This year started with a gut punch as we spent Monday morning saying goodbye to our beloved dog, Helo. Despite a bad heart in his later years, he lived a lot longer than we expected. He got 15 years, 12 of which were with us. We are grateful for every single minute we got with him.

He was a weird dog, a grumpy old man from the very start. A true introvert, he would often sneak away and tuck himself into bed. It was a joy to go searching for him to find a pair of paws or a little nose peeking out from under the covers.

He didn’t like most people, but the few he did, he loved with his whole being. With us (and Clay especially), he wanted to be as close as possible. On a lap or in a leg nook was where he wanted to be, no matter how much more comfortable another spot might be. And if you changed rooms, you bet he was following.

He had a big bark for a little guy and did his best to keep up with his big sister. She is faster and more athletic, but he was the fearless one. No weather or nail grinder could phase him and he would hang as far out a car window as we would let him.

And speaking of his sister, Boomer and Helo became real cuddle buds later in life. It took a while for these two opposites to connect, but they developed a quiet bond we’re grateful for.

He loved a walk, but never on gravel. A raised curb was his balance beam and he would occasionally step onto grass to do a joyful roll. A special treat we relished to see.

He made Halloween costumes and bandanas look extra adorable.

Most of all Helo was the king of finding a comfy spot. He made our life warmer and richer and we are already missing him so much. Rest in peace bud, our wheezy little guy.

I didn’t catch as many new shows as I would have liked this year (honestly, how can anyone keep up). I did enjoy watching some shows I missed the first time around like Broad City, Superstore, Nailed It!, and Manifest. And I must call out season 2 of Ted Lasso and the episode Beard After Hours which I loved so so much.

This list is my favorite TV series or miniseries that debuted in 2021 (plus one comedy special). This criteria is interesting since a lot of my all-time favorite shows don’t really figure themselves out until season 2 or later. So should be fun to revisit this in a few years.

11. Sweet Tooth

10. Schmigadoon!

9. Mare of Easttown

8. Loki

7. Only Murders in the Building

6. Hacks

5. Squid Game

4. Rutherford Falls

3. Made for Love

2. WandaVision

1. Bo Burnham: Inside

Another weird year in the books. Going to the cinema was a strategic endeavor of finding unpopular showtimes and empty theaters, but I was still able to catch a bunch of new films. Here are my favorites I saw this year.

Honorable mentions to Last Night in Soho and The Eyes of Tammy Faye which were both well made and well acted, but left me feeling not good! (Also I couldn’t decide, so it’s a list of 11.)

11. The Mitchells vs. the Machines

10. Nobody

9. Plan B

8. Army of the Dead

7. The Suicide Squad

6. Tick, Tick... Boom!

5. The French Dispatch

4. Eternals

3. The Sparks Brothers

2. Spider-Man: No Way Home

1. Encanto

We watched a lot of TV series this year. I absolutely loved watching the final seasons of The Good Place and Schitt’s Creek. Top Chef All-Stars L.A. was a joy to watch. And we loved catching up on Better Call Saul, Money Heist, Community, and Lucifer.

This list though is my favorite TV series or mini series that debuted this year.

10. Selena The Series

9. McMillions

8. Never Have I Ever

7. Watchmen

6. Love Life

5. Little Fires Everywhere

4. The Queen’s Gambit

3. Lovecraft Country

2. Devs

1. Ted Lasso

Watching movies was pretty different this year and I seriously can’t wait until I can go to the cinema again. Still, many new movies were released and a lot of them were good (though I don’t think I loved any of them either).

I didn’t include Hamilton here since it’s not really a film, but it was a gift this year and I watched it so many times. Also I wasn’t able to catch Minari but I’m excited to see it once it has a wider release.

10. Onward

9. The Half of It

8. Da 5 Bloods

7. An American Pickle

6. The New Mutants

5. The Old Guard

4. Howard

3. The King of Staten Island

2. Palm Springs

1. Emma.