It is evident that 2022, especially in the TV sector, has been a tremendous and magnificent year for the industry. There are lots of fantastic shows that have a nice and promising start this year, including House of the Dragon, The Peripheral and 1899. However, there are many great shows which have had incredible long runs before concluding their journey in 2022.
Ranging from award-winning crime thriller dramas to Netflix’s original sitcom shows, fans had a hard time saying goodbye to these unforgettably fantastic shows.
'Better Call Saul' (2015 - 2022)
Better Call Saul is a spin-off of the award-winning show, Breaking Bad, with the 2015 series focusing on exploring Jimmy McGill's (Bob Odenkirk) development from a sincere lawyer and former con man into the conceited criminal defense lawyer Saul Goodman. The show also examines Mike Ehrmantraut's (Jonathan Banks) moral deterioration as he turns into a violent fixer for drug traffickers.
Better Call Saul not only upheld the standards set by its predecessor but in some ways significantly beyond them. It is also recognized as one of the most visually stunning, meticulously structured, and emotionally compelling TV shows ever produced. The program ended neatly and on a positive note, paying a lot of respect to both itself and its predecessor.
'The Expanse' (2015 - 2022)
Based on James S. A. Corey's series of novels of the same name, The Expanse is set in the future when the Solar System has been colonized by humans. The show follows a diverse group of protagonists as they unintentionally uncover and find themselves at the center of a plot that imperils the system's precarious cold war while coping with existential issues brought on by recently found alien technology.
Even though the show has a lot more stories to tell, The Expanse concludes strongly with the idea that despite humanity's deeply persistent defects, we can still strive to be more than the sum of our parts. Despite all the glaring similarities to Game of Thrones, The Expanse did one thing that its HBO rival couldn't, which is staying true to its core.
'Grace and Frankie' (2015 - 2022)
Grace and Frankie centers on the titular Grace Hanson (Jane Fonda) and Frankie Bergstein (Lily Tomlin), two elderly women who become unlikely companions after learning from their husbands that they are in love and intend to get married.
The program is endearing and humorous enough to serve as the ideal rewatchable comfort show and unsurprisingly as one of Netflix's longest-running scripted series ever. Moreover, Grace and Frankie stays loyal to the show itself in its final episodes, providing laughter and a heartfelt tale all the way through.
'This Is Us' (2016 - 2022)
This Is Us covers the lives of Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) and their three children over a number of different time periods.
The Pearson family contends with eventual divorce and death throughout its run, but the series' closing episodes include some genuinely moving long-form storytelling that helps viewers see the big picture of their lives. The show also demonstrated that the audience is knowledgeable enough to appreciate a show with two timelines running concurrently and a mystery over how they link.
'The Walking Dead' (2010 - 2022)
Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead follows a sizable ensemble cast that plays survivors of a zombie apocalypse who are fighting to survive while constantly being threatened by "walker" zombie attacks. The show depicts zombies as horrifying, merciless monsters, but it also demonstrates that humans are occasionally just as bad, if not worse.
The Walking Dead's eleven seasons are a must-watch for all aficionados of the zombie genre and horror in general because of the scope of death and destruction it depicts. There are so many distinct characters and actors to pick from, coupled with action-packed scenes, that it is understandable why the series has endured for so long.
'Westworld' (2016 - 2022)
The original same-name sci-fi film from the 1970s, which has now mostly been forgotten, served as inspiration for the Westworld TV series, which emphasizes the fine line separating humanity from artificial life. Initially, Westworld was a theme park containing androids who serve their clients’ deepest and wildest dreams.
The brilliant decision made in Westworld is to examine all of humanity via the eyes of androids, which is a perspective that gets better with each subsequent viewing. With its final episodes airing in August 2022, Westworld made a confident and magnificent comeback by providing a powerful ending for the beloved HBO show.
'Atlanta' (2016 - 2022)
Atlanta follows music manager Earnest "Earn" Marks (Donald Glover), a recent college dropout, and musician Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles (Brian Tyree Henry) as they make their way through the bizarre, almost otherworldly Atlanta hip-hop industry.
The final season of Atlanta did right by the show’s main characters by giving them the thoughtful and heartfelt, if not quite happily-ever-after, conclusions they deserved. Moreover, even after so many years, the show is still optimistic that fans will come along for the trip despite the tonal inconsistencies and unpredictable swings. It also demonstrates that viewers can take a break, watch the majority of the cast become more well-known, and still return strong.
'Ozark' (2017 - 2022)
Ozark is a Netflix original series that follows the Byrde family led by Marty (Jason Bateman) and his wife, Wendy (masterfully played by Laura Linney) as they relocate to the Lake of the Ozarks and start working as money launderers for a Mexican drug cartel.
Ozark consistently proves to its audience that selling your soul, even for good intentions, is rotten and monstrous. The show’s outcome is a finale that is excruciatingly stressful, subtly moving and remarkable enough to cement the series as being among the best Netflix original shows ever made. It is just as gripping, powerful and mind-blowing as viewers could have hoped for.
'The Good Fight' (2017 - 2022)
The Good Fight is a direct spin-off of the award-winning legal drama, The Good Wife that ended in 2016. The show picks up a year after the events of the final episode of the predecessor show with a massive financial fraud that has ruined young lawyer, Maia Rindell’s (Rose Leslie) reputation while also destroying her godmother and mentor Diane Lockhart's (Christine Baranski) funds.
The show, which had six flawless seasons, came to an end with its whimsical bent, utter disdain toward law and government, and over-the-top parodies of emerging technology and its ramifications for the law and society. In addition, the program has done a better job than any other television show at capturing the wild events of recent years, making it one of the best legal dramas ever made.
'Peaky Blinders' (2013 - 2022)
Peaky Blinders is a UK crime show based in Birmingham, England, and recounts the crimes committed by the titular gang in the immediate years following World War I. The gang is partially based on the same-named urban youth gang that operated in the city between the 1880s and the 1910s.
Peaky Blinders excels because it is challenging to watch for some people, smart underneath its action and violent-packed sequences, and makes us consider morality and the ambiguity between good and bad. Moreover, the last season is even more dangerous, violent and political. Even though the show concluded this year, Peaky Blinders' story will be continued in a movie, so we still haven't bid this particular family of criminals our final farewell.
'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' (2016 - 2022)
Based on the characters of DC Comics and serving as a spin-off of both Arrow and The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow follows a rogue time traveler outlaw and a motley crew of well-known heroes and villains as they face an immortal danger that has the power to wipe out not only Earth, but all of time.
Compared to shows like Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow was more lighthearted and seamlessly combined comedy and drama. Although some viewers lamented the loss of their initial favorite heroes who had been on the program since the first season, the show has never been short on fascinating characters.