OK, first off let’s be clear this isn’t a list of the ‘best’ shows of 2021. Partly, I haven’t watched every show, so how on earth could I compile a true best or top 10 list, etc? I also know that I have failed to watch several really excellent shows, based on what reviewers, friends, and other members of the AtHomeDaily staff have said. So, let’s just call this a list of 5 series from 2021 that I really enjoyed for various reasons.
WandaVision
The year kicked off with one of my favorite series - WandaVision. As the first MCU Disney Plus series, it came with a lot of expectations and after so many movies and series were delayed by the pandemic in 2020, there was certainly a big audience ready for it. Then, the show was so very different than anything we had ever seen from the MCU. That turned some viewers off, but for many of us, it was a breath of fresh air.
The weekly release schedule that we’ve now become used to with Disney Plus shows was fairly novel at the time and it reminded a lot of viewers of what ‘appointment TV’ used to be. The show itself was engrossing, funny, and a great continuation of the MCU storyline. The reveals were fun and sometimes surprising, and it became a great foundation for other Disney Plus MCU shows and the movies to come.
Loki
We’ll follow Wandavision up with another MCU show on Disney Plus - Loki. Honestly, I have enjoyed every one of the Disney Plus MCU shows this year, but I’m going to only include 2 on my list, just so it doesn’t turn into an MCU-fest. But, Loki gets the secon spot for being so unexpected and finding a way to build a clever and engaging show around an alternate version of one of the MCUs best villains turned hero.
It featured some hilarious scenes (Crocodile Loki? Seriously? LOL) and also one of the strangest ‘romantic’ relationships you’ll find on any TV show. It also managed to serve the interest of the ongoing MCU story in some major ways, paving the way for the Multiverse storyline to truly emerge into the films. And, giving Tom Hiddelston the chance to continue in his role as Loki was well worth the effort. We know there will be a season 2, so fans will get to enjoy at least one more season of Loki down the road.
What We Do in the Shadows
So, now we’re moving on to a different genre of show - offbeat comedy. Based on the mockumentary feature film of the same name, the series follows the awkward existence of a group of ancient vampires in modern Staten Island. Taking a page from shows like The Office, with a camera crew that follows the characters around, it makes for a unique duck-out-of-water story.
You get everything from a cult of vampires adopting an 80s aerobics lifestyle to watching our utterly inept main characters attempt to take over management of the local vampiric council. The characters are both ridiculous and endearing. It’s one of the funniest shows on TV, having wrapped up its third season in 2021.
Only Murders in the Building
It took me an episode or two before I got into this one, but the acting is so good and the mystery so full of twists and red herrings that it eventually sucked me in. Watching comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short is a real pleasure. They give their characters plenty of humor, but also round them out as real human beings. Then, add in Selena Gomez as the much younger third leg of their true crime podcast trio and the show really comes alive.
It goes from ridiculous things like having Sting play himself in the series as a potential murder suspect to some of the more standard mystery surprises and this is really an amusing show. Strong writing, great acting, and a fun story made it a favorite for 2021. Now we’ll see where things go in season 2 next year.
The Flight Attendant
Another show from earlier in the year that I wasn’t quite sure about initially. It’s a dark (sometimes very dark) comedy, wrapped around a murder mystery, and a complicated protagonist, played by Kaley Cuoco. I was a fan of the Big Bang Theory, but Cuoco’s character here bares little resemblence to her work on that show. She is more complex, darker, and messed up (serious alcohol issues), but she manages to still be the hero, if a very flawed one. The acting all around is quite good and the story unfolds as we watch Cuoco try to figure out who really committed the murder from the first episode, wondering alll along if she actually did it herself. It’s dark, funny, and entertaining. Check it out on HBO Max.
Bonus Show I Just Started Watching
One last one to add to the mix. I just started watching Succession on HBO Max. Honestly, when I started watching, I thought this was a drama. I knew very little about the show, other than hearing it is fantastic, and getting a bit about the storyline. But, it wasn’t until around the middle of the second episode that I became convinced it is a very dark comedy, heavy on the satire. My opinion may change as I continue watching, but right now I am focused on enjoying the very sharp writing and acting. That’s important, becaus the characters themselves are all awful. Some are clearly more horrible than others, but if there’s a protagonist the audience is likely to cheer for, I haven’t met them yet. That said, it’s a train wreck that I’m having a hard time taking my eyes off of. There’s a bit of Arrested Development, Wall Street, Macbeth, Empire, and a variety of other shows meshed together in this one. It’s dark, funny (but not in a ha-ha kind of way) and truly impressive.
