Our Final Ranking Of Television Series (2020 Edition)

Although this new decade did not start the way we thought it would, we did get to stay home and inject ourselves with a little dose of too much television in our systems. In this end-of-the-year editorial, I’ve gathered members of our writing staff to give our final say on all the TV shows we were able to see this year.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7 (ABC) — 7/10

A good way to end a Marvel television adaptation after seven groundbreaking seasons, albeit sprinkled with some minor flaws. Agents of SHIELD wraps up with some service to its most loyal fans. Time travel becomes a huge element, and every cast member takes a bow as their characters face their final enemy. The concept of anarchism needed to stick true to its definition. Even so, everyone gets a satisfactory ending.

Babylon Berlin Season 3 (Sky 1) — 7.5/10

This year brought the much anticipated 3rd season of the German neo-noir series Babylon Berlin. Even though last seasons’ cases were more enthralling than the one here, this season further expands into historical aspects that ultimately resulted in the rise of power of the Nazis in Germany. It’s extremely difficult to watch at times and leaves viewers pondering about the fragility of a Democracy and our role in protecting it. Moreover, this series’ production is outstanding, and every aspect of it is magnificent and transports the viewer to the Weimar Republic. -Cecilia López Closs

The Boys Season 2 (Amazon Prime Video) — 9/10

This season evolved its core characters and the world they find themselves in. New talents in Giancarlo Esposito and Aya Cash are powerful and make us truly feel the presence of their characters in the narrative of each episode, especially with Cash’s character, Stormfront. They push development and test character relationships, but most of all, encourage individual characters to look within themselves and what they value. It’s these challenges that really up the suspense, orchestrating much of the music and cinematography that made the first season so special, but taking it to more graphic portrayals of superpowers (whether it be action, gore, etc.) accompanied by a thrilling edge-of-your-seat score that makes this season an epic one. Although there was some left to be desired with certain characters that could have been focused on more, the antagonizing force in this season is quite ultimate and deals a lot of chaos in the same vein, yet more extreme than in the preceding season. -Mike Guimond

Crash Landing on You (TVN, Netflix) — 8/10

This Korean drama was the biggest surprise for me this year. As someone whose attention has never really been caught by any K-drama, going in I didn’t really know what to expect. The perfect balance between comedy and drama immediately captivated me and I quickly fell in love with the characters of this story. Overall, I would describe this show as wholesome, and it provides so much joy to the viewer, which was extremely needed in 2020. -Cecilia

The Crown Series 4 (Netflix) — 9/10

The drama was raised with the introduction of Diana, Princess of Wales (Emma Corrin), and it was the exact amount of excitement this costume drama needed. – Jordan Simmons

I am not ashamed to admit that I binged Season 4 in an entire day. Princess Diana meant a lot to me growing up and seeing Emma Corrin bring her to life was so special. A lot of my attention was focused on her clothes. I loved looking back on photos of Diana and seeing some of her most iconic pieces brought to the screen. – Francesca Aloe

Dark Season 3 (Netflix) — 8/10

The last cycle of Dark premiered this year and marked the end of the acclaimed German time-travel series. For a series that was pretty complicated to understand since the beginning, the final season made viewers realize we really didn’t know anything further complicated things. However, it managed to tie loose-ends of the story and delivered a satisfying ending to this complex story. -Cecilia

Defending Jacob (Apple TV) — 10/10

I didn’t watch a lot of new shows in 2020. Truthfully, I found comfort in the shows I have watched before. Defending Jacob was the exception. I anxiously awaited this show and I wasn’t disappointed. I wrote reviews for each episode so I won’t go into those details. I will say that it was the first show in a long time that kept me on the edge of my seat each week. I’m really hoping a second season is in the near future. -Francesca

The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix) — 7/10

Darkly entertaining but quite disappointing considering the two-year wait. -Jordan

Insecure Season 4 (HBO) — 9/10

It’s unfortunate that the lead actresses Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji did not take home any Emmy Awards this year for their respective roles as Issa Dee and Molly Carter. The cinematography and musical score together are just the tip of the iceberg, as this fourth season provided a tough storyline with Lawrence Walker (Jay Ellis) returning to the series, and Alexander Hodge and Kendrick Sampson’s characters growing in the spotlight as well. As the world witnessed the darkest moments of Summer 2020, Insecure shed light and gave levity to the lives of regular folks trying to make a living in California. The show tackled many human issues, notably what members of the Black community are going through. Natasha Rothwell and Amanda Seales’ characters developed in the background, but here’s to hoping they get even more screen time in Season 5!

The Last Kingdom Series 4 (Netflix) — 8/10

The Last Kingdom is a hidden gem and the last two seasons have reached a level of quality, that meets, and perhaps even surpasses Vikings. The fourth season, which premiered in April of this year, further deepens the focus on the theme of identity, as these characters continue trying to find their rightful place in the world. Overall, this season is filled with fantastic action scenes, which include some amazing battlefield sequences of Danes against Saxons, political intrigue, and also has some pretty emotional moments, which make the show a fantastic watch. -Cecilia

Lovecraft Country Season 1 (HBO) — 9.5/10

Earlier this year, Misha Green’s television adaptation of the horror novel hit home from August to October with shaky themes (combining racism with literature to a profound degree), great allusions to classic novels and films, and outstanding performances from its cast members, most notably the female actors, who each gave remarkable scream queen spotlights. Apologies to all the men, but Jurnee Smollett, Aunjanue Ellis, Wunmi Mosaku, Abbey Lee, Jamie Chung, and Jada Harris all did so well on this show. Although some music choices can be incongruous with the time setting, we just need to see more of Lovecraft Country, and I’m still crossing my fingers that Green gets to adapt Stephen King’s It into a series!

