There's just shy of two months left in 2025, so it's the perfect time to check in on the best (and worst) shows of the year so far as we hit the home stretch. By this point, I have a pretty good idea of what shows you should be streaming. While I had only watched 24 shows by this March and 43 shows by this August, I've now seen (at least part of) 55 shows this year, so there are very few must-watch shows I've missed.
Now, that said, just because I've seen dozens of shows doesn't mean I've seen everything. I still haven't seen "Squid Game" season 3, for example, and I haven't watched Vince Gilligan's new Apple TV show, "Pluribus," yet, which has received positive early buzz and seems like it could be a contender for show of the year. There are also a few shows I'm currently working my way through, like "The Lowdown," that could find a way onto my list of best shows at the end of the year.
Malcolm has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies for Tom's Guide since 2023. He watches dozens of shows each year, so you know what to watch.
My 7 favorite shows of 2025 (so far)
7. 'Paradise' season 1 (Hulu)
Low-key, it's been a really good TV year. Case in point, "Paradise" was briefly my show of the year so far, and it's now been pushed down to seventh on the list. But don't let that fall down the rankings fool you; it's still an excellent show, there's just been a few better shows.
This Hulu political drama stars Sterling K. Brown as a Secret Service agent to an assassinated president (James Marsden), but even he can't anticipate the layered conspiracy he's about to be thrust into. This show expertly executes twist after twist, paying off most by the season's end, while still propelling us into season 2. "Paradise" episode 7, "The Day," will hit you like a nuclear bomb and leave you feeling genuinely unsettled. I'm still shook by it, and that's no small feat. Go binge this show now.
Stream now on Hulu
6. 'Slow Horses' season 5 (Apple TV)
Another year of watching dozens of shows, another year of "Slow Horses" making it onto my best shows of the year list. This show remains a perfect example of what British television gets right, keeping things to a strict formula of six episodes per season with a trailer for the next season at the end of the finale. There's never any fat; it never feels like a slog.
Season 5 was probably the show's best since season 2, maybe even the incredible debut season. Through four episodes, it was in contention for my show of the year, and episode three features a Gary Oldman monologue that could ultimately win him an Emmy.
In this season, the Slow Horses of Slough House are still reeling from the events of season 4, where River's (Jack Lowden) estranged father (Hugo Weaving) and his soldiers tore through the MI5 outcasts, leaving bodies in their wake. But they don't have much time to process their feelings; a group of rogue Libyan terrorists has struck London with a series of attacks, and one of the Horses is an integral part of their plan to bring down the British government.
Stream now on Apple TV
5. 'The Rehearsal' season 2 (HBO Max)
"The Rehearsal" season 2 might be the best show you're not watching. Of any show on the list, it's the one you're most likely not to know about, and I'm saying that from experience. I never watched the first season, and I only started watching season 2 once its run on HBO was almost complete.
But I'm glad I watched this show because it's brilliant. It expertly blends the genres of reality TV and scripted comedy in a way that messes with your mind. You can't tell what's an act, what's real, and honestly, it doesn't even matter if it's all an act — because it's just so compelling.
I can't tell you exactly where this season goes without spoiling it, but the show starts with Fielder crafting a role-play simulation to examine why pilot communication failures lead to fatal airplane crashes. This leads him to create a flight simulator, recreate a terminal of George Bush Intercontinental Airport and even stage a fake reality music competition within the show. "Pilot's Code" and "My Controls" are two of the five best episodes of TV I've watched all year, so trust me when I say this show is a must-watch.
Stream now on HBO Max
4. 'Task' (HBO Max)
Am I a sucker for a show set outside Philadelphia? Perhaps. Does this show score extra points for the sheer amount of Wawa coffee in it? Definitely.
But rest assured, this is still an incredible show. It stars Mark Ruffalo as FBI agent Tom Brandis, who is still reeling from recent family drama, including the death of his wife. It's left the former priest a shell of his former self, but he's forced back into service when he's called to form a task force and hunt down a criminal who's robbing stash houses.
That criminal is Robbie (Tom Pelphrey) and he's a more complex character than the simple robber he appears to be. This show is incredible, as was creator Brad Ingelsby's last show focused on the Delco suburbs of Philadelphia, "Mare of Easttown." You become deeply invested in the characters as the show progresses, which pays off immaculately in the show's final two episodes. The penultimate episode, in particular, "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river," will have you needing to remember to breathe.
