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What TV shows are actually worth the hype?

It feels like there are so many big shows coming out right now that I cannot keep up. We got some Ozark, Obi Wan, Stranger Things, The Boys and most importantly Barry. I have been looking forward to most of these shows for a very long time. Maybe it’s just me but when they all come out at once I get this weird FOMO – like I’m missing out on something. So to help out any other people experiencing the same world ending issue here’s my take on which of these shows is slapping and why?

OZARK

Ozark was definitely at the bottom of this list. I loved the first 2 seasons of this show but quickly lost interest at Season 3. Honestly, I have only watched a couple episodes of Season 4 and while it’s definitely good quality it didn’t grip me from that first episode – something I think is very important. Even if shows are slow paced, they should always get you wanting to come back from the beginning (True Detective is a perfect example).

Should you come back to season 4?

Yes, because it’s the last season and you may as well smash it out.

Obi Wan Kenobi (Minor Spoilers)

I may trigger a lot of Star Wars fans here but Obi wan has been the biggest let down of all of these productions (I am writing this before the fourth episode). The show feels like it’s completely filled with running. That is not a metaphor, I have genuinely seen nothing but people chasing each other in these weird closed off environments. Sometimes a character will literally just run into a tree so terribly its funny.

The whole plot of the story is kind of boring as well. I am not interested in Leia as a character (in this show) and thereby the whole story. I really thought they would go a different route with this show, but it just feels like another rushed and generic piece of Star Wars content. Maybe the show will drastically improve over the last three episodes, but it isn’t looking good. In my head, the show should have been a mix of Wake in Fright, John Wick and Terminator. An endless army of bounty hunters chasing Obi Wan through this horrible and disgusting desert. Instead, it just has no style, vision, or moments of dramatic tension.

The fight scene between Darth Vader and Obi Wan was also a letdown. I know it’s meant to be like that because he has no powers, but it was more the writing. How they made Kenobi escape from Vader is some of the dumbest and most cliché writing I have seen in a while. That’s essentially the summary of this show. Writing things in that feel forced just to move the show forward.

Should you watch Obi Wan Kenobi

It pains me to say it but unless you are a die-hard Star Wars fan you could probably skip it. Then again, we are only 3 episodes in.

Stranger Things

Stranger things season 4 is truly incredible. I wont dive into it too much because everyone knows how good it is and I don’t really need to convince anyone but godayum is it slapping. Each episode just draws you in more and more and makes you addicted to these incredible characters. Before this season, I truly thought this show was extremely overrated – good but still overrated. After Season 4 I realised how wrong I was. The Nancy Drew detective aspect of the kids exploring mysteries is just so entertaining to watch. It is exactly what you imagine in your head as kid brought to life on the screen. Also, quick shoutout to Sadie Sink, she is the best actor in this show and should have got way more attention then Millie Bobby Brown. Sadie will be one of the biggest names in Hollywood in the next 5 years and that’s a promise.

Should you watch Season 4?

Fuck yes, go watch it now. However, I do recommend not binging it and spreading it out. The show is more designed for that.

The Boys

The Boys Season 3 is consistent. And I mean that in a positive sense. It is equally as gory, weird, and gross as the other seasons despite having this much attention on it. After the ending of Season 2, I was kind of confused how much room there was left in the tank. But after finishing episode 2 I could see how much they had to tell. Also, the acting in this show is severely underrated (I think cause it’s a comic book TV Show.) Antony Starr, Karl urban and Jack Quaid are amazing in this show. These roles feel like they are made for them and that is a clear sign of a great performance.

Should you watch Season 3?

Yes absolutely. I think binging this show is a great idea because it does have a slower pace that you may lose interest in.

BARRY

Barry is probably my favourite show of all time so I may be biased. Season 3 came out of nowhere and while I was excited, I definitely wasn’t as hype as I thought I would be (I think bringing people back for another season after 2 years is extremely challenging and not a shows fault at all). But Barry is entirely character driven. As soon as I saw the character development of Barry, I knew this season would be incredible. It is refreshing when you are surprised where writers take a character and that is exactly what they did with Barry. In addition, Anthony Carrigan is one of the best comedic actors currently on screen. He needs to be in more shit because even when he says a simple line it is just funny.

