2022 Year in Review TV Show Edition

With 2022 at an end, I thought it would be fun to share my year in review of the TV shows I watched this year. This year I watched 13 seasons of TV shows released this year. Most of them are Marvel and Star Wars but that is because I am less open to trying new TV shows than I am to movies. I watched through some great seasons of TV this year but also watched through some shows that were not good. I also included a couple of honorable mentions. These are shows that started in 2022 but at the time of writing have not finished yet. I didn't feel right ranking them with the rest of the shows as I don't know if they will stick the landing or not. With that being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 13 TV shows I watched this year plus two honorable mentions.

Honorable Mention: National Treasure: Edge of History

This show is a pretty fun treasure-hunting mystery show. There have only been 4 episodes but so far, I have really enjoyed this show. The mystery itself is pretty interesting and I like how it is tied to a character from the original films. I also really enjoy the characters in this show. They have great chemistry together and some of them deliver some pretty funny moments. The only issue so far with this show is just the fact that they did it without Nicolas Cage. But if you can get past that, it is actually a fun show.

Honorable Mention: Willow

So far, this is a very fun fantasy show. There are 2 episodes left in the show but so far it is quite good. I am just hoping it sticks the landing. I really enjoy the fantasy world that is set up in this show. I enjoyed it in the original film and it is really fun to be able to return back to it. I also really like all of the characters. They all seem to have good banter with each other and all have something unique to add. I also like how the story is allowing all of them to grow and change in some way. Finally, I really like all of the magic and medieval action that has been happening in the show. It is my favorite type of action and is really fun to see. The main issue I have been having in the show is that the characters keep acting like they are from today's world instead of in a medieval setting. Sometimes it is a bit distracting. The other issue I have is that sometimes the show makes a big deal when a new character comes into play and acts like they were from the original movie. However, I look up to see who they were only to find out they weren't in the original film at all. Other than those odd issues, this is quite an enjoyable show.

13. Ms. Marvel

Ms. Marvel is one of the rare misfires of the MCU. The overall story is just really unfocused and doesn't have a clear story or end goal in mind. It starts out interesting as a comedy about a teenage girl with newfound superpowers that is trying to maneuver high school and her overbearing parents. However, the story loses me when it completely drops that premise and does a sudden shift and becomes a globetrotting adventure show where Kamala has to fight these otherworldly beings and discover the secrets of her armband. However, even that is dropped in the end as the show randomly shifts back to the high school comedy and ends the show with a completely different villain. Overall, this show was such a mess with no clear idea of what it wanted to do. If it would have stuck with the idea in its first 3 episodes, the show would have been much better.

Score: 4.5/10 Grade: C-

12. The Book of Boba Fett

The Book of Boba Fett is the weakest of the Star Wars shows that came out this year. The general plot of Boba Fett becoming a crime lord on Tatooine was interesting enough. I also really enjoyed getting to spend more time with Boba Fett and seeing how cool of a character he actually is. I also really enjoyed how we got to see the return of The Mandalorian. The two episodes that featured him were the two best episodes in the show. The reason this show is so low is that it seemed so uninterested in the story it is trying to tell. For the first 4 episodes, we spend the majority of the time with Boba Fett in the bacca tank having a flashback to his time with the Tusken Raiders. When we get past that, it shifts to two episodes where The Mandalorian is the main character and Boba Fett is literally there for 5 minutes. It isn't until the final episode that we finally get to spend time on the storyline of the show. The fact that they don't even focus on the main story is just poor writing and really hurt this show.

Score: 5/10 Grade: C

11. She-Hulk

This is another show that had some solid ideas and premise but poor execution. The basic idea of a legal comedy in the MCU is pretty fun. I also thought the idea of it being sitcom based instead of an overarching story worked good enough. It was also a lot of fun to see some familiar faces return to this show such as Abomination and Daredevil. I also thought that there were quite a few funny moments throughout the show. However, the issues come into play with the execution. The showrunners couldn't fully decide if they wanted to go with a sitcom or an overarching story as the episodes themselves are fairly stand-alone. However, random elements would be thrown in trying to establish an overarching villain which ultimately did not pay off. Finally, the CGI at times was really bad and some of the humor came across as cringy rather than funny (She-Hulk twerking). While not as bad as everyone says, it is definitely not as good as it should be.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

10. The Santa Clauses

This show surprisingly ties a lot of story and plot elements together between the other Santa Clause films. I really enjoyed how funny this show was with several moments making me laugh out loud. I also really liked how the story was set in a more modern setting. Considering the last film came out over 15 years ago, it was really fun to see Santa interact with and have to overcome the culture and technology of today. I also enjoyed how we got some more character moments from Carol as well as finally got to see what happened to Bernard. However, there are a couple of issues that keep this show from being higher up on this list. The main issue is that the show feels like there isn't enough material for a TV show. It felt like several moments were stretched out to fill 6 episodes. I think this show would have been much better if it was trimmed down just a bit and released as a Disney plus original movie. The other issue I had was the show seemed like it was just making up new rules as it went along. There are several plot points in the film that are just now being made known that seemed like they should be something Santa should always know. Overall, this is a fun show but I felt that it could have been better as a movie.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

9. I am Groot

This is a fun, cute little group of shorts about Groot getting into mischief with a few familiar faces appearing along the way. Each little short is an independent story and has some fun moments and laughs.

