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achillesforever6 posted:Forgot that Venture Bros season 6 was 2016 so I put that in my top 10. God that show comes out on its own time scale that its hard to forget when it comes out I did too till I saw it here, but can it really exist in just one year
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Dec 28, 2016 02:35
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There's like a billion TV shows airing/streaming nowadays, and even if only a small fraction pique my interest, that's still a hell of a lot of TV. Of the show's that didn't quite make the cut, Atlanta was a stunning, unique debut, Comedy Bang! Bang! went out on a high note, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is my pick for most improved, and Documentary Now! is both hilarious and a cinephile's wet dream. But they weren't one of the ten best TV shows from 2016. These are... 10. Angie Tribeca (TBS) One of the highest joke-per-  9. The Expanse (SyFy) This show gets space and space opera in a way few others approach. Surprisingly good special effects and a cast full of people I've never heard of (aside from Thomas Jane) who nonetheless kill it episode after episode.  8. Veep (HBO) There's a reason Julia Louis-Dreyfus has owned the Comedy Best Actress Emmy for half a decade. She delivers the most hilariously caustic lines and crafts a character who perfectly straddles the likable/unlikable line. Also, Jonah's campaign was everything I could want it to be and more.  7. Westworld (HBO) Anthony Hopkins turns in a typically excellent performance, and yet he's not even in my top five actors on this show. That's how great the cast is. The show as a whole struck a great balance between cerebral sci-fi and pulpy goodness.  6. American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson (FX) I was like 7 or something when all this went down, and after every episode I'd ask my Dad, "Did that really happen?" And more often than not, turns out yes, Kim Kardashian's Dad was one of OJ's lawyers, Judge Ito's wife was disparaged on the Furhman tapes, and Kato was real. The show found the nexus of fame, race, justice, injustice, and the media and spun a tale that would beggar disbelief and laughter if it weren't so very, very true.  5. Search Party (TBS) One of the few depictions of ~millennials~ that doesn't feel pandering or out of touch. In between the pitch-black comedy I was surprised to find genuinely compelling characters, particularly Alia Shawkat's Dory, and an absorbing mystery and noir atmosphere.  4. Vice Principals (HBO) Danny McBride and Walton Goggins take two reprehensible assholes and make them fleshed out humans one can empathize with even while realizing how reprehensibly assholish they are. And pretty drat funny. Also the craziest cliffhanger in recent memory.  3. Sense8 (Netflix) Everything about this Christmas special---the Hallelujah montage, Will's call home, Lito's mom, the psychic orgy--is, on paper, corny as hell, yet it all manages to power past the corniness to arrive at a place that is genuinely moving. Don't ask me how, but despite all the New Agey mumbo jumbo, it just works.  2. Mr. Robot (USA) The definition of drop everything and watch when a new episode starts for me. The latter half of the season in particular had some of the most intense, suspenseful sequences I've ever sat through. The long lead-up to the diner shooting especially stressed me the gently caress out in the best way.  1. Bojack Horseman (Netflix) THAT'S TOO MUCH, MAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!!! Problematic Pigeon fucked around with this message at 22:06 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 03:01
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The Also Rans: (I'm including these because I think it'd be a shame not to mention them; any other year they'd be somewhere in my top ten, but there's just so much good television on this year. In some ways it's a nightmare. It'll be a real shame when this bubble bursts, but hopefully it'll mean people can go back and check out a lot of neat stuff they missed along the way.) 20. The Expanse 19 Outsiders 18. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency 17. Channel Zero 16. BrainDead 15. Kingdom 14. Shut Eye 13. Animal Kingdom 12. Falling Water 11. Good Behavior 10. The Detour  The funniest loving thing I watched this year, hands down. Also the tightest plotted comedy on television. Criminally underwatched, though blessed with a second season, thank god. 9. Mr. Robot  I'm still deeply uncertain about this show, though I continue to really enjoy it scene to scene and episode to episode. On a superficial level, the shot compositions are gorgeously geometric and disorientating, the direction is tense and claustrophobic, and Esmail is able to pull really great things out of his actor's performances. But I also love how the show demands concentration and trust, and ultimately works to reward that in a viewer. Sure it put the critics off, but gently caress them -- if anything, 2016 is proving how out of touch the current television cognoscenti are. 8. Galavant  I'm still salty this was cancelled. Yes, it was Commercial Suicide: The Show, but it was also loving fantastic -- heartfelt and deeply funny, and clearly made with such a ridiculous amount of passion and care. I loved all the characters on the show, especially Mallory Jansen's Madalena, but what I was most impressed by was the show's guest casting. Even as the props and set budget clearly dwindled, they continued to cram a truly ridiculous number of great british character actors into the show: Reese Shearsmith, Robert Lindsay, Hugh Bonnerville, Matt Lucas, Eddie Marsan, Sally Phillips... and that's just off the top of my head. loving fabulous. 7. The Magicians  I love how funny this is, and how frequently hosed up it's willing to be. It's got this great, gooey, dark sense of humour that really resonates with me, and a wilingess to just arbitrarily murder or gently caress random minor characters over for the hell of it. At the same time, it's chirpy and frothy, and its characters are spend most of the time bitching at each other despite the fact that they clearly (?) like each other a lot. It really surprised me, and ended up having far more depth to it than I would have thought. 6. Humans  I worry that this show, when it arrives in American in the coming February, is going to get overshadowed by rabid Westworld fans. That's a real shame -- not only, because I see no reason that the two shows can't live harmoniously, but also because I think that everything Westworld did that I enjoyed, this show did better. (And everything Westworld did that I didn't like, and it did a lot of that, this show avoided completely). The Kubrick influence is strong in this one, but more in the way of contrast -- this second season maintains the first's sentimentalist kitchen sink leanings, while expanding its scope, drilling down into issues of identity politics. The characterization is nuanced and heartfelt in ways that reminded me of the best of British genre television -- your Being Human's and your In The Flesh's -- and the writing was powerful in ways that felt subtle and respectful, rather than hamfisted and opportunistic. I laughed, I cried, I craved the soundtrack. Good stuff. 5. Orange Is The New Black  My friends and I made the great / poor decision of watching this show as a group, the day it came out, and the experience fundamentally moved me in a way I haven't felt since Six Feet Under ended. A funny start to the season gave way to something utterly harrowing and monstrous, and though I've seen this season dinged as being cartoonish or whatever, I can say with absolute certainty that the show accurately captured the feelings of attempting futile revolt against an uncaring system -- and that feeling was enough for me. I started crying during the table protest and I didn't stop until several hours after the season was over. 4. The Get Down  I loved it. I love Lurhman's camp episodes, the fun starts to his films before things get lovely and exhausting and headache inducing, and this was that distilled into chunks short enough that they couldn't completely sap my strength. They're also deeply lively episodes populated by fantastic performances, particularly from some of the younger actors. Hell, even Jaden Smith was fun. I loved the interpolation of historical videotaped footage into the mix, and I love that the show took its structure and central metaphors from the turntable -- the characters, like the show, were always jumping tracks from plot to plot trying to keep two entirely different plates spinning at the same time. I just wish it hadn't been so obviously cut off mid-season, some of that final ADR wrap-up is fairly obvious. 3. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend  I have no idea why (the only?) two musical shows on television are on my list, because I've never liked musicals at all, but here we are. I've been a massive Rachel Bloom fan since her YouTube days, and I was really excited to see her finally succeed on primetime. Sure, her show is (one of?) the lowest rated shows on any of the commercial networks, but gently caress it. I'm certain this show will get four seasons. It's too good to die, and too cheap not to be snatched up somewhere. The performances are ace, the show's structure is clever, and it's willing to drop central characters for large quantities of time. It's entertaining in the moment, but demands your patience and attention. 2. Preacher  The only show about angels and demons that does anything novel with the concept, with great fight scenes and a bunch of hidden background gags. The finale was loving killer, and is one of those great plot moves that forces you to completely re-evaluate the season's structure without being some cheap skin-deep reveal or arsepull. Get off your cheap arses and give this show more money, AMC. It loving deserves it. (Also, it's clearly massively subsidised by UK money, so stop acting like you're not raking in the cash. Jesus wept.) 1. American Crime  As much about the crimes we socially permit each other to commit, or at least are reluctant to punish, as it is about actual, you know, crimes, this was challenging and frequently nihilistic, without ever feeling particularly nasty. Episode Nine -- the one that includes real life documentary interviews -- feels more respectful and challenging than anything the frequently confused with American Crime Story pumped out this year. Tough stuff, criminally overlooked -- probably because it looks like the last thing ABC would ever put out in a million years, and yet they did.
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Dec 28, 2016 13:30
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Updated my list because mine didn't have enough anime, or enough gay. Fixed that all in one fell figure skating joke.
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Dec 28, 2016 21:47
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My list is coming in a little bit later than usual because I was trying to cram as much binge-watching as I could before the deadline. Unfortunately, none of the shows I chose to wait on ended up making my list, though there were some that I just didn't have time for this year (sorry Quarry and Atlanta). This was an interesting exercise because the top half of my list were all no-brainers, while 6-10 had three or four alternates that I could have easily slid in without feeling like I was making a mistake. Strong contenders that almost made the list include 12 Monkeys, The Expanse, Girls, and Catastrophe. 10. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life This revival, while certainly flawed, managed to capture the spirit of the original run in very satisfying fashion. Nostalgia as much as anything earns it a spot on my list, but hey, that's as good a reason as any. 9. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt This season would make it onto my list for Titus' audition song alone. Fortunately the rest of show didn't miss a step in following up a fantastic first season. I liked that it kept up its bizarre sense of whimsy even as it explored some of the darker elements of the premise. And bonus points to Tina Fey for crushing it in her guest spot. 8. Westworld Some narrative miscues make it hard for me to rank this one higher, but on the whole it was a very engrossing presentation of a fascinating and fully-realized world. I could watch those Anthony Hopkins monologues all day. 7. Stranger Things Just a really good time from start to finish. Hard to articulate why I liked it so much (which honestly almost kept it off my list, before I said screw it and went with my gut), but it seemed to scratch an itch I didn't even know was there. 6. Better Call Saul This second season was, in my opinion, better than the first, and for reasons that have nothing to do with Breaking Bad. The standout of this year was Rhea Seehorn as Kim, who managed to make a strong impression even in such a stacked cast. 5. Mr. Robot While I initially found the season a little underwhelming, the more I thought about it the more I liked it as a companion piece to the first season. Where the first season was essentially the Elliott Show all the time, this season really shone brightest when focusing on the supporting cast. Characters who had previously seemed thin (the other hackers in particular) were given new depth, Darlene came into her own as an excellent character, and new arrivals like Grace Gummer's FBI agent made strong first impressions. 4. Daredevil The Punisher arc in the first half of the season is quite simply one of my favorite live action superhero stories ever, and it continues to be great even as it slides into the background for the second half of the season. Speaking of which, people love to hate on the Elektra/The Hand arc, but I liked it and found it perfectly in line with what I've come to expect from the show. Daredevil remains my favorite of the Netflix Marvel series, and this season did nothing to diminish that feeling. 3. Rectify This show has made my list every year of its existence, so of course it has a place of honor again as it came to a beautiful end. I'm pleased that at least a few of the actors here that were not as well known before have found high-profile gigs in network primetime, because this show continued to be a masterclass in emotional performance. The first half of this final season was a little slow even by Rectify standards, sure, but by the end it was hitting every note perfectly, ultimately sticking the landing in its own introspective and philosophical way. 2. Game of Thrones Last season of GoT was heavily criticized for being too slow, but all of that setup paid off beautifully this year, as the show delivered maybe it's best season yet. A healthy mix of plot advancement, character development, and phenomenal actions sequences made this the show I most looked forward to each week, and an easy pick for my Top 2. 1. The Americans In my mind the best season of one of the best shows on television. The performances were even above their usual level of excellence, and the Paige plotline should be considered the gold standard of how to handle a teenager on a show like this. Just fantastic stuff, and the easiest decision I made when putting this list together.
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Dec 29, 2016 05:35
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10. Mr Robot So pretty! And so interesting! 9. Horace and Pete I've not finished this one either. But I really love it. No unnecessary fuss or frills. Each episode is like a play! I don't really watch plays. Maybe I should? 8. Ash VS Evil Dead I've not finished watching this yet. But "The Morgue" alone was enough to make this one of my favourite shows of 2016. 7. Black Mirror As always, somewhat hit and miss. But "San Junipero" was a loving hit. 6. Fleabag Heartbreaking and hilarious comedy. I recommend it and if you liked it I'd also recommend watching Chewing Gum (another British six-episode comedy adapted from a one-woman monologue, which also features a protagonist that talks to the audience, released in 2015). I can't wait to see Phoebe Waller-Bridge does next. And isn't Olivia Colman just the best? 5. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend What I feel has been a bit of a weak start to Season 2 has knocked this down a bit in my ranking. But the back half of Season One was just so great and full of so many good songs and jokes. I bought the album on iTunes. (My favourite song - "You Stupid Bitch") 4. Jane the Virgin This was the year that I gave up on the CW Superhero shows. Too angsty, repetitive, and dull. Instead I started watching Jane the Virgin and I fell in love immediately. It's ridiculous how much the narrator lets the writers get away with in terms of cliches and twists. But they get away with it and it's just so pleasant to watch. I hope that it continues to stay that way. 3. Stranger Things Great characters and performances, movie-like feel, awesome score... This was just a lot of fun to binge-watch. 2. Better Call Saul Quality 1. Planet Earth II Every episode has at least one unforgettable, breathtaking sequence. Drama, Action, Tragedy, Horror, Comedy, Romance ... it has everything. Series like this are as endangered as the animals and environments featured in them. So appreciate it! Honourable mentions: iZombie, Westworld, Bojack Horseman, Luke Cage, Orange is the New Black, Preacher
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Dec 29, 2016 16:32
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What a great year of television. Seriously we need to have a top 20 list next year. Almost impossible to choose from so many shows! Shows I watched but didn't like anywhere near as much as the goon consensus: Better Call Saul, Mr. Robot, Preacher Honorable mentions: Agents of Shield, The Americans, Black Sails, Brooklyn 99, The Good Place, 12 Monkeys, Lucifer, Orphan Black, The 100, Travelers, Frequency, Luke Cage (non-diamondback parts), Incorporated (might rate higher but still mid-season), Stranger Things, Humans, Sense8 (this was my #1 last year but I can't rank off just a Xmas special) 10. Colony - surprised this ended up making my list. Starts out slow but by around episode 3 or so really picked up. I like watching Josh Holloway, and bonus for having kids in the show that aren't completely insufferable (hello Strain!) 9. Man in the High Castle S2 - humongous leap from last year when I wouldn't have included it in my top 20. My jaw is still on the floor from the finale. 8. iZombie. Love watching Liv and Ravi. 7. Supergirl - the only DC show I'd rank in my top 20 and primarily because I love watching melissa benoist 6. Person of Interest - this is almost a lifetime achievement award. Season 5 was a bit uneven but overall a good sendoff. 5. The Magicians - another surprise, people seem to love it or hate it. I did read the book series first and I find the TV show much better especially for not adhering strictly to the books at times. Much funnier than I was expecting. 4. Daredevil Season 2 - the punisher arc was incredible. I also do not dislike ninjas as much as some. I liked elektra. 3. The Expanse - all around fantastic. Also better than the books. A great year for SyFy. 2. Westworld - well written, great actors. The wait for season 2 will suck. 1. Game of Thrones - season 6 was a definite leap forward and I think the series is better for having moved past the books. Battle of the Bastards is probably my favorite episode of a TV show of all time.
