect 100% rating on Rotten tomatoes wasn't any indication, it was nothing short of a phenomenal sequel to an already amazing show.
We also got the fifth season of the popular coming of age parody animation, Big Mouth and while it was every bit the hilarious and unapologetically erotic comedy it's loved for being, this season was just fun and subpar compared to the prominent seasons.
HBO Max made a stunning impact in October with its releases of the third and fifth seasons of Succession and Insecure respectively. Both have been completely amazing so far; the former bringing in more fantastic escalations to its Shakespearean family and business drama, and the latter using its controlled frenzy of scenery combining it's dramatic, comedic and romantic elements in a Black society to create a great episodic experience. Young Justice Season 4 also aired in October on HBO Max, and unfortunately it's not a third hit sequel for the network, but rather the most unengaging and lacklustre season of the show yet.
The 11th Season of Curb Your Enthusiasm also started airing this month and it's been just as consistently amazing as the previous seasons.
Apple TV+ did something truly amazing in the month of November, releasing the third and final season of their widely loved dramedy, Dickinson the same year the second season aired.
Despite its double release, this show certainly hasn't lost its energy and this season so far has been every bit the poetic, perfectly fluent and naturally eccentricly fun adventure that it's been loved to be with the talented Hailee Steinfeld being as gorgeous in her looks as in her acting performance.
Starz gave us the Second season of the continuation of the famed Power franchise, Power Book II: Ghost, and this season has been nothing short of thrilling and amazing with a lot of great new characters and conflicts added to the mix.
Amazon Prime's The Great Season 2 is another completely fantastic sequel from last month that shouldn't be slept on.
As I said earlier, Netflix went all out with their fantastic new releases this month which I'll discuss shortly, and other networks certainly delivered sufficiently as well.
Without further waste of time and writing space, I'll move forward to count down the best new shows of the past two months using brief descriptions and concise reviews.
Let's get into it shall we; I know this article might end up being extremely long and tiring, but bear with me as I count down my;
(Comedy, Drama)
Sorry to start off with a double entry yet again in one of my monthly reviews, but I think neither of these shows should be left out of this list as they're both relatively engaging and bear similar charms and shortcomings.
The Guilty Party focuses on failed journalist Beth Burges played by Kate Beckinsale, in her endeavors to save her career by exonerating a black single mom, Toni Plimpton who was accused and imprisoned for killing her husband.
The Shrink Next Door is a comedy series focusing on two nextdoor neighbors turned Shrink and Patient played by famed actors, Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd, centering the growing dynamic between them and its effect on their lives and families.
These two shows are moderately entertaining shows that are light-hearted and relieving but in terms of comedy, they both seemed really forced and the characters weren't appealing enough to make them much more than just a worthwhile watch to relieve boredom.
(Crime, Drama)
Mayor Of Kingstown is a show that's pretty much controversial as to whether it's actually good or just terrible, stemming from the fact that it's ratings on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes respectively are literally Heaven and Hell.
If there's one thing I can assure you from this show is its amazing acting performances and smoothly fluent scenery transitions, making it pretty cool in terms of atmosphere.
Telling the story of the McLusky brothers who act as liasons between the people and the world of crime in the city of Kingstown, this show deals with themes of social injustice and inequality in an unfortunately shallow manner and pitches a high emotional appeal without giving us enough reasons to care.
Basically it's a cool show to catch up on, but not enough work was put into establishing its setting and characters before diving into its central message.
(Thriller, Drama)
The ever-popular horror franchise, Chucky, takes a spot on this list with the serialized 9th entry to the franchise released by the Syfy in October this year.
It's the same old gruesome devious doll we've known since 1988 making his murderous impact, this time doing so while tempting a young teenager, Jake who's been bullied and belittled by almost everyone to unveil his deepest desires for revenge to be executed in the most brutal way possible.
It's a fresh take on the Chucky story, and for one like me who's not a fan of the movies, it's refreshing to see one that's more directed and focused on the entire beauty and drama of brutal retributive justice rather than just spamming random bloody stabby death scenes.
