Best of 2023 - Television

Today I come to you all with my top 5 tv shows of 2023. I have to admit that there is a good amount of high quality, well regarded tv I have not yet finished this year. I have yet to see shows like "Loki", "Andor", "Ghosts" and "Big Mouth" yet. I'm sure there are a bunch of other shows that I have missed too. But I have seen some good stuff this year and today I want to give you all a peek at how I view television.

At 5 I have the third and final season of "The Other Two". This show is criminally underrated and should not have been cancelled. It is one of the best written and funniest shows on tv. Helen York and Drew Tarver play their characters to perfection. Molly Shannon is an absolute delight, and she got to really stretch in this final season. Ken Marino was great. The young actor playing the famous brother grew up and had a nice story arc about the ills of fame and social media. I have not seen a show that is this meta and funny and perfectly of the time. The whole musical episode was amazing. When York's character quits her job and no one can see her, brilliant. The whole thing with Tarver's method acting boyfriend, chef's kiss. "The Other Two" is destined to become a cult classic. This show is going to do major work on streaming. It will find its audience and I feel like people will talk about it like I do about "Happy Endings" now. "The Other Two" is a show worth checking out.

At 4 I have season three of "The Righteous Gemstones". McBride and company keep finding ways to make dark humor the best humor to watch on tv. This season was incredible too. We got Walton Goggins back as Uncle Baby Billy. Be it his game show idea or him wearing a big clam shell and singing at the pool, he is amazing in this role. We got the struggle of Goodman trying to leave the church to McBride. We also got some backstory from those two, which was nice to see. We got Kelvin, Adam Devine, finally showing his love for Keef. It may have taken the whole season, but damn it paid off. But the best of the best was Edi Patterson as Judy. We learned a whole lot about her this season and Patterson was masterful at pulling all this off. From her tour to the stuff with her husband BJ, Tim Blatz, it all worked to perfection. I cannot wait for season four to come out.

At 3 I have "Jury Duty". I don't know how they were able to pull off such an elaborate prank revolved around jurors, but they did and it was a joy to watch unfold. This show took a real chance. Anything could have derailed the show at any second, but they were able to maneuver around any way of the "hero" finding out what was going on the whole time, until the end. James Marsden played an asshole version of himself, and it worked. A guy made chairpants, and it worked. Another guy and girl did a thing called "soaking", and it worked. A lawyer had one of the worst presentations I've ever seen, and it worked. They were able to pull off this wild prank, all the while not making our "hero" look like an idiot. If anything, he held it together better than any of us would have and I was stoked to see it all get revealed to him and for him to take home a cash prize. I hope they leave this show at one season because it is perfect.

At  2 I have season two of "The Bear". I didn't think they could top season one, and they didn't, but they made a great companion piece to one of the best shows on tv. This season gave us episodes that focused on the individuals that work together at the restaurant. Edibiri's character took us on a food tour of Chicago. Richie had to get knocked down before rising to the top. Fak had to do his magical repairs. Abbi Elliot's character got the job as the marketer for the restaurant and is having a baby. We even got the episode that showed Jeremy Allen White's character family at their worst. That episode has amazing cameos as well. "The Bear" continues to shine as the best show about food on tv. It is better than any cooking show or cooking based competition show. The food looks delicious, the acting is top notch and the direction is a thing of beauty. "The Bear" rules. But it is not my top show of the year.

At number 1 I have "The Last of Us". This show is a work of art. It is brutal. It is realistic. It is dreadful. It is violent. It is relentless. And I couldn't take my eyes off the screen when we watched. This show is truly one of a kind. Pedro Pascal is perfectly cast. Bella Ramsey is just as good and a perfect counterpoint. The Nick Offerman episode is, quite possibly, the best written, directed and acted episode in the history of television. Melanie Lynskey is a bad, bad lady in her episode. The episode with the deaf boy and his brother gives us hope, only to smack it out of our faces in the end. And as mad as I was at Joel for lying to Ellie in the season finale, it made me even more excited to see them deal with it in season two. "Last of Us" is an achievement unlike any other on television. They took this weird video game and made one of the best tv shows to ever exist. I am so pumped for season two.

