Best TV Shows from 2023 (So Far): 2022 blessed us with many TV jewels. From the two last seasons of Atlanta to the concluding season of Better Call Saul, it offered us hours’ worth of absolute brilliance. Tony Gilroy’s Andor, Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal, and Sharon Horgan’s Bad Sisters are just some examples that floored us with their introductory seasons. 2023 continues this streak of excellence where the viewers had to say goodbye to many of their beloved shows.
Jesse Armstrong’s chart-busting Succession concluded on an emotionally overwhelming note, and so did Bill Hader’s Barry. While Yellowjackets and The Bear returned with their thrilling second seasons, Shrinking and Rain Dogs floored us just through their introduction. With almost half a year having passed by, we decided to follow the tradition and list down all the shows that amazed us in the months until now.
Please note that the list will keep getting updated, and there will be a few additions in the coming months. I’m yet to watch shows like Silo, Mrs. Davis, I’m a Virgo, and Deadloch that have received glowing reviews. Also, this is a mid-year list, with a few shows yet to come out or to come to an end. So, stay tuned!
Here’s a list of the 10 best shows of 2023 so far.
10. Swarm
With Dominic Fishback’s commanding presence in the lead, ‘Swarm’ becomes a taut psychological thriller. I was initially interested in the project because of Donald Glover’s name being attached to it. But, I was not ready for a ravaging serial killer drama. Janine Nabers creates an unsettling portrait of its troubled protagonist, whose insanity is born from her obsession with a pop star.
In a recent roundtable, Nabers pointed out how she wanted the show to be about a black female serial killer (never seen in pop culture) than a critique of toxic fan culture. As a viewer, it satisfied me on both accounts, even if that was not the intention. While being a tense serial killer drama, the show also made me contemplate the themes of true crime fascination and celebrity worship syndrome.
The writing perceives Fishback’s Dre through a humane lens and makes us see her world through her eyes. Her ravenous need to kill any detractor reaches the level of insanity without any theatrics. Besides following Dre’s horrifying rampage, it also involves brilliant satirical moments that paint a closer-to-reality picture of our problematic real world.
9. The Diplomat
Does the world need yet another Keri Russell show? The answer should always be ‘Yes’! ‘The Diplomat‘ easily manages to fill The Americans-sized hole in Russell-fans’ hearts. Her return to television (besides her cameo in Apple TV+‘s Extrapolations) is as rewarding as one can hope for. The Netflix series, compared to Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing and Julia Louis-Dreyfus-led Veep, is a smart, slick, and highly effective political drama. The series treats a global political crisis like a riveting thriller and yet, brings out some of the finest dialogue writing for a political drama. Its humor is sharp, and its insights are rooted in our reality. Debora Cahn is an absolute genius to achieve what she does here.
Russell effortlessly pulls off this woman-in-charge character, pushed down by several patriarchal factors around her. Give her a dialogue of loaded humor, she is game for it. Give her a life-altering moment right after, she is all in! The series becomes irresistible because of her presence besides the excellent supporting cast of Rufus Sewell, David Gyasi, Ali Ahn, Ato Assandoh, Michael McKean, Nana Mensah, Rori Kinnear, and Celia Imrie, just to name a few.
8. Rain Dogs
There have been countless portrayals of struggling writers. This list alone mentions another show about a struggling writer! However, Cash Carraway’s ‘Rain Dogs‘ succeeds in asserting its position with its aching portraits of people on the fringes of society. Costello is a writer by passion, assured in her voice, trying to survive with her daughter Iris in the city of London. Selby, a privileged gay man, is her close friend whose life revolves around his vices. Gloria, who firmly supports Costello’s dreams and desires, has a share of familial conflicts. These characters become a ‘formed family’ while trying to rise above the trauma of their deeply disturbing past lives.
What strikes out in this working-class people’s tragedy is its reluctance to give in to the urge to turn it into a pity-driven drama. While it shows their struggle for survival, it goes beyond the generic portrayals. We see them genuinely succeed in what they once hoped, only to be reminded of the messy healing process – something that the privileged lot has the privilege to introspect upon. It presents an unnerving portrayal of the extremes of these characters with raw, emotional moments. Their uncompromising nature comes at odds with a world that expects compromises from them, and the writing shows it in a manner that very few shows have managed to do so. On a mandatory sidenote, Daisy May Cooper and Jack Farthing are beyond great in this series.
