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Isn't Hannibal or Fargo in the lead by a country mile?
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Dec 29, 2014 14:09
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Rocksicles posted:Isn't Hannibal or Fargo in the lead by a country mile? Not by my cursory glance... But we'll know soon enough.
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Dec 29, 2014 14:14
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Tuxedo Jack posted:I'm legitimately upset that Arrow is going to be #1 this year. It's a fun show sometimes, but gently caress. Shut it down, shut it all down. If you're legitimately upset about a dumb internet poll you have some problems.
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Dec 29, 2014 14:15
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Rocksicles posted:Isn't Hannibal or Fargo in the lead by a country mile? This year seems really tight. the Brooklyn 99, Arrow and Person of Interest all seem to have lot of voters, There's no Breaking bad ruining the fun.
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Dec 29, 2014 14:21
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Deadpool posted:If you're legitimately upset about a dumb internet poll you have some problems. Agreed. My big takeaway from the thread is I need to watch Hannibal.
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Dec 29, 2014 14:22
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The varying numbering styles should have been a red flag, but it still took until reading my own words to realize what was going on in that list.
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Dec 29, 2014 14:32
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Okey doke, it's a garbage day at work, here's my list. I'm positive there are shows I would like more than these if I had seen them this year, but this is what I personally saw and liked in 2014. And now that I've written this list out it occurs to me that I only actually watched 13 2014 shows all the way through, so I might as well list the extra 2 for posterity. Not-so-Honorable Mention - Workaholics Guys...what happened?  This used to be one of my favorite shows, but this season was such a disappointment. I only finished watching this season out of goodwill for Blake, Adam, and Anders built up by the last 3 seasons, but they used it all up this year. I'll give it an episode or two next year to redeem itself, and if it's anywhere near as bad as Season 4 I'll have to say goodbye to my friends over in Rancho Cucamonga.Honorable Mention - Broad City I did not like the pilot very much. But, by virtue of being on after Workaholics I kept watching, and now I'm actually looking forward to seeing what they come up with in season 2. EDIT: Honorable Mentions should also go out to The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. I didn't watch them every night, but the level of journalism, satire, and comedy that comes from (or in Colbert's case, came from ) both of those shows this year was pretty astounding. I'll be very sad when The Daily Show airs its last episode, and I hope that day doesn't come soon. I also just realized I forgot about True Blood, which I also saw through this year. But I think that's actually a very fitting review; just forget it ever happened.THE LIST 10 - Saturday Night Live Obviously not very popular these days, but I grew up watching it and will probably keep watching it until I die or it goes off the air. It's an institution. And in the past couple years they've been quietly recruiting some real talent. Everyone sees the bits that end up trending the next Monday, but some of the best bits this year have been the sleepers. 9 - Modern Family (S5 part 2 and S6 part 1) This show makes me wish I had a little family unit of my own, because this is the kind of show I'd love to watch with them  There were some stale subplots this year in both seasons, and neither was probably the best season overall, but still an extremely well written comedy, especially considering it's family friendly.8 - Fargo I have a confession to make: I couldn't bring myself to watch the last episode. I grew to really hate Billy Bob Thornton's character, and even though Lester became a little poo poo, I couldn't bear to watch his inevitable crash down to earth at the hands of Malvo. There's no denying the quality of the show, and I loved every minute of it, but I can't score it higher than 8 on this list. There must have been something about it to make me stop watching. Also, gently caress you, this is my list, I do what I want. 7- Game of Thrones My favorite fantasy series of all time, which to be fair, isn't saying much. Season 4 was probably my least favorite season so far which is why GoT only comes in at 7, but c'mon. Bad Game of Thrones is still better than 90% of TV out there. I'm a hopeless aSoIaF junkie and I'll take my fix where ever I can, and I'll like it. 6 - South Park I've always liked South Park, but not really enough to watch episodes live. Last season I happened to catch one during it's live air, and this season I watched all of them live, or at least on DVR the next day. Very few shows can get a belly laugh out of me, and this one did it, sometimes several times per episode. Other than the less than stellar final episode this is some of Trey and Matt's best work, and for them that's saying quite a lot. SP was also docked on this list for being too short. I realize other shows on my list were only 10 episodes, but for some reason SP being 10 bothers me the most...I guess because it's only a half hour show? 5 - True Detective A fantastic series just for McConaughey and Harrelson. Add in some inspired writing and storytelling and you've got one of the most memorable shows of 2014 hands down. The ending was a bit of a drag in my opinion, and there were other nitpicky things I didn't like, which is why TD could only make it to 5. 4 - Boardwalk Empire The final season's resolutions to the various plots were not quite as satisfying as one would hope. But BE earns the number 4 spot just by being another excellent season of Boardwalk Empire. Nobody was excited about the Nucky flashbacks, but they ended up being done very well. Was the final season perfect? Not by a long shot. But there's no denying this was a quality season of more delicious old-timey scenery chewing, and that is extremely my poo poo. 3 - Nathan For You I'm not even sure what to say about Nathan For You. It's not always laugh-out-loud funny...in fact, sometimes it makes me cringe. But Nathan's performances, both written and improvised, are masterful. Nathan Fielder is the Andy Kaufmann of our generation, and both the ideas he comes up with for each segment and the performances he's able to pull from Average Joe business owners are like some sort of terrible magic. 