2024 Pop Culture Diary

For the second year in a row, I kept a log of every new complete season of a TV show I watched, every new movie I saw, and every new book I read. For the second year in a row, I have thoughts about all of them. For the second year in a row, I also forgot to take notes right after consuming each piece of media, so forgive my memory-holed reflections.

I also resolve to document stand-up specials and any other one-off pieces in 2025. Until then, I watched Alex Edelman’s Just For Us and Joe Mande’s Chill this year. Both were great.

Anyway, here are all 26 TV shows, 24 movies and 19 books I read — this year in chronological order. Favorites are bolded.

TV

The Morning Show (S1–3) | A Shonda Rhimes show that wants to be an Aaron Sorkin show, and is somehow a bad version of both. Its glossiness made it hard to look away, but you could say the same about a car crash.

Fargo (S5) | My favorite season of Fargo since Season 2. Easily. MVP performances from Juno Temple and Jon Hamm. Maybe the most heavy-handed and on-the-nose entry from Noah Hawley, but this cultural moment kind of calls for it.

Blue Eye Samurai (S1) | Somehow only the second-best show this year set in Edo Japan. Also somehow only the second-best Maya Erskine show this year. Visually stunning animation that heightened the material. Subtle and impactful exploration of gender identity. Its balance of grim feudal brutality and absurd levity reminded me of Game of Thrones way more than its actual prequel series.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (S1) | If you’re going to reboot a lukewarm property that’s not even two decades old that no one was clamoring for, you better have a good reason for it. Holy shit did Donald Glover have good reason for it. Stylish and sleek and deeply entertaining.

Break Point (S2) | It’s very funny to me that this show was cancelled because the tennis players believed there was a curse from appearing on it. Athletes are insane, and maybe this leads to more sports doc storytelling from third parties and less from the athletes themselves and their sports’ federations looking for puff pieces.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (S12) | As good as it had ever been since “returning” in 2017. As most comedies do in late age, it bent the rules of its own universe and played fast and loose with its reality, but was a hysterical weekly showcase for Larry and his crew until the very, satisfying end.

Somebody Feed Phil (S7) | I think the world would be a better place if everyone watched at least one episode of Somebody Feed Phil.

Girls 5 Eva (S3) | Still very good and very funny after its jump to Netflix.

Hacks (S3) | Hacks is exceptional simply for doing the thing all sitcoms fortunate to run long enough used to do: calibrate its characters and put them in situations that foment new, interesting dynamics and growth. Leave the premises behind. Let good comedies cook.

Baby Reindeer (S1) | A fascinating, harrowing story that was often unpleasant to endure. I’m grateful Richard Gadd told his story, and told it in this way.

Everybody’s in L.A. (S1) | I imagine this show is what watching early Letterman must have been like (it’s little coincidence that Dave made an appearance on John Mulaney’s show, and vice versa). Mulaney’s stand-up specials are gold-standard, but for me it’s always been his esoterica that sets him apart (Sack Lunch Bunch, Co-op, Oh Hello!). Everybody’s in L.A. is the perfect blend of the two, a staid late-night show with the inverted color setting on. So weird and good.

Abbott Elementary (S3–4) | A show no worse for the wear after tying up its foundational Will-They-Won’t-They arc. Still so funny, sharp and big-hearted.

The Bear (S3) | Some truly tremendous highs this season (the premiere, “Napkins”) but ultimately felt like a bit of a letdown and half a season after the masterful first two seasons.

Top Chef (S21) | Speaking of letdowns in the kitchen, here was a bigger one. I was mystified by some of the production decisions, changing Quickfire, Elimination, Immunity and Last Chance Kitchen rules on the fly in a way that watered down the stakes. Also, the editing did not flatter the talent of the chefs and was often at odds with results, especially in the finale.

Dark Matter (S1) | A faithful, thrilling adaptation of a fun book that I really enjoyed. Excited to hear that they’re making more, and to see where they take the story now that they’ve left the bounds of Blake Crouch’s text.

House of the Dragon (S2) | This show frustrates the hell out of me. The battle sequence in episode four was one of the best things I watched on TV all year. Why couldn’t literally any other part of the season been as good? Such weird plotting and pacing decisions that left me baffled and often bored.

Mr. Throwback (S1) | It was gonna be hard for a comedy with Adam Pally, Ego Nwodim and an incredibly game Stephen Curry to be bad. And guess what? Mr. Throwback was really good!

Industry (S3) | My favorite show of the year. Every episode better than the last. A weekly adrenaline shot right to the bloodstream that never got exhausting. So impressive for telling story and conveying emotion when, like, 60% of its dialogue is indecipherable finance jargon. Like Hacks but on the dramatic side of things, it’s the strongest case against premise-based dramatic TV storytelling. Let! Your! Characters! Cook!

