One of my most treasured holiday memories from childhood is curling up on my grandparents' davenport every year after the presents were opened and immersing myself in the year-end "Best of" lists in all the weekly news magazines. Even though I was a country kid with no way to access much of the media on the lists, I was fascinated by the educated opinions of people who were paid to have them.
Now that social media and Google reviews have gutted traditional journalism and arts criticism, those things are harder to come by. Working for Trivia Mafia doesn't necessarily make one an arts critic, but it does mean one consumes a heck of a lot of media in any given year. Here's our humble effort to keep the flame alive with a roundup of our favorite things of 2023. Let's start with TV and video games! — Editor Ira
TV
Brenna’s Picks
If you have to humble yourself and get your little brother’s Hulu password, trust me, it’s worth it to watch “The Bear.” Season 2 expands and contracts – three characters get their own episodes and the Berzattos get served a full Christmas dinner, which gives more breadth to each person while also zooming in on a delicate mint leaf or a pile of forks. And now I don’t hate Cousin! How! Does it get a little soapy and lean on close-ups of Jaime Lee Curtis too often? Does Carmy super deserve to cool off for a year after this? Sure; but it’s balanced by near-perfect pacing, thoughtful cameos, and Oliver Platt in aviator frames.
“The Diplomat” is a quick and pithy answer to the question, “What if Shonda Rhimes had produced ‘The West Wing’?” Come for Keri Russell, stay for whatever’s happening between the CIA station chief and the embassy deputy chief. (Netflix)
“The Dragon Prince” is a diverse, fun, interesting animated fantasy series my kids discovered in its fifth season (the sixth and last comes out next year). If you liked “Lord of the Rings” but wish it were more like “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” you’d probably like this. (Netflix) – EVP Brenna
Ruby’s Picks
It was so obvious at the end of "Russian Doll" that someone needed to give Natasha Lyonne her own "Columbo" that I was certain it would never happen. Rian Johnson proved me wrong with "Poker Face," a modernized throwback to the mystery-of-the-week shows of the '70s and '80s. Lyonne luxuriates in the role she was born to play, the B-list guest stars always deliver, and the sum total is one of the most delightful shows in ages.
"Reservation Dogs" wrapped up its three-year run the same way it started, as the best thing on TV. If there's a midpoint between "Gilmore Girls" and "Atlanta," that's where this show lives, except it's more heartfelt than either. It's hilarious and heartbreaking, surreal and grounded, specific and universal, current and timeless, and it'll be sorely missed. Long live Uncle Brownie.
Two long-runners that aren't showing signs of slowing down: "Bob's Burgers" has dug deeper than expected this year by hitting some genuine – and, more importantly, well-earned – emotional beats. (Je suis Regular-Sized Rudy!) And "Taskmaster"? Well, "Taskmaster" is and always has been just plain fun. – Editor Ira
I barely watched TV this year, but I did get very into “Jeopardy!” Have you all heard about “Jeopardy!”? It’s really good. – Editor Ruby
Greg’s Picks
Perhaps on the back of SAG and WGA strikes, animation hit a high note this year. While this pop culture trivia company vociferously disputes the way David Zaslav keeps disappearing media from Max, that service is leading the way. “Fionna and Cake” untangled some of the messier loose ends remaining from “Adventure Time” and filled out a multiverse of characters in feeling and interesting ways. “Scavengers Reign” is some of the most stimulating and unexpected science fiction in any medium in years, animated in a floaty, compelling style that must be seen. On Netflix, “Castlevania: Nocturne” continued the original series’ impeccable kinetics with richly developed characters from engaging and diverse backgrounds. Top-notch music, too. “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off” addressed big issues with its source material and went wild, blazing an undisputed path as the best version of Scott and (mostly) Ramona’s story yet.
Damon Lindelof (“Watchmen,” “Lost”) partnered with Tara Hernandez for an offbeat hit in “Mrs. Davis,” my favorite of a number of good shows on Peacock (see “Poker Face”). Betty Gilpin (of “Glow”) and Jake McDorman (of the surprisingly good “Limitless” TV series/sequel) shine in this cross-country cross-faith quest for the Holy Grail. Fans of Tom Robbins’ books will find a lot to love here, and fans of Beloved Character Actress Margo Martindale won’t be left disappointed either. – Event Specialist Greg
Chuck’s Picks
Maybe absence makes my cynical heart grow fonder, but it felt like 2023 drew the final curtain on an unusually large number of fantastic television shows. Maybe TV really has peaked. Here are 10 great series that ended this year, ranked according to how much I miss them already:
“Succession”
The best TV show of the last decade.
“How to with John Wilson”
A second-person narrative the likes of which we’ve never seen before, and will likely never see again, because there is no one on Earth quite like John Wilson.
“Barry”
I didn’t like Bill Hader until I watched “Barry,” and now I like him a lot.
“Archer”
Constantly and consistently entertaining, but felt empty without Jessica Walter.
“Reservation Dogs”
It was impossible not to root for this show. Looking forward to whatever this talented young cast gets up to next.
The rest:
“A Black Lady Sketch Show”
“The Great”
“The Crown”
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
“Ted Lasso” – Co-Founder Chuck
Games
Greg’s Picks
I don’t get a lot of time to sit down with the "Baldur’s Gates" and "Starfields" of the world, but I love playing collaboratively or competitively with my partner. "Cassette Beasts" delivered a local co-op take on monster-collecting games, which have always been solo affairs. The designs are retro-inflected, but the gameplay is modern and thoughtful. It's a Super Effective purchase for grown-ups drawn to the boombox-pixelated visuals or kids looking for something meatier than the usual pocket-monster fare. "Disney Illusion Island" is a throwback to SNES/Genesis-era Disney platformers with excellent modern updates, including thoughtful zooming to keep everyone together as they explore.
If you’re looking for something more chaotic, "Moving Out 2" is a tremendous sequel to the hectic game of packing, moving, smashing, and shipping. "WarioWare: Move It!" returned the series to form with motion-controlled madness not seen since the Wii era. Lastly and most-heavily recommended, "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" is so loaded with fresh and challenging ideas that it feels almost overwhelming. Nintendo has been making 2D Mario games for nearly 40 years and still finds ways to create and innovate. There are accessibility tools for mixed-age groups, and the chaos never feels out of control. Nothing made my partner and guests laugh and smile as hard as "Wonder" did. – Event Specialist Greg
Tune in tomorrow to find out what we thought about music this year!
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