The best TV performances of 2021

As we enter the final days of 2021, we can all breathe a big sigh of relief, and let go of the long-running debate over whether TV is back in full swing. Considering all of this year’s debuts and returning series, we’ve had as many compelling reasons to stay inside as frightening ones. Great adaptations, poignant new comedies, and outlandish sketch shows beckoned us throughout the year, led by an array of actors from the big and small screens (and a few frequent fliers in between).

Some performers gave new life to a role they’ve embodied for years, while others found the role of a lifetime. One of Christopher Guest’s favorite collaborators clawed her way to the top of a cast of standouts, as two comedy icons welcomed a third into their fold/Manhattan apartment building. A magnetic young actor held Barry Jenkins’ gaze and our own. And the star of an HBO Max comedy and an HBO limited series made us consider giving her two spots on our list.

In putting together the best TV performances of the year, The A.V. Club always looks to highlight ensembles and individuals. But when the nomination process began, we once again found ourselves singling out powerful leads, stalwarts in supporting roles, and those who are climbing through the ranks. So the ensembles will (mostly) have to wait until next year.

Elizabeth Olsen,

Disney+’s audacious WandaVision is simultaneously a Marvel superhero adventure, a David Lynch-inspired mind bender, and a haunting exploration of grief. Series star Elizabeth Olsen’s spellbinding performance unites these disparate elements into a compelling whole. Whether she’s playing a 1950s Donna Reed, 1960s Mary Tyler Moore, or a 21st-century Julie Bowen, Olsen is utterly convincing as a TV mom through the ages, never slipping into a too-easy parody. She conveys astonishing emotional depth during even the most absurd sitcom scenarios, and she’s consistently hilarious. The trauma she’s experienced since her introduction in is present just beneath the surface, because even in a fantasy world of her own creation, she can’t lie to herself. In nine episodes, Olsen catapults the Scarlet Witch from supporting character to major player in the MCU’s Phase Four. [Stephen Robinson]Read This: