I think it’s safe to say there’s a lot of series out there, so this list will narrow it down significantly.
5.) Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan - For a series that could very easily be perceived as your stereotypical ‘America will save us all’, it’s actually really good.
Prior to watching this, I set my bar low & due to what I had just mentioned in my previous sentence, so were my expectations, but by the 2nd episode, possibly the 3rd, I was indefinitely hooked. I must admit, it did start off a bit slow & came across as cheesy, especially with one of the main protagonists being as cliche as tinsel at Christmas, however, they were things I subconsciously put up with (i.e., through no intentional action) & focused on the things I did like, which was the remaining 99%.
In a nutshell, Jack Ryan is an analyst for the CIA & is quickly going above & beyond his role. In fact, he’s so good at what he does, that he’s ahead of his seniors, and is quickly put out into the dangerous field of terrorism, as nothing but an office worker, with no apparent knowledge or experience of combat. Things quickly become heavy & your interest sky-rockets, especially when everything looks as good as it does in 4K & even more so on a Samsung QLED
If you would like to read my full blog on this series, then look no further. Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan - The next Jason Bourne?
4.) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - I have yet to write a full blog on this series, yet it’s place in this top 5 list is a must.
The same writer for Gilmore Girls, Amy Sherman-Palladino, also wrote this & you can quickly recognize that by it’s unusually fast paced conversations that the former possesses. Although, the speed is slightly toned down & a bit more realistic, thankfully, for me. I’ve never watched Gilmore Girls, but I have heard it in the background many, many times, with much thank’s to my girlfriend, so I know enough to note the similarities between the two.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is set in the 1950’s & is about a 20-something year old Jewish woman who pursues her newly discovered dream of becoming a comedian. To be a female comedian in the 1950’s, especially in a wealthy/respected Jewish family, was a daunting & extremely difficult dream to achieve. This show contains a lot of witty banter, comedy (obviously), love, loss, ups & downs. My Sonos Beam Soundbar comes on no matter what series I watch, but when Mrs. Maisel is standing up on a stage giving it her all, it makes you feel like you’re in the audience. It’s a truly great series in a much loved decade, with a great message at it’s core.
My full blog on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will be arriving shortly.
3.) Ozark - This is probably one of the most consistently dark series I’ve ever watched. The undertone, which is of a very serious, repercussion nature, just does not let up & I love that. I’m always up for a TV show that knows what it is and sticks to it throughout it’s course.
Jason Bateman plays Marty Byrde, who worked for a company that, without his knowledge, undercut a Mexican cartel by ciphering some of the money/profits they were asked to invest/return. Before you/he knows it, Marty is on his own, in debt to the cartel & living in the Ozarks with his family, where he needs to launder a lot of money, quickly & seamlessly. There are an abundance of hurdles and obstacles in front of Marty, but he’s a smart guy & a lucky one, at times. Murder is second nature when you’re dealing with a cartel as big as this, because it’s not just them that pose a threat. This a series that looks deep into your eyes and says ‘‘blink & you’ll miss it’’.
Alongside some great performances from Jason Bateman is Julia Garner, who’s respective character is ‘Ruth’ & Laura Linney, who plays Marty’s wife ‘Wendy’. In fact, the entire cast of Ozark is top-notch & you need it for a series as severe as this.
The full review on Ozark will be coming soon to a blog page (my blog) near you!
2.) Startup - I’m inclined to say that many people don’t know about Startup, but it’s number 2 on this list for a very good reason & that reason is because it’s awesome.
This series resonated with me due it’s relevance with today’s millennial society, i.e., social media, cryptocurrency & starting a business. If you’ve read my ‘What About Me’ page, which is essentially my ‘About’, then you would have seen that I mentioned starting a business, so seeing as the basis of this TV show is about a startup company, I could truly relate. Of course, no series is complete without drama & this has plenty of it. Some scenes left me temporarily shocked & in a very sincere conversation with my mum (as if it were a matter of life or death), saying such things as ‘‘I can’t believe that just happened!?’’ & ‘‘How can they move on from this??’’.
Startup tells the story of a trio who have very different backgrounds, but all have two things in common. Proving a point & making money. Nick (Adam Brody), Izzy (Otmara Marrero) & Ronald (Edi Gathegi) are your three musketeers in this brutally realistic series. Once they all cross paths, establish who’s trustworthy & what roles they could all play in making it big, getting mixed up in their previous and/or current lives proves to be quite the challenge & setbacks occur more often than they could have possibly imagined.
I promise this is the last time I write this & you’re definitely now wondering why I haven’t written full blogs on 3 out of my top 5 series so far, which would be a very valid question to ask, therefore, the answer to that question is because I’ve yet to finish watching the last few episodes on two out of the three, so I’m being strict with my approach before writing a full blog.
1.) Sneaky Pete - If there was ever a series that was designed/written for me & other like minded people, then Sneaky Pete is it.
I absolutely adore this show. It has the comedy, the seriousness, love affairs, money, gangs, robbery, conning & the list goes on. I know what you’re thinking.. been there, done that & you have the t-shirt. However, as stereotypical as all those descriptions are, it just has that sprinkle of magical dust that gives it a wow-factor you simply cannot ignore.
Giovani Ribisi plays ‘Pete’, although, his real name is Marius & pretends to be the son, cousin, uncle of Pete’s family & all whilst living under the same roof of his ‘family’. The reason why he is doing this is to escape/buy time from a mid-level gang leader, who has his real brother hostage, until a relatively large amount of money is paid back by an upcoming deadline. Pete, or shall I say Marius, is a conman by profession, so you end up witnessing some of the funniest moments of bribery, treachery, slight of hand, quick thinking & a whole host of other ludicrous antics that you could genuinely see being pulled off in reality, which is why I love Sneaky Pete so much. It doesn’t detract too far from the realms of possibility & all whilst delivering great acting, a ridiculous, yet addictive plot & scenes that will have you covering your eyes or looking away, but don’t think for one second that it wallows in it’s self pity when things get rough or when somebody takes a tumble. It moves on & subtly, but doesn’t let you forget what happened. It’s brilliantly paced & beautifully balanced.
This is a series I’ve written a full blog on, so if you want a slightly bigger slice of my opinion, then here it is. Sneaky Pete - My not so sneaky review
