Do you know what vampires, road rage and fungi have in common? They’re all present in my favorite TV series of of the past twelve months! As I did last year, I’m only going to briefly mention returning series and will focus on highlighting the new stuff. Now with that out of the way, here are my favorite TV shows of 2023!
Returning Series
Barry (Season 4)
Best episode: wow, directed by Bill Hader
Doom Patrol (Season 4, Part 2)
Best episode: Done Patrol, directed by Christopher Manley
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Season 16)
Best episode: Frank vs. Russia, directed by Heath Cullens
Ted Lasso (Season 3)
Best episode: La Locker Room Aux Folles, directed by Erica Dunton
What We Do in the Shadows (Season 5)
Best episode: Local News, directed by Yana Gorskaya
New Series
Honorable Mention: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
While I wouldn’t recommend it to those who don’t already know the story from of Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers from Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel series or Edgar Wright’s film adaptation, fans are in for a treat with Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. O’Malley developed and co-wrote Takes Off, and you can immediately tell that this isn’t a cash-grab or redundant retelling. Instead, it’s another chance for the renowned cartoonist to explore the weird world and characters he created – all voiced by the movie’s A-list cast – but from a different perspective. It’s a comical, gorgeous, often surprising adventure with an intriguing mystery at its core and has everything that has made the franchise so popular. There are stunning fights, countless homages to classic video games, anime, expanded story arcs involving beloved heroes, evil exes, and a top-tier soundtrack. There’s so much crammed into these eight episodes that I’m sure I’ll find more and more to appreciate each time I revisit them.
Best episode: Whatever, directed by Akitoshi Yokoyama
Number 5: Mrs. Davis
Mrs. Davis is a show that I think people will either fall in love with instantly or give up on just as quickly, and I’m part of the former group. It is easily the weirdest live-action series of the year. Nuns, underground resistances, magicians, secret orders, shoe commercials, and even an angry sea mammal all have a part to play in this utterly bizarre tale of a woman scorned by a super AI who embarks on a quest she is uniquely suited for. The show also tackles the subjects of grief, self worth, faith, and others while exploring a world that feels unlike any I’ve experienced before. Anchoring all this weirdness and those themes is a pair of pitch perfect performances from Betty Gilpin and Jake McDorman. They’ll have you laughing one minute, nearly crying the next, and keep the show’s tone consistent despite how insane it gets. The supporting cast is great too, which includes the likes of the always reliable Margo Martindale, the hysterical Chris Diamantopoulos, an extremely understated yet brilliant Andy McQueen, and a terrific turn from Elizabeth Marvel.
Best episode: Great Gatsby 2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by Frederick E.O. Toye
Number 4: Castlevania: Nocturne
Castlevania: Nocturne had an absurdly tough act to follow, as the previous Castlevania show wasn’t just one of the best video game adaptations of the past… well, ever, but it was also one of Netflix’s best pieces of entertainment, period. Thankfully the sequel series is another magnificent outing of beautifully-animated choreographed vampire hunting action that more than meets the lofty expectations I had for it. Set hundreds of years after the first show, Nocturne follows Richter Belmont – a descendant of heroes past – and a whole new cast likable heroes who find themselves as the only defense standing in the way of an extremely powerful vampire “messiah” who plans to spread everlasting night across the world. The show also uses the backdrop of the French Revolution to say plenty about some historic, yet also sadly topical subjects as well. All in all Nocturne lives up to its legacy and deserves the same level of praise as its forbearer.
Best episode: Devourer of Light, directed by Sam Deats and Adam Deats
Number 3: Blue Eye Samurai
Those who know me are aware of how absurdly picky I am with 3D animation, but man… Blue Eye Samurai is incredible. Blue Spirit has produced the first anime series of its kind, one that is visually on par with its hand-drawn brethren. From the beautiful backgrounds to the emotive and believable characters to the wince-inducing take-downs during its many fights, it all looks genuinely amazing. Pulling me ever deeper into the world of Blue Eye Samurai was its immediately compelling revenge story; it may not break the mold, but it absolutely nails some of the best tropes and beats within the subgenre. There are some seriously strong Kill Bill vibes here, and I mean that with the highest level of respect because that duology is one of my all time favorite film series. The English vocal performances are killer too – although I recommend waiting to look the cast up because there might be a small spoiler of sorts in there. If you haven’t seen Blue Eye Samurai yet, I urge you to; maybe that’ll inspire other animation studios to take some much-needed notes.
Best episode: Hammerscale, directed by Jane Wu
Number 2: Beef
A24’s Beef is an expertly constructed tale with two deeply, tragically damaged people at its core, played to perfection by Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. Both of them struggle with their lives internally, silently, until a minor traffic mishap causes the duo to slowly spiral out of control. It’s darkly comedic, uncomfortably sincere, has a pair of powerhouse performances, an awesome supporting cast and is bleak. as. fuck. The way it artfully and excruciatingly illustrates the futility of giving into rage reminded me of The Last of Us Part II and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. If you know how I feel about those particular stories, you can probably guess that the comparisons equate to extremely high praise. The exploration of its characters, how deep their flaws run and what they stem from are also portrayed brilliantly. Beef is far from a relaxing watch, but it’s an extremely rewarding one in my opinion.
Best episode: Figures of Light, directed by Lee Sung Jin
Number 1: The Last of Us
The quality of live-action video game adaptations still tend to skew closer to the hilariously terrible 1993 Super Mario Bros. or abominable Assassin’s Creed than fans would like, but that doesn’t mean the curse is still in full effect. We have two great Mortal Kombat movies, the wonderful surprise that was Detective Pikachu and others, but the cream of the crop is HBO’s The Last of Us. A tale of loss, love, and fighting to survive while searching for something worth fight for, this show encapsulates what made Naughty Dog’s 2013 mega-hit such a profound experience. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are phenomenal as Joel and Ellie, bringing the same depth and humanity to them as Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson did ten years prior, along with the supporting cast. The world-building is excellent as well, giving us most of the same insights (along with a few new ones) into a world that was quickly, ruthlessly torn apart years before the main story really kicks off. It follows the first game’s narrative extremely closely, and while it falters a couple of the times it strays into new territory the risk more than pays off with the vastly different third episode which is one of the best hours or storytelling I’ve ever experienced. Here’s hoping season two can match the greatness of this – or even The Last of Us Part II.
Best episode: Long, Long Time, directed by Peter Hoar
And those were my favorite TV shows of 2023! If you liked what you read, you can follow me on Twitter, Letterboxd and bookmark my author page to see what I’ll write about next. Until then, remember: the best seats are in the Middle of the Row!
Middle of the Row 