16 Best Netflix Shows of 2022 So Far
It’s been an incredible year for Netflix shows so far. In 2022, fans saw the return of some of Netflix’s biggest shows, including Stranger Things, Bridgerton, and Ozark. We also got to see a bunch of new shows dominate the TV conversation like The Sandman, Vikings: Valhalla, Heartstopper, and more!
If you’re looking for what to watch on Netflix in 2022, check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s list of the Best Netflix shows of 2022 so far. We’ll update the list as we binge-watch more Netflix new releases.
‘Stranger Things 4’
It’s impossible to start a list of the best Netflix shows of the year without the biggest show of the year, Stranger Things. The new season premiered on May 27, and the final two episodes were added to Netflix on July 1. Fans watched more than 1 billion hours of Stranger Things 4 this summer, the second-biggest opening for a Netflix show of all time behind Squid Game.
Stranger Things 4 brought fans back to Hawkins after nearly three years and many delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eleven and her friends are up against a monster more terrifying than any so far. Do they have what it takes to stop the carnage? Find out in this super-sized season.
Stranger Things has also been renewed for a fifth and final season, which is expected to be released in 2024.
‘Bridgerton’ Season 2
Bridgerton also returned for its second season in 2022. The new season premiered in April, and for a few short months before Stranger Things 4 premiered, Bridgerton Season 2 was the most popular English-language Netflix series of all time. It’s now officially No. 3 on the list behind Stranger Things and Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which you won’t find on this list because it’s just so bad.
Bridgerton Season 2 shifts the focus from Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) to the love triangle between Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), and Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran).
Bridgerton Season 3 is already in the works, along with a Bridgerton prequel, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which hits Netflix in December 2022.
‘The Umbrella Academy’ Season 3
The third season of The Umbrella Academy premiered on Netflix in June. The whole gang (Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, Aidan Gallagher, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Robert Sheehan) returns to — you guessed it! — try to save the world.
Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy has it all, including an epic dance number to “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins.
The Umbrella Academy Season 4 is happening at Netflix, and it will be the final season of the Netflix original series. We’ll see how it all ends for the Brellies, but it’s probably going to be quite the wait until the fourth season is released.
‘Cobra Kai’ Season 4 and Season 5
Two seasons of Cobra Kai in one year? We’ll absolutely take it! Netflix kicked off 2022 in style with Cobra Kai Season 4 on New Year’s Day. This fall, Netflix dropped season 5 in September. It was a huge year for the hit series, which is awaiting confirmation that the show will return for season 6.
There’s no guarantee the show will return for a sixth season, but based on where the story ended in season 5 and Netflix’s track record, it looks pretty clear Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Mary Mouser, and the whole dojo will be back for season 6.
If you’re looking for a show to binge-watch on Netflix, there are few Netflix shows more addicting than Cobra Kai.
‘Heartstopper’
Heartstopper premiered on Netflix in April 2022 and was a massive hit for a teen series on Netflix. Inspired by the graphic novels of the same name by Alice Oseman, Hearstopper tells the story of a teenager, Charlie (Joe Locke), who starts to fall in love with his friend and classmate, Nick (Kit Connor).
Heartstopper Season 2 is already in the works on Netflix. Locke and Connor will be back for the new season, which just started filming in the fall of 2022, paving the way for a 2023 release date. The season 2 cast includes Yasmin Finney, William Gao, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Sebastian Croft, Tobie Donovan, Rhea Norwood, Jenny Walse, and Cormac Hyde-Corrin.
‘Ozark’ Season 4
Ozark came to an end in 2022. The fourth season premiered in January and was split into two parts with the second half of the season hitting the streaming service in April. Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner, Sophia Hublitz, and Skylar Gaertner returned for the final season of one of the most decorated Netflix shows to date. It’s also one of the most popular Netflix originals of all time.
As stakes rise for the Byrde family following the events of season 3, how will Marty and Wendy navigate their latest predicament and save their family? You’ll have to find out in the final season of Ozark!
‘Mo’
Mo is definitely the most underrated show on Netflix right now. The series premiered on Netflix in August, and it’s easily one of the best shows of the year so far.
Created by and starring comedian and actor Mo Amer, the series is loosely based on Amer’s life. It follows his journey as a Palestinian immigrant living in Houston, Texas. Ramy Youssef, creator and star of Ramy on Hulu, co-created the series with Amer.
If you need a new series to watch on Netflix, Mo is a great pick.
‘The Last Kingdom’ Season 5
Like Ozark, The Last Kingdom also came to an end this year, but there’s a little bit of a catch. While fans did get to see Uhtred’s final attempt to take back his home of Bebbanburg, this is not the end of the story of Uhtred and these characters.
