10. Curb your enthusiasm. Season 10
There are not bad seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, just a few ones that aren’t so great. Season 9 was a bit of a dip (I still enjoyed it though). But Season 10 was one of the best seasons yet. A great come back!
Larry David was at his absolute best. It is hard to believe that even after 20 years he still manages to provide these hilarious and super cringy moments. The situations felt fresh and hilarious and they always entertained me. And I loved how the main plotline with the spite store had a huge payoff.
The guest stars were all great with the exception of Vince Vaughn. They tried to use him as a replacement to the great Marty Funkhouser (Bob Einstein), who passed away in 2019, but I don’t think it worked. He felt so out of place with the rest of the gang. I think that the perfect person to replace Funkhouser Would be Jon Hamm. He is not only hilarious but also had great chemistry with Larry in one of the best episodes of Season 10. Also, making Leon Black a permanent member of the show a few years ago, was one of the best things that ever happened to Curb.
Larry David is a gift to this world. And he made this awful year a little bit better. Season 11 was already greenlit and I can’t wait for it. 20 years strong, keep them coming!
9. Insecure. Season 4
This show is so good. And I love how each season keeps getting better and better.
Insecure is very funny and well written and very current too. The show celebrates black women but also never shines away from the struggles they go through with dating, career advancements, and this season they even dealt with motherhood issues. The show has an amazing music selection and is beautifully shot.
I like how the whole cast is great and works so well together. I am super happy for Issa Rae’s success. She seems genuinely awesome. And I cannot forget to say, Kelli is the best!
Happy there will be a Season 5.
8. Search party. Season 3
Search party returned after a long hiatus and I didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed this season and I thought it was just as incredible as the first two.
When this show started out, it was basically telling the stories of some hipsters dealing with their boring and meaningless life, but with just enough quirks to make it interesting. However, it quickly spiraled into a very dark drama/thriller kind of show.
The performances are all excellent and I like how the writing is tight with hilarious dark humor. The writers nailed the absurdity of these characters and I can’t have enough of them.
Also, the way Dory (Alia Shawkat) changes over the seasons is so interesting. And over Season 3, her descending into madness was really interesting to watch. She was just losing touch with reality.
I'm looking forward to Season 4.
7. What we do in the shadows. Season 2
This is one of the best shows out there. A great concept that is very well executed. Season 2 was fantastic and continued to hit all the right notes. WWDITS is doing something that most shows can't, it is getting consistently better!
The idea of ancient vampires living in Staten Island in 2020 and having the same mundane problems as all of us, is brilliant. I enjoy the blend of dark comedy and satire. And I also like that the show is shot in a documentary style. The cameos are pretty awesome. My favorite of this second season was hands down Mark Hamill. He was really funny and had great chemistry with the other cast members. I’m also really digging the direction they took Guillermo this season. His arc essentially will drive the next seasons and it will be very interesting to see that happening.
I hope this show sticks around for a long time.
6. Schitt's creek
What a spectacular farewell to one of the best shows of the 2010s. It was an amazing journey and this sixth and final season of the show was a great way to end the whole thing.
Schitt’s Creek was one of the best written, most heartwarming, and funny shows ever crafted. Something truly special. With some of the best character development that I've ever seen. That gave the show the depth that it needed. No wonder it swept all the trophies at the Emmy awards this year. Also, the choice of making the story about LGBTQ love in a world without bigotry or homophobia has made all the difference in my opinion.
If I have one complaint about this season is that the very last episode was too short. I think that an hour-long episode would have allowed telling the story at a slower pace.
But besides that, what a ride it has been. Looking forward to that entire cast doing great things, but especially Dan Levy. He is so talented.
I am really going to miss the Rose family but the show could have not ended in a better way.
5. The queen's gambit (Netflix miniseries)
The Queen's Gambit Miniseries (starring Anya Taylor-Joy) was based on the novel of the same name written by Walter Tevis. It follows the life of an orphan chess prodigy, during her quest to become the world's greatest chess player while struggling with emotional problems and drug and alcohol dependency.
