If there’s something positive we can take away from the year that was 2021 it’s this — we had some really damn good television. Whether it appeared on traditional television, premium channels, or streamers the sheer amount of strong television content was overwhelming in the best possible way. So, to send off the year that was, the television staff of Pop Break got together to recommend programs that we could not get enough last year and you should check out if you haven’t.
Series: Invincible
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Writer’s Choice: Matthew Widdis
In the flood of superhero properties we’re constantly surfing, Prime has cherry-picked some gold. Their adaptation of Garth Ennis’ bloody satire The Boys has garnered wide acclaim and their two seasons of The Tick may be the best iteration of that universe (I said what I said!). But 2021’s Invincible might be their best yet. The likable characters voiced by an A-list voice cast make you care about a fledgling superhero, Mark Grayson, his loving family, and patient friends, and the wider world they live in.
Top-notch animation matched perfectly to the comic book source material immerses the audience in the vision of creators Cory Walker, Ryan Ottley, and The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman. But a Saturday morning fairy tale this is not. Mark has to navigate private issues infinitely more traumatic than his spandex-clad battles and realize obligations to the greater good far outweigh the relationships he values most. All of this unfolds in graphic brutality revealed in one of the best “Oh @#$%!” first episode closers that have now become ubiquitous in long-form drama. Invincible may be about a teenage superhero, but we will have to watch him grow up quickly because he can never go home.
Series: Mare of Easttown
Where to Watch: HBO/HBO MAX
Writer: Ben Murchison
Brad Ingelsby gave us one of the best limited series in recent years, and certainly one of the best title characters, with Mare of Easttown on HBO. Kate Winslet reminded everyone once again why she receives constant accolades for her work (like anyone could forget), portraying flawed but bright Detective Mare Sheehan who is investigating a murder in her small Pennsylvania town while her personal life dissolves around her. It’s a captivating story, where complex characters are as intricately crafted as the evolving case. Full of emotionally charged performances from its talented ensemble cast, viewers tuned in for the murder mystery but quickly found themselves enveloped just as much in the family drama, and began hoping to see Mare triumph over the strife that’s plagued her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm7RmpzCeyk
Series: Reservation Dogs
Where to Watch: FX on Hulu
Writer: Ben Murchison
An equal quirk to heart ratio keeps the comedy series created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, which is about four Native American teens trying to get enough money to leave their rural town in Oklahoma in favor of California, both funny and charming. It should be celebrated that Indigenous people are involved throughout production, including all directors and writers, but also because it’s good.
There are tons of film references as you would expect for something named after the work of Tarantino, and it’s full of throw-away jokes that really enhance the script. The teens are all great, and the writers allowed each of them the time to become fully developed and endearing characters. Couple that with a really talented supporting cast flush with recognizable faces, plus the chance to see Dallas Goldtooth pop up periodically as perhaps the most hilarious new character to any series this year, and you have a very enjoyable and binge-worthy show.
Series: Hawkeye
Where to Watch: Disney+
Writer: Bill Bodkin
A Hawkeye series was a choice. Making it a Christmas-centric buddy cop, passing-of-the-torch, introduction to the street-level Marvel Cinematic Universe that also ties into Black Widow and the future of the Avengers — also a choice.
In fact, this should’ve failed as a series, but instead Hawkeye was the perfect close to Marvel’s incredible television run in 2021. It was emotional, impactful, dramatic, and narratively satisfying series, but it also left us with so many questions and possibilities for the future of the MCU.
Concurrently, it was able to give us a true, happy, and meaningful conclusion that felt earned and, most importantly, necessary for this time of year — not just for the holiday season, but for this time in history.
Series: Ghosts
Where to Watch: CBS/Paramount+
Writer: Allison Lips
Ghosts is the latest American adaptation of a British series, and it’s one of the best in recent memory. This CBS show is based on the series of the same name written by and starring; Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond.
While the premise of having a wife and husband move into a haunted house inherited from a distant relative is either brilliant or stupid, you start to realize how clever this show is two episodes into the American series when Samantha recovers from hitting her head and is able to socialize with the ghosts her husband can’t see.
The American version of Ghosts pulls off the rare feat of being better than the series it’s adapted from. Unlike the British series, the ghosts are from different periods in American history, going as far back as having a Viking warrior and a Native American from the 1500s to as recent as a ’90s Wall Street frat bro. Naturally, the ghosts try to provide advice to Samantha and Jay that would be relevant to the period each respective ghost lived in, and they are simultaneously amazed and appalled at modern life. This unusual culture clash sets up many amusing situations as the ghosts get underfoot attempting to help Samantha and Jay navigate life.