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, a spinoff movie set in the same world, is also officially in the works at Netflix. Alexander Dreymon returns for the movie. While the full cast has not been announced, it’s expected that many familiar faces from The Last Kingdom series will also be involved with the project.
‘Inventing Anna’
Inventing Anna premiered on Netflix in February and became one of the most-watched Netflix limited series to date. The series tells the incredible story of Anna Sorokin also known as Anna Delvey, a con artist who somehow inserted herself into some of the most wealthy social groups in New York City.
Shonda Rhimes created the series, which is based on the feature “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People” written by Jessica Pressler. Julia Garner of Ozark starred as Anna Delvey. Anna Chlumsky, Arian Moayed, Katie Lowes, Alexis Floyd, Anders Holm, Anna Deavere Smith, Jeff Perry, Terry Kinney, and Laverne Cox also star in the series.
‘Vikings: Valhalla’
Vikings: Valhalla has all the makings of a long-running hit on Netflix. The series is a spinoff of Vikings, which ran for six seasons on The History Channel. It premiered on Netflix in early 2022, and it’s already renewed for two more seasons. Netflix revealed that Vikings: Valhalla Season 2 is coming to the streaming service in 2023. Hopefully, we don’t have to wait too much longer for the new season of the original series.
The series stars Sam Corlett, Frida Gustavsson, and Leo Suter and follows the adventures of Leif Erikson, Freydís Eiríksdóttir, and Harald Sigurdson. If you’re a fan of the original Vikings series or The Last Kingdom, you have to watch Vikings: Valhalla.
‘Money Heist: Korea’
Money Heist fans, Netflix has a new show with a similar premise to watch right now. Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area premiered on Netflix this summer. It tells the story of a group of criminals who are inspired by those in Spain to pull off a similar heist on the newly reunified Korean Joint Economic Area. Yoo Ji-tae, Park Hae-soo, Jeon Jong-seo, Lee Hyun-woo, Lee Won-jong, and Park Myung-hoon star in the Netflix series.
Good news! Money Heist: Korea Season 2 is already in the works and coming to Netflix soon.
‘Russian Doll’ Season 2
Co-created by and starring Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll premiered on Netflix in 2019. Fans had to wait three years for the highly anticipated second season of Russian Doll, which hit Netflix in April 2022. While the second season isn’t quite as good as the first season, we highly recommend you check it out on Netflix if you missed it earlier this year.
Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler also co-created the hit series. Lyonne stars in Russian Doll with Greta Lee, Yul Vazquez, Elizabeth Ashley, Charlie Barnett, and Chloë Sevigny. If you’re into time loop comedy-dramas, this is the show for you!
‘The Midnight Club’
The Midnight Club is Mike Flanagan’s fourth Netflix series and his first venture into the world of teen horror-drama. The series is based on the book of the same name by Christopher Pike. It follows a group of terminally ill teens at Brightcliffe, a hospice in the Pacific Northwest, who meet every night at midnight to tell scary stories. They discover Brightcliffe’s deep, dark secrets.
The Midnight Club might not be as good as The Haunting of Hill House, which is arguably Flanagan’s best work. But, unlike Hill House, The Midnight Club was created with future seasons in mind. Fans are hoping Netflix renews The Midnight Club for season 2, but so far, Netflix hasn’t dropped any hints if that will happen.
‘The Sandman’
Based on Neil Gaiman’s graphic novels of the same name, The Sandman was one of the most highly anticipated Netflix releases of the year. Tom Sturridge stars in the Netflix original along with Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, David Thewlis, Jenna Coleman, Gwendoline Christie, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Ferdinand Kingsley, Sandra James-Young, Kyo Ra, Razane Jammal, Melissanthi Mahut, Arthur Darvill, and Patton Oswalt. It’s truly an epic cast!
If you like fantasy shows, The Sandman is the show you’ve been waiting for. While it lived up to the hype in a lot of ways, Netflix still has not announced if the series will be returning for a second season.
‘Grace and Frankie’ Season 7
How could we not include Grace and Frankie starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin on the list of the best Netflix shows of the year? Grace and Frankie Season 7 hit Netflix this spring after major delays because of the pandemic.
Grace and Frankie is the longest-running Netflix series of all time with 94 episodes! If you need a good comedy to watch on Netflix that will keep you busy for a while, this is the show for you!
‘Never Have I Ever’ Season 3
Speaking of good comedies, we also have to include Never Have I Ever. The third season of Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher’s hit series premiered on Netflix in August, and it was a major success. Fans can’t get enough of shipping Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and her romantic suitors.
Never Have I Ever Season 4 is also in the works on Netflix, but it’s going to be the final season of the series. That’s a bummer for fans, but Netflix usually caps teen shows around four seasons. It’s good to know this show is going to go out on it’s own terms.