That is it for tv. Come back tomorrow for my top podcasts of 2023. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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The Music is Just One Part of Why "The Bear" is Television Perfection

Last night I finished season two of "The Bear". That show is something special. It is as near perfection as there is on tv today. I know some people do not like that it is all released in one day. I don't care about that. I took a week to watch all ten episodes. You can find a way to watch weekly if that is how you want to consume it. TV is in a streaming age, for better or worse, and we have to adapt as viewers. But, as I stated above, I adore this show. I am not going to review season two today though. I'd rather talk about the music, and how they used it, this season.

I saw some other publication, I cannot remember which one right now, say something about the music, this was before I finished the season, and that was when I started to clock the music this season. It is pretty awesome, and it harkens back to the 90's for me. Growing up in a house with three older brothers, all of which had differing tastes in music, this season of the show brought me back to that time in my life. There is a good amount of REM this season. I am a recent convert of their music, but I know RD has listened to them for a while now. I believe our oldest brother listened to them too. So whenever there was a somber, or even moving moment this season, a song like "Strange Currencies" would start and I would reminisce hearing that song as a pre teen. And it would be used so perfectly in the show. They would play it at pivotal moments. It was the perfect drop in for the perfect scene. They also played an Eddie Vedder song at the end of an episode this season and it moved me. I kid you not, hearing the song and seeing what I just saw, it made me tear up. A show about opening a restaurant took this very good Eddie Vedder tune and used it at the exact proper moment, and it moved me.They used Wilco in this season. A one hit wonder band, Fine Young Cannibals, had the perfect moment to play their hit. Steve Earle was peppered in and out this season. The Pixies would show up and amplify an important scene. The episode dedicated to Richie's moment of realization had this epic Taylor Swift soundtrack, but it was just one song. AC/DC was used for multiple scenes while they were breaking down the old restaurant to build the new one. They used Nine Inch Nails in a very fitting way for a viewer such as myself. They had one of my favorite David Byrne songs, "Glass, Concrete and Stone" playing during a montage that I adored. The end credits for the family Christmas episode had the best button of music with the Weezer song "The Christmas Song". Crowded House was featured. They played some solo George Harrison. The Bodeans had a song in this season. The Replacements, who are criminally underrated, had one of their songs used. Squeeze was there for a hot second. The Psychedelic Furs were featured. The season had some bangers by very famous musicians, but they also brought out some of the coolest, lesser known bands from the late 90's and early 2000's for all of the viewers to hear, and I dug it.

This is a soundtrack I will listen to multiple times. This is a season that when I revisit I will be even more focused on the music and how it is used. This is just another example of what makes this show so damn good. Watch "The Bear" for how great it is. But stay to see the food they make and to hear the excellent music they use. I love it and you will too. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "The Bear" Season 2

Last year I was late to the scene on the tv show "The Bear". But when I found it, I devoured it. The show is one of the better shows currently streaming. I remember seeing it was eight episodes, so that meant four, maybe five days to finish. I watched it all in two days. I wanted more and after each episode, and with it all dropping on one day, that made it easier to watch more. So when they announced a second season I was excited. And hesitant. Sometimes these shows cannot duplicate the success of the first season. They have the "sophomore slump". It doesn't have the same feel as the first. All of this and many more contribute to these shows falling off.

Well, four episodes into the new season I can tell you that "The Bear" season 2 is as good as season 1. The show captures the same feeling. I get the same vibes. The actors, writers and creators have the same push and will to make the show great. They are all working their butts off and it shows. The second season picks up with the crew beginning to open the new restaurant. And it is as chaotic as everything in season 1. The show is fast paced, yet each episode tells a great story, sometimes two. Four episodes in and I have met Syndney's dad, been to Denmark with Marcus, met one of Carmy's old high school friends, seen Rich trying to be a better dad and person, watched Nat admit to being pregnant, seen Tina and Ebraheim attend culinary school and watched Neil and crew have fights over mold and rebuilding. Again, that is just four episodes in. So far my favorite half an hour has been in Denmark. Marcus is sent there to work with a pastry wiz, played by Will Poulter, and it is an excellent episode, with some of the coolest visuals I have seen on TV. The food looks amazing. The scenery is second to none. The houseboat is rad. Seeing Marcus help an injured bike rider was moving. Him dealing with his sick mom was relatable. It is a wonderful viewing. I cannot recommend it enough. But each episode so far has had its great moments. Seeing Richie talk to Carmy in the first episode about trying to be a better person is moving as hell. Watching Carmy, Sydney and Nat talk to Oliver Platt about being business partners is nerve wracking. Seeing Carmy and Sydney cook together is amazing. I wanted to eat all the food that Sydney was eating when trying to get a better handle on what to make. I also loved seeing her talk to each restaurant owner and employees about how they became successful. That was eye opening. Seeing Nat come on as project manager gives Abby Elliot so much more to do and uses her talents to perfection. Watching Richie talk to his daughter about becoming a better father was touching. This show gets it. Even Carmy running into an old high school chum was relatable. I love the scene between the two of them when she reveals she knows the name of his new restaurant.

