Entertainment
10 Best Miniseries From the Last 5 Years, Ranked
The great thing about a miniseries is that they’re meant to be viewed as one singular and complete story. That means no cliffhangers! A miniseries gives you a concise and fully realized story without any added frills or fluff, and over the last five years, we’ve seen extraordinary examples of that. Just look at these 10 titles.
From ripped-from-the-headline stories to comic characters coming to life, we’ve been living in a golden era of miniseries. Many of the shows have earned award-show glory. Some have spawned spin-offs or earned follow-up conversations. Together, they’ve given us a reason to continue watching television. Though there certainly are some great shows that barely missed the list, the 10 shows included have made profound television history.
10
‘The Dropout’ (2022)
Without a doubt, you have heard the shocking tale about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. Well, in 2022, the saga was given the miniseries treatment. What resulted was extraordinary. Created by Elizabeth Meriwether, based on the ABC News podcast of the same name, The Dropout tells the true story of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) during her rise as the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire to her spectacular fall when her revolutionary technology was exposed as a massive fraud. From the big idea to the exposure of deception in between, The Dropout didn’t leave any stone unturned. The miniseries masterfully blended a chilling true-crime suspense story with a breathtakingly perfect character study that is simply chilling.
The Theranos story is sheerly absurd. Rather than making the story a fiasco, The Dropout explores the nuances of what happened and how Holmes got in too deep through a grounded, empathetic approach. Of course, the series wouldn’t have thrived had it not been for Seyfried’s pitch-perfect performance. A brilliant and magnetic portrayal, Seyfried brought a calculated vocal cadence and physical presence that matched her real-life counterpart. In turn, it resulted in a tense psychological unraveling of a formidable individual. The Dropout goes beyond the Silicon Valley scammer story to showcase a tale of ambition and flying too close to the sun. Both awkward and cringeworthy, yet disturbing, The Dropout refused to sensationalize a crime in favor of a nuanced piece.
9
‘Dopesick’ (2021)
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The impossible becomes possible when the nonfiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy was turned into a flawlessly executed fictional drama. Putting a face to the opioid epidemic, Dopesick brings viewers to the epicenter of where America struggles with opioid addiction as various timelines explore the fight families face in the crisis against the alleged conflicts of interest by Purdue Pharma and various government agencies. Ultimately, the battle led to the legal case against Purdue Pharma and its development, testing, and marketing of the drug OxyContin under the Sackler family. Through smartly crafted vignettes and composite characters, Dopesick examines the personal effects on everyone involved, from the ground up.
Not an easy watch by any stretch of the imagination, Dopesick combines a strong, emotionally resonant, character-driven drama with investigative journalism to peek into the greed behind the crisis. Through multifaceted perspectives, Dopeick offers a multidimensional tour from the boardroom to the doctor’s office. Meanwhile, Dopesick humanizes the characters, demonstrating how anyone might fall victim to opioid addiction. Dopesick paints an empathetic picture of addiction, as patients were truly trying to alleviate severe physical pain — not become addicted. The series is carried by a brilliant ensemble, including Michael Keaton, Will Poulter, Rosario Dawson, Michael Stuhlbargh, and Kaitlyn Devers. Dopesick is a tough pill to swallow, but the high-stakes drama is deliberately told, moving beyond simple statistics.
8
‘Black Bird’ (2022)
The desire for true crime stories continues to soar thanks to the podcast boom and inspired books. With the race to dramatize these stories, many networks and streamers have struck gold. Such is the case for Apple TV’s Black Bird. Based on the 2010 autobiographical novel In with the Devil: a Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption, the six-part series follows Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton), a charming former football star sentenced to 10 years in prison who is offered freedom if he can elicit a confession from suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser), who is suspected of killing up to 40 women. A slow-burning, tense “cat-and-mouse” drama, Black Bird is a chilling psychological thriller that is nothing short of an acting masterclass.
Rich with immense psychological tension, Black Bird forces viewers to get uncomfortably close to the subject. A dangerous game but a juicy watch, Black Bird does an extraordinary job at split storytelling. In one corner, it’s Jimmy’s undercover work inside the prison. In the other, it’s the parallel investigation happening on the outside, led by FBI investigator Lauren McCauley (Sepideh Moafi) and local detective Brian Miller (Greg Kinnear). Black Bird flies high thanks to the sensational acting, especially from Egerton. There’s an intensity in his performance, driven by the high-stakes objective. His scenes against Hauser are dynamic. Psychological manipulation is often frowned upon, but given the way the justice system works, Black Bird shows how it can be used for good. At only six episodes, there’s no time wasted. Each episode adds layers of urgency without dragging out the plot.
