Wait, there were good things about this year? As a matter of fact, there were. Here we go with my annual awards for best television show, movie, and book!
Best Television Show of 2020: Many of us have likely watched more television this year than we have in the past. As I’ve written before, there are so many fantastic shows on streaming services that we’re long past just watching networks for good fare.
Despite not watching much on the networks, I really enjoy The Conners on ABC. Once Rosanne was booted, the rest of the cast was allowed to shine. This is a show that’s not afraid to tackle current events and issues and has such great diversity in its cast. There are not always happy endings, just like real life, and the show mixes humor and seriousness quite well.
The second season of The Mandalorian on Disney+ has outshone the first season. Every episode tops the previous one as we dig deeper into the Star Wars mythology. If you haven’t seen a “Baby Yoda” meme somewhere, you haven’t been looking hard enough! This is one of the few shows I feel I need to see the day it first appears!
The winner this year, though, is The Last Dance, the 10-part documentary ESPN put out about Michael Jordan’s last season with the Chicago Bulls. Maybe it’s because I was a huge NBA fan during this time period, but the folks behind this show did an amazing job of taking footage and interviews and creating a fascinating look at both that final run to a title and also Jordan’s early years leading to that. If you like sports at all, this is a must-watch.
Best Movie of 2020: Um. Well. I went to exactly one movie in a theater this year, Bloodshot back in March, just before the brunt of the pandemic hit. That movie was based on a comic book I enjoy, but it was a pretty average movie, so it can’t win by default.
I’ve watched some other flicks on streaming services, and that seems to be where we’ll be seeing new films for the foreseeable future. I watched On the Rocks on Disney+, with Bill Murray and Rashida Jones starring. Both of them do a good job, but I wasn’t sure if I should be laughing or not at times. Was it a rom-com? I’m still not sure.
Knives Out was an enjoyable movie that I saw on Amazon Prime. It’s got quite an ensemble cast and takes the idea of an Agatha Christie whodunit and adds some twists that you’ll never see coming. At one point, I thought they were wrapping things up; then I looked at the time left and saw 40 minutes remaining! This one is definitely worth a watch.
The best movie I saw? It was probably Greyhound on Disney+, starring Tom Hanks. This historical fiction piece is based on real events with the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. There is a lot of action and not as much character building. But if I have to pick a winner, this would be it.
Best Book of 2020: In addition to watching more shows, I’ve probably read more books too! That’s what pandemic quarantines and lockdowns will do to you!
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi is the second book in a trilogy about a fictional nation where magic users are discriminated against. It tells the continuing story about how magic was removed and then regained. There are plenty of parallels to slavery, and the story borders between dark and hopeful. Both books have been outstanding, and I can’t wait for the finale in 2021!
Christopher Paolini is well known for his Eragon series of books for young adults, an epic studded with dragons and magic. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is his first attempt at adult fiction, and he hit a home run in his first at bat! This is science fiction at its best, with an invasion of the galaxy by a seemingly unbeatable foe. It is the rare book that I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next, but also didn’t want it to end.
The winner this year was a prequel to the Hunger Games series, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. This is the story of President Snow, before he reached that stature. It also features early looks at how the Hunger Games used to be set up. If you liked those books, you really need to read this one. It leaves the door open for future books leading up to Katniss’ appearance, but could also be read as a one-off.
There we go! We made it through 2020! I guess I get a week off next week, so I’ll take this chance to wish you all a very merry Christmas and the hope for a better New Year! See you in 2021!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is pishogue, which means sorcery or a spell, as in, “The reader noticed that the columnist seemed to enjoy entertainment that had plenty of pishogue.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!