The Mandalorian Season 2 (Disney+) — 7.5/10

Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian carries over the same issues it had in its previous season, such as filler episodes and fan service. Pedro Pascal gives a stellar performance as the lead, and with additional characters such as Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), Koska Reeves (Sasha Banks/ Mercedes Varnado), Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), and Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) making their return from previous Star Wars properties, this sentiment cannot be denied! At this point, we should already give Ludwig Göransson another Emmy for his major contributions to the show’s musical score. The show’s choice of writers and directors proves they have what it takes to express originality and creativity. For the sake of the franchise’s future, we hope that the third time is the charm.

Ozark Season 3 (Netflix) — 9/10

The series’ cinematography is the standout among all the TV shows I’ve watched this year. The camera movement is so smooth and the framing is outstanding. The production design department did an amazing job setting up the scenes as well. On the topic of the show’s great cast, Skylar Gaertner and Laura Linney gave their best performances this season. My hope is that Gaertner’s Jonah Byrde has a bigger role in the show’s upcoming and final fourth season. A couple of honorable mentions go to Jason Bateman and Julia Garner as well. In retrospect, the biggest complaint I have with Season 3 was the decision the writers made in keeping the Byrdes in Missouri and the introduction of Wendy’s brother, Ben. Tom Pelphrey plays Ben excellently but I just thought his character could have been better developed and had a better ending to his story. If you want more on Ozark, check out my editorial! -Zeke Blakeslee

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix) — 9/10

The Queen’s Gambit is truly magnificent and manages to completely grip the audience throughout the story. Making a show centered around chess and make it exciting for every viewer ought to be extremely difficult, but this show achieves it. During each game, viewers experience the tension surrounding it, which is achieved by the fantastic photography and the actor’s portrayals. The visual representations of how Beth Harmon forms a strategy is mesmerizing, even for someone with a basic understanding of chess. Furthermore, Anya Taylor-Joy does an outstanding job portraying Beth, a character who bears a lot of scars, as a result of many tragedies and who somehow finds her purpose in chess. -Cecilia

Raised By Wolves Season 1 (HBO Max) — 7/10

A mix between Ridley Scott’s Alien and The Martian, HBO Max’s newest science-fiction drama has some great Biblical allusions and so much potential in just its first season. Characters’ backgrounds are explored and the 10 episodes can be a lot to take in, but releasing each on a weekly basis would be a better option rather than the route it took.

Ratched (Netflix) — 6/10

Sarah Paulson is the heart and soul of this campy thriller series. Without her, the whole series would have been a dud. -Jordan

Stargirl Season 1 (DC Universe) — 9.5/10

One of the best things to come out of this pretty terrible year and honestly one of my favorite new DC series. While the characters may come off as a bit cliche from typical teen dramas, Stargirl does an excellent job at adding a little more layers to those stereotypes. The series is fun for all ages as it has an intriguing story and interesting characters you are sure in for a fun 13-episode ride while watching. -Alexander H.

The Twilight Zone Season 2 (CBS All Access) — 8/10

Some compelling plotlines with great twists (although some confusing ones) here and there prove this season to be somewhere in the middle. The Twilight Zone Season 2 brings in familiar faces from Hollywood and they all perform great in the respective roles of their respective episodes.

Utopia Season 1 (Amazon Prime Video) — 8/10

This science-fiction conspiracy-thriller was dark, funny, exciting, and dramatic; but sadly it arrived at the worst time. Too bad it was canceled after just one season. -Jordan

We Are Who We Are (HBO) — 8/10

As we were in the ninth month of the pandemic, uncertainty — but also experimentation — has become the theme of this final stretch of 2020. Luca Guadagnino’s We Are Who We Are could not come at a more opportune time. To put it simply, the show successfully captures the fluidity and dynamism of identity. Through the efforts of the talented cast, writers, and the rest of the production staff who made this show possible, we are reminded to embrace impermanence. We can choose when and how labels define us. But we should never feel that we must be limited or restricted by them. In true Blood Orange fashion, Fraser (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Caitlin’s (Jordan Kristine Seamón) shared muse, only time will tell who we might be in the next 10 years or even the next 10 months. Whatever form we take will matter when we get there. At the end of the day, we are who we are. – Cameron Milan

Westworld Season 3 (HBO) — 8/10

A good season to release at the onset of the pandemic. This season of the HBO science-fiction drama brought forth the apocalypse of digital technology. Characters were developed further, while new ones were introduced into the fray.

What We Do in the Shadows Season 2 (FX) — 7/10

This season was a step up from the previous one, bringing in a new storyline for the vampires and their familiar. Some episodes don’t do so well as the rest, but take it as you will. The latter half was hard to take in as the protests started to happen. Nonetheless, it does have its hilarious moments.

We don’t know what the future holds for us in 2021 and beyond, but we can only hope and then some. What we do know is television adaptations for The Last of Us, Chucky, and Upgrade are in development, so there is that to anticipate!

What was your favorite show this year? Let us know! For more television-related news and reviews follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_).