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2023 TV...so far (Part One: Those Series Finales)
June 2, 2023
By Dan Pal
May 31st was a significant day for the television industry. That was the cutoff date for this year’s Emmy Award submissions. Anyone who works in TV wants to win an Emmy eventually. (Susan Lucci tried 19 times before she finally got one.) So, all of the significant network showrunners have worked tirelessly to get their Emmy submissions in by the end of the month. You may have noticed that many series ended their runs in the last two weeks, most notably Succession, Barry, Ted Lasso, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Similarly, many other shows have recently finished their seasons with hopes of Emmy glory and of returning sometime in the next year (Abbott Elementary, Somebody Somewhere, Shrinking etc.) Whether that happens will depend on the Writers Guild strike which is currently a month running with no clear end in sight. The Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild may also be on the picket lines when their contracts end on June 30th.
I’ve talked to many people in the last couple of weeks who have been glued to their television sets (or computers) to view this glut of acclaimed shows. Of course, I’ve also communicated with people who have no idea what some of these shows are. So, now seems to be the time to report on all I’ve been watching in ’23. In this first post, I’ll discuss those big shows that just had their series finales. In subsequent posts, I plan to discuss some of the other significant series (and there are many) that are worth checking out. It could be a long while before we see new episodes again so why not start your own list of shows you’ve missed so far.
First the big ones and their finales:
Succession (HBO, Max)
I’ve watched this HBO series since it began in the pre-pandemic era. Frankly, I think it’s one of the most thrilling, well-written, and well-acted shows of this century so far. It will stand as one of the greats along with The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Better Call Saul. The series wrapped this past Sunday after four seasons. Those of us that have been consumed with it know that each week was an event. What would Logan say or do next? How bad would the fights between Shiv and Tom get? Would Roman return to his “alternative” relationship with Gerri? Would Kendal survive and succeed? And what about cousin Greg…?
I’ve heard from some students and friends I respect that couldn’t get beyond the first couple of episodes saying they didn’t like the characters. Well, guess what? You’re not supposed to like them! They’re self-absorbed as well as money and power hungry. This is the world of rich media moguls, very loosely based on Rupert Murdoch and the Fox News clan. These people have billions, a network, and want to rule the world. Many of their actions are reprehensible. Throughout the series there have been deaths, infidelities, sexual harassment scandals, and at least one major water bottle fight (between the great duo of Tom and Greg.)
So why watch? Because, on a surface level, it’s fun to see these goons crash and burn. But, there’s more to it than that. The dialogue throughout the series is biting and often quite hilarious. The acting is better than almost anything else on television with Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, and Matthew Macfadyen the standouts among standouts. The direction is impeccable with fast-moving cameras and beautiful production design playing just as significant roles as the actors. In the end, the series offered an eye-popping glimpse into the upper class and their love of money.
I’m not getting into any spoiler territory here but I will say that the finale, with a couple of surprising twists, was very much in line with the rest of the series. The tone, the unpredictability, and the writing remained stellar to the end. This will be a major Emmy contender again in 2023.
Barry (HBO, Max)
Another HBO series, Barry, is a bit different in its consistency and tone. SNL’s Bill Hader co-created and starred as the title character. He also wrote and directed many of the series episodes. This season alone, he directed them all. For those unfamiliar, Barry is a former marine turned hit man who attempts to play it straight by enrolling in an acting class taught by one Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler.)
Like Succession, Barry premiered before COVID and had to wait to complete its last two of four seasons. I also felt this was appointment TV, the last season airing just after each Succession episode. There have been episodes of this series that I consider to be some of the best television has ever produced. Season 2’s ronny/lily and Season 3’s 710N are the standouts. They’re dark, funny, full of surprising action, and beautifully well performed by the cast. I’ve turned many of my students on to this series based on those two episodes alone.
So, what about the last season? It’s good. It’s unpredictable. However, it’s also a bit darker than I felt it needed to be. I suppose there was an inevitability to the arc of Barry’s character and final scenes (again, no spoilers.) What was missing from this season was the humor that made so much of the series a joy to experience. Even Anthony Carrigan who played my favorite character on the show, NoHo Hank, didn’t get nearly the great lines he had in previous seasons. He experiences some very sadly dark moments. All of the main characters seem to go through some pretty harrowing experiences. Thus, it would be hard to say the series ended as a great “comedy” series.