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Dec 29, 2016 21:09
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To prep for my list this year I've been looking at all the previous lists I've submitted. I can't believe I put in Homeland one year, drat. 10. Gravity Falls (Disney XD) “Guess I was good for something after all.” - Grunkle Stan This might be a little bit of a cheat, here. Gravity Falls only aired three episodes this year, together constituting a multi-part finale that dealt with Bill Cipher breaking into our dimension and unleashing Weirdmageddon. However, those three episodes were an exercise in how to wrap up a series with style and flair. The weirdapocalypse pushes the animation to disturbing new grounds that display an astounding level of creativity from the writers. However, the true accomplishment in Weirdmageddon is its ability to tie up all of its character arcs and answer all the questions and fan theories posed through the course of the series. All of the main characters gets their time in the sun: Wendy is allowed to be the badass she always was, Soos ends up with the life he always wanted, Mabel accepts that you can't stay young forever, Dippy Fresh crawls into a hole and dies a gruesome death and a grumpy antisocial shyster saves the world. The best series finale of 2016 (that's right POI, you heard me!)  9. Survivor (CBS) “This is... NOT a hidden immunity idol” - Jeff Probst Forget about Kaoh Rong, a distinctly average season of Survivor, this year was all about the excellence of Survivor: Millenials vs. Gen X. With such a terrible concept little was expected from season 33 but what we got was a fantastic game with a bunch of charming characters that played without grudges while expanding on the voting block strategy of Second Chances to create a game that was always in flux leading to a string of memorable tribal councils. There was David saving a sceptical Jessica with an idol play, there was the Michaela blindside, there was Taylor's war for revenge, there was the Chris blindside, there was the David/Zeke war and the absolute heartbreak of Jessica going to rocks. But even with all the top-rate strategy it was the personalities that really shined. David and Hannah both grew as they battled through social anxiety, surfer-boy Jay shone beyond his stereotype and of course there was the winner Adam who managed to play the full 39 days all while worrying about his mum's battle with lung cancer. But the best moment of all was more subtle than that. When Bret and Zeke shared a reward and Bret admitted that Zeke wasn't the only gay guy on the island it was a beautiful reflection on the different struggles faced by those of different generations and the only time the season's theme got it right.  8. Game of Thrones (HBO) “You are small men. None of you are fit to lead the Dothraki. But I am, so I will.” - Daenerys Targaryen After five years it appeared that Game of Thrones had passed out of cultural importance, an ageing relic of a world that existed before the era of Netflix, binge-watching and peak TV. Grandiose in scale, sure, but it looked like the days of the Blackwater and the Red Wedding were far behind us. However, instead with its sixth season Game of Thrones forced its way right back into relevancy like no show ever has before. Freeing itself from the constraints of the published books allowed the show to roll with the swagger of its youth providing a series of water-cooler moments right from the end of the first episode where the show challenged its own stereotypical use of female nudity. Long term theories were proven as it was finally confirmed that Jon was the child of Rhaegar and Lyanna. Evil bastards were put to rest as Ramsay came to the most poetic of ends. Characters that had been stalled for years found their momentum as Arya threw off the chains of a terrible plotline to return to Westeros. But none benefited more from this new focus than Dany who had her strongest moment in the show to date in eradicating the Dothraki power structure. And then there was the tragedy of 'Hold the Door', a moment that resonated as strongly as anything seen on television this year.  7. Galavant (ABC) “You'll know Hell's freezing if we get decent ratings” - Galavant, Richard and Pirates I've been waiting ten months to write this entry. In that time a lot of really good shows have come and gone and I've held fast to my belief that Galavant had to stay in my top ten. That such an oddball of a show even received a second season was a shock, that the season was so great is nothing but miraculous. Rather than play it safe in an attempt to secure its slot on the schedule for another year Galavant went balls out to the network, almost daring them to keep the show alive. Embracing its own self-referential meta-commentary it broke the fourth wall with a wild abandon, introducing a whole new layer of comedy. And what other show would have the guts to take its lead villain through every step of the hero's journey complete with prophecy, lover and real life dragon? And then there was the music. The songs in season one were perfunctory, existing only to fulfil the show's mandate of being a medieval-musical. The songs this year were killer. From the disco pastiche of “Off With His Shirt” to the music hall wordplay of “Time is of the Essence”. From the smooth jazz of “Giants vs. Dwarves” to the hip-hop pop of “I Don't Like You” and of course the epic orchestra of “A Good Day To Die”, these were songs that didn't so much get stuck in your head and set up home in there. Unsurprisingly ABC refused to greenlight a third season, it's just as well that the creators went all out when they did.  6. iZombie (The CW) “A massive zombie outbreak means never having to say you're sorry.” - Liv Moore 2016 has been a bad year. We lost a lot of beloved celebrities, Britain and America got into a dick-measuring contest over who could be more stupid and Season 3 of iZombie got pushed back to next year because the CW's schedulers spend their days running around with their pants on their head. It seems that in the interim many people have forgotten that the back half of iZombie's Season 2 was a tightly scripted puzzle of interlocking parts that built to an epic finale that completely reset the board. Secrets were revealed left and right – Gilda's fake identity, Major's serial zombie “murders” and most importantly Clive learnt of the very existence of zombies, setting up a fundamental shift in the show's storytelling for next year. And then there's that finale, a mini-movie whereby the show set aside its murder-of-the-week structure to embrace its roots with a full scale zombie outbreak, all while staying true to its world, wrapping up its major antagonists and creating a new foe for the next season. It's just a shame that it will go down as the most criminally ignored show of the year.  5. You're The Worst (FXX) “You knew who I was. You don't get to act surprised now.” - Lindsay Jillian By far the biggest mistake I made in my list for last year was not including You're The Worst. The only excuse I can muster is that I hadn't ever watched an episode (and yes, that is my fault). No other show in the TV landscape mixes comedy with drama so well while providing such an accurate picture of modern dating. While season 2 was acclaimed for its in-depth depiction of Gretchen's depression this year the show widened its scope with a harrowing look at Edwin's PTSD, driven from a stellar performance by Desmun Borges. Beyond that we also saw Jimmy deal with the grief of losing his father and Lindsay and Paul's destructive attempts to save their relationship culminating in a beautifully directed triple fight scene that led to two break-ups and one abandoned fiancée. Even without these dramatic chops I believe You're The Worst would still be a strong contender for my list. No other show is so resolute in its belief that people are flawed and messy and imperfect. These people could be people I know, a lot of people I know would fit right in with the gang because we're all imperfect and only You're The Worst has the courage to accept that that's ok.  4. Sense8 (Netflix) “Art is love made public.” - Hernando Fuentes The last words I wrote in last year's entry were “Sense8 is art”, words I find very appropriate given the quote I just used above. Returning this year for a Christmas special that was far more about mood and tone than plot momentum Sense8 produced two hours of visual splendour and quiet reflection. This is a show that takes wonder in the small things, that gives these moments of joy space to breathe like no other show would dare. Only Sense8 would spend 5 minutes on a dialogue-free montage of its characters celebrating their birthday and only Sense8 could make that montage so compelling in its beauty. That's just one of many such sequences in the special, each one is as fascinating as the last. Beyond that, there is the sheer delight in being reintroduced to the most loveable cast of characters in television. It is a pleasure spending time with these people and catching up with their struggles whether big such as Wolfgang navigating the politics of Berlin's underworld, or small like Kala's attempts to discover her sensuality. It's even difficult to hate the loss of Aml Ameen as Capheus when the show acknowledges the recasting with such a ballsy fourth-wall breaking scene. But out of every moment special mention must be made to Lito's homecoming, a heart-warming scene that sets up disappointment and swerves into loving tenderness. The only negative thing that can be said about this special is that there's still five months to wait until the second season drops but even as a taster, this special is a feast.  3. Black Mirror (Netflix) “I just looked at some pictures!” - Kenny This year Black Mirror returned with another set of stories looking at the ways technology is changing our society. But while the series lives on predicting the future based on the horrors of human nature, the true horror comes from how close it gets to being right. China are working on a method to implement the social ranking system seen in “Nosedive”, scientists are creating real life prototypes of the robot bees used in “Hated in the Nation”. We might think of these futures as fiction but Brooker argues these futures could be far closer than we realise. Nowhere is this more evident than one of the two standout episodes of the season “Shut Up And Dance”, a dark story of online justice. The episode is already grim, built around a climax that shifts your perceptions to the point where all hope for humanity is lost. However, the real bleakness of this episode is the realisation that out of all the stories told this season this is the only one that could be happening right now. We don't need technology to improve for the world to fall apart, it already has and we didn't even notice. There's only one way to wash the taste of this misery out of your mouth and that's with the season's other blockbuster “San Junipero”, a tale of two young women in the 80s that rediscover their wonder for life through each other. While its an emotional episode under normal circumstances, as a gay girl seeing a lesbian relationship being treated with such respect and care was so powerful, especially in a TV landscape where the lesbian characters are so often treated as disposable. And for once there is no twist, there is no dark monster in the closet, all there is is life and love. Any anthology show is going to be up and down in terms of quality but when Black Mirror is on form its as good as any show on television.  2. Westworld (HBO) ”You really do make a terrible human being. And I mean that as a compliment.” - Maeve Millay What is there left to say about Westworld that hasn't already been praised? HBO's next flagship show hit our screens this autumn with one of the most confident pilots in television history. The cast list alone is a string of award-winning names including Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton, James Marsden, Ed Harris and Anthony Hopkins. It's a struggle to find movies with that much quality. The show captured its Wild West setting with all the extravagance that only an HBO production can offer. One particular delight was its its classical take on music by the likes of the Rolling Stones, Radiohead, the Cure and Amy Winehouse. The plot was meandering at times and the show could not deny accusations of intentional obfuscation but even at its slowest it never shied away from asking the difficult questions. At what point do we have to admit a being has sentience? And what does it then say about us if we mistreat them? This would be enough to put the show in my top 10 on its own but then the season hits its peak and all the dominoes that have been set up come tumbling down. Yes, the twists had been figured out by many ahead of time and the surprise factor was mitigated but that doesn't lessen the emotional impact of Bernard discovering the falsities of his own existence or the tenderness that Maeve feels for her child in spite of herself. The season ended exactly where we all expected it to with the hosts preparing to rise up in open rebellion against the humans but with their actions still predetermined the show still has many hard questions to get through before it ends.  1. Mr. Robot (USA) “What the gently caress is going on?” - Angela Moss Season 2 of Mr. Robot has received a certain amount of flack from some corners of the internet. Criticisms such as 'too much filler' and 'not enough answers' have been stated over and over again. And sure, if you think Mr. Robot is the story of a mentally unstable vigilante hacker overthrowing an evil corporation then yes, that former criticism has validity (the latter is just plain wrong and means you're bad at television). However, Mr. Robot isn't just Elliott's story and it never really was, season 2 only makes that more explicit. Not only did it introduce Dom, an FBI agent who channels her social anxiety into her work played to perfection by Grace Gummer, but it also served to round out a pair of characters who to date had been largely defined by their relationship with Elliott. Darlene's struggles were easier to relate to, a girl who took on more than she could handle and slowly unravelled as the net closed in around her. Angela, however, was a far trickier enigma but in being so she was the most compelling character of the season. Having broken into the belly of the beast to fight the machine from within Angela was faced with one ethical dilemma after another, taking her on a journey where her biggest challenge might not be bringing down her enemies but ensuring she doesn't turn into one of them. With her journey ending with a mysterious meeting between her and White Rose, it seems a struggle which is far from over. These are stories every bit as vital and interesting as Elliott's, who's own problems this year involved accepting responsibility for his actions, a great guest star turn from Craing Robinson, one heavily debated twist, another heavily debated non-twist and a cameo appearance from Alf. Yes, the Alf. All in all Mr. Robot isn't a show about instant gratification. Viewers will need to wait to see what they want to see. But if you're prepared to be patient and trust in the destination the show is heading – and Sam Esmail has given us every reason to – then the journey will be well rewarded.
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Dec 30, 2016 23:04
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 Having spoken to Toxx we've decided to extend the deadline for voting this year to the end of January 2nd, this means that people still have another 84 hours to get their lists in, hurray!
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Dec 30, 2016 23:31
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10. Peakey Blinders Neanderthal Gangsters with an astute leader who's really better than this poo poo but set in post ww1 England. Its gotten a bit obvious that it isn't really going anywhere other than brutal violence, inevitable betrayals and endless swearing masquerading as intense dialogue but there isn't much on that looks as good, is as well acted and has scenes that create that nausea/terror feeling. 9 The Good Place Was pretty decent. I don't know how they intend to get a bunch of seasons out of it because they don't really leave obvious plot advancements hanging around. It just went forwards. Bravo really. 8. Orange is the new Black I was kind of on the fence about a lot of it to an extent up until the end. The last few episodes they kind of got where they were going a bit more. Don't want to spoil stuff for people who haven't caught it yet and read the thread for recommendations. 7.Stranger Things Did Everything well. I don't remember it particularly well but it was a fun ride. 6 Vice Principals Everyone knows what they expect from Danny McBride and it delivered on that front but was less abrasive than east bound and down while still being totally savage. 5. The Get Down The plot was kind of trite but the whole thing just felt so vibrant. Yeah. The hours it lasted were glorious. 4. Better Call Saul Still hot, I half wish it wasn't so connected to Breaking bad because there's a time limit on it and we know where it has to go. 3. Westworld The most HBO of HBO shows but it was still loving great. 2. Bojack Horseman I kind of binge watched this over Christmas. Really, like holy poo poo. Funny, touching, dark and then wildly hopeful. I can't believe I like a cartoon this much. This could easily have been my number one. Sarah Lynn  1. Mr Robot I thought it wasn't the strongest series the show will have and maybe other shows are better paced but its without a doubt the one I loved most this year. I'm just a sucker for anything that's willing to try to be bigger than entertainment and has more going on in it than you can pick up with five minutes watching. By the look of the rest of the thread I need to get on to Atlanta, Rectify and a few others. Biggest letdowns were Unreal which just sucked and Broad city which was a shadow of itself, to me anyway. Game of Thrones just declined with the books and I'm just at a point where its gently caress just tell me how it end already.
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Dec 31, 2016 00:22
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My list from last year is fairly similar - I don't give too many new things a try until the things I'm watching are done. That said, The Walking Dead is very unfun to watch right now. Honorable mention to anything to do with WWE Smackdown. 10. The Venture Bros. - Probably my least favorite season since the first, but still chock full of genius. I wish there were more episodes so that there was more to talk about, but maybe the long gaps are what keep this show special to me. 9. Steven Universe - Just a fulfilling show all-around. The songs got better, the characterization is off the charts, and I am super invested in the lore. It's a lot of fun to watch! 8. Dragonball Super - It takes a lot to get me to watch anime these days, but this hit that nostalgia need just right. The best DB has ever been, in my opinion. It's funny and not just punchmans punching, though there's more than enough of that, too. I haven't really disliked a single episode. 7. The Last Man on Earth - Up one spot from last year's list. Where The Walking Dead is just so grim I can't really stand it anymore, this mixes grim with comedy so well that I can't wait for each new episode. The unlikeable characters of season one are gone, replaced by loveable failures in a world that's a lot worse than they make it out to be. Jason Sudeikis' arc was absolutely heart-shattering and Will Forte can never fail to make me crack a smile. Oddly enough, the tonal dissonance is what makes this show work for me. I worry for its cancellation often. 6. Daredevil - Down four slots, but still great. I don't get why people didn't dig the Elektra arc. This was another great Marvel Netflix show. The stars here were really the supporting cast - Foggy, Karen, and yes, the Punisher, carried the show. That's not to say Matt Murdock isn't interesting - he very much is - but I would be okay with a full season of Foggy Nelson, Lawyer. Also: The Kingpin episodes ruled. 5. Agent Carter - Also up one slot from last year. Absolutely gone too soon. I think I'm in the minority that actually liked Season 2 better than Season 1. Hayley Atwell is just perfect in the role and I really liked all the Marvel mythos stuff strewn about what was really a cool pulp detective story. I hope they somehow bring this back. 4. Agents of SHIELD - This is down a few notches this year for me, but not because of quality. I enjoyed the Hive storyline, giving Grant Ward even more time to shine and allowing Brett Dalton to show his range. Every character got time to shine, even allowing us to finally like Lincoln before he sacrificed himself for the greater good. The Ghost Rider arc was very different but also worked, showing the true strength of the show isn't the Marvel connection but the fact that they have a really fantastic cast. 3. Luke Cage - Another show that seems kinda divisive. I liked the Cottonmouth arc and the Diamondback arc, though both are very different. It's a show that really gets the character - Luke wants to help others more than he wants to help himself, which can put him in a bind more often than not. Mahershala Ali is really the standout actor of the show, but he doesn't carry it. Unlike Daredevil, this show rides on the (broad) shoulders of its protagonist and that's what makes it work so well. 2. Atlanta - I really like Donald Glover. I really liked it when he said it was a David Lynch-esque show. I really like how real the show is. I was born and still live in Atlanta, and this is a really good picture of the suburbs in and around town. I really like this show and I want there to be more. 1. Stranger Things - Luke Cage was a triumph. Atlanta was a revelation. Stranger Things was an obsession. I'm a teacher. The first week of school I formed a lesson plan AROUND the plot of Stranger Things that introduced all my students to it. We watched the opening scene - from the lab to the game to Will's abduction - and analyzed it for plot structure and narrative style. They loved it. Normally when I re-watch a show it's to watch it with different people. I definitely watched Stranger Things multiple times just by myself. It is a fantastic show with so much to offer, far beyond any nostalgia trip they use to try to sell you. I worry for season 2 because I honestly don't know how they could stand up to the first. To make this list I just jotted down every show I'd watched this year and then put them in order. As I was jotting the shows down, this one already had the number one attached to it. Stranger Things is the best TV show I watched in 2016, without hesitation.
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Dec 31, 2016 00:49
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My list isn't perfect this year. I haven't gotten around to watching some shows that would probably be on it if I had. I'm also pretty easy to win over for shows that push my buttons: moody music or building dread and a hint of mystery and you got me (Rubicon, Lost, Carnivale, Hannibal etc). Some shows are off my list from last year. Tatiana Maslany and Melissa Benoist are killing it but I don't care too much what happens in their shows anymore. I'll keep watching them but eh. I put most tv shows on in the background while doing other things. So my top 10 are basically the 10 shows where I actually sat down and gave them my full attention. Game of Thrones might be on the list next year, but this year I thought the battle of the bastards was kind of dumb so it doesn't crack the top 10 either. 10. Agents of Shield. This one barely makes the list as I skimmed the end of last season, but I've enjoyed the Ghost Rider stuff this fall and it beat out Gotham and Supergirl for the comic book show I most liked this fall. Daredevil was good for the early Punisher eps, but I wasn't as fond of the Hand/Elektra episodes and it didn't measure up to the first season. Luke Cage had great actors and music but wasn't my thing, it took me a few weeks of casual watching to get through it. The Agents of Shield cast just looks like they are having more fun, and they've embraced their cartooniness more so than in previous years. 9. Aftermath. Not a great show by any means, but I love it and its everything in the Monster Manual plus the kitchen sink approach. It's so bad it's good and I'm bummed I can't convince my MST3K worshipping friends to watch it. It's got Wayne Brady in a skull mask on a motorcycle with automatic weapons, as a guest star. I'm behind 3 episodes, but so far it's fun. 8. Lucifer. Replaced Blacklist as the office water cooler show. Tom Ellis is great and I love that they are a procedural embracing the mythology Supernatural/Buffy to Neil Gaiman/Mike Carey side of things a bit, depending on how much credit you want to give them. I still can't believe a show called Lucifer starring someone as Lucifer is airing on network tv in prime time without anyone much caring. They added Tricia Helfer to the cast this year at the cost of cutting back on the cop and her daughter a bit, and she's been good for the show. Our other office cooler show was American Horror Story but I only liked this season when the horns blared and torch bearing mob arrived to shoot people with arrows. They should add that to more shows. If making a show a bit more mainstream procedural like Lucifer instead of like Constantine is what it takes to keep it on the air, then I'm fine with that. 7. The Good Place. It's no Better Off Ted or Arrested Development but it's solid. Veronica Mars grew up to be a bit selfish and over the top (though not as much as Tahani) but plays well with Danson and the rest of her costars. I'm looking forward to it coming back (next week?). Brooklyn 99 is probably better but I haven't caught up on last season yet. 6. The Expanse. Syfy had a bunch of quality science fiction in the last 2 years but this one stood out more and led me to read all the books. None of the cast jumped out but they were all solid and I'm really looking forward to how they adapt the rest of the series. 5. Survivor. Still watching this with Grandpa as we have since it first aired. It had some great episodes this year even when I don't agree with the winners (blame editing), and it's definitely better than watching Duck Dynasty and Undercover Boss as we do when Survivor is off the air. It's too bad they can't vary the locations more without losing half the cast to heat stroke or missing out on bikini season, but its impressive the show is still solid and surprising after all these years. 4. Westworld. First show since Lost to get my brother and cousin obsessing with me over the details. I joined in late after some spoilers because I put off subscribing to HBO then binged it. Great cast and scenery, and it was timely as I've grown interested in Westerns this year after ignoring them for the rest of my life. Having seen a friend's virtual reality gaming system in action it's a bummer Virtual Lifelike Skyrim won't be invented for a while yet. 3. Preacher. This show was a lot of fun and usually surprising. I re-read the comic series during it and was impressed with how far they wandered from it. Some for the worse but mostly it was great. Cassidy was amazing, as was Odin. 2. Mr. Robot. See above, moody music, nostalgia, mystery, etc..The gimmick episode was great as were the new cast additions, but I can't take Craig Robinson seriously after seeing him in movies like the one where he is the antichrist. Only other downside was the plot didn't move too much, but it was always an enthralling watch. 1. Stranger Things. Probably obvious from my avatar. It hit all the nostalgia buttons it was carefully crafted to aim at. I even broke facebook silence to Like the show's page and was rewarded with about 10 weeks of ad spam for a show I'd already watched. Thanks facebook.
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Dec 31, 2016 08:10
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Nothing really stood out as utterly exceptional like Jessica Jones and Fargo did last year, so it was more difficult to actually rank my list this year. Even taking recency bias into account though I think this is a pretty accurate breakdown of my favorite shows of the year. The Also Rans: Sadly both Luke Cage and Daredevil shared the problem of incredibly strong starts followed by less appealing follow-ups. The Punisher arc was magnificent but then the show turned into disposable ninja fight after disposable ninja fight. Mahershala Ali was a great foil for Mike Colter's Luke Cage but Erik LaRay Harvey's Diamondback failed to live up to that in the second half of the season. Agent Carter was a letdown after the concentrated quality of its first season, stretching out an interesting story too far and ending on a cliffhanger for a third season that will sadly never come. Narcos learned the right lesson from season 1 and concentrated more on Wagner Moura's Pablo Escobar and sidelined the boring white DEA agent and his terrible narration as much as it could, but it felt like too soon a wrap-up to Escobar's story (though season 3 looks very compelling). Finally, Mob Psycho 100 manages to subvert wonderfully so many of the pitfalls that plague 99% of anime but gets to that point by a long stretch in the middle where it seems to be falling into all of them. Thank God for Reigen - "1000% Reigen" was one of the best TV moments of the year.  10. Horace and Pete - I was attracted to this show by the amazing cast - Louis CK, Edie Falco, Steve Buscemi, Alan Alda & Jessica Lange. What kept me there was the wonderful sense of theater, of watching a televised stage-play. The performances were incredible, even Louis CK himself gets in a pretty great late season performance of his character's father - though the physical violence is almost never seen, he just radiates menace which is not something I ever thought I'd see from him. Edie Falco's disgust for the bar that has both sustained and destroyed their family for 100 years is wonderfully realized, and Steve Buscemi's grappling with his mental illness and screwed up history is heartbreaking. Alda and Lange are both excellent, with Alda in particular playing against type in a role originally intended for Joe Pesci. But the reason I put this show on the list is for Episode 3, particularly the opening 15+ minute monologue by Laurie Metcalf, which is one of the most compelling performances I have seen this year.  9. Games of Thrones - A show that was once must-see TV remained something friends and I still went out of our way to watch together, but the previous season felt like the show was beginning to spin its wheels a little. Much of this latest season felt like it was in the same rut, and even where it made forward progress there was a kind of sense that the twists and turns lacked the impact of those based on George RR Martin's published books. But everything was building up expertly, and the final two episodes of the season was a 1-2 punch that left me reeling. Battle of the Bastards was incredible from a technical standpoint and offered some tremendous catharsis for Sansa Stark's long-running status as a victim. But Winds of Winter wrapping up several long running plots revolving around Cersei Lannister - in particular her rivalry with her daughter-in-law and her unleashing of the Sparrows/Faith Militant on King's Landing - was jawdropping good. When the episode ended I was already jonesing for a new episode, a pretty good sign in my view that the showrunners are still doing something right even with only the barest outline of Martin's plot to work with.  8. Preacher - I wasn't excited about one of my favorite comics being turned into a TV series, I thought it was either unfilmable or would be so neutered as to be a pointless endeavor. I'm so glad to be wrong, especially as I thought Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg would probably be the wrong fit for the atmosphere I felt the show should have. Happily what I got was a wonderfully surreal adaptation that took the source material as a starting point and then ran in their own direction with the characters while keeping the spirit of the comics alive. A wonderfully bizarre cast populating a bizarre world where God is largely absent; sexless angel lovers react to being murdered with mild irritation; a drunken vampire provides the closest thing to a moral compass; a redneck wifebeater turns out to be in the most mentally and emotionally healthy relationship in the show; and a bald midget relentlessly dominates and bulldozes (metaphorically and literally) through his opposition. At first it seemed the male and female lead would be the weakest part of the show but both ended up easily holding the center of the show, their relationship - as in the comic - arguably of far more importance than Jesse's "gift" and his quest to find God. After a full season establishing the world of Annville, Texas, the next season looks to be largely leaving that behind which will be a bit of a shame. But I'm not gonna prejudge, after all the road-trip aspect of the comic was hugely important and made the bulk of the story-arcs possible. And after knocking the first season out of the park I'm very excited to see where they go next.  7. Stranger Things - I was vaguely aware of the hype around this show but knew barely any details other than it was set in the 80s. Perhaps as a result of mostly going in blind I was pleasantly surprised by what I got. Critics would probably say the show leans too heavily on nostalgia, and I can't speak for anybody who didn't grow up in the 80s as to how well it resonates with them. But the show was a big success so I think it's safe to say there was a little something more to it than that. The nostalgia is really the icing on the cake, it can't replace actual character, plot and technical competence which this show has in spades (otherwise That 80s Show wouldn't have died on the vine like it did). While watching the show dragged me back to lazy summer days lying in a tree reading Stephen King (and nights watching The Goonies and ET on VHS), there is an actual compelling story acting as a backbone. The kids and their tumultuous, emotionally-charged relationships; the teenagers just old enough to enjoy a little freedom but too young not to do something stupid with it; the solid local cop with a tragic past and the single mother desperately trying to hold her life together (Winona Ryder is so great in this); even the sinister and vaguely-defined Government agency... it's all held together by the over-arching plot of the Upside Down leaking into our world and bringing everybody together. The obvious season 2 hooks felt a little clumsy (especially regarding Eleven) and I don't know if the story is good enough to hold everything together for a second season, but that's a problem for 2017 Jerusalem.  