The 2022 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best TV Series
While it's easy to reflect on 2022 as a challenging time for content on the small screen, as movie theaters bounced back with major blockbusters and streaming services ruthlessly cutting series, but even with these complications, there were a number of outstanding series to celebrate this year. Between the long-awaited return of beloved series, the continuation of projects flying under most viewers' radars, or the debut of all-new stories in iconic worlds, it seemed like every week, entirely new and diverse storylines dominated social media conversation for fans to dive into. ComicBook.com's Golden Issue Awards celebrate the achievements on TV and honor the Best TV Series of the year.
And the winner of the 2022 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best TV Series is...
Of all the various Star Wars projects announced over the years, Andor arguably generated the least excitement. While Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was a hit with fans, the nature of it being a prequel meant that audiences weren't entirely enthused by that movie itself getting a sequel, especially since we knew all the characters died in that film's finale. In fact, it's largely due to these humble and unassuming origins that allowed the series to be a genuinely thrilling and unexpected adventure.
Showrunner Tony Gilroy has often expressed that he never had much reverence for the galaxy far, far away and that, while the series would include Easter eggs, his lack of awareness of the franchise at large meant we shouldn't expect the "fan service" that other Star Wars projects offered. Instead, we were given an experience more akin to his work on Michael Clayton or the Jason Bourne films, with its Star Wars elements becoming the least compelling components of the experience.
The entire ordeal ignited with the worst day in Cassian Andor's life, as he found himself in a no-win situation where he had to decide between his own future or those of security officers. His quick thinking forced his hand and immersed himself in the Rebellion deeper than he ever intended, showcasing to audiences how heroes aren't always borne of moral conviction and are reluctant and the result of self-focused choices. Throughout the season, Diego Luna offered audiences a pained performance as a character who, with every small decision that offered him short-term safety, only dug himself deeper into opposing the Galactic Empire.
On the other side of the spectrum, Kyle Soller's Syril Karn and Denise Gough's Dedra Meero explored the same scenarios that Cassian found himself in, yet from positions of power. These characters weren't abjectly evil, with their daily tasks coming from places of protecting their colleagues and showcasing their own talents, as each small decision entrenched them further into fascistic organizations. While a majority of Star Wars stories paint in broad strokes, with the heroism of the protagonists being a reflection of the antagonists' treachery, Andor entirely lived in the grey; Andor wasn't morally superior to those around him, he merely had a more powerful will to survive at any cost.
Longtime fans of the franchise may have expressed their frustrations about how, compared to projects like The Mandalorian or Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor didn't inherently feel like it belonged in the galaxy far, far away. This only speaks to the strength of Gilroy's accomplishments with the project, as the overall structure could just have easily fit in a 1950s spy series as it would in any other futuristic sci-fi settings. Fans weren't tuning in to witness game-changing reveals to the overall Star Wars franchise or how it would set up other spinoffs, we tuned in each and every week to merely enjoy the journey as opposed to looking towards the destination.
The nominees for Best TV Series are:
- Chucky (SYFY)
- House of the Dragon (HBO)
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+)
- Star Wars: Andor (Disney+) – WINNER
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Stranger Things (Netflix)