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Escobarbarian
Jun 18, 2004


Grimey Drawer
Is Fiasconauts really applicable? Stuff like Sex House I got because it was by Onion people, but just a random web show of people playing a board game? At the very least, this seems like a good opportunity to get clarification.

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Senerio
Oct 19, 2009

Ooh! Are we messing with Adora?



E: not worth arguing. My list is my list.

Senerio fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Dec 14, 2017

IRQ
Sep 9, 2001

SUCK A DICK, DUMBSHITS!

So basically a podcast that gets videoed counts as a tv show now?

Senerio
Oct 19, 2009

Ooh! Are we messing with Adora?



E: not worth arguing. My list is my list.

Senerio fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Dec 14, 2017

IRQ
Sep 9, 2001

SUCK A DICK, DUMBSHITS!

I'm not necessarily taking a position but that pretty drastically changes how I would put this list together.

Escobarbarian
Jun 18, 2004


Grimey Drawer
I guess Monster Factory is gonna be this year's #1

NieR Occomata
Jan 18, 2009

Glory to Mankind.

Any video series that airs in any form in the year 2017 counts.

If it can be nominated for an Emmy, it counts.

Escobarbarian
Jun 18, 2004


Grimey Drawer
ok in that case anyone not voting monster factory 1 is a fool

Senerio
Oct 19, 2009

Ooh! Are we messing with Adora?



You’re crazy. The real #1 is Colors Spider Man Vs Venom Joker Witch Scream Face killer Clown Superheroes Frozen Elsa Hulk.

Fast Luck
Feb 2, 1988

10) VIce Principals. Pretty hosed up and funny... not EB&D level poo poo but hell why not

9) the Leftovers. The final season gets a courtesy spot on my top ten on the back of a legendary season 2, even though to me it retread some gruond with relationship drama and hotel stuff, and I didnt like lindelofs finale that much.

8) Stranger Things. Not as strange anymore. Last year it was new and strange and i like things that surprise me but here I expected it and got it, a slightly worse version of last years with a dumb chicago episode.

7) Twin Peaks. a little too weird for its own good and I havent finished it yet, wqhich is just enough to earn it #7 on our top 10 countdown.

6) Better Call Saul. This isnt a show im in love with or anything but as you can see im not falling over raving about numbers 7 through 10... This show is just good enough to actually be good




5) Survivor. I always vote for this show and it's a good show. Too many idols and advantages are happening and also this show has been airing for 20 years, so otyher shows could easily surpass it actually... but only a few did this year. Bad job by the TV world for not beating this year of Survivor more, but thats just the way it is.




4) The Good Place. It's good and I moved it up even more after I rremembered the last segment of s1 episodes aired in 2017. It's still good even now, in s2. I dont know what other stuff to say about this except it is a lot of fun to watch. It moves at a fast pace and theres always cool new stuff happening and things that are funny



3) Rick and Morty. Everyone hates this show now and hell from some of the stuff ive heard tell about I can undestand that. But as someone who picked the season up halfway through because im just not that insane about rick and morty... Well, it was real good. the episode pictured above especially. Im PIckle rick lol




2) Patriot. The big thing these days is characters who are extremely depressed and want to kill their own selves. Thats not what I like about this show! what I like is the dark quirky humor of the sad CIA man singing folk songs about doing murders, and other jokes. Lots of storylines are woven together well. Theres some cutesy cinematography also and John Lakeman has a great sweater too




1) The young pope. I liked this show the most. and it's in the Sopranos tier because of how good it is. Just look at the picture above.. thats just one example of how good The young pope is. The Mods made a special rule to keep it down (anti-catholic bigotry) but as the Posters Code states, gently caress the mods! This pope is easily younger than the pope on any other show out there.

Not gonna rank these shows:
Game of Thrones: I really love this show but this season lost the plot a bit.
Black Mirror: Excellent show but it's not out yet adn I shan't be power watching it to try to do TVIV rankings.
Mr Robot: Still out there doing its thing. Still kind of ridiculous despite attempting to take itself seriously
Curb: Welcome back LD
Veep... probably a couple others

Escobarbarian
Jun 18, 2004


Grimey Drawer
I mean you've basically just ensured your list won't be counted by putting Young Pope in. Also the people who run this thread aren't mods.

Fast Luck
Feb 2, 1988

Well the thing is that the show that had its entire run in 2017 in my country, and thats seriously one of my favorite seasons of television of all time, I want to put it at the top of my list of 2017. I would have ranked it last year except it hadnt yet premiered here you see. So I hadnt seen it and I couldnt. Id suggest you count it instead of having uptight rules excluding it, since most all of its SA audience probably watched it on HBO where it aired in 2017, but hell thats not my call, and thats okay.

Spatula City
Oct 21, 2010

LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING
oh heck yeah it's that time of year. I haven't watched a ton of TV, but I've watched enough gold, poo poo, and everything in between to make a credible list.

10. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency - I don't know, maybe the finale will disappoint, and I'll drop this for something else, but 9/10 episodes through season 2, this show is like someone drilled a hole into my brain and found exactly the kind of TV I would want to watch, and then made it. It's not as propulsive as season 1, but season 1 ended up being about time travel, and like most time travel stories, the characters often ended up serving the plot rather than the other way around. In season 2, the show slows down, and takes its time showing the pieces before connecting them. More than that, it takes on an ensemble feel, with a genuine sense of camaraderie between Todd, Farrah, and the incompetent but totally lovable Sherlock Hobbs and Tina Tevetino. The show also expands on Amanda's character arc in great ways. and, some might argue with its decision to veer from science fiction to ludicrous fantasy, but the show justifies it well. also, the show has far better villains this season. I do have two complaints. Dirk Gently himself has been obnoxiously angsty most of the season. It makes sense, and Samuel Barnett plays it well, but it gets old fast. the other thing is how underused Bart has been, spending most of the season hanging out in a jail cell. both the holistic detective and the holistic assassin are at a crossroads, but I'm not sure the show gets it across well. Still, those don't detract from how fun and weird, and yet full of heart this show is.

9. Punisher - If you'd told me this would be one of my favorite shows of the year going in, I would never have believed you. It just seemed too easy for it to be a pro-gun celebration of good guys with guns killing bad guys with guns. But no! The showrunner and writers turned out to not be assholes. and beyond that, they turned out to be far better writers that almost any other writers for comic-book based series. It turns what could have been a simple revenge fantasy into a morally complicated tale about veterans, PTSD, and loyalty. Jon Bernthal is stellar, and gets more shades to play than you would expect. His Frank Castle is an open wound. There's rage and brutality, but there's also tenderness, loyalty to friends, a sense of honor and obligation, and despair that leaks into his voice at key moments, when he invites death, hopes for it as a reunion with the family he lost. It also establishes a strong supporting cast, with Ben Barnes a shocking highlight as a charming former buddy of Frank's that hides a darkness ever bit as black as Frank's behind his pretty face. It's only here at #9 because there's a detour involving a bomber that doesn't quite work, and seems to have been too neatly engineered to accomplish what the writers wanted in setting the tables for the endgame.

