TV lovers, you made it: You’ve survived another calendar year of COVID-19 quarantine, which gave you bingers a bevy of options when it came to streaming content directly to your favorite devices. HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, and others joined Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video in this concerted effort to inundate fans of moving pictures with #content. That means many things—old ideas get recycled, franchises expand, and passion projects are greenlit. Many don’t survive, and most of it is mid, but each year, there are a fair number of quality television programs that interested parties should be sinking their teeth into.
Having so many options became one of those good problems this year; for example, not too many networks could boast new seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Insecure, and Succession running at the same time—HBO is doing that right now. Starz and Showtime are churning out content that is speaking directly to the culture on a regular basis, and Disney+ is set to give you theater-quality episodic television every week, and all of it will be MUST SEE. The only real issue is finding the money to afford all of the services you’ll need to satisfy your hunger for new series.
That said, we’ve watched the shows and made the hard decisions. Without further ado, here are the best TV shows of 2021.
16.
TV lovers, you made it: You’ve survived another calendar year of COVID-19 quarantine, which gave you bingers a bevy of options when it came to streaming content directly to your favorite devices. HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, and others joined Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video in this concerted effort to inundate fans of moving pictures with #content. That means many things—old ideas get recycled, franchises expand, and passion projects are greenlit. Many don’t survive, and most of it is mid, but each year, there are a fair number of quality television programs that interested parties should be sinking their teeth into.
Having so many options became one of those good problems this year; for example, not too many networks could boast new seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Insecure, and Succession running at the same time—HBO is doing that right now. Starz and Showtime are churning out content that is speaking directly to the culture on a regular basis, and Disney+ is set to give you theater-quality episodic television every week, and all of it will be MUST SEE. The only real issue is finding the money to afford all of the services you’ll need to satisfy your hunger for new series.
That said, we’ve watched the shows and made the hard decisions. Without further ado, here are the best TV shows of 2021.
15.'Squid Game'
Network: Netflix
Season: 1
Genre: Survival drama
Where to Watch: Netflix
Squid Game was undeniable. With over 142 million viewers taking in the South Korean series, it was inevitable that I would have to press play on the Netflix series, which creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said was some 10 years in the making. By the time I caught wind of it, which premiered in September, it was already a massive meme. I’d know about the “Red Light, Green Light” games and the memorable ‘fits that were displayed. That said, it’s a series you should be prepared for––like if you are queasy at the sight of blood or dead bodies or whatever, this may not be the series for you. The body count is kinda high, kinda early. It’s also a series that explores the class dynamic in South Korean that I was formally introduced to via Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite (2019).
All of this said, I wasn’t as into this as everyone else. Maybe I’ve watched too much true crime on YouTube during the last almost two years; I’m desensitized. Or maybe the bodies piling during this season got to be a lot. Or maybe it’s hard to find someone I truly felt for aside from the old man. Or that no matter how many episodes a season is, Netflix seasons tend to draw things out to hit the magic number. Don’t get me wrong, 142 million+ viewers aren’t watching this because it’s wack—it’s worth the binge. What I’m saying is maybe this series was more hype than heat. I love that this is getting a second season and has become one of Netflix’s biggest projects ever. Sometimes it’s dope to get the dumb hyped thing that’s also worth all of the hype. —khal
14.'Blindspotting'
Network: Starz
Season: 1
Genre: Comedy-drama
Where to Watch: Starz
Blindspotting is one of those shows that stays with you long after the season comes to an end. There’s something unique and rare about the way that Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs chose to tell the story of a woman named Ashley (Jasmine Cephas Jones) who finds herself at a crossroads when her longtime partner and father of her child is sentenced to five years in jail. Who is she as a woman without him? How will she raise their son alone? Will she wait for him? How will she survive living with his unhinged family without him?
The Starz series is a continuation of the 2018 film Blindspotting, but told from Ashley’s point of view, while also bringing in new characters to flourish around her. Helen Hunt, Benjamin Earl Turner, Candace Nicholas-Lippman, and Jaylen Barron all work so well as a cast and their performances elevate the story. Each one of their characters has a way of connecting to different parts of yourself, or they easily remind you of someone you know. The show also tackles topics like colorism, the effects the prison industrial complex has on Black and brown communities, and gentrification in a way that isn’t preachy or stuffy but rather approachable and even hilarious at times.
