Two seasons of Slow Horses (available on Apple TV+) in one year; a 10-part retelling of how The Godfather was made (The Offer, available on Voot); a dramatic adaptation of Elizabeth Holmes’s story (The Dropout, on Disney+ Hotstar), Jesse Eisenberg and Lizzy Kaplan talking their way through relationship woes and identity crises in Fleishman is in Trouble (Disney+ Hotstar) — there was a wealth of good stories to binge on in 2022, and these are just a few of the less-than-perfect examples. Disney+ Hotstar held on to its title of being the best curator among Indian streamers and brought some of the best American shows to Indian audiences. Leaving aside the cringe-inducing adaptation of Shantaram, Apple TV+ continued to present the most unusual stories and lavish productions from around the world. Fittingly, these two platforms are home to the two best shows of the year: Severance and The Bear.
Severance (Apple TV+)
What better way to depict the idea of corporate America as mindless drones than to envision a job at which every employee has split their consciousness in half? Dan Erikson’s Severance is a workplace thriller that was simultaneously dystopian in tone and a rich commentary on the current moment, having arrived at a time when the pandemic had taken a sledgehammer to the concept of a work-life balance and the idea of ‘quiet quitting’ began to pick up steam. Utterly absorbing and impeccably plotted, the show took a high-concept premise and made it all-too relatable to anyone who’d ever asked themselves if the drudgery of their job was worth it. The final episode was one of television’s most harrowing, nail-biting and internal-screaming-worthy experiences this year, but Severance’s real victory lay in crafting characters to root for, empathetic and real in their defiance of a culture that fought to define them as anything but.
The Bear (Disney+ Hotstar)
When Carmy’s brother dies by suicide, Carmy leaves the world of fine dining and tries to revive the fortunes of his brother’s sandwich shop in Chicago. The work is excruciating, but the long hours and many challenges come handy for Carmy who is determined to avoid dealing with his grief as well as the trauma of surviving a kitchen where the work culture was toxic. Within minutes of its first episode, Christopher Storer’s The Bear draws you deep into Carmy’s world. Strange, funny, intense and compelling, this eight-episode show is about friendship, tenderness, masculinity, the joy that comes from doing what you love, and the stress of working in the service industry. It’s powered by some terrific acting by Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach in particular. Look out for the dream sequences that go from hilarious to disturbing in a matter of seconds. Unlike The Menu (2022), which also featured a chef as a protagonist, Storer’s show is far more hopeful. For all the tension and tears, The Bear leaves you cheering for Carmy, Sydney (Edebiri) and the others who dare to pursue their dreams despite all the obstacles in their paths.