(COLLAB) Favourite TV Shows of 2022!

2022 brought us some fantastic series! Now we are coming into 2023, and hopefully some more exciting onscreen escapades, it felt only right to discuss, celebrate and reminisce on some of our favourite TV shows of the year! From dark comedy to high fantasy, we watched, enjoyed, and revelled in all walks of TV in 2022. Here is only a few of our absolute faves!

Inside No.9 (Series 7)

Via BBC

Inside No.9 is an anthology series written by geniuses Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, and I believe it is the best programme currently on TV. It is often described as a dark comedy, but this is an umbrella term for a show that delves into mystery, crime, sci-fi, psychological thriller, horror, and more! Every episode has a completely different cast and plot, but the one thing that ties each episode together is an incredible, shocking plot twist, and then usually ANOTHER twist at the very end. I would recommend spending 5 minutes after every episode to take some deep breaths and collect yourself because every episode will blow your mind!

Series 7 had a brilliant amalgamation of stories, and has been one that spans so many genres. The second episode, Mr King, is one of my favourite episodes ever of IN9 because it is the first one that has produced genuine feelings of horror and fear within me, but again, that’s what makes it so good; sometimes you’ll laugh, sometimes you’ll cry, and sometimes you’ll finish an episode and be haunted by polaroid pictures of penises (lol)! Another one of my favourites was ‘Wise Owl’, which includes a 1970s animation to tell the story of a man’s tricky childhood and how it leads him to practise taxidermy for the first time! As you can tell, there’s some really interesting and imaginative plot lines!

In their book, Shearsmith and Pemberton say when writing, they always ask themselves what the audience thinks they’re watching, and they flip that on its head, which makes the show one of the best examples of storytelling I’ve ever seen. If you love shows that are attention grabbing and thrilling, then you MUST watch Inside No.9.

– By Amy Scott-Munden

Inside No.9 is available to watch on BBC iplayer. You can view the trailer for Series 7 here:

The Patient

Via Disney / FX

After I saw The Office, I couldn’t imagine Steve Carrell in anything but a comedy because he is the perfect comedy-character actor, but oh my god was my mind changed after I saw The Patient.

Carrell plays Dr.Strauss, a therapist who is kidnapped by his serial killer patient Sam, played by Domhall Gleeson. Sam really wants to get better, and Dr Strauss really wants to escape, but both are held back by haunting images of their pasts. In a way, they’re quite similar characters who are stuck in their own ways and struggle with the complexities of the human mind, and it’s so refreshing to see that even someone with a PHD in Psychology still finds difficulty in understanding themselves. Gleeson is also amazing in his role, and you can completely see the switch between an everyday guy on the street to a genuinely terrifying serial killer – he is so creepy!

This series is amazingly written and will constantly keep you on your toes with its great twists and turns, mixed with solid characterisation of both parties when we see who these two men were before the kidnapping. Some reviews have said occasionally the narrative becomes slow, but this doesn’t matter, because both Carrell and Gleeson lure you in with the unpredictability of their characters. It even tackles themes of religion which is a really important recurring sub-plot that adds so much emotion.

If you’re looking for a show that oscillates between terrifying and sensitive, then you have to watch The Patient; just be careful you don’t start empathising with a serial killer!

– By Amy Scott-Munden

The Patient is available to watch on Disney+. You can view the trailer here, via 20th Century Fox:

Euphoria (Season 2)

via Eddy Chen/HBO

When I first came across Euphoria, I thought it was an elevated, Americanised, Skins; that slightly sloppy, guiltily enjoyable, TV Show about troubled teens and romanticised drug use. However, as I got into it, I found it was much more than that. Outstanding acting, relevant issues and an artistic approach to aesthetics really drew me into the show. As of 2022, then, I was excitedly anticipating Season 2.

It did not disappoint! The excellent makeup artistry (@donni.davy to thank for that!) and nuanced fashion choices carried onto the next season; every aspect of visual technique was incorporated to tell a story. As an English Student, with an affinity for (slightly pretentious) poetry, what’s not to love?

Season 2 immediately dropped us into accelerating drama; the first episode having me on the edge of my seat at Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) unfortunate behaviour, Maddy’s (Alexa Demie) fiery temper and Rue’s (Zendaya) struggle with addiction. These characters, although sometimes cliché and inherently flawed, truly make the show. They are lovable, and shocking, but realistic. Who hasn’t had a ‘Cassie’ in their life? Or felt like an outsider like Lexi (Maude Apatow)? The way Euphoria grapples with relatable issues like narcissistic boyfriends and broken families, wrapped in pastel aesthetics and sparkly makeup, really makes for something unique. The music, often by Labrinth, only adds to the hazy, dreamlike landscape that is Euphoria.

From rising tensions, beautiful artistry onscreen, and jaw-dropping moments; I only have one critique. The sheer amount of loose-ends we hope to be tied up in Season 3! (And perhaps, the shocking amount of penises shown onscreen). I can hardly wait.

– By Emily Poole

Euphoria Season 2 is available to stream on NowTV! You can view the trailer here, via Rotten Tomatoes:

House of The Dragon

via Forbes/HBO

2022 saw the highly anticipated release of House of The Dragon the onscreen adaptation of George RR Martin’s Fire and Blood. Strangely enough, being a massive fantasy fan, I wasn’t much into the hit series A Game of Thrones, yet, watching the first episode of House of The Dragon, on a whim, I was absolutely enthralled. I don’t know if it was the undeniable charm of Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen (swoon!) , or the excellence that is dragons on-screen, but I found myself hooked straight from the get go.

The first series begins with a young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), and sets up the coming tensions leading towards the infamous civil war known as the Dance of Dragons. The sweet onscreen friendship (relationship?) between Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) and Rhaenyra Targaryen sets up for a tragic and unique dynamic that was incredibly memorable. However, mid-way through the series, there is a whopping time jump; having the incredible Olivia Cooke and Emma D’arcy taking over the roles of the young queen and princess, ten years later. Although sad saying goodbye to the fantastic Milly and Emily, the mature versions brought so much tension, nuance, and emotional complexity which instated House of The Dragon as so much more than a prequel. This, combined with the (although incestuous) electric connection between Daemon and Rhaenyra (you know a series is good if you find yourself somehow rooting for the creepy uncle/niece incestuous ship!) and Paddy Considine’s heart-wrenching performance as the King Viserys, makes for a downright poetic story mixed with the marvel that is dragons, and the beauty of Martin’s fantasy world that is Westeros.

The time-jumps may be jarring, but I found the first season of HBO’s House of The Dragon nothing short of an artistic masterpiece. This show had me questioning my morals, sobbing, and cheering all at once. I truly encourage you to consider this show as a separate entity to A Game of Thrones!

-By Emily Poole