So, this year I did something that I normally don’t do. I actually watch television shows. That’s an exaggeration of course but ever since I worked my way into college and grown accustomed to the internet, I normally don’t watch as many shows as I used to when I was kid. Outside of your casual Marvel and Star Wars shows on Disney Plus or your typical big hit series on Netflix such as Stranger Things, I hadn’t been that compelled to keep up with any new streaming series. That was until this year!
With how iffy film medium has been for the past couple of years, that has encouraged me to go to other resources for high quality entertainment. Those mediums that I’ve turned to have been video games and streaming shows. Because of my increase on the latter, I have worked my way to find the high quality shows that I heard so many good things about and see if they’ve lived up to the hype. And in 2025, I was able to find six distinct shows that were able to meet those expectations.
Keep in mind, these are my personal favorite shows of 2024. I didn’t have time to view every single hit show of the year and there are some that I liked but didn’t like well enough to where it deserved to be mention in my top lists. Regardless, here are my lists of my top 6 favorite shows of 2024.
6.) Terminator: Zero
People have gone back and forth in what should be considered the #3 best Terminator medium. Some favor the bonkers Rise of the Machines with it’s ballsy as hell ending, some favor the appropriately grim departure of the series known as Salvation, some prefer grandma Linda Hamilton and grandpa Arnold coming back to kick ass with Dark Fate, and of course there are those fortunate that was able to witness The Sarah Connor Chronicles in it’s entirety as the real proper continuation of the first two masterpieces in the franchise. However, we know have a new anime series that might just put every single film released between Judgement Day and Dark Fate to shame with Terminator: Zero.
Instead of relying on nostalgia and callbacks, Terminator: Zero actually dares to tell a fresh and unique story with new and engaging characters and adding new mythos to the lore. There’s no Connors or Arnold presence here, just a new conflict told through a different set of humans and machines. The animation style is incredibly fitting for what it’s going for, this is easily the most intense Terminator medium since the original film, the new characters that are introduced are able to hold their own, and it’s able to look at a much broader scope of the relationship between humanity and A.I. in ways that feels new and timely appropriate.
I don’t know if this series will appeal to those that aren’t fans of Terminator or anime but if you are a fan of either one of them, this Netflix exclusive is a must see. If anything, this proof that the Terminator brand can in fact endure with it’s own identity without the need to constantly bring a Linda Hamilton and Arnold into the mix.
5.) Arcane (Season 2)
The first season of Arcane was perhaps one of the greatest seasons of an animated series I have ever seen. Not only did it work near flawlessly as an adaption of it’s source material but it worked as it’s own series itself. It introduced some of the grandest worldbuilding, engaging characters, and superb animation of modern times, tackling serious subject matter involving tragedy and conflict. Because of that, expectations were over the ROOF for it’s second season. And while it’s still great, it can’t quite capture that lightning in a bottle that the first one did.
This perhaps has to do with the fact that Netflix decided that the second season should act as the final season and save any remaining stories set in this universe as individual spin-offs. Because of that, you got a third act, while well made and engaging, can’t help but feel overstuffed and crammed together just to get to the ending that the creators wanted for this series. While the first two/thirds of the show are able to be as compelling and intriguing as Season 1, the last third falters with trying to type up so much material in so little time.
Even so, I will still take a flawed masterpiece such as Arcane Season 2 than around 90% of most entertainment that I watched this year. The animation and world building is expanded upon even further with most impressive achievements, Vi and Jinx still remains the most compelling sisterhood relationship I’ve seen to date, the action is still grand and epic in scale, and the entire cast is still able to get a moment of their own to shine. Season 2 may not have been the perfection that Season 1 was but in this case, I’ll still take imperfection if it means I get to spend more time in this world and it’s characters.
4.) Fallout
Last year’s Amazon smash hit managed to be one of the most surprising new series to come out in 2024. Despite having all odds against them, Fallout was able to work greatly as an adaption that honored the source material is was based on (despite some potential retcons here and there) while expanding the overall world to new audience members all around the world.