8. BoJack Horseman - Initially, having finished season 4, I was pretty positive on it. It wasn't bad, but it was missing that devastating moment we'd come to expect since season 1. but then I thought about it. This is the season that mostly takes a break from pushing BoJack through the ringer, and instead accomplishes two things - gives us insight into why BoJack is broken as a generational inheritance, and breaks everyone around BoJack (except Todd, bless his adorable asexual heart). This season ends not on BoJack sinking deeper, but on him finding a moment of grace in performing good actions with no expectation of reward. I think everyone will remember the two episodes that flash back to the childhood and young adulthood of BoJack's mom, and even Princess Caroline's sad coping mechanism, but the most devastating thing in the series is the episode-by-episode disintegration of Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter's marriage. It's not the jagged pain of so many of BoJack's terrible gently caress-ups, but a slow-motion trainwreck.
BoJack is also a really funny show, and I feel I should mention the build-up and insane payoff of clown dentistry, the incisive commentary of "Thoughts and Prayers", and everything involving Jessica Biel (guest star MVP).

7. American Gods - Kind of like Hannibal in its most abstract moments, American Gods is more interested in exploring landscapes of emotions and ideas than in anything as mundane as "plot". Your mileage may vary on this, but for me, the beauty of the imagery, the sheer go-for-brokeness of it all made for a rich experience unlike anything else on TV. Ian McShane is one of the best castings of a book character for a screen adaptation ever. Can you even read the book now and not see him and hear his voice? I can't, anyway. Some people complained that Shadow wasn't just the silent sadsack of the novel, but what works in a book doesn't work in a show. Ricky Whittle brings the sense that life has repeatedly pissed on Shadow, but also a sense of humor, and naivete, like a puppy that keeps getting kicked and goes on anyway. I could go on about Emily Browning, Pablo Schreiber, Gillian Anderson, Orlando Jones, Chris Obi, Peter Stormare, Cloris Leachman, and Corbin Bernsen, but sufficed to say, this series has on-point casting to match its on-point visuals or writing. So what if it doesn't really arrive at any particular point? The roadside attractions are amazing.

6. The Vietnam War - Well, I think this was a grand old fun time, a swing through an interesting period of history about an American War. oh wait. oh no. noooooo.
In seriousness, this is one of the most depressing, and most vital things I've seen in years. It's a must-watch for anyone that wants to know more, and even for people who don't. I want to go all Ludovico with this series on people that are enthusiastic about sending Our Boys into more foreign entanglements. Nothing has changed. Nothing has been learned. The first episode is Deja Vu, and it's structured around how the US made identical mistakes to the French military. A future Iraq War documentary could cut between US mistakes in Vietnam and Iraq and draw the same line. Stupidity, arrogance, rabid anti-communism, macho posturing, and cynical political calculation are on display. That motherfucker Lyndon Johnson. that absolute shitbag Richard Nixon.
The best thing about it, though, is that the show isn't just about Americans in Vietnam. A huge percentage of the series shows us the stories of the North and South Vietnamese, with eyewitness accounts and narration about the decisions of both militaries and the Viet Cong given equal importance.
Initially, the soundtrack seems too obvious, wall-to-wall with pop, rock, protest songs, and such. and then one episode ends in brutal fashion with Paint It Black, and everything slides into place.
Ken Burns and Lynn Novick haven't just created a great historical document, but a warning for the future. I fear it will be ignored. :smith:

5. Dear White People - I loved the film this was based on, so I was initially confused why this needed to be a series, and then I realized that what did dissatisfy me with the original film was that in some ways it felt like a TV pilot that would never get a series order. The series, I am happy to say, far exceeds the film that spawned it. It somehow manages to be funny, dramatic, profound, and political, while never feeling as didactic as the film sometimes did. The absolute highlight is the Reggie episode, directed by Barry Jenkins, of Moonlight fame. People will always mention the ending, but forget how meaningful it is in the context of the episode's study of who Reggie is. Reggie was sort of a side character in the film that always got short shrift, and seems to be that way in the show for a while, too. But the episode shows us his many layers, his friends, his political feelings, so that when that ending hits, it hits like a sledgehammer, and its fallout lends the rest of the series plot and character momentum.
I have more to say, but maybe I'll edit it in.

4. Legion - I just want to make this entirely gifs of Aubrey Plaza in the show. Can I do that? No. OKAY FINE. This is one of two brilliant Noah Hawley shows this year, and while some more conventional moments in the back stretch make it #2 in my eyes, that doesn't diminish it that much. It's an X-Men show, but not as we know it. Somehow it manages to touch on many of the same themes as other X-Men stories, but through a psychedelic, topsy-turvy lens. I mentioned Aubrey Plaza, who is INCREDIBLE. Dan Stevens proves his turn in The Guest was no fluke with his complex performance, and Rachel Keller expands upon the promise she showed in Fargo season 2. not to mention JEMAINE loving CLEMENT. yeaaaaaah. Okay, my brain is breaking trying to talk about this, which honestly seems appropriate. Aubrey Plaza as a silent movie monster will haunt my nightmares. Special highlight for Hamish Linklater's turn in the first and last episodes of the season.

3. Fargo - In season 3, Noah Hawley swerved in ways that upset and irritated many fans of the previous seasons. But at this point, does he care? the third season of Fargo is not meant to comfort, to provide any sense of justice, any sense that there is order or rightness. Society is sinking into chaos, slowly, bleeding like Varga's gums. I think perhaps some were turned off by how directly Fargo was confronting the problems facing America. The sense that innocence has been lost, that people can no longer believe in justice, even that God is watching out for us. In season 3, God himself may have intervened, but to little avail. Is God Minsky?
Fargo turned also to confront late-stage capitalism. Varga IS modern capitalism, whether any viewers want to admit it. Why does he binge and purge?
Isn't that what the system does now?
He systematically infests and destroys Emmitt Stussy's self-made business, in a manner that has played out in real life with businesses all over the world (albeit usually without so much death). ultimately Varga's scheme is mundane, but that's the point. Drab, anonymous monsters like Varga are more realistic evils than, say, Lorne Malvo.
at the end, Hawley refuses to provide us closure. Because he doesn't know how the story ends any more than we do. He wants each of us to ask ourselves how much we still believe that good will triumph over evil, how much we still believe the systems that are supposed to serve us still do.

2. American Vandal - #whodrewthedicks
This isn't merely a parody of true crime documentary series. by the end it becomes something more complex and more moving than that. It's about teenagers now, technology, judgment, the act of investigative journalism and its consequences, and how labels put on kids can destroy their lives. I could write an entire thesis about this loving show, and maybe I will before the deadline. but sufficed to say, this is one of the shows of 2017. You have to watch it. Go watch it now.

