The television landscape is so sprawling and, especially these days, full of A-list actors. The rise of prestige television has given fans shows where some of our favorite movie stars are transitioning from the silver screen to the small screen. But that’s no reason to discount the up-and-coming actors that have made their mark with one specific performance.

We’re looking at eight performances that broke through the sheer abundance of TV and made us take notice. These actors didn’t just give great performances, but gave us characters who went into our hearts and transformed their respective shows into something special.

In no order, below are the 8 best breakthrough performances of 2022, so far:

Disney+

1. Iman Vellani (“Ms. Marvel”)

Iman Vellani may have dressed up as Ms. Marvel for Halloween, but no amount of costumed shenanigans prepares an actor for the role of a lifetime — the role she was born to play. Vellani’s debut as Kamala Khan in Disney’s “Ms. Marvel” is nothing short of revelatory, a star-making turn that also showcases every ounce of her mischief, wit, gravity, and charisma. Her Kamala Khan is authentic in every way, from the South Asian culture woven into Bisha K. Ali’s series to the Avengers superfan’s online fangirling to the total havoc she experiences in gaining both superpowers and a crush at the same time. It’s a hall of fame MCU debut and the start of a cosmic career. –Proma Khosla

“Somebody Somewhere”

HBO

2. Jeff Hiller (“Somebody Somewhere”)

“Somebody Somewhere” is the little series that could, taking a simple story and filling it with down-to-earth characters expelling big emotions. Bridgett Everett plays Sam, a woman trying to find herself while living in her Kansas hometown. Because Sam is such a mess, the script has to give someone to temper her. Enter Jeff Hiller’s Joel, whose meekness and love of religion shouldn’t go well with Sam’s personality. But the two eventually form an impenetrable bond that ends up being the core relationship of the series.

Joel’s shyness is so darling, but underneath that is a man who is protective of his friends and strives to push them. Part of Sam’s reticence towards letting Joel in is that he challenges her. Joel tells her to put a bra on, go outside, and try to make her life hers. At the same time, he’s also struggling to find out what he wants himself. In Episode 5, wherein Joel is trapped in a drainage pipe with a puppy during a tornado, Hiller gets to do some brilliant comedy, but also illustrate Joel’s reluctance to take time out for himself. When he tells his partner that he wants marriage and a Vitamix in his life, it’s a huge step forward for Joel owning who he is, and Hiller makes it utterly perfect. –Kristen Lopez

“The Girl From Plainville”

HULU

3. Colton Ryan (“The Girl From Plainville”)

The challenge in playing a real person, especially one who died so tragically, is making sure the resulting performance isn’t one-note. Theater actor Ryan (“Dear Evan Hansen”) more than rose to the challenge in the Hulu miniseries “The Girl From Plainville,” based on the upsetting true story about a teenager, Conrad (Ryan), who killed himself on the encouragement of his girlfriend (portrayed by Elle Fanning). Ryan’s multi-layered performance finds the actor navigating emotionally difficult family scenes as well as sweet puppy love moments with Fanning — complete with a full “Glee”-inspired musical number! The result brings to life Conrad’s whole world, making viewers sad about the ending but glad to have known him. We can’t wait to see what Ryan does next. –Erin Strecker

“Minx”

HBO Max

4. Jessica Lowe (“Minx”)

Jessica Lowe did amazing work this year upending the dumb-blonde stereotype as Bambi on HBO Max’s ’70s comedy “Minx.” Bambi is introduced to audiences as the typical blonde ditz. She doesn’t read a lot and gets thrown by big words, but as the series shows, anyone is capable of growth so long as they’re open to it. In this case, Bambi teaming up with burgeoning magazine editor Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond), inspires her to educate herself. And yet Lowe never underestimates or diminishes the talents Bambi already has. The relationship that develops between Bambi and Joyce’s sister, Shelly (Lennon Parham) is a great example, as Shelly’s practicality mellows out Bambi, while Bambi’s free-spirited openness and love for everyone helps Shelley awaken her own sexuality. And Lowe has to jump between all of these different emotions while still playing a character who works at a ’70s porn mag! –KL

“Severance”

Apple TV

5. Tramell Tillman (“Severance”)

“Severance” is a show built on precision, with camera moves made and interiors designed with an incredible amount of care and intention. The show’s ensemble is integral top to bottom, but there are plenty of times when Tillman’s Milchick feels like the pin holding everything together (at whatever speed he happens to be moving through the twisting Lumon hallways). Even with some of the answers unspooled over the course of the first season, Tillman represents the best form of ambiguity that “Severance” thrives on.

