Every season I start eight shows and finish maybe four, which is either a personal failing or just an honest description of how much good television exists right now. This one was a genuinely strong season for finishing what I started.

the shortlist

• A slow-burn drama that spent its whole first half being patient and paid it off in the last two episodes
• A comedy that somehow got funnier every single week instead of running out of ideas
• One show I picked up purely for the soundtrack and stayed for the actual story
• A sequel season that finally gave its side cast something to do

on that sequel season specifically

The side character everyone assumed was comic relief gets an entire arc in episodes 9 through 11, and it recontextualizes a joke from season one into something genuinely sad in retrospect. I did not expect to need a minute to sit with a show I'd been calling "the funny one" all season.

editing-worthiness ranking

Not every good show gives you good footage to cut. Strong writing and strong "footage that syncs well to music" are almost unrelated skills, and this season made that gap obvious. The slow-burn drama had maybe four usable action beats in twelve episodes. The comedy, somehow, had incredible comedic-timing footage that turned out to sync beautifully to upbeat tracks once I actually tried it.

the soundtrack I can't stop playing

I've had this looping in the background for most of my editing sessions this month. Full disclosure: I have no idea what half the lyrics mean, and I've stopped caring.

what's next

Winter's lineup already has two shows I'm planning to cut something from before the season even finishes airing, which historically means I will finish neither on time. See you in three months, presumably still rendering something.