lara rosales top tv shows 2025 hacks svu we were liars chicago pd Lara Rosales’ Top 10 TV Shows of 2025

Lara Rosales’ Top 10 TV Shows of 2025

Chicago P.D., Critic Picks, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Lists, The Pitt

The task of highlighting the top shows of a year becomes even more complicated when so many good TV shows premiere throughout the year. Whether on network TV or streaming, these storylines spoke to viewers in a way that no other show has before.

From mothers who do everything in their power to protect their children to mafia capos who run the crime scene in Tulsa, these shows stand out because they make viewers feel something. At the end of the day, we watch TV to escape a reality that can, at times, get to be too much. 

If you are looking to start a new show in the next year, may this list guide you. 

In no particular order, here are my top TV shows of 2025.

1. All Her Fault
All Her Fault Season 1 Episode 8
ALL HER FAULT — Episode 108 — Pictured: (l-r) Sarah Snook as Marissa Irvine, Dakota Fanning as Jenny Kaminski — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/PEACOCK)

Peacock is at the top of its game with All Her Fault. The show not only delivers one of the most intense, gut-wrenching storylines of the year, but also features some of the best performances we have seen on this platform (or any other). Sarah Snook’s work continues to be as magnificent as it was on Succession.

While the kidnapping of Milo is only the tip of the iceberg, every revelation we get on every episode is a mind-blowing piece of the puzzle that makes this show so memorable. Even though it seems we won’t be rooting for any of the characters because they are all flawed, Marissa’s turn into a murderer becomes exactly what viewers wanted, making her a fan favorite.

All Her Fault is the kind of show that will make you think you know exactly what’s coming to later surprise you with a twist that throws every theory out the window.

2. We Were Liars
We Were Liars – First Look
Emily Alyn Lind, Esther McGregor, Joseph Zada, and Shubham Maheshwari in “We Were Liars”

If you know nothing about We Were Liars, you get to enjoy the show even more. This is the kind of series you want to go into with no clue of what’s coming or what to expect because it will absolutely surprise you.

Up until the very end, this Prime Video series will keep you guessing and making up theories in your mind that will 99.99% be incorrect. But that is the beauty of this show. With characters that are very unlikeable in the beginning, the twists and turns will make you fond of them despite your better judgment.

While you will likely end the series in tears, it is worth the ride. Every episode is an experience in its own, making it the kind of show you want to binge-watch because you won’t want to wait until the following week to find out what truly happened on that island.

3. The Pitt
The Pitt Season 1 - Noah Wyle and Katherine Lanasa
The Pitt Season 1 – Noah Wyle and Katherine Lanasa (Max)

While The Pitt offers a bit of insight into the personal lives of these characters, this isn’t the show you should be watching if you like medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy. If, on the other hand, you do enjoy medical dramas that dig deep into the cases, show you everything that happens with a patient, and are extremely fast-paced, then yes, you will love this HBO original series.

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Led by medical drama veteran Noah Wyle, the show takes viewers on a journey that can hardly be compared to any other show we have seen before. Pairing each episode to one hour of a shift these doctors and nurses are going through is one of the smartest decisions a group of creatives could have made. It makes us feel the tension, chaos, and importance of every single minute of their shift.

The beauty of the show is that while it doesn’t necessarily center around the personal lives of these characters, we get to appreciate each of them as they get their moment in the spotlight. This, combined with the precision given to each case, makes The Pitt one of the most memorable shows of the year.

4. Hacks
Hacks Season 4 hannah-einbinder-jean-smart
Hacks — Photo Courtesy of Max

With the news that Hacks will end after the upcoming season, Hacks Season 4 feels even more special. The ups and downs of the relationship between Ava and Deborah are what bring life to this series. However, they wouldn’t survive without all the characters who surround them.

The complicated relationship between these two women has kept fans entertained, emotional, and invested since 2021, making it one of the best duos of women we have seen onscreen.

Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart’s chemistry is one we rarely get to enjoy on TV shows, because opportunities for two women to lead a show without being pitted against each other are rare.

The comedic timing of every actor on the show, the funny and heart-warming storylines, and the incredible script have made Hacks an award-winning comedy that has kept fans entertained and happy from the very beginning.

5. Tulsa King
Tulsa King Season 3 - First Look -- Frank Grillo as Bill Bevilaqua, Garrett Hedlund as Mitch, Martin Starr as Bodhi and Sylvester Stallone as Dwight Manfredi
Frank Grillo as Bill Bevilaqua, Garrett Hedlund as Mitch, Martin Starr as Bodhi and Sylvester Stallone as Dwight Manfredi in the Paramount+ original series TULSA KING. Photo Credit: Steve Swisher/Paramount+. ©2025 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Tulsa King might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Paramount+ and the team behind the show have done an incredible job at delivering stronger and stronger seasons with each passing year. Tulsa King Season 3 is probably the strongest season to date because the characters feel well-rounded and the storylines are complex and relevant.