Milchick is a company man, and Tillman gives a performance that somehow combines duty, fear, charm, stability, and danger into the purest, most potent form of middle management put on screen in ages. Equally comfortable delivering a smile as he is a sense of menace (often at the same time), Tillman’s ability to move between both those worlds only makes that same movement of the characters around him feel that much stronger. –Steve Greene

“Abbott Elementary”

ABC

6. Janelle James (“Abbott Elementary”)

Every workplace comedy has a character who doesn’t believe they’re the villain. And then there’s Janelle James’ performance as Ava in ABC’s “Abbott Elementary.” Ava isn’t the villain, but she honestly doesn’t really care whether you think she is or not. The Quinta Brunson-created comedy is already near-perfect, but James’ performance takes it to a higher level with a character who’s kooky, hilarious, and you still love despite her selfishness.

Episode 9, —titled “Step Class,” was a great showcase for James’ talents. Ava agreeing to help teach the girls of her school step dancing was, as fellow educator Janine (Brunson) saw it, an opportunity for disaster. And it’s assumed that Ava does bail on the girls, until Janine discovers that Ava is caring for her grandmother who has dementia. For a character that is so loud and outlandish, it was a chance for James to downplay her acting and show that Ava does have people she loves in her life other than herself. It’s a fantastic performance for a fantastic character. –KL

“Pachinko”

Apple TV

7. Minha Kim (“Pachinko”)

“Pachinko” is a remarkable season of television, namely in the way that it can locate so much tragedy and resilience and uncertainty and determination in the decades-spanning tale of a single family. What makes all of that even more astounding is the way that Kim is able to thread together all of those emotional ideas whenever she’s on screen. She never overplays the pain and vulnerability of a character having to deal with the loss of family members and her very home, leaving room for the moments of joy that Sunja manages to find along her own personal journey.

There’s a care and gentleness in the performance that better allows Sunja’s story to reverberate generations later. To have that much presence and understanding of how to play every facet of a tumultuous life (in a demanding shoot as varied and nuanced as the subject matter itself) would be a feat for anyone. That she accomplishes it all in her first major on-screen role is even more of a reason to take note of what comes next. –SG

“Conversations With Friends”

HULU

8. Alison Oliver (“Conversations With Friends”)

It can be quite tricky to play a character who not only represses many of their authentic emotions but who is actually described as having a secret interior life. Reserved people aren’t typically talkative or demonstrative in the way we’ve grown accustomed to seeing folks behave on TV. They’re not going to spill their darkest secrets over a cocktail or get into an embarrassing public debacle. Rather, they’re going to watch bar patrons in polite silence and leave a place before anything embarrassing can happen — just like Frances does in “Conversations with Friends.” She laughs and sips her wine at the local pub, without saying much, and she flees her secret crush’s play performance before he even knows she’s attended.

But what we learn about Frances, why we’re drawn to her and feel for her, isn’t simply written into the part; it’s not that she’s a plain person who we’re informed to care about because of our privileged perspective into her private life. Alison Oliver builds Frances with patience and vulnerability. She doesn’t try to do too much; smaller scenes can speak for themselves, without her overextending to emphasize how we should feel, and bigger moments carry a natural urgency, as if she’s feeling everything for the first time. One other key: Her eye contact is specific in a way that reticent individuals should recognize — easy and true with people she trusts (like her best friend, Bobbi), fleeting and downcast with anyone who intimidates her, whether it’s a respected author (like Melissa) or her husband, who Frances fancies, Nick (Joe Alwyn).

Her eyes tell Frances’ story, almost by themselves. You can see how her feelings for Nick morph in how she looks at him. Even when their chats are vague or their relationship undefined, one glance at Oliver’s gaze tells us how she’s feeling, what she hopes for, and ties us to those dreams right beside her. And after her performance in “Conversations with Friends,” we’ll follow Oliver to whatever project she joins next. –Ben Travers

Read more: The Best TV Shows of 2022, So Far

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The bloody battle between kings Harold and Harald at Stamford Bridge is often considered the unofficially official “end” of the Viking Age. By that benchmark, it has been approximately 956 years since the era of longships, warhammers (not that type), and wolfish drengs. So why, in 2022, are we witnessing such a vibrant resurgence of Viking craft? The answer, it seems, has to do with the not-very-Viking internet.