7
‘Fellow Travelers’ (2023)
Queer love may be easier to have out in the open today, but it was a fight to get here. There have been stories about the struggles of being true to oneself and in love, but never as beautifully romantic and tragically harrowing as that of Fellow Travelers. Based on Thomas Mallon’s novel, the Showtime historical romantic political thriller tells the story of the decades-long romance between two gay men, Hawkins Fuller (Matt Bomer) and Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey), set against the backdrop of major LGBTQ+ historical events, from the McCarthy-era “Lavender Scare” in the 1950s to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Exploring their volatile relationship, navigating political dangers, societal prejudice, and personal complexities as they try to find love while hiding their identities in a hostile world, this devastatingly tender tale showcases the great lengths we’ll go for love and what the cost of love means to each of us.
A breathtaking decades-long forbidden romance that also serves as a sweeping LGBTQ+ history lesson, Fellow Travelers is layered with uncompromising emotional depth. Going through the Lavender Scare in the ’50s, the Vietnam War in the ’60s, and all the way through to the AIDs crisis in the ’80s, Tim and Hawkins fought against the harshest backdrops to be themselves and find one another. The writing and performances are authentic and unsanitized, meaning the intimate portrayals of queer individuals are fleshed out and not caricatures. The power dynamics, compatibility, and even complexity of the two men are genuine enough to believe their journey. Bomer captures an emotionally guileless individual, which contrasts with Bailey’s more idealistic dreamer. Together, they found the emotional core of the series. At the end of the day, Fellow Travelers‘ nuanced exploration of love and survival thrives thanks to these individuals.
6
‘The Penguin’ (2024)
Once upon a time, our definitive image of what the Penguin looked and acted like was Danny DeVito from Batman Returns. Then, Colin Farrell came along as Oz Cobb in The Batman, and a new Penguin emerged victorious. Exploring the man beyond his initial big screen introduction, the hit HBO series follows Oz as he exploits a massive power vacuum in Gotham’s criminal underworld, caused by the seawall’s destruction and the assassination of crime boss Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong). Documenting his rise from a low-level mobster to a reigning kingpin, Oz finds a new ally in Vic Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), a homeless teenager, while at odds with a new threat, Sofia Gigante (Cristin Milioti). An unflinching crime thriller under the guise of an iconic DC comic, The Penguin emerged as a top-tier series with rich, complex characters.
The Penguin masterfully builds upon Matt Reeves‘ vision from his film to make Gotham an even darker, more corrupt underworld. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc gives the eight-episode drama its own distinct identity while serving a larger picture. With a world to play in, it was Farrell and Milioti’s performances that made The Penguin must-see TV. Many origin stories tend to feature a desire to make their common villain and anti-hero into a redemption arc. Instead, The Penguin dives into the villain’s unredeemable psyche while still finding ounces of humanity around Vic and his mother, Francis (Deirdre O’Connell). Then there is the Falcone family drama that unfolds better than any mafia movie. As far as superhero stories, The Penguin sits on top of the heap.
5
‘Midnight Mass’ (2021)
Mike Flanagan single-handedly sparked a resurgence of horror series through his collaboration with Netflix. After two back-to-back brilliant series in 2018 and 2020, it was his 2021 follow-up, Midnight Mass, that took his storytelling vision to new depths. The supernatural horror series follows a devout, isolated fishing community as it experiences strange and terrifying events. When a charismatic young priest, Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater), arrives offering miraculous “blessings,” the denizens are drawn into a dangerous descent of religious fanaticism, vampirism, and apocalyptic doom. Coinciding with the return of Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford), Crockett Island hangs in the balance as faith and doubt battle in the unfolding horror. A brilliant dissertation on grief, forgiveness, life, and death, Midnight Mass is a deep philosophical horror that leaves jump scares behind to examine human nature and the extremes of unwavering belief.
Midnight Mass relishes its thought-provoking themes, layered expertly into the story. The truth is, though, Midnight Mass‘ sensational ensemble pushes it toward the top of Flanagan’s pack. Filled with a host of long-running collaborators, Midnight Mass doesn’t just have stock characters; every character is an intensely unique human — flawed, scared, and desperately seeking meaning. Linklater is at a career-best as Father Paul. Rather than a one-dimensional antagonist, he finds a tragedy in the deeply layered figure. One must be alluring to convince an entire town of one’s ways. Midnight Mass may be best remembered for the infamous Bev Keane. Proving she can play the gnarliest characters, Samantha Sloyan makes the town’s pious, manipulative busybody an infuriatingly brilliant antagonist. She provides a chilling study of how righteousness can blind people to true evil. Midnight Mass succeeds thanks to the atmosphere Flanagan crafted and the characters that inhabit it. Perhaps there’s more to Crockett Island to explore one day.
4
‘Baby Reindeer’ (2024)
Not since Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the adaptation of her solo play, Fleabag, have we been enamored by a stage-to-series masterpiece. In the black comedy Baby Reindeer, an autobiographical thriller by Richard Gadd, a struggling stand-up comedian, Donny Dunn (Gadd), offers a vulnerable woman, Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning), a free cup of tea at his bar. What was beloved to be a single kind gesture evolves into a suffocating, years-long stalking obsession that unravels both of their lives. Built around the twisted, messy dynamic of two lost individuals, Baby Reindeer highlights the cycle of abuse and how individuals engage in toxic relationships due to self-loathing, shame, and a desperate search for connection.
Baby Reindeer was the story you couldn’t imagine was true. But it was. The harrowing narrative served as a fervent vessel of entertainment and a cautionary tale about trauma. The story transcends the typical stalker narrative to deliver a richly emotional and psychologically nuanced study of vulnerable individuals. There are beats at both ends that you feel for both Donny and Martha, but as the ambiguity sets in and the actions reach new depths, the story evolves. Once Baby Reindeer showcases how the Donny and Martha dynamic influenced others around them, that’s when it becomes truly dark. Baby Reindeer served as an important story about the handling of male trauma and sexual abuse. A groundbreaking story, Baby Reindeer puts a new perspective on the shame, confusion, and fear that prevent male survivors from seeking help. Baby Reindeer strikes a balance as it sharply shifts tones so the story can both reflect the tragicomic nature of life and the harrowing ordeal simultaneously.
3
‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)
We might have to put a pin on this one, as rumors always circulate about a second season of Mare of Easttown. But until that day comes, we’ll keep considering the Brad Ingelsby crime drama a miniseries. Set in the fictional Philadelphia suburb of Easttown, Pennsylvania, Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) is tasked to investigate the murder of a teenage mother, Erin McMenamin (Cailee Spaeny). As she dives knee-deep into the investigation, she struggles to keep her family from crumbling and falling apart — all thanks to a divorce, a son lost to suicide, and a custody battle over her grandson against her son’s drug addict girlfriend, Carrie Layden (Sosie Bacon). Once a hometown hero, Mare is plagued by her inability to solve the case of a missing girl, casting doubts on her skills in the present. Both a gripping crime series and a harrowing family drama, Mare of Easttown has everything you could want in a sensationally acted and brilliantly written series.
Mare of Easttown has a facade of a procedural investigation, but the core of the show is about grief, the dark side of close-knit communities, and how one heals from the past. The titular character is complex and flawed, making her inhuman. By doing so, it makes her struggle to not fail even more enticing to watch. Winslet gives a hyper-transformative performance, DelCo accent and all. Winslet is unmatched, unafraid to give an unglamorous and deeply flawed portrayal of an exhausted woman. Joining her is a brilliant ensemble of stars, including Jean Smart, Julianne Nicholson, and Evan Peters, each of whom has a complex subplot that contributes to Mare’s multidimensional motivations. Perfectly plotted in seven sensational episodes, no wonder we want more of Mare!
2
‘WandaVision’ (2021)
The world of superhero series changed forever when Disney+ introduced the world to its very first official MCU show on the streamer: WandaVision. Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, super-powered beings Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) live an idyllic suburban life in the town of Westview, New Jersey. The seemingly perfect existence soon unravels as the couple realizes their reality is shifting through different decades of classic American television sitcom tropes. As the illusion breaks down, the story begins to reveal a deeper tale of love, trauma, and the stages of grief. A groundbreaking MCU masterpiece, WandaVision blends a singular story into the broader MCU, proving that these projects are essential to superhero storytelling.
Though ABC and Netflix had strong MCU-set shows, it was the arrival of WandaVision that reshaped the types of stories the MCU could tell on the small screen. Here, the storytelling came through sitcom tropes that dictated Wanda’s psychological state as she sought to build the perfect life. But as the facade shattered, it opened up the larger superhero world to take over, giving fans S.W.O.R.D. and familiar faces, including Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), to connect beyond Westview. Oh, and of course, there was Agatha Harkness, portrayed to perfection by Kathryn Hahn, who gave freedom to further defy the comics for television glory. A prologue to future MCU films, as well as Agatha All Along and the upcoming VisionQuest, WandaVision put the MCU on the map in a brand-new way, and we’re even better for it.
1
‘Adolescence’ (2025)
At this point in time, it’s going to take something pretty spectacular to dethrone Adolescence as the greatest miniseries in recent memory. In four sensational episodes, the Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham-created and Philip Barantini-directed masterpiece is a gripping psychological crime drama series about a seemingly ordinary and supportive family whose lives are upended when their 13-year-old son, Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), is arrested for the murder of a female classmate. Brought to life through intense realism and brilliant one-shot filming, Adolescence is a devastating examination of internet culture, toxic online misogyny, and the nightmare realities parents face when their child is not the angel they believed them to be.
Every single element that makes up a good show is perfected here. The writing is sublime. There are powerhouse performances. The direction is unique. And the topics are vital to society. Combine them, and you get a sharp collaboration that has earned many of the parties involved award-show gold. The emotional weight the series carries for viewers is unlike that of many average crime dramas. You very likely need to catch your breath between episodes, as there are few opportunities to pause due to the filming style. Adolescence is proof that tight, concise miniseries that lack fluff will forever be the best way to tell a story.
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