1. The Good Place - If I could write a thesis about American Vandal, I could write a book about The Good Place. But I have to work soon, and I wanted to finish the post before that, so I'll just say it's a consistently funny show that also manages great character development, the plot moves like an ostrich with its butt on fire, and the acting, in particular from Ted Danson, is sooooo gooooood.
Also it's a terrific exploration of ethics. MORE LATER.

Issaries
Sep 15, 2008

"Negotiations were going well. They were very impressed by my hat." -Issaries the Concilliator"
Another year, another list.
Honorable mentions: Sense8 (RIP), You Me Her (Good smut), Brooklyn 99 (Still funny).

____________________________________________________________________________________

10 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

“Women really can be anything except president and late night hosts.”

Season 3 and Kimmy Schmidt is still funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwiVPkwY2ZE

____________________________________________________________________________________

9 Glow

"Sometimes you have to trick yourself into having a good time.
Just pretend you’re having the best time in the world, and then maybe you will."


Gorgeous ladies of Wrestling oh yeah! Nice Netflix show about 80:s wrestling promotion.
Alison brie is awesome. Wrestling is awesome. the 80:s was awesome.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZqDO6cTYVY

____________________________________________________________________________________

8 American Gods

"You work for me now. You protect me. You transport me from place to place. You run errands.
In an emergency, but only in an emergency, you hurt people who need to be hurt.
In the unlikely event of my death, you will hold my vigil. And in return I shall make sure that your needs are adequately taken care of."


Based on book by Neil Gaiman, it's a show about American mythology and mix of tales from around the world and how they arrived to the new world.
It's also about Ian McShane chewing scenery and being mysterious.
Also about Gay efreet, a deadwife and the worlds most unluckiest leprachaun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBkoG-8E-2w

____________________________________________________________________________________

7 Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events

"I should think at least a fraction of your unhappiness will turn to excitement when you meet this man.
I know he's certainly very eager to meet you. And he's employed as an actor, so you know his excitement is genuine.
His name is Count Olaf."


Another series based on books. Very sad sad tale about 2 orphans, their misfortunes and multitude of inept/insane legal guardians they must endure/survive.
Neil Patrick Harris really hams it up as Count Olaf.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tup-5yOcJuM

____________________________________________________________________________________

6 The Good Place

"I've only ever said, “I love you” to two people. Stone Cold Steve Austin, and a guy in a dark club who I mistook for Stone Cold Steve Austin"

People living happy afterlives after a life of selflessness, except they're all miserable up there and none of them actually deserved to be in a good place.
Hijinks ensued. Now on season 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDnO4nDA3kM

____________________________________________________________________________________

5 Blue planet 2

“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement;
the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest.
It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”


Another BBC nature documentary by David Attenborough. This he returns to the Oceans ecosystem, where his soothing voice and insightful commentary
brings the cinematography even more alive. Lot of good moneyshots as usual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgNKnljfuYY

____________________________________________________________________________________

4 Crazy ex-Girlfriend

I'm going to mail him my poop but pretend it is cupcakes.

This musical series is on its 3rd season and still going strong. Last season she got dumped on altar for Jesus and now she is on warpath.
Quality stuff and quality music numbers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEhTmETAt9A

____________________________________________________________________________________

3 Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

"Did I make some mistakes? Yes. Did I only make mistakes? …Yes. But did it all work out? Kind of!"

The show is about Dirk Gently and his holistic mystery solving. Last season they solved a mystery of Shark Attack in a top-floor hotel room.
This season the mission is simple. "Find the boy." No other clues, but that's ok, because holistic detecting is not about clues or logic.
It's about poo poo happening until you solve the mystery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBk6BHGcD68

____________________________________________________________________________________

2 Legion

It's sweet, really. They think they can save you."

It's a superhero story set in faux-70's. It's an artsy take on a mentally ill mutant Legion and his struggles with his own mind, powers and
secret government organization. This show is simply beautiful, artistic and just plain weird.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDYCXjZq4nY

____________________________________________________________________________________

1 The Orville

"My God, we gotta get better people."

My favourite show of the year. It's a modern take on classic the next generation era Star Trek, by the showrunner Seth MacFarlane.
It's an optimistic, inspirational and funny show about a better future. a Future where Midclass ship USS Orville is crewed by average
people doing their best and having hour long scifi adventures in spirit of Star Trek.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaVLnWSZY5A

____________________________________________________________________________________

Compared to last year I have 6 new shows, 3 returning show that all are ranked worse and yet another David attenborough serial.

nate fisher
Mar 3, 2004

We've Got To Go Back
This is by far the toughest ‘best of’ list I ever had to do. 2017 was an amazing year.

Honorable Mentions: The Good Place (watching Better Things this month bumped it off my top 10), The Expanse, GLOW, American Gods, Mindhunter, Girls, and Ozark.

Biggest Disappointment - Fargo Season 3 . It wasn't bad (I love Carrie Coon), but it was quite the drop-off from season 1 and 2 (which were top 10).

Top 10 of 2017

10 – Future Man
Quality wise this doesn’t deserve to be in my top 10 or even my top 15. That said no show made me laugh harder and Wolf is such a great character. The Operation: Fatal Attraction and Beyond the Truffledome episodes alone puts this in my top 10.



9 – Love
I am starting to feel frustration about some of the decisions the characters make, but in the end it fits the characters. I just hope they try some new things in 2018 with Gus and Mickey. Also it feels like this season aired like 3 years ago.



8 – Legion
Pink Floyd, Dan Stevens (who is becoming one of my favorite actors since The Guest), Mutants, and Noah Hawley. It works even better than I thought it would.



7 – The Handmaid’s Tale
After I finished this show I was for sure it would be in top 2 or 3, but the further I got from it the more it dropped. Now I don't feel as strong about the show as I was once did (I wonder if I watched at the first of the year if it would have made my top 10), but that could also be due to how strong 2017 was. Also Elisabeth Moss please leave that crazy cult you are part of in real life. Thanks.

6 – Mr. Robot
Season 3 was everything that season 2 should have been. If you dropped the show during season 2, you need to give it a second look. It might not be my #1, but man does it scratch that 'what the hell is going on' LOST itch.



5 – Master of None
I watched the seasons back to back this year, and I am still shocked how good this show is. I thought it would be my best show of the year, but my final 4 shows happen.

4 – Better Things
Another show I binged watched season 1 and 2 back to back. Once I got to the Eulogy episode (season 2 episode 6) I knew it would make my top 5.



3 – The Leftovers
This is one of the best shows of the last 10 years (season 2 was as close to perfection as I have seen in years), but season 3 suffered a hair due to being shorten. I hate that we missed out on time with certain characters due to this. Still that is the only negative comment I could up with for this masterpiece.