To gain some much-needed insight into this phenomenon, I tracked down three blacksmiths who practice the art of Viking smithing: Joe Hallisey of Metal Abyss, Phillip Anderson of West Wolf Renaissance, and Faydwynn Morningstar of The Path of Fire. All three of these modern Viking merchants predominantly focus on forging millennium-old weapons using period techniques, resurrecting and honing a skill that has been largely absent from the world for almost 1,000 years.

But why now? As it turns out, thanks to ad revenue from services like YouTube and Twitch, as well as the ability to sell specialty items via trade websites like Etsy, Viking smithing has become a legitimately viable way of earning money for the first time since the 11th century. That doesn’t mean operating the bellows makes for an easy life, though — the dedication required to properly make something of this vocation is immense.

All three blacksmiths have been fascinated with Viking culture from a very young age. Hallisey was always interested in general “warrior culture,” although gradually developed a particular affinity for all things Vikings and samurai, which he notes are “both so different in culture and beliefs, yet when boiled down very similar in ferocity and fearlessness.” Anderson, meanwhile, has Scandinavian ancestry. He grew up hearing stories of Odin, Thor, Loki, and ice giants, all of whom have directly influenced his craft since. And Morningstar states that the northern Germanic cultures have always been a part of her life. When she was a child, her father would read her the sagas as she drifted into dreams of longships and Jomsvikings.

“What makes it special to people is it harkens back to a time that is so removed from our social media and cellphone days, when our hours were focused on the basics instead of all this nonsense we deal with today,” Morningstar says. “It’s nice to mentally go back to when tools were not running off electricity [and] when our water was clean.” This sentiment is echoed by the other blacksmiths. They firmly believe that contemporary interest in Viking culture is largely driven by a desire to be transported back in time. It’s therefore somewhat ironic to see that desire being actively facilitated by the internet.

“It all boils down to the fact there is a primal instinct in all of us, a need to go back to our true nature, our roots,” says Hallisey. “The Viking Age was not an easy time to be alive, but their closeness to nature and the gods is what I think people in this day and age are sorely lacking. We couldn’t be further away from nature. Deep down, many of us see that the fast-paced, materialistic side of modern life is doing nothing to make us happy. It’s going back to the ways of our ancestors that helps make our spirits whole.”

It is precisely because of how ubiquitous Norse mythology has become in pop culture that people have started to recognize and act on that instinct. While Vikings certainly catapulted interest in the era from 2013 onwards, there has also been an abundance of video games that focus on Norse culture, from blockbusters like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and God of War to critical indie darlings like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. That’s not to mention films like Robert Eggers’ widely lauded The Northman.

At the same time, this interest can be fleeting. In Morningstar’s eyes, the day-to-day business of contemporary Viking smiths depends on a lot more than a random guy who decides to buy a hammer because he really liked Thor: Ragnarok. She reckons the temporary uptick in Spartan interest post-300 is directly comparable to how fascinated people are by Ragnar Lothbrok today — people like it now, but will they care in 10 years? It’s hard to tell.

This isn’t helped by the fact it’s an extremely difficult gig to get into. To start, you need to brush up on your history, learning smithing techniques from as early as the 8th century. There’s no point in forging a sword with modern technology and calling it a “Viking blade” just because. Without authenticity, the entire endeavor becomes worthless.

“There’s always room for real dedicated people who want to learn the science — yes science — of this craft,” says Morningstar. “It takes discipline. It takes hard work. Those two things right there will stop 90 percent of people. You can’t Amazon Prime this. There is no shortcut. It’s hard — that’s why it’s worthy. If it was easy it would be common and no one would care about it.”

For those who do have the willpower necessary to learn a trade as revered as this, though, there will always be a niche but dedicated audience to keep them afloat. Viking smithing isn’t just a trend to them, it’s part of an all-encompassing way of life. Hallisey says these are the folks they really cater to: collectors, re-enactors, and people who maintain an interest in ancient Norse spirituality. People like these can acknowledge the fact that every single piece forged by an expert smith is imbued with deep, individualistic meaning, which is reflected in the actual process of crafting them.

