I always enjoy these year end lists, they are a good default to refer back to for my wife and I when we are not sure what to watch, and it generally goes well. I think the two tv shows you mentioned in this letter are a good indicator of why we can trust your judgment and taste.
Enough has been written about the genius of Better Call Saul, which was one fantastic ride, but I still believe Better Things did not get enough broad recognition for Pamela Adlon's genius portrayal of family dynamics. There is a certain subset of people that, despite otherwise having good taste in drama, cannot stomach a show that "lacks in plot" - 22 to 60 minutes of people just existing on screen. Yes it's snoozeville in the wrong hands, but Better Things always went by too quickly for us despite that. We could not spend enough time in that universe each week. I can't think of a show that presented the heartache and joy of parenting kids through adolescence in the modern world in a way that felt so raw and real. We lived and died (and often cried) with Sam every week. I miss it.
I always enjoy these year end lists, they are a good default to refer back to for my wife and I when we are not sure what to watch, and it generally goes well. I think the two tv shows you mentioned in this letter are a good indicator of why we can trust your judgment and taste.
Enough has been written about the genius of Better Call Saul, which was one fantastic ride, but I still believe Better Things did not get enough broad recognition for Pamela Adlon's genius portrayal of family dynamics. There is a certain subset of people that, despite otherwise having good taste in drama, cannot stomach a show that "lacks in plot" - 22 to 60 minutes of people just existing on screen. Yes it's snoozeville in the wrong hands, but Better Things always went by too quickly for us despite that. We could not spend enough time in that universe each week. I can't think of a show that presented the heartache and joy of parenting kids through adolescence in the modern world in a way that felt so raw and real. We lived and died (and often cried) with Sam every week. I miss it.