Trevor's Favorite Tv Shows of 2023
I have never done a list of favorite TV shows before! I usually only do Music and Movies, so here we go: The world of Television has changed so much. Many of these shows that are among my favorites of 2023 play more like movies, especially the mini-series which basically are long movies. The question has to be asked, in the age of digital streaming: what is the difference between Television shows and Movies anymore? Could an argument be made that the term “TV shows” as it exists now is an antiquated term? Is the difference just length, and should some movies that are so full of ideas for franchising basically just be mini-series instead?
I’m not saying I agree with any of these statements but they are valid questions. The main reason I decided to do a favorite TV shows list in the middle in between my Music list (previously posted on Facebook) and upcoming movie one is because I probably liked Tv Shows as much if not better than the movies I saw this year. Don’t get me wrong, I loved them all and I am still a huge fan of cinema, but only a fool would say that the lines aren’t becoming blurred and that the only difference now is length and the decision to call one thing by an old name. Movies stars are also on TV shows, tv Shows now make ‘Movie stars’, and really….we don’t watch most shows on Television anymore but some kind of Streaming service easily viewable on Smart Tv, Phones, or computers. With the writers strike in the middle of 2023 lasting over 5 months, there were many delays in our usually scheduled shows and what was left over was still pretty strong. So here are my top 10….long movie shows….of last year 😊One per day, starting with-
Honorable Mention: Just didn’t have enough time to write about these 11 – 20 ones (Season 1 or miniseries unless otherwise noted). But I enjoyed them too:
11.Platonic
12.Party Down: Season 2
13.It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 16
14.I think you Should Leave: Season 3
15.The Afterparty: Season 2
16.Dead Ringers
17.Ted Lasso: Season 3
18.Love and Death
19.Documentary Now: Season 4
20.The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 5
10. Class of ‘09
This is an interesting idea for a show, one that takes a concept used many times before- a new class of FBI agents being trained against an upcoming threat – and uses a chronological skipping device to tell it. There are three time periods: one is the present working for a changing FBI service, one is the past of how they all trained and worked together, and one is the distant future where technology can try and predict when crimes happen but freedom is more limited. So we simultaneously see how the technology has changed and what effects extra surveillance has had on the world of spies. More importantly we see the people behind the operations of keeping the world safe- Kate Mara plays the main character of Poet, Bryan Tyree Henry Tao Michaels who believes in what he is doing to the point of rigidness, and Sepideh Moafi who plays Nazari who always questions authority. why the steps had to be taken to make the world this way- It’s a bit like Minority Report (2002) or some futuristic sci fi at points but also really does well to develop the characters and give us their backstory. Henry especially shines as a man that definitely means well, but becomes the ultimate evil when power corrupts.
At the core the show is about betrayal: how you go about infiltrating to suss out corruption in the police, how people you consider your friends can betray you, how eventually you can turn into someone you didn’t think you were capable of becoming all in the cause of good intentions. The lines between good and evil are blurred and pure good does not exist, because you have to become slightly evil to deal with evil people. What are your personal relationships like, if you an undercover agent? How much can you sacrifice before you suffer mentally and emotionally? It constantly surprises and I hope there is a season 2.
Watch currently on: Hulu
9. Fargo: Season 5
While nothing can hope to match the quality of those first two Fargo seasons, this one gets to the heart of what made the movie Fargo great and feels the most like it. Another tale of evil lurking beneath the heart of suburbia, Juno Temple gives a charming performance of a wily character Dot that is more creative and harder to kill then she would first appear. Her life of stability is interrupted over an accidental arrest, leading to a kidnapping, a series of unfortunate seemingly random events, and people (some of them) get what’s coming to them in the best tradition of The Coen Bros. The head writer/ creator Noah Hawley said he waited until season 5 to make an episode that was as close to the movie Fargo itself so he wouldn’t be seen as merely a copycat and that was probably a smart move; in fact that was my main resistance to the show initially.
With the cast rounding out as Lamorne Morris as a caring sheriff that’s cares what happens to Dot, John Hamm as Roy at his most menacing since Black Mirror or Baby Driver, and Jennifer Jason Leigh and Dave Fowley as the best Rich Woman / Lawyer team of all time? Fargo always starts saying “this is a true story that happened in xx year” but as faithful viewers know that is part of the joke. It’s hard not to love something about most every episode especially with characters you actually root for including one episode that is mostly dreams, many that questions reality itself and what we call ‘our reality’. Can being in denial about your past be a good thing, or can you never escape your worst moments? The unpredictability of the finale and the amazing opener episode make it all worth watching. Maybe it could have been a couple episodes short as in parts it’s a little repetitive, but Fargo Season 5 as a whole still left a lasting impression of deep truths and just a little bit of hope at the end, don’t cha know it.