“Many of our weapon designs are directly based on archeological finds from around Scandinavia, Ireland, England, and so forth,” says Hallisey. “All weapons are hand-forged from quality steel, meaning that each one is unique. Just as a blacksmith from the Viking Age would forge a weapon for each individual warrior, so do we. There is a certain something that cannot be expressed in words when a weapon is forged solely for a single person — an intent, a blessing from the gods. This is what we try to do for our customers, to instill the warrior spirit into every piece in the hope they can battle their way through life with good luck and success.”

Morningstar is intrigued by the relationship between wielder and smith, too. In the stories her father read to her when she was a child, there was always a hero who, after finding their sword, discovered the power lying dormant within them: Sigurd and Gram; Arthur and Caledfwlch; Aragorn and Anduril.

“These people would be much less without their legendary blades, so I learned very early on that the great warrior is nothing without the great smith, the giver of power,” says Morningstar. “During my time making blades and other items, I have gone across many cultures, but I’ve always come home to my roots in the Germanic traditions. The migration era to the pre-Christian indoctrination of Scandinavia had the greatest collection of warrior art the world has ever seen: blades that were decorated with gold and garnets; carved sheaths of finely worked wood; handles of silver and horn; folded steel blades whose patterns reach across the ages and still inspire people to lean close to the protective glass that covers their greatness and makes the onlooker exhale with wonder. Nothing else haunts my dreams or keeps my waking thoughts more occupied than their crafts — I’ve been doing this for 20 years now and I don’t see myself changing my mind anytime soon.”

It’s important to note that this is how all of the smiths I spoke to feel — this is their passion, their one true calling in life. What’s more, it isn’t a particularly lucrative profession, meaning that it’s almost entirely driven by the love they feel for practicing it. Hallisey says that most of what he’s achieved so far is attributable to luck. “I will be the first to admit I am not good at business,” he says. “I’m sure I could be doubly successful if I knew what I was doing and not just taking shots in the dark — but, such is life.”

Anderson agrees. While he is able to recognize that much of his success has come from his own hard work and persistence, it would be remiss to claim luck hasn’t also played a part. “I started doing my thing when early eBay and internet sales were really taking off,” he says. “So I recognized the rise of online sales and decided that was the perfect timing for my creative and business aspirations.

“There’s always room for people to be creative and explore their interests. My business filled a unique niche in the online selling marketplace for many years. But even though there’s now more people than ever before making and selling similar items, my business is continuing to grow and expand. So we need more people doing what they enjoy and following their interests. The world would be a better and much happier place.”

Morningstar can speak to this idea with a wealth of experience. She’s been doing this for two decades, and for most of that time, she had barely any followers. That didn’t, and still doesn’t, influence how likely she is to continue dedicating her life to the art of smithing.

“Most men see a woman making anything and they instantly assume she is crap,” she says. “I’ve dealt with every horrible comment you can imagine. Once the lockdown happened in March of 2020 and people were at home, I think people found my YouTube and thought, ‘Huh, a very juggy redhead forging awesome blades and shooting cinematic videos? Count me in.’ But I don’t think I am any more than a novelty at the moment. Once people forget about me and this quick burst of spotlight fades, I’ll still be making these items until I’m dust.”

Morningstar has also hit some bumps along the way, which further compounds her point about passion superseding all else. While she is able to earn money from her craft, her revenue streams are more limited than most. She no longer earns any income from YouTube or TikTok — her guess is that this is because of how she dresses — although still sees the platforms as valuable ways to advertise her other work streams like commercial smithing and modeling.

But as with most online endeavors these days, even existing on these platforms presents an opportunity cost of having to endure toxicity from people who resent your successes.

“Every guy who is mad that their low-level work doesn’t take off just screams that I’m a sellout or I’m only a pair of boobs, but every other person I’ve coached on social media, I’ve told them they have to show their face with what they want to get seen. It’s how the algorithm works.”

It’s pretty evident that Morningstar knows her stuff, both in terms of managing her online presence and crafting incredible Viking weapons. While the vast majority of her material performs well, her most popular video — in which she hand-forges a 750-layer sword — has raked in millions of views.

