me again! are you getting tired of reading my plot explanations? i am getting tired of writing them to be honest! but we’re almost back to regular programming. and i think this will be the shortest list since i mostly watching horrible trash reality television. but here’s part 4 of best things 2023: TV shows.
1. the bear season 2 (hulu)
every single episode of season 2 of the bear was FLAWLESS. the vibe felt totally different from season 1 (which i liked, but found stressful). this season pumps the breaks a little bit and takes things slower, giving each character their own episode and viewers time to explore them. you watch as they all try to convert the beef shop from counter service to an upscale restaurant. carmy is still working through the grief of losing his brother, but we see him reconnecting with his family and reckoning in ways that feel freer than last season. the copenhagen episode and the cousin episode were standouts to me. this is a season that demands a rewatch. i also cannot believe the creator of the show went to maine south high school???? a rare win for that place.
2. telemarketers (hbo max)
PATRICK J. PESPAS!!!! this show rocked my world. it’s a three episode docuseries that’s technically about the insanely shady practices of telemarketing companies. but each passing episode fees less and less like an investigation and more like a profile of a fascinating man named patrick j. pespas. through handheld camera footage the director took when he worked with pespas in new jersey in the 90s, you see just how chaotic these companies were. all of the employees would drink on the job, do drugs out in the open, and call old people to con them out of their money in the name of (and heartily endorsed by) the fraternal order of police. trust me — you need to watch this.
3. succession season 4 (hbo max)
obviously. everything that needed to be said about this show has been said by people smarter than i. the final season was truly excellent television, and watching it each week on sundays with the rest of the world (twitter) was so fun. something i will tell my grandchildren one day is how i was watching the finale in an uber on the way home from dinner and i looked up and saw jess (kendall’s assistant) smoking a cig after the cast watch party on the lower east side. that’s history!
4. murder in boston (hbo max)
holy shit this docuseries is incredible. in addition to investigating a murder that happened in 1989, it’s a searing indictment of the racial politics of boston. it holds up a mirror to the city and says: reckon with this ugliness you created. the archival footage, the storytelling, the element of suspense but also the ethical way they tell it — sincerely, hats off to this production team. i need to talk to someone about the cop that’s interviewed throughout because GOOD GOD that guy will not see heaven. this is up there with another fav of mine, murder on middle beach. we need more true crime stories that don’t feel completely devoid of a moral center.
5. lessons in chemistry (apple tv)
this was a cute, albeit cheesy, limited series based on the book. elizabeth zott is working as a chemist in the 1950s, experiencing all the sexism you’d imagine despite being the most intelligent person at her workplace. she ends up falling in love with another chemist, but the show takes pains to establish itself as decidedly not a love story. this would be a nice binge on the couch next week.
6. fleishman is in trouble (hulu)
can’t remember when i watched this — might’ve been last year but it feels more recent and therefore, it makes the list. taffy brodesser-akner is one of my favorite writers, and this show is adapted from her debut novel. toby fleishman and his wife rachel are going through a divorce, and toby is trying to adjust to life as a single man for the first time since his youth. he’s on the new york dating apps (hell), trying to manage his work as a doctor and care for his daughters. one day, rachel disappears out of the blue. i loved how this show depicted the ways friendships grow and change in adulthood.
7. trash reality television
sometimes after a long day of thinking, you just want to watch really dumb people embarrass themselves on television. i love reality tv because it’s drama and gossip that has nothing to do with you but can feel high stakes nonetheless. you just have to surrender to the experience and not be such a snob about it.
my favorites this year were: golden bachelor, love island UK, love is blind, the ultimatum (queer love season), vanderpump rules, a few episodes of the real housewives of new jersey while my roommate audrey watched it in the living room, survivor, great british bake off, love island games, and bachelor in paradise.
phew i don’t think i am cut out for the cultural critic lifestyle. writing synopses is harder than it looks! i hope you enjoyed this little series. let me know if you watch any of this stuff! i love to discuss. also FYI you can reply directly to these emails or go to the substack app and comment if you’re so inclined. <3