7. Lucky Hank
As Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill, Bob Odenkirk has deservedly made a name for himself. After being praised for his comedic skills for decades, Bob Odenkirk finally showed his acting chops and how! Better Call Saul is an underappreciated masterpiece, and I won’t entertain any other opinion! But enough about it. Let’s talk about another dark comedy-drama with him in the lead. ‘Lucky Hank’ is a revelation that I was remotely not ready for. From being mildly averse to the idea of yet another ‘white-man-existential-crisis-drama,’ I was floored by the show’s mature writing. The show is an affecting exploration of unresolved trauma, child-parent relationships, and the literary world.
Developed by The Office fame Paul Lieberstein with Aaron Zelman, the first season paints the trauma-ridden, unlikeable professor’s portrait with compassion. Hank’s psyche is so carefully explored that it will take no time to get immersed in the trauma of his life. Despite its black comedic core, poking fun at Hank’s bloated sense of misery in midlife crisis, the season finds an abundance of warmth in ably directed moments that touch a raw nerve more than once. I’m glad that Nicole Holofscener, who is an expert on the matter of bringing out earnest drama from seemingly trivial moments, directed some of it.
6. Dead Ringers
I’m going to repeat what Indiewire said about ‘Dead Ringers‘ – ‘What is better than Rachel Weisz? Two Rachel Weiszes!’
Based on David Cronenberg’s eponymous horror film (which itself is based on Twins by Bari Wood & Jack Geasland), the Alice Birch miniseries is a clever and deeply disturbing psychological thriller. The show adapts the film’s core concepts and broadens them in the context of pregnancy, birth, and misogyny. Weisz expertly paints the distinctions between Beverly and Elliot that keep us invested in the chilling thrill of the show’s experiments. It shows incredibly graphic footage of childbirth that throws the sanitized version of this process out of the window for good.
The ideas of the show are so expansive that it goes beyond just being a Cronenberg homage to being a beast of its own. The writing skillfully paints the pains of womanhood while showing its female characters have agency over their lives. As a result, the apparent gender-reverse touches upon several aspects beyond the tragedy of evil geniuses. Besides, the ever-present sexual politics between the Mantel twins makes it endlessly fascinating.
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5. Barry
While Barry’s first season was Emmy-favourite, the second season is what made me go gaga over it. I mean, how can you not be in awe of the masterwork that ‘ronny/lilly’ is? The first two pre-pandemic seasons focused on dark comedic moments where violence was not as directly criticized as the later ones. Especially the final season of Barry speaks about the heart of the matter – ‘Should real-life villains be celebrated?’ While some may directly argue that serial killer shows are artistic expressions on their own, Barry comments on the pop culture that celebrates them – that makes heroes out of people despite their nefarious acts – that sees its veterans only in a positive light – that allows access to firearms as if they are candies – that considers the ‘heroines’ of such scenarios only through the lens of their relationship to a man.
The fourth season shows Bill Hader making several unexpected creative choices with a surprisingly subdued showcase of violence. The writing makes us question our understanding of these characters to present richly detailed portraits. The darkness isn’t in the terrifying action sequences but in the horrifying choices that these characters make – informed by their crooked understanding of reality and of themselves. If a show makes you want to write paragraphs of essays on it like this, it certainly deserves high praise! Additionally, the likes of Anthony Carrigan, Sarah Goldberg (Emmys continue to fail her), Stephen Root, and Henry Winkler give their career-best performances, making the show an essential addition to this list.
4. Beef
While Netflix is often touted as a streaming giant, I am not a fan of their originals. They have a bad history of canceling masterworks (e.g., Mindhunter) and renewing easily forgettable content pieces (e.g., Emily in Paris). Be that as it may, ‘Beef’ is a delightful exception. This American series is a profound exploration of rage, guilt, and generational trauma that raises the bar for how good television can be. Its multifaceted narrative mainly follows the aftermath of the road rage incident between Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) and Amy Lau (Ali Wong). However, it does not limit itself to just a thrilling adventure of their pissing contest. It fleshes out their characters way beyond the stereotypical representations to provide a deep dive into their inner lives.
