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Regy Rusty posted:I finished the Expanse (fuckin great) and have 2 eps of his dark materials left so my list will go up early tomorrow. 
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Dec 31, 2019 02:21
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The fracturing of television means almost nothing but live sports (REAL live sports, not pro-wrestling) gets big ratings anymore. But the fracturing means there's more choice than ever, and while it isn't ALL high-quality a hell of a lot of it is. This year my top ten was a nightmare to put together. Not so much due to my absolute favorite programs (those were easy) but trying to figure out which shows deserved to fit into the back half of the top ten. So many really, really good programs didn't make it in: Mindhunter, Legion and The Deuce for instance. That is on top of the many shows that were "fine" but didn't quite make that extra step, like Good Omens, Dark Crystal, Stranger Things 3, Wellington Paranormal (which was still REALLY good) or hell even the final season of The Preacher which overall fell flat but remained a guilty pleasure. If I'd had time to watch The Witcher or His Dark Materials it might have made the list too, but that's just a couple of a ton of shows that I didn't get the time to watch this year. 10. Watchmen: I went back and forth over whether or not to include this. It looked great, I deeply appreciated the transitions in the edit, a lot of the actors were tremendous fun (particularly Jeremy Irons). But it was lacking something, and not just the fact it was trying to follow up on the (complete!) storyline of one of the great graphic novels of the 20th Century. Often it felt like I was watching (high budget) fanfiction, even though one of the creators was on-board (you'll be shocked to learn it wasn't Alan Moore). But in the end, there was ONE thing that I appreciated so much that I had to give this show the nod over the likes of Legion, Mindhunter and The Deuce. Because after multiple episodes of schemes and plots and misdirection and smug assholes being smug assholes.... the ultimate villain of the show happily explains the details of their evil plot to rule the world.... an hour BEFORE she was set to execute it. That (and what predictably happens afterwards) can not have been a coincidence by the show's creators, and I deeply, deeply appreciated it. In particular Ozymandias' instant and unmistakable look of disappointment when he hears them explain it. Beautiful.  9. The Mandalorian: It sagged in the middle with some "planet-of-the-week" stuff, but the opening and closing sections of this series were a pure joy of sci-fi Western. It's another example of how Star Wars - like many properties - works better when the people who own it aren't micro-managing every aspect like has (arguably) happened with the movies. While I'm sure there was plenty of studio oversight, largely the series managed to feel natural and that the directors got a fair amount of leeway under Jon Favreau's oversight. Like the lamentably unsuccessful Dredd movie, the actor playing the lead was able to put their ego aside and hide their face/body under a mask/armor and let the character take center stage instead of their familiar face. Pedro Pascal is a superb actor and the incredibly brief glimpse of his face reminded me just how expressive his face can be after 8 episodes of the blank face of his mask, but I'm still glad they chose to hide it in service of the story/character. Yes the "planet-of-the-week" stuff sagged, but the prison breakout episode and the two-episode finale ended the show strong. Plus you had Werner loving Herzog playing a villain! And yes Baby Yoda was adorable, but thankfully the show was all done before the memes exploded and with luck they'll resist leaning into that in the second season and maintain the show's balance. It's Star Wars, it's a Western, it's good!  8. The Crown: Replacing an actor is always difficult, replacing an entire cast is insane. But a show about the ENTIRE reign of the (still living, still reigning) Queen of England is one that by necessity requires not just a revolving supporting cast but a revolving main cast too. Gone are Claire Foy, Matt Smith and Vanessa Kirby as Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip and Princess Margaret, replaced by Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies and Helena Bonham Carter. While it is sad the see the first three go, the latter three are excellent replacements, with Colman of course her usual utterly superb self. The series maintains the sumptuous visuals and the dives (sometimes shallow, sometimes deep) into major events in history; including those often sadly forgotten or unknown by many, such as Aberfan, which is one of the strongest episodes of the season. But the strength of it for me is in looking at a group of people who are ostensibly at the VERY top of the social pyramid/hierarchy but are experiencing the same ennui that almost everybody experiences at some point in their lives: that niggling idea that you're getting older and haven't really lived up to your potential, and the world is leaving you behind. The Queen remains steadfast because she has to, the opening scene showing her literally face-to-face with her younger self as new stamps shift from the young Queen to the "frumpy" middle-aged one. But the rest of the family struggles and stumbles, with older members trying to find a way to remain (or feel) relevant while younger members lash out impotently as they grasp that any changes to the status quo will have to come in incredibly incremental steps while the Queen looms large over them all. The showrunner makes no bones about using dramatic license to play this all up, which makes for more exciting if largely fictitious "history". But like the Royal Family (and perhaps the concept of the British Monarchy itself) it is all overshadowed but also held together by the seemingly imperious, endless and unbreakable facade of the Queen who alone grasps the true weight of the Crown: the necessity that nothing and NOBODY can be held separate from being subservient to her status... even her own firstborn son and the future King.  7. The Good Place: It's as good as it ever was, but drops down the list for me because for the first time in the show's run it was... predictable? In a way, at least, as it found a status quo and stuck with it for the entirety of the season that aired this year (they took one of those stupid mid-season breaks). For a show that in previous seasons took such joy in completely subverting expectations and creating entirely new scenarios for the characters to deal with, this one felt oddly linear. But the writing was still good, the characters remained utterly charming, the chemistry between the main cast as always exceptional, and the new supporting characters fit in well. However if you're one of those monsters who is left cold by the Eleanor/Chidi relationship you could be forgiven for not enjoying how heavily it permeates every aspect of this season. Personally I loved it, but I'm sad that there was no episode as wild and weird as last year's Janet(s).  6. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: I've remained a big fan of Sunny over the last couple of seasons, but shockingly season 14 felt like one of the strongest in years, right up there with the best stuff they've ever done. Every single episode was pure quality and utterly, utterly hilarious. From horrific attempts to create a real life Romantic Comedy, the dynamics of group-chat paralleled with animal pack relationships, a blatant and straightforward take on climate change, the dehumanization of the "algorithm", abortion rights all the way to a spoof of Waiting for Godot, all while staying true to the common theme of the gang ruining the lives of other people. It was all so, so good and funny and clever and funny and did I mention it was funny? Not to mention, while it didn't hit the highs of Mac Finds His Pride in season 13, The Janitor Always Mops Twice was an incredible parody of/homage to noir films. If the show can keep up this level of quality I hope it runs for years to come, and as the final episode of the season indicates, they have no plans of going away anytime soon.  5. The Boys: I hated the comic this show was based on. It was miserable, gritty for its own sake bullshit. I put off watching the show for a long time as a result and I regret that, because holy poo poo this was good. The world they built felt plausible, the idea of heroes being largely vapid celebrities who get off on being famous/worshiped is not exactly a new idea but it was felt entirely naturally realized. But it is the characters and their relationships/developments that make this so strong. Stripping out a lot of the nastier parts of the cynicism that permeated the comic, the show more than maintains the darkness. The protagonists are not good people, but they're better than the monsters who are the "superheroes"... but even those have nuance and are clearly a product of their environment and the obvious end result of taking young people and giving them everything they could ever want and having every single person tell them every day that they are better than everybody else. Sometimes this works well, like with A-Train or even protagonist Billy Butcher, but sometimes it absolutely does not like with The Deep. But the reason this show made my list, and especially so high, is because of Homelander. Antony Starr from the unremarkable Banshee plays the Superman/Captain America hybrid and he is absolutely loving incredible. He's charming and perfect and inspirational and utterly, utterly, utterly insane and completely terrifying. One of the best, most intimidating and unsettling villains/characters of the year in television.  