It’s December here at Do You Know What I Love The Most?, and that means it’s time for Year End Lists! I’ll be devoting the rest of this month to rounding up and discussing the various media released in 2020 that meant the most to me — just like every other website on the internet! Isn’t that special?
In today’s installment we’re mostly going to talk about television (I didn’t see very many films with theaters, y’know, closed), but we’ll also talk about some podcasts and movies as well. As always, this is not meant to be a definitive list of the best out there, because I simply cannot and have not watched it all. These are simply the shows released in 2020 that caught my attention and/or tugged at my heartstrings in this dumpster fire of a year, in no particular order.
TELEVISION:
The Good Place (NBC)
Only four episodes of The Good Place aired in 2020, but as the final four installments of the entire series, they packed quite a punch. Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, Jason, Michael, and Janet’s initial mission to save themselves ended with them not only saving the entire human race, but rebuilding the entire afterlife from scratch, solidifying the series’ core message of compassion, empathy, and growth through mutual support — vital, heartrending, necessary lessons. The finale, though, was what left me a snotty, sobbing wreck, weeping helplessly into my comforter. It was Tahani finally getting the family she always wanted that wrecked me, but almost every scene had the potential to hit just as hard. As an ode to the sad, yet necessary and cathartic act of moving on and to the exciting mystery of the unknown, to humanity’s intrinsic need to forever learn and grow, this episode served as the perfect finale to an ambitious, brilliant series.
Animaniacs (Hulu)
I hadn’t even realized how much I’d missed the antic slapstick punnery of the Warner Brothers (and the Warner Sister) or the wild, silly satire of Pinky and the Brain until I tuned into this new season/reboot/continuation of the fan-favorite 90s series; it was like reconnecting with a beloved old friend, picking up right where we left off. Yes, there’s a level of nostalgia in play here, and yes, not every sketch is a winner, but the ones that hit just right are sublime bits of comedy, and we all need a bit more of that in our lives. Some series just don’t need to be revived, and many that are never manage to justify themselves or recreate what originally made them great, but Animaniacs is a concept with a lot of life in it, that picked up right where it left off without missing a beat, and I’m happy to have it back.
American Ninja Warrior (NBC)
I’m not much of a sports guy, but I’ve always liked American Ninja Warrior. I like the peek we get into the athletes’ lives; I like the unique challenge of the obstacles they have to tackle, which clearly take strategy, skill, and training, and which are often wild and visually exciting, yet far simpler to understand than pretty much any other sport; more than anything, I appreciate the community aspect, how the athletes largely compete against themselves, looking to push and better themselves and their times, rather than against each other. This year’s Season 12 was a unique one, obviously limited by Covid. Though this cut down on the variety of the courses and led to some eerie moments (the stands are empty — where is all this cheering and applause coming from?!), it led to new strategies, some shocking triumphs and comebacks, and an even greater focus on teamwork. Overall, I was just happy to have the satisfying routine of ANW back in my life during a chaotic, unpredictable year.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW)
It was another banner year for everyone’s favorite crew of misfit time-traveling heroes. Season Five of the CW’s greatest superhero show was as wonderfully, brilliantly outrageous as ever, with audacious moments including, but not limited to: The Atom accidentally blowing up Rasputin (Russia’s greatest love machine) from the inside out, Marie Antionette’s talking decapitated head, a hell-hound rabbit named Gary Jr., a superhero/Shakespeare mash-up entitled “Romeo V. Juliet: Dawn Of Justness,” a massive battle scene set to Sisco’s “The Thong Song,” and simultaneous pitch-perfect parodies of “Friends,” “Downton Abbey,” and “Star Trek.” Yet, the character work shines just as brightly. This is the season that introduced two equally compelling versions of Zari (revealing that Tala Ashe has chemistry with everyone), introduced a brand new character in Behrad who was supposed to have retroactively been a part of the team’s last few adventures and actually felt like it, crafted emotionally satisfying farewells for four major characters (counting Damien), and found some of its most compelling moments in Mick (of all people!) and his newfound fatherhood. I just love this show so much.
[I talked more about Legends of Tomorrow, albeit one of the only real frustrating elements of this season, in this newsletter.]
Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix)
It’s a testament to this show’s storytelling skill that I ended every episode enraptured and devastated when no resolution came, despite the name of the damn show being Unsolved Mysteries. Despite the (controversial) decision to use no narrator, Unsolved Mysteries managed to unspool its various cases in a logical, clear, compelling manner, slowly luring viewers in and inviting them to play along as amateur detectives. More importantly, though, it also gave victims and their families new voices, a chance, hopefully, for justice, or at least closure. This one left me refreshing the show’s website looking for updates to the cases for quite a while.
