My Best of 2023 Nominations

Greetings, reader!

It's Awards Season, baby, and you know what that means! In between the Golden Globes and the Oscars, it's time for my annual personal awards for the best in cinema, television and music according to me. Here are my nominees for all the categories in the Best of 2023 Awards, tune in next week for the winners!

MOVIES

Best Costumes and Makeup

A Haunting in Venice

Barbie

Oppenheimer

The Little Mermaid

Wonka

Best Production Design

Barbie

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Oppenheimer

The Little Mermaid

Wonka

Best Animation

Nimona

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Best Visual Effects

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Cocaine Bear

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Oppenheimer

The Little Mermaid

Best Sound

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Oppenheimer

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The Nun II

Best Editing

Barbie (Nick Houy)

Kuolleet Lehdet (Samu Heikkilä)

Oppenheimer (Jennifer Lame)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Mike Andrews)

The Little Mermaid (Wyatt Smith)

Best Cinematography

A Haunting in Venice (Haris Zambarloukos)

Barbie (Rodrigo Prieto)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Henry Braham)

Kuolleet Lehdet (Timo Salminen)

Oppenheimer (Hoyte Van Hoytema)

Best Score

A Haunting in Venice (Hildur Guonadottir)

Barbie (Andrew Wyatt & Mark Ronson)

Oppenheimer (Ludwig Göränsson)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Daniel Pemberton)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Brian Tyler & Koji Kondo)

Best Original Song

Barbie (Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, I'm Just Ken)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Metro Boomin, Self Love)

The Little Mermaid (Alan Menken & Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Scuttlebutt)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Jack Black, Aaron Horvath & Michael Jelenic, Peaches)

Wonka (Neil Hannon, You've Never Had Chocolate Like This)

Best Supporting Actor

Barbie (Michael Cera as Allan)

Kuolleet Lehdet (Janne Hyytiäinen as Huotari)

Nimona (Eugene Lee Yang as Ambrosious Goldenloin)

Oppenheimer (Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Jack Black as Bowser)

Best Supporting Actress

A Haunting in Venice (Michelle Yeoh as Joyce Reynolds)

Barbie (America Ferrera as Gloria)

Nimona (Frances Conroy as The Director)

Oppenheimer (Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock)

The Little Mermaid (Melissa McCarthy as Ursula)

Best Acting, Non-Binary

Nimona (Indya Moore as Alamzapam Davis)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Amandla Stenberg as Margo Kess: Spider-Byte)

Best Lead Actor

Barbie (Ryan Gosling as Ken)

Kuolleet Lehdet (Jussi Vatanen as Holoppa)

Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Shameik Moore as Miles Morales)

Wonka (Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka)

Best Lead Actress

Barbie (Margot Robbie as Barbie)

Kuolleet Lehdet (Alma Pöysti as Ansa)

Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz as Nimona)

Oppenheimer (Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer)

The Little Mermaid (Halle Bailey as Ariel)

Best Screenplay

Barbie (Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach)

Kuolleet Lehdet (Aki Kaurismäki)

Nimona (Robert L. Baird & Lloyd Taylor)

Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Phil Lord, Christopher Miller & Dave Callaham)

Best Director

A Haunting in Venice (Kenneth Branagh)

Barbie (Greta Gerwig)

Kuolleet Lehdet (Aki Kaurismäki)

Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan)

The Little Mermaid (Rob Marshall)

Best Picture

Barbie

Kuolleet Lehdet

Nimona

Oppenheimer

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Total nominations:

Oppenheimer - 14

Barbie - 13

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - 9

Kuolleet Lehdet - 8

The Little Mermaid - 8

Nimona - 7

A Haunting in Venice - 5

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - 4

The Super Mario Bros. Movie - 4

Wonka - 4

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - 2

Cocaine Bear - 1

The Nun II - 1

TELEVISION

Best Costumes and Makeup

Ahsoka

Saturday Night Live

The Crown

The Last of Us

The Mandalorian

Best Set Design

Kaleidoscope

Succession

The Crown

The Last of Us

The Mandalorian

Best Animation

Big Mouth

Futurama

Human Resources

Best Visual Effects

Ahsoka

Barry

Kaleidoscope

The Last of Us

The Mandalorian

Best Sound

Barry

Kaleidoscope

Ted Lasso

The Last of Us

The Mandalorian

Best Editing

Ahsoka (Dana E: Glauberman, Rosanne Tan & James D. Wilcox)

Barry (Ali Greer & Franky Guttman)

Succession (Ken Eluto & William Henry)

The Last of Us (Timothy A. Good & Emily Mendez)

The Mandalorian (Jeff Seibenick, Dylan Firshein & Rachel Goodlett Katz)

Best Cinematography

Barry (Carl Herse)

