My Best of 2022
Last year, I highlighted the best things I had seen, listened to, and read in 2021. So why not make it an annual tradition?
Just like last year, these may not be titles that released this year, but I watched or read or listened to them for the first time in 2022. Here goes!
Music
Revival by Judah and the Lion — I’ve been a fan of Judah and the Lion for a while, and this one didn’t disappoint. It’s a low-key, almost melancholy, affair, but there are a lot of encouraging moments to it.
State of the Union by Amanda Cook — Have you ever had something minister to you when you didn’t think or know you needed to be ministered to? That’s what this album did for me.
It’s a lovely album for personal reflection and worship, and the track that meant the most of me was “Hell or High Water,” which is about worshiping and remembering God’s faithfulness in both good and bad times.
“Nostalgia” by ISLY — I first heard this song in between services at church, and it grabs me on two completely different levels. It’s such a terrific melody on its own that the words could be about most anything. But the lyrics about someone who has drifted from God — even in small ways — are powerful.
Movies
Top Gun: Maverick — OK, so it’s the only movie I saw this year, but it fits the trope of “If you only see one movie this year…”
Top Gun: Maverick was more than just an nostalgia trip; it was a purely enjoyable action movie without an agenda (beyond patriotism). It was downright refreshing.
Books
These are from my column at PJ Media about my favorite reads of 2022 (so why rewrite?):
A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology by Mike Rinder
I became familiar with Mike Rinder through his work with Leah Remini on Scientology and the Aftermath on A&E. I had even heard portions of his personal story of rising through Scientology to become one of its leading figures and finally escaping the cult. But I hadn't heard it all until this book.
To hear details of a life dedicated to Scientology — only to find himself disillusioned with the cult — in Rinder's own voice (in audiobook format, of course) is compelling. You won't believe some of what happened, but it's all true.
Counterfeit Kingdom: The Dangers of New Revelation, New Prophets, and New Age Practices in the Church by Holly Pivec & R. Douglas Geivett
I had heard about the practices of Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., for a while now — crazy things like "fire tunnels," gold dust coming from the air vents, and the parents of toddler Olive Heiligenthal trying to raise her from the dead. But I didn't realize that Bethel was part of a dangerous movement.
The New Apostolic Reformation, of which Bethel is a part, teaches doctrines that are flat-out unbiblical and even flirt with occult and New Age practices. It's scary that so many people fall for it, but a book like this one can help people educate themselves and speak out.
Television
Andor — I’ve appreciated and enjoyed the live-action Star Wars shows to one extent or another, but I hadn’t seen one that I would watch over and over until Andor came along.
It’s more that just Star Wars. There’s warfare, espionage, a prison break, and political/financial intrigue. Read more of my thoughts on it here.
Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? — Remember that Pepsi ad in the mid-90s where a kid flies a Harrier jet to school that he earned with points he collected for drinking Pepsi? Yeah, that wasn’t real, but Pepsi didn’t bother with a disclaimer. So a college student from Washington State sued.
That suit is the subject of this rollicking documentary miniseries. It’s hilarious and compelling with just the right amount of heart.
Survivor 43 — Survivor has been around forever, and I’ve watched nearly every season. But the past few seasons have had moments that came across as preachy. Not this season. It was just plain fun without an agenda.
Seasons 1 & 2 of The Great British Baking Show — These two seasons had never been available in the U.S. until this fall. Season 1 is kind of weird because the format and so many of the conventions of the show were so different. It’s easy to see this season as a show finding its way.
Season 2, which I’m still in the middle of, is closer to the format we know and love, even though it’s a bit shorter. I’m enjoying it.
What did you think about the inclusion of communist revolutionary motifs in "Andor"? I was personally repulsed by those, and I felt that they ruined what was a show that was stellar is so many other ways.