Culture Choices 2022 is an annual series by Roar’s Culture section in which staff writers select their favourite Albums, Films, Books, and TV shows of the year.
“One of Us is Lying” – Charmaine Tan
First released in 2021, Season 1 of “One of Us is Lying” ends with a cliffhanger just as the five murder suspects of Bayview High (Murder Club) – popular Addy Prentiss, overachiever Bronwyn Rojas, social outcast Janae Matthews, bad boy Nate Macauley, and jock Cooper Clay – attempt to return to normal life, thinking that all the Simon Says drama was behind them, only to receive yet another text from Simon Says.
We are then left to speculate who the (new) Simon Says is, now that the initial suspect, Jake, is dead. About a year later, on 15 November 2022, Season 2 is finally released and Simon Says reveals that they have video evidence of Murder Club at the scene of Jake’s death. Simon Says threatens to destroy their futures if they do not follow their orders.
The plot thickens as the five suspects are instructed to do riskier and more humiliating tasks with each passing day. Murder Club increase their investigation efforts, only to find their suspects dropping dead one by one.
Talks of the prisoner’s dilemma and turning themselves in arise as Addy’s anxiety starts to get the better of her. Bronwyn messes up her Yale interview and Cooper’s future is increasingly jeopardised with each Simon Says instruction. Amidst all the intense plotting and planning, the attractive but dumb Vanessa Clark provides intermittent scenes of comic relief. We also see the less dark, more humane side of the characters, as Janae reveals her discomfort being confined to a female gender during a deep conversation with her love interest Maeve Rojas, and a romance develops between Nate and Bronwyn.
Overall, “One of Us is Lying” is a nerve-wracking series and definitely not for the faint-hearted. Just like Season 1, Season 2 is also extremely binge-worthy and ends with yet another big question mark.
“SAS Rogue Heroes” – Jess Clarke
Get ready to fill the peaky-blinders-sized hole you’ve had in your lives. Steven Knight’s new show “SAS Rogue Heroes” is the show of 2022. As a massive fan of “Sex Education”, “Skins” and “Game of Thrones”, I was pretty excited to see the line-up, and Connor Swindells, Jack O’Connell, and Alfie Allen did not disappoint. While it is based on the true story of the formation of the SAS, don’t be mistaken in thinking that this is a boring history biopic. Although, in my opinion, there is no such thing. Without giving too much away, Jack O’Connell’s character fatally disarms three prison guards using only a book in the first half of episode one, so it’s safe to say there’s plenty of gore and action to keep you entertained. It is also funny, unbelievable, and (mostly) true. Plus, it has a cracking soundtrack to boot. Overall, the show is a thoroughly entertaining watch, so it should come as no surprise that it has already been picked up for a second season and crowned the best TV show of 2022 (by me).
“Severance” – Monserrat Martinez Medellin
If you could make your work/life divide literal – if you could get paid to work, but never have to think of work outside of work – would you do it? For Mark Scout (superbly portrayed by the Adam Scott of “Parks and Recreation” fame), that is the case. Mark, his co-workers (Zach Cherry as cynical Dylan, and John Turturro as by-the-book Irving), as well as newcomer Helly (Britt Lower), work in the Macrodata Refinement Department of the mysterious “Lumon” company. They have all undergone the controversial severance procedure, their brains (and consciousness) partitioned in two: as they clock into work, their “work self” takes over to carry out tasks at Lumon; at the end of the day’s shift, their “out-of-office self” becomes conscious without ever retaining any memories of what they do at the company or who they work with. Series creator Dan Erickson said of the idea behind “Severance”: “I caught myself wishing I could just disassociate from the next eight hours. It occurred to me that that’s a messed up thing to wish for”.
Disturbing yet brilliant, the show is a feast. Created by Erickson, and directed by Ben Stiller (yes, that Ben Stiller) and Aoife McArdle, it combines Kafkaesque storytelling, Kubrick-style suspense, and workplace satire reminiscent of “The Office”. Scott packs one of the year’s strongest performances, alternating between a solitary, grieving Mark and his optimistic office alter ego. Similarly, Lower is another of the cast’s powerhouses, and the story between Turturro and his frequent scene partner Christopher Walken’s characters is a touching delight. Beyond that, the show’s surrealist and retro aesthetics present a unique and captivating visual language, and neither the script nor the cinematography hold back from embracing bizarreness while delivering poignant commentary on depression and job burnout. Save for a short-lived dip in the middle, the tension grows consistently throughout the episodes, as it becomes clear that the company’s dark secrets pose a larger threat to the characters’ surface lives than they’d imagined. The season finale is nothing short of what’s expected from a show that skillfully speaks to the more insidious, toxic side of our fundamental day-to-day. As we await the release of season two, all we can do is wonder… what’s for dinner?
“Andor” – Siraaj Khan
Stripping away the lightsabers, star destroyers, and Jedi, Andor took “Star Wars” back to the core of the story that George Lucas created 46 years ago. Above all, “Star Wars” is a story about a group of people fighting back against an authoritarian regime. While recent “Star Wars” shows and films have been action-packed, “Andor” is a slow-burn Spy thriller which unfolds slowly but brilliantly towards the end of its 12 episodes.
The story’s focus on communities of people helps bring life to the show. We get to experience day-to-day life in the “Star Wars” universe. Whether through the eyes of a senator on Coruscant or a construction worker on Ferrix, we get a grasp of how it is to live under the rule of the Empire. Freedom and justice are both things that are tough to find here. The imperial prisons are shown as extreme labour camps where criminals are sent to serve. They are tortured if they do not perform well. Prisoners are given a sentence but many realise they will never get out.
The character arc of Cassian Andor is brilliantly executed as he progresses from a selfish scoundrel to a selfless leader. We get to witness the beginning of an organised rebellion and see the dark side of it all, with characters who lie, betray, and steal to get what they want.
“Andor” is a realistic take on the world of “Star Wars”. Much of the show reflects the current rise of far-right politics in the real world. It is a show that makes you think, “maybe that galaxy is not so far away”.