Nobody Wants This (S1) | When this show debuted and spread like wildfire, I couldn’t believe how few people in my life remembered Keeping the Faith when I brought up that this show was just that for a new generation. Anyway, this show was really sweet and charming. Here for the Brodyssaince. Here for anything with Kristen Bell and Timothy Simons.

Shrinking (S2) | Like Hacks, this is also a show that’s getting even better now that it found balance on its tonal tightrope and understands how to mix and match characters. Michael Urie and Ted McGinley may deliver the consistently funniest performances on TV. Jason Segel is so good. Harrison Ford is so good. Jessica Williams is so good. Welcome additions in Damon Wayans Jr. and Brett Goldstein. Shrinking makes you feel good, but not in a cheap way.

Bad Monkey (S1) | Bad Monkey is like LeBron James’ first tenure on the Cavs. A very enjoyable, successful show that may have been intensely mediocre if not for the performance from its lead. Vince Vaughn was vintage Vince Vaughn and made the show enjoyable to watch episode to episode, even if everything around him was only just fine.

English Teacher (S1) | I don’t really know how to approach this show now in light of the allegations of sexual assault against Brian Jordan Alvarez levied by a former friend and collaborator. I really liked it and appreciated it trying to do something new and subversive in a familiar setting. But it’s hard to contextualize now, knowing what we know about its creator and star.

A Man on the Inside (S1) | If Michael Schur and Ted Danson are teaming up, you should watch. It was a little on the warm and fuzzy side for my personal taste, but really well done, and surprisingly not about what you think it’s about, and becomes more profound for it.

Shogun (S1) | Incredible television. Masterful storytelling, immersive production value and acting. I almost didn’t stick with it, and I’m so glad I did. The back half of episodes is as good a stretch of TV as I can remember.

Saturday Night Live (S49-50) | As always, big hits and inevitable misses. The two highlights for me have been the Lonely Island digital shorts, which might say more about my tastes than the capabilities of the very capable current cast.

Bob’s Burgers (S13–14) | May this show run forever.

MOVIES

Your Place or Mine | A completely forgettable romcom that I think starred Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon. Would be hard-pressed to tell you anything more about it other than they swapped homes and I think there was youth hockey involved.

Self Reliance | I don’t remember liking this as much as I thought I would. Maybe it just wasn’t what I was expecting.

Spirited Away | This was the first Miyazaki movie I’ve ever seen. I should watch more Miyazaki movies, and less of them on planes.

Poor Things | Goddamn did I love this movie. Also the first Lanthamos movie I’ve ever seen. One of those movies where you wake up the next morning and your first thought is “What the hell did I just watch last night?”

Past Lives | A quietly beautiful and deeply human movie. I could not believe Greta Lee wasn’t nominated for an Oscar.

Dune 2 | Hopefully you didn’t miss this one in theaters. An excellent movie-going experience. As beautifully shot and well-told as the first.

Next Goal Wins | With all due respect to the people involved in the making of this movie, it was not good. It’s such a shame too, because there was a really heartwarming underdog story to be told here and it was bungled entirely.

Civil War | This movie was excellent. I appreciate that Alex Garland went narrow and specific in his POV. Though his choice to omit much of the context of the conflict was frustrating at times, it allowed the movie to function as a character study — like most great war dramas — rather than a sweeping epic, which may not have worked. Kirsten Dunst was incredible.

Challengers | I saw Civil War and Challengers in theaters on back-to-back days, an astonishing achievement for the parent of a toddler, and the experience solidified for me what I want most out of a movie: do something unique, and do it well. I’ve never seen a sports movie like Challengers and I’ve never seen a romance like Challengers and I’ve never seen a thriller like Challengers. It was so good.

The Idea of You | A slightly more memorable romcom than Your Place or Mine that was at least trying to do something interesting.

Plus One | I don’t know how I’d missed this one for five years, especially during the long days and nights of the pandemic. There’s no reason Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid shouldn’t be megastars, though fortunately it seems that time is nearing. This was a good romcom.

Hit Man | I loved this movie. That weird ending aside, the script was punchy and funny. Glen Powell has broken out like, five different times over the last two years, but this may be his best work to date.

Fall Guy | A little too self-referential and winky to fully immerse me, but enjoyable all the same.

Sideways | Also don’t know how I’d missed this movie for 20 years. Really great, if a little depressing how dated it already feels.

Anora | Again, I just want movies to do something unique and do it well. And holy shit did Anora do both of those things. You’ve seen movies that look and feel like Anora, but you’ve never seen a movie like Anora. Its lo-fi vibe and corresponding production value doesn’t scream “you have to see this in theaters” but this was so much fun as a communal experience on a big screen. Mikey Madison deserves all the accolades, for the last five minutes alone.

