I often like to look for a theme in the entertainment I enjoyed over the course of a year; I can sometimes summarize the year's mood by the books, games, movies, and shows that attracted me. When it comes to 2021 television, though, I'm all over the damn map. Wacky comedies, horrific explorations of modern religion, supernatural drama, documentaries about every topic under the sun, period romance... You name it, I watched it. But even if I'm not able to find a unifying theme for the year, picking a favorite show is easy.
The Other Two is genius. I started Season 1 (2019) based on some random internet recommendation, and though I usually don't binge shows, I couldn't stop myself from plowing through, and then immediately went running for Season 2 (2021). The stories of siblings Brooke and Cary trying to make lives of their own while the other members of their family become instantly famous is at turns completely absurd, absurdly realistic, and even emotionally moving at times. No matter the storyline, though, it's always freaking hilarious. It also demonstrates that although representation is getting better overall, it can be crystal clear when a gay character is being written by a gay writer, and this show is much better for that. I don't know what effect the pandemic will have on the show's future, but I'm pinning all my hopes on a Season 3.
There were other excellent shows this year, too, from a strong sophomore season of A Black Lady Sketch Show to the stylish and engrossing Only Murders in the Building to the horrific Midnight Mass, which has a lot to say about how people can twist religion to suit their own needs. Some of the Marvel shows would have gotten higher grades, if they hadn't completely fumbled their final episodes. And of course, the old standby shows are still providing plenty of fun. Let's get to the list!
Explained (Season 3) (A-)
Close Enough (Season 2) (B+)
WandaVision (Season 1) (B+)
DuckTales (Seasons 1-2) (2017-2019) (B+)
Close Enough (Season 1) (2020) (B+)
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