A shorter month means less TV, right? WRONG. February was always a powerhouse when it came to TV shows, with huge hit series that dominated the conversation, snarky comedies that thrilled the whole family, and so much more.
The fearless team at Decider wade through this mess of new series, who bravely looked at the entire television landscape and said, we can relate to this. And we have, indeed, understood it. We got it so well that we’ve put together a list of nine shows you absolutely couldn’t miss over the past month. That includes bold new superhero shows, a teen powerhouse hit, bizarre workplace drama, and more.
A word on methodology. In order to arrive at this list, the staff all submitted their top five picks for the month. These choices were graded, weighed, picked together, heated to a boil, then reduced to a boil for twenty minutes until about half of the liquid had evaporated. Once done, they were poured into a saucepan and beaten heavily with flour in order to make a roux. Once this was made, we took each of the top picks and put them together to make the list you see below.
Looking for our best January shows, in case you’ve been sleeping a month? We know it. For February? Continue reading.
9
“Golden age”
HBO
“What if Downton Abbey…but mean? that’s how i usually threw Golden age to people. It’s reductive, sure, but especially when it comes to the Russells’ scorched-earth approach (the Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector characters in particular), all of society’s niceties are out the window in the most more delightfully exaggerated as possible. Meanwhile, if “What if Downton Abbey… but New York? is more your speed, that’s exactly what happens literally across the street in the show. In February, the episodes heated up with unnecessary nudity and lots of maneuvering; but it is still just as sumptuous. — Alex Zalben
where to watch Golden age
8
‘Pam & Tommy’
Hulu
The latest nostalgic ’90s series to stream is a lot of fun and sleazy. Hulu’s Pam and Tommy looks back at the weirder-than-fiction true story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s stolen sex tape. Lily James and Sebastian Stan don’t portray Pam and Tommy so much as they completely subsume these larger-than-life pop culture legends, resulting in an entertaining trifle that will have you hooked on Jump Street. — Josh Sorokach
where to watch Pam and Tommy
7
‘Love is blind’
netflix
After becoming one of Netflix’s hits of 2020, Love is blind finally returned for Season 2 – and turned out to be even more chaotic and romantic than ever. Stacked with a new cast of love-starved singles (and possibly social media fame), this show had us gasping and screaming every week. We’ve had goofy pod proposals (oof, Jarrette!), both manic (Shayne) and panicky (Danielle) energy, lots of gold wine glasses, and we’ve lived through the brief but checkered reign of Shaina. And just before the end of the month, season 2 ended with a series of “I do” and “I don’t”. No matter what every couple decides to do, we’re committed to Love Is Blind for the long haul. — Bret Blanc
where to watch Love is blind
6
‘Euphoria’
HBO
For a fleeting moment this winter, HBO’s megahit Euphoria returned for a second season, and it was just as grand as when the show debuted in the summer of 2019. Although the show had a lot of shortcomings – like excluding amazing players like Barbie Ferreira’s Kat and Hunter Schafer’s Jules – the online community electrified this season with plenty of memes, hilarious reactions, and takes to keep the show fresh. Plus, young stars like Sydney Sweeney and, of course, Zendaya have taken this season to new heights. Ethan, we can’t wait to see your acceptance speech at this year’s Tony Awards. — Fletcher Peters
where to watch Euphoria
5
‘Peacemaker’
HBO Max
Included between The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, you get the feeling this is the type of superhero adaptation that James Gunn always wanted to do. Gunn’s irreverent, chronically goofy sense of humor pairs perfectly with John Cena’s goofy dog on this “hero.” But between its action scenes and addictive opening credits, there’s more to this HBO Max original than meets the eye. While Marvel has done everything to cover up its problematic past, Peacemaker does the exact opposite, airing DC’s dirty laundry and finding an interesting way to bring it into the modern era. This is a series about atonement, both for its red pill-adjacent protagonist and for the genre as a whole. — Kayla Cobb
where to watch Peacemaker
4
“Raised by Wolves”
HBO Max
Is there a bolder and wilder TV show than Raised by wolves? Season 2 began with what seemed like a slow burn, pitting the now ascendant atheists against a budding religious rebellion, led by convert Marcus (Travis Fimmel). And not that everything is simple in this show, but rather than building this conflict, through a murderous android rampage, baby snake hunting and acid mermaids, everything you thought was coming this season has been thrown away out the window by the end of Episode 5. Where will this show go in the second half of the season? You can’t predict it, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. — Alex Zalben
where to watch Raised by wolves
3
“The After Party”
AppleTV+
Apple TV+’s Wildly Creative Mystery Comedy the after party continued its ridiculously entertaining run in February, delivering a psychological thriller, an animated episode, a flashback to Detective Danner’s (Tiffany Haddish) early life on the police force, and perhaps best of all, a flashback to everyone at the high school that was as deliciously cringe-worthy as you’d expect. Although the series won’t reveal who killed Xavier (Dave Franco) until next month’s finale, the after party already deserves its own celebration. — Alex Zalben
where to watch the after party
2
‘Abbott Elementary’
ABC
Think the workplace mockumentary is dead? Think again ! Quinta Brunson’s new show, Abbott Elementary School, breathes much-needed new air into the network’s sitcom. The series – which follows a group of teachers at an underfunded school in Philadelphia – has clever dialogue made even better by a knockout cast. Broadway legend Sheryl Lee Ralph and The parent trap‘s Lisa Ann Walter as Work Wives? ! Yes please. — Abby Monteil
where to watch Abbott Elementary School
1
‘Break’
AppleTV+
Breakup is an exquisite celebration of small-screen innovation. Starring Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Christopher Walken and Patricia Arquette, the Apple TV+ thriller centers on the enigmatic Lumon Industries, a mysterious company whose employees have undergone a surgically divisive layoff procedure their memories between their work and personal lives. A deft combination of beautiful cinematography, shrewd writing, and outstanding theatrical performances, the brilliant series is a destabilizing tour de force unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. — Josh Sorokach
where to watch Breakup