It’s definitely a memorable and innovative one though. There are many amazingly inventive and genre-bending episodes throughout the four seasons. Again, the actors, including Hader, Carrigan, Winkler, Sarah Goldberg, and Stephen Root may never match some of the incredible heights their scenes allowed them to carry. In the end, they are one of the reasons to follow the series along with its absolute originality and daring narrative plot twists.
Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)
I have to admit that I didn’t love the first two seasons of Ted Lasso as much as Emmy voters and most of its viewers did. The cast was great and the premise, an American football coach goes to England to coach a struggling soccer (FOOTBALL) team, was right up my alley. (I’m a huge World Cup soccer fan.) The show has been viewed as one of the nicest and most uplifting series in recent memory. Jason Sudeikis created a very grounded title character that was always a source of inspiration to the other characters and Sudeikis himself was very entertaining to watch.
Over the course of its three seasons I grew to appreciate the series and its many other characters. At first I didn’t understand the massive love for Brett Goldstein and his rough exterior as Roy Kent. This third and final season I finally got it. This may have been partly due to seeing him (along with Nicholas Braun, Greg, of Succession) take part in a live reading of the Oscar-nominated script Triangle of Sadness in L.A. earlier this year and hearing his very delightful podcast, Films to be Buried With. But I just really appreciated the layers he brought to Roy and how he subtly revealed the character’s emotional life. His relationship with soccer player Jaime Tartt (played by the wonderful Phil Dunster) is also great fun to watch as it weaves and grows. Hannah Waddingham is impeccable as the similarly deeply layered team owner Rebecca Welton and Nick Mohammed is like a lovable teddy bear (well, maybe not at the end of season 2…) as Nathan Shelley. Even some of the other players got a chance to really shine in this third season including Sam, Dani (with the great hair!) and the series’ first gay character, Colin.
Yes, the episodes of the final season were REALLY long, some running around the one hour mark but this did give the writers a chance to develop out so many of the storylines and characters making it seem like almost two seasons rolled into one.
As mentioned, much has been made about how nice and positive the series has been. I would agree. It’s actually quite a relief to view something that doesn’t hit you over the head with thunder and dark clouds. The finale continued in that tradition. Even some of the “could have been left on the cutting room floor” scenes like the musical tribute to Ted were enjoyable, heartfelt, and very entertaining.
Some have speculated that the series might continue, albeit with a different title since Sudekis called it quits after three seasons. I, for one, would like to spend more time with these characters. It could be really interesting to see them develop further. For now, there are three really enjoyable seasons to view.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)
Like Ted Lasso I was a bit lukewarm at the start of this series about a housewife who begins a secret career as a nightclub comedienne. After the first episode, I waited until season three had ended before I decided to binge it. (The pandemic…) Ultimately I also grew to love the series, it’s setting (New York), era (late 1950s/early 60s), it’s great characters and highly skilled and spirited performances from many of its actors, especially Rachel Brosnahan as Maisel, Alex Borstein as her manager Susie, Tony Shalhoub as her father, Marin Hinkle as her mother, and the great Caroline Aaron as her mother-in-law. These are actors at the top of their game and the material they were given throughout the series is only enhanced because of their great work.
The series ended its five-season run in May and I don’t begrudge the creators’ decision to end it when it did. The series went as far as it really could go with its basic premise. Throughout the last season we got glimpses as to where these characters would be in the many years after the timeline of the series. While I felt that some of these scenes appeared a bit too randomly it did allow for a more satisfying final episode knowing the direction the characters were heading.
The arc of Midge Maisel was well-conceived (even if it did seem that the audience would roar a bit too much at her jokes) and moved in a realistic direction given the rough ride female comedians had in this era (Joan Rivers and Phyllis Diller are two obvious influences.) Brosnahan remained a delight as Midge throughout the series and it was always great to see guest performers Luke Kirby (as Lenny Bruce) and Jane Lynch (as Sophie Lennon) reappear each season.
In the end, the series harkened back to a seemingly simpler time that eschewed some of the lily-white misconceptions about the era. Like Ted Lasso this was always a positive show with many flawed characters that were always fun to be around.
In part two of my 2023 TV series I will look at several other series that appeared on network and/or streaming platforms this year so far including Abbott Elementary, Dave, Somebody Somewhere, The Diplomat, Cunk on Earth, Shrinking, The Last of Us, The Big Door Prize, Beef, Poker Face, and Bupkis.
