If you’ve been a listener of our podcast for a while, you know that we usually do an annual episode where we each list our three favorite pieces of media from the past year. We decided to do things a little differently this year and enter 2023 as haters (check out our Colleen Hoover Hatepisode for more on that), but that doesn’t mean we don’t still love stuff! Read on for our faves of 2022—and let us know yours, too.

Mary: In a lot of ways, 2022 felt like more of the same, but there were moments of joy tucked in here and there. Todd and I bought a house, which was exciting, and we’ve spent half of the year replacing old pipes, painting, and trying to make it feel like a home. There’s a telephone table in the hallway and plenty of personality that I love. We said goodbye to sweet Edward, and we also welcomed Gwen and Pizza Roll into our lives. I’m thankful for continued friendship this year and getting to read and talk about books with the squad!

Kelli: 2022 was a tough year for me personally (as it was for many people, I’m not special), but there’s been plenty of good mixed in with the difficult. I moved into my first solo apartment in Brooklyn, something I did not expect to be able to do and which I feel really grateful for. Like you, Mary, I’ve had a lot of fun decorating and making the space my own, with occasional input from Penelope. Another pretty wonderful thing was meeting my girlfriend, Ang. We met in February (romantic) and she is wonderful and hot and cool and I love her a lot. Aside from those two life updates, I, too, am so happy to keep talking about books with y’all, and to have our first human squad baby added to the mix.

Susan: Yes. I grew and birthed a human in 2022.

Emily: And I moved to Seattle in 2022. I love it here! Everyone come visit meeee!

3rd Best Thing of 2022

Kelli — SZA’s SOS

I have been impatiently waiting for a new SZA album since 2017’s Ctrl, which is a brilliant, perfect, absolutely-no-skips record, and while I wouldn’t necessarily call SOS “perfect,” it does not disappoint. If you’re on Tiktok, you’ve probably already been beaten to death by a remix of the album’s hit single Kill Bill done in the style of Alvin and the Chipmunks (why is this something we do to songs now I hate it), but even if you’re sick of hearing that particular track, SOS has 22 (!) other songs for you to enjoy while still clocking in at just over an hour of music. It’s a confection of bite-sized songs that come in a wide variety of styles, and there’s nothing more fun than listening to an artist of this caliber push past the boundaries of genre. I mean, who would have expected Phoebe Bridgers to pop up on a SZA album? Not me.

If I had to pick one song from SOS to recommend, it would be “F2F,” because listening to it is like time traveling back to the early aughts and jamming out to Sixpence None the Richer before I knew they were a Christian band. Also, the chorus is literally “I fuck him ‘cuz I miss you,” and saying something like that out loud…she’s braver than the troops.

Susan — Ink Master

Ink Master is one of my favorite reality competition shows, and I was so bummed when the 2020 season was cut short before the live finale due to the pandemic. Shortly after that, the show was canceled. Then Paramount+ came to save us with a brand new season featuring fresh judges and a cast of all-stars from previous seasons. While the host and judges haven’t quite hit their stride yet, the competitors and quality of tattooing absolutely made up for it. This season had some of the wildest challenges yet (it wouldn’t be Ink Master if a canvas didn’t want a pinup-style animal with a galaxy background on their ribcage or some shit like that) and by far the best tattoos the competition has ever seen.

Mary — Just Like Home by Sara Gailey

While I didn’t love Sara Gailey’s Magic for Liars, Just Like Home had me hooked. The tone of the novel is immaculate, and I got the feeling early on that something was wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on what. It wasn’t until much later that the reality of the novel started to sink in, and it was a wild ride to the end. I don’t want to say much of anything about the book because I don’t want to spoil the thrill I felt reading it. Just pick it up, tuck in, and get ready for a creepy time.

Emily — I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

I won’t belabor this pick too much because we already wrote a whole blog post about it, but I really think this one is worth mentioning again. I’m Glad My Mom Died is written by former child star Jennette McCurdy but it’s so much more than just a celebrity memoir. Even if you never watched iCarly, there are still so many reasons to read this book. Here, McCurdy unpacks the complicated relationship she had with her mother and unpacks the mythology of motherhood and the guilt children can often feel when they don’t have that perfect relationship with their moms (because moms are saints, right?). I know acting is not what McCurdy wants for herself, but I definitely see a future in writing for her. I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.

2nd Best Thing of 2022

Kelli — Fire Island

This is a pick that I kind of wish we’d had time to discuss on the podcast, but we can only do so many Austen episodes a year. That said, this was the best Austen adaptation on film last year (sorry Persuasion), and not just because it’s deeply gay. Okay, partly because it’s deeply gay, but also because it’s different, and as we’ve said a thousand times on the podcast and on the blog, an adaptation needs to justify its existence by offering an actual perspective on the material it presents. Here, we get not only a gay Pride and Prejudice, but also one with an Asian perspective which is written by, directed by, and starring gay Asian-American men. It’s this representation both in front of and behind the camera that makes the film feel personal and special in a way adaptations of this material rarely do. I also love the choice of Fire Island as a setting, which allows the film to really lean into Austen’s commentary on classism.

Susan — We’re Here (Season 3)

Why did I not know about We’re Here (HBO) until a few months ago?! I can’t figure out how I missed this show up until now, but I’m so thrilled that I found it. In each episode, Eureka O’Hara, Shangela, and Bob the Drag Queen travel to small towns across America to coach drag daughters and put on one incredible drag show. And I cry. every. time. The stories are so beautiful and moving, and season three also lets us in on Eureka’s personal journey with gender identity. I think I would have loved this show anyway, but the parent/child stories really get me now. Season three features a Florida mom and teacher who fights against the discriminatory “Don’t Say Gay” bill and tirelessly advocates for her trans daughter. I’m almost crying just typing this. Just go watch and enjoy your serotonin boost.

