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Best TV Shows of 2021

2021 was an outstanding year for television, both for exciting new shows and the glorious return of some old favorites. I could have easily made a top ten for both of these lists, but I decided to only include the best of the best, so here we go.

Best New Shows of 2021:

6. The White Lotus

The White Lotus is one of HBO’s finest recent creations. This is a series that is incredibly entertaining and juicy in its drama, but one that also has a lot to say about privilege and class relations in America. It features a terrific cast of characters and actors, most of them getting ample amount of great arcs and screen time. It’s one of the year’s most fun outings.

5. Hacks

Another HBO Max show on the list, Hacks is a new comedy that brought a much deserved Emmy to the phenomenal Jean Smart. She is absolutely incredible as the protagonist here. Her relationship with her intern assistant was complex and intriguing. The show explores the inner workings of Hollywood with such a smart script, in particular focusing on comedians and the generation gap.

4. It’s a Sin

It’s a Sin is a miniseries created by the great Russell T. Davies. It focuses on the early days of the AIDS pandemic and it’s definitely not an easy watch. But it is an essential viewing experience that reminds us just how powerless gay men felt during the early eighties when it seemed that the entire world and faith were against them. The series explores thorny issues such as parental irresponsibility and homophobia while ending on such a heartbreaking note.

3. Squid Game

By far the most purely entertaining and most iconic show of 2021 is of course South Korean Netflix hit Squid Game. It is far from an original story, but the execution matters and this series is just impeccably crafted technically and in terms of story, emotions and especially characters. The characterization is fantastic, leading us to care about each and every one of them. It signaled the ever-growing presence of Korea on the global television and cinema scene and I am all here for it.

2. Midnight Mass

Another Netflix masterpiece, Midnight Mass is Mike Flanagan’s masterpiece in horror storytelling that twists the vampire genre formula on its head. He made something truly unique with the genre by making it more grounded, thematically complex and emotionally exhilarating. The villain is not the vampire, but the religious fanatics, and the series functions just as well in the drama as well as the horror department. The dialogue is particularly fantastic.

1. Odd Taxi

‘Ranking of Kings’ and ‘To Your Eternity’ almost landed on this list, but Odd Taxi ended up being the sole anime inclusion here and the best overall original show of the year. Yes, it’s that good. This is an observational comedy that is also a crime story and a character-rich, dialogue-heavy drama and it works in all of these areas. The final twist made it extra meaningful while the character development was constantly incredible. It’s a show that explores many themes, thus making it immensely ambitious and so admirably authentic.

Best Returning Shows 0f 2021:

5. Pose Season 3

While the third and final season of Pose was clearly inferior to its two incredible predecessors, this was still a pretty strong conclusion despite its overly happy ending that was bordering on wish fulfillment. Nonetheless, the main characters all got their moments to shine and the final sequences with each and every one of them were so emotionally effective.

4. Mythic Quest Season 2

While the first season of Mythic Quest was excellent, it only became great in the second part of its stretch whereas this sophomore season was mostly great throughout. For once, the flashback episode worked and it was character-revelatory. The season’s mixture of the hilarious comedic with emotional dramatic elements worked splendidly. It’s such a well written show.

3. Castlevania Season 4

While the finale itself was a mixed bag, the fourth season of Castlevania mostly capped the entire show on a truly exhilarating and thrilling note. Not only was the action truly spectacular, but the character development continued to excel as did the incredible dialogue and improved world building. This show was just bloody fantastic throughout.

2. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 15

This season of Sunny took the gang to Ireland, which made this the most original season so far of the show. It worked because the humor was intact and every character was hilarious in their own way. Not only is the show still at the top of its comedic game, but it’s also becoming more and more emotionally rewarding with the whole Charlie’s heritage subplot being superbly depicted. Mac’s identity crisis was the comedic highlight of this particular season.

1. Succession Season 3

The third season of Succession is one of the best seasons of television that I’ve ever seen, which makes it the obvious top pick for the best returning show of 2021. This is where the show not only fired on all cylinders, but reached its true dramatic and twisted peak. The new left turns all worked out splendidly as they were so unexpected while the final confrontation between Logan and his children was superbly written and immensely juicy. It also features one of the best episodes in the history of television with that unforgettable, jaw-dropping finale.