Kaleidoscope (Niels Alpert & Eric Moynier)

Succession (Patrick Capone & Katelin Arizmendi)

The Crown (Adriano Goldman & Sophia Olsson)

The Last of Us (Eben Bolter & Ksenia Sereda)

Best Score

Kaleidoscope (Dominic Lewis)

Succession (Nicholas Britell)

Ted Lasso (Marcus Mumford & Tom Howe)

The Crown (Martin Phipps)

The Mandalorian (Ludwig Göransson & Joseph Shirley)

Best Season Premiere

Futurama (The Impossible Stream, Season 11 Episode 11)

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (The Gang Inflates, Season 16 Episode 1)

Saturday Night Live (Pete Davidson/Ice Spice, Season 49 Episode 1)

Succession (The Munsters, Season 4 Episode 1)

The Last of Us (When You're Lost in the Darkness, Season 1 Episode 1)

Best Season Finale

Futurama (All the Way Down, Season 11 Episode 10)

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Dennis Takes a Mental Health Day, Season 16 Episode 8)

Kaleidoscope (White: The Heist, Season 1 Episode 9)

Succession (With Open Eyes, Season 4 Episode 10)

Ted Lasso (So Long, Farewell, Season 3 Episode 12)

Best Episode

Futurama (All the Way Down, Season 11 Episode 10)

Kaleidoscope (Green: 7 Years Before the Heist, Season 1 Episode X)

Succession (America Decides, Season 1 Episode 8)

Ted Lasso (So Long, Farewell, Season 3 Episode 12)

The Last of Us (When We Are in Need, Season 1 Episode 8)

Best Actor, Guest Performance

Saturday Night Live (Timothée Chalamet as Host/Various)

Succession (James Cromwell as Ewan Roy)

Ted Lasso (Matteo van der Grijn as Matthijs)

The Last of Us (Nick Offerman as Bill)

The Mandalorian (Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon)

Best Actress, Guest Performance

Saturday Night Live (Kate McKinnon as Host/Various)

Succession (Cherry Jones as Nan Pierce)

Ted Lasso (Becky Ann Baker as Dottie Lasso)

The Crown (Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II)

The Last of Us (Storm Reid as Riley Abel)

Best Supporting Actor

Barry (Anthony Carrigan as NoHo Hank)

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Charlie Day as Charlie Kelly)

Saturday Night Live (Bowen Yang as Various)

Sex Education (Connor Swindells as Adam Groff)

Succession (Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy)

Best Supporting Actress

Saturday Night Live (Chloe Fineman as Various)

Sex Education (Emma Mackey as Maeve Wiley)

Succession (J. Smith-Cameron as Gerri Kellman)

Ted Lasso (Juno Temple as Keeley Jones)

The Crown (Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana)

Best Acting, Non-Binary

Big Mouth (Brandon Kyle Goodman as Various Characters)

Human Resources (Cole Escola as Montel)

Saturday Night Live (Molly Kearney as Various)

Sex Education (Dua Saleh as Cal Bowman)

The Last of Us (Bella Ramsey as Ellie Williams)

Best Lead Actor

Barry (Bill Hader as Barry Berkman)

Sex Education (Asa Butterfield as Otis Milburn)

Succession (Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy)

Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso)

The Last of Us (Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller)

Best Lead Actress

Barry (Sarah Goldberg as Sally Reed)

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Kaitlin Olson as Dee Reynolds)

Sex Education (Gillian Anderson as Jean Milburn)

Succession (Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy)

The Crown (Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II)

Best Writing

Barry (Bill Hader, wow)

Big Mouth (Victor Quinaz, Jess Dweck & Brandon Kyle Goodman, The International Show)

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Megan Ganz, Frank vs. Russia)

Kaleidoscope (Eric Garcia, Evan Endicott & Josh Stoddard, Green: 7 Years Before the Heist)

Succession (Jesse Armstrong, America Decides)

Best Directing

Barry (Bill Hader, wow)

Succession (Mark Mylod, Connor's Wedding)

The Crown (Christian Schwochow, Dis-Moi Oui)

The Last of Us (Craig Mazin, When You're Lost in the Darkness)

The Mandalorian (Rachel Morrison, Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore)

Best Television Series

Barry

Kaleidoscope

Succession

Ted Lasso

The Last of Us

Total nominations:

Succession - 16

The Last of Us - 14

Barry - 10

Kaleidoscope - 9

Ted Lasso - 9

The Crown - 8

The Mandalorian - 8

Saturday Night Live - 7

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - 5

Sex Education - 5

Futurama - 4

Ahsoka - 3

Big Mouth - 3

Human Resources - 2

MUSIC

Best Opening Track

Anti-Flag - LIES THEY TELL OUR CHILDREN (SOLD EVERYTHING)