2 - Mad Men I am SOOO glad I started binge watching this show in 2013. This was the first season I got to watch live, and I think I actually like Mad Men better that way. So much thought and care is put into every single episode that it really deserves time to marinate in your brain for a week or so before moving on to the next episode. I don't know if I've ever been disappointed by this show, it's just so goddamn good. 1 - Drunk History This show. This loving show. Like I said earlier, I don't belly laugh at TV very often (hell, I don't belly laugh that much at anything!) But Every. Single. Episode of Drunk History has me gasping for breath. Take amazing A-list movie stars in ridiculous costume (owns), American History (owns), drunk comedians making asses of themselves and having fun (owns), and finish it off with painstaking and inspired reenactments for 22 minutes per episode and you did it; you found out how to make me laugh. There's just something so genius to me about the premise of this show. I don't expect others to agree with a number 1 spot, but it's really criminal that Drunk History has been left out of so many lists this year. timp fucked around with this message at 16:09 on Dec 29, 2014 |
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Dec 29, 2014 15:46
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You should really watch that last episode of Fargo.
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Dec 29, 2014 15:55
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timp posted:8 - Fargo Having watched all but one episode of Fargo, you should know by now that it rarely ends up going down the path that you'd expect. Toxxupation posted:And yet...it's arguably better than the movie. That's how good Fargo the TV series is; it not only honors its source material, it not only feels like a true and natural and earned extension of the world established in the movie, it's not only incredible in its own right, removed from the source material, it might be the superior of the two works. That's how incredible Fargo is. I would agree with this, which I wouldn't have thought possible before I watched the series.
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Dec 29, 2014 16:36
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thexerox123 posted:Having watched all but one episode of Fargo, you should know by now that it rarely ends up going down the path that you'd expect. It kind of does, though? I wouldn't say I was able to predict everything that happened, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that it rarely turns out how you'd expect. So far, Malvo has always won. Lester has always gotten away. Solverson still can't get her conviction. Colin Hanks is a lovable shmuck and a bad I do agree, though, with how good the series is as a whole I owe it to myself to see it through. tbqh I kind of forgot about Fargo until making this list. I will go back and finish the final episode before the poll closes and update if necessary.
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Dec 29, 2014 16:51
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^^Yeah, you really should watch that last episode. As for my list... 10. Game of Thrones Probably the weakest season so far. Like the books, the characters splitting further and further off geographically fragments the narrative in a sometimes frustrating way. However, the show still shines in presenting Big Moments - like Joffery's or Mountain vs. Viper - and many of the performances - most notably Dinklage, Maise Williams, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - continue to be outstanding. 9. Hello, Ladies: The Movie The rom-com has been making a big comeback in television recently, with some mixed results. Hello, Ladies was easily the best of the bunch. Sadly, whatever a second season might have been was instead squeezed into this 80-minute movie, though that Nicole Kidman scene has an entire season's-worth of cringe-humor. Toes the line between sweetness and sardonic humor perfectly and manages to round out Stephen Merchant's dickishly awkward character and bring things to a predictable but fun conclusion. And it has Stephen Tobolowsky as a yachting playboy. 8. Louie This season was like 3 or 4 short films strung together, and while it was not always funny, it was always interesting and often even moving. The double-length episode In the Woods in particular was phenomenal. 7. Community Such a step up from last season (and I liked most of last season). Donald Glover leaving 5 episodes in hurt, but it was more funny and imaginative than any other network sitcom of the past year. And I really, really dug the Zodiac-esque episode. They nailed the Fincher style in the most perfect way. 6. Last Week Tonight Thank you, England, for John Oliver. Came out of the gate swinging and established itself in - and this year, above - the pantheon of the Daily Show and Colbert Report (RIP) while distinguishing itself with its longer, more in-depth pieces of serious matters that often go under-reported. And then makes them really funny. 5. Hannibal Somehow a show about that graphically depicts the carnage left in the wake of a cannibalistic serial killer manages never to feel exploitative but always beautiful in its own dark way. I can't look away. 4. Veep Really, really funny. While Julia Louis-Dreyfuss shines above all other, the entire cast is capable of sending me into fits of laughter at any moment. The debate episode might be the single funniest episode of television of the year. 3. True Detective This show would have made this list for the oner at the end of the fourth episode, but while that was the highlight, the rest of the show wasn't far behind in quality. Unlike some others, I thought it ended perfectly, a rare feat nowadays for any TV show, even limited series like this one. Just writing about it makes me want to watch some more. I guess time really is a flat circle after all... 2. Bojack Horseman It's a slow burn, but by the Princess Carolyn episode this show is almost in a league of its own. For every goofy animal-as-people joke, there's a moment of genuine human emotion that rings so incredibly true. And Vincent Adultman. 1. Fargo I wouldn't go so far to say it's better than the movie, which is pretty much the perfect movie. It is, though, a near-perfect season of TV. It shouldn't have worked at all, but somehow it did and we are all better off for it.
