Reel React’s Top 5 Best & Worst TV Shows of 2022
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on my own experience as a viewer. I wasn’t able to watch every release this year, so if there’s a show that isn’t on here that’s probably why.
Morfyd Clarke (left) and Emma D’arcy (right) as their leading roles in The Rings of Power & House of the Dragon.
So many shows and so little time. 2022 was an excellent year for television, and it’s once again time to rate my favourite shows of the year and give you all a ranking. I started to think, what makes something the “best” and “worst” show of 2022? The best and worst on this list represent shows that exceeded my expectations followed by those that just fell short of the mark. By no means did I compile this list with any shows that are just bad, I’m not here to waste your time. Except for She-Hulk, that was just awful. This ranking could be rearranged in any order on a given day. From The Rings of Power to House of the Dragon, here are 5 shows that surpassed and failed to live up to my expectations in 2022:
Starring Milly Bobby Brown, Stranger Things 4 is streaming only on Netflix
The Best of 2022: Stranger Things 4
“Badda Badda BOOM!” Probably describes what was happening in my head while watching the highly anticipated fourth season of Netflix’s golden goose, Stranger Things. I’ve always loved Stranger Things, but the fourth season absolutely blew my socks off as it scaled the production to heights I didn’t even know the show was capable of. Shoutout to both Sadie Sink and Joseph Quinn for phenomenal performances this season. There’s definitely a different type of nostalgic vibe that you get when watching this show, which speaks to the excellent writing and design. After a grand but average season 3, there is no way to understate how next level the Duffer Brothers took things for season 4. Whether it was Kate Bush, Eddie Munson, or the extended mini-movie episodes, I loved every minute of Stranger Things 4 and even though I am not ranking these in any particular order, this series would likely be my no. 1 on any list!
Stream Stranger Things 4 on NETFLIX
Jeremy Allen White (above) as Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto in The Bear on Disney+
The Best of 2022: The Bear Season 1
Starring Jeremy Allen White as Carmy Berzatto, a young chef from the world of fine dining comes home to Chicago to run his family's Italian beef sandwich shop after the death of his older brother, who left behind debts, a rundown kitchen, and an unruly staff. It’s amazing how much development The Bear fits into a 30-minute show, and how funny while also sad it can be at the same time. I didn’t expect to love The Bear as much as I did, but after recently rewatching it, I know exactly why; The Bear is a chaotic hot mess of perfection! The last two episodes are an absolute whirlwind of chaos and emotion. Jeremy Allen-White is back in Chicago where he belongs - can’t wait for season 2!
Stream Season 1 of The Bear on DISNEY+ or HULU
Morfyd Clarke (left) and Charlie Vickers (right) as Galadriel and Halbrand in The Rings of Power.
The Best of 2022: The Rings of Power Season 1
To be honest, when it came to the Battle of the Prequels between Rings of Power and House of the Dragon, prior to watching the shows I felt like it was inevitable that one of these shows would flop, and even though I’m a huge Lord of the Rings fan, I thought it was going to be Rings of Power…but boy was I wrong! The Rings of Power is not only a very well-made show but a very justified expansion on the already incredible world of Middle Earth! From amazing cinematography to a well-paced story, The Rings of Power has so much to offer seasoned LOTR fans and newcomers alike.
I especially loved the story and dynamic between Elrond and Durin. Don’t believe all the hate, this series is great.
Stream Season 1 of The Rings of Power on PRIME VIDEO
William Zabka (left) and Yuji Okumoto (right) as Johnny and Chozen in Cobra Kai.
The Best of 2022: Cobra Kai Season 5
There’s no better time of the year than when a new Cobra Kai season drops on Netflix! This show is definitely the platform’s reliable dark horse pushing out 5 seasons over the last 4 years while never failing to up the quality and stakes each season. Cobra Kai is that type of show that is both great and cheesy all at the same time. It playfully lacks common sense for the sake of Karate, and I can’t help but love it every time. The final fight of the season was incredible, the choreography has come so far since season 1. The showrunners continue to show that they really understand the audience, you will never leave a season of Cobra Kai You know damn well that I was standing on my couch yelling “Daniel Crane Kick that Motherf*cker”
While I can’t wait for Season 6, I really hope that it’s the show’s last. And there’s no better way to end than on the largest stage possible with Miyagi-Fang qualifying for the Sekai Taikai worldwide Karate tournament! With how many callbacks they’ve done to previous incarnations of the Karate Kid, if Jaden Smith’s Drey Parker shows up in the final season, Cobra Kai will be an undisputed 10/10.