Watch currently on: Hulu
8. Killing It: Season 2
It was such a nice surprise to watch Craig Robinson in something great especially with him as the lead. Plot: Divorced and still to support his child, he has plenty idea of trying to be an entrepreneur but no one will go for his ideas. For Season 1, When desperate for money he meets the hilarious Uber driver Claudia O’Doherty (Jillian) and they both try to compete in a contest governed by the state of Florida killing the most pythons which are overwhelming Florida’s natural habitat…we will just say zaniness ensues.
For season 2, they have pivoted to Saw Palmetto Berry farm as a new avenue for profit and run into the local Everglades swamp park family (the Boones) and also his brother Isaiah and his insane gangster mob boss Rodney (Heidecker) who tries to take control. Over and over again, Robinson tries to just makes ends meet while trying to remain supportive and ethical but lines blur and the two partners have quite the falling out. I read one review about how if Succession showed how money made the rich and powerful eat each other and have fallouts, Killing It does the same for the poor, struggling, working class people and how really- the game is the same. I would agree.
There is a slight serious side of the show, about a man who just wants to get ahead but keeps getting sidetracked by life and I think we can all be compassionate about that. Many side character actors also make this worth watching: Beck Bennet as an inspector for Florida’s Health Dept, Rell Battle as his Brother Rodney as his character is further explored, Tim Heidecker as….himself. There in amazing episode in the middle of the season ( “Lying Flat” ) that everyone should watch, featuring a nice moral lesson about being rich vs being poor, being ethical, and featuring an army of Pitbull impersonators. The bond that this unlikely friendship forms between the two main leads and how the competition morphs into something kind of dangerous but somehow still funny is a joy to watch. It all ends on a more dramatic and pondering note than the other season 1 did, and I hope this story keeps continuing.
Watch currently on: Peacock/ NBC
7. Lessons in Chemistry
This show is so polished and perfectly constructed I could see how many would find it off-putting or smug. But beneath its immaculate period detail relating to the late 1950s-early 60s, there is plenty to explore and it proves that some ideas of equality and educating, while repetitive by nature, still bear that same repeating. A seemingly straight forward show like Lessons in Chemistry plays with time periods and chronological jumping in structure more than you think it would, bringing back character arcs after some characters have passed on and making them their best episodes yet. It also tries some experimental leaps in fantasy, for example telling the story from the point of view of a dog in one episode.
Otherwise, its very straightforward somewhat heartwarming show that highlights the tales of people that are outcasts of their community, fighting and struggling against the powers than be while empowering those around them. Its very old fashioned but very uplifting, and who better to lead the cast than Bree Larson showing off her acting chops once again, as I would much rather see her do this kind of thing over another Marvel movie. Lewis Pullman is also effective as her love interest Calvin, someone who has faced his own struggles by being different and not having a family. Each character gets some detail, as neighbor Aja Naomi King fighting the systematic binds of the racism around her and producer Kevin Sussman as Walter Pine proving to be her Zott’s champion when few would defend her .
It shard to say what makes this show so enjoyable- there is a little bit of David O’Russel’s Joy (2015) and a lot of Erin Brockovich (2000) but wrapped in a Marvelous Mrs. Maisel like package. As chemistry meets cooking on the show, it all goes down easy and perfectly digestible.
Watch currently on: Apple TV
6. Poker Face
As a fan of mystery shows, I was happy when I heard about this show coming out at it would be a mix of Columbo and Alfred Hitchcock Presents with similar main characters but a new murder mystery each week. The over arching story is about a woman on the run (a perfectly cast Natasha Lyonne) who has an ability to tell when people are lying. This ability leads her whether she wants it or not to stumble upon people who seem to be murdering each other or hiding dark secrets wherever she stops along her route driving across the country. Chasing her is a hitman after the events of the first episode (Benjamin Bratt) and while doom is closing in, the show does manage to mix in some humor along the way.
The quality of each episode varies based on the strength of the acting or the power of the mystery, but more often than not they strike gold. The beginning of the show with Adrian Brody as a casino kingpin’s son, the story of a nursing home hiding a Vietnam era secret (starring Epatha Merkerson and Judith Light in an award winning role) and above all the next to last episode with Joseph Gordon-Levitt at his most sinister racing around the snow covered Magic Mountain region of Colorado are all worth putting this show up with the best of the year. That ninth episode “Escape from Sh$& Mountain“ has many surprises and could be a standalone movie of its own, Gordon Levitt highlighting how a seemingly normal person can do an about face and show his true colors and selfish ulterior motives. The structure of this episode is also completely different than the others. Since it was so popular among fans, Poker Face will easily be granted another season. Unlike many other shows of the year it has a successful Director behind it (Rian Johnson) so the only thing that may hold it back is if he gets preoccupied with something else, but even then watching Lyonne’s character go through any phase of life is guaranteed to be entertaining.
