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When it comes to the year in television, only one phrase describes the incredibly expensive, but ultimately shallow shows that dominated the TV landscape: fancy garbage.
In an attempt to get ahead in the Streaming Wars, companies poured millions of dollars into series like Little Fires Everywhere, Defending Jacob, and The Undoing. But of course, money does not beget quality, and as a result of poor writing, underdeveloped characters, and/or other structural issues, viewers were left with big-budget shows that, despite their Sopranos or Mad Men complexes, are basically soap operas on steroids.
Let me be clear that I like fancy garbage. Love it, even! There’s something incredibly comforting about watching a drama about rich white ladies with secrets, or rich white men making difficult moral decisions, or any combination of the aforementioned words. When you sign up for a fancy garbage show, you almost always get what you expect: beautiful people in beautiful settings wearing beautiful outfits. The plot and interpersonal drama almost become secondary, as any flaws are easily papered over by ostentatious displays of wealth, both on- and off-screen.
With this in mind, it makes sense that shows filled with gorgeous costuming, house porn, and star-studded casts took over streaming in 2020. Is there anyone out there who didn’t wish they lived in another house, had a new wardrobe, or even harbored one tiny, little secret at some point during this godforsaken year?
Fancy garbage didn’t begin in 2020 (by my count, that honor belongs to Big Little Lies Season 2), but it certainly proliferated over the past 12 months. To fully celebrate this niche genre, I’ve ranked the fanciest and garbage-iest shows of the year, from The Undoing to The Flight Attendant and everything in between. Happy trash hunting!
'The Undoing'
In a year filled with fancy garbage shows, The Undoing was the fanciest and garbage-iest of them all. Every shot in the HBO drama screams “wealth” — if you couldn’t tell from Nicole Kidman’s 80 different winter coats and her family’s personal helicopter, she is rich! — and yet, its lackluster ending proves that producers had absolutely no idea what to do with all that cash.
But again, the coats!
Fancy Rating: 5/5
Garbage Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: A Diamond Atop the Garbage Heap
'The Comey Rule'
From the very beginning, it was clear that The Comey Rule thought it was hot shit. The Showtime limited series established itself as the definitive take on former FBI director James Comey and President Donald Trump’s short-lived relationship, but its allegiance to Comey soon became clear, and critics were quick to dismiss the “self-satisfied” narrative. Still, strong performances from Jeff Daniels and Brendan Gleeson, who wears an impressive set of prosthetics to transform into Trump, earn it a spot on this list. In terms of Fancy Garbage, “self-satisfied” is basically a religion.
Fancy Rating: 5/5
Garbage Rating: 4/5
Overall Rating: A Table of Big Macs at the White House
'Defending Jacob'
When it comes to Fancy Garbage tropes, “Man Who Risks It All to Save His Family” is at least Top Three. In Defending Jacob, Apple’s adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name (being a book-to-TV adaptation is practically a prerequisite for Fancy Garbage titles), Chris Evans does, in fact, risk it all when his son (a very creepy Jaeden Martell) is accused of murdering a classmate. Apple clearly spent top dollar on the Boston-set limited series — Captain America don’t come cheap — but, again, that doesn’t mean it’s top quality. And yet, I couldn’t stop watching!
Fancy Rating: 4/5
Garbage Rating: 4/5
Overall Rating: One of Ben Affleck’s Distressed Designer T-Shirts
'The Vow'
Oh, you thought only scripted series could be Fancy Garbage? Think again. HBO’s NXIVM docuseries managed to be both confusing and infuriating, as it glossed over the truly horrific nature of Keith Raniere’s abuse. Throughout The Vow‘s bloated, nine-episode first season (that number itself indicates the doc’s self-importance), subject Mark Vicente repeatedly refuses to acknowledge his complicity in Raniere’s abuse, even when given the chance during an awkward, pier-front conversation with Anthony “Nippy” Aimes. Clearly, The Vow thinks it’s doing something amazing, when in reality, it’s stunted by its arrogance.
Fancy Rating: 3/5
Garbage Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: Midnight Volleyball at an Equinox Gym
'Killing Eve' Season 3
In recent years, Killing Eve has shifted dangerously towards the “Just Garbage” end of the spectrum, but its jet-setting plot and Villanelle’s overall vibe continue to up the fancy quota, season after season. Killing Eve Season 3 brought viewers to Barcelona, Poland, Russia, and Scotland, where Jodie Comer’s hired assassin rocked lewks that deserve their own MoMA exhibit. I truly could not tell you a single thing that happened plot-wise (apart from that very annoying death in the season premiere), but at this point, that’s not really why I watch, and I suspect many fans feel the same.
Fancy Rating: 3/5
Garbage Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: A White Russian Made With Oat Milk
'Little Fires Everywhere'
I’ll see your “Man Willing to Risk It All” and raise you a “Rich White Lady Unable to Check Her Privilege.” Reese Witherspoon is no stranger to the Fancy Garbage genre (if The Morning Show had aired even a single episode in 2020, it would have headlined this list), but she really kicked things up a notch with Little Fires Everywhere, Hulu’s adaptation of Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel. Ng’s book explores the specific ways racial and socioeconomic disparities affect women, but the series seems to think that lifting these storylines — and more often than not, whole passages of dialogue — directly from the novel and presenting them with no additional commentary or flair is sufficient. News flash: it is not!
Fancy Rating: 4/5
Garbage Rating: 3/5
Overall Rating: A Charter Yacht TV That Only Plays Dr. Phil Reruns
'The Flight Attendant'
I was hesitant to include The Flight Attendant on this list because it absolutely doesn’t take itself as seriously as these other six shows, which wouldn’t know a joke if it slapped them across the face, but the subject matter and book-to-expensive-TV-adaptation vibe makes it difficult to ignore, as far as the Fancy Garbage canon is concerned. Plus, The Flight Attendant was one of HBO Max’s first commissioned series, and its constantly-shifting setting (it was actually filmed in Bangkok!) makes it clear just how much WarnerMedia was willing to spend to get its inaugural flight off the ground.
Fancy Rating: 2/5
Garbage Rating: 3/5
Overall Rating: A Surprise Upgrade to First Class, But Your New Neighbor Snores