2 – Halt & Catch Fire
This might be the most criminally under watched show since The Wire (yes even more than The Leftovers). I will miss every one of these characters, and thank you AMC for sticking with the show. This is how you end a show (the closest someone has come to that SFU final season feeling for me). Not making this show #1 was the toughest decision I made on this list.



1 – Patriot It sucks how the critics and viewers have ignored this show. That might be part of the reason why I put this show above Halt, but the true reason is I feel like this show was made for me. It just fits me. Trying to describe this show to my friends in attempts to get them to watch it is hard to do. So I will just say watch this drat show. A speical thanks to Couch Chat thread for recommending it.

nate fisher fucked around with this message at 20:16 on Dec 21, 2017

Shneak
Mar 6, 2015

A sad Professor Plum
sitting on a toilet.
10 Bob’s Burgers | “So let's do it. We'll have a normal day where we don't think about cat food at all.”
I always enjoy it when Fox ends a football game on time and decided to let one of these tapes leave the basement and show on TV. And this year they released a 100+ song album and started a movie. It will probably have a spot in the top ten until it’s over.

9 RuPaul’s Drag Race | “Don’t joke about that.”
The best decision I made this year was getting into this community. Starting with All-Stars 2 is bizarre but it did its job, and I may have enjoyed the cast of S9 just as much? My last remaining brain cells are just being used as a rolodex of drag queen quotes because they’re the funniest people alive.

8 Schitt’$ Creek |
“Is the bad news that there is no good news? My aunt used to play this game with me a lot.”
A comedy about a rich family that lost everything and is forced to move to a eerily similar imitation of my hometown with Catherine O’Hara and Dan Levy is exactly my poo poo.
I can’t believe I slept on this for three years.

7 Game of Thrones | “I have to die in this strange country, just like you.”
This show has become so so dumb and clearly everyone involved wants it to be over. The writing is riddled with holes, the pacing is rushed, there’s no standout acting from this season—but some of the blockbuster bullshit delivered and delivered well.

6 Broad City | “I am Leanne! You are Leanne ! We are Leanne!”
My go-to comedy to serve me for my sense of humour. I appreciate that the show is adapting to more of a narrative dramedy approach more so than other fans—though it for sure is losing its surreal escapism and becoming ‘too real.’ S4 was almost consistently incredible though and if Abbi and Ilana actually submitted for award shows they could win more than a mention on TVIV.

5 Veep | “We are going to drag this state into the 20th century.”
I watched from the very beginning through the up-to-date season earlier this year. It’s interesting to see how the quality of the show rises and falls when it’s all in sequence (and just how evil Selena is). S3 and S4 were definitely the best of the show and the most recent season suffered from a common complaint of mine—dividing the cast. I want to see JLD kick cancer’s rear end and then get into surreally uncomfortable political scenes one last time.

4 Attack on Titan | “If there’s such a thing as fate I can only laugh at how fickle it can be.”
It’s unfortunate that this took three years to make, but let’s be honest: I started reading the manga as soon as S1 ended because of impatience. This was more of a dessert of quality animation than a dinner experience. And the best part of a long hiatus is that you forget everything that happens anyway and you’re still surprised by the plot.

3 Orphan Black | “I have a glass eye, no friends, and no identity unless I want to be found. Leaves little room for elitism.”
More of a body-of-work accolade than for the season. I was bored by the first half of the season, let the second half rest, binged it all at once for this list and loved it.
I truly hope Tatiana Maslany’s career doesn’t peak with her 267 roles and that she’s not off my TV screen for long.

2 Stranger Things 2 | “Don’t you think it’s weird? How we only seem to hang out when the world’s about to end?”
Ironically I feel like I have a grandiose nostalgia for season one. Season 2 is just as good when it did what S1 did best and kept the ensemble together, despite individual talents.
Giving an Emmy nomination to Millie Bobby Brown for S1 was cute and all, but she really earned it—any scene of her with David Harbour was incredible.

and my favourite show of the year, everyone put your hands together for...



1 Riverdale | “But when we woke up the next morning, Riverdale was still, at its heart, a haunted town.”
We’re in the golden age of TV but I haven’t had as much fun watching TV like this in a long time. It goes so hard for no reason. 50% of the time it’s so dumb I can’t look away and the other 50% I’m completely invested. Every character is doing the absolute most at all times. Everyone is hot. Everyone has an unchecked mental illness. Everyone’s an rear end in a top hat. It’s incredible.

Shneak fucked around with this message at 07:48 on Dec 22, 2017

Yer Burnt
Feb 26, 2007

nate fisher posted:


9 – Love
I am starting to feel frustration about some of the decisions the characters make, but in the end it fits the characters. I just hope they try some new things in 2018 with Gus and Mickey. Also it feels like this season aired like 3 years ago.



Does this show reference Flavor of Love or something?

Shneak posted:



1 Riverdale | “But when we woke up the next morning, Riverdale was still, at its heart, a haunted town.”
We’re in the golden age of TV but I haven’t had as much fun watching TV like this in a long time. It goes so hard for no reason. 50% of the time it’s so dumb I can’t look away and the other 50% I’m completely invested. Every character is doing the absolute most at all times. Everyone is hot. Everyone has an unchecked mental illness. Everyone’s an rear end in a top hat. It’s incredible.

The Riverdale love so far is well deserved and a bit surprising because it's so easily dismissible as ridiculous trash until you realize that's what they're going for.

nate fisher
Mar 3, 2004

We've Got To Go Back

Yer Burnt posted:

Does this show reference Flavor of Love or something?

No, but it came up when I googled Love season 2, and I couldn't resist.

BSam
Nov 24, 2012

10 channel zero



gently caress max landis, but he was only ep on this show so i allowed myself to watch it.
it was a loving stupid idea to bring creepy pasta to the screen but the feel of the show is creepy enough that i think it worked

9 black mirror



The new season isn't out, and I haven't seen it yet, but if I write this now I won't have to quickly do up a list once it comes out.
Let's just say that 1/3 of it will be amazing, 1/3 pretty good and 1/3 not that great after all.

8 red dwarf



since this show has been brought back on Dave it's been funny, but average. it's only this latest season that's reached the nostalgic heights of the show i grew up with. welcome back red dwarf

7 League of Gentlemen



this show just came back for a 20 year anniversary 3 episode season, and halfway through the first episode it starts getting pretty fantastic. not quite as amazing as the christmas special or season 3, but better than that loving film

6 crazy ex girlfriend



i always loved this show, but the moment at the end of the episode when she's on a plane made this loving cry and identify and it really hit me.

5 my brother my brother and me



i am horny for this show, the last episode with the candlenights stuff wasn't great, but pretty much everytime they annoy the mayor, safety town, kiss your father square on the lips.

4 taskmaster



we've had one amazing season of this, plus the champion of champions special and it was glorious, i always laugh at this show and love all the comedians involved in it.

