It’s almost hard to believe it’s the end of the year already. But that means we at Fangirlish get to reminisce about some of our favorite things of the year! No compilation of our favorite things would be complete without a list of our favorite television shows of 2022, so let’s dive right in.
Andor
Andor is Star Wars, but it’s also a human story about finding your place – and your people. Well, that and it’s a story about how a Rebellion builds and people come together to fight against oppression and tyranny. For Star Wars fans it’s a great expansion to a world they already love, but it’s got something for non-Star Wars fans too, because it doesn’t rely on nostalgia. Instead it’s just good storytelling, great characters and the kind of performances that make it so you don’t want to look away.
Bridgerton
Bridgerton is a different kind of series, in a way, with each season focused on a different type of trope. The first season had pretend dating and steamy sex scenes. The second season, on the other hand, was all about enemies-to-lovers and unresolved sexual tension that will make you want to scream “Just kiss already!” To be absolutely fair, the season did drag out the love triangle at least one episode too long. But we’re willing to forgive that because when Anthony says, “You are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires. Night and day, I dream of you,” we fall in love with him – and his romance with Kate – all over again.
Evil
This one’s short and sweet. That perfect final shot just sums up how insanely brilliant everything about this series is. Between this one and The Good Fight, the Kings remain undefeated.
For All Mankind
For the record, we’ve been yelling about this series since before it started, and we’re never shutting up. In 2022, For All Mankind took us to Mars, gave us the first woman POTUS, flung a pregnant woman into space (don’t ask — just watch!), delivered tons of many emotional moments, and much more. Whatever comes next, we’re probably not ready for it.
The Good Fight
There’s no way we could create a top list for 2022 without this series, which aired its final episode this year, on the list. Somehow, Robert and Michelle King managed to introduce an unapologetically intense season arc, a new character who we loved immediately, and give everyone really touching exits…in just 10 episodes. Performances from all involved were as good as, if not better than, ever before. If you want the blueprint for how to go out on a high note, look no further than The Good Fight; and, especially with the ever-more-bizarre news cycle, this one will be sorely missed.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon brought together spectacular scenery and an elegant background score, to create one of our favourite shows of the year. Even if you haven’t seen Game of Thrones yet, it’s a great way to learn about the GOT fandom and to understand the intricately overlapping bloodlines. (Seriously, does nobody marry outside the family?) The show also highlights powerful and complicated women, while most of the men take a backseat. The storylines, while only having 10 episodes, were paced well enough to understand and to make sense of. Overall, it’s an intriguing show that added over 40 songs to our Apple Music Library.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power reignited our love for Tolkien’s world by making those who had never felt seen feel as if they mattered. Not only that, they took characters we know and love and put them in different stages of their development, making for interesting journeys. Also, ships. Actual ships and then shipping people together.
Only Murders in the Building
When a show has as good of a first season as Only Murders in the Building, you have to ask yourself how the second season can possibly live up to the excitement. But this is one series that did. It brought back all the characters we love, introduced a new mystery with some twists and turns, and kept us guessing from one episode to the next. In a single episode, it even made us care deeply for the victim – a woman who, last season, we would have sworn we’d never miss. A third season of this popular series has already been announced, and we already cannot wait.
Quantum Leap
Sometimes you just want a feel-good show that you can lose yourself in every week and know everything will turn out okay. Quantum Leap is that show for us. We love the characters, and we enjoy the mysteries of the season. But every week when we go in, we know we’re going to walk away from the hour with a smile on our face. It never fails to deliver, making it one of our favorite shows of the year.
The Sandman
No list of our favorite shows of 2022 would be complete without The Sandman. At times moving, at terrifying, but always breathtaking, it was a show we couldn’t help but binge. Plus, that voice. There’s so much we’re looking for in season 2, we’re already ready to predict this series will make our favorite shows of 2023, too.
Star Trek: Discovery
While we haven’t met a Star Trek that we haven’t liked, Star Trek: Discovery holds a special place in our heart. Discovery is one of the only shows on the air, aside from Ted Lasso that deals extensively with the importance of mental health. We have a crew that sincerely cares for one another and works for the good of each other. None of this is even to mention the numerous women that kick ass, including Queen Grudge, our space cat! It’s a show that we look forward to every season. Star Trek: Discovery kicked off our 2022 the right way, with stories full of hope for a brighter future and inspiration to make that a reality.
Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy wasn’t just a good adaptation of a popular YA book series, it was the rare show that improved on the source material — not just by making the world more diverse, but by making sure to center female stories, even while possessing a ship capable of carrying the show. With a strong female friendship at the center, two great ships and a world capable of sustaining plenty of stories, it feels like Vampire Academy is just beginning. And with 5 books to go in the Vampire Academy series and a sequel series with another 6 books, there’s still a lot more stories to be told.
Wednesday
There’s a reason this series focused on the Addams family’s favorite daughter is smashing Netflix records left and right. Or, rather, there are too many reasons to list them all here. Featuring a cast led by the supremely talented Jenna Ortega and a tight eight-episode arc that has everything from a murder mystery, to commentary on whitewashed history, to one of the most touching “opposites attract” stories in a long time, Wednesday is just torturously good.
Is there a show you would have added to our list? Let us know in the comments below!
