Sunday Service: Special Edition

While season two remains in limbo, we can still relish the spectacular introduction of the animated series. Not only was it a massive achievement in writing, it masterfully captured the essence of the original while embracing a fresh new look. There’s no telling if we’ll feel the same way upon its return.

Our interns are all grown up in the third season of Max’s grossly underrated series. With the sunsetting of Succession, our Pierpoint coworkers rose to the challenge and delivered a powerhouse season. Down and Kay flexed their pens, producing some of the tensest moments this year while its cast - anchored by Marisa Abela and Myha’la - stormed with what felt like a series finale. Season four is already in the works, and so should those Emmy speeches.

People may have been split on DC’s new Batman from Matt Reeves, but the spinoff series - separate from James Gunn’s future universe - proved that the Caped Crusader and Gotham are in good hands. With Colin Farrell reprising his scene-stealing role, the low-tiered gangster hobbled his way to crime supremacy by any means necessary. If Farrell wasn’t enough, Cristin Miliotti’s tour-de-force performance as Sofia Falcone secures the limited series as the favorite for award season.

As good as HBO’s Batman villain series was, nothing compared to AMC’s continuation of the best writing on TV. Rolin Jones’ adaptation of Anne Rice’s vampire saga stretched leaps and bounds ahead of season one. Even with a major cast change, the chemistry among the actors and their relationship to the work was hauntingly beautiful. Episode five takes the cake as some of the best acting this year.

FX scored record-breaking Emmy gold with this beautifully written and superbly acted “limited” series, introducing the world to a wealth of foreign actors and budding new stars. Following in the footsteps of Netflix’s Squid Game, the mixed-language series coveted first-time lead awards for Asian actors in the drama category - Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada - and the Outstanding Drama Series award. The show broke the record for Emmy wins for a single TV season, previously held by HBO’s Game of Thrones.