Watch currently on: Peacock
5. Beef
Beef isn’t just about the relationship between the two main characters that keep getting revenge on each other for what was an initial road rage accident. It’s about family, and the secrets and fears we all don’t talk about. It’s about marriage and the complexities within and what each partner finds their role being. It’s about life, and the struggle to fight just to get by. The main character of Beef played by Ali Wong (Amy) knows all about this as she did find some success in life, however she is stuck between being too rich for her spouse who doesn’t have as much and not rich enough for her socialite idol – played brilliantly by Maria Bello – and feels constantly in her shadow. So she is either too much, or not enough for everyone in her circle. At one point she says to her husband, “George I’m a bad person, I tried to hide that from you because you’re not.”
Of course, to Steven Yeun’s character (Danny), the kind of wealth that Ali has is unreachable. He and his cousin Paul (a hilarious Young Mazino) have to scrape to get by, working jobs that Ali would never stoop down too. The mainly Asian character cast I think proves even more of a point seeing how the show is also mostly in English: America is a complex place that seems more separated by your class in society than your race in society. Honestly, its been a while since I’ve seen the show now, but I’m not sure race comes up at all. Even if it does, being a minority means one thing but being too poor to even pay your basic bills and live what you are told is your basic standard rights is quite another. It’s a vulgar, crass, violent, outlandish show but it reflects life in current America more accurately than almost anything I’ve seen this year.
Watch currently on: Netflix
4. The Night Agent
This is probably the biggest surprise of the year, a show that for all intents and purposes seems like it should be nothing more than a show-of-the week to be forgotten soon after. But the complexity and cliffhangers keeping you guessing from each episode to the next make it perfect for the era of binge tv, and anyone who likes a spy thriller will sure to be addicted. FBI Agent Peter Sutherland (a stately Gabriel Basso) gets put on a desk job working the emergency call phone desk at night after he was present at a bombing aboard a subway train in Washington DC. While on duty there, he answers the fateful night Rose Larkin (a riveting Luciane Buchanan) and her parents are attacked. The reason they were targeted makes the pair go on the run and just like the best ‘couples on the run’ stories via classic Alfred Hitchcock (The 39 Steps, North by Northwest) more of the sinister plot is slowly revealed per each new episode.
The suspense and double crosses in the show are very organic and genuine, and goes on to include the liaison between the White House and Peter (a sneaky Hong Chu ), the President and her daughter Maddie (Sarah Desjardins) and her two bodyguards (Fola Evans-Akingbola and DB Woodsie) with multiple plots intertwined and more at stake than anyone realized. We even get insight with the two assassins Ellen and Dale (Eve Harlow and Phoenix Raei) which humanizes them and shows them to be quite different than the typical lead characters. The chase scenes are visceral, the fight scenes are scary and real, and it is easy to get caught up in the moral dilemmas. Shows like The Night Agent are rare because the quality is so good it gives you hope for so many other spy shows that never really live up to any kind of durable hype. It is worth a binge, if it sounds like your cup of tea. There will be a season 2, and I’m very excited!
Watch currently on: Netflix
3. Succession: Season 4
I’ve never actually written about Succession before, since last year was weird and didn’t have a season and it came out so early in 2023 it seems like forever ago. But the conclusion to this show worked out brilliantly, and the surprises in store are hopefully not spoiled before you will watch them. I watched it one episode a week, which gave plenty of time for reflection and absorption as I did find the show hard to ‘binge’ with each episode needing some room to breathe. That is the thing with Succession though, it is such a dense family saga that combines comedy, harshness, rich people drama its just hard to quantify compared to other shows. When people talk about loving Tv Shows over films, this is usually the high production bar I think of.
The cast of Brian Cox as patriarch of the family and four children (oh go loke m up! All great) that fight and claw for the heir to the fortune empire is hard to beat, and they are surrounded by character actors of the highest caliber too. The needy sycophant Greg (Nicholas Braun), the brutal businessman Alex Skarsgard (Lukas Matsson), the alluring but loyal Gerri (J Smith Cameron), the most conniving among them all Tom (Matthew MacFayden), many others…. these are all classic characters for TV history. What happens is this season well…..everything changes and many things end. ‘Connor’s Wedding” is perhaps the greatest episode in a show full of masterworks.