3 The Chris Gethard Show



this show has more heartfelt moments in each episode than every other show does in total
it's beautiful

2 dr who



i can't not put this on my list, even when it wasn't amazing it would top my list. but this years season with Bill was actually pretty amazing for almost every episode. i'm sad capaldi and bill are leaving, but bring on the lady doctor

BUT this wasn't my number one show this year.









1 inhumans



YES

BSam fucked around with this message at 08:29 on Dec 31, 2017

Rocksicles
Oct 19, 2012

by Nyc_Tattoo

You are dead to me

BSam
Nov 24, 2012

Rocksicles posted:

You are dead to me

<3

ShakeZula
Jun 17, 2003

Nobody move and nobody gets hurt.

10. The Punisher
Before watching this show I would have never predicted it finding a place on my list. I’ve been a big fan of most of the Netflix Marvel offerings, and like many I loved Bernthal’s portrayal of Frank Castle on Daredevil, so I expected to enjoy myself. What I didn’t expect was that between the over-the-top violence and snarling anti-heroics, the show would spend a ton of its real estate exploring the struggles faced by modern soldiers, and the different ways (successful and otherwise) that men conditioned to be perfect instruments of warfare adapt to life in peacetime. That surprising depth was enough for The Punisher to edge out a few other shows that were closely in the mix for my last spot.

9. The Good Place
This show has kind of an unfair advantage over others, since the back half of its first season (featuring one of the better sitcom season finales I can recall) and the first half of its second season (where the fallout of that finale is explored in brilliant fashion) both aired this year. It’s tough for comedies to make my list due to the fact that they don’t tend to stick with me as firmly or as long as good dramas, but this is an exception. Further proof that Michael Schur is some kind of sitcom wizard.

8. Marvelous Mrs Maisel
A late arrival in the year and a surprise addition to my list. I never watched the pilot when it originally came out during its Amazon pilot season, and I really only gave it a shot because of the goon praise and when I learned that it was an Amy Sherman-Palladino show (I’m an unapologetic lover of Gilmore Girls and Bunheads). By the time I finished watching it (a feat I accomplished in one sitting, mind you) my only complaint was that there was only eight episodes to watch. Just outstanding.

7. Stranger Things 2
The first season topped a lot of people’s lists last year, and for good reason. I was a big fan of that first season and like many I was skeptical about whether going back to the same characters for the sequel (versus anthology style) was the right decision, since the first season felt like a complete story and I couldn’t see it being continued without damaging what came before. As it turns out, I was wrong. This season delivered more of everything I loved about the first, and to top it off it actually provided the perfect ending I didn’t even know I had been missing.

6. Game of Thrones
A controversial and polarizing season (for like the third year in a row, it seems), but another year where GoT delivers on the big moments and proceeds toward its endgame in captivating and thrilling fashion. It’s hard to say too much without just plagiarizing my previous year-end lists, so I’ll just say that as long as this show maintains its quality it is among the very best of television.

5. The Americans
That last thing I just said about GoT? It applies here as well. Since its first episode The Americans has distinguished itself through nearly-flawless execution. This season was no different, as the show brought Philip closer to the limits of his commitment and presented Elizabeth with the greatest test to her own resolve, while simultaneously dodging some narrative pitfalls and mining gold from some unexpected sources.

4. Mr Robot
I’m not one of those who believe Season 2 of Mr Robot was a significant step down from the first, but I do think it lost some of its magic as the scope widened from Eliot’s mind to the supporting cast. However you feel about S2, though, it’s undeniable that this season was a return to form. The performances were rock-solid, characters new and old were more dynamic than ever, and the plot moved along at a crisp pace. Maybe the best season of the show to date.

3. Patriot Even after watching this show, I had no expectation of it landing this highly on my list. It was funny, sure, and the drama was effective. The performances were good and the Coen-style vibe it cultivated was memorable. I liked it. But months afterward, even as I burned through many of the other shows on this list and the countless that didn’t make the cut, something about Patriot stuck with me. It’s one of the few new shows this year I’ve considered for a rewatch (though ultimately my to-watch list is too long to justify it). I still find myself bringing up the Charles Grodin song on Youtube, and thinking back to some of the stranger and more beautiful moments in this sad, funny, amazing show. Now there is no question that it belongs here, and with only two shows I’d rank higher.

2. Legion
This was a weird and incredible season of television. Nothing on TV this year beat it for distinct and interesting visuals and offbeat storytelling. No other show veered as effectively from screwball comedy to genuine horror, and did so without losing its identity. Just an excellent showcase for everyone involved, and a near-perfect execution of an extremely difficult storytelling experiment.

1. The Leftovers
This was quite simply the best season of television that I watched this year. Coming off a second season that I would probably put on my Mt Rushmore of TV seasons, this one had a tough act to follow. But, as I should have expected from everything that had come before, The Leftovers cleared that bar and delivered a phenomenal final season. It was at times hilarious, at times heartbreaking, it was beautiful and cruel and moving and inspired, and it all culminated in what I consider to be an All-Time Top 5 series finale. No other show had a chance at this spot this year, and for that I will make no apologies.

And More
Jun 19, 2013

How far, Doctor?
How long have you lived?

Honourable Mentions
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Good, if somewhat slow-paced, adaptation of the novels. I kind of wish they made the episodes just as long as they needed to be. The current two-parters just feel a bit sluggish.

Castlevania
Warren Ellis does Castlevania. It's an astonishingly good adaptation. Once they actually get to the meat of the story, this show will easily make it to my top ten.

Star Trek: Discovery
After a hokey start, the half-season finale actually manages to be very good. Hopefully, they'll find their footing in the second half.


Top 10 of 2017
10. Dark
Dark had to be on the list, mainly because it‘s a German show with a decent sci-fi premise. It‘s like encountering a unicorn: You’ve got to appreciate it for the sheer novelty. Of course, it also helped that Dark is genuinely good. The show combines brooding crime fiction and time travel. While the plot is somewhat convoluted, it all works fairly well in practice. Some of the stylistic choices (such as refusing to let any character use an umbrella ever) are a bit silly, but it‘s not a big deal. What really carried me through was the excellent soundtrack. You're really onto something, when I actively decide against pressing the Skip intro-button on Netflix just because I like the song.

9. Riverdale
Riverdale is goofy fun. At first, I watched it because it looked like a Twin Peaks ripoff, but it‘s actually just a super serious and hilarious teen thriller soap. The creators are unrelentingly earnest in their dedication to this shlock. While the show isn‘t exactly good in any objective sense, it's still highly entertaining. Additionally, I‘m learning a little bit about American pop culture, since Archie never got big in Europe. (The podcast Sex Archie is a great supplemental learning tool.)