4. What We Do In The Shadows: The movie was an unexpected treasure but I was certainly not convinced or even hopeful the TV series would be good. I was wrong, of course, because the show was incredible. Rather than transporting the movie characters to America and recasting, it was just 4 different vampires living in America who ALSO decided to let a documentary crew film them. The cast they chose was fantastic, Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry and Natasia Demetriou making up the core cast of vampires but the theme being expanded slightly with Mark Proksch as an "Energy Vampire" and Harvey Guillén as Guillermo the hapless familiar who dreams of being a vampire but discovers he may have a different kind of hereditary to live up to. The show is crude but clever, revolting and ridiculous, delightfully disgusting etc. The vampires are completely immoral and yet somehow maintain an odd kind of affection and level of care for each other. Laszlo tries to keep Nadja happy by murdering her reincarnated lover who always makes her sad (because he keeps getting murdered!); Nadja tries not to hurt Laszlo's feelings (she found his 100 year career as a porno star boring) and sympathizes with the plight of Jenna the virgin; Nandor at least goes through the motions of being aware of Guillermo's problems; and even Colin Robinson recognizes his relationship with an Emotional Vampire is unhealthy and ends it for both their benefit. But most of all the show is FUNNY. Really, really loving funny. It feels pointless to try and single out any one episode, but if I had to I'd recommend the Vampire Council episode, if only for the incredible cameos and the reveal that basically every single movie vampire in history is, in fact, an actual vampire. Yes, even Blade: Vampire Hunter. Also anybody who liked this show should REALLY try to find a way to watch Wellington Paranormal.  3. Mr. Robot: The show is complete now and I loved it all. Yes, even the sometimes maligned second season. Everything came to an incredibly satisfying close, every plot point (that I remembered) was wrapped up and almost all of them apart from Tyrell's in a satisfying way. Rami Malek's acting was, as always, wonderful, but while Portia Doubleday was woefully underused it was a great relief to see Carly Chaikin finally get a chance to shine with an emotional range beyond agitated despair. FSociety returned, the 5/9 Hack was turned into what it should have been all along (loving over the 1% alone and divvying up their resources equally among the 99%) and Elliot finally figured out what that missing piece of himself had been all along. In the process, some nasty people died, some poo poo came back to bite good people on the rear end, and even some monstrous people got a chance to somewhat redeem themselves. In the end it was all about Elliot though. Not parallel realities, not the nature of White Rose's machine (spoiler: she was insane and it didn't do loving anything), not what was in Mrs. Alderson's safety deposit box etc. It was about Elliot, and while some dislike the ending I thought it was beautiful and personal and hopeful and about as good an ending as I could have hoped for. I will miss the show, but I am so glad it went out on such a high note.  2. Barry: I had no idea Bill Hader was so talented. He's not Donald Glover but then nobody is, but what he and series co-creator Alec Berg have made is still utterly remarkable. The story of a depressed assassin with deeply repressed anger issues doesn't exactly sound like a laugh out loud show, but it is. It's an incredibly funny but simultaneously sad story of people who know on some level that they are never going to achieve their dreams, as well as the compromises some are willing to make for a chance at even an empty, hollowed-out version of it. Sally's reveal of the physical abuse she suffered in the past and the way she lets that genuine, emotionally resonating story get twisted is a real gut-punch. But while she and Henry Winkler's Gene have great stories, it is Hader's Barry who is the driving force of the show and he absolutely delivers both in laughs but also intensity. The tall, gangly comedy dude is somehow completely believable as both a deadly efficient killer as well as a bumbling doofus scrambling to cover his tracks and maintain the new life he desperately wants to live. It all builds to a bloody conclusion, and as keeps being shown again and again, you can't build a peaceful new life on the bones of murder, death and rage. You can make a touching, affecting and somehow incredibly funny television show though.  1. Chernobyl: The best horror movie I've seen in years, with one of the scariest monsters. Except there is no "monster", and it isn't a horror movie. It's the (dramatized) retelling of the events of 1986 when the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant's reactor did what was supposedly physically impossible and exploded during a safety test. Opening a year after the event with the suicide of the central protagonist of the series, it then jumps back to the moment of the explosion itself and spends 4 episodes dealing with the fallout, figuratively AND literally. Finally in the last episode, it answers the question asked constantly throughout the series: HOW did this happen? It was physically impossible and it happened, and the courtroom scene in which the doomed Legasov lays out in horrifying detail EXACTLY what happened is somehow just as tense and unsettling as watching the first episode as the workers and firemen and residents of the city unknowingly wander through the fallout of the worst nuclear disaster in the history of the planet. The first and last episodes are incredible bookends but there is plenty of meat between those slices of bread. The growing realization of just how bad the situation was; the risks the workers and recovery teams were knowingly put into to try and contain it; the crippling emotional weight put on those who had to deal with the truly innocent victims (the local wildlife and domestic pets); and most of all the maddening bureaucracy and rear end-covering that both contributed to the initial problem as well as hampered the efforts to deal with it. It is an incredible achievement by Craig Mazin, best known before this as the writer for the two Hangover sequels. Those movies, successful as they were, gave no indication that he was capable of a brilliant piece of television like this. But he did it, and make no mistake, it is a masterpiece. The best thing to air on television all year, and it wasn't even close. Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 11:02 on Jan 5, 2020 |
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Dec 31, 2019 04:47
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Most of my year has been taken up by working through the Sopranos, and also starting at the beginning for most of these shows. There’s a lot of stuff I still haven’t watched and will be using my winter vacation for. The Deuce, Castle Rock, The Witcher, etc. Anyway, from what I have seen will start with... 10. Mindhunter Not amazing, but I found it interesting and fun to watch. Learned a little history as well. 9. Stranger Things Better than season 2! It’s dumb fun with that retro feel. 8. Kingdom Now we are getting to shows that I really liked. I live in Korea so this was really fun for me. It also inspired me to watch another show the writer has done, Signal. Highly recommended. 7. Killing Eve I preferred season one, but this was still very good. The actresses work so well together. 6. The Righteous Gemstones I’ve been a fan of Danny McBride since Eastbound and Down, and this was probably my favorite thing of his so far. I still catch myself singing Misbehavin’ every now and then. 5. Barry This top five was hard to decide. Number five goes to Barry. Holy crap this is a good show. It makes me FEEL things. And NoHo Hank is one of the best characters ever. 4. Fleabag This was another feeler. Hilarious and sad and touching all at once. Very good. 3. The Mandalorian This is the Way. Baby Yoda. Enough said. 2. Chernobyl I found myself shrieking with terror at parts of this. I had to make sure I was calm before watching because my anxiety levels would skyrocket when viewing. Amazing show. 1. Dark I had forgotten about the show, even after really loving season one, and then decided to pick up season two sometime after it had dropped on Netflix. Wow. A real roller coaster. I thought it would disappoint after season one but the writers seem to have their stuff together. Can’t wait for the final season. cryptoclastic fucked around with this message at 04:58 on Dec 31, 2019 |
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Dec 31, 2019 04:55
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I was busy playing video games all this year but I did watch some TV too 10. The L Word - I have not watched a single second of this show but the fact it exists brings me joy 9. Tuca and Bertie - you died too soon 8. Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj - the show everyone complains LWT isn't, it deserves more love 7. Fyre: The Party That Never Happened - I was obsessed with the Fyre Festival for a few days so it was ace to go revisit that whole mess 6. The Good Place - there is no answer but the Good Place is the answer 5. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - a really great finish to the series, some questions were answered and some questions really weren't, shoutout to Max Greenwood's great guest star performance 4. AEW Dynamite - I've always avoided listed wrestling shows on this list but Dynamite is too good to ignore 3. GLOW - I swear to God if Ruth doesn't get a happy ending I will cry 2. Russian Doll - Sweet birthday, baby! 1. Dead To Me - Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini deliver the best acting of the year
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Dec 31, 2019 06:57
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My top 10 shows of the year I’ll edit more comments in later when I’m not on my phone! 10 - American Horror Story - 1984 Just good camp fun. 9 - Derry Girls Yes these girls need subtitles but they’re well worth watching. 8 - Get Krack’n A black comedy of Morning Tv. Fantastic and the finale is a must watch. 7 - RuPaul’s Drag Race A strong UK season revived interest after a lacklustre All Stars 4 season. 6 - Stranger Things Season 3 was a cheesy blockbuster and I loved it. 5 - What we do in the Shadows Thankfully not a direct followup to the film. I’m interested to see where this goes. 4 - The Good Place Simone was a great addition to the cast this year but it was just not up to the earlier seasons. 3 - Chernobyl I was gripped for every bloody minute of this terrifying drama. 2 - Years and Years A terrifyingly plausible view into the near future. With gay sex. 1 - Russian Doll Absolutely loved this crazy ride. The loop and decaying universe was brill.
