Everything I Watched in December 2022

And what I thought about it all!

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Once a month, I send out a list of everything I watched the previous month to give you some ideas of things to add to your own watch lists, so I’m here to share the rundown of all of the stuff I watched in December! Note that I only include seasons of TV shows that I finished in any given month — if it’s still on or I’m still currently watching it, then I’ll include it when it’s over.

You’ll find that my reactions to things lean positive, because 1. I actively try to seek out stuff that I expect to be entertaining, has been well reviewed and/or has value to me — I’m not just going to watch the most popular show on Netflix because everyone else is if I don’t think I would like it — and 2. I’ve given myself more leeway recently to give up on shows that I’m not enjoying (here’s the list of all the shows I dropped last year). I used to force myself to finish things even if I hated them, which is truly unnecessary and a waste of time.

Keep scrolling for the list of everything I watched in December 2022 (and here’s the list from November if you want more ideas for things to watch):

Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? (Showtime) 👍

Where my Katies at?! Absolutely loved this Christmas comedy special from “Las Culturistas” co-host Matt Rogers. I’m not a big standup person, but this is more of a concert than anything, honestly. Add it to your list for next holiday season!

My Unorthodox Life - Season 2 (Netflix) 👍

I don’t actually really like this show, but I thought the second season was fascinating to watch, as it documented Julia Haart’s acrimonious divorce and all of the subsequent fallout from it — months after it played out in the headlines of Page Six. It’s more of a read-between-the-lines situation — what did they show and why did they show it? What did they avoid talking about and why? Not essential viewing, but I’d recommend watching it if you tuned into season 1.

Spector (Showtime) 👍

Before watching this, I knew the name Phil Spector and that he was the producer responsible for the “Wall of Sound,” but that’s pretty much it. I had no idea that in the last decade of his life, very far removed from his glory days, he was convicted of murder. This was a bit slow at times, but I still enjoyed it and learned a lot.

Triangle of Sadness (in theaters) 👍👍

This may be one of the more divisive awards season films of this year, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had pretty much no idea what to expect, but it basically has three acts, with the first two following a group of extremely wealthy people who board a yacht. Saying much more would give too much away. It’s a wild satire that some critics found too on the nose (I didn’t), and your mind will be blown by what goes down at the end of the second and into the third act.

Aftersun (in theaters) 👍👍

A beautiful film starring Paul Mescal as a young father of an adolescent girl played by newcomer Frankie Corio, who is a revelation. It’s an impactful portrait of the relationship between a father and daughter while on vacation together, told very artfully by director Charlotte Wells (the story is based on her own life). Paul and Frankie’s chemistry feels so natural that you forget you’re watching people act. Incredible film.

The White Lotus S2 (HBO Max) 👍👍

There’s nothing more to be said here that hasn’t already been said — one of the best shows of last year. Period.

Children of the Underground (Hulu) 👐

This docuseries about Faye Yager, who built an underground network of mothers and children trying to escape allegedly abusive husbands, started off and ended strong, but lost me a bit in the middle.

Reboot (Hulu) 👐

I know a lot of people loved this new sitcom starring Judy Greer and Rachel Bloom and Keegan Michael-Kay and Johnny Knoxville… but I just never fully connected with it. It’s about the making of a reboot of an old sitcom for Hulu — very meta — and there were some great moments, but overall it wasn’t my favorite.

Harry & Meghan (Netflix) 👍👍

Another one those “what else is there to be said about it?” kind of shows. If you haven’t watched it by now, you’re probably not interested. But I thought it was incredibly well done, and I learned a lot from it.

Survivor - Season 43 (CBS) 👐

One of my least favorite seasons of “Survivor” in recent memory. They’ve overloaded the game with too many secret advantages and subtle changes that I hope they strip away for the next two seasons (the production schedule is such that they shoot two seasons back-to-back now).

Winter House S2 (Bravo) 👍

I enjoyed the second season of “Winter House” more than the first because I think they figured out how this show should work. I have complicated feelings about a fair amount of the players here, but the drama was great, and I thought it set us up for an intriguing season of “Summer House” coming up. Craig and Paige saw what it’s like to be the “no. 1 couple in the group,” which was also fascinating to see. In other words, they got the Kyle and Amanda treatment. One thing I was decidedly not here for? The treatment of Lindsay when she showed up for a night.