"The Bear" is right up there with "Black Mirror" for great television. The people who work on these shows understand the assignment and they all nail it. If you are not watching this show, remedy that right now and do yourself a favor. It is a pure delight. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

2022 Top Five - Television

Day three of my best of 2022 countdown features tv. TV has been pretty incredible this year. There are a ton of good shows with great writing, excellent casting, wonderful storylines and networks are giving the creators time to figure it all out. TV is in a very good place right now. Let's hope it continues.

Before I get into my top five I have some honorable mentions. "Abbot Elementary" is wonderful. It might be the funniest show on TV right now. All the accolades are more than deserved. Quinta Brunson is a genius. "Righteous Gemstones" had an amazing season with a great story arc from Eric Roberts. John Goodman also took on a bigger role this season and totally nailed it. I cannot wait to see where they go with the next season. "House of the Dragon" was worth the hype as well. I do not care that it had a dark hue, I don't care that the dragons were not fully featured yet and I don't care about internet nerds complaining about nonsensical plot points in a fantasy world with dragons. "House of the Dragon" created a new, unique world in the "GOT" universe. I'm ready for season two. And finally "Bluey". This is the best kids show on TV. It has surpassed "Yo Gabba Gabba" for me. I love the length of episodes, 10 minutes, the storylines, the character arc and the fact that the dad is usually the one home with the kids. It is easy for me to relate. "Bluey" is an achievement. I do, really quickly, want to shout out "Joe Pera Talks With You". I was told by many people to watch this show and I finally started last week. I have already finished the series. It is a perfect Adult Swim show but it also has heart and soul. Joe Pera did something different and it worked. I love this show. Okay, to the countdown.

At number 5 I have season four of "What We Do in the Shadows". This show continues to get better and better. Each episode is funnier than the last. The vampires are even more hilarious than ever. The Laszlo and Colin Robinson storyline all season was beautiful and heartfelt. Also, the way Berry pronounces words, it is a thing of beauty. Nandor had a nice arc with his genie this season. And Nadja had a great arc with her nightclub. Guillermo also got to stretch his legs a bit more and it was a homerun. "WWDITS" is on a hot streak and I do not see it stopping anytime soon. It may be the best comedy on TV.

At number 4 I have "The Bear". I mean, this show is amazing. The way they show food and the world of food was incredible. "The Bear" made me hungrier than any show on any cooking network. But it was the performances and choices this show made all season that put it on my list. Every actor does their job with aplomb. They all have juicy moments and they all succeed, and then some. As for the choices, there is one episode in particular that stands out. They did a 17 minute long ep that is all one shot and it is of the restaurant going down due to not being ready. It is a masterpiece. I have watched it multiple times and I love it even more with each view. "The Bear" is incredible and season two cannot come soon enough.

At number 3, closing out my run of shows on FX, I have the last two seasons of "Atlanta". Now, I think this is the best show on TV, but it isn't number 1 because I liked a few other shows a bit more. But "Atlanta" gave us two seasons and closed out the series to perfection. In season three the show took us overseas and it was a trippy joy ride. We got to see our four main characters go through some crazy situations. Darius saw Tupac get murdered. Paper Boi was in jail and had a crazy drug trip. Van went through all kinds of emotions and bludgeoned a dude with a baguette. And Earn had to deal with all kinds of nonsense being a manager overseas. He also had a crazy cold in the premiere. The final season had them back in Atlanta, but it was still as wild as ever. From the season four premiere, which saw Van and Earn get into some kind of alternate universe where they saw a bunch of exes, to Darius trying to figure out if his whole life was real or in a deprivation tank, it was great. Paper Boi also got a farm and had a conversation with Soulja Boy. Van and Earn reunited. The sushi restaurant was a great ep. And the scavenger hunt that Paper Boi went on was nuts. "Atlanta" had as fulfilling a series finale as a TV show can have. I will always adore this show.