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Dec 31, 2019 16:11
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As promised here it is, just in the nick of time: Dishonorable Mention iZombie – Man I’m honestly not sure this deserves to be here since I didn’t actually even finish it. But the season was just so miserable I haven’t been able to get myself to keep going. The last episode I watched featured a long running character murdering friends and coworkers after being radicalized in the flimsiest manner imaginable and I just couldn’t deal with it anymore. Honorable Mention Elementary – This show has never made my list but I’ll still miss it so much. While I thought last season could’ve been a great ending and was a bit disappointed they undid the premise they started this season off with so quickly, in the end it had a great finale and I’m very happy with how they had us say goodbye. Bojack Horseman – I hate half seasons!!! This one was good too but I’ll never put a show on my list with only a half season. This was your chance Bojack… smh Bob’s Burgers – I rewatched a bunch of this show this year and remembered how much I love it. It deserves a place on my list in a perfect world for being the most consistently funny show I watch, but alas there’s only so many spots. Steven Universe – Hey this show ended really well! And then it had an epilogue movie that was good too! And then I guess…. It’s still… going? I haven’t watched whatever it’s doing now yet, but I guess I will eventually. Carmen Sandiego – I binged both seasons of this towards the end of the year and was pleasantly surprised. I had some misgivings about the concept of making Carmen into a protagonist, but they really made it work and the show’s very cool. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind – I only got into this show between the last two seasons so this was my first one to watch live. It was pretty good if not as great as season 4. Mob Psycho 100 – This one might be higher on my list if I’d watched it more recently, but I’ve forgotten some stuff about what happened so I guess it didn’t make as much of an impact as season 1 did. My Hero Academia – Man this season is great so far but the big gaps between anime seasons means that when they start at the end of the year I don’t get to see the full season in time to judge it. Maybe its second half will make the list next year. Chihayafuru – Basically the same situation as MHA. I was so thrilled when this finally came back and it’s not disappointed so far. Ducktales – This season this version of the show has really come into its own. Della Duck is a great addition, and the whole moon invasion storyline was a lot of fun. As was GLOMTALES The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance – I was never a big fan of the movie, but this was fantastic. I honestly kind of hope they end up deviating a bit from the movie and manage to give this show a bit of a happier ending than it would need to lead into the movie timeline. Chamberlain steals the show as always. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmm His Dark Materials – I really thought this would make my list but there were just too many great shows this year. Still like with ASOUE, this is at last the screen adaptation that I feel this series has always deserved. The disappointing bear fight aside, this season was almost perfect and I can’t wait to see how they do the rest. I even think introducing Will early was the right move so they can jump right in to the interesting stuff with him next season. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – Leaving this off my list breaks my heart. This show was so important to me and it had a perfect ending. There’s no real reason I have to leave it off otherwise than it’s just half a season and that there were other shows I wanted to put on just a bit more. I’ll miss it dearly but I’m very glad with how they resolved every character’s story. Russian Doll – Sweet birthday baby, etc etc. I’m such a sucker for time loops, I’ll consume any media with them as a focus. This was a really great one and I can’t even begin to imagine what they’ll do in season two??? And now the Top 10 Shows of 2019 10. Chernobyl - Jesus I can't believe I almost forgot this one. It's great okay! I don't have the energy to write up more about it!!! 9. Sex Education – I’m glad a friend insisted I watch this show because I probably never would’ve picked it up on my own. It’s an moving and funny show about teenagers and growing up and all that nonsense but drat is it all done insanely well. 8. The Orville – How could they write out Alara from the show, it’s trash and I hate it. Alright no it was still great, everything with Isaac this season in particular was amazing as was all they work they did establishing the Krill as more than fanatical enemies. 7. Agents of Shield – Boy I’m gonna miss this show. After what was an okay but not amazing showing last season I thought this one was as good as ever. The Fitzsimmons episode was the highlight with the two of them working through some very big issues in an intense and entertaining way. I’m so glad Enoch came back to join the main cast, he’s the best. 6. The Expanse – Humanity has, in a single year, switched from a one system civilization to one that spans the galaxy. The way the show has balanced the longing for exploration with the risks of going into the unknown has been truly impressive. The politics on earth storyline was probably the weakest one of the season, but I think it was important to set up how the consequences of the election are going to shape the course of humanity’s future. Everything else was great, especially the crazy stuff with Miller. I wonder what Holden and crew are gonna do now. 5. Stranger Things – NEVERENDING STORY probably was my absolute top TV moment of the year. Personally I think this season was the best one yet. 4. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power – We’ve had THREE whole seasons of this show this year! Season 3 was a bit less great than the others, but after season 4 paid off everything it set up it was totally worth it. Entrapta the best forever. 3. The Good Place – We’re finally coming up on the end now. This show’s been quite a ride and I’m going to be so sad it’s over, but it’s been amazing all the way. I hope they’ve got a great ending lined up! 2. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Wow this season was phenomenal. The way Midge’s journey has led everyone in her life to start making drastic changes and break out of the restraints they’ve placed on their lives was amazing. It really is the 60s man. The stuff with Shy Baldwin was heartwrenching too. When they revealed what should have been obvious about the hotel situation I felt like an idiot. Really powerful stuff. 1. A Series of Unfortunate Events – My dream has at last been realized. One of my favorite series of books as a kid has at last been adapted to TV and done incredibly well. The ending wrapped things up a bit more neatly than the books did, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Overall I don’t think I’ve ever seen an adaptation so perfectly capture what made the source material great and I’m completely satisfied with the end result. Regy Rusty fucked around with this message at 16:27 on Dec 31, 2019 |
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Dec 31, 2019 16:21
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OH GOD I FORGOT CHERNOBYL EDIT INCOMING
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Dec 31, 2019 16:26
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Regy Rusty posted:8. The Orville – How could they write out Alara from the show, it’s trash and I hate it. She left to go work on Prodigal Son 
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Dec 31, 2019 16:26
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Iron Crowned posted:She left to go work on Prodigal Son Yeah well I don't care!!!! It sucks!!!!!!!!!!! She was my favorite character
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Dec 31, 2019 16:27
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Regy Rusty posted:Yeah well I don't care!!!! It sucks!!!!!!!!!!! She was my favorite character Tell it to her. Didn't look like the show chose it for her.