The show’s creators found a way to represent the Bay Area and their love for art by incorporating spoken word moments, incredible music choices, and dance sequences all while telling a story that is a reality for so many. I was holding my breath for a few months before Starz announced that Season 2 was in the works, so now I’m ready to jump right back into the surreal, magical yet real and so relatable Blindspotting world, and to once again be astounded by the actors and the show’s creators and their infinite talents. —Karla Rodriguez
13.'The Underground Railroad'
Network: Amazon Prime Video
Season: Limited series
Genre: Fantasy historical drama
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
We’re living in interesting times. Since the premiere of HBO’s Watchmen, which details the horrific events of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, we’ve been inundated with more and more Black trauma in our entertainment. From Amazon Prime’s Them to HBO’s Lovecraft Country to the litany of Tulsa documentaries and TV specials, our history is being told, again and again. Only, we’re highlighting the darker sides. The sides where Black bodies swing from Southern trees (strange fruit, indeed), are used to pick cotton and clean plantation homes, and are overall discarded as less-than-human. After watching the work Barry Jenkins put into this Amazon Prime series, I am glad to say that I might be out of the Black Trauma section of entertainment for the foreseeable future, but at least this was a great watch.
Based on Colson Whitehead’s 2016 novel of the same name, The Underground Railroad tells the story of Cora, a runaway slave in an alternate universe where the Underground Railroad—the network of safe havens and hidden paths that helped slaves escape to freedom—is an actual railroad, complete with trains, conductors and the like. That switch doesn’t necessarily change what happens in the world; that brutality against Black bodies is front and center—but in Barry Jenkins’ hands, scenes sing. The beauty he creates on-screen is unmatched; he knows how to construct a captivating image, or let a shot linger a hair longer than expected, allowing moments to sting or shine properly. I found myself aligned with Thuso Mbedu’s performance as Cora. The best way to not repeat history is to learn from it, which means having to sit through many terrible aspects of American life. Mbedu’s Cora bottles up the pains of this period, taking that violent hate and using it as fuel to keep her journey on the Railroad going. It’s a lesson we should all learn sometime, and one I’m down to take in if Jenkins is the conductor, but after this ride ended, I don’t want—or need—to consume this much Black trauma anymore. Help us out, Hollywood. —khal
12.'Flatbush Misdemeanors'
Network: Showtime
Season: 1
Genre: Comedy
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Save for a few series, I was never that much of a Showtime viewer, but over the years, they’ve had some underrated heat dropping consistently. One of their recent standouts was Flatbush Misdemeanors, a series created by and starring Dan Perlman and Kevin Iso about a couple of guys who take us on a ride through an extremely lived-in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The series doesn’t boast an all-star cast, nor does it contain eye candy in the way of wild nudity or gun battles, although while watching, either of those things feel like they could happen at any given moment. It’s a series that shows how West Indian parents discipline their children, which is something I’d only heard about from folks in the neighborhood (word to Zuri Reed). Hell, its main cast features Hassan Johnson, who you definitely know as Wee-Bey from The Wire (comedians like Sam Jay and Roy Wood Jr. have recurring roles, as does Maria Bamford). It’s open and honest, and can be hilarious as fuck. It’s sad, because Kevin and Dan go through so much trying to survive in Flatbush, and a lot of it is so ridiculous and absurd but also grounded in a reality that few shows tap into, especially for communities like what we find in Flatbush.—khal
11.'BMF'
Network: Starz
Season: 1
Genre: Crime drama
Where to Watch: Starz
BMF was a solid addition to our TV watch lists this year. The show hadn’t even been airing for more than a week before Starz announced it was coming back for Season 2. That might be in part due to the 50 Cent effect or simply because the show had people talking before it even premiered.
BMF is based on the true story of how two brothers from Detroit, Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory (Demetrius Flenory, Jr.) and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory (Da’Vinci), built a thriving drug and money laundering organization that spanned across the country in the 1990s. The show aims to not only display how their empire came to be, but also to portray their familial lives and how the people around them and their circumstances helped shape them into who they eventually became.