“I had all of these big strong men telling me it can’t be done without a power hammer, even though there are literal pattern-welded swords in museums from times before power hammers,” she explains. “I didn’t want to shock them too much, so I did it with great ease. It only has four million views on YouTube.”

It’s worth looking at the exact type of Viking heritage that’s being celebrated, too. It’s not all just replicas of Mjolnir — Hallisey once spent hours engraving custom runes into the molten fuller (the line down the middle) of a blade for a woman who wanted to propose to her boyfriend with it. He also crafted a seax that a father wanted to pass down to his son as an heirloom, which would then be integrated into the family as something that could potentially be gifted and regifted to each generation of children for centuries to come. “To many people, including me, these are far beyond just steel, leather, and wood,” he explains. “They have deep spiritual meaning.”

“Some of the coolest and most interesting projects I’ve done over the years have been custom shields for people,” says Anderson. “I’ve painted some intricate masterpieces for individuals going through divorces and difficult times that wanted to portray their ex-husband or wife as horrific monsters out of myth and legend. I guess they wanted something epic to hang on the wall to commemorate their rough experience.”

It should be obvious from the examples above how valued the work of these smiths truly is. While they’re not rolling in money for their commitment, Hallisey points out that Viking smiths from a millennium ago weren’t particularly rich or esteemed either — just like their modern counterparts, they were mainly driven by a love for the craft.

Still, it is thanks to the ingenuity and dedication of the almost ancient metalworkers who first practiced the art of Viking smithing that we are where we are today. As Hallisey puts it, a profession this niche and passion-driven is rarely about money. It’s about honoring where we come from as craftspeople. That, more so than anything else, is why it is the duty of people interested in the subject to offer their support to it.

“The Etsy marketplace has become the ultimate place to do this,” Anderson says. “While we have a large number of items available in our West Wolf Renaissance shop, we’re still a small team employing just a few friends and family members. Many other makers on the Etsy platform are one-man operations. So whenever possible we should close that Amazon or Walmart tab in our browser and maybe look instead to Etsy and independent craftspeople for special gifts and unique items. It’s important to support people following their interests, whatever that may be.”

“While I do make money from the business, I would be homeless if I relied on that income,” Hallisey says. “As cliche as it sounds, I get a ton of fulfillment from making custom weapons for customers and hearing how much they like them. That makes it worth my time and is more valuable than money in the end. My favorite stanza in Hávamál says something like, ‘Cattle die, kinsmen die, the self must also die. One thing that does not die is the reputation of every man.’”

Olivia Rodrigo didn’t mince her words when addressing the Supreme Court’s vote to overturn Roe v. Wade via the Dobbs v. Jackson decision on Friday during her set at the Glastonbury music festival in England.

“I’m devastated and terrified that so many women and so many girls are going to die because of this,” she said, bringing out Lily Allen to sing the song “F— You,” which they dedicated to each of the justices who voted in favor of the decision.

“I wanted to dedicated this next song to the five members of the Supreme Court who have shown us that, at the end of the day, they truly don’t give a s— about freedom,” she continued. “This song goes out to the justices: Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh. We hate you.”

Rodrigo has often been outspoken about equal rights on stage. In May, after the Supreme Court’s draft decision on Dobbs v. Jackson leaked, she spoke about abortion during a Washington, D.C. concert.

“Because we’re in D.C., I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to say how heartbroken I am over the Supreme Court’s potential decision,” she said. “Our bodies should never be in the hands of politicians. I hope we can raise our voices to protect our right, to have a safe abortion, which is a right that so many people before us have worked so hard to get.”

The “Good 4 U” singer also wasn’t the only one to address the Supreme Court’s decision at Glastonbury. Phoebe Bridgers led a chant of “F— the Supreme Court” during her set.

“In all honesty, it’s like super surreal and fun. But I am having, like, the shittiest day,” she told the audience. “Are there any Americans here?” she continued. “Who wants to say ‘F— the Supreme Court’ on three?”

Billie Eilish also introduced her song “Your Power” with a comment about the decision, saying: “Today is a really, really dark day for women in the U.S. I’m just going to say that because I can’t bear to think about it any longer.”