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Dec 31, 2019 17:10
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Don't you try to reason with me, I reserve my right to be mad about it irrespective of the facts. Also I forgot about Infinity Train in my list too but that one's just another honorable mention.
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Dec 31, 2019 17:40
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Okay time for my list at the end of the year: I watched a ton of stuff. Most of which didn't even stick out at all. There are some cases where a show was bad, or boring enough that I stopped midway, but that's really rare. (Evil was really dragging after a few episodes.) The following list constist of shows I actively enjoyed. Honorable Mentions It's Always sunny in Philadelphia I am deeply impressed how consistent the quality of this show is, after all those seasons. There were some boring ones here, but if it hits it hits. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend This is a show really dear to me, but the more the show and Rebecca progressed, the less relate-able it became to me. It's a good story, but the final season wasn't that great TV. Bojack Horseman Really good but not enough episodes. Maybe if the final bunch of episodes can stick the landing I will like it in 2020. She-Ra They showed three seasons this year, which is kinda ridiculous, considering Bojack only got half a season. The last season alone was really good and would have merited an entry, but the previous season was kinda boring and I have to lump them together. Actual list: 10 The Good Place Honestly, I objectively didn't like this season that much, so far. The extended cast is mostly annoying. I guess I expect to be amazed by the final few episodes, so that I look at it a bit more favorably. 9 Carmen Sandiego This show is really fun globetrotting spy nonsense, with fancy gadgets and fun characters. The second season really fleshed out Zack and Ivy, who I like way more now. I am still delighted by the fact that they are so obsessed with their city, that they'd sing "More than a feeling". 8 The Righteous Gemstones It took me a few episodes, but I came into this show Danny McBride and Walton Gogings have such an impressive dynamic. But Edi Patterson was truly the best in this. 7 Barry I didn't actually like the first season as much as others, because it involved to many annoying actor types. But this season felt way better. SoHo Hank was outstanding. 6 The Witcher This is one of the few cases where I was already quite familiar with the source material. This show represents that world quite well, but the season could not stick the landing. 5 You Season 2 A romantic comedy about embracing true love in the superficial world of LA and overcoming your baggage from the past. 4 Agents of SHIELD I love this hammy show and the characters are so fun and gorgeous, but it felt like it was missing something. I guess I miss Aida. That season was really great. 3 Insatible Season 2 I am pretty sure that I actively suggested against watching this show before and felt that it was some kind of guilty pleasure which made me a terrible person for kinda enjoying it. No! This show is actually really great and I will openly admit liking it. On the surface it is a story about some fat girl who suddenly gets thin and starts going to beauty pageants and dating hot boys. But actually, it's a deeply evil comedy about the cutthroat world of competitions, addictive personalities, anxiety and finally, figuring out what you truly want in life and striving for it, in order to become the best self you can be. The ending was nearly perfect. I don't think it leaves space for a third season, but I genuinely love this show now. But gently caress recommending it to friends. 2 Ducktales Season 2 As a long time reader of the Donald Duck comic, I am always impressed how many references they sneak in there. But the show is also really heartfelt and the addition of Della worked out quite well. 1 The Orville Season 2 There is just so much passion in this little project of Seth McFarlane, it's kinda incredible. The cast feels familiar by now and though I miss Alara a lot and don't have any real opinion about her replacement, whose name I forgot, I enjoy the dynamic a lot. Besides, I have to stick to my guts. A year ago I rated this show really high even though only one episode aired so far. So I have to double down in order to not be wrong. 
cant cook creole bream fucked around with this message at 18:51 on Dec 31, 2019 |
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Dec 31, 2019 17:48
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Is this the posting equivalent of having a stroke
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Dec 31, 2019 17:52
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Escobarbarian posted:Is this the posting equivalent of having a stroke We've all been there
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Dec 31, 2019 18:00
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I was tipping away and trying to order my preferences, when I accidentally submitted it. But yeah. My actual post, or my opinions aren't much better.
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Dec 31, 2019 18:18
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Regy Rusty posted:We've all been there We're all worried about you, please let us know if you need support
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Dec 31, 2019 18:20
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I'll add more comments later, I just want to get my list in before the deadline or whateva! This is the first year I've decided to submit a top 10 to the TVIV poll! Is it because I watched less than half the amount of TV I usually would in a year, or is it because I feel like I should now that I'm a mod!? Who knows! All I know is my list is a bit odd, with shows I'd say are objectively better than ones ranked higher on my personal list. Making a top 10 is always a struggle between what I know to be true, and what my gut tells me is true. Some shows, while worse in quality, hit me harder for whatever reason. Lists are complicated! Have my five honourable mentions! 15. GLOW  GLOW was excellent this year. Really. It was an incredible season of television. But it didn't hit me like the first two seasons did, and I think the lesser focus on Ruth hurt it. I also woulda marked out for some more wrestling! 14. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt  Great season, great ending. I loved this show throughout, though I know others found some seasons to be weaker. It never failed to make me laugh, and I'm going to miss having a high dose of Jane Krakowski to look forward to every year. 13. Santa Clarita Diet  Another great season, and imo a great cliffhanger, though it's a shame we'll never get more. Santa Clarita Diet owns! I'll miss it! 12. You  You almost made it into my top 5, but I shuffled it off the 10 entirely, mostly because I finished watching it yesterday and I'm riding a high of how much fun I had from start to finish. I think the first season of this show is stronger in ways, but the pacing this year was on point. It hit the floor running and leaned way more into the ridiculous, black comedy aspects. The supporting cast was on point. You is a loving blast. 11. The Expanse  Yo, The Expanse is incredible and should probably be on my top 10. Season was great from start to finish. But like other shows, it just didn't hit me as hard as it has in previous years, and there were other shows I watched that really clicked with me on a more personal level. And onto my top 10! 10. The L Word: Generation Q  Speaking of lower quality shows that hit me right where it counts. I have a lot of complicated feelings about The L Word. It was often bad. Sometimes excellent. Usually enjoyable either way. This new show has no right to be solid as it is, albeit boring up until its most recent episode, which felt like a quality installment of the old show. The kind of quality sexy lesbian soap opera the North American TV landscape has been missing since the original ended with a season we'd all rather pretend never happened. Plus you get to see that thing Shane does where she dips her head down real low and leans into someone to kiss them. Worth the price of admission. I missed that. Oh, and Olivia Thirlby is there. 9. The Politician  Not Ryan Murphy's best, not Ryan Murphy's worst! The cast loving killed this show for me, and that finale? A season two of Bette Midler and Judith Light as the villains to look forward to? gently caress yes. 8. The Witcher  An amazing adaptation with a couple weird missteps that may reflect badly on later seasons. But it was way better than I ever imagined it to be. This show makes me happy as gently caress. 7. RuPaul's Drag Race (All Stars S4, UK S1, Thailand S2)  Despite being close to experiencing some serious burn out (there were THREE seasons of Drag Race last year! All Stars 4 was one of them, though the majority of the season aired this year!) I found myself really enjoying All Stars 4, despite its issues. The winner(s) may not be who everyone wanted, but this was the season where someone finally had the balls to go 'why don't i just eliminate the girl who's doing best?' and I will forever thank Naomi Smalls for that. DRT was excellent as always. Better than the original show. And RPDR:UK was a breath of fresh air. Shame season 11 was so forgettable. e: AS4 also served some of the best lip syncs the show has ever seen T B Q H 6. Insatiable  Insatiable good. Season 2 even better. A perfect ending, too, but with enough room for a third season to make sense. I'll be happy either way. 5.  Well this was my VMars spot. Then I watched Euphoria last night. Euphoria is loving amazing. 4. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel   will be applied later3. Russian Doll  will be applied later2. Killing Eve  will be applied later1. Fosse/Verdon  will be applied later