The show plays out like a ping-pong between being an invigorating psychological drama and a dark comedy to present an experience that is delirious, poignant, deeply personal, and yet, original. Yeun and Wong are exceptional in portraying characters that lead agonizing lives. Lee Sung Jin paints a fascinating portrait of all his characters, while Jake Schreier and Shikari lend their helping hands to turn the words into immersive experiences. And there is still more and more to praise! How can you forget its absolutely brilliant, angst-driven soundtrack or its acting performances? Be it Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, Patti Yasutake, Maria Bello, or Ashley Park, there is just so much brilliance in this department for the show not to be honored.
3. The Bear
FX’s ‘The Bear’ was not a highly-anticipated show when it came out. I remember being assigned to write a review, which I wanted to write because of the show’s resemblance to Stephen Graham starrer Boiling Point (Watch it right now if you haven’t!). Nevertheless, the first season captivated me with its mature showcase of grief and close-to-reality depiction of a professional kitchen. The second season ups its game and leaves us with a series of emotional ups and downs that manage to reach the depths of its characters. The show earlier focused on Carmy’s adjustment period in a small kitchen and his struggle with processing his complicated emotions after Mikey’s death.
The new season expands its scope and fleshes out other characters just as wonderfully. Be it the psychological journeys of Sydney, Richie, Natalie, Marcus, Tina, or the entire Berzatto family, the writing offers justice to all their character arcs. Christopher Storer brings out so much emotion from a battlefield-like kitchen environment and leaves us with a painfully exceptional season. There is so much to appreciate from the second season – that adrenaline-inducing Cassavetes-style direction of ‘Fishes’ – the perfect needle drop of Taylor Swift’s Love Story in Richie’s life-affirming moment – Marcus’ commitment to improving his baking skills – Syd’s life-or-death relationship with the new restaurant’s success – Carmy’s conflict between personal & professional – the show is simply a gift that keeps on giving.
2. The Last of Us
With Chernobyl, Craig Mazin revived his career and became an overnight critics’ darling. ‘The Last of Us’ proved that he is capable of putting together yet another gut-wrenching drama with epic scale and proportion. It also shows that game adaptations can be as humane as the highest works of cinematic art. The nine-episode-long first season took a zombie apocalypse set-up and never indulged in mindless action. The show’s writing sheds light on the darkest spots of humanity, which is the basis of any dystopian set narrative. However, it excelled in showcasing its unconditional faith in the power of love through an incredibly grounded drama.
While Pedro Pascal became the internet’s hottest daddy/zaddy, he presented a wide emotional range while playing the complexities of Joel. And yet, Bella Ramsey is the MVP of this season, whose performance goes light years ahead of what many actors can achieve in their entire lives. Their phenomenal performance is why many of the show’s overwhelmingly emotional moments resonate as deeply. Just think of the moment Ellie comes out of the horrors of a cult and embraces Joel’s hug! Their chilling portrayal still sends shivers down my spine.
Besides the two leads, it would be criminal not to mention the cameos of Nick Offerman, Murray Bartlett, Melanie Lynskey, Keivonn Montreal Woodard, Lamar Johnson, Anna Torv, Storm Reid, and Gabriel Luna. It is hard not to shed tears while witnessing the tragic romance between Bill and Frank in ‘Long, Long Time.’ Thank you, Peter Hoar, for blessing us with your masterful, stirring direction!
1. Succession
Roman’s emotional outburst while reading out a eulogy for his father – The emotionally charged dialogue between Shiv and Tom about using each other for professional gain – Kendall’s realization of the loss of his one dream – these are just a few affecting moments to prove the excellence of Succession’s final season. With all that the show achieved this year, it feels unfair to put it anywhere but at the top of this list. Jesse Armstrong’s satirical comedy-drama fires on all cylinders and provides ten hours of mesmerizing television. What started in 2018 as a black comedy turned simultaneously into a full-fledged critique of greed-driven capitalism and a stirring family drama. With its last season, the show’s impeccable writing bears its heart on the sleeves and leaves a hole in our hearts.
While I am often against using superlatives in write-ups, the final season deserves it. Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Jeremy Strong, Brian Cox, Matthew Macfadyen, and Alan Ruck are just a few names that take the show to the levels of The Sopranos, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad. Be it this ensemble who brought their A-game, Nicholas Britell’s piercing score, the dialogues filled with rich subtext, or the incredible direction, there is hardly anything to criticize about the final season. Mark Mylod churns out some of the finest episodic television that gives actors enough time to discover the emotions within. With similarly flawless work by Lorene Scarfaria, and Andrij Parekh, among others, the show leaves an unshakable imprint on your mind.
