Top 20 New Shows of 2020: #20

My annual TV Awards, the AFT Television Awards, are given out during the summer. It’s always nice to check in midway through the television season to reflect back on all the calendar year introduced us to. As 2020 closes out and 2021 begins, here’s a look back at the best new shows of the year.

#20: Stateless

This six-episode Australian limited series explores the complexities of immigration through the experiences of four very different people, and there is an incredible universality to the story it presents. Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, and Asher Keddie lead a strong cast that dramatically navigates the often contradictory notions of bureaucracy and justice. It’s not an easy watch, but its stark, powerful style elevates its important, very presently-relevant plot. Watch now on Netflix.

Best Episode: “The Right Thing”
Pilot Review | Episode Reviews

What I’m Watching: Stateless (Series Finale)

Stateless: Season 1, Episode 6 “The Seventh Circle” (B+)

I wasn’t sure how all of this was going to be resolved since a happy ending didn’t seem appropriate given the real-life inspiration for many of these stories and the fact that it really just wouldn’t fit tonally. Instead, I think the characters experienced some intense growth and faced harrowing decisions that made them come out the other side broken but on the mend towards something that might hopefully be healthier for them. It was reassuring to see Margot press so hard to locate her sister when she came up against so many obstacles that made no sense, and it was a relief that, though she missed the ambulance that took Sofie away after she had to be sedated, she was in fact able to find her. It says something that someone who didn’t belong in detention because they were entitled to other rights as an Australian citizen was the catalyst for a change in treatment to other detainees, but I suppose it’s an indictment of the bureaucratic nature of the operation that takes the humanity out of it, resulting in situations like this. Sofie hallucinating everyone dancing was an intriguing stylistic choice, one that worked well since she suffered considerably but got to enjoy something comforting and pleasing while everyone else just perceived a dismal camp. Ameer’s choice to separate himself from his daughter for her protection was heartbreaking, but he recognized that it was the only way to ensure her safety and permanent stay in Australia. Cam being promoted by Harriet put him in a place he couldn’t stand, pushed to be someone he wasn’t by his circumstances, and simply walking away was the only way he could deal with it. Claire giving a different story to David so that Ameer wouldn’t be the focus of everything was her own sacrifice, and she was ready to accept the consequences if it blew back on her. This show was absolutely thought-provoking and well-done, featuring strong performances and an important story.

Series grade: B+
Series MVPs: Yvonne Strahovski as Sofie, Jai Courtney as Cam, and Asher Keddie as Claire

What I’m Watching: Stateless (Penultimate Episode)

Stateless: Season 1, Episode 5 “Panis Angelicus” (B+)

Doing something in the middle of the night suggests that there’s something untoward about it, and pulling Al Alwani out because his visa was denied and he was set to be deported had the opposite effect of keeping it quiet since his piercing screams woke everyone around him. That was just the beginning of bad news for the detainees as visitors and cooked meals were suspended and the barrier was erected between the two facilities. Claire did feel that she was doing a good job in both helping the detainees and making the facility run better, but that didn’t mean that her head was safe from the chopping block, a reality that made her even angrier because she had been expressly convinced by Genevieve. She and Brian got into an intense screaming match blaming each other, and her gesture of friendship came all too late after he ended up being the one to take the fall for all of it. It was devastating to learn that Ameer’s actions to protect his family had led to him doing something that could implicate him in smuggling charges since that’s the opposite of what he had been trying to do, and it hardly seems like a black-and-white situation that even Claire stopped to question. Sofie’s situation was even more harrowing, as she wasn’t able to stop hallucinating being at Gordon’s mercy, reliving trauma that then caused first a psychologist and then all of the guards to think that she needed to be moved to a psychiatric hospital. Even Cam managed to get corrupted, choosing to indulge in an attraction to Sharee after his wife made him leave their home because of the way he lashed out at his kids. One more episode doesn’t seem like enough time to resolve all of these plotlines, but that’s what we have left, and I’m sure it will be emphatic and resounding.