There are deals upon deals upon deals being made, a story so complex and spanning different countries its hard to go into. But the show remains unapologetic about its portrayal of people who not necessarily awful because we love to watch them, but lost in their own little kingdom, oblivious to the world’s real problems or real suffering. These people will never stop double crossing each other, their insecurity knows no bounds and the point being made is that if you didn’t MAKE the fortune but were born into it, can you ever truly grow up? The question has to be asked too- how can they be so sad and angry all the time when they are so rich? The truth maybe they are all addicted to the struggle for power, even more than the power.
Watch currently on: HBO
2. A Murder at the End of the World
Flying under the radar of most people and critics who make lists like mine, this show was the revelation of the year for me. As good as any movie I have seen and as thought provoking as any story I have heard, this show throws three genres together: the murder mystery and exploration in the mind of killers, the sci-fi advent, and another one I won’t go to into involving many people in a room chosen for a destined action. A remote part of Iceland is chosen for a gathering of people who think differently and may have the power to shape the future of mankind, which might just be a red herring for what the show is Really about! When one person is murdered in a mysterious way, people try to find the killer but it's not easy in such a remote location. So its not Agatha Christie, but…its sorta Agatha Christie…but then again you haven’t seen this kind of story before....but you have sort of seen bits and pieces of it before? Its that all encompassing.
Writer / Creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij are such a great creative pair, each movie or show they have made in the last decade plus has been mind blowing in some way- The obscure madness of the sci-fi The OA (2016) series which truly goes to some odd places questioning the afterlife; the environmental terrorists of The East (2013) which make you wonder about the future of our human society; using space and multiple universes way before it was trendy as a metaphor for possible love in Another Earth (2011). Marling also acts in one of the pivotal roles here, that of hacker activist Lee that lead character Darby (Emma Corrin) pursues followed by her love interest ex-boyfriend Bill (rising star Harris Dickenson). Lee is married to Andy Ronsan (Clive Owen) who is an Elon Musk sort of tech genius who owns the Hotel/fortress in Iceland where all reside for the show. The scenery in this show suffice to say is breathtaking, showing Iceland in all its glory and focusing on many adventures in the frozen environment.
All of the characters gathered for the duration of this series make one of the best ensembles gathered in a while. A surprise is Ziba (Pegah Ferydoni) who shines as a fictional first woman on the moon astronaut with many real-world skills, and it's also fun to witness is the hologram of Andy's A.I. “Ray”, who assists him and anyone who calls on him around the hotel sort of like a living version of Alexa/ Siri. This heartfelt cast related with flashbacks that eventually tie together in the end, and the soundtrack is pulsating and full of little voices like lost angels in the snow (also some great rock song choices are used). I will admit the show is a slow burn but given patience it really develops into one of the most memorable stories I have witnessed in a while. It’s all too dense to discuss in a short review. Maybe parts of 10 different mysteries in 10 different genres exist within Murder at the End of the World, but not a minute is wasted and it keeps you guessing on where it’s going until the very end.
Watch currently on: Hulu/ FX
1.The Bear: Season 2
I amin total agreement with popular consensus that the Bear Season 2 was the best show of last year. It is easy to watch and insanely addictive, every character is worth exploring and rooting for and expanded from the first season. When I look back at what I rated each episode, of the season every thing was a 9/10 and 10 / 10. I wrote last year that While I loved Season 1, it had some learning spurts to go through to become truly a great series and boy did it have growth spurts in this run! This show has made quite the impact on our monder society, terms like “Yes, Chef” and “Fu#$ you Cousin” seeping into the nomenclature.
Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is still the main chef and character, his past is more explored with sister (Abby Elliot) and dead brother (Jon Bernthal) through flashbacks; and key moments in his life- culminating in mid season episode “Fishes” that is over double the length of a usual episode of the show like a small movie of The Bear in the middle of the season. Sort of like a Martin Scorsese dinner come to life. As memorable as that drama is (starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Bob Odenkirk as parents- what could go wrong??). I would even argue that there are better episodes or at least one as good- “Forks” tells how Richie grows and matures into a more patient person and forges a relationship with his daughter, who loves Taylor Swift so he buys a ticket to her concert (yeah i don’t hold that against ‘em 😊 ) also guest staring Olviia Coleman.
The episode “Honeydew” tells how pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce) learns months and months of secrets and discipline creating the perfect desert in Denmark. It all culminates in remaking the small Chicago sandwich restaurant into something truly awe inspiring, and as much as we want them all to succeed Carmy only has himself to blame in holding himself back and self-sabotaging. The theme is Highlighted by Sydney’s Journey to learn how ot be patient with a chef she idolized and how he differs form her expectations. The theme is team work – what it means to be part of a team. Its nerve wrecking to watch at times, but in a way that’s impossible not to watch, like being in the eye of a hurricane and struggling to stay there. I can’t imagine a better Season of a show, all of the aspects that make Tv great are exemplified through The Bear Season 2.