There isn't a whole lot to these. The only thing that keeps it so low is that it feels like content just for the sake of content as if Marvel needed to put out a certain number of shows on Disney plus and this gave them the number they needed. It isn't all that necessary but is fun to watch.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

8. iCarly Season 2

This is the second season of the iCarly reboot on Paramount+. I really enjoyed the original iCarly and enjoyed the first season of the reboot enough so I was looking forward to this. This season is definitely funnier than the first season and really seems to find its groove. I found it really funny with several moments that made me laugh out loud. The characters in this show are also a lot of fun. Carly, Freddy, Spencer, and Harper all have great chemistry together and have some really funny moments. The main issue I have with this show is that it tries a bit too hard to be modern and adult at times. The show tries to appeal to an older audience and today's culture which is fine but a lot of the adult humor just feels a bit forced like they were trying to make jokes more adult for the sake of making them more adult instead of making them funny. Overall though, this is still a significant step up from the original season.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

7. Moon Knight

Moon Knight brings a solid new character into the MCU. Oscar Isaac does a great job in his role, being able to play two different personalities so well. Moon Knight is also a pretty interesting hero and his action sequences are all really fun to watch. Ethan Hawke also plays a very interesting and ominous villain. This show really dives deep into the realm of Egyptian mythology and builds a whole world that the audience can explore. I also liked how the show is set to be more of a globe-trotting adventure show and is fun to see something a bit different in the MCU. The main issue I have with this show is that the ending is too rushed. The show has a nice pace up until the last episode but once it reached the last episode, it had way too much to tie up and really rushed through so many important elements and literally cuts away and skips past the final battle. In the end, if this show would have not crammed everything into the last episode and spread things out a bit more, this show would have been much higher.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

6. Obi Wan Kenobi

This is another Star Wars show on Disney+ about a fan-favorite character. It was really fun to see Ewan McGregor back as Obi-Wan. He was one of the best parts of the prequel trilogy and does a great job as Obi-Wan. It was also really cool to see Darth Vader on screen again and to see a bit of a faceoff between the two characters. I also thought the action in this show was really cool. There were a couple of really fun lightsaber battles as well as the final battle on Tatooine. Finally, I thought the addition of the inquisitors was really cool. It was really fun to see them transition from animation to live-action. The main reason the show is lower on the list is the story itself. The story wasn't bad. It just wasn't the type of story I wanted or expected. I was hoping for more action with Obi-Wan through different planets instead of just a singular story about him rescuing Leia. In the end, it wasn't a bad show, it just didn't deliver the story that I wanted.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

5. Tales of the Jedi

Tales of the Jedi is another set of shorts found on Disney+. This show is a series of 6 shorts featuring Count Dooku and Asoka. I really enjoyed how the show added more depth to these characters. With Count Dooku specifically, it really allowed us to see his time as a Jedi, show his struggles with the Jedi order, and showed his overall turn to the Dark Side. This show really gave a lot to his character and actually made his character better in the films. The Asoka episodes were also interesting to see as they showed where she came from and her growth after order 66. Overall, this is a solid series of shorts that adds depth to some favorite characters.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

4. Peacemaker

Peacemaker was a new DC show that was a lot of fun. When I first heard about it, I was a little skeptical as Peacemaker was really unlikable in The Suicide Squad. However, this show was able to do the impossible and make Peacemaker likable and sympathetic. John Cena does a great job in this over-the-top performance of Peacemaker. I also thought the Vigilante character was a lot of fun and equally as ridiculous. I thought the show overall was really funny. It has a lot of funny characters and several moments that made me laugh out loud. The only thing that keeps this show from being here was that I wasn't quite on board with how stupid the main plot was. The main conflict was about this army of moths that possess people and I couldn't quite get on board with it. Other than that, this show was a lot of fun and a great new direction for the DCEU.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

3. Andor

Andor was the best Star Wars show released this year. It was different from most other Star Wars shows as it is mostly devoid of Aliens and normal Star Wars action. Instead, it is a very grounded show about everyday people trying to live their lives in the time of the empire. I really liked the format of the show in that it had 3 different story arcs throughout the season. My favorite part was the whole prison arc. The characters introduced there as well as the whole prison break sequence was just really well done. One thing that is important to note about this show is that it is not a fast-moving show and is quite a slow burn. This didn't really bother me but may bore some people. The only hang-up I have was that I wasn't a big fan of the Mon Mothma subplot. It felt like it slowed down the episodes and just felt a bit disconnected. Overall, this is a very good Star Wars show and I can't wait for the second season.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

2. House of the Dragon

House of the Dragon is a solid prequel series to Game of Thrones. The series really nails the feel and quality of the first 7 seasons of Game of Thrones. It has a lot of compelling characters, many plots that keep you thinking and intrigued as well as an overall compelling story. The nice thing about this show is, unlike Game of Thrones, everything is set in one place and there are a lot fewer different stories going on. It really gives time for the audience to get to know the characters a lot more. I also thought the action in the show was really well done. We got some good battle scenes as well as a decent amount of dragon action. In the end, this is a great fantasy series and one I can't wait to keep watching.

Score: 9/10 Grade: A

I. The Boys Season 3

Season 3 of The Boys was the best season of new TV I watched this year. The story was really good being all about trying to take down Homelander by any means necessary. Going with this story really adds some depth to Hughey as he has to decide how far he is willing to go and how much of himself he is willing to lose to get the job done. The show also does a great job growing the character of Starlight too as she's trying to achieve the same goal as Hughey but in a more moral way. I also like the adder layer they bring in with the Soldier Boy character. He is a really great character and really has a lot of impact on the actions and choices of others. Finally, I thought the action in this season was really well done. It had some really violent moments but the highs of this show were really well done. In the end, this was my favorite season of TV this year as well as one of my favorite TV shows of all time.

Score: 9/10 Grade: A