June 2, 2023
By Dan Pal
May 31st was a significant day for the television industry. That was the cutoff date for this year’s Emmy Award submissions. Anyone who works in TV wants to win an Emmy eventually. (Susan Lucci tried 19 times before she finally got one.) So, all of the significant network showrunners have worked tirelessly to get their Emmy submissions in by the end of the month. You may have noticed that many series ended their runs in the last two weeks, most notably Succession, Barry, Ted Lasso, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Similarly, many other shows have recently finished their seasons with hopes of Emmy glory and of returning sometime in the next year (Abbott Elementary, Somebody Somewhere, Shrinking etc.) Whether that happens will depend on the Writers Guild strike which is currently a month running with no clear end in sight. The Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild may also be on the picket lines when their contracts end on June 30th.
I’ve talked to many people in the last couple of weeks who have been glued to their television sets (or computers) to view this glut of acclaimed shows. Of course, I’ve also communicated with people who have no idea what some of these shows are. So, now seems to be the time to report on all I’ve been watching in ’23. In this first post, I’ll discuss those big shows that just had their series finales. In subsequent posts, I plan to discuss some of the other significant series (and there are many) that are worth checking out. It could be a long while before we see new episodes again so why not start your own list of shows you’ve missed so far.
First the big ones and their finales:
Succession (HBO, Max)
I’ve watched this HBO series since it began in the pre-pandemic era. Frankly, I think it’s one of the most thrilling, well-written, and well-acted shows of this century so far. It will stand as one of the greats along with The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Better Call Saul. The series wrapped this past Sunday after four seasons. Those of us that have been consumed with it know that each week was an event. What would Logan say or do next? How bad would the fights between Shiv and Tom get? Would Roman return to his “alternative” relationship with Gerri? Would Kendal survive and succeed? And what about cousin Greg…?
I’ve heard from some students and friends I respect that couldn’t get beyond the first couple of episodes saying they didn’t like the characters. Well, guess what? You’re not supposed to like them! They’re self-absorbed as well as money and power hungry. This is the world of rich media moguls, very loosely based on Rupert Murdoch and the Fox News clan. These people have billions, a network, and want to rule the world. Many of their actions are reprehensible. Throughout the series there have been deaths, infidelities, sexual harassment scandals, and at least one major water bottle fight (between the great duo of Tom and Greg.)
So why watch? Because, on a surface level, it’s fun to see these goons crash and burn. But, there’s more to it than that. The dialogue throughout the series is biting and often quite hilarious. The acting is better than almost anything else on television with Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, and Matthew Macfadyen the standouts among standouts. The direction is impeccable with fast-moving cameras and beautiful production design playing just as significant roles as the actors. In the end, the series offered an eye-popping glimpse into the upper class and their love of money.
I’m not getting into any spoiler territory here but I will say that the finale, with a couple of surprising twists, was very much in line with the rest of the series. The tone, the unpredictability, and the writing remained stellar to the end. This will be a major Emmy contender again in 2023.
Barry (HBO, Max)
Another HBO series, Barry, is a bit different in its consistency and tone. SNL’s Bill Hader co-created and starred as the title character. He also wrote and directed many of the series episodes. This season alone, he directed them all. For those unfamiliar, Barry is a former marine turned hit man who attempts to play it straight by enrolling in an acting class taught by one Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler.)
Like Succession, Barry premiered before COVID and had to wait to complete its last two of four seasons. I also felt this was appointment TV, the last season airing just after each Succession episode. There have been episodes of this series that I consider to be some of the best television has ever produced. Season 2’s ronny/lily and Season 3’s 710N are the standouts. They’re dark, funny, full of surprising action, and beautifully well performed by the cast. I’ve turned many of my students on to this series based on those two episodes alone.
So, what about the last season? It’s good. It’s unpredictable. However, it’s also a bit darker than I felt it needed to be. I suppose there was an inevitability to the arc of Barry’s character and final scenes (again, no spoilers.) What was missing from this season was the humor that made so much of the series a joy to experience. Even Anthony Carrigan who played my favorite character on the show, NoHo Hank, didn’t get nearly the great lines he had in previous seasons. He experiences some very sadly dark moments. All of the main characters seem to go through some pretty harrowing experiences. Thus, it would be hard to say the series ended as a great “comedy” series.