So far, the show has had enough drama, suspense, and the right amount of action to keep about 6 million people tuned in week after week. While viewers are waiting to see the Flenory brothers in their true glory and at the height of their success, the show is playing the long game. Season 1 started off with setting the foundation of who the brothers were as teenagers and what led to them making the decisions they made, while also building toward future seasons that will show all the action fans are waiting to see.
50 is already working on a BMF companion documentary series with Starz and he also has more projects on the way. The BMF world is just getting started and viewers seem more than ready to go along for the ride. —Karla Rodriguez
10.'WandaVision'
Network: Disney+
Season: Miniseries
Genre: Superhero sitcom / drama / mystery
Where to Watch: Disney+
Kudos to Marvel for bucking their trend, at least for the first half of WandaVision, which oddly became the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4. It was actually a risky gamble; given that Wanda and Vision’s story effectively ended in Infinity War, the immediate puzzle was, “How the HELL is Vision still walking around, and where the hell is his Infinity Stone?” With that puzzle being easy to solve, the real question was, “What is WandaVision trying to say?” There is where we had a lot to unpack.
WandaVision is a lot of things. Immediately, it’s an homage to sitcom television. Like most great comic books, we’re given a question; in this show’s case, the task was to figure out where Wanda and Vision are, why they are strolling through these sitcom tropes through the ages, and what the point of it all was. When you realize that this series is, essentially, Wanda’s most severe coping mechanism, it hits different. How do the most powerful beings in the universe cope with the loss of a loved one? If they have been dealing with loss for their entire lives, and have the ability to ensnarl entire cities to create a sitcom utopia, they might just turn a quiet New Jersey town into their own soundstage.
WandaVision is a sad, frustrating tale, especially when it’s time to become a more typical Marvel property, but the inventiveness of some of the modern era’s comic book writers and the situations they put characters in is applauded. With Captain America The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Marvel’s giving fans the bromantic duo rolling up their sleeves and swinging at everything in their way; WandaVision at least showcases that Marvel can dare to be different, even if it’s just a comic book series.
Was it a perfect series? Far from it. For me, I was hooked from the beginning, but I’m a comic book reader who knew that what we got in those first three episodes wasn’t what the series was going to be. And what it came to be was...frustrating. We end with Wanda being consumed by her power, more than likely setting the stage for whatever’s to come after Spider-Man: No Way Home. Or maybe I’m just talking. It was an inevitable transformation, given what we know about what Marvel has said Phase 4 would incorporate. At the very least, we got some really unique television from Marvel Studios; it was as like we passed the time waiting for Wanda’s necessary character shift by taking in a day’s worth of reruns, some shittier than others. —khal
9.'The Other Two'
Network: HBO Max
Season: 2
Genre: Comedy
Where to Watch: HBO Max
While we’re still too in it to have a clear picture, I’d say it’s fair to say that HBO Max is leading in the new streaming service wars… right? Part of that is HBO’s foundation is rock solid—the network that brought us The Wire, The Sopranos, The Leftovers, and The Larry Sanders Show getting into the game with that level of quality on it is stiff competition from the rip. What the powers that be ended up doing was striking a deal with Comedy Central to bring series like the hilarious (and well-received) The Other Two to the streamer as a “MAX Original.” The series, which tails “the other two” sibling related to a rising Justin Bieber-esque teen pop sensation, did better in Season 2 what it was doing wonderfully in Season 1, while giving the characters even more room to grow and develop further than the characters we grew to love (to hate?) back in 2019. Whether it’s ChaseDreams guest-editing a major publication or Cary having to deal with a very private photo leaking online, we aren’t left hungry with the larger, more scrumptious slices of life we’re served this season. —khal
8.'Loki'
Network: Disney+
Season: 1
Genre: Action / thriller / superhero
Where to Watch: Disney+
One of two major wins for Loki series creator Michael Waldron this year (the other being the pro wrestling-focused Starz series Heels), Loki is what fans who, like me, were low-key sad that Loki got iced in what Infinity War so desperately needed: a real Loki tale. Taking from numerous strands of his comic book history, this series brought back the alt-Loki who escaped during Endgame into an ultimatum: do some good fixing the broken timeline or be eradicated from ALL timelines. Wisely choosing the former, we ride with Loki as he tries to figure out what the hell is really going on at the good ol’ Time Variance Authority, but really, a series like this can (unfairly) hinge on what we get in the closing sequences of the season. Loki fell into that trap, but it had to—Marvel wasn’t letting an opportunity like this skate by without distributing another clue to the larger “what’s going on” nature of the current MCU. We’re lucky Tom Hiddleston was able to slide back into the driver’s seat and steer this series into becoming the best Marvel Studios series released, so far. —khal
7.'Insecure'
Network: HBO
Season: 5
Genre: Comedy-drama
Where to Watch: HBO Max
I just realized: This will be the last time we can call Issa Rae’s Insecure one of the best TV shows of whatever year its season aired. For all of the talk about Tiger King and other series that people consumed during quarantine part 1, Season 4 of Insecure was appointment television. After Issa and Molly’s fallout last season, we’ve been on the edge of our seats trying to get word on if they’d even attempt to mend their issues. And that’s not to mention all of the other insanity going on in Issa’s life.
