Ugh where in the world does the time go
I keep thinking I have more time. Every year goes faster than the last, and since I’m still masking and distancing, I don’t have the battery of social events that I used to use to mark off the time. Plus I always used to say I’m kind of unstuck in time (which I learned this year is an ADHD thing), so I still feel like much of 2021 was yesterday.
That said.
WOW there was a lot of fun creative work released this year. Stories of all kinds, in all mediums, really upped the ante. This is going to be a long-ass post, so my apologies in advance.
TV
I would say I watched an embarrassing amount of TV, but honestly, the amount of excellent TV these days is astounding.
Andor: I’m going to join the chorus in declaring my love for this show. It starts slow, but at the end of the 3rd episode I sat back in my chair, turned to Jon, and said “That was just a master class in writing.” It demonstrates the beginning of the Rebellion and paints every character in many shades of gray – some lighter and some darker, but for every person there’s layers. While the end of the season still left some plot pieces on the floor, and I don’t anticipate the showrunners picking them up in S2, I’m all in. I am incredibly invested in the character arcs, even for the villains! That’s a real feat.
A League of Their Own: This was a show I so, SO sorely needed this year. It took a terrific story from the early 90s that I had loved and didn’t so much reboot it as make it better and more relevant. The original movie glossed over some major inequities, and this TV show dives headfirst into them. Brilliant acting, excellent writing, and some delightful cameos.
Peacemaker: Holy whatthefuck hell, James Gunn, you continually amaze me with your talent of pulling stunning stories out of the worst characters. Peacemaker continues in the same vein as Suicide Squad, following John Cena’s character into the next task assigned to him. The viral beginning credit sequence is only a minuscule aspect of its brilliance, which is really saying something, because they’re the only credits Jon and I will watch every. single. episode.
Resident Alien S2: I don’t often like awkward comedy, because it’s usually predicated on other people in the show laughing at the awkward character. But here, there’s a LOT of awkward to go around, and everyone kinda loves each other for their awkwardness. I appreciate than more than I can say.
Reacher: …I don’t usually think things like this as excellent cinema, but not only will I watch literally anything Malcolm Goodwin is in, this is an adaptation of Lee Child’s character that is truly worthy of how talented Child is as a writer.
Abbott Elementary S2: We didn’t have cable last year and therefore no ABC, so it took us a while to get to this. I’m not sad about it, though, because we got to binge two seasons of Quinta Brinson’s utter genius, and it made Sheryl Lee Ralph’s 1000-watt glory all the more obvious. Not only is the writing and acting amazing, but it really mines the mockumentary format for all its worth.
Ms. Marvel: I love this! I looooove this. Kamala Khan is that perfect blend of teen mistake-making and “yeah I get why she made that decision,” which is hard to pull off. Plus, the show offers us family and culture dynamics that I loved being immersed in.
Our Flag Means Death: Taking a very peculiar historical pirate story and making it beautiful and uniquely queer? Sign me up, please.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Capturing the 4th-wall-breaking essence of the comic PERFECTLY, and making me laugh wildly almost every episode.
Interview with a Vampire: …. holy GODS. This takes the story from the Rice book and elevates it, brings to it an awareness of social context that is extraordinary.
Honorable mentions: The Sandman, Westworld S4, Archive 81, For All Mankind S3 (AUGH THAT ENDING), Harley Quinn S3, Naomi (it’s a travesty this is cancelled), What We Do In The Shadows S4, Wellington Paranormal S4
Movies
We didn’t watch that many movies this year, largely because we watched so much TVthere were so many theater-only releases and we are still not up to being in a crowded theater of people with no masks. So, for instance, we haven’t seen Black Panther: Wakanda Forever yet, and that pisses me off. However, I do still have three movies to bubble up to the top.
Everything Everywhere All at Once: Jesus I’m tearing up just thinking about it. Utterly goofy yet profoundly earnest in its message, this explores the lives of three members of a family, along with their desperation and love, across parallel universes. It’s not easy to break into my favorite 5 movies of all time, but this did it. (Of course, the extraordinary Michelle Yeoh doesn’t hurt.)
Turning Red: I watched this after some of bad takes had been published, and I remember pausing the movie to rant because the first ten minutes of the movie were a perfection sandwich of introducing character. I was enchanted, and the ending was amazing.
Prey: Holy FUCK this is amazing. An unexpected take on a Predator hero, plus some extra awesome tricks due to the non-military context. Clever and beautiful, which is not something I ever thought I’d say about a Predator movie.
Honorable mentions: Werewolf By Night, Nope
(Yes I saw Top Gun: Maverick. I didn’t like it much. And I found The Batman tedious.)
Games
I’m a really picky gamer because not only is my tolerance for frustration pretty low, but my hand-eye coordination and proprioception is crappy. (I’m still sad I can’t play Hades.) With that in mind, I started playing one game in 2022 that was a surprise winner.
Babble Royale: This is murder scrabble. It is a ton of fun. The dictionary is sometimes a little weird, but once you get used to it it’s got a lot of flexibility.
Honorable mention: Stray (very hard for me but great visuals)
Next year I hope these three categories are a little more even.
killer puppy tails 