This show came out nowhere and I loved it. I had doubts about whether I would enjoy watching it because I'm not into chess at all. But to my surprise, it got me hooked.
The director, Scott Frank, made a good job putting the viewer in the head of a chess player in scenes when they are playing. But The Queen's Gambit isn’t really about chess. It is mostly about a troubled genius and her battles with addiction and sexism. The sets, costumes, cinematography, and score all outstanding. And Any Taylor-Joy was absolutely amazing in this.
The only thing I didn’t enjoy about the show was the casting of Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Benny Watts. He looks way too young to play that character. And the cowboy hat made him look more like a little kid dressed up for Halloween than some arrogant Chess prodigy.
But besides that, I highly recommend The Queen's Gambit.
4. Ted Lasso. Season 1
Ted Lasso is based on a character of the same name that Jason Sudeikis first portrayed in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of a soccer league.
I can't believe a TV show based on an NBC commercial has become one of my favorite shows of the year. But here we are. And given how bad 2020 has been, Ted Lasso was exactly what we needed to escape all of the drama going on in the real world.
The tone of the show is perfect. It is wholesome but it manages to keep its characters from becoming caricatures of the types of people they are portraying.
Ted Lasso has to be one of the most likable characters in television history, and Sudekis was made for this role.
Ted Lasso is an optimistic, hilarious comedy. The definition of a feel-good show.
3. I may destroy you
This limited series is about a carefree Londoner, played by Michaela Coel, who channeled her own trauma of being sexually assaulted into the show.
I loved this show. It’s difficult to watch and it will make a lot of people uncomfortable. But I May Destroy You is phenomenal from start to end. The storyline was so fleshed out and layered. A really emotional roller coaster that treads this line of comedy and drama very well. Also, the show has one of the most insane season finales I've ever seen.
Michaela Coel deserves all the kudos for transforming this horrible life-changing experience into a groundbreaking series.
2. Better call Saul. Season 5
Season 5 of Better Call Saul was fantastic. Definitely my favorite one so far. Breaking Bad is one of the best television shows ever made and the challenge of creating a spin-off/prequel was probably insanely difficult but the creators totally pulled this off.
I love how BCS is gradually fading into the Breaking Bad universe without feeling forced. A real masterclass in storytelling here. The pace of the show allows the story to breathe and the character development seems very natural. And even though we already know the fates of some of the characters, the stakes still feel super high.
Rhea Seehorn, who plays Kim Wexler, had an absolutely breathtaking performance this season and was, in my opinion, robbed of an Emmy award. The introduction of Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) last season was great for the show. And this season he proved to be s a very entertaining and unpredictable character. He brought a breath of fresh air to the show. I'm actually disappointed he didn't show up in Breaking Bad. I can’t wait to watch him going crazy next season.
1. Ozark. Season 3
I’m a sucker for crime-thriller TV shows. The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Boardwalk Empire are among my favorite series ever!
And Ozark, which is about a financial adviser who drags his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he must launder $500 million in five years to appease a drug boss, is really close to getting included in this very exclusive list of shows. I cannot get enough of it.
Season 3 of Ozark is the best season one so far, in my opinion. The storyline is so engaging and they raised the stakes and expanded the show’s world in such a genius way. I really enjoy all the twists and turns of the storylines and how Marty Byrd (Jason Bateman) always finds a way to get himself out of the most sticky situations.
This season, we were once again gifted with outstanding performances from Jason Bateman & Laura Linney. They were at the top of their game. Julia Garner also showed some amazing acting chops, as usual. But Tom Pelphrey, who played Wendy's brother Ben, kind of stole the show. He gave a solid representation of a bipolar person and deserves all the accolades he is getting.
After that intense scene in the ending of the last episode of the season, I can’t wait for what Orzak will bring us next.