What I’m Watching: Stateless

Stateless: Season 1, Episode 4 “Run Sofie Run” (B+)

It’s definitely an unsettling time to be watching protests reenacted even on fictional television shows, but that’s part of why this series does feel very relevant. Clare had an entire riot police force ready to deal with the protests, which weren’t all that big but still had a major impact, if only because they distracted her and the KORVO officers from the escape happening at the same time. Her conversations with David really are enlightening. After dealing with the nun in the previous episode, Cam was once again in a very uncomfortable position as he had to contend with the fact that his sister was actively helping the escapees get away and hide and sending them information on where to go next. It’s possible that he really did think that getting them back into the facility right away before they met a worse fate after being on the run was the better option, but them being put in isolation immediately after he called in their location didn’t feel like a good result. It’s dizzying to see the story of how Sofie got there play out at the same time as she was running yet again, and it was disturbing for Margot to learn that, when she reported her sister missing, Gordon and Pat’s mysterious organization was already under investigation. Sofie should have said more to her sister when she called, but it’s clear that she doesn’t feel safe doing that, even if her family could attract protect her. Now she’s hearing the music, which might make her feel more secure even if it suggests she’s losing her grip on reality.

Take Three: Stateless

Stateless: Season 1, Episode 3 “The Right Thing” (B+)

This show does a good job of making its characters complex so that it’s never clear if anyone is entirely good or bad, offering plenty of political commentary on what’s right and wrong. Clare in particular has shifted from someone who seemed to demonstrate some compassion for the people within her care only to reveal her true motivations, which are to preserve order and ensure that she does her job well with no problems reported to the higher-ups. She argued to the journalist seeking to expose the truth of what’s going on that he should be focused on the people being helped but also sent a man she promised wouldn’t be punished to isolation after he told her exactly what she needed to know. On top of that, Harriet was allowed to remain in her position even after Cam told Brian what she had done. His luck wasn’t too good since his kindness and willingness to listen to others resulted in Sharee getting seriously injured by a plate of hot food. Ameer is fortunate to have his daughter looking out for him and making sure he’s not eternally drugged. Sofie seems intent on making noise even though she’s well aware that any publicity for her is going to lead to those she’s running from having a better idea of where she is. It was chilling to see how quickly and manipulatively Gordon tried to control and gaslight Margot when she showed up asking him and Pat if they had any idea about what happened to Sofie.

Round Two: Stateless

Stateless: Season 1, Episode 2 “Incognita” (B+)

The first episode of this series was interesting but didn’t provide too much indication of where it was headed, and I found that this installment really clarified who the main characters are and what we can expect in the coming episodes. I’m glad that focus wasn’t too much on Sofie’s sobering backstory, omitting big names Dominic West and Cate Blanchett entirely in favor of her family interactions and the man she compelled to spirit her away from her psychiatric hold while she only spoke with a German accent with everyone at the center, desperately trying to get deported. The first woman she spoke to offered the best summary of her situation: wanting to leave the country should be no problem, if indeed she really was German. Cameron is absolutely a nice guy, and this job is going to make him miserable since he rightly doesn’t see any reason to treat the people he’s guarding poorly. Ameer was so elated to be in Australia and couldn’t understand why he needed to make up a surname, but the devastating news that only one of his family members survived is going to haunt him. I’m very intrigued by the new addition to this episode, Asher Keddie’s Clare, who arrived to a mountain of backlogged paperwork and promptly climbed up to a rooftop to try to negotiate directly with the Sri Lankans before the helicopter showed up. Coming up with the idea about the restricted military airspace was clever, but that’s not going to help her deal with the guilt she’s being made to feel and the public relations problems that she’s facing along with the fact that she’s going to be helpless to change the fates of so many people.

Pilot Review: Stateless

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.