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are (Rescued)

Stoned Cold Country - Stoned Cold Country ((I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Rolling Stones Cover))

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (Angry)

Ursus Factory - IO (Tuun Tuun Tuun)

Best Closing Track

Anti-Flag - LIES THEY TELL OUR CHILDREN (ONLY IN MY HEAD)

Bob Dylan - Shadow Kingdom (Sierra's Theme)

Boygenius - The Record (Letter to an Old Poet)

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are (Rest)

Ursus Factory - IO (Tuulen Synty)

Best Album Artwork

Anti-Flag - LIES THEY TELL OUR CHILDREN (Doug Dean)

Duff McKagan - Lighthouse (Kuj Durollari)

Haken - Fauna (Dan Goldsworthy)

Metallica - 72 Seasons (David Turner)

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (Paulina Almira)

Best Drum/Percussion Performance

Boygenius - The Record (Barbara Gruska)

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are (Dave Grohl)

Haken - Fauna (Raymond Hearne)

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (Charlie Watts)

Ursus Factory - IO (Aleksi Ripatti)

Best Piano/Keyboard Performance

Boygenius - The Record (Sarah Goldstone)

Duff McKagan - Lighthouse (Ryan Burns)

Haken - Fauna (Peter Jones)

Stoned Cold Country - Stoned Cold Country (Gordon Mote)

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (Elton John)

Best Bass Performance

Duff McKagan - Lighthouse (Duff McKagan)

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are (Nate Mendel)

Haken - Fauna (Conner Green)

Metallica - 72 Seasons (Robert Trujillo)

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (Ronnie Wood)

Best Guitar Performance

Duff McKagan - Lighthouse (Slash)

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are (Dave Grohl)

Haken - Fauna (Richard Henshall)

Stoned Cold Country - Stoned Cold Country (Zac Brown)

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (Keith Richards)

Best Vocal Performane

Boygenius - The Record (Phoebe Bridgers)

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are (Dave Grohl)

Haken - Fauna (Ross Jennings)

Jack Harlow - Jackman. (Jack Harlow)

Stoned Cold Country - Stoned Cold Country (Lainie Wilson)

Best Performance, Other Instrument

Bob Dylan - Shadow Kingdom (Bob Dylan, Harmonica)

Duff McKagan - Lighthouse (Aubrey Richmond, Fiddle)

Haken - Fauna (Miguel Gorodi, Trumpet)

Stoned Cold Country - Stoned Cold Country (Caroline Jones, Bouzouki)

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (James King, Saxophone)

Best Mixing and Production

Boygenius - The Record (Boygenius, Catherine Marks)

Haken - Fauna (Jens Bogren, Haken)

Jack Harlow - Jackman. (Jack Harlow, FnZ, DJ Dahi & Boi-1da)

Stoned Cold Country - Stoned Cold Country (Robert Deaton, Danny Rader, Marcus King, Oscar Charles & Jay Joyce)

Ursus Factory - IO (Väinö Karjalainen)

Best Composition

Boygenius - The Record (Satanist)

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are (The Teacher)

Haken - Fauna (Beneath the White Rainbow)

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (Sweet Sounds of Heaven)

Ursus Factory - IO (6/6)

Best Lyrics

Anti-Flag - LIES THEY TELL OUR CHILDREN (VICTORY OR DEATH)

Boygenius - The Record (Satanist)

Jack Harlow - Jackman. (Denver)

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (Dreamy Skies)

Ursus Factory - IO (Pastoral)

Best Music Video

Anti-Flag - SOLD EVERYTHING

Boygenius - Emily I'm Sorry

Foo Fighters - The Teacher

Haken - Taurus

Jack Harlow - They Don't Love It

Best Song

Boygenius - The Record (Not Strong Enough)

Haken - Fauna (Beneath the White Rainbow)

Stoned Cold Country - Stoned Cold Country (Sympathy For The Devil (Rolling Stones Cover))

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (Sweet Sounds of Heaven)

Ursus Factory - IO (Tuun Tuun Tuun)

Best Album

Boygenius - The Record

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are

Jack Harlow - Jackman.

Stoned Cold Country - Stoned Cold Country

Ursus Factory - IO

Total nominations:

Haken - 11

Boygenius - 10

The Rolling Stones - 10

Foo Fighters - 9

Stoned Cold Country - 8

Ursus Factory - 8

Anti-Flag - 5

Duff McKagan - 5

Jack Harlow - 5

Bob Dylan - 2

Metallica - 2

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week as I reveal the winners.

Top 10 Anticipated Movies of 2024

Greetings, reader!

It's once again that time of year - time for me to share the upcoming movies of 2024 that I'm looking forward to the most. Here are the year's most anticipated releases!

