From Netflix hitmakers to Disney crowd-pleasers, 2023 looks to be a year of big hits on the small screen.
Bel Powley tries her hand at period drama in this National Geographic series about Miep Gies, the woman who helped hide Anne Frank during World War II.
The Flash Season 4
After waking up from a coma with amazing new powers, forensics expert Barry Allen squares off against forces that threaten Central City in this CW superhero drama starring Grant Gustin as the Scarlet Speedster. Season 4 featured the addition of a number of new heroes, including Caitlin’s icy alter ego Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker). Her journey to uncover the truth about her icey origins looked promising, and hopefully, we’ll get a glimpse at her past in season 5.
This season also had a big focus on family as Iris and Joe raise their daughter, Cecile, and Barry deals with his trial for DeVoe’s murder. And, in the finale, Team Flash welcomes a new member into their fold: baby Jenna West!
Despite some muddled storytelling and a gimmicky finale, season four was still a lot of fun. It seemed like the show was finally finding its footing after a few seasons of stumbling around. Hopefully, the new season can continue to delight and charm us with its goofy tone and entertaining action.
Florida Man Season 2
Taking a cue from the endless headlines of Florida men doing the most ridiculous things, this crime dramedy stars Edgar Ramirez as Mike Valentine. A struggling ex-cop and recovering gambling addict, he’s sent back to his home state by mobster Moss Yenkov to track down his runaway girlfriend Delly. What should be a quick gig turns into a spiraling journey into hidden family secrets and an attempt to right a wrong.
While the premise is humorous, the show’s creators (including Jason Bateman) use it as a springboard to explore more serious topics. The wacky occurrences serve as the backdrop for stories about poverty, mental health, and drug addiction. By delving deeper into these issues, Florida Man offers a more complex and thought-provoking take on the outrageous headlines.
Despite its success, Netflix has not renewed Florida Man for Season 2. It’s a limited series with a predetermined number of episodes that tell a complete story. However, if the show continues to do well, there’s always the chance that it may receive another season in the future.
The Walking Dead Season 8
Despite its flaws, The Walking Dead is still one of the most popular shows on television. While critics have slammed the show, it has found success with its spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead. This season, the series is wrapping up its shortened final season with 12 episodes instead of the usual 16.
The show has seen a lot of change over its long run. There have been many different settings, two big time jumps, and more than a few betrayals. Ghum Hai KisiKey Pyaar Meiin Written Update involved the Scavengers, who turned on Alexandrians and were subsequently taken out by Negan’s team.
Kim Dickens is back as Madison Clark, but the real star this season is Lennie James as Morgan Jones. The rest of the cast is made up of newcomers such as Danay Garcia as Luciana and Austin Amelio as Dwight and returning stars like Ruben Blades as Daniel and Christine Evangelista as Sherry. The series is a post-apocalyptic horror drama from Robert Kirkman and Dave Erickson that airs on AMC. You can watch it with an AMC subscription or a live TV streaming service such as YouTube TV or Fubo TV.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Season 2
After debuting alongside the Nintendo Switch in 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild became one of the most popular and critically acclaimed games ever released. Featuring one of the largest open worlds in video game history, this revolution in the franchise masterfully brought together many classic elements of Nintendo’s revered series, while still feeling entirely new and fresh.
The sequel to this wildly successful game, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, has been long-awaited by fans and gamers alike. With little information released prior to its release, the first trailer for this epic sequel shows that Ganon is back and wreaking havoc upon Hyrule once again. It also seems that Zelda may be missing, and Link must team up with friends old and new to thwart this threat.
Tears of the Kingdom will be a direct sequel to BOTW and is set to release in 2023. Nintendo recently revealed the title and release date during their latest Nintendo Direct presentation, which also featured some long-awaited reveals for upcoming titles.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Season 3
In an era of open world games that rely on formula and repetition, Breath of the Wild is a breath of fresh air. Its world feels familiar enough to be a comfort for fans, while offering just enough new ideas to stay interesting.
The game has been hailed as one of the greatest games ever made, with critics praising its emphasis on exploration and experimentation. Many developers have cited it as inspiration for their own work, and it’s become the standard by which other games are judged.
It’s also the first current Zelda adventure that feels like it understands its audience. While other modern games smother players with endless tutorials and needless hand holding, Breath of the Wild respects its users. It lets them discover things for themselves, and even after dozens of hours, it still gives them surprises. This is something that most other open world games simply can’t do. Breath of the Wild is a masterwork in every sense of the word, and it’s the best game Nintendo has created since the Switch’s launch.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Season 3
The Last Jedi was a huge hit, becoming the ninth highest-grossing film of all time and earning critical acclaim. However, it was a bit of a letdown to many who had expected the film to be more of a complete resolution to the Empire’s collapse rather than just an introductory chapter to a new threat. That’s where The Mandalorian steps in.
The Mandalorian builds on the ideas laid out in the films by exploring how the Empire’s demise was not as smooth as we were all led to believe. While the ragtag group of rebels that eventually fought back against the new threat is a given, The Mandalorian also dives into the bureaucracy and indifference that made the collapse so much more difficult than it should have been.
More importantly, The Mandalorian also starts establishing the foundation for Luke Skywalker’s loss of faith in the Jedi Order after his betrayal by Ben Solo. This will give those who complained about Skywalker’s turn in TLJ some background information to understand his choice.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Season 2
The Last Jedi was the most-watched film of 2017. It became the second highest-grossing film of all time and earned critical praise but also received some backlash over its handling of the prequel trilogy and its conclusion.
On Jakku, scavenger Rey finds droid BB-8 who claims to have a map to find Luke Skywalker. Attempting to contact the Resistance on Takodana, she is captured by Kylo Ren (Han and Leia’s son, seduced by the dark side) and taken aboard Starkiller base. Rey and Finn try to rescue her but are thwarted by the First Order.
Rey finally lands on Ahch-To, where she attempts to recruit Luke Skywalker to join the Resistance but he refuses as he believes that the Jedi should end. However, he is forced to duel Kylo Ren after R2-D2 reveals that the new Supreme Leader Snoke corrupted his former master. The Mandalorian starring Pedro Pascal is currently airing on Disney+ and takes place five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. The spin-offs Andor and The Book of Boba Fett take place before it while The Acolyte, Skeleton Crew, and The Bad Batch will take place during the sequel trilogy era.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Season 3
For all the colorful racers, high-flying adventures, and Resistance spies of Star Wars: The Mandalorian, it’s easy to forget that this animated series packs in plenty of heart, too. Season 2, which is now streaming on Disney+, brings in a found family, an emotional reunion, and a fierce final battle that’s worthy of its iconic franchise.
The Mandalorian has always flirted with galaxy-wide politics — but in the end, it’s the people who have the biggest impact on our heroes’ lives. The arrival of children Kel and Eila shines a spotlight on how the First Order impacts regular citizens while putting Kaz at an important crossroads.
While it’s tempting to dismiss the kiddos as just a “pay day” for Kaz, her spunk can’t be contained by orders that don’t align with her moral compass. And while she’s initially reluctant to help them escape, her decision sets a powerful example for her fellow pilots and puts her on Lieutenant Galek’s bad side. It’s a reminder that even if you’re fighting the good fight, you can still get swept up in macro-politics that can change everything in an instant.
