Charles’ Top 10 TV Shows of 2021

2021 has been one wild trip.

Kim Kardashian filed for divorce, Larry King passed away, and William Shatner went into space for real this time. These are all crazy events in and of themselves, but they don’t even skim the surface of what has happened on our favorite television shows.

Superhero crossovers returned, sitcoms covered some very important current events, and we even had to say a final goodbye to several of our favorite protagonists. Each one of these moments captured our enthusiasm in different ways, giving us bittersweet memories to carry us on into next year.

But before we get lost in our hopes for 2022, let’s dwell for a few minutes on ten shows that helped me get past the insane, saddening, and just plain overwhelming circumstances we have been put through over the last 12 months. Without them, I still would have made it, but the journey probably wouldn’t have been as enjoyable. 

Here, in no particular order, are my top 10 TV shows of 2021:

1. The Outpost

When it was announced that Talon and the other Blackbloods were not going to come back for Season 5, I was crushed. There would be no more swashbuckling adventures filled with might and magic, no additional romantic moments between our favorite heroine and the love of her life, and no further kinj to discover. 

Fortunately, what we got was one hell of a goodbye. 

Gods took on our heroes with a passion for blood and violence, interracial babies were formed out of love, and finally, a new queen was crowned victoriously. So many questions were answered that although an additional season was still wanted, it wasn’t necessarily needed. 

As the credits rolled on the final episode, I felt a great mixture of emotions, but most of all, I felt satisfied.

2. The Flash

With the complete mangling of television schedules that happened during 2020, one of the greatest casualties was the yearly Arrowverse crossover. Superman never peeked his head onto Legends of Tomorrow, and the new Batwoman missed the opportunity to shake hands with Barry Allen for the first time.

While the circumstances were understandable, the absence left us with a gaping hole in our very open schedules.

It wasn’t until a week or so after the final episode of The Flash Season 7 that we were given a glimpse of hope. The CW announced that The Flash Season 8 would start with a major event called Armageddon — and all the fans rejoiced.

Although there have been several changes to the status quo of the Arrowverse crossover, the excitement of the Flash tag-teaming a villain with the Atom more than made up for it.

Add in the resurrection of the retired superhero, Black Lightning, and a mohawked baddy with three eyes, and our hearts soared along with our imaginations. 

3. Locke and Key

While it is always exciting to catch up with the characters of our favorite shows, that isn’t exactly why I watched Locke and Key Season 2. Everyone knows the real stars of the show are the keys.

The magnificent powers these magical keys possess are nothing short of astounding. Among the new keys are the Hercules Key, which gives the owner unlimited strength, and the Small World Key, which binds Keyhouse to a lifelike dollhouse. Seriously, at this point, the possibilities seem endless.

Things get even more interesting when the baddies, who take on the appearance of friends, resort to making a  new key to trump all the others.

The follies of heroes and villains alike prove for a season well worth the price of admission — keeping us guessing until the final key is turned.

4. Stargirl

When Stargirl went from being an HBO Max show to a CW show, things seemed a bit iffy. Would they be able to keep up with the top-notch special effects and the star power of Luke Wilson?

The surprising answer was yes!

Although S.T.R.I.P.E. was sidelined for a majority of the season, Solomon Grundy and Thunderbolt more than made up for him. The writing also stayed in the same vein with the emotionally impactful family drama and lighthearted banter. 

Even with a darker tone, the cast of characters remained hopeful and beat the demonic Eclipso, literally turning him into a piece of burnt toast. They all gave us the aspiration to overcome evil with our inner light.

5. The Neighborhood

After the events of the George Floyd trial and the actions of BLM, it was hard to know which direction The Neighborhood would take. They could have ignored current events altogether keeping a neutral stance on everything that unfolded, but that would have been the easy way out.

Instead, the show took the subject head-on, approaching it from a realistic standpoint and involving some of the main characters in very similar circumstances. 

It was sad, eye-opening, and far from preachy to watch Calvin and Malcolm have a heart-to-heart about the roles cops play when it comes to street violence. 

No matter which side of the spectrum you fall on, everyone walked away looking at the subject with new eyes. 

6. The Goldbergs

You have to admit it, life has been quite complicated since the year 2020 hit. Politics, pandemics, and paychecks have been constantly on everyone’s mind, and it has gotten extremely difficult to tune out all the chatter.

That is why it has been such a relief to have a show like The Goldbergs to come home to.

Adam, Erica, and Barry Goldberg have become like a second family to us during this rough time when we haven’t been able to see our loved ones as often as we like. Their crazy antics and zany schemes have given us a much-needed chuckle when the whole world seemed like it was going to collapse at our feet. 

Watching them grow up before our eyes has been a delight as Barry moved on from Lainey, Erica began planning for her wedding, and Adam started his college prep. They have all had a moment that we could relate to whether we like to admit it or not. 

7. Black Lightning

Unlike The Outpost, we knew well in advance that Season 4 would be the last for Black Lightning. As each episode ticked by, we wondered how things would conclude. Would Jefferson die like Arrow’s Oliver Queen, or maybe he would just lose his powers altogether?

While both came true to an extent, neither proved to be the finale for Jefferson Pierce. Instead, he simply handed the reigns over to his daughters. This may have proven to be a lackluster signoff if it didn’t include the final showdown with Tobias Whale. 

Tobias was a constant thorn in Jefferson’s side. Watching him get his just desserts seemed like a suiting end to a show that was cut short in its prime. Impalement through the chest was enough to kill off the nearly immortal man once and for all, giving him very little chance of resurrection.

The best part is that Jefferson never had to go against his ideals and mantras. Sticking to your true self when everything hits the fan proved to be the ultimate theme of the series.

8. Legends of Tomorrow

Sara Lance has always been a born leader. Her “take no crap” demeanor demands respect, and her out-of-this-world experiences provide her with a large amount of empathy. So when she was abducted by aliens, it was a toss-up whether or not the rest of the Legends would survive a mission to rescue her.

As the team hit several roadblocks along the way, creating mistakes in the timeline, Mick, Ava, Nick, and Zari proved that their love for Sara was more than enough to get them by. While several alien attacks did their best to sideline the team, they always got back on track before the episode’s end.

And of course, we had plenty of bizarre circumstances to keep us entertained along the way. A pregnant Mick, an army of Avas, and so much more gave us a huge belly laugh at a time where we needed it most.

9. The Great

Little did we know that when The Great finished up Season 1 we would have to wait awhile for the next chapter in the story. With over a year between seasons, it would have been easy to forget less likable shows, but the bickering and scheming of Catherine and Peter kept us interested until Hulu graced us with another 10 episodes.

Now that a baby has been added to the hustle and bustle of running a kingdom, the capers of these royal subjects have been kicked up a notch. While most of what happens steers a fairly long length from reality, that hasn’t made it any less entertaining. 

10. Superman and Lois

Okay, I’ll admit it. I wanted to hate Superman and Lois.

When Tyler Hoechlin first debuted in Arrowverse crossovers, I despised his version of the big blue boy scout. It seemed forced and oftentimes, phoned in.

No one seemed to take the character too seriously, and it always rubbed me the wrong way. All that has seemed to change now that the Kryptonian has a show of his own.

Now Hoechlin seems at home in his blue tights as he flies around Smallville saving the day and raising a family simultaneously. I couldn’t be more pleased with the way they take farfetched ideas and run them alongside realistic family drama.

The show could have simply played it safe and made this a show all about the action, but instead, they went for a more human approach giving us characters we can empathize with. 

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Did your favorite show make the list? Let me know which ones I missed in the comments below.

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