Stream now on HBO Max
3. 'Andor' season 2 (Disney Plus)
I'll be honest: I was underwhelmed by "Andor" season 2 through the first three episodes of its three-episode partial binge drop release schedule. I was ready to take a break from the show and just come back to it eventually when I had time to binge the whole thing. But I'm glad I stuck with it, because the final nine episodes of this series were among the best of any show I've seen. If season 2 had maintained that level of quality across 12 episodes, it would probably be my show of the year.
"Andor" season 2 does things a bit differently than season 1. This season is covering four years within the "Star Wars" universe, and each three-episode arc covers what is essentially a weekend within one of those four years. The show hits its high watermark at episode 8, "Who Are You?", which is the best episode of TV I've seen all year and brings the legendary Ghorman Massacre to life. That proves to be a pivotal moment in "Star Wars" history, and a stunning moment of television.
Stream now on Disney Plus
2. 'Adolescence' (Netflix)
"Adolescence" is not a show for the faint of heart. The show revolves around the arrest of Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), a 13-year-old boy who is suspected of murdering his classmate Katie Leonard (Emilia Holliday). Over four one-hour episodes, we watch this tear apart his family and learn what may have contributed to the alleged killing, particularly the toxic online environment known as the manosphere.
It's a compelling story that presents more like a play over four acts than a standard scripted drama, and each act delivers an emotional gut-punch. This show holds the No. 2 spot on my list because of two specific performances, one of which is Stephen Graham's emotional scene to close out the show. The other is the entirety of "Episode 3," which is almost entirely a dialogue between Jamie and forensic psychologist Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty). It earned both of them Emmy Award wins.
But "Adolescence" is also a technical marvel. The story takes place over months, but each episode is an hour of real time and is comprised of just a single shot. This choice forces the show to take us away from certain characters and moments when other dramas would cut back and forth, but in "Adolescence," it's a choice that pays off. It's no wonder this show won the Tom's Guide Award for Best Streaming Original Show.
Stream now on Netflix
1. 'The Pitt' (HBO Max)
'The Pitt' is incredible. For those who haven't seen it yet, this medical drama is part "E.R." and part "24." It stars "E.R." vet Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby Robinavitch and follows him and his colleagues at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital throughout a 15-hour shift. But like "24" and "Adolescence," each episode takes place in real time.
Despite condensing the first season into just mere hours in the lives of the characters, "The Pitt" still accomplishes incredible world-building and character development. It also excels at being realistic and navigating ongoing storylines. In the first part of the season, storylines can run throughout episodes, sometimes taking an episode off only to come back and make you cry, as episode 8, "2:00 P.M.," does to me every time. But then in episode 12, suddenly everything compresses into a single storyline, and it's executed perfectly.
Don't just take my word for how good this show is, though. Take the word of Television Academy voters. "The Pitt" won Outstanding Drama Series at this year's Emmy Awards, one of five Emmy Awards it won this year.
Stream now on HBO Max
My 7 worst shows of 2025 (so far)
7. 'The Recruit' season 2 (Netflix)
Well, you've heard from the best, now here comes the rest. These next seven shows are the worst I've seen this year, though I'll freely admit, only a few of them are truly awful. Part of that comes down to a simple fact: I try not to watch shows I think will be awful, and I've gotten better at spotting the bad ones as I watch more and more shows.
So even though "The Recruit" season 2 is the seventh-worst show I've seen this year, I wouldn't call it bad. In fact, I called it Netflix's best spy show of the year when it came out in January, though that wasn't a high bar to clear. It's a high-octane, sometimes downright fun action spy series that doesn't take itself too seriously despite taking a darker turn this season. It's definitely flawed and simply can't match the quality of the prestige TV shows that top the best shows list, but I still enjoyed it.
Unfortunately, Netflix also has another spy show, "The Night Agent," and this year the streaming service decided there's only room for one spy show on the platform, so it canceled "The Recruit."
Stream now on Netflix
6. 'The Night Agent' season 2 (Netflix)
While I rate "The Recruit" season 2 slightly higher than "The Night Agent" season 2, there's not a massive gulf in quality. In fact, you could easily flip the order of these two shows. If you want a more traditional spy thriller, "The Night Agent" is your thing. If you want more of an action movie vibe, then "The Recruit" will be more your speed.
But unlike "The Recruit," this spy show is going to get a third season, so if you want to give it a shot, you'd at least be investing in an ongoing series. "The Night Agent" season 2 picks up 10 months after the events of season 1, with Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) now a full-fledged Night Agent in Bangkok. He's tailing a rogue CIA agent named Warren Stocker (Teddy Sears), who is believed to have stolen documents from the CIA, but (of course) things go horribly wrong.