Series: 100 Foot Wave
Where to Watch: HBO MAX
Writer’s Choice: Bill Bodkin
On the surface, HBO’s new docuseries 100 Foot Wave could be written off as a series “just” about surfer Garrett McNamara (and others) chasing big waves around the world and finding a legendary 100-foot wave in the small coastal town of Nazare, Portugal. And had 100 Foot Wave been a two hour film, it very easily could’ve been a story of people looking to get radical, riding these breathtaking, skyscraper-sized waves, all captured in glorious high definition.
Yet the decision by director Chris Smith (American Movie) to tell Garrett McNamara’s story over a six-episode television series – as opposed to a two-hour surf film – allows Smith to dive into the spiritual side of things. Smith – much like McNamara later in the series – is not here to tell the story of these gigantic waves, but of the men and women who ride them. The story of that little speck of a person in a photo or film of a big wave is often as impressive as these natural aquatic wonders.
Series: Arcane
Where to Watch: Netflix
Writer’s Choice: Avani Goswami
Based on League of Legends by Riot Games, Arcane on Netflix made a splash this year. It’s set in the seemingly perfect city of Piltover and the underground city known as Zaun, with a focus on two sisters who fight for different things in a war involving magic, exploration, and long-held grudges.
The animation style is breathtaking, with vibrant visual sequences that will leave you stunned. It adds a significant element to this show, which is already enough to stand on its own with its complex storyline that follows multiple characters and delves deep into their motivations. Coupled with the beautiful visuals and the entertaining stories, the world-building is fantastic. Arcane also manages to pull off a really tricky feat: you don’t need any League of Legends knowledge to enjoy this series.
Arcane is perfect for anyone hunting for an action-packed, lovable animated series that’ll have you crying and screaming at the screen, but loving every second.
Series: Squid Game
Where to Watch: Netflix
Writer’s Choice: Avani Goswami
It would be impossible to discuss shows of 2021 without mentioning one of the stand-outs, Squid Game. Not only did this Korean drama break worldwide records and become Netflix’s most-watched series of all time, but it had a gripping storyline and compelling characters you’d want to root for. It had people all over the globe at the very edge of their seats this year as they watched the debt-ridden Seong Gi-Hun compete in deathly challenges for a large sum of money.
This is definitely a show anyone who enjoys thrillers needs to watch. There’s intense character development and suspenseful action, not to mention a lot of build-up for a highly anticipated season two. It’s definitely worth giving Squid Game a try if you haven’t already. You’ll likely find yourself at the edge of your seat, as well.
Series: Star Wars: Visions
Where to Watch: Disney+
Writer’s Choice: Tom Moore
For decades, Star Wars has been stuck to a singular canon until Visions came along and broke the mold for what Star Wars could be. Of all the things that dropped on Disney+ in 2021, Star Wars: Visions didn’t get the big marketing push or internet-breaking adoration it deserved, as it legitimately breathed new life into the franchise. The anime anthology made up of original Star Wars stories animated by notable anime studios like Trigger (BNA: Brand New Animal) and Science Saru (Lu Over the Wall/Ride Your Wave) contains some of the most exciting and ambitious Star Wars stories to date.
With stories that blend Feudal Japan and Star Wars imagery, like “The Duel,” to essentially create an Akira Kurosawa Star Wars samurai film, and others that take inspiration from the canon, like how “The Twins” is a dark side spin on the Luke and Leia story, Visions adds a lot of new layers to what fans love about Star Wars. The unique animation style for each episode gives each story its own visual identity that’s truly a masterpiece and while these stories play outside of the established canon, they still contain the great themes of hope that Star Wars is known for and even manage to blur the lines between the light and dark – especially when it comes to the Sith. Most importantly, if you’re looking for the most epic and eye-widening lightsaber battles and the craziest lightsaber alterations, then Visions needs to be on your watchlist.
Visions is a masterclass in creative ingenuity and presents an immense amount of potential for Star Wars outside of its canon that would be amazing to see brought to film or a standalone series – especially “The Duel.” No matter what generation of Star Wars fan you are, Visions is a must-watch and one of the best pieces of Star Wars content of all time.
Series: Midnight Mass
Where to Watch: Netflix
Writer’s Choice: Bill Bodkin
Midnight Mass, Mike Flanagan’s latest Netflix series, follows the Flanagan playbook — truly haunting moments are woven into a tapestry of relatable human drama. Yet, this time around, the writer/director takes more creative risks, not just with his choices of horror, but with how many real-life issues he tackles and how deeply he examines them. The result is a powerful, thought-provoking, sometimes unsettling, and of course terrifying tale.
This is a show that rarely comes across your screen – a genre series that is also a fascinating religious and philosophical examination of the existence of God and the afterlife, as well as an emotional tale about addiction, recovery, and self-forgiveness. Mike Flanagan’s series hits on so many emotional levels at the same time and it’s hard to shake the show after watching it. Your mind races with questions about everything while the terrifying imagery keeps you awake at night. Midnight Mass might not be Flanagan’s scariest work or his most palpable for the masses, but it just might be his masterpiece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-XIRcjf3l4&t=25s