esperterra fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Dec 31, 2019 |
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Dec 31, 2019 19:11
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 Lurdiak's top 10 of 2019  10 - The Punisher S2 This is a bit of a grudging inclusion. I kind of hated season 1, and while it's a huge improvement, I thought some parts of season 2 were absurd and terrible(Jigsaw having fewer scars than any 50 year old blue collar worker being chief among them), and as a fan of the comics, I still completely fail to see the Punisher in Berenthal's performance. But I really liked the relationship between him and the kid. Punish-dad is a great concept, A+ heartstring pulling, comedy-enabling relationship between those two. And I'll be damned if I was going to put a show that's horribly declined instead of improving, like Stranger Things, Sabrina, or Jessica Jones on my top 10.  9 - The Blacklist S7 In a year where everyone's favorite shows got canceled, how the hell is this still on the air? Yet another season of absurd reversals, betrayals, revelations, heists, twists, and quips, and yet another season where James Spader is the only reason to watch this goofy mess of a show. But boy oh boy do I love me some James Spader. That man manages to make buying hot dogs seem like a thrilling adventure. I also greatly enjoyed the court drama section of the season. And I was delighted to see Christopher Lambert in something.  8 - The Witcher S1 Hey, it's pretty decent, actually! While not reaching the heights of the games, this show is a pretty good adaptation of the early books, capturing the sullen mood and weird humor of the series. The choice to jump around in time constantly was an odd one, and the budget often let the ideas down, but this is a pretty strong start with a really strong cast(Cavill in particular is perfect for the role), and I can't wait for them to flesh out the characters and setting more in the second season. One gripe though: there should definitely have been more monster lore and forensics.  7 - iZombie S5 Making the best of an abrupt cancelation, iZombie S5 manages to wrap up all its plotlines in a rushed but satisfying way. I'm gonna miss these characters and their shenanigans, but I'm glad they got to have an ending, which is a lot more than I can say for most other shows that got canceled this year. This season was full of even more over the top brain personalities, and admittedly convoluted zombie politics, and that's just what I tuned in for. Thank you for making 2019 a little more bearable, you absurd show.  6 - Lucifer S4 Netflix rescues another network show for a brief respite. While only 10 episodes long and with a noticeably smaller budget, this season of Lucifer has a lot of energy and goes to some interesting places (including a nudist colony). While cruelly ending on a cliffhanger, it finally resolves the show's central love story and features some really neat character moments and goofy CGI demon stuff. The show's more of a comedy than it's ever been, and I hope to see it return, but if not, this was a worthy sendoff.  5 - Brooklyn 99 S6 This show's completely run out of places for its characters to go, but it's still a very fun time and the gags are fresh. It's still goofy and an excuse for Andre Braugher to overact like crazy. Andy Samberg continues to not age. 'Nuff said.  4 - The Good Place S4 part 1 I only started watching this show this year, and what a great, fun little show this is. The characters are extremely lovable, the humor is top notch, high-brow and very creative, and the sentimental parts are genuinely heartfelt. Season 4 continues the somewhat disappointing plotline of S3 where it turns out no one goes to the good place anymore because of capitalism (I say disappointing because I was interested in a real moral analysis of the central character, and this revelation sort of entirely sidesteps it), and introduces some really interesting new side characters that were sorely needed. I'm curious to see how it's all going to end, or if this show will pull a fast one again and keep going in an unexpected direction.  3 - The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance What an amazing technical accomplishment this show is. Even if you don't care at all about the plots, characters, setting, etc., you should watch this entire show just for the incredible practical effects and astounding puppeteering. Luckily for you, the show also has a fun fantasy plot with just enough scary and dark elements (and really blatant political allegories), astounding voice performances, great and fun characters (Hup is the character find of the year), and a really charming setting. This is no mere nostalgic throwback, it surpasses the original film in every way that matters, and is a wonderful reminder of the magic that can come from the Henson studios. CGI may rule the movie screen, but practical effects aren't dead yet. It's insane to think of the Netflix of today greenlighting this show, and I worry that we haven't had season 2 confirmed yet.  2 - Tuca & Bertie The most unfair cancellation of the year, easily. Despite sharing some DNA with Bojack Horseman, this show had its own zany, frenetic voice, was crammed full of great visual humor and cartoonish energy, and yet was still unafraid to tackle serious emotional topics. It was an antidote to all the adult animation that think they have to be relentlessly cynical and prurient, and it was basically pure joy distilled into 22 minutes. It was also a show that had a distinctly female voice and talked about women's issues, which earned it the ire of reddit types. Lisa Hanawalt's pure creative vision is one of the best things to ever happen, and I truly hope this show finds a new home, but I'm not holding my breath. If you slept on this show because you don't like Bojack or the terrible ads didn't entice you, you are robbing yourself.  1 - Bojack Horseman S6 part 1 You knew this was gonna be my number one. This half-season finally answered one of the series' core questions "can Bojack become a better man" by having him truly grow in and out of rehab and leave most of his toxicity behind him, but ends on a truly dark cliffhanger leaving the other question hanging in the air "Is he allowed to become a better, happier person considering the damage he's done to others". The shortened number of episodes is a bit annoying, and Netflix can go to hell for canceling my favorite show, but this season is as funny as ever and takes the characters to interesting emotional places. I love this horse, and I'm gonna miss him. Honorable mentions to shows I loved this year that don't qualify  Samurai Gourmet A charming Japanese program about a retired office worker rediscovering his love of life through food. The main appeal of the show are the bizarre fantasy sequences where he pictures a badass masterless samurai in similar situations to what he finds himself in. Sadly it doesn't seem like it's getting renewed.  Conan Without Borders Conan O'brien has long been one of my favorite tv personalities, and this travel program features him at his goofiest and most laid-back, while being genuinely informative and showing a genuine love of the countries he visits. A very pleasant way to spend a few hours. Jordan Schlansky is the strangest man to ever live.  Better Call Saul S4 This show continues to be brilliant. I think everyone expected a slightly different show after S1, and the strange paths Mike's story have taken (and all the focus on the cartel backstory) aren't exactly the best, but the show more than makes up for it with how strong a character Jimmy is. Maybe the most interesting protagonist of a tv show I've ever seen. I did miss Chuck this season, but his presence still loomed large.  Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling While it came out this year, this is a movie, not a tv show. A heartwarming throwback that still had a lot to say about modern life. Every fan of the old cartoon should watch this. Youtube reactionaries tried to come out in force against this one, but even their fans weren't fooled because they knew Rocko was always about progressive values and the difficulties of facing adulthood. Lurdiak fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Jan 1, 2020 |
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Dec 31, 2019 20:12