Here are my honorable mentions: Inside Out 2, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Mickey 17, Self Reliance, The Bricklayer.

10. Deadpool 3

I haven't been all that invested in the X-Men franchise ever since 2019's Dark Phoenix because, well, that's how bad Dark Phoenix was. However, Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool is always a blast. The first Deadpool film was downright groundbreaking, and the second was a good time as well, so I reckon the third one will continue with its share of entertainment value and fourth-wall-breaking fun.

9. Mean Girls

If you're wondering why the much-hyped Mean Girls remake (or, precisely, cinematic adaptation of the Broadway musical adapted from the original movie) isn't higher on my list like it would be for many people, it's simply because the original film wasn't a part of my upbringing and thus a major source of nostalgia like it is for many in my generation.

But, while I only saw Mean Girls (2004) for the first time in my adult age, I did enjoy it while appreciating its cultural impact. Add to that the widespread acclaim of the musical adaptation, the hype-worthy cast of this big-screen version and my unwavering trust in comedy genius Tina Fey's writing, and you have a movie that should by all accounts be a good time.

8. Bob Marley: One Love

I love me a good music biopic - a lot of people have been complaining that Hollywood is making too many of these, which I consider to be an extremely boring and close-minded way of viewing the fact that a lot of fascinating true stories of iconic musicians are being told in a delightful manner for us to enjoy! Bob Marley certainly deserves the blockbuster biopic treatment, as his music was so impactful and his life so intriguing. Looking forward to this one!

7. Nosferatu

Remakes of horror classics often turn out to be duds - but remakes of horror classics are rarely chosen as passion projects by cinematic masterminds of the Robert Eggers caliber. Eggers' debut feature film, The Vvitch (2015), was some of the best horror of the 2010's, and his follow-up work The Lighthouse (2019) was so spectacularly good that I would trust any project with his name on it. Eggers could announce he's doing Friday the 13th Vol XIV or a Sharknado reboot, and I'd put my money on it being the best horror flick of the upcoming year.

So, I have high hopes for his remake of the classic 1920's horror flick Nosferatu. Names such as Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe and Bill Skarsgård in the cast certainly don't hurt the film's case either!

6. Joker: Folie à Deux

My first thoughts upon hearing that 2019's Joker is getting a sequel were the typical ones: this film didn't really need a sequel.

Then, I heard that Joaquin Phoenix's Joker will team up with this gritty DC universe adaptation's version of Harley Quinn, who will be played by Lady Gaga, and all of the sudden the film had both my curiosity and my attention. In addition to Phoenix and Gaga, the film will feature Zazie Beetz of Atlanta (2016-2022) fame in a major role, so I reckon that the quality of acting is one thing audiences can rest easy about when going to see Folie à Deux.

5. The People's Joker

Yes, I'm quite proud of the fact that this film is even higher on my list than the 'actual' Joker film coming in 2024. And yes, I know that Vera Drew's The People's Joker technically had its premiere in 2022 and technically again in 2023, but it never got the wide-spread cinematic release it aimed for, due to rights issues and bureaucratic battles. Now it sounds like the legal issues are finally taken care of, and the film is scheduled for a theatrical release in April 2024.

Why the rights issues? Well, because The People's Joker apparently isn't as much an adaptation of DC Comics, but rather a queer coming-of-age superhero parody. Yes, you read that correctly. Apparently, Vera Drew wanted to draw on characters and elements from DC Comics to tell a story of trans rights, self-love and acceptance, and the way to do so was through wild humor and chaotic satire in a story centering on a portrayal of the Joker as a trans woman, played by the trans director herself.

Anyways, Warner Bros. wasn't very happy with the way their material was being adapted, and while I won't know the full picture before seeing the film, my gut tells me to side with the indie filmmaker wanting to tell an imaginative human-rights-centered story and not the big corporation putting wrenches in the gears.

4. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

As an average monster flick enjoyer, I've followed the new cinematic 'MonsterVerse' with intrigue, as combining the Japanese Kaiju lore with modern Hollywood's budget for gargantuan visuals has yielded entertaining results. 2014's Godzilla remake was decent, 2017's Kong: Skull Island a proper reboot, and 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters downright breathtaking.

While 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong ended up a bit below expectations, possibly signifying that the franchise saw its peak, there was still plenty to enjoy - and the promotional materials for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire seem to promise more blockbuster Kaiju madness!

3. The Book of Clarence

Between his work on Netflix's all-Black western The Harder They Fall and Jay-Z's short film Legacy, musician and filmmaker Jeymes Samuel is quickly rising as a major voice in modern Hollywood - and his new film sounds amazing. Described as a 'biblical comedy', The Book of Clarence features the star power of Alfre Woodard, James McAvoy, and the most underrated actor in Hollywood in my opinion: LaKeith Stanfield of Atlanta (2016-2022) and Get Out (2017) fame.