Stream Season 5 of Cobra Kai on NETFLIX
Diego Luna (above) as Cassian Andor in Andor streaming NOW on Disney+
The Best of 2022: Andor Season 1
Possibly the most shocking entry on this list was this little star wars spinoff show Andor it is Disney’s best Star Wars series and nobody is talking about it! Without the flashiness of Jedi or Baby Yoda; Andor beautifully expands the Star Wars universe and story of a character you didn’t know you wanted to learn more about. Andor feels like Star Wars if HBO made it. With excellent cinematography, pacing, and performances Andor is exactly what Star Wars needed to start being recognized as not just a kid’s brand, but real cinema.
Stream Season 1 of Andor on DISNEY+
A lot of Honourable Mentions: 2022 was the Year of Streaming
WINNING TIME SEASON 1
As a fan of Adam Mackay’s work on films like The Big Short, I loved the business focus that you get from Winning Time. No matter what part is embellished or not, this show is really captivating. If we look at the details, we are gonna see the start of the modern NBA, the show, the enthusiasm and all the fun that comes with it.
EUPHORIA SEASON 2
With Euphoria Season 2, I finally understand all the Zendaya hype. She was incredible, especially her performance in episode 5. The cinematography, score and overall production of this show are one of a kind. The only bummer is I’ve heard season 3 is not expected to be released until 2026…
PAM & TOMMY
The chronicles of Pamela Anderson & Tommy Lee’s leaked sex tape at its core is a really emotional and down-to-earth story. Lily James completely transforms into Pamela Anderson and Sebastian Stan shows a much more loving and appealing side to Tommy Lee than what we got from Machine Gun Kelly in The Dirt, the
PEAKY BLINDERS SEASON 6
Even though Peaky Blinders probably had the best finale of any show on this list, the final season as a whole just wasn’t intriguing enough for it to crack my top 5. Cillian puts his cap on an AMAZING series performance as Thomas Shelby.
DERRY GIRLS SEASON 3
I’m sad to see this one go. As with the rest of the show, Derry Girls’ final season is an absolute ride. This show is so simple and yet so funny and is just as funny to rewatch back as the first time you see it.
THE BOYS SEASON 3
The only reason The Boys doesn’t crack my top 5 is how the finale just seemingly reset all the plot development done during the season. Shoutout to Jensen Ackles though who stole the show this season as Soldier Boy, and once again Antony Starr shows that there are no limits on Homelander’s manic personality.
MOON KNIGHT - SEASON 1?
Oscar Isaac is one of the best actors working in Hollywood, and he brings his A-game to his dual performance as Steven Grant/Marc Spector in Moon Knight. Unfortunately, Disney & Marvel’s decision to leave the fates of their shows so without certainty leaves Moon Knight feeling semi-incomplete. There is still no official confirmation on a Moon Knight Season 2.
OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 1
The hilarious partnership of Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby following the adventures of Blackbeard and Steve Bonnet was a quick & fun binge. It’s a show that you can watch again and again without it losing its charm - you can bet that anything with Taika Waititi will stand the test of time.
PEACEMAKER SEASON 1
James Gunn and John Cena bring crazy depth to America’s Asshole - Humanizing this psychotic killing machine in a way I didn’t think possible. Freddie Stroma absolutely kills it as Vigilante, I literally could not stop laughing at any scene he was in. And that theme song though 🔥
Ewan Mcgregor & Hayden Christensen in the highly anticipated rematch between Obi-Wan & Darth Vader in Obi-Wan-Kenobi
The Worst of 2022: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Out of all the disappointments on this list, this one definitely hit me the hardest. The Obi-Wan series just felt like Disney went and just kicked the sh*t out of my 9-year-old self. I just can’t believe how far Disney has diverted from George Lucas’ vision in order to sell merchandise. I saw at Halloween there were a ton of Leia costumes in stores, so Disney was obviously focusing on her for a reason. She wasn’t a badly done character, I think the actress did a great job playing her, but in a show called Obi-Wan Kenobi, I never wanted to interact with the kids as much as see Obi as their silent protector. This should’ve been a story solely about the fractured brotherhood between Obi and Anakin, and a key into what life was like for Jedi’s post-Order 66, but the only glimpses of this were drowned in lack lustre sets and childish dialogue.
There were moments that I definitely liked, but they were just far outweighed by the number of things I didn’t like. Why did a show about Cassian Andor get so much love, while the return of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen was limited to whatever they could shoot on The Volume? Nevertheless, I thought the fight choreography was a refreshing reminder back to the prequels, especially in that flashback training scene. I only wish we got to see more of Hayden Christensen as Anakin; I was really hoping they’d save the Darth Vader Obi-Wan fight for later in this series and start with a Darth Maul rematch, but Disney just wanted to chug the whole beer right away.