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Gonna fulfill my yearly tradition of getting this in under the wire, even if I shamefully didn't watch enough of The Deuce to place it, ugh: Honorable mention goes to The Boys, which I cut at the last minute. 10: Steven Universe "Here we are in the future." I haven't even watched any of the Future episodes yet, but sometimes I just need a nice, charming show. It doesn't really challenge me, and the solutions are a little simplified when you take into account that the villain is imperialism, but eh, it's a kid's show, what was I expecting? 9: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance "There is absolutely nothing in this world that does not bend to my will." I wasn't too into the whole dark fantasy thing at first, but the sheer level of craft on display was a feast for the eyes. PUT THE SKEKSIS IN THE MUPPETS, YOU COWARD JIM HENSON 8: Chernobyl "Tell me how an RMBK reactor core explodes." Alright, I'm gonna cop to something: I only watched one episode of this. But that episode was some of the most horrifying poo poo I've ever seen in my goddamn life. I don't know that I can bear to watch the rest. But it was really good!!! 7: Living With Yourself "It's easier if customers don't see us as people." What seemed initially like a weird black comedy with Paul Rudd turned out to be all black, pretty much no comedy. And you know what? I was down for it. The exploration of the premise went in some really fascinating ways I was totally unprepared for. 6: The Mandalorian "This is the way." A drat fine space Western with some truly fun characters. I love me some Pedro Pascal, and we don't see enough of the fringes of the Star Wars universe, so that was a treat. 5: Catch-22 “It doesn't make a damned bit of difference who wins the war to someone who's dead!” At first I wasn't sure what to make of this adaptation of Catch-22, especially because I read the book before finishing it. Christopher Abbott is amazing as Yossarian, but the novel's seething rage that was the basis for most of its comedy has been largely replaced with deadpan exhaustion and resignation. To this end, even the book's somewhat uplifting ending has been changed to something totally depressing and downbeat in its sheer refusal to actually be an ending. And maybe, with the forever wars raging and more and more people marching off to their unceremonious ends, that's what we need right now. No escape. 4: What We Do In The Shadows "Which is better: alt-right or antifa?" Some of the best comedy this year, period. Guillermo is one of my new favorite TV characters, and the Vampire Council episode was just *chef's kiss*. 3: True Detective "What if there's another story? What if something went unbroken? All this life, all this loss--what if it's really one long story that kept going and going until it healed itself? Wouldn't that be a story worth telling? Wouldn't that be a story worth hearing?" True Detective Season 1 was kind of overrated and Season 2 was not that bad. This, honestly, trumps both for me easily. The inherent confusion and isolation of literally losing yourself to dementia is dramatized here brilliantly, and the last episode was pitch-perfect for me. Until that point, we'd mainly seen a marriage dissolving, but the last episode was all about the ultimate triumph of human connection. I loved it. 2: The Good Place "I think it might be some of the best writing I've ever done." Funny, heartfelt, surprisingly smart. This season actually managed to contextualize the main relationship in a really affecting way for the first time too, so props for that. 1: Watchmen "You can't heal under a mask. Wounds need air." An absolute tour de force. Impeccably directed, fascinatingly written, and just captivating from beginning to end. The last two episodes or so aren't quite as perfect as the others, but that's like, the only thing I can find to say bad about it. Arist fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Dec 31, 2019 |
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Dec 31, 2019 20:13
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ah gently caress i forgot stranger things and i really liked this season
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Dec 31, 2019 20:16
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god, you people
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Dec 31, 2019 21:02
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Watch the rest of Chernobyl, Arist, it gets even better
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Dec 31, 2019 21:19
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I completely forgot True Detective Season 3 was this year. I probably still wouldn't have put it in my Top 10, but yeah it was a big improvement over season 2.Arist posted:Alright, I'm gonna cop to something: I only watched one episode of this. But that episode was some of the most horrifying poo poo I've ever seen in my goddamn life. I don't know that I can bear to watch the rest. But it was really good!!! Regy Rusty is right, please watch the rest of Chernobyl, Arist. It's magnificent.
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Dec 31, 2019 23:14
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 10) Watchmen (HBO) On the one hand, it's a show with a lot to say about race and superheroes and generational trauma. On the other hand, Lube Man: a mystery for the ages! So there's something for everyone.  9) GLOW (Netflix) Though I missed the wrestling scenes previous seasons have provided, by now I was fully invested in the characters' journeys, and the desert episode was an absolute highlight.  8) The Righteous Gemstones (HBO) Just imagine I copy/pasted the lyrics for Misbehavin' here.  7) Veep (HBO) Everyone (more or less) gets what they wanted, which also happens to be exactly what they deserve. A tightly constructed and frequently hilarious conclusion to a remarkably consistent comedy.  6) The Good Place (NBC) A refreshing splash of positivity in the TV landscape.  5) Stranger Things (Netflix) Now just imagine I posted the lyrics for that song here. You know the one.  4) Bojack Horseman (Netflix) Bojack's road to sobriety (and his friends' separate journeys to their own happy places) have been funny, heartwarming, and tragic, and I can't wait for the second half of season 6 to break my heart while making me laugh.  3) Russian Doll (Netflix) I'm a sucker for time travel, so the smart way this show pulled off it Groundhog Day loops, sprinkling just enough twists to the formula, won me over pretty easily. The emotional journeys of its two main characters, and how the time loops tie into those, elevate this show from something fun to something amazing.  t2) Barry (HBO) I'm not sure how a show so deeply committed to the darkness at the heart of its central character can also be so funny, but it is and it is glorious.  1) Mr Robot (USA) A perfect ending to a nearly-perfect show.
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Dec 31, 2019 23:27
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TVIV Top 10 Should have watched, but didn’t: The Mandalorian Handmaid’s Tale Man in the High Castle Mr. Robot Honorable Mentions: AHS: 1984 You’re ‘80s forever, Montana. The best season of the show and the first to stick the landing. Disenchantment We’re going to Steamland! Medievalrama returns and if I can’t have more Broad City, at least I can still hear Abbi as the terrible and endearing Bean. 10. The Boys You can’t leave us here! A deconstruction of the superhero genre, and specifically the Marvel/Disney machine, this gritty and gory adaptation was wonderfully fun! Karl Urban shines, as usual diving into his character head first. Very excited for season 2! 9. His Dark Materials Where is Roger? Never read the books or saw the movie, but this was amazing! Dark, charming, and well-realized: I understand people who just see retro-future London and think “Doctor Who,” but this is more Torchwood than DW. 8. Attack on Titan ...the sea. This show continues to engage and surprise me. The big twist finally came and I never saw it coming. Fantastic stuff! Another way to put it: on the same Sunday, two shows killed long beloved characters after a decade by crushing them with rocks and only one was satisfying.  in peace, Erwin. gently caress You, Game of Thrones.7. Neebs Gaming World Peace Another year with this as a constant staple of my media diet! With regular series premiering new content four days a week, this is an easy “get home, decompress” channel. Half machinama and half Let’s Play, this gang romps through different survival games having adventures and friendships. This year, Neebs has been learning more Spanish, which came in handy when they started a PvP Ark series on an EU server. 6. Rick & Morty When did this become the default!? The show that’s too popular for its own good returns, keeping at least two goons off the dole. Making some pretty direct jabs at its more toxic fanbase, the season had something for everyone to love...and at least one thing they hated. 5. Dark Suffering and guilt... This deliciously German version of Lost continues firing on all cylinders. Plots converged this season, with (what I felt) were satisfying answers to most of the early mysteries. Some good hooks for season 3 were made and left hanging, so I am super excited about this show’s return! 4. The Witcher Spare a coin for your Witcher... This was a surprise hit at the end of the year. Mature, but with a good mix of what Game of Thrones was always lacking: some levity. It also passes the Bechdel Test in the first episode, so an improvement over the first game! 3. The Expanse ...it reaches out. What is widely considered the worst book becomes the best season of the show. Amazing cinematography and some Amazon bucks for special effects buoyed the show that was saved. 2. Watchmen Trust in the Law! It says something great about this show’s writing, and something terrible about our society, that this is the first time I’ve seen the 1921 Tusla Massacre put to film. Using the lens of racial violence and generational trauma. Don’t let people tell you the show didn’t stick the landing simply because it decides to discuss those topics, rather than solve them. 1. Chernobyl Every atom of uranium-238 is like a bullet... Timeless. Prescient. This is what Prestige Television is all about. Using the patina of an ‘80s horror film, the monster in this is not only real, but invisible. The shriek of the Geiger Counter spells doom for all who hear it. Entertaining and terrible, Craig Mazin (of the Scary Movie franchise and Hangover sequels) proves that having Ted Cruz as a roommate can be good for something. I stan a legend, and Jared Harris continues his streak of phenomenal performances. Honestly ashamed this isn’t everybody’s number one...