While the end of the year is time to reflect on what’s gone on in entertainment and everything else, this would normally be the time I’d spoil whatever happened in a series. I’d rather not do that to Insecure, as part of the appeal of the series is that gut-punch of a HUH?! at some of the situations and moments in the series. Again, this is appointment television; the kind of series that many assumed wouldn’t be possible after Game of Thrones ended its run. Those folks obviously don’t know Power hive, but they also aren’t seeing how the timeline erupts when Issa’s got your attention. Her love letter to LA is coming to an end, and it’s going out the same way it came in: with you sitting on the edge of your seat, hoping someone doesn’t mess everything up or everybody by being all in some mess they had no good sense being in. But we’re used to that; that’s why we love the series. Long live Insecure. —khal
6.'Lupin'
Network: Netflix
Season: Part 1 + 2
Genre: Mystery thriller
Where to Watch: Netflix
Whether it’s Robin Hood, Neil McCauley, or Dominic Toretto, audiences love a good thief and an even greater score. The heist genre has existed for decades, resilient in its ability to stay endlessly engaging, entertaining, and fresh. But every once in a while, a project comes along and threatens to steal away the crown, becoming the dominant force in the genre—and it’s impressive how effortlessly Netflix’s Lupin got away with it.
French novelist Maurice Leblanc’s gentleman thief debuted in 1905 but isn’t as much of a household name as other literary creations from the same era. You’re likely more familiar with the manga and anime series Lupin III than any of the Leblanc books. This factor works in favor of Netflix’s French import, as the titular character doesn’t even appear in the series. Instead, in an inspired take, Lupin serves as the influence for Assane Diop’s (Omar Sy) thieving, wherein he uses anagrams of Lupin’s pseudonyms as cover for his jobs. As for the true nature behind those scores, the tragic depth of Assane’s motivations is pieced out in fragments through the series while exploring his status and race as a Senegalese immigrant. It’s a dynamic wholly original to this Lupin tale, and the series is so much more robust and compelling because of it.