The show set a vision in its first season and promised to follow a path to which it has stayed true. Every episode, every character introduced, and every action taken by these characters have stayed within the boundaries of what the show promised to be in the beginning. While there’s still more to explore, what’s been revealed so far hasn’t disappointed.

Sylvester Stallone delivers what could be the best performance of his career in a character that was perfectly created for him.

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6. Untamed
UNTAMED Season 1 Episode 5
Untamed. (L to R) Lily Santiago as Naya Vasquez, Eric Bana as Kyle Turner in episode 105 of Untamed. Cr. Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix © 2025

Murder mysteries seem to have been prominent this TV season. Untamed joined the list with a mystery that proved to be just as complex as the wilderness that surrounded it. Nature became another character in the storyline because it was the one to carry the secrets and the evidence until the very end.

Lily Santiago and Eric Bana make the perfect investigative duo, with characters who are completely different yet understand each other so deeply. The losses from their past and the traumas they have experienced make them the perfect people for the job.

Yosemite National Park is under a microscopic watch that further reveals how mysterious, dangerous, and powerful nature can be. Even though the murder is resolved, there is still a deep story rooted in these characters that could open the door to more seasons.

7. The Better Sister
The Better Sister - First Look -- Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks
The Better Sister – First Look. Description: Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks. Credit: Jojo Whilden/Prime. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks are the sisters we never knew we needed on our screens. The Better Sister is another murder mystery that kept us on the edge of our seats until the final episodes, when the truth was revealed.

While the truth is that none of these characters are likable, we can’t stop watching what they are going through. There is something captivating about watching flawed characters who are supposed to be privileged go through the hardships of life. It makes it seem as if we’re not the only ones who struggle.

Even though we want to know what happened, we don’t grieve the loss of the man who died. On the contrary, we root for the real murderer to never be found because the motives for his killing are validated throughout the series.

8. The Girlfriend
The Girlfriend
The Girlfriend — Photo Courtesy of Prime Video

If complex characters, plot twists, and murder are your thing, The Girlfriend should definitely be your next show to watch. The nearly Oedipus relationship between mother and son throws everyone into a tumultuous connection with the new girlfriend, leading to scandal, lies, and death.

Robin Wright has the perfect aura to play this character. There is a mysterious vibe to her that is translated into her character, making her the kind of woman we do not want to cross. However, Olivia Cooke is able to replicate this, making Cherry as dangerous as, or even more dangerous than, her mother-in-law.

Through England and Spain, these characters take us on a journey that keeps us on our toes all season long. After all, we don’t like any of them, but we can’t stop watching everything they do.

9. Chicago P.D.
Chicago P.D. Season 13 Episode 7, "Impulse Control," - (l-r) Marina Squerciati as Office Kim Burgess and Jason Beghe as Hank Voight
CHICAGO P.D. — “Impulse Control” Episode 1307 — Pictured: (l-r) Marina Squerciati as Officer Kim Burgess, Jason Beghe as Hank Voight — (Photo by: Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

Chicago P.D. continues to deliver strong season after strong season. Every character, including Imani as a new addition, has found its footing and carved out a space for themselves that makes them essential to the storyline and the show’s dynamics.

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The show has tuned its gears perfectly by creating a formula that allows each character to have their shining episode. This formula keeps fans happy, knowing that one week or another, their favorite character will be at the center of the action.

It has also allowed the show to run smoothly, delivering storylines that continue to surprise us even more than a decade in.

Even though streaming shows have become very popular, network shows like Chicago P.D. are there to remind fans of the importance of shows that come to us on a weekly basis for longer seasons. They are the ones that dig deep into what the essence of television has always been about.

10. Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – Season 27
LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT — “Showdown” Episode 27008 — Pictured: (l-r) Aimé Donna Kelly as Capt. Renee Curry, Mariska Hargitay as Capt. Olivia Benson, Kelli Giddish as Sgt. Amanda Rollins — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

The first half of 2025 wasn’t the best for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The previous season wasn’t memorable and delivered episodes that weren’t up to the standard we had grown accustomed to over two and a half decades of the show.

However, when Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 began, it was a breath of fresh air, helping 2025 end on a high note. The new season is everything we have come to love from this show and these characters. It is a reminder of why Olivia Benson is one of the longest-running characters on TV.

Luckily, the new showrunner understands why fans love this show so much and what makes it as iconic as it has always been.

What TV shows were your favorites this year? Let us know in the comments below!

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By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). You can find her work published on Eulalie Magazine, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.

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