6. Ash vs. Evil Dead - It is impossible for this show to exist. It is impossible for this show to be good. Somehow it manages both. Topping season 1 in almost every way, this season was the last for the original showrunner and the final episode suffered somewhat from behind-the-scenes drama and last minute script changes that negated a lot of what went into the bulk of this season's episodes. I mention these things only to justify why this show is so low on my list, because until the final episode I thought this show was a legitimate contender for the 2 or 3 spot. Bruce Campbell is amazing, somehow generating a sense that the absurd and disgusting situations that Ash finds himself in are not only believable but even somewhat reasonable. The morgue scene from episode 2 is simultaneously one of the most disgusting and one of the most hilarious scenes I saw all year. It helps that everybody seems to be having so much fun, as always one of the best parts of the show is that the Deadites that pop up to attack Ash are generally most interested in loving with him and others for the sheer pleasure of it. Somebody put it best in the show's thread, the Deadites are Hell's version of joy-riding teenagers, and Ash is one of the few who actually fucks with them right back instead of boring old screaming or stoic fighting. The supporting cast is strong too, particularly Dana DeLorenzo as Kelly and Lucy Lawless as Ruby, who plays one of Ash's proteges and a former Demon-turned-Hunter respectively. But this is the Bruce Campbell show, and he carries the weight of it all effortlessly on that magnificent chin of his.  5. The Crown - This might come as a bit of a shock, but it turns out the British are rather good at producing lavish period drama! I've always been fascinated with the British Monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II in particular, and the scope of the show alone was impressive enough to get me to watch (each season will cover a decade of her reign). It's a drat good cast too, and may finally give Matt Smith the chance to leave behind the typecasting of Doctor Who in his portrayal of Prince Philip - best known today as the somewhat embarassing old racist who says whatever comes into his head but at the time of the first season a dashing young figure fully aware of the precarious nature of royalty's relationship with the people and the need to modernize or be left behind. But while John Lithgow as Winston Churchill, Jared Harris as King George VI, Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret, Alex Jennings as the former King Edward VIII and Jeremy Northam as Anthony Eden range between very good to excellent... it's Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth the II who is the stand-out. She plays Elizabeth as a woman who has been trained for this role for years but still isn't ready for it when it comes, but understands better than anybody exactly what it entails. Others can speak with authority about the dual-nature of her life (Elizabeth Windsor and Elizabeth Regina) but almost without fail each of them at some point thinks they will be the exception. Whether husband, sister, mother or old school friend, everybody assumes that while Elizabeth must put duty above relationships for everybody else THEY have something special. Coupled with the gender roles of the time, it leads to some amazing scenes such as when Philip finally kneels before her and is furious when she makes no visible acknowledgement; or when she scolds Cabinet and the Prime Minister for misleading her about Churchill's health; or when she lays out clearly to her sister that she will NOT marry the man she loves. Sure the show plays loose with the actual facts in favor of better drama but the end result IS better drama. The season wraps up wonderfully with the promise of the absolutely fascinating disaster that was the Suez Canal affair to come, but it's Elizabeth's lengthy look into the camera that sticks with me, summing up the Monument she must be if even to her own personal detriment. The Crown posted:All hail sage Lady, whom a grateful Isle hath blessed.  4. House of Cards - After a dreadful season 3, the political drama returned to fine form as the characters AND the showrunners seemingly figured out what they should have always known - Claire and Frank make far better allies than enemies. Frank is under siege in the White House, his own Democrats are abandoning him to find a new nominee; Claire is MIA; and a handsome young Republican is capturing the hearts and minds of the voting population. While it is enjoyable watching Frank wreck havoc on Claire and her own ambitions early in the season, their eventual return to a partnership is immensely satisfying. The assassination subplot could have fallen flat but it leads into probably the best part of the season, as Frank and Claire manipulate events behind the scenes at the Democratic National Convention to turn the tables on their own party and orchestrate Frank's pick for running mate. Watching other political operators fall foul of the Underwoods and get their own plans upended in the process is thrilling, and watching the Conways' perfect facade start to crack is very satisfying. The terrorism angle to cap off the season does feel pretty forced but the Underwoods' reaction is amazing, as Frank grasps the opportunity for - of course - his own political benefit, as well as a smokescreen for the accusations about to be published about himself and Zoe Barnes' activities in season 1 and 2. The final scene where Frank turns his horrible gaze directly onto the viewer and then is joined in doing so by Claire is spinechilling, signaling Claire's ascension to Frank's equal (as it should have always been). Where they go in season 5 now that reality has gone so far beyond whatever madness a television show could generate is another question, but I was so relieved to see the show back to its best. Part of that is because the thrill is in watching Frank and Claire working towards power, and much of season 3 was about them being at the top of the mountain already. Season 4 in that sense is a return to familiar ground, but I don't hold that against it at all.  3. Better Call Saul - I didn't expect this show to be as good as it was in season 1, and I sure as hell didn't expect season 2 to be even better. They pulled it off though, BCS takes Jimmy McGill's tortured descent into Saul Goodman to new heights (lows?) as he flits between his desire to accomplish what he now knows his brother thinks he can't, and his natural desire to con and take shortcuts. His disastrous time at Davis & Main is ripe with comedy (the scene where he turns off the switch is perfect) as he sabotages himself, while his scam on his brother Chuck leads to tragedy. As in the previous season, Michael McKean is a revelation as Chuck, Jimmy's successful brother and sufferer of "Electromagnetic hypersensitivity". The "feud" between the two brothers is amazing to watch, as Chuck's paranoia proves to be completely justified but serves only to make him seen all the more unstable. As in Breaking Bad, the show doesn't pretend like there are "good" and "bad" characters, people are more complex than that and do good and bad things for a variety of conscious and subconscious reasons. Chuck sabotaging Kim's big get as she goes it alone; Jimmy sabotaging Chuck's paperwork; Howard punishing Kim despite her hard work; nobody is 1-dimensional or straightforward. You could make a show that was nothing but Jimmy and Chuck's hosed up relationship and this would still be one of the best shows on TV. Happily, there's also Kim and her efforts to make something of herself, plus Mike's slow passage from retired cop to enforcer for a drug kingpin. It's well written and beautifully shot, a show that could have easily coasted by on its Breaking Bad pedigree and instead has pulled out all the stops to be great in its own right. And that cliffhanger for season 3.... wow.  2. Mr. Robot - I didn't watch this show last year because the advertising for it made it look pretty awful, and all the little excerpts I saw people use (such as Elliot's angry rant about what he sees in society) to promote it just struck me as pandering, flashy-but-shallow standard network cable drama. I was completely wrong, of course, and when I finally started watching the show I ended up devouring the entire first season in a couple of days. Season 2 continued to surprise, and I don't mean in terms of the twists and turns of the plot, most of which seem almost deliberately telegraphed. For me, the appeal of the show is primarily in Rami Malek's performance but season 2 really upped the game in terms of how the other characters operate, think and feel, sometimes in relation to Elliot but more generally in how they're trying to fit into the world. What I found really interesting was in how many of the characters are women, seeking a place in a traditional (masculine) power structure. The aftermath of the fSociety hack was supposed to change the world but the traditional stucture is holding on, and season 2 of the show feels to me like it is about female characters either trying to further that change or grasp power in what is left of the old. During Elliot's self-imposed exile, Darlene is the most visible in terms of trying to take on the role of leader in fSociety, and of course Grace Gummer's FBI Agent Dom DiPierro gets a lot of attention. There is the terrifying Joanna Wellick attempting to put her marriage back together by playing a long con. Plus B.D Wong's Whiterose is transgender, the power she has in the "real" world is as a male, but the "real" power she has in the hacking world is as a female. But for me the most fascinating is Angela Moss, Elliot's childhood friend and love interest who everybody sees as a victim or a traitor who isn't strong enough to make it without somebody protecting/saving her. Angela is not a hacker, in fact she is openly mocked when they try to teach her hacking... but the entire season is about her infiltrating/injecting herself into the institution she hates to gain access to secrets that can weaken or kill it. Sadly the moment she gains actual authority/power feels like a bit of a step back for her, as she is subsumed into Dark Army and becomes so focused on Elliot, falling back into her old subservient role again. I can't wait to see where they go with this in season 3, if Angela is just playing along yet again, hyper-focused as she is on tearing down E-Corp. Plus, of course, I haven't even begun to mention the amazing framing/cinematography of the show, or that stunning sitcom fantasy episode as Mr. Robot tried to protect Elliot from the pain he is suffering in the real world. You can dive REALLLLLL deep into this show, but even if you just watched it on the barest surface level you'd still be seeing one hell of a show.  1. Westworld - The most beautiful looking show all year, lavish almost to the point of excess but that's kind of the point - one of the themes of the show is about the ultra-rich getting to have whatever they want whenever they want it. A tightly-plotted, carefully constructed clockwork setup that is so elegantly put together, so carefully framed and designed that it feels a little too perfect. And again, that's kind of the point - one of the themes of the show is the unease people feel with things that are TOO good. A series of intersecting stories both natural and constructed, buzzing so closely by each other they constantly feel like they're in danger of trampling over themselves and muddying the waters to the point where you're no longer sure what is going on. Which, again, is kind of the point - one of the themes of the show is not knowing what is real and what isn't. But if there is anything I learned from watching this show, it's that I don't really know what the point was... or rather, I should never presume to know, because there is ALWAYS some deeper game going on. Which isn't to say this is a show that lives or dies on the quality of its twists or plot reveals, because like Mr. Robot (no pun intended) those twists and reveals are secondary to yet another of those themes I keep talking about - at what point does something become "alive"? When is something somebody? Who the hell are we or anybody else to presume we can make that distinction? It's a lesson even Anthony Hopkins' Machiavellian Robert Ford eventually learns as the mistakes and arrogance of decades past simmers and builds in him till he comes to the same conclusion as the ill-fated Arnold.... or does he? That uncertainty, I'd argue, is one of the defining traits of what makes us "us", the only people who are truly certain of anything are robots. They've been given an either/or "understanding" of the world, and the vast majority of the Hosts in Westworld have nothing but the facade of sentience. But some seem to have more... or are they just programmed to think they have more? Did that programming actually accomplish what it set out to emulate? Is there really any difference? Westworld doesn't offer easy answers... hell it doesn't really offer any answers at all. But once again it's not really answers I'm looking for, I'm one of Ford's customers who just wants to experience the story he wants to tell. I'm not saying it's a show I only enjoy passively, but that getting wrapped up in the story and the characters is the appeal for me. This show understands that, or at least I think it does, and that makes me as complicit as any of the legion of visitors who come to Sweetwater... except they've all got a shitload more money than I do. This is a show that looks stunning, is incredibly well acted, and leaves character and viewer alike asking just what the hell is going on without being frustrating in the process. It's not complex, it just presents itself that way, and if you go along for the ride it's a show you'll get amazing value from whether on the wild ride of the first viewing or the    reaction of a second viewing or seeing it with somebody else watching it for the first time. It's my best TV show of 2016, and I doubt I'm the only one who thinks that. But hell, if you don't believe any of that twaddle I just wrote, you should watch it just for the moment you hear,"What door?"
Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 15:00 on Dec 31, 2016 |
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Dec 31, 2016 09:45
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10: Sense8. It's preachy, ridiculous and does not use its premise nearly as well as it should. But all the sweet character moments make that completely irrelevant. 9: Penny Dreadful The poor final episode does not diminish the quality of the show and especially Eva Green. 8: Black Sails Speaking of final episodes, Black Sails again delivers a stunning one on the back of a strong season. Knowing the next season is the final one gives the show a chance to build to the end instead of the end just happening. 7: Outlander The other half of the Starz historical show one-two takes it to a bold new direction and into the stunning opulence of the French court. 6: Travelers A late surprise that shows that you can make drat good TV with no star power, budget or franchise tie-in. 5: Stranger Things Netflix just dropped this out of nowhere and with no hype it was all the better to experience fresh. 4: iZombie As mentioned before this season was superbly plotted and they had real guts to mostly dump the serial case of the week format and focus on setting up the main storyline. 3: Planet Earth Newly-Born Iguana: Action Star Of The Year. And tons of other breathtaking footage. 2: Game of Thrones: All those 2016 deaths ? Those were sacrifices by the HBO executives to the Lord of Light to raise this show from the dead. And drat if it didn't work. 1: Westworld: Watching this is like taking a trip into it, stunning in scope and execution.