8. Dirk Gently‘s Holistic Detective Agency
In typical Dirk Gently fashion, this season is absolutely insane. There are wizards, shapeshifters, crazy evil mercenaries and scissor-wielding knights. It‘s just fun to watch the insanity unfold. The really great thing about the show is that it‘s actually not that difficult to keep track of the plot. Despite all the seemingly disparate elements and characters, everything forms a very cohesive whole by the end. It‘s not exactly high-brow entertainment. Just an exercise in good storytelling.

7. Mindhunter
The major draw of Mindhunter is that the protagonist is a real optimist, hoping to truly understand criminals. Cinematography, acting and soundtrack are all great, but I wouldn‘t have made it past the first episode if the protagonist was just some pessimistic piece of poo poo. It‘s usually really tough for me to sit through detailed descriptions of all the horrible things humans can do to each other. Here, I was feeling more hopeful in some way. Looking at the acts of serial killers is a necessary evil if we want to understand human nature. Of course, the heroes mess up somewhere along the way, but that initial spark still carries you through to the end.

6. Better Call Saul
Yeah, it's probably better than Breaking Bad. I love the deliberate slow pacing, and the intense focus on character development. Sometimes it even gets hard to watch because I'm so invested in the characters. I don‘t want to see them get hurt. The steady quality of this show also means I have a harder time being all that excited about it. It‘s good television, but that‘s to be expected.

5. American Gods
In any other year, this would have easily made it to second place, but American Gods just isn‘t as exciting as some of these other shows. Despite the crazy premise, it‘s actually more of a relaxed road movie with occasional moments of gorgeous Hannibal-style violence (and people getting hit in the nuts). The soundtrack is great, the acting is amazing, and it all looks very beautiful. I particularly loved Gillian Anderson‘s appearance as David Bowie. It‘s a fantastic tribute to one of the greatest musicians of all time. "Oh, you pretty thing, you."

4. Doctor Who
After the rather bleak series 8 and 9, the Doctor‘s new companions Bill and Nardole help the show feel a bit more cheery again. Peter Capaldi is, as always, an absolute delight to watch. This time around, the story is less convoluted, too, giving the characters and their interactions room to breathe. The finale gets a bit more serious, but still retains a sense of hope. No matter how cheesy it can be, I always enjoy Doctor Who, particularly when it manages to capture that sense of adventure well.

3. Channel Zero
The latest season of Channel Zero is set in a House of Leaves-style psychological nightmare mansion. It’s not particularly scary, but the whole show just oozes atmosphere. They manage to work miracles on a shoestring budget. Lots of creepy sets, practical effects and slow pans. Performances are generally pretty hokey, but I think it just adds to the uneasy feeling. This, of course, excludes John Carrol Lynch's performance. He is the highlight of every scene. I’ll be damned if I didn’t cry a little by the end. I was also pleased to see that Rover from British cult classic The Prisoner is still getting work. :v:

2. Babylon Berlin (S1 & 2)
Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) is not exactly my favourite director, but he really nails the setting in this show. From the perspective of Charlotte Ritter who works both as a typist for the police and as a sex worker, you get to see the Berlin of 1929 from all sides. Sure, technically Gereon is the protagonist, but who really cares. Charlotte is way more interesting. At times, the story gets a little melodramatic (especially the Gretchen storyline). All of that doesn‘t matter, however. When the plotlines converge in the tense finale, it just clicks.

1. Twin Peaks
David Lynch and Mark Frost return to blow everyone‘s minds with an 18-hour masterpiece. Performances, soundtrack, editing, pacing: it‘s all slightly off in the best way possible. Laugh in bewilderment as agent Cooper sleepwalks through most of the show while his sinister doppelgänger runs free. Stare in awe, as the camera slowly dives into the centre of a nuclear explosion. And maybe have a good cry when listening to Hawk's final conversation with Margaret Lanterman. „Good night, Margaret. Goodbye, Margaret.“

The show switches seamlessly between oppressive horror, slapstick humour, crushing sadness and heartwarming exuberance. Sometimes scenes will be crucial to the overarching narrative, but there are just as many completely tangential moments. Lynch saved up every single idea he had over the last 25 years, and just went nuts with them. Admittedly, at times, it‘s not an easy sit. However, that's also what makes it special. Twin Peaks‘ third and probably final season is, without a doubt, the most rewarding and unique experience on television. drat good TV. And hot!

achillesforever6
Apr 23, 2012

psst you wanna do a communism?
Huh guess everyone is waiting till the last minute to release their lists?

And More
Jun 19, 2013

How far, Doctor?
How long have you lived?

achillesforever6 posted:

Huh guess everyone is waiting till the last minute to release their lists?

Maybe people are genuinely waiting until they've watched Black Mirror. The deadline has been extended to January 8. Not that this is reflected in the OP at all.

GobiasIndustries
Dec 14, 2007

Lipstick Apathy

achillesforever6 posted:

Huh guess everyone is waiting till the last minute to release their lists?

I recently binged through a couple shows over this holiday season so I'm having a tough time narrowing things down to 10 :ohdear:

Zaggitz
Jun 18, 2009

My urges are becoming...

UNCONTROLLABLE

It's just a matter of not having free time in my case, should be able to crank something out tomorrow night if I'm lucky.

Regy Rusty
Apr 26, 2010

I want to watch Black mirror and Travelers S2 but we'll see what I get to by the 8th

Escobarbarian
Jun 18, 2004


Grimey Drawer
I still have way more stuff to catch up on than I’d like to admit but I’ll definitely have something up before the deadline.

Problematic Pigeon
Feb 28, 2011
My top 4 are pretty much set but everything below that is in constant flux. I thought I had it figured out and then I watched Mrs Maisel and it's a mess again. I'll finish mine this weekend. I think.

Rarity
Oct 21, 2010

~*4 LIFE*~
I was waiting for Black Mirror.

It's not even making the list :negative:

BSam
Nov 24, 2012

i already put it on my list, now i've watched it i'm gonna keep it there

Jerusalem
May 20, 2004

Would you be my new best friends?

I’m on holiday and only get a little bit of online time in a day, I have a basic list made up but outside of the objectively correct #1 spot being Twin Peaks I am really struggling to finalize an order. Will try to get it done before New Years.

Escobarbarian
Jun 18, 2004


Grimey Drawer

Rarity posted:

I was waiting for Black Mirror.

It's not even making the list :negative:

I fuckin called this (not specifically about you Rarity)

Issaries
Sep 15, 2008

"Negotiations were going well. They were very impressed by my hat." -Issaries the Concilliator"
I just made a list and was ready to edit it, if Doctor Who Christmas special was any good.
It wasn't.

It's always fun to see what great shows I should try.
Last years haul was the Good Place and Dirk Gently's holistic detective agency.

Jerusalem
May 20, 2004

Would you be my new best friends?

I ran out of time to watch The Leftovers before the thread wraps up, but I am looking forward to getting to watch it all in the new year.