Equally mesmerizing is Sy, who elevates the charm he so effortlessly radiated in 2011’s The Intouchables to another level. Not since Danny Ocean or Rusty Ryan have we seen a thief as charismatic and enjoyable as Sy’s Assane. His sheer confidence and presence are magnetic, and you only grow fonder of him as the series continues and the stakes get higher and higher. —William Goodman
5.'Invincible'
Network: Amazon Prime Video
Season: 1
Genre: Adult superhero
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
If you’re late to the game, 2021 is the year animation finally got the respect it deserved. No, this isn’t the kind of wise-cracking rabbit cartoon from your youth. Invincible is an all-out superhero action flick split into eight episodes and wrapped in a mystery that will blow your mind come season’s end. Literally, heads explode. Based on the comic book of the same name from The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Invincible follows a similar mold to Amazon Prime’s sister superhero hit, The Boys. Blood, guts, and a character-driven plot carry 17-year-old Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) from unexceptional high school dorkiness to high-flying hero as he discovers his powers, where his father Nolan Grayson (J. K. Simmons), a.k.a. Omni-Man, the world’s greatest hero comes from, and how it all makes life as a teenager even more complicated. So stop pretending like you don’t still watch cartoons and get watching. Trust, it wouldn’t be on this list if it didn’t belong. —Nate Houston
4.'Curb Your Enthusiasm'
Network: HBO
Season: 11
Genre: Comedy
Where to Watch: HBO Max
It almost isn’t even fair at this point: Larry David has been GOATed, and not many can say they still have enough in the tank to consistently bring the funny—on an improv tip—like Curb has for this amount of time. Coming off the spite store from the hilarious Season 10, Larry’s thrust right back into the fire this season, and continues to wreak havoc on anyone who happens to fall into his walk. J.B. Smoove’s Leon is still the series MVP in the eyes of many, but Curb is just one of those ones. Unless Larry’s sleepwalking through an entire episode, it’s hard to not die laughing at something during each of these episodes this season. Eating everyone’s food is nothing to Larry David at this point, but you should already know that by now. —khal
3.'South Side'
Network: HBO Max
Season: 2
Genre: Comedy
Where to Watch: HBO Max
Not too many series “get me” like South Side did. Similar to The Other Two, South Side was a series that started out on Comedy Central and became a Max Original during the quarantine. When Diallo Riddle and Co. (who are also behind the IFC series Sherman’s Showcase) finally returned to the South Side of Chicago to expand on the community they built in their underrated first season, the move to HBO Max was beneficial. More eyes were on their prize, and instead of treading water or retracing steps, they consciously delivered a sophomore season that became the funniest series on television right now.
The thing about South Side is that quirky white sitcoms like this have existed in some form for years; Black series haven’t always been able to get this random while still maintaining that authentic of a look, and feel like the Chicago that South Side captures. They also go big—some of the bigger swings in Season 1 can pale in comparison to this second season, which was unafraid to throw an intervention for the guy who’s bald AF under that fitted but still sporting the Stevie Wonder everywhere else. We saw Turner go on the hunt for the fur plug. I could go on, just like life in the South Side will. The fact that the life in South Side streaming from HBO Max to my living room feels like a mirror being held up to my roots. Not many quality comedies can come close to saying that for my hood. —khal
2.'Snowfall'
Network: FX
Season: 4
Genre: Crime drama
Where to Watch: FX on Hulu
Since Snowfall co-creator John Singleton’s death in 2019, one of his final projects has continued to thrive, adding an awesome chapter to his legacy. With each passing year, social media buzzes more loudly about whether Snowfall has caught up to The Wire or even surpassed it, and while those debates still feel premature, the FX drama’s fourth season at the very least made the gap between them smaller (with all due respect to Michael Hyatt, who’s given powerhouse performances in both shows).
Only two years(!) have passed in Snowfall’s four-season story so far, but the show’s power is in simply letting the crack era unfold in Los Angeles one day at a time, as the violence has steadily escalated from the show’s first season. Season 4 saw many storylines come to a head, with Franklin’s enemies getting dealt with before Teddy starts cleaning up loose ends. Series lead Damson Idris’ star-making performance as Franklin Saint has deepened over time, as he’s grown from an ambitious young dealer to a kingpin who walks with a cane and makes grim choices to ensure his own survival. —Al Shipley
1.'Succession'
Network: HBO
Season: 3
Genre: Black comedy-drama
Where to Watch: HBO Max
Candidly, this award was Succession’s to lose. HBO’s Emmy-winning series came into its new season with the wind at its sails, with thousands of new viewers aboard the bandwagon after its year-long hiatus gave those lagging behind plenty of time to catch up to the chaos and carnage of the Roy clan—just in time for a full-on Civil War to erupt. As battle lines emerged, Logan (Brian Cox) and Kendall (Jeremy Strong) attacked and countered, pulling everyone else in to their respective sides with plenty of backstabbing and jockeying along the way. Yet, Succession never lost sight of its razor-sharp hold on its characters (and their extraordinary performances), managing to convince audiences to both root for and be repulsed by them at the flip of a coin—a delicate tightrope only creator Jesse Armstrong and his talented group of writers could execute. Not only has Succession continued to reign supreme, but it has also found new ways to delight, shock, and compel. Did you think the king would give up his throne so easily? If you did, Succession has two words to serve as a reminder of its greatness: Fuck off. —William Goodman—William Goodman