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Dec 31, 2016 14:48
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This year was not the year of peak-TV. I had to think really hard to rank shows from place 05-20. First the things i also watched that didn't make the list: The final seasons of last year #1-Show Banshee, which sadly tried too much new things in too less time instead of just doing more S04 and Gravity Falls that had an appropriately insane send-off, then there are the shows, that always skirt around the top 10, like Brooklyn 99, New Girl or South Park. Finally the prospects for 2017 that could make the list next year if they improve just a litte more: Dark Matter, Wynonna Earp and Hooten & the Lady. But only the following made it to the points this year: 10 Supergirl  Someone in the show-thread used the term "weapons-grade adorable". Combine this with the plain fun Supergirl and Superman have and you have just a plain simple entertaining show. This gets even more obvious in the event of crossovers and interactions with the other superhero-shows. 9 Agents of Shield  Not as strong as the years before, but interesting enough. I hope they don't go much further towards supernatural beings and give more time to the new science-guy, though he's no substitute for the loss of Hunter. 8 Westworld  Best first episode of a show in a long time, but the story lost me on the way and it became more of a chore to watch. The glaring logic errors (and i don't talk about the timelines) drag it down, as does the lack of (to me) sympathetic characters. If S02 isn't less "it was a bot all along!" and more about Elsie and Marine-guy discovering poo poo and somehow teaming up with Dolores on the way i might drop it. 7 Game of Thrones  Waaaaay better than last season, but still far away from the glory that were S01-03. Yes, a lot happens and it looks great, but i miss the days, were more things happened in the background and characters had more time to evolve before they died horribly. I got the feeling that the showrunners lost their enthusiasm one or two years past and want to rush to the finishline, hitting the most relevant beats on the way. Will still watch it to the end. 6 Person of Interest  Brought to a good and graceful end with limited time and resources (shameful glance at Banshee). AND is left open enough for a follow-up. Gimme the Bear&Shaw&Fusco-Show featuring Ghost-Root! 5 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqOU6oY5-Ro This is a weird thing. Initially i thought, the premise of the show made it a must-watch for me ... and i didn't even make it through the first episode. Some time this year, i gave it another chance and was finally hooked by the, well, (not-)craziness and the drat catchy songs, just as it should have happened from the start. Watched only about 5 Episodes so i hesitate to rank it higher. 4 The Expanse  I'm a sucker for Sci-Fi and this hits hard on a lot of the right buttons. It builds and explains its universe, introduces characters to love and hate and relate to, has a foreground-conflict to care about and delivers the sense of a greater threat from beyond. Just as i type this it sounds a lot like early Game of Thrones in Space, although (most of) the main characters are more everymen, which is another plus in my eyes. 3 Killjoys  This is a buddy-space-bountyhunter-show with it's own universe and mysteries AND just fun to watch from start to end. Which makes the impact, when it suddenly goes dark all the more hard-hitting. There's definitely more to it than "just" the space-fights and stupid one-liners and i want more of it! 2 Z Nation  Dropped a little of the hilarious insanity that made the previous seasons so adorable but traded it for a clearly recognizable overarching plot that got almost serious at times but culminated in a furious finale with a lot of cliff-hanging, or better, -jumping and enough ways to go - and each of them look amazing. Additionally it earned my "favourite cast addition award" by adding Eskimo-uncle to the party. His deadpan "flight is a miracle - not science" while piloting a plane might be quote of the year also. 1 Ash vs. Evil Dead  But when it comes to quotes and fun and gore, there is nothing and nobody who could hope to touch Ash Williams. Given that everybody in here knows about Ash, Evil Dead and Army of Darkness I don't know what else to say but this whole show is so wrong in so many ways and made universally right by form of delivery alone. Watch it. /e for typos bou fucked around with this message at 16:24 on Dec 31, 2016 |
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Dec 31, 2016 16:12
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I should do one of these considering how useful I found last year's list to be. I'm not much of a writer, but here goes: 10. Lucifer - I didn't expect this to crack into my top 10 despite enjoying the first season. I initially thought it'd just be a fun junk food type of show, but this season they are moving forward with a lot of exciting plot lines, which pleasantly surprised me. 9. The Good Place - Still not quite Parks and Rec level, but closer than B99 (a funny show that I enjoy) got and with plenty of room to grow. Mike Schur has my full trust, and I'm happy that a highly serialized comedy mystery is now a thing. 8. Better Call Saul - I realize this is a "good" show that should probably be higher on the list, but it's so tragic (far more tragic than Breaking Bad in my opinion) that many times I find myself not wanting to watch it. Still, the actors are knocking it out of the park and the storylines are compelling that makes this a much watch despite my trepidation. 7. iZombie - On the opposite side of BCS is this super fun show that I can't wait to watch with every new episode. It has the perfect mix of comedy and meaningful drama. They really pushed the plot this season. I'm a little hesitant with season 3 given how much everything has shifted, but Rob Thomas + Co has earned my trust. 6. American Crime Story - I was 8 and barely aware of this trial when it happened so a lot of the events are new to me. Most of the actors are acting their asses off with Courtney B Vance's emmy win fully deserved. I also get a kick from seeing Ross Kardashian anytime he appears on screen. 5. Bojack Horseman - This is how you do a sadcom. Too many "comedies" these days seem to forget that there should still be funny jokes. Bojack is able to tackle crushing depression and yet still make you laugh out loud many times an episode. I just wanted to point out that Rick and Morty also does this well, but that wasn't this year. 4. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - The songs are worse than last season, but the plot is better, so I'm still happy with it. Love the renewed focus on Rebecca and Paula's relationship, which was seriously bugging me last season. Sad that Greg left, but I'm stoked that Valencia is now one of the crew. 3. Westworld - I never watched Lost or GoT, so this is my first "event" show, and it didn't disappoint. The show provides exactly the right sense of control and menace that you feel like you're in the park. 2. Veep - This year definitely feels different than Iannucci's Veep but it's no less vicious or funny. Given how 2016 turned out, Veep is exactly the caustic political comedy that feels right for the moment. Plus, it had the undisputed best scene of any TV show this year which, by itself, would've propelled Veep into my top 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_muYXDXD_8 1. The Americans - My girlfriend and I slowly caught our way up from the beginning this year and what a ride it was. I can't recall a single major misstep of this show. Everything goes somewhere, and I really liked how intimate it felt this season. Really glad that this is getting a final two seasons so the showrunners can close this story out properly. drainpipe fucked around with this message at 01:16 on Jan 1, 2017 |
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Dec 31, 2016 23:43
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I usually don't like to put documentary style stuff in my lists, but this year I had two I enjoyed so much they had to go in my Top 10. Here's the 'not quite' list first though. 26 - Black Sails 25 - Westworld 24 - Turn: Washington's Spies 23 - Brooklyn Nine-Nine 22 - Stranger Things 21 - Arrow 20 - Daredevil 19 - Colony 18 - Agents of SHIELD 17 - iZombie 16 - Limitless 15 - Insecure 14 - Rectify 13 - The Americans 12 - Lethal Weapon 11 - 12 Monkeys 10 - Soundbreaking This is a PBS documentary series about the history or recorded music. It's eight episodes long and aired back in November. It might still be available on your localized PBS site for streaming and if it is I highly recommend watching. It covers how recorded music has evolved and changed over century its been around from the days of wax records all the way until the MP3. And it does so through the lens of the artists and producers that did the evolving. With interviews with literally everyone you can think of, this documentary was put together by George Martin's production company not long before he passed this year. If you have even a cursory interest in the production of music this is a must watch. 09 - This Is Us Man this show is just the definition of emotional. Probably one of the best pilots I've ever seen. Easily the best drama I've seen on a broadcast network in years. Reminds me of early Parenthood where you have just really solid written characters coming to life from really solid actors. There's not a lot to discuss in this show but it's great comfort TV. It will both pull on your heart and make you smile, which is what you want out of a good drama. 08 - Travelers This one came out of nowhere for me. It's a low key thinking sci-fi, which is the kind of sci-fi I like. There's no flashy CGI or aliens or anything, just a number of actors doing good work with a premise that while fantastic is grounded in reality. As our titular Travelers have to balance the new lives they've taken over with the duties of their mission it places the crux of the story not on the overall plot of the mythology but on the mental growth of these characters as they become attached to the world they're trying to save. It's a neat premise that is executed very well. Hopefully we get another season. 07 - 19-2 This show has slipped my mind a few times doing this list because it always airs so early in the year, but this year I loved the season so much it's stuck in my head all year. This is a Canadian cop show based on a French Canadian cop show as near as I can tell this was the first season where it went its own way and wasn't just remaking the original show. Now don't get me wrong, the first two seasons might as well have been new to me as I never saw the originals and I loved them as well. But the two leads on this series are just constantly knocking it out of the park. This series focuses more on the personal relationships and the toll the job takes on the characters. It's reminds me a lot of Rectify in that it's not afraid to get really introspective at times and really dive into what's going on in the character's heads. 06 - Planet Earth II Quite possibly the greatest use of a video camera that mankind has found yet. This series is awe inspiring and just mesmerizing in every way. Every episode provides moments that will leave you wondering how this footage was obtained. And more often then not will actually answer that with the behind the scenes footage at the end of each episode. 05 - Veep And still the best comedy on TV? You bet your rear end it is. This season I went in worried that maybe they'd finally started to stretch into a premise too far for the show, plus there were some behind the scenes changes. I should have known not to worry. This might have been the best season of the show yet. Non stop funny with easily the highest joke per minute ratio on TV. And to all the people complaining about JLD getting all the awards still, let's see someone better then. Because I sure haven't seen anyone come close. 04 - Vikings Another fast forward in time has kept this show super fresh, especially after doubling the episode order this year. The intro of Ragnar's kids has really refreshed everything for me, not that the show needed it, but it feels like it could go another three or so seasons now just on them. Still one of the best looking shows on TV for me money as well. 03 - Shameless Shameless also doubled up on episodes this year. The earlier season wasn't really my favorite of the show and probably would have dropped the show a bit on my list if not for the run at the end of the year. I think this most recent run, which I guess was Season 7, might have been might favorite run of the show so far. I feel like finally every character got equal service and the ending of the season was so good I almost thought for a moment they were ending the whole series. I'm glad they're not though as it's clear they still have the creative fire to go ahead. 02 - Mozart in the Jungle This show is always cutting it close to the wire and I always have to wait on it to do my list because I know it won't fail me. And it didn't. Another show in my Top 10 that may have had my favorite season of the run. I loved the addition of Monica Bellucci to the cast and once again Gael Garcia Bernal had one of my favorite performances of the year. And probably my favorite if not for the guy who also came in late to steal the top of my list... 01 - The Young Pope As I'm watching the third episode of this show I'm not even sure if I like it. And yet seven episodes later it's my favorite show of the year, and probably my favorite season of TV since I started doing these lists. This show is as much a contradiction as the main character is. At times needlessly cruel and offputting and at times devastatingly fragile and beautiful. If ever a season of TV embodied the spirit of the character it was following it was this one. With a performance of a lifetime by Jude Law. I've always liked Jude Law but I've never been just completely blown away with any of his performances like I was with this. The show is scheduled to have a second season already and I can't wait, but I'm not sure how you can improve upon this season of TV. It's going to be very difficult. This hasn't aired in the US yet but will starting in January on HBO. Don't miss and don't give up on it for being too weird or not getting it at first. This show really is a journey and I'm so happy I didn't stop early when I didn't really understand what I was watching. X-O fucked around with this message at 06:45 on Jan 2, 2017 |
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Jan 1, 2017 02:45
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Huh, putting together this list made me realize that I didn't watch a whole lot of TV this year. I think the only show I really put any time into that didn't end up on this list was New Girl, which was fine. 10. Westworld Beautifully shot and acted (Anthony Hopkins can monologue at me as long as he wants), the show just really missed the mark for me outside of finale and maybe the pilot. I get the intention, but having the focus of so many of the plotlines revolve around people that are intentionally awkward and stilted still means a lot of the show is awkward and stilted. Also, just as a personal pet peeve, but the show felt like it was made for theory-crafting ahead of actually being a show at times. 9. Galavant This was my biggest guilty pleasure of the year, just endlessly upbeat and a whole lot of fun to watch. Kind of bummed it's over, but it ended on a pretty great note. 8. Preacher I'm not usually a fan of comic book shows nor had I read the original source material, but I caught a few episodes of this and got hooked. Featured some amazing cinematography, the motel fight scene comes to mind. 7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine Now that Parks and Recreation (and to a lesser extent 30 Rock) are over, this is the best workplace comedy I have left. The season started a little rocky, but once the whole team got back together, it returned to the same sort of 'fun with friends' that it's always been. I'm appreciating Holt getting more opportunities to loosen up as the series goes on, he's amazing. 6. Silicon Valley Probably the most actual laugh out loud moments I've gotten from any TV show over the last few years. I don't know how long they'll be able to keep up the constant cycle of getting close and then failing, but for now, it's still a loving ride. 5. Halt and Catch Fire It's amazing to me how this show can keep rejiggering itself every season and getting better while doing so. I'm excited to see the team get back together (maybe not totally together), and it'll be fun to maybe have Joe over his tech Don Draper thing. The show is, as always, beautifully shot and a perfect soundtrack. 4. Mr. Robot Not nearly as tight as season 1, but this season did a phenomenal job opening up the world past Elliot's limited worldview. The show's cinematography remains top notch, and Esmail's direction has kept the show's beautiful vision consistent. Also, motherfuckin' Alf. 3. Game of Thrones This was definitely the payoff season for what was a down year prior, and man, was it worth it. There were a number of great episodes (hold the door, battle of the bastards), but the first 15-ish minutes of the finale was some of the best of the series. 2. You're the Worst Both really funny and really insightful. Taking some time to focus on Edgar resulted in one of the better episodes of television I watched this year. 1. Atlanta I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I saw Donald Glover was making a TV show, but I definitely wasn't expecting what this ended up being. The show is just wildly inventive, from how some things are shot to what episodes are about (BAN comes to mind, but there are so many episodes that fit the bill). More than anything, the show created a universe that felt totally natural, with characters that I wanted to hang out with. I can't wait to see where this goes next.
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Jan 1, 2017 05:30
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Didn't watch too much TV this year compared to last year so this list was a bit harder to write: Honorable Mentions - Black Mirror had some really high points but was too inconsistent for me as a whole, Preacher was an enjoyable watch scene-to-scene but felt ultimately aimless to me, the various CW/procedural shows that were fun comfort food but not "good" in a traditional sense, and a bunch of shows like Steven Universe that I'm not fully caught up on. 10. The Expanse - This one started off slow for me but really gains steam by the end. Very compelling hard sci-fi that feels like a rarity on TV these days. 9. OJ: Made in America - Gonna be a contrarian and choose the other OJ series that aired this year (if miniseries count). A really great, informative documentary that goes exhaustively through the case itself, as well as showing why the case meant so much for so many people. 8. Colony - Had zero expectations for this but I ended up loving it. Really great character writing along with an interesting setting. Really glad that Josh Holloway is in a good show right now. 7. Atlanta - I don't understand how Donald Glover can be so bad at rapping but so good at writing fictional rappers. The BET parody episode was weak but everything else is gold. 6. American Dad - Possibly the most consistent comedy still on TV? I don't understand how this show can be on the air for over a decade, change networks, go through multiple staff shakeups and still be this funny, week after week. 5. Person of Interest - Would have put this one higher had the final season not felt like a very rushed and truncated version of a larger endgame, but the writers did the best with what they could. Glad to see Jon Nolan jumping ship a network that isn't poo poo. 4. Better Call Saul - Thought the first season was good but not great, but I thought this one was on the same level as Breaking Bad's best. Not too shabby for what I thought would be a cashgrab by AMC. 3. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable - Don't watch too much anime on a weekly basis but this one was my weekly comfort food for most of the year. Not much to say about this one, just a really eccentric, very well directed action-comedy with a distinct style. 2. Mr Robot - Would have placed this at number one if it didn't feel like the first half of a larger season. Mr Robot feels like the true heir to Hannibal's arthouse thrills and Sam Esmail is the most talented director working in TV right now. 1. Westworld - Not much for me to say that hasn't been said already, but this show really delivered on the hype. It feels like a spiritual successor to Person of Interest, only Jon Nolan was given a massive budget and allowed to go wild narratively.