The Sex Lives of College Girls S2 (HBO Max) 👍👍

The first season of “Sex Lives” was wonderful, but this second season was on another level. Even though I truly despised how they ended this season in the final two episodes, it’s one of the shows I looked forward to the most week-to-week when it was airing. It also solidified how much of a star Reneé Rapp is which, thank god.

Queen (Netflix) 👍👍

Absolutely adored this show about a drag queen in Paris who returns to his poor hometown in Poland to make amends with his daughter. It’s a gorgeous limited series (only four episodes), and I wish more people watched it.

Something From Tiffany’s (Prime) 👍

The only new Christmas movie I watched this year, and I thoroughly loved it. Starring Zoey Deutch, Kendrick Simpson and Shay Mitchell, produced by Hello Sunshine, this one felt a few levels above your average Netflix/Hallmark holiday fare.

Murdochs: Empire of Influence (HBO Max) 👍👍

An incredible docuseries about Ruport Murdoch and his massive conservative media empire. I honestly think everyone should watch this simply to gain an understanding of how the current, polarized news media landscape came to be and just how interconnected everything is. Also, if you watch “Succession,” you recognize all the parallels that the HBO show drew from this very real family — and you can’t help but laugh.

Pelosi in the House 👐

Nancy Pelosi’s filmmaker daughter has been following her with a camera for a long time, and this is the result of that work. It was a celebration of her remarkable career and accomplishments which, great! But, other than some genuinely jaw-dropping behind-the-scenes footage of the Jan. 6 insurrection, this kind of fell flat for me.

Call Me Miss Cleo 👍

This documentary about ‘90s TV icon Miss Cleo wasn’t particularly well done, per se, but I wasn’t familiar with Miss Cleo’s story, so I really appreciated learning about her life and the fallout from her commercials. It’s ultimately a sad story, but this is worth the watch for any fellow ‘90s baby.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody (in theaters) 👍

Saw this on Christmas with my family, and the more that I think about it, the more I realize how much I really loved this. There were some pacing issues and naturally you wish they could’ve spent more time on certain portions of Whitney Houston’s life, but that comes with the territory of attempting to tell the story of someone as accomplished and complicated as Whitney was. Naomie Ackie was a revelation as the lead, and I appreciated the way that they didn’t shy away from showing Whitney’s struggles with addiction without sensationalizing or harping on them too much.

Riches (Prime) 👍

I recommended this British series about the succession of a Black beauty empire a few newsletters back. It’s soapy and dramatic and very entertaining.

Branson (HBO Max) 👐

This docuseries about Richard Branson just felt like a vanity project. He’s lived an impressive life, but something about the way that all of the talking heads in this were so effusive about him just rubbed me the wrong way. Watch it only if you’re interested in learning more about him.

American Gigolo (Showtime) 👍

This series (starring Jon Bernthal as a former gigolo who just got out of prison for a murder he didn’t commit) wasn’t very well reviewed and it has some major flaws, but I found it entertaining. He’s so watchable, and it was fun seeing Rosie O’Donnell acting again. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but I didn’t hate it.

Shaq (HBO Max) 👍👍

Loved this docuseries about Shaq’s incredible life and career. It had a great, fast pace to it and there were some cool storytelling techniques employed during it. You almost forget how funny Shaq is, but he’s a star well beyond the basketball court, and this series proved that.

Emily in Paris (Netflix) 👍

Psychotic and addicting and unclear if it’s in on the joke, but I’ll watch this show until the bitter end — after another season or after 20 more seasons. I can’t quit Emily.

Fleishman is in Trouble (Hulu) 👍👍

The book that this was based on was one of my favorites that I read the year it came out in 2019, and this adaptation (written by the same woman, Taffy Brodesser-Akner) was extremely faithful to it. Jesse Eisenberg is fantastic as the lead, a doctor whose estranged wife (Claire Danes in impeccable form) goes off the grid with no warning, and Lizzy Caplan delivers an incredible performance as a friend of Jesse’s character and also the series narrator. If anything, I think the series worked even more than the book, particularly due to Caplan’s narration and the seventh episode, which focused on Danes’ character and which I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

Emily the Criminal (Netflix) 👍👍

A great 90-minute thriller starring the endlessly watchable Audrey Plaza. If you’re finding yourself fiending for more of her after “The White Lotus,” watch this.

Treason (Netflix) 👐

I’d hoped that this British thriller series would be at the same level as, say, “The Bodyguard,” but it just didn’t hit for me. The plot became pretty convoluted, even if some of the episodes were genuinely thrilling.