(Drama, Mystery)
The Long Call is a British Whodunit show centered on Mathew Venn, a detective called on scene to investigate a dead body found on a beach in North Devon, in a seemingly hopeless case bearing no witnesses, motive or solid lead.
It's pretty much a mix between a murder-mystery and a centered drama, as Venn deals with the death of the Father he didn't have a great relationship with, while being thrust into a community he was forced to leave for a case with so many dead ends.
It's a genuinely interesting and intriguing show and the dramatic bits make it all the more appealing and worthwhile.
(Drama, Mystery)
Speaking of Whodunit shows, how about one that's objectively sweeter with a huge touch of highschool energy and drama.
Based of the Best-selling novel of the same name, One of Us is Lying is a murder-mystery set in Bayview Highschool where the detention of 5 students leads to the shocking death of one of them, Simon, known all-round the school for being the troublemaker who reveals the deepest darkest secrets of everyone publicly and unapologetically.
His death brings the remaining four students; Bronwyn, Nate, Addy and Cooper under suspicion and heavy investigation, as the police and the entire school try to uncover Simon's killer.
It's a series that's really enjoyable with all the chaos and confusion such an impactful event wrought in a highschool environment and while the adaptation may not be the best it can be, it's still amazing in its dramatic and intriguing qualities.
(Mystery, Drama)
While acknowledging the awesomeness of the previously mentioned whodunit murder-mysteries, why not spice it up a bit with a trailchasing drama bearing a brutal serial killer on the loose causing a stir in a neighborhood.
The emergence of a serial killer called the "Ragdoll Killer" who kills the people on his/her list in the most brutal and unexpected ways possible spurs detectives Baxter and Lloyd to action and it's pretty much a heated game of Cat and an Invisible mouse, as The Ragdoll Killer continues to bring horrible fatalities to the names on the list while taunting those investigating them.
It's a show that's really intense and heated, and this just grows with each passing episode. I thoroughly suggest that fans of intense detective shows of this nature should NOT sleep on this show.
(Comedy, Sci-fi)
So far we've discussed the intense, the mysterious and the dramatic, but now we've got something completely wild and crazy to calm your nerves from all that intensity.
Inside Job is a Netflix animated series centered on an ambitious middle aged female scientist/inventor, Raegan Ridley, who works with a mysterious cooperation in covering up the world's greatest conspiracies.
The concept or more accurately, the many concepts introduced in this show are just insane. The characters and humor are every bit as hilarious and unapologetically twisted as intended to be, which practically guarantees a fantastic experience every episode, and the parodic bits of real world events and established ideas just make it all the more entertaining.
(Fantasy, Action)
Wheel of Time, based off the popular novel of the same title, establishes a mideival magical fantasy world with myths of an all-powerful man known as the 'Dragon' who used his magical powers to ruin the world. The 'Wheel of Time' seems to be another prominent concept in this world that denotes reincarnation after death, and based on this, a magical organization run by women who could harness the "one power" known as the "Ais Sedai" set out to find the reincarnation of the Dragon who once destroyed the world in order to save it.
Rosamond Pike played Moiraine Sedai whom with her partner explored a nearby town and found 4 possible reincarnations of the Dragon in teenagers; Egwene, Matt, Rand and Perrin and they travel the world in order to escape the dark forces and uncover their destined roles in such a chaotic world.
This show while having appreciable production quality in its visuals and acting, came quite short with its rushed start and cartoonish flow of events and scenery in its starter episode. Although in its more recent episodes it's boarded its story more properly and developed it's lore and characters more gratifyingly, making it a really appealing fantasy show to catch up on.
(Action, Sci-fi)
Talking about a show that certainly needs no introduction to fans of Comic-book adaptations and TV in general, Hawkeye is the latest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's canon Tvshows this year on Disney+.
Set after the Infinity Saga, Hawkeye primarily focuses centrally on two characters, the first of which being the former S.H.I.E.L.D agent turned Avenger and trained archer, Clint Barton a.k.a Hawkeye and his life after being one of the brave heroes who fought at the epicenter of a world-changing event.