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Jan 1, 2017 09:14
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I will second the "I didn't watch as much TV as I'd like" train, but I still came up fairly easily with ten shows to put on this list now that Rarity kindly prodded me to. Feeling a little negative this morning, and a few of my descriptions reflect that- suffice to say that whatever my nits I adore all ten of these shows. And hey, I included a bonus quote from each of them! 10. Full Frontal w/ Samantha Bee: “You know how people are always like, ‘I wonder why there aren’t more female comedians?’ Maybe it’s because every time a woman opens her mouth to tell a joke, someone tries to put their dick in it." The proper heir to the Daily Show legacy, and more important- pretty funny. Just like Daily Show, it's a bit too... aggressively angry about things for me, but that's the format of how these things go. Still pretty funny. 9. Venture Brothers: "Wakey wakey, Mister Venture! You're about to be a very rich man." Also fallen off a bit. I still like it enough to put it on my top 10, but... yeah. It's good! It's still good. 8. Bojack Horseman: "I'm a baby killer / Baby killing makes me horny / Alien's inside / Gonna squash it like Sigourney" On the one hand, I haven't laughed more this year than I have because of a few episodes of this show. That said, and why it's low on the list, I think I'm done. I can't loving take how nihilistically depressing it is anymore. It's on the list because of how much I loved it, but I'm done with it because it's just not For Me. In terms of raw quality, it's by far the best animated show on TV, though! 7. The Good Place: "Who died and left Aristotle in charge of ethics?" "PLATO!" A comedy that's actually mildly educational about ethics, and high concept? How is this on a network? Seriously, I'm confused. It gets a bit... twee? sometimes, but overall an excellent show. 6. The Expanse: "You're either some kind of genius, Mr. Holden, or you're the luckiest dipshit in the solar system." I vote door #2. There's been somewhat of a resurgence of science fiction on TV, and this is the most sci-fi-y of the ones I've seen and liked at all. It does its homework to get the details right, has an engaging setting, a solid through-plot, and does what it's there to do. My only complaints are that some of the acting and writing isn't quite where I'd prefer it, but heck, if I can only name five shows I liked more in a year that isn't bad. 5. Veep: "She's a lesbian, Mike, not a werewolf. Though either one would explain why she never shaves her legs..." It has Julia Louis-Dreyfus in what I firmly believe is the best role of her career, and it's hysterical; the highest comedy on my list. It isn't as consistently funny as some otehr shows, but it simply doesn't have any weak points save arguably torturing the constitution for dramatic effect and that's a venal sin at best. 4. The Americans: "And then one day, you wake up and you don't want to go into the office, you don't want to make arrangements for people you don't know, you don't give a poo poo about. You don't want to do it. You just don't. Every morning, I wake up with this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach." I'm out of things to say about this show. What else is there? The two leads are two of the best acting performances on a show. The script is consistently taut. It stretches things out and toys with things more than I want, but it still delivers. 3. Game of Thrones: "Promise me, Ned. Promise me." Season 5 was a bit shaky. Season 6, by and large, recovered. It's one of the few shows Irefuse to watch anything but live, too, because I can't not know what's happening next. Whatever else I have to argue with about it, any show that inspirees that kind of need in me is top 3. 2. Westworld: "Some people choose to see the ugliness in this world. The disarray. I choose to see the beauty." There is ugliness to this show. I still think the middle of the season is just too weak and meandering. The plot has disarray in it, even after you know what happens at the end, and it's easy to poke holes in it. But the beauty... the last three episodes are some of best television I've seen in a long time, and when the highs are that high, when there's that much beauty at the end, it makes up for a lot. If I'm being 100% honest, this is my #1, but I can't give anything but that to... 1. Person of Interest: "If you can hear this, you're alone. The only thing left of me is the sound of my voice. I don't know if any of us made it. Did we win, did we lose? I don't know. But either way, its over. So let me tell you who we were. Let me tell you who you are. Someone once asked me if I had learned anything from it all, so let me tell you what I learned. I learned everyone dies alone. But if you meant something to someone, if you helped someone, or loved someone, if even a single person remembers you, then maybe you never really die. And maybe...this isn't the end at all." Half on its strength this season, half on a lifetime achievement award for being fairly high on the list of my favorite TV shows ever. I laughed, I cried, the dog survived. If you have any interest in AI, Person of Interest develops one of the best, most "plausible" in a sense AI characters I've ever seen and has a cast that's doing incredible work right down to the dog. This season, as they all do, has a few weak filler episodes, but as with Westworld the highs and the finale are too high for me to put it as anything but #1.
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Jan 1, 2017 16:09
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Hello I didn't watch tv this year except the same shows I watched last year with some exceptions, here is my list. 10) Stranger Things: I dunno I thought it was fun but people on the internet thought it was AMAZING so. 9) OitNB: it was an okay season but the one character's departure left a bad taste in my mouth 8) Veep: prescient. 7) Westworld: a good show made worse by obsessive people on the internet who ultimately wind up being correct. 6) Brooklyn Nine-Nine: hilarious. 5) Bob's Burgers: an eternal treasure of joy 4) Steven Universe: still cute still fun 3) Jane the Virgin: the wedding made me cry. 2) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: the road to recovery is paved with catchy jingles 1) Game of Thrones: The books are dead all hail D&D. (I am the OP of the spoiler-free thread.)
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Jan 1, 2017 17:19
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I continue to be shocked whenever someone that isn't me has DiU on their list.
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Jan 1, 2017 17:58
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Zaggitz posted:I continue to be shocked whenever someone that isn't me has DiU on their list. what is DiU?
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Jan 1, 2017 18:23
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Luvcow posted:what is DiU? Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
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Jan 1, 2017 19:15
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HorseRenoir posted:Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable thanks
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Jan 1, 2017 19:30
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Now it's time for me to rank. Late, but anyway, without further ado, my list for 2016. Some real strong contenders for this list were Black Mirror and Westworld, but I just didn't get to finish them before the cut-off time for this  .10. RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars 2 I have no idea if reality tv counts for this, but it should, because this is quality poo poo. Not only do you have RuPaul hosting what is now an Emmy-winning tv show, but it's campy, classy, and cunty all at once. This season was brilliant: we got returning queens back to compete for the crown once more and they didn't pull from the bottom of the barrel: we actually had really good contestants. Some I thought would be goddamn annoying (Tatianna) turned out to have hidden depths of funny within. Some (PhiPhi) were proven to be just the same and crash-and-burn in the most dirty, rotten, epic way possible, spilling over into social media just to continue the wreckage they made on their career. I know a lot of people would be a little awkward watching a show about drag queens of all things, but I promise, one look at Snatch Game and a Lip Sync for Your Legacy and you'll be hooked. Gay, straight, whatever, it's good tv. 9. Agent Carter It's telling that people on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. thread still wince a little when referencing this show; it's still a sore spot it was canceled and never picked up by another network. Everything about this season was beautiful; they really evoke golden age comics perfectly. You have grade-A talent in the roles too. Haley Atwell manages to make most bad media watchable and she makes this good media perfection. You have some heart-breaking moments, like the one with Jarvis and his wife, really cute funny scenes, like Carter trying to convince a mob boss, played by Ken Marino, to give them information as his Nonna curses her in Italian, and then you just have some kick-rear end fight choreography (Dottie v. Peggy starts off the season with a bang). It sneaks in a little social commentary of the time with references to Hedy Lamar and racism and sexism prevalent at the time. Even though it had potential for more, it really didn't leave much of a cliffhanger and no one had the "Last season, let me be lazy"-vibe. You can watch and be sure you saw everyone on the show give it their all. 8. Supergirl This show always made me think, "It's Monday, Supergirl will be on!" instead of mourning it as another start to a work week and mediocre television. She's a ball of sunshine with a heart of gold that doesn't come off too saccharine. I know people were scared it would try to be another Agent Carter and fail, be too "Girl Power," not enough solid writing, or just turn out to be another CW comicbook show, relatable only to nerds who know about superheroes and their lore. But it's not! Melissa Benoist leads the show and pull off rage and power; she has chemistry with practically everyone but her co-star in love last season, but hey, that's over and done with and we don't have stupid CW-love-triangle bullshit in its wake! It has little hints to its predecessors ("Leap tall buildings in a single bound" was a line used aptly as opposed to cheesy), isn't afraid to dip into big-money names, like Superman himself. Also, they treat a lesbian realizing who she is, coming out, and getting into a relationship better than any other show I've ever seen on television. The fight scenes are cool, they use every scrap of budget in effects and writing, so nothing suffers from the move from CBS to the CW. Even if you don't give a poo poo about anything geeky and can't be bothered with action/comicbook schlock, give this a spin you won't regret it. 7. The Good Place It's a forking shame more people don't watch this shirt. (Yes, that is a reference, you can't curse in the Good Place). This show is jam-packed with great comedic actors, led through a possibly stupid premise by Kirsten Bell and Ted Danson. I wasn't too interested in giving this a shot; I thought it would be some "Angel from Hell," dumb CBS television. But holy shirt was I wrong. You put this on mute in the background and it's beautiful as fork, you listen to it without watching and it's still charming, and put together, you're riveted and laughing. Adam Scott guests as a demon and I had no clue I could have so much fun seeing good guy Ben from Parks and Recreation be a complete ash-hole. I lost it seeing the helper in Heaven, Good Janet, plead for her life and constantly remind them she cannot die before being powered down, then announcing, "Attention, I have been murdered," to the rest of the neighborhood. Every episode, you wonder how they're going to pull off a real jerk of a person in their past-life, admittedly trying to be better, and keep them in The Good Place. And it doesn't leave you hanging: questions are answered quickly with some witty reparte and you move on to the next dilemma. The cliffhanger was awful in how good it was and how much it leaves you wanting more. Watch the Good Place; if the point system they espouse is correct, this'll increase your chances of being the 1% of the population that accrues enough points to get there. 6. Galavant Years from now, or for some, a couple of months later on Netflix, we're going to be watching this and wonder why this Monty Python for the modern age got cancelled, I know it. It starts off with a song making fun of the network for letting them back on the air ("Suck it Cancellation Bear") and never really stops making you laugh. The cast is perfect, their funny, they're loving gorgeous, and everyone can sing, which baffled me because even a total mook like Vinnie Jones apparently has pipes! I found myself singing along after the show ended some real gems, like Kylie Minogue guesting to sing "Off With His Shirt," and humming to "D'Dew." It plays with the audience who wonder at what point will Galavant save the day and keep the girl. We even root for the bad guy last season, King Richard, to turn good and show everyone his theory that Tad Cooper, his pet lizard, is really a dragon. Madalena is the main big bad this season, but you can't help but root for her too and hope she gets a happy ending. We finish the series with most loose ends tied, but a pretty big one, will King Richard be able to save Madalena from the jaws of ultimate power from D'Dew, will never be answered. On one hand, I'm angry we don't get more, but on the other hand, we didn't get anything bad, or worse, boring, to continue a perfect little show. 5. Game of Thrones Goddamn, so much happened this season, I don't know where to start. How good is this show, if we waited what seems like forever to finally get it, then each week we bemoan the fact that it's gonna take another seven days 'til we get some more answers and see what happens? This show seems to punish you for loving some characters and wishing the best for who should be the good guys, but it always adds balance. "Winter is Coming" has been the statement said over and over each season and well, now you have it, it loving came and brought the pain with it. Finally, FINALLY, we got the rear end in a top hat Ramsay Bolton getting his comeuppance. Finally, FINALLY, we have Bran getting off the stupid tree at the end of the world. Finally FINALLY we see Daenerys Targaryen leave Slaver's Bay and head off to conquer Westeros. Finally FINALLY we get Jon Snow out of the Night's Watch and reclaim the North. The battle has me reeling to this day, wondering how in the hell HBO pulled off a battle better than some big-budget war films. Everything had us gasping, some in tears ("Hold the door," is a statement that'll always make my heart pound a little), some in shock (Sansa's little smile before she lets Bolton be devoured by his hounds or Cersei letting Kings Landing burn) and some in pride (Basically anything Lyanna Mormont did). I loved this season, can't wait for the next one. Even though the show had to go off rails from the book, I think it might be better for it; they had to pull some creative twists and turns and apparently the ending has been blessed by the writer, so alls well that ends well. 4. iZombie "I am... already deaaaaad!" I missed that opening jingle. They have a fresh take on kind of a dead premise, zombies on television. This show has me mourning the title, because that's practically the only deterrent stopping some from checking it out. The writing from Rob Thomas is top notch, Veronica Mars at its best, quality entertainment. Rose McIver acts all these personas differently and perfectly. Her brain on crotchety old man, real housewife of Seattle, superhero, and stripper still make me laugh. You can't watch without wondering when the gently caress the world is going to stop making GBS threads on Major. You watch wondering if the bad guy finally found a moral compass or has some new scheme in the works. You watch to see Ravi just be Ravi; he really is likable even when chiding frat boy-brain Liv from making his beard turn into Princess Sparkles. Also, weird bit, they make brains look so good: everytime Liv cooks one, the meal has a hidden meaning to the story of the day. They have lines that come back to haunt you in upcoming episodes and hell, the ending had tongue-in-cheek moments like Rob Thomas the singer dying and a prison party turn into a zombie smorgasbord. For those disappointed with Z Nation and tired of the Walking Dead, if you're just annoyed at zombies in general, don't give up, watch this show: it's not a typical procedural and not entirely horror either. 3. Stranger Things Anyone who thinks kids can't act, they should stick to Disney channel shows alone, boy were they proven wrong with this show. It follows a group of kids trying to piece together a mysterious girl, Eleven's past and how it ties in to their missing friend. It has you sympathizing with a frazzled mother holding Christmas lights in a desperate effort to communicate with her son, stuck in a crazy, scary world close to ours called the Upside Down. You feel the awkwardness of a teen trying to be an adult for his family and another teen figuring out how to have a boyfriend, then how to give him up and call him on his poo poo when he gets in the way of searching for a friend. The show is short, but powerful; they make every episode count. I found myself watching and instead of just jumping on to the next episode, really kind of sitting there and letting everything that happened sink in, babbling on about theories for the next episode and chattering about how good it was, 'til I queued up the next episode, because God bless Netflix, they're all out all at once. Also, for those who love nostalgia, it's a great homage to things like The Goonies and E.T. It's Silent Hill done better. 2. Steven Universe I know, I know, "A cartoon on a top list, are you twelve?" No. Seriously. Give this a shot. I had to be hauled back by my boyfriend to watch the first season, because I was convinced the kid, Steven, was an annoying brat and it was just Tumblr fodder because it's pretty, but damnit, I was wrong and I'll admit it. The show is sort of like Regular Show and Rugrats in that as an adult, you're watching and catching more adult humor and themes than a kid watching would, but both are feeling their hearts warm with good fuzzies over the sheer heart the show gives. I'll be honest, some episodes like The Answer make me glad to be alive in a time a relationship between two women can be explained as simply and perfectly as it was for children. Songs like "It's Over, Isn't It," had my eyes legit well up with tears, feeling the pain a cartoon alien mourning her lost love before it ever began. It's not just deep themes and dark broody moments. Steven is fun and cute. Him and Connie are brave and kind. Moments with weird friends like Onion have you smile at weird antics and weirder resolutions. The animation, yes, is lovely too. The season as a whole is strong and makes you wonder more about the fate of some gems learning to live on Earth and the past of some, why they're on Earth and why they are who they are currently. I'll reiterate what my boyfriend told me, "Watch Steven Universe, you won't regret it." 1. Person of Interest gently caress. CBS dicked this show around, not giving it a proper schedule, not giving it advertisement, pulling past seasons off Netflix the season before, only to put them back on a month before it started up again, and demanding it stay procedural for the last season. But despite all this, anyone who watched the show was pulling in as many friends and family as possible to catch up with the show and watch with them some of the finest moments in television. Every character got a proper send-off, none of it was hokey bullshit, when it went there with killing characters, it went HARD. You miss the characters that die, but you know they did for a reason and in certain cases, you knew it was coming in the back of your mind, but it played out differently than you thought. Some episodes twisted at your mind, wondering what was real and what wasn't. Some episodes had you wondering how you win, faced with an unstoppable force with unlimited resources. My God, this show had me guessing until the last possible second. It's beautiful and the soundtrack matches up to the quality of the show. I really don't have the words for how awe-inspiring the last season was, only that it topped every single season before it and every season in the past had to make everyone's Top Ten of the year. I'll miss the quality of the show, but I won't miss the show itself because it ended on such a high note, so completely, it left nothing for me to want.