Any project with these names attached to it sparks my interest, especially a biblical comedy with a trailer that looks like "if Spike Lee had directed Life of Brian".

2. Dune: Part Two

Delayed due to the actors' and writers' guild strikes in 2023, Denis Villeneuve's Dune sequel finds itself on my 'Most anticipated movies of the year' list for the second year in a row. The reasons for my hype remain the same: Dune (2021) was one of the greatest book-to-film adaptations I've ever seen, which means extra much as I love the book it's based on so much. Therefore, I can't wait for the story to continue, having loads of hype for how all my favorite parts from the second half of the book will play out on the big screen with Villeneuve's trustworthy directing and the film's dynamite cast. Can't wait for this one!

1. Community: The Movie

Of course the movie sequel to my all-time favorite sitcom is topping my list (once again - this one was also on last year's list, before its initial 2023 release was delayed). My hype for this one is quite simply unmatched. The series Community is so very special to me, that the idea of seeing those beloved characters once more on the big screen with a new story just fills me with joy.

There are so many directions they could take with the plot of this one, and I've spent my share of time imagining how it all might play out. Still, at the end of the day, I can rest easy not knowing any details until the movie arrives, as I have complete faith in Dan Harmon's writing and the dynamite work of the main cast. Six seasons and a movie, baby!

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week as I unveil the nominations for my annual Best of the Year awards, honoring the greatest cinema, television and music of 2023.

Ranking Finland's Presidential Candidates

Oh man, I'm gonna get fried for this.

The Finnish Presidential Election is nearing, and I'm pumped - so much so, that when thinking of how I'd vote on any given pairing on the likely 1-on-1 second round, I ranked all the candidates. Sure, this is a movie/TV blog, but I like to be liberal with the format and these are all people we've seen on TV so it totally qualifies as a blog post. Remember, these are my own personal views, with which I hope not to offend but simply to share my perspective and endorsments with anyone interested!

9. Jussi Halla-Aho

"Devoid of the normal human responses to other people's suffering. He has no conscience, feels no remorse or empathy, and does not recognize the worth and humanity of anybody except himself. He feels no need for human companionship or friendship, and cannot comprehend love or affection for another. He believes he is superior to everyone around him. Tall and skeletally thin, with a face whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes. Hands like large, pale spiders; his long, white fingers caressed his own chest, his arms, his face"

Excuse me, I've mixed up my notes - how did those quotes from the Wikipedia entry for Lord Voldemort get here? Anyhow, where was I...

Much like his Wizarding World counterpart, Halla-Aho has built a political career devoid of empathy while being admittedly smart to a scary degree - he has made an art form out of sounding well-reasoned by using facts, but only certain hand-picked facts at that. Make no mistake, this man is a cold-blooded white supremacist, a professional liar, and I truly hope he doesn't get the massive wave of votes that his racism-based True Finns party got in last spring's parliament election.

8. Sari Essayah

Sure, Essayah is one of the more reasonable figures in the Christian Democrats party, but that's not exactly a high bar for me - nothing against Christianity in itself, but using a book from thousands of years ago as a basis for modern-day legislation (in a country that claims to have religious freedom and separation of church and state, no less) just doesn't sit right with me. And while Essayah may have the necessary skillset to be commander-in-chief, a President is also somewhat of a value leader, and anyone who is against equal marriage rights in this day and age has no business leading my Finland.

7. Harry Harkimo

"He is deeply insecure about his status and is prone to delusions of grandeur, even deciding to run for President despite having little to no chance of winning. He claims to have been interested in politics from a very early age"

Oops, that's the Wikipedia description of the satirical character Connor Roy (Alan Ruck) in Succession. Where was I?

Right, Harry Harkimo. The 70-year-old businessman, who famously split from right-wing party Kokoomus to form his own party whose platform is indistinguishable from Kokoomus, seems to be treating running for President as a bored rich man's hobby. I'm sure he wouldn't be completely terrible at the job, but the real and serious candidates (excluding Halla-Aho, who is serious about all the wrong things) would just be so much better.

6. Mika Aaltola

I hate that I had to rank Aaltola this highly, as I'm lowkey scared of him. Unlike my other home country with its upcoming elections, Finland has multiple good candidates - if anyone from my top five wins, I'll be content. But the bottom four causes their share of concern, even if Aaltola is the best from that tier.

He's ahead of the other three mainly because of his admitted expertise - being the leading figure of Finland's foreign policy is the President's primary job, and as the leader of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, he definitely has knowledge there. Still, so many things about his campaign bug me - every time he speaks he feels untrustworthy, giving the vibe of a populist trying to please everyone. Many of his comments also highlight how distanced he is from the life of an everyday Finn, and I'd rather have someone in touch with reality as the country's ceremonial leader.