The second character this show primarily introduces as Marvel's Newest young heroine or hopefully Avenger, Kate Bishop, played by the ever gorgeous and ever talented Hailee Steinfeld, a university student who lost her dad at a very young age and got saved by Hawkeye and has ever since developed a fascination for Archery and a life of adventure.
A bunch of out of control events cause these two to meet and they now have to work together to thwart a newly arised threat to their lives and the peace of the neighborhood.
It's really appreciable how this show finally shines light on Marvel's seemingly most boring Avenger and his character transitions after losing his beloved Best Friend Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) in the war.
Hailee Steinfeld brings the character, Kate Bishop to life with an energetic and lovable portrayal, and the bitter-sweet dynamic between the main duo as well as the many chaotic situations they find themselves make this a really fun and enjoyable show even with its seemingly uneventful start.
(Crime, Drama)
Facing a show with real world significance, Dopesick, a miniseries from Hulu based on a true story, portrays the testament of how a certain pharmaceutical company, 'Purdue Pharma' caused an uprise in the opioid addiction, specifically making the drug, 'oxycontin' become a prominent havoc in the lives of many by literally feeding lies through their sales agents to doctors around America.
This miniseries is one that's really impactful and thematically significant as it not only broadly sends out an insightful outlook of how Oxycontin addiction became rampant in the country, but also dived into the characters intimately, highlighting how the drug affected the lives of the many who got involved with it.
Dopesick is really educative, insightful and the dramatic aspects were really impactful, especially with the talented lead actor Micheal Keaton giving a stunning performance.
(Drama)
There's nothing as powerful as a mother's love for a child.
This is a belief that has been watered down and represented in many fictional and real world settings, but if there's one show this year that literally makes you feel a mother's love for her child, it's the Netflix limited Drama show, Maid.
Young Single Mother, Alex whom after escaping an abusive relationship, struggles with homelessness and poverty while raising her baby girl, Maddy born out of wedlock. This show deeply shows the lengths a loving mother would go to give her child a happy life, as Alex now takes on the menial task of housecleaning at desperately cheap rates in order to provide for her child and survive.
This is pretty much the most wholesome show I've seen this year. It has really cute and heartwarming moments of motherly love, counterbalancing its more serious and dramatic themes to create a sweet comforting binge experience.
(Drama, Comedy)
HBO Max blessed fans of light-hearted drama-comedies with a lot of youthful energy and romance with a new gem in November by the name The Sex Lives Of College Girls.
This show centers on four Essex college freshmen bearing different backgrounds and lifestyles; Leighton, Kimberly, Whitney and Bela, who live together as flatmates, exploring their sexual fantasies and all other aspects of being in a new prestigious college.
This show is a great example of what a coming-of-age college dramedy can be when adapted as graciously as possible.
It's extremely sweet and entertaining, and with their contrasting character types and romantic endeavours, watching the girls establish a proper friendship and dynamic in this new shared environment makes for a very wholesome and comforting watch.
The characters are truly amazing and lovable, and a thing to truly love about this show is how it deals with the intricacies of college life from a fun perspective, showing just how wild and complicated life could be for four horny female stooges enjoying their youthful days in college.
(Drama, Thriller)
It seems Squid Game wasn't the only masterclass Korean TVshow under Netflix's radar this year, as in November this year, the Network released the Supernatural-Drama show, Hellbound from the famous Korean director Yeon Sang Ho.
"The wages of sin is death". So it's written in the Holy Bible; and Hellbound literizes that belief into a psychological thriller where sinful humans who are proclaimed to be "Bound to Hell" by an otherworldly face that appears to them, get brutally killed with their souls sucked away by hulky Supernatural monsters that appear at the exact time and date specified in the decree.
In such a world swirled with chaos and confusion, two significant groups were formed; the cult-like religious group named The New Truth founded on the idea of justice which mostly toys with people's fears, and the gang-like Arrowhead group which brutally molests people they see as sinful.
It does this while perfectly capturing an emotionally resonant perspective in terms of the fear of impending death of the condemned people.
It's a show that's perfect for fans of intuitively written horror or mystery shows.
(Drama, Mystery)
Speaking of shows fans of well-written psychological thrillers are bound to love, Yellowjackets, while being heavily slept on by many TV fans have proved itself in its 6 episodes released so far to be nothing short of absolute perfection in the angle of mystery-drama.