Mary — Elden Ring

This has been a big gaming year for me. I’ve probably played more games than ever before, but that doesn’t mean I’ve enjoyed all of them. There were plenty of fun indies I checked out this year—like Ooblets and Cult of the Lamb—but none stuck out like Elden Ring (which I already wrote a blog post about!). The latest FromSoftware game captured the gaming community’s collective consciousness for months. Even in December, gamers were still advocating for it to win the coveted Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2022. And it did. Deservedly.

Elden Ring isn’t breaking the mold in terms of FromSoftware games, if I’m being honest, but it has perfected the formula. The lore is dense, the poison swamps are deep, and the bosses are needlessly difficult. Most importantly, Elden Ring was the perfect game for me to play with Todd, as we both have our individual strengths in the Lands Between.

Emily — Everything Everywhere All At Once

What was the best movie of 2022? If your answer isn’t Everything Everywhere All At Once, then you did 2022 wrong. This movie made me laugh, it made me cry (who knew two rocks with googly eyes could leave me sobbing? Not me!). I also named my cat after it (it’s a deep cut, but my cat is named Remy after Racacoonie). It was just announced that this movie was nominated for 11 Oscars, and I hope it wins all of them. If Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu could somehow split the Best Supporting Actress award, that would be great. If you want to hear more of my thoughts (and Mary and Kelli’s thoughts) on this amazing movie, this is another one we blogged about, so I’m going to let past me do the rest of the talking.

1st Best Thing of 2022

Kelli — White Lotus (Season 2)

I recognize that this is a boring choice, but listen. Someone had to say it. I loved the first season of White Lotus and was obviously stoked to see where season two would take us, but you’ve gotta be a little bit apprehensive with stuff like this. The show was a smash hit and got renewed because of that, not necessarily because it was meant to have more story, and we all saw what happened/continues to happen with Stranger Things. Luckily, it became clear pretty quickly into season two that even if the renewal was a cash grab for HBO, Mike White knows what the fuck he’s doing. This second season of The White Lotus redirected its focus in a way that seems to take into account some of season one’s criticisms while also building on the themes it established early on, and with a slower burn and a bit more nuance in its messaging, it’s even more successful than the first. In addition to the show’s craft, from stellar writing to its many stand-out performances, this show is just so much fun. Appointment television is rare these days, and if you can get a group of people in a room gasping in real time as thousands of people in other rooms across the world do the same, that’s something really special. And this time they didn’t even need dragons.

Susan — Tig and Cheryl: True Story

This podcast didn’t start in 2022, but 2022 seems to be the year its listenership grew the most rapidly. Comedian Tig Notaro (Drawn, Happy to Be Here, One Mississippi) and actor Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) get together to discuss a documentary or docu-series every week. It’s such a simple premise that it sounds bland, but the combination of Tig’s wryness and Cheryl’s looniness gives this podcast its magic. While listening to them talk about March of the Penguins, I laughed so hard that I woke up my sleeping baby. It’s one of the only podcasts I’ve listened to that makes me actually laugh out loud almost every episode, and at the most unexpected things. Start with the episodes about the movies and shows you’ve seen, and then move on to the ones you haven’t seen. (Trust me, it won’t matter that you haven’t.) This takes the top spot for me because it’s the fastest I’ve ever gone through every single episode of a podcast, and I’ve even already gone back for seconds on a few episodes.

Mary — Dragula: Titans / Quiet Part Loud

Okay, I couldn’t decide so I’m cheating and picking two horror-themed gems from 2022. Quiet Part Loud is a podcast written by friend of the pod Clay McLeod Chapman and Mac Rogers, and it focuses on an Alex Jones-esque conspiracy theorist who sets out to redeem himself and restore his reputation. I’m all ears for any stories about conspiracy theories and the harmful ways that people consume media, so this show was essentially written for me. Add in top notch sound editing and all the scares a well written script can give, and, well, I’m in heaven.

Dragula is another horror fave, a drag competition built on the pillars of Filth, Horror, and Glamor, and run by the Boulet Brothers. What I particularly appreciate about Dragula is the way the Boulets approach drag – as an art, which is ultimately subjective. Instead of sending home the queens they don’t like (ahem, like some other drag competition shows), the Boulet’s seem to make decisions based on how well the contestants adhered to each challenge. The looks on Dragula are always sickening, and Titans brought out the best of the best to compete. This is the reason why you subscribe to Shudder!

Emily — Atlanta (Seasons 3 & 4)

After a long drought, in 2022 we were blessed with not one but two Atlanta seasons, and the series got stranger than ever. This was an emotional viewing experience for me because I watched the whole thing knowing that these seasons would be the last. I will really miss seeing these talented people all working together. As for Donald Glover, I have always been a huge fan of his, but he’s still constantly one-upping himself with his level of creativity and ingenuity. So with that in mind, I’m so excited to see what he does next. Hopefully we’ll get a new Childish Gambino album. Hopefully we’ll get to see him acting in more movies. And yes, I want more TV shows. But every actor from Atlanta holds a special place in my heart forever. Goodbye, Atlanta. I loved you so much, and I know I’m going to be rewatching you in the near future.