I will write more about Barry in the future because I would like to do a whole video about this amazing show.

Should you watch Season 3 of Barry?

Its Barry. Come on.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with rewatching shows. In fact, I am almost permanently doing it. Whenever I am doing something, the Office is somehow on in the background. It seems to just be permanently playing. However, I do think (myself included) people get stuck watching the same shit because they just simply don’t know. Well here I am to save the day, offering 5 critically acclaimed and very well-known shows…

5. Normal People

I recently heard in a Russell Brand interview why he believes this show is so popular and addicting, and I couldn’t agree more. It comes down to one key reason. The shows portrayal of young love. It is so honest and relatable because realistically, everyone has been there. Everyone puts themselves in these characters shoes and links it back to their own life. Everyone has felt what these characters feel and has been through the same ups and downs.

NORMAL PEOPLE

I also love how this show is directed. It has this slow, dream like feel to it. In particular, episode 8. It is one of the best episodes of a TV show I have ever seen. The awkward tension of this episode is done so accurately to real life. Plus, it paints Italy in this perfect and gorgeous light, just making you want to hop on a plane and travel there.

4. True Detective Season 1

No show has hooked me in like True Detective. The ending of that first episode just sucks you into these characters and the mystery at hand. It makes you question everything you thought was going to happen and flips the structure of a normal Crime show on its head.

Lately, there has been a lot of hype around Mare of East Town. I do think this is a good show, but it is just not on the same level as True Detective. This is due to the rich and layered characters of Rustie and Martin. They are so flawed, opinionated, and different in such a refreshing way to other crime shows. For example, Mindhunter. I love this show and almost put it on this list. But the protagonists just aren’t there for me. They seem almost two dimensional compared to True Detective.

3. Bojack Horseman

Whenever I recommend this show to people, I think they dismiss it because it’s a cartoon. So, for just one minute I want you to completely forget that this is a cartoon. JUST TRY.

Bojack Horseman is the saddest show I have ever watched. And perhaps, the saddest piece of art I have seen. It is truly depressing. So why would you wanna watch it? Well I guess it comes down to personal preference, but I love shows like this. Shows that perfectly balance drama and comedy and sometimes they just delve straight into the dramatic side of life. It doesn’t hold back. It just presents a very flawed man (Horse) and lets you make your own opinion of him.

2. Fleabag

Recommending Fleabag just feels weird at this point (same as the majority of stuff on this list.) Its so famous and popular now that it just feels kind of pointless. But it truly deserves the hype. Before I watched BARRY, it was my favourite show ever written. And I thinks it’s for just that. The writing.

Pheobe Waller Bridge has this method of writing called making something “Pheobe proof.” Essentially, every show or movie she watches she can guess what’s going to happen straight away. So when writing this script, she prevents it from being predictable in a truthful way. This is so effective and will definitely be something I steal. The whole show I never guessed the big reveal (something I wont spoil) even thought it gives you 1000 clues. It is such a good plot twist because it is so true to what the protagonist would do. It is not a plot twist just for the sake of surprising the audience. Perfect writing.

1. BARRY

Barry is a car crash. And I mean that in the best possible way. Every episode worse shit happens and you just can’t pull your eyes away from the screen. What’s so fucking crazy about this show is the writing of the protagonist. Bill Hader and Alec Berger give you this cold-blooded murderer who kills for his self-interest. And (spoilers) he keeps killing. Yet, as the show progresses you seem to care for him more and are almost rooting for him. Despite LITERALLY KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE IN FRONT OF YOU.

I also believe Bill Hader’s performance deserves an Oscar (I know its not possible). He constantly shits on how bad of an actor he is in interviews, and it blows my mind. The unsettling rage of BARRY and deep loneliness is expertly shown through Hader. There are these few very dramatic scenes throughout the show that you will know when you see. With a lesser actor, it just couldn’t be done.