The 17 best TV performances of 2023

has gotten a lot of praise (and ) since its debut on HBO. The series, based on the video game of the same name, follows survivor and smuggler Joel (Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsay) harrowing attempt to cross the country. Their journey is complicated by the fact that the world is suffering from an outbreak of the Cordyceps virus, which turns people into aggressive, zombie-like creatures. The familiar story stands out because of Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s incredible writing, and because of Pascal’s monumental ability to bring it to life. He plays Joel as a man whose past trauma has rendered him effectively numb. As the series progresses, Pascal and Ramsey work together to crack Joel open and finally allow him to feel again, with devastating results. The series refuses to give any easy answers about the morality of Joel’s last act in season one. All we have is his performance to explain why he does what he does—and it’s a testament to Pascal’s incredible acting skills that we ultimately understand Joel’s perspective. [Jen Lennon]

struck gold with its young cast: Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Paulina Alexis, and Lane Factor are each rising stars who performed in FX’s ingenious comedy with all their might. Together, they complete the crew to form a perfect puzzle piece. Still, in season three (the show’s last), Reservation Dogs allows Jacobs to deliver a sublime performance as Elora Danan figures out what she wants from life—and no, it’s not to run away from her rural Oklahoma life like an angsty kid once again. As Elora grows up and plans for her future, including reconnecting with her father (played by Ethan Hawke), Jacobs imbues her character with palpable emotion, hope, and clarity. It’s a version of Elora no one has seen before, which makes the performance even more special. Additionally, Jacobs wrote and helmed episodes throughout the season, making her even more of a multitalented breakout. [Saloni Gajjar]

It seems will end with a criminal lack of Emmys for its writing and performances, but true fans will always appreciate the zeal that went into Nicholas Hoult’s Peter III and Elle Fanning’s Catherine. But of course, it’s Fanning who is the Great at the center of it all. She managed to convey Catherine’s cunning intelligence and charming naivete, her dueling passions for Russia and her husband, her revolutionary vigor, and her mounting frustration at being continually thwarted, all with overwhelming amounts of charm, grace, and humor. , depicting her grief and grit in the most perilous moment of her rule she’s yet faced. The enduring image will be her widow’s dance in the final scene of the series: Here is a Catherine who has won most of what she set out to achieve in the first season, and the journey was more wrenching and liberating than she ever could have imagined. It’s a complicated triumph for Catherine, but an unadulterated one for Elle Fanning. [Mary Kate Carr]

The show might be called , but . Essentially playing several characters, sometimes more than one at a time, Sally finally got everything she wanted and lost it all. Then got it all again and lost it all again. That resentment, regret, and rage are all over the final season’s fifth episode, “tricky legacies,” when co-creator Bill Hader gives Goldberg a moment to truly shine. Hiding out in the middle of nowhere, Goldberg plays Sally living as another woman and using that new persona to unlock more dangerous sides of her personality. Sally, an actor by trade, goes full method, playing a character around the clock and often testing the limits of what that character can do. In one scene, she’s a black widow, luring in local dirtbags for her amusement and asserting some control over her life; in others, she’s Norma Desmond, applying the makeup that conceals her ruined life. Barry was always a show defined by plot twists and surprises. With season four, Goldberg isn’t just a surprise. She’s a revelation. [Matt Schimkowitz]

Zahn McClarnon is finally enjoying long overdue success with roles in season two, and, more recently, , , and the upcoming MCU series . But the actor reigns in AMC’s momentous Western thriller, . In one of this year’s best shows, McClarnon reminds us of his prolific leading-man abilities. He commands the screen as Sheriff Joe Leaphorn, leaving us with no choice but to get sucked in. allows his character a few moments of levity, sure. But as he investigates a difficult case in his Native American town, with his son’s killer surfacing, McClarnon is purely gut-wrenching. His subtle facial expressions as he grieves, processes, fights, and comforts those around him are a sight to behold. [Saloni Gajjar]

Richie grows the fuck up! Sort of! In ’s fantastic second season, the show’s comic relief, the kind of guy who drops, unironically, insults that would get him thrown into a meeting with HR if he worked anywhere else, tries to find his purpose. And along the way, the series shows us a deeper, fuller character, one who cares about his daughter and hasn’t gotten over his ex (a great Gillian Jacobs). What’s more, Moss-Bachrach gave us this bit of analysis in his : “Richie was an Army brat and moved around a lot, so he’s not actually a Chicago native. He probably didn’t get there until he was a teenager, 12, 13 years old. So some of that accent, in my opinion, is a choice he’s making rather than something he inherited from the world around him.” Which is all a long way of saying: This is my favorite character on TV right now, and Moss-Bachrach paints him just wonderfully. [Tim Lowery]

Ali Wong’s performance in Beef might be 2023’s biggest acting surprise. . That’s why it was an undeniably great revelation to see her brilliant turn as Amy Lau in Netflix’s series. Wong zeroes in on her craft like a pro, going toe-to-toe with Steven Yeun, who is also profoundly magnetic here. Beef relies heavily on Amy gradually examining herself from the inside out—her marriage, her culture, her professional goals, and her identity. It happens over time while beefing with Danny, with Wong stunningly portraying that journey. She strives to ensure the audience experiences the visceral feelings with her, whether it’s unfiltered rage or complete loneliness. As Amy embraces recklessness, Wong embraces her dramatic side. And it results in one hell of an acting arrival. [Saloni Gajjar]