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Dec 31, 2019 23:38
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i forgot punisher season 2 came out this year, it was really good
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Jan 1, 2020 00:15
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To make the deadline I am putting together a fast list. Sorry for grammar mistakes. I will say I thought 2019 was strong quantity wise, but we are really lacking a top level series in 2019 (we need another Mad Men or Halt & Catch Fire) Shows I wanted to watch before making my list, but didn’t: The Expanse (this one really hurts) The Witcher Honorable Mentions: Stranger Things (best season yet) GLOW Mindhunter (season 2 was slightly rough, but hoping for a season 3) Castle Rock (not great, but what a performance by Lizzy Caplan) Cobra Kai Letterkenny What We Do in the Shadows Umbrella Academy High Maintenance The Righteous Gemstones YouTube – I now watch YouTube just as much as regular TV. I am into stuff like MTB, hiking, trail running, etc., and I hardly go a day without watching a video related to outdoor stuff (unless I am outdoors that day). I also watched way too many reaction videos (most music related). The Boys (was on my top 10, but see below) Ozark Edit: I just realized I left off Mr. Robot and Ozark. I know that Mr. Robot deserves to be on this list, so I am moving The Boys to honorable mentions. Ozark I really liked, but there is nothing I would take off the list for it. 10. Mr. Robot - I feel like this is too low, but I am one of the few that felt like they missed the landing big time for the Whiterose stuff. 9. Russian Doll – I feel like its placement suffers from being so early in 2019. I remember loving it, and being very happy for Natasha Lyonne’s success. 8. Santa Clarita Diet – Usually when I hear people complain about a Netflix show being cancelled I'm like it probably deserved it, but this is the first time one of their cancellations pissed me off. Writers should be forced to watch this show to see how to make teenagers not annoying. 7. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – While I am not surprised season 3 was not as strong as season 2 (season 2 was amazing), it is still a great show. That said there are certain elements about the show starting to wear thin with me. I am worried if this will make my list in 2020 if they continue with a few things. 6. Ken Burns: Country Music – As someone who grew up in East Tennessee, this documentary is an amazing love letter to the people I love and respect too. 5. Barry – What an amazing season 2, and with what I thought the best episode of the year until Watchmen. This is one show I swore that would suffer in season 1, but man was I wrong. 4. The Crown – The Crown made episodic television great again, while disguised as a serialized show. I think this might be my favorite season so far. 3. Succession – At sometimes this show feels like a guilty pleasure, but this is too good to be a guilty pleasure. Team Kendall here. 2. Watchmen – Damon Lindelof? Do whatever you want, I am there. I love that he not only swung for the fences, but he knocked it out of the park. 1. Chernobyl – This had an unmatched level of quality in 2019. Everything from writing to acting, it was best of the best. nate fisher fucked around with this message at 00:44 on Jan 1, 2020 |
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Jan 1, 2020 00:24
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gently caress I FORGOT THE CROWN
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Jan 1, 2020 00:41
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esperterra posted:gently caress I FORGOT THE CROWN 
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Jan 1, 2020 00:51
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ugh it should be in my top 5 but what do i moooooooooove
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Jan 1, 2020 00:52
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nate fisher posted:
I spend hours and hours every week watching sailing and rock climbing videos, it's an addiction. I haven't climbed in 15 years.
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Jan 1, 2020 01:10
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10. Day Breakers: at first I thought this was going to be a lovely YA show but it was much better than I expected. The concept of a post apocalyptic setting run entirely by angsty teens was lots of fun. 9. Rick and Morty: love the show hate the fan base. I’m alway impressed with the poo poo Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon come up with. 8. Pen15: having been exactly the same age during the setting of this show I can’t help but love the nostalgia this show evokes. It’s really funny with some heart too. 7. Russian doll: I’ve always enjoyed the concept behind this show. Whether it’s Groundhog’s day or Ken Grimwood’s Replay, this type of story will always entertain me. 6. Witcher: it’s Sam rami’s Hercules + LOTR with a dash of game of thrones. Throw a coin blah blah blah. 5. The Boys: with all the superhero poo poo out today this wdas a breath of fresh air. I’m excited for season 2. 4. Mob Psycho 100 S2: some of the best action in an anime I’ve seen in a long time, especially episode 11. 3. Gourmet Makes: I love how Clair reverse engineers some of my favorite snack. Anytime Brad helps I know I’m going to laugh. 2. Watchmen: The cast of this did an incredible job. Each character has depth and a clear drive which defines there actions. It wasn’t needed but it didn’t take anything away from the original story. 1. Dark: What a crazy family drama! Probably my favorite show of the year because of it's convoluted story. It’s so pretty to look at too!
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Jan 1, 2020 01:55
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esperterra posted:gently caress I FORGOT THE CROWN it was on the longer list you posted in discord, I assumed you took it off deliberately
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Jan 1, 2020 02:46
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I did not 
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Jan 1, 2020 02:55
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I've extended the deadline to allow for some extra responses New Deadline is 12:01AM on Sat 5th of Jan PST Make any necessary edits or watch any necessary shows until then. Results are tentatively scheduled to be announced 9PM on Monday 6th of Jan PST.
