BWW Blog: 2020 Wrapped

As I sit with my family in our living room, I reflect back on this year. A year filled with hardships, trials, tribulations - yes. But, also a year full of community, of gratitude. Nearing the end of this whirlwind of a 12 months, I think that above all, art is what unified us most. Art brought forth that community, that sense of safety and comfort within what sometimes felt like a split sea. It was the conversation starter with your neighbor on your daily walk, the best content for nightly Twitter rants, and the purest form of unification amidst a world taken by surprise. Today, I'll be naming my holy trinity, or top 3 examples, for a select few forms of the best 2020 entertainment.

TELEVISION

• The Umbrella Academy - Season 2 (Netflix)

  • The second season of Netflix's hit sci-fi show, The Umbrella Academy, finally hit our screens this year. After a long time waiting to find out what happened to the Hargreeves siblings post-Apocalypse, the answers were finally revealed. The stellar 1960's based 10 episode season left us, once again, with many questions. Good thing season 3 is already renewed!

  • Rating: 8.7/10

• Outer Banks (Netflix)

  • A quarantine fan favorite, Netflix's Outer Banks, gave us both a newfound love for the beach and boys whose names start with J. The 4-turned-5 group of Pogues became our distant friends, as we vicariously lived through their endless mystery solving and surge surfing ways.

  • Rating: 8.5/10

• Normal People (Hulu)

  • What seems to be an underrated favorite, Hulu's Normal People introduced viewers to Marianne and Connell, an off and on relationship that ventures through the constant battles of both life and love.

  • Rating: 9.1/10

FILM

• Hamilton (Disney +)

  • As I'm sure all of us BroadwayWorld bloggers and readers know, Lin Manuel Miranda's 2015 musical finally hit the big screen on Disney+. Following the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton, the up-close HD rendition of the beloved musical arrived just when we needed it most.

  • Rating: 10/10 (I could never rank it any less)

• Miss Americana (Netflix)

  • Centered around America's sweetheart, Netflix's Miss Americana puts a magnifying glass on the irreplaceable and remarkable Taylor Swift. Documenting the making and release of her 7th studio album, Lover, viewers get to experience the complex inside look at the life of one of our world's biggest stars.

  • Rating: 9.4/10

• Rebecca (Netflix)

  • The film adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's 1938 gothic novel of the same name was brought to life once again this year. Netflix's rendition of Rebecca kept viewers on their seat for 2 hours and their eyes wide open as they went to sleep that night.

  • Rating: 8.2/10

MUSIC

• folklore - Taylor Swift

  • Taylor Swift's surprise summer album, folklore, perfectly captures the truest and rarest beauties of life as we know it. Including songs: "cardigan", "peace", and "my tears ricochet" - Taylor's flawless 17 track deluxe album tackles the stories that are worth telling and passing on.

  • Rating: 9.8/10

• Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers

  • Punisher, the deeply moving sophomore album of society's favorite emo princess, Phoebe Bridgers, graced listener's ears back in June. Featuring tracks such as: "Moon Song", "ICU", and "Savior Complex" - Phoebe most definitely proved to surpass the music industry's typical 'sophomore slump' record and instead exceed expectations.

  • Rating: 9.5/10

• Kid Krow - Conan Gray

  • An indie-pop/pop record that disguises vulnerability under exceptional production and dance-worthy beats, Conan Gray's debut record Kid Krow was one of the only good things to happen in March. With songs: "Wish You Were Sober", "Comfort Crowd", and "Checkmate" - Conan gifts listeners with a variety of whatever emotion they wish to feel.

  • Rating: 8.9/10

2020, thank you for at least providing us with exquisite forms of entertainment throughout this year. We couldn't have made it without them!