There’s been no mention that there will be a second season for Obi-Wan, though Ewan Mcgregor and Hayden Christensen have both voiced their interest in returning. If only they had announced this show as a multiseason story, that would’ve relieved some of the pacing issues. But the constant decision to market these Disney+ shows as limited series to maximize viewership has often had negative impacts on the shows themselves.
Stream Obi-Wan Kenobi on DISNEY+
Tatiana Maslany and for some reason, Megan The Stallion in She Hulk
The Worst of 2022: She-Hulk
She-Hulk is probably the only show in this article that truly deserves to be on the Worst of 2022 list. I don’t know what else to say other than this show was bad and just isn’t worth your time. What a waste of Tatiana Maslany, a fantastic actress that gets screwed over by poor writing. I can’t figure out why the MCU is casting all these A-level stars and not hiring A-level writers to complement their talent, it simply makes no sense how you can waste such a talented actress, who could totally hold her own against Matt Murdoch in court if only the writers gave her a chance. Instead, She-Hulk is a horny, cartoon mess that seems like an inside just that I just didn’t get. I know this is harsh…but I just wanted this one to be good…How did we go from emotional, pain-staking like Avengers: Endgame to twerking with Megan Thee Stallion?
At least we got Daredevil though.
Stream She-Hulk on DISNEY+
Olivia Cooke (left) and Emma D’arcy (right) as Alicient Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon.
The Worst of 2022: House of the Dragon Season 1
This might be a hot take and might piss a few people off, but I thought House of the Dragon was just okay 🤷♂️ As a huge Game of Thrones fan, I was really looking forward to returning to this world, and also very ecstatic that George R.R. Martin was back working with the writer’s team. Yet, compared to Game of Thrones, the first season of House of the Dragon establishes itself as a very condensed show that obviously doesn’t have as much to offer as the original series. House of the Dragon felt like a series that was acting as if it was getting cancelled after season 1, there was just so much that they wanted to fit in that it just became a bit of a mess. Whether it was the terrible pacing or the over-the-top attempts at shock factor, HBO needs to redirect their focus on explaining what made the Targaryens kings, and stop introducing and killing people all in the same episode. I enjoyed the direction of episodes 9 & 10, but like other great moments throughout the show, they just don’t hit as hard with how badly paced this first season was.
I will say the acting is phenomenal, that part is in no way responsible for this ranking. My big issue is that House of the Dragon just moves too fast for anyone to be able to appreciate those performances. And apart from adding more dragons…there’s nothing really new here to offer Game of Thrones fans.
The studio played it safe, so yes House of the Dragon is not a bad show by any means, but it’s not a great show either. I guess I just had higher standards…though even on the backs of many dragons House of the Dragon fails to reach those heights.
Stream Season 1 of House of the Dragon on HBO MAX & CRAVE
Harvey Guillen, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Matt Berry, and Mark Proksch in What We Do in the Shadows.
The Worst of 2022: What We Do in the Shadows Season 4
What We Do in the Shadows is one of the funniest shows on FX, but Season 4 just failed to improve on or even match the comedic level of previous seasons. I couldn’t tell if it was paying too much attention to the nightclub story, or baby Colin Robinson that was throwing this one off, but by the end of the season, I was just pretty bored. Taika Waititi has been very busy as of late with Thor and other projects so I’m not sure how involved he was in the production of season 4, which may have been why it fell flat this time around. There were some redeeming moments; the “Who Cums First on the
Wedding Night” song is an instant classic, and Matt Berry as Lazlo was always a joy in every scene, but the standstill of the single location sets and story just showed how boring eternal life can really be 🤷♂️
Stream Season 4 of What We Do in the Shadows on DISNEY+
The Umbrella academy failed to wow me with its third season, but this Footloose scene f*cking rocked.
The Worst of 2022: The Umbrella Academy Season 3
If a show was noticeably a COVID show, it very likely ended up on this list, and sadly that was the case for this long-awaited season of The Umbrella Academy…and I mean LONG awaited. With how high this story set the bar in season 2, it just feels like we’re taking a step back here in season 3. We started off really well with the Footloose dance number, but apart from that the rest of the season just wasn’t that memorable. The introduction of the Sparrow Academy was pretty pointless, as they spent little to no time on those characters other than Sloane and Ben 2.0. The Harlan story arc also just didn’t pan out in my books. Overall, this season was just as disorganized as its core team.
It was announced that The Umbrella Academy will be returning for a fourth and final season, I reckon they’ll go out with a bang, but now they’ll have to work a little harder to prove that to me.
Stream Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy on NETFLIX
Which was your BEST & WORST show of 2022? 💬👇
Continue the discussion in the comments below. What was your best show of 2022? What shows did you want to be better? And what titles are you looking forward to in 2023? I want to hear your thoughts: