My Favorite Watches of 2022

Cobra Kai (Seasons 1-5) (Netflix)

I was a little late to the game with Cobra Kai, but better late than never! I was actually surprised by how much I liked this series since I was not a Karate Kid fan growing up. I got sucked into the Karate Kid world and I thought the storytelling was very well done. It was so cool how they were able to bring back to Karate Kid world and expand on it, it must have been awesome for OG Karate Kid fans. I just wish the Asians in the show didn't play a stereotype (aside from Kyler) and if we could see them paying respect to the Japanese or Korean culture (they mention Tae Kwon Do later on) more in the show. However I do really appreciate the message everybody has their own origin story (two sides to every story), we are a result of our environments and mentors, and we got to see the growth in the characters. It's funny, heartfelt, and action packed. Looking forward to the next season!

Peacemaker (HBO Max)

Peacemaker caught me by surprise but I guess I shouldn't have because I do tend to like James Gunn stuff. This show is such a breath of fresh air when it comes to the superhero genre and the DEPTH the show goes into is unreal. There are so many great messages about masculinity, prejudice, and morality in the show. So so so well done and you'll definitely enjoy it if you have a raunchy sense of humor. One of the best DC piece of media that the group has done- it has Deadpool running for its money. Really excited for season 2 and for what James Gunn has in store for the rest of the DC universe.

The Batman (HBO Max)

Was so excited for The Batman and it didn't disappoint! I was pleasantly surprised by Robert Patterson's performance and the detective approach that the movie took. I was told that the Batman comic books are more like a detective series anyways. It was fun to see this darker interpretation of The Batman, the music and sound was great, and of course Catwoman was awesome! I read that The Batman is actually a depiction of Batman during his early days and it is him trying to figure his stuff out, which makes sense because he's extra moody and we see a few superhero fails (relatable). The Batman was also fun because it was my first movie in a movie theater in over 2 years!

Euphoria (Season 2) (HBO Max)

The highly anticipated season 2 of award winning Euphoria came out and I thought it was really good! I read that quite a bit of people didn't like it as much but I personally don't really understand why. I thought it was a great examination of human behavior and psychology. Sure there was a lot of bad choices that was made, but sometimes I think we just gotta see how it plays out. I also ended up rooting for Maddie this season, which is something that I totally didn't expect. Looking forward to season 3!

Bridgerton (Season 2) (Netflix)

Bridgerton SUCKED ME IN AGAIN. I actually watched the whole 2nd season while I was sick with food poisoning and it cured my boredness. It was definitely a slow burn this season but I still enjoyed it. Loved that the female protagonists are women of color and loved seeing the strong sister dynamic. I liked Kate as a protagonist a lot more than Daphne in my humble opinion. Excited for season 3!!

Love is Blind (Season 2 and 3) (Netflix)

Love is Blind is probably still my favorite reality TV show and every season sucks me in. I just think it's fascinating although I know that the producers definitely choose problematic people on purpose. It's just a fun watch to do while I work and it's a great conversation starter. It's fun to hear other people's point of views and their interpretations. My Tiktok was filled with season 3 content when it came out, it was a little polarizing but still very interesting. I still got to watch the international versions too!

Ali Wong: Don Wong (Netflix)

I love Ali Wong, I remember laughing so much while watching. This set is very similar to her Milk and Money set (I got to see her SF show- which was awesome!) but it was still great. If you like dirty humor, you'll definitely enjoy this show.

Inventing Anna (Netflix)

Shonda got me again with Inventing Anna! She just really knows how to get her viewers hooked in her shows. I didn't realize it was a true story until towards the end of the show either, but I had so much fun watching it. Although I applaud Anna on the large establishments she scammed, I really disliked her for scamming regular people who really couldn't afford to fund her expenses. Fascinating story, but the girl is delusional and I hope more innocent people don't get scammed by her. Where does one find such confidence?

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Season 4) (Prime Video)

I'm still loving Maisel and I am so sad that season 4 is the second to last season. This season was very much a transition season so it wasn't as fast paced at the other seasons but I still enjoyed watching it. I especially love seeing the relationship between Midge and Lenny grow. They just have such amazing chemistry. But ahhh I am so excited (and sad) to see how they're going to wrap up the next and last season.

All American (Netflix) (Or was that 2021?)

I honestly can't remember if I watched All American during 2021 or 2022 but I will include it in this year's list because it honestly deserves to be on a list. Similar to Ted Lasso, I didn't expect to get attached to a show centered around sports but All American reeled me in as it is more about the drama surrounding it rather than the sport itself. If you like dramatic shows with commentary about racism and social class, you'll definitely enjoy All American.

Change Days (Netflix)

I would say that the show is a combination of The Ultimatum and Singles Inferno. It was definitely super juicy and I think what makes this show different from other reality TV dating shows is that: they show long clips of their fights so it feels like you see the whole fight, the show actually feels very honest, and they don't vilify a specific person. When they fight, you realize that both of their points of views are valid- it's just they have different values or different communication styles so neither wanted to compromise. I would say that the end result was a little surprising! A very interesting reality TV show about human relationships.

SpyxFamily (Hulu)

SkyxFamily really lived up to the hype. A funny, almost slice of life, wholesome anime that will melt anybody's cold icy heart. There is a reason why everybody loves this anime.

Abbott Elementary (Seasons 1 and 2) (Hulu)

Abbott Elementary is such a gem. I started watching it when people at work was raving about the show during 2022 and I can totally see why. There are so amazing one liners and I love mockumentaries in general since I love Parks and Rec. Witty writing, great acting, and good vibes. It's also a bonus that I get to see the school front on the WB lot hehe.

Stadium Fluffy (Netflix)

My family and I got to see this show LIVE and it was such a treat. The show was so much fun and I was really curious if they would show the whole show since he was only slated for an hour but his set ended up being about an hour and a half! And they showed the whole set! Thank you, Netflix. Congratulations Fluffy for being the first ever comedian to perform at Dodgers Stadium and selling out!

Hasan Minhaj: King's Jester (Netflix)

I am a fan of Hasan Minhaj and this special definitely didn't disappoint. I definitely laughed out loud multiple times and my uncle even came to my room and asked me what I was laughing so much about. If you just need a good laugh or pick me up, definitely give The King's Jester a watch.

The Rehearsal (HBO Max)

The Rehearsal is what it means to be COMMITTED TO THE BIT. You might find some parts cringe or awkward, but that is very on brand for Nathan Fielder. It was definitely funny and it surprised me with some emotional parts.

Nathan For You (HBO Max)

After watching The Rehearsal, I wanted more of that Nathan Fielder sense of humor so I continued watching Nathan for You. Honestly I'm still working through it but this is a good reminder to continue watching it because I do literally laugh out loud when I watch the show.

Prima Facie

My friend highly recommended it as we both love Jodie Comer from Killing Eve and she was down to pay money to watch it again so I had to go see it. This play was a reminder of the very unfortunate failures of justice systems in regards to sexual assault cases. I was in awe of Jodie Comer's performance and there was definitely some tears that was shed. I would highly recommend for you to watch it if you see a showing in your local theater.

Wednesday (Netflix)

Wednesday was a lot of fun! Loved the murder mystery aspect, loved Jenna Ortega's performance, and it was interesting seeing how Tim Burton thinks Wednesday would be like as a teenager. Although I did enjoy watching Wednesday, it's not my favorite Addam's Family adaptation since I am so partial to the 90's Addams Family. I also wasn't a fan of the romance in the show- it felt random and had very little build up. Funny enough, to Wednesday to me didn't feel like a Tim Burton thing and it felt more Riverdale (season 1) to me. Despite my notes about the show, I still enjoyed it and I would watch season 2.

The White Lotus (Season 2) (HBO Max)

Loved season 2! Was so excited for Aubrey Plaza to be a part of this season and of course for Jennifer Coolidge to return. Eerie, mysterious, funny, and visually stunning just like the first season. Looking forward to the next one!

What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu)

Definitely one of my favorite watches and discoveries for the year. I love satire and the sense of humor is right up my alley. I've been suggesting WWDITS to everybody cause I had such a fun time watching it. Plus it is by Taika Waititi so you gotta check it out!

House of the Dragon (Season 1)

The Game of Thrones universe returns with HOTD! I thought the season was very well done- the acting was superb, the visual effects were high budget, and the lore is so rich. I know some people weren't a fan of the time jumps cause it messed with the pacing and found it confusing, but it personally didn't bother me much. They have 200 years of Targaryen history to cover! I think I also didn't find it confusing because I would watch Alt Shift X's post show 3 hour livestreams and his 30 min weekly recap videos so I was DEEP into the lore, which added to my fascination with the show.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Everything. Everywhere. All. At. Once. Movie of the year for a GOOD REASON. I came into the movie knowing nothing about it except that it starred Michelle Yeoh and everybody was raving about it. This movie as EVERYTHING you would want in a movie: humor, action, emotional moments expressing intergenerational trauma and regret, and an edge of sci-fi with the dimension jumping. I loved this movie so much and loved learning about the behind the scenes of the movie. I am so grateful that I get to live in an universe where this movie exists. It was so good that I went home, told my family about the movie, and we watched it together the next day. A MUST WATCH.

Turning Red

Was obsessed with Turning Red when it came out. It was such a breath of fresh air in terms of Pixar movies. Loved the humor, loved the anime inspired moments, loved the symbolism, loved the cringe-y relatability, loved the emotional moments, and of course loved the MUSIC. Such a lovely movie. I am looking forward to more movies by Domee Shi. TOWNIES FOR LIFEEE.

Hometown Cha Cha Cha (Netflix)

Pretty sure Hometown Cha Cha Cha was my absolute favorite watch of the year. I watched it on a whim and I was surprised by how sucked in I got into the drama since I'm usually not a fan of slice of life stuff. I got so attached to the characters and this drama is low key a bait and switch because I was bawling my eyes out at one point. This drama made me want to run away to a seaside town to open a business, have my world view challenged, and to fall in love. I watched this after I read The House in the Cerulean Sea so the themes were very appropriate and perfect timing for more escapist media. These Asian dramas just knows how to get me hooked and makes me want to spend all of my free time watching it. I wonder what's going to be my next drama addiction.

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Honorable mention for the last season of This is Us! I overall loved the show but I thought the last/6th season was a little of a let down and inconsistent from the rest of the show? Like the whole show has been building up to a suspenseful and dark future jump but they stopped building up to it and it seemed like they just jumped to Rebecca's end. Perhaps the COVID storyline messed up the plot progression since the show had to pivot but I missed the raw punch-you-in-the-gut emotional moments the previous seasons had. I would end each episode being "that wasn't that sad" for the last season. Still loved the show but the last season wasn't really what I was expecting.

This year I want to add a list to things that I want to watch this upcoming year to help keep me accountable in going through my watch list!:

• Severance (Apple TV+)

• Better Call Saul (Season 5) (Netflix)

• Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Netflix)

• Stranger Things (Season 4) (Netflix)

• Twenty-Five Twenty-One (Netflix)

• The Rise of Phoenixes (Netflix)

• Money Heist (Netflix)

• Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)

• The Last of Us (HBO Max)

• Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)

• Barry (Season 3) (HBO Max)

• Doctor Who (Seasons 8-13, omg how am I 5 seasons behind already?!) (HBO Max)

• The Flight Attendant (Season 2) (HBO Max)

• Tenet (HBO Max)

• The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

• This Fool (Hulu)

• Superstore (Hulu)

• The Bear (Hulu)

• Reservation Dogs (Hulu)

• The Boys (Prime Video)

• The Summer I Turned Pretty (Prime Video)

• Modern Love (Season 2) (Prime Video)

• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Disney Plus)

• What If...? (Disney Plus)

• Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney Plus)

• Disenchantment (Disney Plus)

AND SO MUCH MORE. I just have so many shows and movies to watch...

But I am going to finally publish my 2022 list. Hope you find your new favorite watch!

Until next time my friend-

Amanda ^_^