NieR Occomata
Jan 18, 2009

Glory to Mankind.

Jerusalem posted:

I ran out of time to watch The Leftovers before the thread wraps up, but I am looking forward to getting to watch it all in the new year.

ugh

waiting on BM season 4 was the correct move, overall, imo.

bagrada
Aug 4, 2007

The Demogorgon is tired of your silly human bickering!

I'm trying to get this in while I have time so forgive my overuse of "was great".

Shows I didn't get around to in time for this that might have made the list: Sense8, Mindhunter, Travelers, Dirk Gently (now cancelled?)

Honorable Mention:

Survivor - I'm still watching every episode with Grandpa but neither of us like the show's focus on issues lately. Not at all to disparage the people involved or their very real experiences, it just feels crass that Survivor is spending so much focus on it for their own benefit. I guess I agree the issues could use some spotlighting (ptsd, family deaths, trans issues, working mothers), but spending so much time on it in the editing doesn't sit right with us. It's like the difference between characters in a tv show eating Subway without comment and those same characters turning to the camera and saying "Man this Subway sandwich is so delicious" "I think I'll run out and get a tasty Subway sandwich of my own!". That said, Dish TV cancelled CBS for a few days in contract disputes so Grandpa decided we'd watch Jack and Ozzy Osbourne travel the US so I got a whole new appreciation for Survivor again.

Stranger Things - It had its moments, I really wanted to like this (see my avatar), but the new season just didn't click with me. The bits that felt like testing the waters for an x-men/gifted spinoff didn't help but that wasn't all of it.

Agents of Shield - It is still good and a show I look forward to. As someone said breaking the season up into smaller story arcs helped a lot.

Runaways - love the music and most of the actors, they are doing a great job with it but 8 episodes in not much running away has happened. Like if season 1 of Lost was just the flashbacks and then the season finale cliffhanger is they crash on the island. But I read the comics so that is coloring my experience. And the season isn't over yet.

American Gods - I liked it, both the main plot and the coming to america stories but it is taking too long getting through the book and now Fuller's gone (asked for too big a budget?) I'll watch season 2 but Fuller needs to figure out what he's doing wrong with all these shows where either he or the show are kaput after too short a time.

Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Rachel Brosnahan and Tony Shalhoub are great. The show looks amazing and is funny. I watched this after all the goon praise and it lived up to the hype.

Top Ten
10 Happy
Sorry Midge but I gotta give #10 to Happy after watching the latest episode with the real housewives knockoff, the show is hosed up and fun and Stabler is having a blast.

9 The Good Place
This alongside Lucifer is my "I'm surprised these are on tv with no noticable outcry" shows, remembering the 80s and 90s. Wonderful casts especially Ted Danson and Tom Ellis. The Good Place is funny and touching and often surprising, and keeps moving at a fast pace especially this season. Lucifer is much better than it has a right to be. It manages to be a "will they wont they buddy cop show focusing on someone with special gifts" of which there are a million and change on tv in the last few years, while also adding in a surprising amount of mythology. Borrowing very very lightly from the DC comics, which were a spinoff of Neil Gaiman's take on the character in Sandman, I didn't expect it would be at all watchable for anyone, let alone that I'd still be enjoying it several seasons later. Good Place on the other hand is by the Office/Parks and Rec/Brooklyn 99 guy so no surprise there that it's great, other than that he is making the premise work. Move over Siri, Cortana and Alexa, here comes Janet. "Hi there!" To edit down to one show per entry, I dumped Lucifer since it is a procedural at heart while Good Place is trying something new.

8 The Tick
One of my favorite characters, this show definitely does him justice. I think they only held back episodes 7-12 so this could be on next year's TVIVer poll as well. Pretty sure that came up in a meeting at amazon. Peter Serafinowicz embodies the big blue one, and Miss Lint is a standout. Fun show and there needs to be more of it.

7 The Punisher
The only really enjoyable Netflix Marvel this year. I didn't like Jon Bernthal in Walking Dead but he killed it here. It's probably my favorite Netflix Marvel overall, though Daredevil season 1 is close. Microchip and his family were great and humanized him and the show. I hope they add Rachel Cole-Alves for season 2 or 3. Also Netflix needs to do Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) and Moon Knight while they are at it.

6 The Leftovers
I watched all three seasons on HBO Go in the week leading up to the finale so it is hard to separate out season 3. 2 was my favorite but 3 was good too and the ending sat right with me. It could have used more episodes. Another show that aired early enough in the year that it's hard to talk about. It had that Lost feel due to Lindelof and some intense moments. Honorable shoutout to Bates Motel due to Carlton Cuse. I only watched Bates for the office water cooler, but Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga were crazy good actors and it might have made my list if not for some odd choices. The office followed Highmore on to The Good Doctor but I'm passing on that one.

5 The Orville
Together with ST:Discovery these two shows gave me the perfect weekly Star Trek fix. Discovery is a bit too far up its own butt, and Orville is a bit too far in the other direction. I'd get rid of Malloy and LaMarr for being too cartoony (though they did better later in the season) and replace them with Saru and Anthony Rapp from Discovery. Or get rid of all things Klingon in Discovery and replace them with the Krill. Discovery might get better in retrospect, depending on if any of the fan theorized twists come about and where they are going with the show but right now it doesn't make the list on its own. Orville is just fun and great to watch. It's also the only show I brought for one of my friends to try to get them to watch that they actually watched and enjoyed (they were bored by Person of Interest and Mr Robot, and refused entirely to watch Legion).

4 Mr Robot
I love shows that build suspense with a certain vibe and music. This show, Rubicon, Carnivale's "Black Blizzard" episode, the movie Take Shelter, BSG's "Are You Alive?". Toeing the line of insanity. I liked season 2, even (especially) the stuff with Angela and the kid, but recognized the issues with it and why it would turn some people off. This is definitely one of my favorite shows of the 201x's though, mostly thanks to Rami Malek though the rest of the cast are on point as well. I'm one who didn't like the endings to BSG and Lost and had them color the rest of the show for me, so I'm curious to see how this show plays out. Bobby Canavale was a great addition this year.

3 Patriot
It has been a while since I watched this but it had me captivated. I wish I'd made some notes for this back then. The hunting expedition episode was great. I love shows where I can watch the theme song credits to get into the right mood for it and "Train Song" definitely worked for that.

2 Twin Peaks
Enthralling. We got a lot more answers than I expected and I was mostly happy with it as long as I disregard the last episode as Lynch loving with people. It was great seeing all the characters again. Gordon Cole and Albert were a highlight and should be in every FBI scene on tv (X-Files, Travelers and so on), RIP Miguel Ferrer. I had to rewatch episode 8 a couple of times.

