Stranger Things — Credit: Netflix
The summer season of TV is still ongoing, but what’s the current state of the “show of the summer” competition?
Back in May, I went through the most anticipated TV shows and considered what would be the “show of the summer.” I narrowed it down to five options: Black Mirror, The Handmaid’s Tale, Succession, Stranger Things and Big Little Lies. The one option I didn’t consider that may now have a case is HBO’s Euphoria.
As all-powerful judge, I’ve been looking for the show that is both received well by critics and audiences AND generates significant attention and conversation.
The summer isn’t over yet so it’s too early to declare a winner, but it’s worth checking in on the state of the race thus far. Among the five shows I initially considered, only Black Mirror and Stranger Things have released all episodes of their new seasons. Handmaid’s has four episodes remaining, Big Little Lies has one, and Succession’s season doesn’t begin until August 12th (Euphoria has three episodes remaining).
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Black Mirror
I thought it “would win” due to the creativity and sophistication of every episode, along with the inclusion of stars like Miley Cyrus and Anthony Mackie. I thought it “wouldn’t win” due to there only being three episodes and the likelihood that some of the stand-alone stories would be received better than others.
What’s happened: As far as I could find, Netflix didn’t release any viewership numbers for Black Mirror’s latest season, so it’s difficult to judge it from that perspective. Per Rotten Tomatoes, season five was the worst received of all the seasons.
Rotten Tomatoes Scores:
Season 1: Tomatometer 97%, Audience score 93%
Season 2: Tomatometer 87%, Audience score 93%
Season 3: Tomatometer 86%, Audience score 92%
Season 4: Tomatometer 85%, Audience score 82%
Season 5: Tomatometer 67%, Audience score N/A
Takeaway: Even if it was received really well, the three episode, stand-alone story format was unlikely to make it the “show of the summer.” Black Mirror is a great TV show, but it probably doesn’t deserve the championship belt.
Succession
Since it doesn’t air until August, not much can be said thus far (although the season’s trailer looks promising). The one thing the show has going for it is that it could be the center of attention, as its competitors will already have wrapped up their seasons.
I thought it “would win” because the show could build off a strong season one and really come out firing in season two. I thought it “wouldn’t win” because it hasn’t been around long enough to gain enough of a following.
Handmaid’s Tale
I thought it “would win” due to the praise and attention the first two seasons generated, along with the possibility the “politics” of the show would continue to drive conversation. I thought it “wouldn’t win” due to its presence on Hulu, a popular streaming service but not on the scale of Netflix for example.
What’s happened: 9/13 episodes have been released in season three. As far as I can tell, viewership numbers aren’t available, but the show has drummed up a fair amount of conversation with its weekly episode releases.
Takeaway: Before looking at Rotten Tomatoes, my perception was that this season hasn’t been quite as good as one and two, and the site agrees with me. The “audience score” in particular has taken a major dip.
With a strong close to the season, perhaps Handmaid’s can make up some ground, but it’s “show of the summer” prospects aren’t looking great.
Rotten Tomatoes Scores:
Season 1: Tomatometer 94%, Audience score 92%
Season 2: Tomatometer 89%, Audience score 80%
Season 3: Tomatometer 79%, Audience score 50%
Euphoria
I haven’t watched Euphoria, but I think it deserves to be a part of the conversation. 5/8 episodes have been released in season one, and the shows “mature content” has generated a lot of conversation.
The TV show is likely too new to win “show of the summer” as audiences are still discovering it, but it could potentially be a contender in years to come. It’s “mature content” might not appeal to everyone, but this didn’t hold back Game of Thrones.
The Contenders
There are still more episodes to come and Succession hasn’t even started yet, but so far it looks like there are two top contenders for “show of the summer”: Big Little Lies and Stranger Things. No single show has stood out above the others, but these two seem to have a slight edge.
Big Little Lies
I thought it “would win” due to its star-studded cast, the momentum it built in season one and the degree to which HBO seemed to be promoting the show. I thought it “wouldn’t win” because it wasn’t clear where the TV show would go after season one. Was a second season even necessary?
What’s happened: The show has received some criticism related to the plot and the controversy with showrunner Andrea Arnold. At the same time, however, it’s seemingly dominated the Sunday night conversation, and with the addition of Merryl Streepe, the cast has produced some compelling content.
Takeaway: A lot will be riding on how the season wraps up its final episode. If it’s well received, the “show of the summer” crown could be in reach. Despite the seemingly mixed reception, it has still fared well on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rotten Tomatoes Scores:
Season 1: Tomatometer 93%, Audience score 94%
Season 2: Tomatometer 94%, Audience score N/A
Stranger Things
I thought it “would win” due to the momentum it built over its first two seasons, its talented young cast and its presence on the wide-reaching Netflix platform. I thought it “wouldn’t win” since I felt season two wasn’t received as well as season one. Additionally, I thought releasing all episodes at once (rather than doing weekly releases) could limit the conversation around the show.
What’s happened: I thought season three was arguably the show’s strongest season. With most characters and plot background already established, the showrunners were able to flex their creative muscles. The compelling plot and wide range of characters produced some entertaining television.
Takeaway: I was surprised to see that season three hasn’t fared quite as well on Rotten Tomatoes as prior seasons. Overall, however, I think it’s fair to say season’s three reception has been quite strong.
Rotten Tomatoes Scores:
Season 1: Tomatometer 96%, Audience score 96%
Season 2: Tomatometer 94%, Audience score 90%
Season 3: Tomatometer 89%, Audience score 84%
Conclusion
No TV show has clearly emerged above the rest, but there still has to be a winner. I think Stranger Things has had the best season of any show thus far, but I also think releasing the entire season at once really limited how much (and for how long) the show was discussed. It’s difficult to quantify this, but it’s just my perception.
The Big Little Lies season has been a little up-and-down, but it’s still been high quality television. Maybe more importantly, it’s generated conversation for weeks on end due to its Sunday night episode releases. If the finale is received well, I think it’s the favorite to claim the title of “show of the summer.”