The Mandalorian
I mean, this goes without saying. From “baby Yoda” to the sexy shine of that gorgeous Mandalorian armor, the stunning sets, thrilling adventures and down-to-earth moral and ethical dilemmas, the Mandalorian is a work of art. It is being heralded as some of the best Star Wars universe works to date, and I can’t argue. It has been made with care and consideration without being overinflated and pouring over with fan service. The television style formatting gives it so much to work with without being confined to a 2.5 hour runtime, where as any given Star Wars film could be easily accused of the opposite. Its vast array of cameos-many from comedians like Amy Sedaris, Richard Ayoade, Bill Burr and Brian Posehn makes it a minefield for IMDB loving geeks like me that love to investigate the cast and crew. Jon Favreau has the magic touch.
Did I mention the music!? MY GOD, THE MUSIC!
The Good Place
I powered through three and a half seasons of The Good Place in a span of three or four days because it is just too damn good. It is lighthearted,moving and somewhat family friendly while still being a horror show of existential dread and philosophical conundrums that has left my brain spinning ever since. Created by Michael Schur- who we all know and love for projects like The Office, Parks and Recreation etc (also, hes Dwights cousin Mose) it has all the signature pieces that make this show bright and cheery while pouring on enough depression to just level you out enough to enjoy the ride. Ted Danson, Kristen Bell and company are amazing as residents of The Good Place- and the supporting cast is just perfect in their roles.
This show is so much more than it appears to be at face value- in fact, it is one of the deepest and most original concepts for a show that I’ve ever personally seen. It is silly, sometimes gross, edgy, beautiful and horrible all at once. It comes to an end at the end of January and I could not be more sad about it- but I’m really excited to see how it all ends.
Big Mouth
This show changed the way that I see the impact of comedy in a really particular way. I saw a show that is absolutely disgusting, vulgar and outlandish, but I also saw how it used the disgusting, vulgar and outlandish adventure that is puberty and made it something that shows every single one of us that we are not alone. There will be at least one moment in this show where you wish that you had it around when you were going through puberty. Normalizing everything from periods to arousal to unusual attractions to weirdo classmates- I feel seen and understood just a bit more because of this show. It goes over all the things that they never teach you in sex-ed class, while teaching you alot of the things that you may have forgotten and probably should have paid more attention to. It is completely ridiculous and brilliant all at once.
Friends
Could I BE any later to the game with this show? Honestly, I spent most of my life assuming that Friends was just not going to be my type of show. Whether it was the laugh track or the overwhelming themes of dating and romance that turned me off- I missed the boat. I picked it up late this year and powered through it so quickly that I got to the very last episode and didn’t even realize that I had finished the series in its entirety.
I’m grateful that I discovered this show so late in my life because I found it at a time where I was close to the age of the characters and could relate to many of them at many different times throughout the series. It was an emotional and hilarious rollercoaster-but one that I was glad to be on. While I was left with a lot of questions like “why does everyone on this show cheat on each other all the time?” and “how do they get so much time off together?” Also, Ross kinda sucks. You were all right. Best characters? Sssssss….Joey and Phoebe. Final answer.
Brooklyn Nine Nine
I have easily binged this show in its entirety three times in 2019, and I have absolutely zero regrets. That is all.
Black Mirror
I discovered this show very early this year and I still can’t decide if I am better for the experience or not. Never before has a show made me feel like my skin is crawling and my brain is on fire all while leaving me hypnotized with curiosity. How the show runners and writers manage to bring one story more disturbing than the last that is all-too-real to the technological trajectory of our time makes every story endearing and thought provoking. I started my experience by watching U.S.S Callister and I thought things couldn’t get any more horrifying- but after watching several random episodes and the entirety of the newest season- I was quite wrong. All I know for sure is that I don’t want any nodes stuck to my temples in the near- or distant-future. It never seems to end well.
Russian Doll
One season moved so quickly while watching this show. Its format is not necessarily unique-but its take on the “groundhog day” theme is dark, vulgar, sassy, and it is deeply heartfelt at the best of times. I developed a closet crush on Natasha Lyonne and her glorious hair while she delivers one of her best performances that I’ve been fortunate to see. Amy Poehler and Natasha Lyonne made an amazing show here- and I cannot wait for another season!
Hot Ones
While this is clearly a YouTube series, it is still one of the only shows that I go out of my way to watch whenever a new episode airs. I love a good candid interview and Hot Ones goes the distance to disable their celebrity guests inhibitions in the best way possible. Whether it was Shia Laboeuf rocking moustache boogers or Paul Rudd illuminating radiance and love- this year was full of amazing interviews. I love this show because it introduces me to new artists and entertainers, or reintroduces me to ones that I may have had a distorted impression of. It also introduces me to new hot sauces that I will likely never gain the courage to try, but I love to think that I would.
The Dani Planet 