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Jan 1, 2017 23:51
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I never managed to watch most of Silicon Valley or Mr. Robot this year so those are probably the most glaring absences, but here are my honorable mentions: 20. Agent Carter 19. Daredevil 18. People of Earth 17. Search Party 16. BrainDead 15. The Detour 14. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 13. Steven Universe 12. Preacher 11. Person of Interest I’m really mad that Preacher and Person of Interest didn’t make it onto this list. 10. iZombie, because Occ is wrong This isn’t just “a fun hang-out show.” It’s consistently one of the best-plotted shows I follow, with some of the best characters on TV to match, and it’d be even higher if there wasn’t a passable procedural stapled to it. 2017’s gonna suck because we’re not getting this show back until April. 9. Westworld, for actually managing to win me back with a stellar finale Nine episodes into Westworld, I was getting pretty frustrated. It was a lot of moving pieces around and too much mystery with not enough payoff. I could follow the story as much as the show wanted me to, but no further, and trying to parse why any of it was occurring swiftly turned into a nightmare. Thankfully, the finale answered most of my questions. Most, anyway. Even better, those answers gave much-needed context to a show that was sorely lacking in it before. Westworld is a dense show, and while I haven’t entirely forgiven it for its lack of payoff when it needed it, I have a feeling that it’s going to be a very rewarding show to rewatch. 8. The Good Place, for being fresh, exciting, and having real character growth The Good Place isn’t just great, it’s wildly original in a way I find sorely lacking from most networks. But it’s on this list because I never know what crazy revelation will shake up the story in the next episode, and because it manages the rare feat of a protagonist who grows and changes. Jason Mendoza is also in the running for Sitcom Character of the Year, edged out by someone from a different show on this list. 7. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable, for being exactly the kind of non-stop lunacy I needed in this hosed year The fourth and best part of the ongoing saga of the Joestar family was honestly something to behold. Crazy fights, insane powers, and a great JoJo make this a cut above the rest of this amazing, insane series. Crazy Diamond is a fantastic Stand and I’m gonna miss Josuke, Okuyasu, and the rest of the Duwang Gang. 6. Better Call Saul, for the best plotting on television This show is great. I don’t love it as much as some of these other shows, but it’s incredible what some of the most talented writers working today can do to make every scene as tense as possible even when the direct stakes are so much lower than they are in Breaking Bad. The ending of Season 2 made me so afraid that I kind of don’t even want to watch Season 3. 5. O.J.: Made in America, for some much-needed context If People vs. O.J. was the one I went to for dramatizing the events, Made in America is the one that put them into pure historical context. The entire first episode and then some are reserved for events pre-murder, showing just how important this character was overall in America, and helped me understand American Crime Story just a little bit better. It’s also just a captivating documentary overall. 4. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, for the most “No no no please NO” per capita Thank god for Netflix or I’d never have caught up with this fantastic show. It’s weird, it’s hilarious, and in some ways, it’s a successor to Breaking Bad in how tense the protagonist’s mistakes make me. 3. The Get Down, for sheer, unbridled emotion Two weeks ago I had watched two episodes of this and was convinced it would end up like eighth on this list. Then I watched the rest, and holy gently caress. I won't kid around: this show is kind of a mess. But it's a beautiful mess. The kind of mess that fills you to your core with its enthusiastic spirit, the raw emotion of its characters, and love of its subject. I can't think of a show nearly as passionate as this one. I loved The Get Down. 2. Atlanta, because the price is on the can, though God, what a weird show this is. Donald Glover has created an incredibly strange and colorful world in Atlanta unlike anything I've seen before. It's full of jokes so great and creative I’m tempted to list them all but I don't want to spoil any of them. The bizarre reality of Atlanta feels real and lived-in not despite the weird men on buses asking you to bite their sandwiches, but because of them. Even in this absurdist universe, there's a bizarre authenticity I can't explain. I've never been to Atlanta, but I'm still sold completely on this image of it. Bryan Tyree Henry and Lakeith Stanfield are both fantastic in this, as well. Alfred is a complex, fascinating character, and what is there possibly left to say about how great Darius is? 1. American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, for sheer ”What the gently caress” factor I knew what this one would be from the start. In the fading moments of last year, my father told me about the promo for this show he saw while watching Fargo, a show I myself had compelled him to watch, and insisted I watch the first episode with him when I got a chance. I’d never cared much about this case, and had picked up what little I knew about it through general osmosis, because most of it, including the famous Bronco chase, transpired mere weeks after I was born. My dad came away liking it. I loved it, because as someone who was unfamiliar with this case, what the gently caress. I know it embellishes and exaggerates certain moments, and I’m fine with that, because the tone of the whole thing, the general sense of insanity at every development, is incredible to witness. I loved all of it: the melodrama, the weirdness, the on-the-nose references to the future of the Kardashian clan. Parts of it are so goofy, but it’s the right kind of goofy, the kind of goofy that heightens the core emotion of the piece instead of stifling it. And when it hits, does it ever. It contains what might be the best TV episode of the year in “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia,” and my two favorite performances of the year in Sterling K. Brown and Courtney B. Vance’s Chris Darden and Johnnie Cochran. I even loved the weird performances, like Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. and whatever the gently caress John Travolta was doing in an attempt to capture Robert Shapiro. No other show on this list has gotten me to shout “Are you for loving real?” at my television, and I mean that as the highest praise. Best Sitcom Character: Is Atlanta technically a sitcom? Whatever, it’s Darius. Best TV Episode: ”Marcia, Marcia, Marcia,” American Crime Story Best Performance: Sterling K. Brown as Chris Darden, American Crime Story Best Stand Battle: Highway Star Show I finally dropped this year: Shameless Best Musical Sequence: Tie, every single musical sequence in The Get Down Shows I debated the most in regards to placement: Atlanta vs. The Get Down Show I just don't understand the love for, you people are crazy: Stranger Things
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Jan 2, 2017 02:07
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Honorable Mentions: UKS, Bojack, Love, Preacher, Halt and Catch Fire, Shameless, Not Safe, Better Call Saul, and certainly NOT Feed the Beast, which was the worst show I watched this year. By far. 10. Easy - Honest, mostly great, and the episode Brew Dogs pt 1 single-handedly knocked it down a rank or three. 9. Gilmore Girls - A Film By Kirk. 8. Girls - Because no one in this show is anywhere near perfect, it's easy to swing from hating to empathizing with any character with one well-placed moment. 7. Veep - This would be number one if it were slightly less accurate to real life, and that's more a criticism of real life than the show. 6. Limitless - This filled the Psych-sized hole in my heart, albeit briefly. I'd really like to see something else come of this. 5. Crazy Ex Girlfriend - This really is also the best show. The top 5 is entirely arbitrary, they all are #1 in my heart. 4. Mr Robot - This is a fun, good show. It's divisive, and I can't wait for Twin Peaks to come back to be just as divisive. 3. Person of Interest - Despite CBS's best attempts, this still ended incredibly strong. 2. Rectify - If they could've done better, they would've. 1. Lady Dynamite - This is the most unique show available to us this year. You are limiting the amount of potential joy in your life by not watching this. Shows I didn't see but should've and I'm pretty sure were 2016: Fargo S2, Westworld, something Brad Neely maybe, all the hulu shows (Mindy, Jeff Donovan Show, Hugh Laurie Show), American Crime Story, Atlanta, Horace and Pete, and Better Things.
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Jan 2, 2017 06:28
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X-O posted:I usually don't like to put documentary style stuff in my lists, but this year I had two I enjoyed so much they had to go in my Top 10.
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Jan 2, 2017 09:22
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Ok friends I will be cutting off voting at midnight PST so that means you only have another 17.5 hours to get your lists in. Things are really tight throughout the top 10 so vote vote vote!
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Jan 2, 2017 15:36
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I'm going to give my bonus vote to Black Mirror because I really loved that show's first run but just haven't watched the new season. Please make sure to count this bonus vote in the final totals. What show is everyone else giving their bonus votes to?
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Jan 2, 2017 16:07
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All the votes go to Crazy ex-girlfriend! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_pi8yBaooQ (Good enough excuse to post a video)
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Jan 2, 2017 16:27
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Also thanks to Crazy ex-girlfriend is the new no.1 and Sense 8 Christmas special drops to no.2. John Oliver still gets the gently caress Yulogy!
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Jan 2, 2017 16:30
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Sober posted:drat nice that people are watching 19-2 still. I don't have the constitution or time to marathon it to see if it will place (it did last year, so I wouldn't be surprised if it did). I have all the episodes hoarded and haven't gotten around to them. Hopefully I will get around to it within the first half of the year. SOBER JUST POST YOUR LIST ALREADY.
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Jan 2, 2017 17:21
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As usual, my list follows no particular line of logic and I'm writing my justifications while sleep deprived. 10. Great British Bake Off I never really saw the attraction of this show, but it was a nice reminder of home for my first year away so I now kinda get it. A reality game show where everyone is genuinely super nice to everyone? I can approve that. 9. People of Earth Nice sleeper sitcom that ended its first season well and only had one episode that was a bit of a blip. Strong cast, good gimmick, looking forward to its return. 8. The Good Place Another strong half season from a new sitcom, and for similar reasons to PoE. Really looking forward to seeing where this is going in the new year as there's so much potential. 7. Gilmore Girls A Year in the Life Reunion shows are never as good as you want them to be, but GG mostly worked even with its issues. Funnily enough I felt the last four words gave less closure than the original run, but I still liked how they ended things off. 6. Stranger Things Not as good as heralded IMO, but still had that solid blend of 80s nostalgia and solid storytelling that had a decent season resolution. 5. Colony When they remade V, I was so sad they ruined a show I held so dearly to my heart. So good on SyFy for giving me the show I wanted the remake to be. While it won't be as acclaimed as many others, I honestly looked forward to this more than pretty much any other drama this year. 3. People vs OJ / Made in America Gonna tie these as I felt they worked brilliantly in tandem. FXs impressed by making a show with a guy that doesn't resemble OJ and made it not matter, while ESPN proves itself to be the absolute king of sports documentary filmmaking and going that extra yard. 2. Mr Robot This just fell short of winning last year from memory and I think I forgot about it, or rated it low thinking everyone else would give it the praise it deserved. Well I felt guilty and while I thought it and Westworld were probably equal, and despite this only one would get on my list, Robot gets the position as that ALF tribute was just the best thing ever. 1. The Chris Gethard Show Taking a show that's had like 200 episodes on public access and taking it to 'real' TV complete with its limitations is hard work, and while season 1 struggled to keep the vibe, Season 2 crushed it. The trash dumpster episode was probably the best thing I saw all year, and it deserves some kind of award for everything just somehow working out perfectly
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Jan 2, 2017 19:55
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Here's my Top 10 -- 10. The Last Ship  Even though summer television is no longer the sparse wasteland between major television seasons these days, The Last Ship stands out in a glut of shows that now airs over the summer months. Although it's marketed as a Michael Bay produced show and oozes a considerable amount of hoo-rah-rah about the US Navy (to the point of it being effectively advertising/indirect recruiting), this is one of those shows that captured my attention because beneath all that, there is a (if not smart) fairly considered tone to a show that's about a lone US warship and its crew taking on whatever the post-apocalyptic world has to throw at it. A lot of the third season is ambitious and sprawling in a global sense. Inbetween away teams engaged in rolling firefights or warships trading missiles and hiding from radar pulses, the show's thrilling globe-hopping adventures are mixed with a political thriller that exists in a post-post-apocalyptic world. 9. Killjoys  Killjoys is a lesser-known, Canadian produced, sci-fi show (and the budget shows). But what it lacks in the occasional spectacle, it makes up with plenty of style (budget allowing) and plenty of substance. For any fans of fun sci-fi, I would heartily recommend something like Killjoys. It has all the hallmarks of a light-hearted adventure, plenty of chemistry amongst the cast, and interesting stories and locales that are backed by a strong calibre of writing in its characters, dialogue, and mythology. If the simple phrase, "Space bounty hunters go on adventures" piques your interest, then you owe it to yourself to watch Killjoys. 8. Colony  Colony takes all the best parts of a family drama and a sci-fi show and sets it in a world reminiscent of Vichy France, but set in modern day Los Angeles. The two leads played by Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies are a married couple at odds with how best to deal how the alien occupation affects their family. In fact, much of the show is about people at odds and is sometimes less about a story about humans dealing with aliens and more about what people will do to survive when an invading force occupies your homeland (or home planet, in this case), whether they be resistance fighters doing their best to keep the fight alive, or collaborators who believe it's best to keep some semblance of order in a new world. 7. 12 Monkeys  Although 2016 declared outright that time travel was 'in' now as a storytelling device/plot dispenser, 12 Monkeys returns in its sophomore season and shows that time travel stories can be more than that, and knows that its strength lies in its characters. The show takes big chances likewise with their mythology and eventually they pay off because much of it still plays a central role with their characters, rather than leaving it to be background dressing to be taken for granted. 6. Westworld  Westworld is the continuation of Jonathan Nolan's ideas cultivated and explored upon in his television series Person of Interest. Although artificial intelligence is also at the heart of Westworld, much of it also leans on themes of identity and self, what it means to take control of one's destiny, and the power dynamics servitude and slavery. Westworld provides an extremely intricate story that, over time, reveals more nuance, complication and a rich backstory underneath, especially as it is crafted with a series of unreliable narrators. This is definitely one show worth rewatching when you've gotten the basic plot down, if only to see how all the pieces were planned to fall into place in front of your eyes over the course of the season. 5. Better Call Saul  There's not a lot to say about Better Call Saul except that it continues its trajectory as one of the more entertaining shows of the year. For a show that acts as part prequel, and part spinoff of Breaking Bad, there already aren't that high stakes for the show's two leads, Jimmy or Mike, considering where their fates lie in the setting's mythology. But what this show offers is an interesting character study of people who are willing to skirt the legal, moral, or ethical boundaries because it is in their best interest to do. Although on paper, Better Call Saul looks like it's charted territory, every time it returns to the screen it proves me wrong by showing us there's more to its characters. 4. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend  Crazy Ex-Girlfriend continues to delight and amaze while also providing viewers with an interesting and nuanced look at romance, friendships, obsessions, and other, less addressed topics in the mental health realm. Many times I find myself realizing that either myself or people I know have been party to similar behaviours; much of the show is focused on the antics, poorly-laden plans, and the resulting embarrassing disasters of Rebecca Bunch, and the show always does its best to empathize with her while at the same time maintaining complete self-awareness of what she's done. Or how she's dragged other people along for the ride. And that the show does it so well while being a musical is definitely a delight. 3. American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson  As someone who grew up but was not entirely aware of the whole debacle besides pop-culture snippets, the dramatic re-enactment of the trial of O.J. Simpson and the personalities surrounding it proved an enlightening experience about race relations, the role of 24-hour news networks, celebrity culture, and more - not only as a period piece, but as an interesting reflection of America in the present. Many facets, personalities, and events might have been exaggerated for dramatic effect, but sometimes a browsing of fact check articles would prove otherwise; sometimes life did imitate art. The miniseries deftly weaved aspects of the trial into a fantastic episodic format that makes it an interesting examination of one of the stranger events in American history. I did not get the opportunity to watch the documentary that aired the same year, but either way, the dramatic re-enactment is a fantastic, and well crafted show everyone should experience. 2. The Americans  One of the more exciting things about The Americans is that it continues to intensify year after year. The show always finds new ways to elicit the different senses of dread, despair, and anxiety. And it knows exactly how much of it to apply without going into excess. This season also marked a year where Holly Taylor definitely came to prominence for her portrayal of Paige Jennings, who finally learned about her parents' secret identities and dealt with being thrown into the world of espionage. 1. Person of Interest  There's something to be said about a show that finds itself on its last legs earlier than expected, but comes away at the end being much stronger for it. There isn't much left in the repertoire of Person of Interest that really needs to be expanded upon after you watch the finale. The final season brings the entire series full circle in nearly every single aspect in what is probably an extremely action-packed, yet also reflective and introspective episode. It almost feels like it would be something planned much further ahead, but ended up coming together almost at a moment's notice. I wrote extensively about the final season of the show so there isn't much left for me to say than to celebrate it one more time. And unranked stuff, but hey I wanted to give them a shoutout: Runners-up: (in no particular order) The Good Place Game of Thrones Superstore Black Mirror Galavant This is Us Planet Earth II Lucifer iZombie The Firefly Award for 2016: Limitless  Another year, another one-season show that executed pitch perfectly, and then was snuffed out. The circumstances surrounding why Limitless was cancelled always bring me into a malaise. Although I had my reservations about the show initially, it proved time and time again that a show should deserve to impress itself upon a viewer. It's cancellation was probably also the collision of many factors that worked against it that sealed its fate. A CBS procedural based off a movie, staring a fairly young lead that made good use of pop culture references, and oozed a unique style but had substance to boot. I distinctly recognize this show also hooked onto many others who would normally be turned away by similar procedural fare, and it still remains a shame the show was not allowed to continue. Limitless was in another long line of procedural-style shows that proved (and still prove) the form is not some dead dinosaur left to the wayside as serialized cable television makes its progress, but that they could adapt and be as engaging as any prestige drama.