Aided by an INCREDIBLY likable and talented cast with Ella Purnell’s Lucy (I NEVER get tired of her saying “ookie-dookie”), Walton Goggin’s Cooper Howard, and Aaron Clifton Moten’s Maximus, this series puts the focus on a handful of scrappy survivors fighting their way through a nuclear apocalypse in different parts of a retro-futuristic America. Even with it’s rather serious stakes throughout, the show never forgets to be lighthearted and fun when the moments require it. Show creator Jonathan Nolan clearly understood the assignment here and we all ended up the better for it.
Although the ending left quite a bit to be desired (which is apparently the case with most Fallout games), this video game show was an absolute blast regardless of whether you are a fan of the games or not. With a perfectly balanced tone, engaging protagonists, and top notch production values, Fallout earns itself a spot as a new gold standard for video game adaptions and shows.
3.) X-Men ’97
In an era where it seems like the hype around superheroes and revivals have died down, here comes in X-Men 97 that was able to swipe on it’s way to Disney Plus and show everyone how these things are suppose to be done. This was about as good of a revival as it could get, perfectly translate the traditional values and roots that the X-Men are known for in modern times while still being able to capture that Saturday morning cartoon vibe.
The 2D animation is stunning and feels perfectly in line with it’s 96′ series counter part, the action sequences are filled with energy and excitement, and there is plenty of time given to each cast member of the X-Men to shine, rarely suffering from the problem of the films where a certain group of characters manages to completely overshadow the other. And it was SUPER nice to see my boy Scott and my girl Rogue being done justice for once. Oh, and the glimmers of seeing 94′ Spider-Man back again brought a tear to my eye!
No offense to Deadpool & Wolverine but I think most would agree that X-Men 97 was far in a way the best Marvel-related thing to come out in 2024. It’s able to capture the spirit of it’s 90s counterpart as well as just the X-Men in general! It’s so good that I would love to see more Marvel revivals of beloved shows done in a similar matter. Come on, Disney! Greenlight Spider-Man 98 already! You know you want to!
2.) The Penguin
With there being so many “Who asked for this?!” spin-offs of existing IPs out lately, The Penguin was able to step up to the plate and hit an absolute grand slam of a spin-off series. Matt Reeves and Lauren Lefranc is able to expand upon the crime lord of Gotham in fascinating ways here, showcasing a perfect example on how to do these “grounded” superhero stories correctly.
The production values are fantastic, Gotham has never been this intriguing to explore in live-action, the characters are all engaging, the plot is intriguing, and the performance are stellar from top to bottom, aided greatly by the central performance by Colin Farrell (who is still unrecognizable as the Penguin) and the scene stealing turn by Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone. It’s also incredibly refreshing to have a villain led-story where we actually get to see the main lead be a villain all the way through, with ZERO need to make them an anti-hero or the good guy in the end. Also, take notes, The Acolyte! THIS is how you do flashbacks in episodes!
Even if this kind of series wasn’t necessarily “needed”, The Penguin is proof if the talent and craft is there, you can make great art out of anything. Although the recent delays of The Batman: Part II is unfortunate, I will still be first in line to see what awaits for the next installment of the now-called The Batman Epic Crime Saga. I BETTER see Robert Pattinson beat the shit out of Oz in the first five minutes or else!
1.) Shogun
Of course, the one series that has received the most awards and acclaim turned out to be my favorite show of 2024. There was no other show in 2024 that was able to shock and astonish the entertainment world than Shogun. It rivals Game of Thrones in it’s prime in terms of quality, able to expand upon it’s periodic times to perfection while examining complicated themes surrounding war, culture, and religion.
The writing is excellent, the characters are very well developed, the story is rich and full of intrigue, the production design is off the charts all around, there’s not a single actor or actress that phones it in, and it’s able to showcase themes that feel modern to our times but also culturally appropriate in the setting that the series is set in. You even got some incredibly impressive action sequences that feel grounded and expertly choreographed, emotional beats that are always properly build up and earned, and able to find a satisfying pay off to nearly every single main thing it sets ups. And as everyone has pointed out, Anna Sawai gives the standout performance of 2024 as Toda Mariko, stealing every scene that she’s in for the better.
There are many shows that get hyped up nowadays but very few are able to truly live up to it for me. Shogun is surely one of those exceptions. It’s exceptionally made, exceptionally written, exceptionally acted, exceptionally directed, and exceptionally entertaining. If there is any show from 2024 that deserves to be studied and examined on how to make a proper streaming series set in a period time and setting, look no further than Shogun.
Adam's Blog 