Will & Harper | A beautiful buddy road trip movie that felt more like a scripted film than a documentary in the best way. It wasn’t Harper Steele’s responsibility to explain some sort of monolithic trans experience to Will Ferrell or the audience, but you come away with a deep understanding of her experience through their travels and that’s the start, which makes the sweet ending even more poignant.

Saturday Night | I don’t think it matters how much of this was real vs. how much was heightened vs. how much was straight-up fictionalized. Sometimes you just want to watch a really fun period movie about a pop cultural institution starring people playing other famous people.

Gladiator II | Just suspend disbelief and let Denzel be Denzel.

Speed | Again, don’t know how I missed this through years of sleep away camp with elder Millennial and Gen X counselors. But it made for a great Thanksgiving night family movie.

Wicked | This may be recency bias, and I may just be caught up in a cultural moment, but I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say Wicked is one of the greatest movie musicals of all-time, and arguably the best Broadway adaptation ever. Forget the endless press tour and put aside the TikTok bait of it all: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were incredible. They became the definitive versions of roles that had definitive players for two decades. Grande in particular was a revelation, if only because I already knew Erivo could carry dramatic weight. Jon M. Chu’s only job was to not mess up the rich, wildly popular source material, and he elevated it. I had small nits, but nothing to remotely lessen how enjoyable this movie was.

The Birdcage | A movie that at the same time has aged pretty poorly, but also really well.

Conclave | Beautifully shot and beautifully acted, if a little slowly paced and eventually reliant on some heightened reality to get its point across (not the very end, but the thing that happens before it).

Inside Out 2 | Pixar has a spotty track record with sequels, but this one was every bit as good as the original. And yes, there was definitely youth hockey involved in this movie.

A Real Pain | I don’t know how to describe my praise for this movie other than it felt really real. Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin were both so good. The movie is only 90 minutes long and leaves you with a million things to keep thinking about, reflecting on what it tried to say about family and religion and generational trauma.

BOOKS

Starter Villain (John Sclazi) | An appropriately weird and fun way to start the year.

My Murder (Katie Williams) | Deeply personal spec-fic mystery with a super interesting reveal.

The Fraud (Zadie Smith) | Maybe this says more about me, but I didn’t really enjoy this book.

West With Giraffes (Lynda Rutledge) | A book club read that didn’t do all that much for me.

The Bee Sting (Paul Murray) | Incredible characters, incredible storytelling, a deeply unnerving ending. Read it if you like reading good books.

The Postmortal (Drew Magary) | I liked Magary’s The Hike a little bit better, but this was still a fascinating exploration into what happens to a society like ours that has found a cure for aging, told through the perspective of one normal dude.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (James McBride) | A wonderful story about the ways in which Jews and Black pelople have always asserted themselves and their place in a white Christian nation built on subjugating them.

Upgrade (Blake Crouch) | Not as good as Recursion or Dark Matter, but still fun and breezy sci-fi action from Crouch.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain) | Mostly read this as a prelude to my next read…

James (Percival Everett) | I don’t know what to say about this book other than you have to read it to believe it. With all due respect to Mark Twain, it may be the definitive telling of Huck Finn’s story.

Erasure (Percival Everett) | James was so good that it begat a Percival Everett kick. American Fiction was one of my favorite movies of last year, and the book upon which it was based did not disappoint.

This Tender Land (William Kent Krueger) | This book did everything well that West With Giraffes didn’t. It had every opportunity to be treacly and formulaic, but stayed just on the tender side of things.

T-Shirt Swim Club (Ian Karmel and Dr. Alisa Karmel) | A really wonderful memoir from Ian about growing up fat and what it took to make life-preserving lifestyle changes as an adult, followed by a clinical primer from his sister Alisa on the best and least harmful ways to make those changes.

Dr. No (Percival Everett) | My last Everett of the year. I felt smarter and dumber after reading it.

The Truths We Hold: An American Journey (Kamala Harris) | This book was great when I thought I was reading a memoir by our next president. Doesn’t feel so great now considering the new context after November 5th.

Salvage the Bones (Jesmyn Ward) | Ward’s prose is almost frustratingly beautiful. Bois Sauvage feels like another planet to me, and I think that’s the point.

Long Island Compromise (Taffy Brodesser-Akner) | But turning to planets I grew up on, whew, Long Island Compromise. This was my favorite book of the year. Give me a character-forward dramedy about a deeply fucked up generationally wealthy Jewish family on Long Island and I will give you my undivided attention. Come for the trauma, stay because — like the Fletchers —you have nowhere else to go.

The Plot Against America (Philip Roth) | Not the best book to read in the run-up to the 2024 election (or maybe the best book to read in the run-up to the 2024 election?), but poignant all the same. Distressingly, the tidy ending almost feels like wishful fantasy compared to what may be about to come in our American moment.

Sing, Unburied, Sing (Jesmyn Ward) | Not unlike Salvage the Bones, a book that was as difficult to read as it was rewarding — even more so.