tg

Despite virus-induced lockdowns, TopGear still kept going. Despite dwindling ratings and warped perception following an unpopular 2016 reboot, TopGear still managed to air five series of five 60-minute episodes each. And in those five series with Freddie Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness, and Chris Harris, I found myself with a rather startling epiphany:

I still liked TopGear after all.

Not that I ever lost the love, but I admit to being swayed by the crowd online who didn’t believe the BBC could do something about the only other motoring presenter worth his salt and two Northerners who keep him company. Even when starting this third watch for notes, an 18-hour binge over 48 hours, I still came in with an expectation that I’d cringe over half-baked jokes and a minor emphasis on car reviews. I thought that the magic I experienced over a decade ago was gone.

Fortunately, it was still there. It was simply different.

And with The Worst Years finally past and some tools in my bag worth using, I saw it fit to finally watch TopGear again, this time with a more critical eye, to see if I could discern what kind of magic washed over me on my second rewatch.