The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
This season of The Umbrella Academy did exactly what any good second season should do: move away from elements of the first that didn’t work, and lean into what did. The quasi-incest was dropped almost entirely, the pacing got better, and the characters started interacting as more typical siblings — who frustrate and squabble with each other but deep down really do have love between them — rather than people who couldn’t stand each other. Best of all, that change didn’t feel arbitrary, but rather like natural growth from their adventures together, leading to a cathartic coming together at the end of the season and a compelling, anything-could-happen-next cliffhanger. Allison, Klaus, and Vanya’s storylines dug into meatier topics than ever before (Allison’s time as a sixties civil rights activist especially), but it never forgot that sense of fun that made its first season so enjoyable even at its most frustrating. I’m really excited to see where this show goes next.
[I talked more about Umbrella Academy in this newsletter.]
Harley Quinn (DC Universe/HBO Max)
The first season of Harley Quinn was an unexpected delight, a wildly hilarious parody of other Batman properties that also had a surprising bit of heart, but Season 2 managed to blow it out of the water entirely. Without losing the wit, humor, and shock factor, Season 2 dug deep into its characters, challenging Harley and Ivy to grow and mature. A strong serialized story provided room for drama and heartbreak, revenge and betrayal, sacrifice, heroics (shockingly enough), and even more shockingly, true love, romance, and growth. It should be required viewing for anyone who loves superheroes (and can also handle a bit of gore and language). Harley Quinn has no right to be this good.
[I talked about Harley Quinn in the “Check Out” segment of this newsletter.]
Worst Cooks in America (Food Network)
There’s two ingredients to Worst Cooks’ winning formula: you get to laugh at the sheer ineptitude of its contestants, but you also get to see them grow and gain confidence in themselves and their cooking. Technically three new seasons of this show aired in 2020 (two regular and one celebrity), but the best was the third, Season 20, which brought in Chef Alex Guarnaschelli as a judge, whose perfect balance of wit and kindness, exasperation and patience, was such a boon to the show. I say this every season, but these contestants were some of the wildest yet, and they never failed to entertain.
Steven Universe Future (Cartoon Network)
Steven Universe Future is an epilogue, a deconstruction of the “child hero” archetype that fueled its predecessor series, Steven Universe. There’s still the whimsy, music, adventure, and joy you came to expect from the original, but Future also digs into what it’s like for a child savior who has spent his entire life helping others to suddenly live in a world of peace, to have no more purpose, to have to decide for himself what he wants to do with his life. It’s tragic, it’s cathartic, it’s achingly real (even when it’s at its most fantastic). How is this a kid’s show, again?
[I talked more about Steven Universe Future — including, in detail, its finale — in this newsletter.]
Jeopardy (ABC)
Jeopardy has always been quality programming (and always been on during/after dinner in my family), but James Holzhauer’s massive winning streak in 2019, combined with the announcement of host/American and Canadian treasure Alex Trebek’s cancer, have had all eyes on the show over the past couple of years. 2020 kicked off with the “Greatest of All Time” Tournament, which pitted Jeopardy’s three most successful contestants (Holzhauer, Ken Jennings, and Brad Rutter) against each other, and ended with Trebek’s passing away (his final episode will air Christmas Day). The world knew this was our last chance to see Trebek do what he does best, do what he loves, and who would have wanted to miss that?
Stargirl (DC Universe/HBO Max/CW)
I don’t know what Stargirl’s budget looks like, but both the special effects (Stargirl’s staff and hulking CGI monster Solomon Grundy especially) and the casting (Luke Wilson!) are practically movie level, giving this show a sheen and prestige not all its superhero brethren possess. I’m nervous about what will happen to it as it goes straight-to-CW in Season Two, but thankfully, even without the budget, Stargirl would be an excellent show. The casting is perfect, especially Wilson’s Pat Dugan and Brec Bassinger as Dugan’s stepdaughter and the titular hero, Courtney Whitmore. Bassinger brings a charm and enthusiasm but also a conscience that grows and evolves over the series, and her youth plays brilliantly against Wilson’s kind and grounded (if constantly frustrated) Dugan. There’s great spectacle in Stargirl, but also a focus on family that extends to the villains and supporting characters — not just the heroes — in fascinating ways, making this a wholesome, exciting, thematically coherent and interesting adventure.
[I talked more about Stargirl in the “Check Out” segment of this newsletter.]
Sex Education (Netflix)
In it second season, Sex Education starts to interrogate and pull apart its premise, finding the limits of Otis’ knowledge and skill and exploring his flaws without branding him a “bad person.” It’s smart, nuanced stuff, but ultimately this is no longer Otis’ show (it if ever truly was). This season expands and explores the series’ supporting cast and finds a compelling story for each and every one of them, stories equally heartbreaking and heartwarming, awkward and necessary. It’s diverse, honest, gritty, yet just fun enough to make it all work. Sex Education feels like a modern-day John Hughes movie (minus the problematic eighties elements), or a far less preachy, more progressive Degrassi, and that’s exactly the kind of series I need in my life.