5. Olli Rehn

I've made my share of jokes at the expense of Keskusta (Centre Party) in my life, for the same reason that American comedians always joke about Florida - it's an easy target. The jokes write themselves. And here's one more: of course the Centre Party's official candidate is ranked fifth out of the nine candidates, smack-right in the middle. As a fun exercise a few weeks ago, I ranked the nine candidates based on four different factors that I consider important in a President: experience and vision in foreign policy, values and priorities, integrity and trustworthiness, and how they would represent 'my Finland'. And without planning it, Rehn came exactly fifth in all four rankings. Like I said, the jokes write themselves.

One more slightly boring old white cis male as a head-of-state isn't exactly what the world needs right now, so Rehn wouldn't be the most inspiring President. Still, the current slightly boring old white cis male Sauli Niinistö has done an admittedly excellent job as President, and I reckon Rehn would be a similar commander. I'd be fine with him as President, but he won't get my vote unless he faces one of the villains in the second round.

4. Alexander Stubb

I've been deeply upset by Finland's new government, spearheaded by Stubb's party Kokoomus and their chickenshit Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's spineless party line of letting white supremacists run rampantly free as cabinet secretaries. In the current state of affairs, voting for anyone from Kokoomus would feel wrong for me.

Still, I've got to say that Stubb would be a good President.

The party made a smart move putting forward a Presidential candidate who has been working abroad with the European University Institute for the last few years, and is therefore far removed from the train wreck of the current right-wing government. Furthermore, Stubb is a real statesman with experience in foreign policy, well-reasoned arguments, and a humane style of speaking and carrying himself that would make him an adequate diplomatic representative for the country.

3. Jutta Urpilainen

The Social Democrat Party has produced some of the finest Presidents in Finland's history, and Urpilainen would likely make for a decent continuation (if she had a realistic chance of winning, let's be real). While she's probably not progressing to the second round, I'm placing her third in my ranking because I would like seeing her as President even more than Rehn or Stubb.

Urpilainen is sharp and diplomatic, has a good track record with international affairs, and I agree with her stances on some of the issues I feel the strongest about, like climate change - seriously, as Finland has so many decent candidates, couldn't we please spare one of them to my other home country? One of these younger-than-80 basically-comprehensible-and-competent people? Please?

2. Pekka Haavisto

I know, I know - as a member of the Green Party, who belongs to a sexual minority, voted for Haavisto in 2018, has taken a fan selfie with Pekka Haavisto and owns a Pekka Haavisto 2024 mug, one might think that the former Minister for Foreign Affairs would be the one getting my vote. And it is a close call - I've been a fan of Pekka's forever, I trust that he would be a great President, and he makes it all the way to 2nd place.

However, in my personal ranking, one candidate (who we'll get to momentarily) barely surpassed him. There are individual issues that have come up where my stance is different from Haavisto's, and while none of them are dealbreakers, the set of candidates is so solid that little things end up making a big difference. So, when realizing there's a candidate whose platform is even closer to mine, I made an informed decision to change my mind.

I'll likely be voting for Haavisto in the second round if he comes up against Stubb, Rehn or Aaltola (or, God forbid, Halla-aho), and do so with a clear conscience. But as inspiring and impressive as Haavisto's career and Presidential credentials are, there's one candidate this time who speaks to my values even more.

1. Li Andersson

I was considering voting for Andersson as my #1 alternative to Haavisto, and watching YLE's Presidential debate finally tipped me over. I'm a pacifist and that's one of my most important values, so the one candidate who has the heart to condemn war crimes, even when they're being committed by a country we're allied to, is the one candidate I'm inclined to vote for. In addition to that moment that gained Andersson the only spontaneous audience applause of the event, her answers throughout the debate were well-reasoned, on point, and frankly inspiring.

While I know many people who consider Li to be 'extreme', the stereotype is far from the truth - she's a well-educated, well-experienced and considerate leader who takes her work seriously, studies the facts before making informed decisions, and thoroughly has what it takes to get the job done. Anyone with the opinion of her as extreme should listen to her speak about her platform with an open mind, and then review their opinion.

The Greens may be 'my party', but I like to treat each election with an open mind instead of having a locked opinion on which party to vote for - especially Presidential elections, where partisan politics play a much smaller role. Out of the nine candidates, Li Andersson is the one I'd most like to see as President, even if there are many other candidates who I'd also be happy enough to see in office. With her agreeable values and priorities, future-oriented vision, diplomatic skills and prolific career, Li Andersson has earned my vote.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week as I return to my usual movie/TV content with my traditional January post of the upcoming year's most anticipated movies.