I dubbed this a "binge-worthy spy thriller" in my review, and I stand by the claim it makes for a good binge watch. But it's also a dip in form from season 1, and feels more like a B-movie than a prestige drama. If you want a high-quality spy thriller, there are many better options out there, from "The Agency" to "Slow Horses."
Stream now on Netflix
5. 'Harley Quinn' season 5 (HBO Max)
I love "Harley Quinn," so it pains me to include this animated series on the list of worst shows I've seen this year. But while the duo of Harley (Kaley Cuoco) and Ivy (Lake Bell) still manages to be charming, for the most part, this season falls flat.
There was potential in this season, which introduces Brainiac (Stephen Fry) as the main villain. That should be a moment fans of the DC universe salivate over and crow about, but the execution ranges from confounding to, perhaps even worse, boring. The season isn't totally without merit; a musical episode prominently featuring Bane (James Adomian) and Clayface (Alan Tudyk) is classic "Harley Quinn." But I have to say that I side with the audience over the critics on this one, at least, based on the current Rotten Tomatoes ratings for season 5.
Stream now on HBO Max
4. 'The Better Sister' (Prime Video)
OK, sometimes I dislike a show so much that I just stop watching. It's rare, but it does happen. "The Better Sister" is one such instance this year; the second is coming up later in this list.
Here's the rundown on this Prime Video thriller miniseries. Jessica Biel is Chloe Taylor, a powerful woman and editor-in-chief of The Real Thing magazine. She's married to Adam (Corey Stoll) and serving as stepmother to Adam's son Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan). But here's the twist: Adam's ex-wife (and Ethan's mother) is Nicky (Elizabeth Banks) ... Chloe's older sister. Oh, and somebody murdered Adam.
If that premise works for you — and based on the Rotten Tomatoes ratings, it just might — then you may have a fun time with this flawed show. But after the first episode, I couldn't stand the premise or the characters, and that was enough for me to give two thumbs down on "The Better Sister."
Stream now on Prime Video
3. 'Bad Thoughts' season 1 (Netflix)
While I didn't finish "The Better Sister," I get the feeling I'd have rather watched it in full than have to watch even one episode of "Bad Thoughts." This sketch show from comedian Tom Segura features six episodes, each less than half an hour long and comprised of a few short vignettes.
These vignettes are mostly disconnected from each other, though often, the last vignette in an episode would end in a cliffhanger and pick up in the next episode.
Look, I'll admit that, as this show went along, it got better. In episode 4, the show starts to get in a groove, and in episode 5, I actually started to enjoy myself. But there's just so much crap leading up to that point (literally, and figuratively) that I have to include it in my worst shows of the year.
Stream now on Netflix
2. Smoke (Apple TV)
"Smoke" stars Taron Egerton as fictional Pacific Northwest arson investigator Dave Gudsen. Dave seems to be a normal guy, but he's not. He's also an arsonist. In fact, his character is the most prolific arsonist in American history.
Now that's an intriguing premise and an interesting twist, even if it's revealed in the two-part premiere. But what starts as a retelling of the crimes of prolific arsonist John Leonard Orr quickly becomes an uncontrollable inferno of chaotic and over-the-top storylines. There's embezzlement, killing your boss, going outside the law to bring down criminals — the finale literally takes place inside a forest fire.
Had this series taken a more grounded approach, I could have forgiven some of its flaws. But "Smoke" quickly diverts from being based on a true story to being absolutely unhinged, and not in a good way.
Stream now on Apple TV
1. Prime Target (Apple TV)
Remember how I said that there was another show on this list I just couldn't bring myself to finish? Well, this is it.
"Prime Target" begins with a premise that shows some promise. The thriller stars Leo Woodall as Edward Brooks, a young Cambridge University mathematician thrust into a dark conspiracy. His old mentor, Professor Raymond Osborne (Joseph Mydell), is unwell, and he's been assigned to work with a new Professor, Robert Mallinder (David Morrissey). Once Mallinder realizes what Edward is working on, he implores him to stop. Probably because it turns out the NSA is tracking his work, specifically NSA agent Taylah Sanders (Quintessa Swindell).
Sounds exciting, right? Well, through two episodes, it was perhaps one of the most boring shows I've ever watched. The two-part premiere was abysmally paced, and in the second episode (which was better than the first), I was checking my watch to see when it would end.
Stream now on Apple TV
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