At number 2 I have "The Rehearsal". Nathan Fielder is a genius. He is on a whole other level as a comedian and creator. What he did with "The Rehearsal" would have made Andy Kaufman proud. He showed the best and worst in people. The show started as one thing but ended as a totally different thing. It was a masterclass. I cannot fathom how much work went into making all of these scenarios happen. I am in awe of the work that Fielder has done with this show. I am on pins and needles to see what he does next. But "The Rehearsal" is going to go down in history as an all time great.

And at number 1 I have the final season of "Better Call Saul". As fulfilling and gratifying as the series finale of "Atlanta" was, "BCS" surpassed it. The final season was an achievement. It lets the actors do their thing. They got meaty scenes and everyone brought out their best effort. Rhea Seehorn was phenomenal. It is criminal that she never got an award for her work on this show. And Bob Oednekirk got to do his best oh shucks down on his luck, but totally knows that he is conning people character. Saul Goodman was a big part of "Breaking Bad", but I was skeptical on how they would do a show based on him. Not only did they do it, they made one of the best dramas of all time. As for the series finale, I believe it is the best series finale that has ever been made. It was perfect.

There you have it, my top five shows of 2022. Come back tomorrow for my top five sports moments of the year. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches “The Bear”

Last night I started the show "The Bear". I had heard a ton of good things about it, some people I follow on social media were singing its praises.

I like what FX does in the world of TV and I am a sucker for cooking shows. In our house we watch a ton of cooking shows in fact. We like them all. Be it Ina Garten or some kind of competition show, we will usually watch. Hell, I even really enjoy a show like "Carnival Eats". That may be one of my favorites.

The problem with those shows, for the most part, is they are very nice. Even the reality competition ones. Sure they have their "villain", and there have been plenty of contestants I don't like, and my goodness do they take themselves far too seriously, but in the end it is all happiness and fun and games. "The Bear" is not like that, and I think that has been what has drawn me in so much.

Over the past day and a half I have watched the first four episodes. It was all I was thinking about watching this morning when I was out running errands. It stayed with me. To me that is a sign that this show works. This is what I am looking for in a show about food. The cast is amazing. It is an ensemble, but that ensemble is led by Carmy, played by Jeremy Allen White. He is so good. He is a once in a generation chef, but he is back home working in a sandwich shop. We find out more and more about him as the series is going on, and I cannot wait to see where they take him. His "cousin", to whom there is much discontent, is skillfully played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach. He is so good at being the hot headed "know it all" who doesn't want any change to his "system". Ayo Edebiri is so good as the new up and coming chef who wants to learn from Carmy. She is awesome in this role. She really gets to stretch and try some new things. She should get way more work after people watch her in this. The rest of the crew is great. Lionel Boyce is Marcus and he wants to be a pastry chef so bad. Liza Colon-Zayas is Tina and she has no time for nonsense and has been at the shop since day one. Edwin Lee Gibson is the old soul that likes having stuff to do. And the rest of the crew is there to crack a few jokes every now and then. We also get a nice turn from Abby Elliot as Carmy's sister. It is pretty cool to see her do drama. Oliver Platt has been in a few episodes and he does a low leverage gangster pretty well. And Joel McHale is there being a total dick, which he thrives at doing.

This show has me hooked. Outside the cast, the food looks amazing. They do long, slow motion shots of people cooking and the finished product, and I get hungry just watching. I love Italian Beef sandwiches, and the way they make them look on this show makes me want to travel to Chicago right now. They also have some of the best shots of donuts I have ever seen. They look better on this show than they do on some Food Network or Cooking Channel shows. The sandwich shop is old and dingy and perfect for what they do. The kitchen looks and feels real. The alleys are grimy. Some of the neighborhoods look sketchy. It all works.

This is the best cooking show on TV. It is also one of the better comedy/drama shows that are out there right now. It is also unique and new. It is not a reboot or a retread. It is a new idea that they are nailing. Go watch "The Bear". It is really for anyone that likes cooking shows and great TV. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.