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Dec 29, 2014 18:36
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10. Black Mirror--Feels like it was written next year. Forward thinking, spooky and unpredictable. More worthy of being called the spiritual successor to The Twilight Zone than anything that's come since. 9. Last Week Tonight--Looked forward to this every single week.. it's more earnest and sweet and less snide and spiteful than the Daily Show and is the better for it. 8. Rectify--Such a huge change of pace from everything else on TV. Deliciously deliberate and heartfelt, and of course aesthetically beautiful. I love what they did with Teddy. 7. Brooklyn 99--Consistently funny to myself and many who loathe sitcoms. It's the anti-sitcom. I don't really know why.. it just works, maybe because most of the characters are so brilliant? Or because it feels like it's mocking itself? 6. Silicon Valley--Slammed so many elements of SV culture, similar to how Office Space did for its subjects. Everyone is an idiot, and brilliant, and an idiot. Some super sharp writing in there, and a healthy dose of laugh out loud. 5. Transparent--Hell of a page turner. Made me want to keep watching for an ounce of humanity in Moira's loving kids. Not preachy. 4. Manhattan--Made me care about a bunch of physicists. Also, the sets really take you away to another time and place--one that happened to be historically relevant. Really, REALLY wanted to see our protagonist succeed. 3. The Knick -- You know how watching Downton Abbey makes you glad you weren't born back then because of how loving dull it was? The Knick makes you feel the exact opposite--it makes its setting feel vivid and terrifying. 2. Hannibal -- Gorgeous. Mindfucky. Suspenseful. Gorgeous. Brilliant. It's utterly shocking and satisfying that this is allowed to exist on network TV. 1. Rick and Morty -- Have watched the Meseeks episode more times than any other show this year. Hilarity, madness, brutal honesty, and just enough heart to keep it from feeling hollow. The main characters are given consistency and depth, which makes them way more enjoyable than your average cartoon characters. Rick's responses to stupid and annoying questions will serve you well when repeated in real-life. Rudely taken off the list at the last second: Person of Interest (if it weren't so dumbed down I'd really love it), Bojack (a few too many slow/random moments clog up a lot of brilliance), Fargo (got a little slow at times but overall delicious), Good Wife (feels a bit like it's on wind-down but still enjoyable if not gripping) Wholeheartedly recommend: Jane the Virgin (a fresh take on telenovellas, light-hearted and smiley), Elementary (the more it deviates from procedural the better, imo), The Americans (needed a bit more suspense this season but still pretty gripping), Game of Thrones (I expect "great" from this material, team and budget and instead got "pretty good") Worth trying: True Detective (or just follow Woody/Matt to a bar), Mad Men (satisfying to see Don on the rebound), Almost Human (sigh, so much potential, if only all the writing was as good as the Kennex-Dorian dialogue), Archer (too much plot, not enough nonsense this season maybe?), Boardwalk (fairly slow. too many incidental characters. the Nuckys crushed it. wanted a better ending for Nelson.), The Walking Dead (moments of Rick and Carol(!) awesomeness marred by sojourns into "could care less" territory.), Arrow (when the flashbacks are significantly less interesting than the main plot it's time to drop them.) Dropped the ball a bit, probably still worth a watch: Masters of Sex (S2 managed to make sex boring again), Orphan Black (not as special as S1), OitNB (ditto, felt retreaded, see: Weeds S3->), Suits (everyone but Louis needs a nutpunch, even Donna. Rachel's plot lines are a black hole of emotion. The Mike-Harvey relationship and dialogue were uncharacteristically dull.) Wish I had a bunch of these hours back: Homeland (stick to the action), Scandal (take a Valium) Make sure you're watching the right one: Utopia If you have to watch one reality show this year, make it: Survivor (wasn't the best season of its run but there were a good number of clever plays and power swings that make the last five or so episodes pretty satisfying.) Thank you TV/IV for forcing me to watch most of these shows. This place has MrBuddyLee fucked around with this message at 20:09 on Dec 30, 2014 |
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Dec 29, 2014 20:11
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timp posted:It kind of does, though? I wouldn't say I was able to predict everything that happened, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that it rarely turns out how you'd expect. So far, Malvo has always won. Lester has always gotten away. Solverson still can't get her conviction. Colin Hanks is a lovable shmuck and a bad You should really watch the last episode.