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Jan 1, 2020 03:01
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Oh good, I can delay my posting for 4 more days.  10. The Toys that made us (Netflix) (with honorable mention to its spin-off The movies that made us. Check it out.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlV9MGjtNyw Nice documentary series about plastic crap we loved back in the day. 9. the Girlfriend Reviews (Youtube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T_ztm42YoE These aren’t reviews of <game>. They’re reviews of what it’s like to live with someone who plays <game>. A Weekly series of youtube videos about video games from an unique and funny perspective. 8. The Last week tonight with John Oliver (HBO) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9QYu8LtH2E I’ve ended my boycott of John Olivers show. No don’t worry, he isn’t creepy sex-pester or pedophile (as far as we know it.) I just got fatigued in pre-election season, when he show started to be about Trump and only Trump. I was seriously overfatigued by that. I haven’t actually watched any full shows, but HBO still uploads the main story up on the youtubes and I’ve been watching those. 7. Patriot act with Hasan Minjah (Netflix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS9CFBlLOcg An another Daily Show-offshoot star about politic and apparently fashion/shoes. But mostly about politics. He does some excellent shows about Indian Elections, Fentanyl crisis and fast fashion. Last one wasn’t my cup of tea, but otherwise he’s great. 6. Star Talk (Youtube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8KJox3-nRI a Podcast/Youtube/Patreon series by Neil DeGrasse Tyson about Astrophysics and science in general. 5. Love, death & Robots (Netflix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUFwunMKa4E Excellent animated short story collection. Some episodes are a miss, but the good ones are just so good. 4. Russian Doll (Netflix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHcKoAMGGvY An Excellent show about a time-loop, friendship and copious amount of alcohol. 3. Our Planet (Netflix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETNYyrqNYE My yearly fix of Sir Attenborough and gorgeous cinematography about the nature. 2. The Witcher (Netflix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DEbRm8i4k4 Show about the hit song: “Toss a coin to your witcher.” Also about monster slaying and wizard hunchbacks. 1. The Orville (Fox) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl37s46_ahI Another year of McFarlanes excellent science-fiction show. Bright spot of positive fiction on these dark days of Grim dark television and even grimmer world. “Look at this. She's clearly asking her friend where to find the nearest repair service for her device. But instead of writing 'wireless telecommunications facility,' she just wrote 'WTF.' We can decode things like this by applying historical context.“ Issaries fucked around with this message at 09:03 on Jan 1, 2020 |
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Jan 1, 2020 09:00
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I guess The Good Place isn't going to threepeat this year
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Jan 1, 2020 11:50
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Honorable Mentions: 12. Umbrella Academy:  This is a good looking Netflix show and good sounding one too. The music is far-out for the scenes you get and the choices for each actor and actress appear calculated, but natural. It's a weird premise, but a weird comic to base it off of. I liked it. 11. Rick & Morty:  The heist episode was everything! So was the episode where Morty keeps loving poo poo up trying to keep a timeline where Jessica seemingly loves him when he’s old. It’s all great and turning out to be quite a good season. 10. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina:  How weird is it that I’m watching a show where I’m actively rooting for a half witch, half mortal all daughter of Lucifer to kill off demons and angels and shy away from the machinations of Satan himself? 9. iZombie:  The ending to this show was fantastic! And along the way, we got such good brains to work off of: Professional dancer brains, beauty pageant brains, matchmaker brains, perfectionist brain, car salesman brains, private eye brain, and drag queen brains! A smorgasbord of brains to feed off of. The ending left a bit to be desired and was rushed, but other than tying everything up a bit too neatly, it was a solid ending to a great series. 8. Superstore:   Between Amy moving on up to manager, Mateo being caught by I.C.E., and Glen having a baby, it was quite a hectic season ending on Superstore. The season opening was also pretty good, resolving the Mateo drama and finding a way to unionize in secret. 7. Brooklyn 99:  The move did nothing to change how amazing this show is. Hell getting rid of Gina didn’t change the rhythm and flow of the jokes either. It’s still just as funny watching the 99 foil the new commissioner, cheer up Captain Holt, and somehow do another Halloween Heist this year on this network as it would have been on another network that shall not be named. 6. RuPaul’s Drag Race UK:  The glamour! The glitz! The drama! It’s all there, packed into a show about drag queens trying their hardest to win a title, a crown, and a chance to win a digital series on Youtube. Not much in terms of prizes, but a lot for us to love to watch. 5. Good Omens:  This show is epic. Take a well-meaning, if slightly lazy angel and another well-meaning, if slightly lazy demon, make them friends since the beginning of time, and make Doomsday nigh, with both of them on opposite sides of the battlefield trying their hardest to prevent Armagaeddeon and you have the makings of a brilliant show. The child actors aren’t annoying for once and quite charming, the witch-hunters are hilarious, and the witches themselves are interesting to watch. 4. Steven Universe:  2019 was a bang-up year for Steven Universe. Between wrapping up what has been a chaotic war with the diamonds in the most positive manner ever, writing a movie that portrays Pink Diamond in a new light and adds a new friend to the mix, and a final chapter to the series, Steven Universe Future, closing out the book with some answers to what happens to each character after a couple of years, it’s been a wild ride. The music is amazing, the art is beautiful, the storylines are moving, heartwrenching at times, but gut-busting in laughter at others, the show really does have something for everyone. 3. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.:  The only reason this wasn’t higher on the list is because they kept the team separated for way too long, I felt. Hell, just watch the episode “Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson” to prove how good this show is! The alien puffs as hallucinogens was a great schtick for high Jemma and Daisy. Sarge was a great way to bring back Clark Gregg for another role. The bottle episodes like the episode where the Chronicoms are in Jemma and Fitz’s head are pretty good too. The season ending was crazy good. I can’t wait for the final season. 2. The Mandalorian:  Two words: Baby Yoda. Well, it should be “The Child,” but we all know it’s Baby Yoda. Everything about this show was aces. From the call-backs to other Star Wars media, to new shout outs and terminology created specifically for the show, it felt like part of the Star Wars universe in a fresh way. I loved the music for the show and hell, I was more excited for its episode than the Star Wars movie in the same week! All I can say is, keep is up Disney+. 1. The Good Place:  Man, it’s wrapping up what appears to be the perfect show. Kristen Bell is everything as Arizona trashbag Eleanor Shellstrop, but, to be fair, her cast is just as good at their respective characters (I’m just particularly a fan of hers). What can I say about this show that hasn’t already been said? When you think this show will zip, it zags. The writers are so creative with motive and action for every character, it always seems like a reasonable surprise at the end, what happens to every character arc. It’s just so wholesome and GOOD. We are in the Good Place simply for this show existing. Pan Dulce fucked around with this message at 12:47 on Jan 1, 2020 |
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Jan 1, 2020 12:42
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Forgot about Sabrina. Oh, well.
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Jan 1, 2020 18:50
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3 She-Ra: gay show gets gayer. "Hey Adora" -- its just perfect 2 Better Call Saul: con man coming into his own and it is soooooo good. 1 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: I cant believe this happened this year. It feels like a thousand years ago but it is amazing. 4 Bojack: you know it, you love it. Nuff said. 6 Undone: fun little romp. Good synergy between other shows I like so I went in with high expectations and it delivers. 7 Man in the High Castle: this whole show, if properly edited, would have maybe 2 seasons, likely 1.5 seasons and it would be amazing. A lot of the episodes and themes from the heavily edited alternate reality version would be from this season. 5 Mandalorian: best SW since 1983. Really good stuff, I want to move to Orlando to be closer to Disney world. 9 Love Death and Robots: we finally let a computer write an anthology show and it turns out the algorithm thinks we are all weird furries. 8 Orville: good next generation trek fanfiction now available on TV 10 The boys: Hi Velvet, this is Taniqua My, time sure does fly Not a day goes by where I don't think about you I didn't appreciate you putting me on blast On that last record, by the way But I've forgiven you Anyway, I'm not calling to have you Put me on the guest list for tonight But I was wondering if I could ride with you I have to get my hair and nails did So please tell the limo driver to wait for me Meet me at the club
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Jan 2, 2020 05:45
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