Top 10 TV Shows of 2023

Greetings, reader!

With 2023 now behind us, it's time for me to share my favorite TV seasons from the past year. Without further ado, these were the best shows of the year!

Here are my honorable mentions: Ahsoka (Season 1), Human Resources (Season 2), That 90's Show (Season 1), The Mandalorian (Season 3).

10. Saturday Night Live (Seasons 48-49)

Still going strong after almost fifty years, Lorne Michaels' sketch comedy Saturday Night Live remains as constantly relevant as it is hilarious with its political satire, oddball humor and zany vibe. I was worried for a while as so many longtime castmembers who were favorites of mine have left in the past two years, but the newer castmembers have done an incredible job with the room they were given - and this year, I especially want to praise Bowen Yang for his astute comedic timing and amusing celebrity impressions. The best SNL running gag of the past year has got to be his George Santos popping up in various situations.

The series also had its share of memorable guest hosts this year, from Pedro Pascal's charismatic monologue and Timothée Chalamet showing off his acting range all the way to fan favorites Pete Davidson and Kate McKinnon returning to host in a heartfelt manner. Oh, and the Weekend Update Joke Swap in the year's final episode was dark comedy at its most brilliant, and a brutally hilarious note to end the year on.

9. Sex Education (Season 4)

Interestingly enough, three different shows that I actively follow ended in 2023, ending four-season run each. Out of the three 'fourth and final seasons' this year, Netflix's Sex Education had the weakest, but it was still decent and worthwhile television.

Some storylines were better than others, but overall, the series remained true to its core tenants and gave us a season that was tear-jerking at its best. The funeral episode and the anti-ableism protest in the penultimate episode were some of the most emotional television released this year, and they leave the viewer inspired and wanting to make the world a better place with their actions.

8. Big Mouth (Season 7)

Once again, the series that looks like a less serious Sex Education at first glance was actually the slightly better series out of the two. Netflix's animated Big Mouth may not have the dramatic acting performances, realistic characters and nuanced dialogue of Sex Education, but it succeeds beautifully at what it was intended for: making you laugh, a lot, while making you think with its sex-positive coming-of-age themes, a lot.

This year, showrunners Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg proved that they are not running out of ideas despite being seven seasons into it, with zany gimmick episodes such as the culturally diverse The International Show, long-term storytelling such as the main characters finally graduating and starting high school, and new and exciting angles like the fleshed-out focus on supporting character Caleb (Joe Wengert), whose life on the autism spectrum is dealt with in a wholesome manner.

7. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (Season 16)

This record-breaking sitcom is still going strong in its sixteenth season. Somehow, Rob McElhenney and company found the secret recipe that TV showrunners have been searching for all this time, the Holy Grail of sorts - how to keep a show fresh and relevant no matter how many seasons it runs.

In the newest season of the delightful anti-sitcom, the cast and writers prove that the show is still razor-sharp in its commentary (as proved by episodes like Risk E. Rat's Pizza & Amusement Center), still hysterically funny (as proved by episodes like Frank vs. Russia), and still chaotic (as proved by episodes like Frank Shoot Every Member of the Gang - the episode title alone is better comedy than any episode that most shows would come up with after ten seasons). No shortage of ideas, still a guaranteed laugh, It's Always Sunny is dynamite and will probably never end.

6. Barry (Season 4)

The second-best out of the three 'fourth and final seasons' in 2023, Barry's last season didn't disappoint. Writer Bill Hader took an interesting route to the story with its Better Call Saul -inspired turns, while director Bill Hader proved once again to be a mastermind of realistic yet entertaining action set pieces, and actor Bill Hader continued to play the main character with some serious skill&range.

Barry's final season fits prison breaks, heartbreaking betrayals, wacky concept episodes, shocking time jumps and thrilling shootouts into its run of eight half-hour episodes, culminating in a series finale that isn't one of the all-time great TV endings but is also far from disappointing - Barry was a hard series to end, and I'd like to see anyone coming up with a more fitting ending than what Hader came up with. If you liked the first three seasons, it's quite guaranteed that you'll enjoy this swan song as well.

5. Ted Lasso (Season 3)

I have such mixed feelings about Ted Lasso ending with just its third season - in a way, I would've liked to see so much more of these lovable characters, but in another way, I respect the decision of the writers to 'quit while they were ahead', leaving behind three seasons of golden TV with no unnecessary episodes or filler material. They managed to fit some of modern television's most heartwarming character growth stories and redemption archs into just three seasons, and it ends in a beautiful manner.

The football storylines themselves are a blast for fans of the sport such as myself (I was literally pumping my fist and jumping up and down when watching AFC Richmond's final match of the season, sort of forgetting that it's scripted fiction and feeling like a true Greyhounds fan for a while), but at the same time, the series was always about something bigger than football.