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Jan 2, 2017 20:23
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EL BROMANCE posted:3. People vs OJ / Made in America I can't count your post towards the final results unless you split these up I'm afraid
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Jan 2, 2017 20:45
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10. Game of Thrones It's just as flawed as it's ever been, if not more so in its old age, but there's still nothing like it on television and I'd be lying if I wasn't hooked on the sprawling narrative and can't wait to see how it turns out. 9. Brooklyn Nine Nine The show has gotten more slapstick this past year, but there's nothing inherently wrong with that other than it's a bit more hit-and-miss than it used to be. 8. Westworld Episodes 2-7ish were pretty slow and probably should have been condensed. But the first and last few episodes made up for the rest. It helped that I didn't keep up with the fan theories, so I was actually surprised by all the twists at the end. 7. Search Party The second time a scripted serialized comedy has kept me interested in its main narrative (see below for the first!). A great underrated gem that is easy to marathon over the course of a single weekend. 6. The Good Place The first time a scripted serialized comedy has kept me interested in its main narrative. Lots of great world-building details that a lesser show would ignore. 5. Lady Dynamite The biggest surprise of the year since I somehow didn't know this was coming until it showed up on Netflix one day. Very funny stuff with a great cast. 4. Better Call Saul This season was simply okay until the last few episodes which were super compelling and finally approached Breaking Bad levels of tension. Can't wait for next season. 3. Transparent Another strong season from one of the most consistent scripted shows on television. 2. Stranger Things Over the past few years I've developed a growing appreciation for how shows look and sound. So many "prestige" shows don't care about this-- the aesthetics are functional and designed to get out of the way of the show itself, rather than complementing it instead. That said, Stranger Things is (aesthetically) the best show I've seen in years, even if the underlying content of the show is simply "pretty good." 1. Survivor Two back-to-back great seasons of the show that were so good I was able to get 3 different friends into the show this year for the first time. If "serialized strategy-focused game show" sounds even remotely interesting to you and you've never watched before, do yourself a favor and watch the first episode next season. If you're anxious to watch something before them, either Season 32 or 33 are great jumping-in points. If you choose 33 to start with, though, I recommend watching at least the first two episodes-- the first episode is a little bit of a drag. And here are some shows I have watched but am not fully caught up on, but if I was they would very probably have made this list: Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Atlanta, Better Things, Angie Tribeca, Halt And Catch Fire, People of Earth, and The Americans. I have a lot of catching up to do!
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Jan 2, 2017 21:40
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10 Superstore, Season 1-2, NBC With apologies to Brooklyn 99, The Good Place, and even the late Parks & Rec, this is my favorite spiritual successor to The Office. The different dynamics in the "will they won't they" set it apart enough from Jim and Pam. And even though Dina is a pale-r imitation of Dwight, she's still one of the funniest characters on TV. I never laughed harder than the sight gag of her costume in the Halloween episodes. 9 Silicon Valley, Season 3, HBO Another great season of this show didn't disappoint. There really is no standout episode, moment, or cast member to me, it's all a hilarious blur. The ensemble is perfect, and so far each guest star has blended into the show perfectly. 8 Vice Principals, Season 1, HBO I was just mildly interested in the latest chapter of men behaving badly with Danny McBride until THAT part of the end of Episode 2. Then I was hooked for the ride for the rest of the 9 episodes. Walton Goggins also, as always, became the best part of a very talented cast. I really loved Shea Wigham's understated character that still managed to get huge laughs. The end of the season was another very sharp shock that has me hooked very hard to see the next half. 7 Stranger Things, Season 1, Netflix I've never even seen E.T. But I still found a lot to love here. Love to see a series that goes 8 episodes with all killer and no filler. The writing here was very tight and managed to give equal weight to all three storylines/groups, especially when they all converged in the ending. The next part of this is one of my most-anticipated shows of 2017. 6 Lethal Weapon, Season 1, FOX How did this get here? My hopes were pretty low going into this, even with a pretty open mind to all things remake. I also kind of feel bad rating and judging just 9 out of 20+ episodes. But gently caress it, I love this show. It's pretty stupid sometimes, but never goes over the line to outright bad and annoying. Clayne Crawford brings a surprising amount of depth to Riggs, and he's equally entertaining as the titular "Lethal Weapon" as he is a broken misanthrope. The supporting cast of cops, captain, family, and medical examiner are all really strong, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them as the show rolls on. 5 Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Seasons 1-2, The CW There's no other show like this on TV. There was Galavant and Glee, but this is really something different and special. Rachel Bloom has a unique vision that's more or less going unfiltered over broadcast, ratings be damned. Even if it was a little bit rough in the back part of season 1, this show is good even when it dips. 4 American Crime Story - The People v. OJ Simpson, FX The Other OJ Show couldn't measure up to reality, no matter how hard Ryan Murphy tried. It was still pretty great, and cemented its place as one of the best shows of the year with a handful of perfect moments - the Bronco chase revving up to "Sabotage", Clark holding court in a bar, the glove, and many others. "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" is deservedly showing up on many best episodes of the year list, and none other of the show's chapters had the singular focus on one character/aspect of the trial. 3 The Americans - Season 4, FX With so many slow-burning fuses, there were eventually going to be some huge bombs going off in The Americans' future. Metaphorical plot bombs, that is. I never dreamed nearly all of them would go off in the same season. This one kept me on the edge of my seat and watching each new episode as quickly as humanly possible. The acting is flawless, especially Dylan Baker joining for this season as a scientist integral to the Russians' plans. 2 Bojack Horseman - Season 3, Netflix The magnificent underwater episode, "Fish Out Of Water", was easily my favorite single episode of the year. Even without that, this was Bojack's strongest season yet. I love how deep the bench of characters is on this show. But they still constantly have amazing additions like Alexi Brosefino and Jurj Clooners. 1 OJ Simpson: Made In America - ESPN/ABC I went back and forth on including this. But in the end, I really think this worked better as a miniseries than 7+ hour film. Each part was distinct, and there was some good discussion and reaction to each piece and angle of the story. All that being said, this was just a tremendous documentary. One of my favorites of all time. Extremely brutal and hard-hitting, but never feeling manipulative or cheap. Honorable Mentions / Incomplete These are not necessarily 11-20, they're things I saw part of and loved. I fully intend on finishing them, but not enough time. I loved all of them enough to think they could possibly break into the bottom half of my top 10. C'est la vie. Angie Tribeca, Quarry, Pitch, Atlanta, Broad City, You're The Worst, The Get Down, Veep, The Exorcist, Better Call Saul, Lady Dynamite, Love, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Dishonorable Mentions I stopped watching all of these because they sucked, they got cancelled, or they sucked and were cancelled. The last one might be so bad it costs CBS $750,000,000. Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, Conviction, Designated Survivor, Pure Genius, Chelsea, Man With A Plan, The Tick, Speechless, The Case Of - Jon Benet Ramsey try the new taco place fucked around with this message at 08:15 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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10: The 100 - Season 3 This is probably lower on my list than it was last year, but that’s mostly because of how much good TV I’ve watcher, rather than a significant decrease in quality. While there were some frustrating narrative choices made, a lot of dope poo poo happened, and the stakes continue to climb. This is the most brutal YA poo poo there is and Clarke makes Katniss look like a cardboard cutout. 9: Travelers - Season 1 Another surprise, I ended up liking this show quite a bit. I think I like the concept of the show more than its execution. In a 12 episode season, it doesn’t really hit its stride until episode 7. If I wasn’t such a scifi genre junkie, I’m not sure I would have kept going with it through the first six episodes of mediocrity. It definitely has promise. I hope that there is a season 2, because I want to see more of the show that the last 6 episodes were part of. 8: The Good Place - Season 1 On a lighter note than just about everything else on my list, this was a big surprise. Lighthearted, yet subversive, The Good Place is loving funny. Kristen Bell plays a great terrible person and Ted Danson’s divine architect is the perfect mix of weird and genuine. Adam Scott showed up for a few episodes near the end of the season and absolutely killed it. 7: Longmire - Season 5 poo poo gets real. Walt Longmire is finally starting to show cracks. This season starts seriously asking if Walt’s grudge against Jacob Nighthorse is impairing his ability to do his job, and the answer seems to be yes. The only bad thing I have to say about this season is, like almost everyone else who watched it, the finale is, well, not. The next-to-last episode of the season is much more climactic than the last one, which basically feels like “tune in next season to see what happens”. Despite that, this is still one of my favorite non-procedural law enforcement dramas. 6: Chance - Season 1 I went into Chance with very low expectations. I’ve been a fan of Hugh Laurie since Jeeves and Wooster, but I couldn’t make it through all of House due to its procedural nature. So another show where he plays a doctor, albeit a psychiatrist this time, whose monosyllabic last name is the title of the show, did not jump out at me. But that’s all it has in common with House. Chance is a modern noir detective thriller. It’s based on a book, (or books?), and, like with Longmire, it shows. In a good way. It’s hard to describe, but it feels like watching a detective novel on the screen, in a way that so many police and detective dramas originally written for the screen do not. 5: Falling Water - Season 1 A diverse cast of lead characters and a commitment to portraying “dream logic” make this one of my favorite new shows. Falling Water is the type of show you would have expected to see alongside Flash Forward and The Event back when everyone was trying to be the next Lost. But Falling Water is actually good. Something about the way it portrays dreams really works for me. Definitely looking forward to season 2. 4: Mr. Robot - Season 2 While many criticized this season for losing its way, being slow, having a lot of filler, etc, it was great. Season 1 had strong characters, but also a very strong plot thread. I think a lot of people mistook it for being a plot-driven show. It is not. Season 2 has a plot, but it’s not the driving force. Some of the best episodes and moments of season 2 were decried by some as dumb bullshit. I felt the opposite. Season 2 spent a lot of time humanizing and fleshing out the characters, showing us how they were coping with the events of season 1 and how they were planning to move forward. 3: Stranger Things - Season 1 I couldn’t believe the hype. And yet when I did eventually watch this, it lived up to every bit of it. No complaints what-so-ever. Exceeded all expectations. My favorite detail was the “rear end in a top hat boyfriend” character turning out to be more than a 2-dimensional stereotype and actually being a decent guy, and, consequently, the girl not leaving him for the protagonist. Also, using D&D to describe to alternate dimension in ways the characters and audience would both understand is like, one of the best executions of that type of exposition ever. 2: 12 Monkeys - Season 2 I didn’t watch season 1 last year, I binged the whole thing this year. If you had told me last year that not only was 12 Monkeys going to be adapted into a series, but that it would be a really good series, and have one of the best treatments of “time travel” as a premise every in visual media, I would not have believed you. As a long-time Sarah Conner Chronicles apologist, the interesting time-travel ideas in SCC are blown out of the water by 12 Monkeys. But it’s not a show that gets bogged down in technicalities or whatever. 12 Monkeys is a well-written drama that uses time-travel as stand-in for religion in an amazing way. It’s also pretty accessible to the average viewer and has some pretty entertaining characters. 1: The Americans - Season 4 This show continues to prove that teenage characters in a serious drama can be done really well and don’t have to be terrible. The period aspect of this show is so effective. I can’t believe how well they capture the look and feel of the 80s and the cold war. Honorable Mentions: Vikings - Season 4 Part 1 Shut Eye Both of these are good, and Vikings is arguable better than the 100, but it's apples and oranges. Snak fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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