It’s definitely a memorable and innovative one though. There are many amazingly inventive and genre-bending episodes throughout the four seasons. Again, the actors, including Hader, Carrigan, Winkler, Sarah Goldberg, and Stephen Root may never match some of the incredible heights their scenes allowed them to carry. In the end, they are one of the reasons to follow the series along with its absolute originality and daring narrative plot twists.
Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)
I have to admit that I didn’t love the first two seasons of Ted Lasso as much as Emmy voters and most of its viewers did. The cast was great and the premise, an American football coach goes to England to coach a struggling soccer (FOOTBALL) team, was right up my alley. (I’m a huge World Cup soccer fan.) The show has been viewed as one of the nicest and most uplifting series in recent memory. Jason Sudeikis created a very grounded title character that was always a source of inspiration to the other characters and Sudeikis himself was very entertaining to watch.
Over the course of its three seasons I grew to appreciate the series and its many other characters. At first I didn’t understand the massive love for Brett Goldstein and his rough exterior as Roy Kent. This third and final season I finally got it. This may have been partly due to seeing him (along with Nicholas Braun, Greg, of Succession) take part in a live reading of the Oscar-nominated script Triangle of Sadness in L.A. earlier this year and hearing his very delightful podcast, Films to be Buried With. But I just really appreciated the layers he brought to Roy and how he subtly revealed the character’s emotional life. His relationship with soccer player Jaime Tartt (played by the wonderful Phil Dunster) is also great fun to watch as it weaves and grows. Hannah Waddingham is impeccable as the similarly deeply layered team owner Rebecca Welton and Nick Mohammed is like a lovable teddy bear (well, maybe not at the end of season 2…) as Nathan Shelley. Even some of the other players got a chance to really shine in this third season including Sam, Dani (with the great hair!) and the series’ first gay character, Colin.
Yes, the episodes of the final season were REALLY long, some running around the one hour mark but this did give the writers a chance to develop out so many of the storylines and characters making it seem like almost two seasons rolled into one.
As mentioned, much has been made about how nice and positive the series has been. I would agree. It’s actually quite a relief to view something that doesn’t hit you over the head with thunder and dark clouds. The finale continued in that tradition. Even some of the “could have been left on the cutting room floor” scenes like the musical tribute to Ted were enjoyable, heartfelt, and very entertaining.
Some have speculated that the series might continue, albeit with a different title since Sudekis called it quits after three seasons. I, for one, would like to spend more time with these characters. It could be really interesting to see them develop further. For now, there are three really enjoyable seasons to view.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)
Like Ted Lasso I was a bit lukewarm at the start of this series about a housewife who begins a secret career as a nightclub comedienne. After the first episode, I waited until season three had ended before I decided to binge it. (The pandemic…) Ultimately I also grew to love the series, it’s setting (New York), era (late 1950s/early 60s), it’s great characters and highly skilled and spirited performances from many of its actors, especially Rachel Brosnahan as Maisel, Alex Borstein as her manager Susie, Tony Shalhoub as her father, Marin Hinkle as her mother, and the great Caroline Aaron as her mother-in-law. These are actors at the top of their game and the material they were given throughout the series is only enhanced because of their great work.
The series ended its five-season run in May and I don’t begrudge the creators’ decision to end it when it did. The series went as far as it really could go with its basic premise. Throughout the last season we got glimpses as to where these characters would be in the many years after the timeline of the series. While I felt that some of these scenes appeared a bit too randomly it did allow for a more satisfying final episode knowing the direction the characters were heading.
The arc of Midge Maisel was well-conceived (even if it did seem that the audience would roar a bit too much at her jokes) and moved in a realistic direction given the rough ride female comedians had in this era (Joan Rivers and Phyllis Diller are two obvious influences.) Brosnahan remained a delight as Midge throughout the series and it was always great to see guest performers Luke Kirby (as Lenny Bruce) and Jane Lynch (as Sophie Lennon) reappear each season.
In the end, the series harkened back to a seemingly simpler time that eschewed some of the lily-white misconceptions about the era. Like Ted Lasso this was always a positive show with many flawed characters that were always fun to be around.
In part two of my 2023 TV series I will look at several other series that appeared on network and/or streaming platforms this year so far including Abbott Elementary, Dave, Somebody Somewhere, The Diplomat, Cunk on Earth, Shrinking, The Last of Us, The Big Door Prize, Beef, Poker Face, and Bupkis.