Doom Patrol (DC Universe/HBO Max)
As I dove into the two available seasons of Doom Patrol this year, a single thought repeatedly ran through my head: I am so happy for Brenden Frasier that he gets to play Robotman. It’s the part of a lifetime, and I can’t think of a more deserving actor. Ultimately, though, every member of Doom Patrol’s cast gets so much to do, so much meaty, nuanced writing to work with, and they absolutely send it flying out of the park. This is such a surreal, weird show, and it can be zany with the the best of them, but whenever it gets the chance to aim for heart shattering emotion it does so and it always, always delivers; I don’t think I’ll ever get over Larry’s “reunion” with his family. Season Two’s final episode couldn’t be filmed because of Covid, but in a way the truncated, cliffhanger ending kinda works; ending the season on total defeat is the kind of ballsy move Doom Patrol runs on. I don’t think anyone could possibly guess where they’ll go next, besides possibly Grant Morrison.
Bojack Horseman (Netflix)
Bojack Horseman’s final season was split into two halves, one airing in 2019 and one in 2020. In some parallel universe, the penultimate 2019 episode closed the series out on a positive, uplifting note, with Bojack having found a new outlet to lead a productive life and having made peace with his closest friends. Bojack, though, isn’t that kind of show — it believes that Bojack can be redeemed, but it also knows that this cannot be done if his sins are kept in the dark. Thus comes the final eight episodes, which are excruciatingly bleak as often as they’re gut-bustlingly hilarious. The series never missed a beat, even in its endgame.
Like all the best series, the characters in Bojack have a life and history all their own. You know they existed before we started seeing their adventures, and they feel like they’ll continue to once the series ends. What makes this “the” end, then? Well, the series began with Diane coming into Bojack’s life, and it ends with her leaving it for good, the bond between the two irrevocably broken. The series’ final shot is the two sitting together on a roof, with nothing more to say, but also not wanting the moment to end, because they both know it will be the last time they ever see each other. The camera lingers on the scene far too long for comfort, forcing us to sit with the sadness of it all as the series comes to a close. There’s hope for these characters, but they still have to deal with the consequences of their actions. It’s a fitting, poignant note to end this brilliant, already-missed series on.
PODCASTS:
I’m a big, big fan of advice columns. There’s the voyeuristic aspect of gawking at people with far more screwed up lives than you, of course, but it also makes me far more empathetic towards their problems, and I love trying to answer the questions myself and seeing how my thoughts compare with the columnist’s. My favorite column is Danny Lavery’s Dear Prudence, primarily because Lavery’s values and styles and mine largely seem to align, but also because there’s just a ton of content, with a column almost every day and most of them answering seven to eight questions. I got into the podcast as an extension of the column, and it is, indeed, a spoken-word advice column, but it also gives Lavery greater space to dive into some of the truly thorny questions, as well as more opportunity to show off his personality and the personality of the guests. It’s a fun time, at least when it’s not a terribly, sad, somber time.
“It’s If You’re Listening, one person’s mission to make her friend listen to all the music he avoided in high school!” I really can’t sum this one up any better than they do themselves at the beginning of every episode. Heather grew up in the pop-punk/emo scene, and every week forces an album from her youth onto her friend Ramsey, who didn’t. Sometimes he likes them, but the best episodes are the ones where Ramsey absolutely can’t stand them — or, when they both somehow end up hating the album. Am I a bad person for finding joy in their pain? Nah. It’s at least 50% of the point.
MOVIES:
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
2020, due to no fault of its own, wasn’t much of a year for movies for me. I only got to see four movies in the theater this year before they shut down (and one of them was a 2019 release!), and even through rentals, only caught 5 more 2020 releases, none of which really “wowed” me — other than Birds of Prey (I’m not writing that full title every time), of course.
That’s not a diss on Birds of Prey, though. I have a feeling this movie would’ve ranked quite high on my list even if all 2020’s other blockbusters had come out as scheduled. Margot Robbie fully inhabits Harley Quinn’s anarchic spirit and looses it on the structure and cinematography of the film — it’s always exciting and always looks great. More importantly, the story works, the action is fantastic, and all the characters feel like real, fleshed out people and gel as an ensemble immediately, even the ones who don’t get a ton of screen time (such as Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress, who steals every bit of her scant screentime). A film that could have been self-indulgent, superfluous, or grating instead turned out anything but. I want a sequel immediately, which is a sign of a great movie, or at least a great superhero movie.
Do You Know What I Love the Most’s “Best Of 2020” series:
December 3: Top 10 Newsletters of 2020
Today: Top Television, Podcasts, and Movies of 2020
December 14: Top Books and Comics of 2020
December 17: Let’s Talk About Substack
December 23: 2020: A Playlist
December 30: Top Albums of 2020
ABOUT
“Do You Know What I Love the Most?” is a newsletter from Spencer Irwin. Spencer is an enthusiast and writer from Newark, Delaware, who likes punk rock, comic books, working out, breakfast, and most of all, stories. His previous work appeared on Retcon Punch, One Week One Band, and Crisis on Infinite Chords, and he can be found on Twitter at @ThatSpenceGuy. If you like this newsletter, please subscribe and share with your friends!