In the final season, we get wholesome character development, exciting romance, heartfelt moments of friendship, and so, so many tears - the storyline of gay player Colin Hughes (Billy Harris) coming out to his teammates was the biggest cry factor for me, with Sam's (Toheeb Jimoh) anti-racism protesting coming in as a close second. Ted Lasso may be my #5 of the year when considering the combination of all aspects that make TV good, but if I were to rank these purely based on their heart and humanity, I reckon it would go 'top of the table'.

4. The Last of Us (Season 1)

I know, many TV enthusiasts would put this series higher in their ranking (especially when seeing what I've chosen as my #3 and #2). As much as I enjoyed The Last of Us, I'd estimate that I consider it just slightly overrated when comparing its general reception to my subjective experience with it. Don't get me wrong - it's a cinematically brilliant series, with the hands-down best TV production values of the year, so all the praise is deserved. The story, and bear with me here, just didn't quite have me the way it had some people.

Again, don't get me wrong - the bond between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) is touching for sure. At the same time, it wasn't life-changing or profound to the degree that many fans of the show (or the game it's based on) regard it. Watching the series made me feel my share of emotions (especially the episode Long, Long Time, focusing on the gripping love story between Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett)), but as a whole, it wasn't as memorable as some of the other TV shows this year.

The Last of Us didn't totally blow my mind, like it did for many viewers, but it was still awesome enough to thoroughly earn its #4 ranking here. A very well-made and compelling series, but not quite the best series of 2023 if you ask me.

3. Kaleidoscope (Season 1)

My reasoning for Kaleidoscope being ahead of The Last of Us is not unlike why I chose Barbie over Oppenheimer as my favorite movie of the year - for a viewer like me, sticking out of the crowd with bold new ideas has more weight than production values and cinematic quality. Kaleidoscope may not have the gargantuan set design, realistic feel and Emmy-worthy directing of The Last of Us, but it was an even more memorable and enriching viewing experience for me personally.

The story of Kaleidoscope is told in fragments, with Netflix randomizing the order of episodes for each viewer so that everyone's viewing experience is one path of many. The work the writers have put into making this work is awe-inspiring to consider: in order for every possible viewing order to be compelling, the twists and reveals have to be built on layers of information, so that each episode gives the viewer new and interesting context no matter what other episodes they have/haven't seen. The premise is addictive and I applaud how it was executed, as my viewing experience at least was very enjoyable and I consider the experiment successful.

2. Futurama (Season 11)

With this, on the other hand, my reasoning is similar to why The Super Mario Bros. Movie was all the way at fourth place in my 'Best Movies of 2023' post. Sometimes, you just can't beat a good smile and the sense of nostalgia.

I always loved Futurama, considering it to be even better than Matt Groening's more famous show The Simpsons (hot take, I know). The show was cancelled in 2013, and the last thing I expected from the constantly upsetting post-COVID dystopia we've been living in this decade was new Futurama episodes. And, in the Lord's year 2023, new Futurama episodes was exactly what I needed.

Watching the new episodes made me so joyful that I quickly made them into a reward system - I'm doing my teacher training year in my studies, and after each weekly lesson I taught, I'd watch one new Futurama when I came home, as a reward to myself. And it always hit home, with every episode feeling like classic Futurama but for the modern day - from a western spoof about mining bitcoin and a simple yet silly Dune parody all the way to a feel-good time-travel Christmas story and a hilarious Covid episode (with the big joke being that we're still 'just getting past Covid' but getting hit by new waves a thousand years into the future). The season ends with a delightfully clever and philosophical simulation episode, and it's all a great time.

1. Succession (Season 4)

Like Sex Education and Barry, this prestige HBO drama also aired its fourth and final season this year, and unlike those shows, Succession saved its very best for last. Like a star gloriously collapsing onto itself, the saga of the Roy family came to a brilliant conclusion filled with twists, turns, double-crosses and betrayals befitting the series that has been described as Shakespeare's King Lear in the modern world.

The acting is once again outrageously good - between the four actors who play the Roy siblings (Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Alan Ruck), any one of them could nab an Emmy nomination or win for the episode Connor's Wedding. And that's not even the best episode of the season, nor is the bittersweet and poetic finale - the episode America Decides stands above both as the finest hour in the entire acclaimed 4-season run of Succession, with its intense setting, shocking plot turns, emotional impact and themes as dark and brutal as they are poignant. All in all, Succession's final season takes the cake as the year's very best television.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for a bold post, as 'Top 10 Movies with Veikko Hoffman' goes political - ahead of the 2024 Finnish Presidential Election, I'm sharing my ranking of the candidates.