1 Legion
X-Men on acid. I rewatched the first episode a bunch of times that first week and hoped to have the blu-ray to watch by now but for some reason there's no region 1 release date yet. Aubrey Plaza was brilliant but she did take me out of it a bit since I'd watched so much Parks and Rec. I'm really looking forward to seeing what season 2 brings. As with Mr Robot I love the mixture of suspense and how crazy are they with "head" characters and protagonists slowly (or quickly) losing or regaining their minds. Some of my favorite shows ever have that, from Farscape's Crichton and Scorpius to Head Six in BSG and Mr Robot today.

There were some great music in tv moments I watched this year that resonated with me and came to mind as I thought about this list. Gert's Lullaby in Leftovers, the cricket song in Legion, Ruelle's Take It All during the Leftovers drive to Texas (season 2). I'm sure there were more but I need to submit reply now because if I lose all this to the power going out or something I'm not retyping anything.

edit: cleaned up a bit, hope this works, if not I'll edit again to remove mention at all of the double shows in the entries.

bagrada fucked around with this message at 06:58 on Dec 31, 2017

Zaggitz
Jun 18, 2009

My urges are becoming...

UNCONTROLLABLE

I've had an extremely busy 2017 and there's many shows I wanted to watch but didn't! I should probably have a lot of cooler prestige shows on my list but I found myself too bogged down in real poo poo so I wanted to focus on lighter fair. One thing I can guarantee is that even if I wasn't so busy, i definitely wouldn't have watched the Leftovers!

Castlevania was good but it's like the first third of a potentially awesome season 1 and i didn't watch the Tick because it's only the first half of the season. Cut that poo poo out, streaming services!

okay here's the list:

Honorable Mentions:Series of Unfortunate Events.
Haven't read the books but I'm a fan of the weird grim universe the show portrays and any time where Patrick Warburton is on screen being an extremely melancholic deadpan narrator is time well spent.

10.My Brother My Brother and Me
I'm sprite pepsi and I approve of this web series.

9.Future Man
This show has no business being as good as it was overall. The James Cameron episode in particular is probably the hardest I've laughed at TV all year.

8.Fargo
Still love this show a whole lot, but this was kind of a downer season outside of one really phenomenal episode. Still a better show than the Leftovers!

7.Travelers
Just some good old fashioned sci-fi-rear end sci-fi with good actors and some absolutely enthralling concept episodes. On the edge of my seat waiting for S3 after that loving bonkers ending.

6.Stranger Things 2
I kinda like this one better than the first?? The plotting was a bit more loose and I feel like the back half would work better if you re-ordered it but I really appreciated the focus on character development this time around. Steve rulez ok.

5.Master of None
Season 2 got real experimental in a way I really liked, the people of new york and thanksgiving eps really stood out.

4.Vice Principals
Everything I said about this show last year, but throw in a hilarious conspiracy angle. Extremely fun to watch these toxic motherfuckers hit rock bottom and come to some semblance of self aware progress.

3.American Vandal
Hilarious and weirdly gripping, this mystery mockumentary had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know who did the dicks, and then just happened to be the best portrayal of high school life and the weird cultures that form within it I've ever seen.

2.The Good Place
Partly because it's near perfect tv. Partly because Occ hates it and I hate Occ. Cant wait for this one to come back next week.

1.Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
The gripping journey of Rebecca's spiral into rock bottom followed by her diagnosis and her first steps towards recovery is the most emotionally resonant tv iv'e watched this year. I'm so thankful this show exists.

Zaggitz fucked around with this message at 01:09 on Jan 2, 2018

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HUGE SPACEKABLOOIE
Mar 31, 2010


10. Rick and Morty Season 3: Great opening episode, not a show for everyone but I enjoy the humor. Can't say I like the overall fanbase but just me, in my head, I enjoy it. 97 MORE SEAONS, RICK AND MORTY.

9. The Magicians Season 2: I don't know why I like this show. Presumably this show operates on actual magic because I can't figure out why this appeals to me. It's like Harry Potter but the gently caress, and they're hosed up college kids. Olivia Dudley is really nice to look at. I don't know what the gently caress but I enjoy the hell out of this.

8. 13 Reasons Why: While there were some things about this series that I thought could have been done better, like how they portray high school kids, overall I thought this was a great, if disturbing series. The format of using the tapes was an interesting storytelling tool and the suicide scene was horrific. The very ending where they all sail off into the sunset in the perfect mustang was dumb.

7. 12 Monkeys Season 3: Back on the time travel kick, the 3rd season of 12 Monkeys was the best so far. Cole and Cassie end up being the parents of The Witness, played by James Callis. As The Witness is chased thru time, allegiances turn multiple times before finally showing us who The Witness really is, assuming the final season doesn't throw another curveball. Alisen Down takes the role of Olivia to the next level. Emily Hampshire somehow manages to take Jennifer Goins, already an 11 on the crazy scale, to a 12.

6. Ozark Season 1: Something like Breaking Bad, just with money laundering instead of meth. Manages to make some serious suspense out of an unusual scenario.

5. Halt and Catch Fire Season 4: As others have said, the best show nobody watched. The last season took us thru a pretty large timeframe and had a pretty heavy focus on Cameron and Donna. We've watched Cameron, Donna, Gordon, and Joe reverse the IBM BIOS, invent one of the first prototype laptops, create the an online marketplace well before its time, and finally invent the internet and a search engine. All 4 seasons are great and they managed to stick the landing perfectly. Donna and Gordon's daughter shows up in the 4th season and brings her A game with a performance worthy of the show.

4. Agents of Shield Season 4: It's a drat shame so many people dropped off this show before The Winter Soldier landed. From that point on, this show has been amazing. Season 4 brings in the Ghost Rider, Ghost Rider Mac, Ghost Rider Coulson, LMDs, the matrix. If Fitz had his father in his life, he would have been a Nazi. Turns out Ward is a traitor no matter what side he's on.

3. Legends of Tomorrow Season 2: Yeah, S1 was eh at best. But season 2 put together the Legion of Doom and leaned hard into the comic book cheese. As soon as the show accepted itself for what it really was it went from eh to amazing. Season 3 has largely kept up and was also part of the 4 way Crisis on Earth X Arrowverse crossover that was legit better than Justice League.

2. The Orville: Even when this was just a promo on youtube and everyone expected Family Guy in space I had a feeling this was going to be good. Specifically because MacFarlane is a known Star Trek fan. He absolutely nailed the TNG feel while balancing the humor. The character of Bortus is used perfectly. "YOU WILL BE SILENT!"

1. Travelers Season 2: Nearly extinct humanity sends consciousness back to the 21st century using a quantum AI called The Director. It scratches the Continuum itch for me. If you've already seen the first season, the 2nd just hit Netflix on the 26th. If the first few minutes of the first episode don't have you hooked then I don't know what to tell you. If time travel is your thing, it doesn't get much smarter than this.















HUGE SPACEKABLOOIE fucked around with this message at 06:48 on Dec 31, 2017

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