Split timeline storytelling is a format that has been used graciously by such unforgettable great shows as This is Us, Dark, The Witcher, The Haunting of Hillhouse and The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Yellowjackets masterfully incorporates this storytelling technique into a two faced mystery that draws a line between a struggle of survival in the past and a dramatic murder mystery in the present.
This story is being told simultaneously with the clear picture of what became of their lives in 2021 (25 years later) where they battle with their current life struggles while being pulled into odd scenarios surrounding the murder of their mutual friend.
It's a wildly entertaining and seemlessly intriguing mystery that builds smoothly on both timelines and with its amazing characters and dramatic scenes, it's one I find irresistible and one of the absolute best Tvshows this year.
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(Action, Sci-fi, Fantasy)
Well here we are. The show show that proved itself to be the absolute best show of the past few months, Arcane.
I spoke about how Netflix has been on a winning streak since the 2nd half of the year, and standing at the top of everything released by the Network this year comes the TV adaptation of the League of Legends video game by Riot Games.
If there is a show on this list that has been appropriately accepted by the world as the absolute Masterpiece that it is this year, It's none other than Arcane.
The brighter the light, the darker the shadow it casts. Below such a prosperous city, comes The Undercity, a city plunged so deep in the darkness that violence, theft, substance-abuse and many other forms of crime are the prevalent activities which the inhabitants indulge in on a daily basis in order to survive and make good of their deplorable living conditions.
The balance between the two cities slowly break apart as this only lights the spark to a lot of other conflicting events that drew the tidings of war between the two cities closer than ever.
This is just a basic rundown of the premise, and it's important to note that story evolves and goes far deeper after the plot was properly set up.
The characterization is just perfect. A broad cast of masterfully written and developed characters bearing different ambitions and relevant parts to play in the plot.
At the center of all those amazing characters comes a sweet little girl, Powder who just wanted to be loved and acknowledged by her loved ones, but everything she touches seems to fall to ruin. This causes her after falling to the deep end to transition into a twisted, violent and psychotic genius villian called Jinx, which was the nickname her peers gave her in her childhood for always ruining things.
Jinx was my favourite character all through the show, and the only found more amazing than her character evolution was how much of a phenomenon she was in the show.
Literally every shot in this show gives a masterclass, wallpaper-worthy, artistic frame, only made possible by the gorgeous art style and impeccable animation quality.
The fight scenes are nothing short of visual spectacles. Explosive fights being masterfully adapted and being every bit as impactful as intended through a combination of colourful visual displays, quality music and sound effects and an overall history and idealistic contrast between the characters that just make each fight properly motivated and foreshadowed.
The emotional scenes as well were made every bit as wholesome and compelling as intended using these qualities as well.
'Properly Paced' doesn't even begin to describe it, because thanks to the genius release strategy by Netflix (dropping each Act weekly), the intensity of each Act of the show was able to be highlighted properly and the twists and turns in each climax left a great impact every week, leaving fans yearning for more in the next 3 episode long arc to come.
The World Building was also amazing, creating an intriguing world that balances magic and technology and properly establishing different societies of characters in such a world.
The storyboarding was done masterfully and we got to see an authentic story get told in a dazzling manner, balancing all the action with its thematic and emotional backdrops.
Given this feat, it wouldn't be a stretch at all to call it the Best Video-Game TV adaptation ever.
It already seems nostalgic, in one season this show was able to tell its story in such a fantastic manner, it already feels like I've watched 3 seasons of these characters in action.
And for my Final Statement, I'll say that Arcane is not only the absolute best show of the past two months, but the BEST TVSHOW OF THE YEAR 2021.
Be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comment section and be sure to try out a good number of these shows if you haven't yet with an open mind.
Share my link to everyone in need of good recommendations.
Stay Safe and Sane,
And Happy Hollidays to you all.
YellowJackets being Number two worth it!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat list. Arcane praise never gets old
ReplyDeleteWhew! I made it to the end.
ReplyDeleteLove to see Arcane as #1. I haven't seen 80% of the shows here, but I agree. Lol