Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez Hype 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 2

Even though the show ended a mere nine months ago, the new season of Only Murders is here already, and we’re all the better for it. A delightful romp that makes great use of the surprising chemistry of Steve Martin and Martin Short with Selena Gomez, who is kind of a discovery here as the deadpan millennial teamed up with the old pros.

Tatiana Maslany Returns to TV in Marvel's 'She-Hulk'

Yikes. I don’t know what I expected, but probably that She-Hulk would at least look as good as Hulk? This green monstrosity is what I can only hope is unfinished CGI. Does she remind anyone else of the scary looking, badly animated Casper villains? And why is she not even, you know, bigger and buffer? It’s hard to notice anything other than that, but the more comedic tone of this series might have some potential, especially if you know Maslany’s talent, like I do. I guess we’ll see in August.

Darth Vader Returns in 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Trailer

Not that we get to see him here of course. Only glimpses. Am I the only one who’d forgotten Joel Edgerton really did play the super young Uncle Owen at the end of Revenge of the Sith? I’m mostly here for John Williams’ original composition for this series, which he apparently asked to be allowed to do- one last theme for “Benny", as he calls him. It probably doesn’t make much sense to have any hope for a Star Wars property at this point, but I’ll be tuning in for this in a morbidly curious way.

Monsters Galore in 'Stranger Things' Season 4 Trailer

Finally, after all those endless teasers, Netflix puts out the real trailer for the fourth season of Stranger Things, which is set to be split in two halves, one airing in May and the other in July. It looks, well, like Stranger Things alright, with the kids getting ever older and taller, thus losing much of the original appeal of the series when it premiered (although maybe it was the horror all along, I don’t know). I’ll be watching. They said Season 5 was the last and I gotta finish it now.

Top 10 Shows of 2021

I realize this is really late, but even so, here it is. My top ten shows of 2021 were as follows:

1. DICKINSON Season 2 & Season 3 (Apple TV+)

I loved the short-lived, glorious Dickinson because it was like nothing else on TV- a totally unique tone captured its every moment and the celebration of an artist’s inner life and the small world she inhabited as meaningful and comedic was something you never see the focus of in any kind of media.

2. IT’S A SIN (HBO Max)

This five part miniseries left me in uncontrollable tears, as the raw emotional power of its joyous storytelling deserved a much bigger audience.

3. THE WHITE LOTUS Season 1 (HBO)

Mike White’s brilliant dissection of the upper classes and his nihilistic point of view made this limited series the talk of last summer- before it was announced that it was now going to be an anthology series. Let’s hope it can keep up the momentum.

4. SUPERMAN AND LOIS Season 1 (CW)

A new take on Superman that actually feels like one, showing him as a family man and mixing superhero and family drama, surprisingly successfully.

5. STATION ELEVEN (HBO Max)

One of the last shows of 2021 (it aired 7 of its 10 episodes in December, so I’m counting it), this miniseries had a dramatic, harrowing impact on me, as I think it would on anyone who watches it. Its portrayal of a deadly pandemic hit very close to home- too much so, but that made it all the more powerful.

6. ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING Season 1 (Hulu)

The delight of the year, as this show felt like instant comfort food- figures of the past meshed perfectly with a younger generation. Martin and Short still have it and more, while the pairing with Selena Gomez is surprisingly fun and makes the show feel fresh and familiar.

7. SEX EDUCATION Season 3 (Netflix)

Netflix’s teen sex comedy is still raunchy, funny, provocative and entertaining in its third year, always rollicking in its ongoing exploration of sexual mores and morays, its characters maintaining our rooting interest in all their poking and prodding.

8. MARE OF EASTTOWN (HBO)

Kate Winslet’s tour de force performance (along with the entire supporting cast) lifted what could have been a genre exercise into real suspense and intrigue.

9. SQUID GAME Season 1 (Netflix)

This show could have been very gimmicky (and still was at times), but the excitement and sheer stress of watching the gimmick unfold was undeniably effective. Don’t know where a second season could really go now, but the first more than stands on its own.

10. YELLOWJACKETS Season 1 (Showtime)

Another show that didn’t quite finish its run in 2021, but it started in November, so close enough. This debut was enthralling, intriguing, and sets up a hell of mystery it must now follow through on. The first season was gripping and fun to watch and dissect- let’s just hope it doesn’t turn into another Lost.

Honorable Mentions (in order they aired): Lupin S1; Hacks S1; Schmigadoon!; Ted Lasso S2; Maid; Succession S3; The Great S2