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Dec 29, 2014 20:53
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Everyone who made a qualifying post up to timp should be linked in the second post spatula city, yours needs to be in ascending and not descending order; irish joe let me know whenever youre done so i'll include you everyone else besides for the two people after timp should be on though also spatula city you need to finish your list
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Dec 30, 2014 00:32
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Tuxedo Jack posted:I'm legitimately upset that Arrow is going to be #1 this year. It's a fun show sometimes, but gently caress. Shut it down, shut it all down. It's an extremely popular show among the SA goons. Is the whole point of this poll to determine what TVIV likes the most? It's not the Emmys so chill out.
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Dec 30, 2014 00:50
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10. Stewart lees comedy vehicle I’m sure his super fans would take offence to calling Stewart lee the British Louis CK but I think in terms of thinking of comedy as art they are at the top of their game. This season was a little less memorable than the last two but I really appreciate the craft that goes into the show. 9. Last week with john oliver Its a visual bugle but without the puns. Whats not to like. 8. Eric andre show This was the funniest thing that I have seen on tv all year. 7. Doctor who The best season in years. Capaldi and Coleman have great chemistry. 6. Arrow My guilty pleasure. I like it in the most mindless way possible. 5. Game of Thrones The battle at the wall was great tv I think its one of the most underrated episodes of tv this year. 4. Eight out of ten cats does countdown Just consistently funny. Its a great format that allows funny people to be be funny in different ways. And Rachel Riely is a goddess. 3. Trip to Italy Genius framing for what is essentially an impression show. And the food looked absolutely gorgeous. 2. Fargo Ok I feel that these two shows are so far beyond the rest its almost a joke. Great production values and performances. It actually got me to retroactively like the film. 1. True detective The best thing I have ever seen on tv. I have never had such a visceral reaction to any tv as I did to that scene. Also the ending really worked for me.
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Dec 30, 2014 23:53
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You got like 17 hours left to submit, so, yeah
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Dec 31, 2014 16:31
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Hi, welcome to my bad taste. The List 10. the originals 9. supernatural 8. grey's anatomy 7. good wife 6. how to get away with murder 5. real housewives of OC 4. shield 3. the 100 2. last week tonight 1. hannibal Honorable Mentions pretty little liars almost human game of thrones sleepy hollow orphan black Fluffy poo poo I loved but didn't put in the top 10 out of shame or something: selfie reign poo poo I need to watch fargo manhattan finish Person of Interest -- Going to edit in reasons later (hopefully before the end of the night).
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Dec 31, 2014 16:58
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Now its time for prestige poo poo that everybody puts on their lists: 5. Fargo The spiritual successor to Breaking Bad and proof that not all prestige dramas are shameless Emmy bait, desperately latching on to [fill in the blank]isms for relevance. So what is it about Fargo that makes it so much better than dreck like Transparent, The Knick and Orange is the New Black? Its entertaining. And, at the end of the day, isn't that all that really matters? Viewers don't care about the important statement you're making about race relations in 21st century America if they can't stay awake long enough to hear it. Breaking Bad knew that. The Wire knew that. And Fargo knows it. Fargo is a deep character study done right, making it the best prestige drama of 2014. 4. Louie What is there to say about Louie that hasn't been said a million times before? The show is unlike anything else on television and, though others have tried to imitate it (Lena Dunham), none have succeeded (because she's a lovely writer and child molester). Season 4 is a little more uneven than the previous seasons, but that works to the show's benefit as many were finding it stale after season 3. This time around, Louie kills Yvonne Stravinski, dates a woman who can't speak English and gets into a relationship with his abusive ex, Pamela. Basically, its everything you could possibly want from a season of Louie and more.
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Dec 31, 2014 17:14
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Your list should be stricken from the record because you're an idiot. Make sure the last 3 each get their own post... as a big gently caress YOU to everyone else.
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Dec 31, 2014 17:48
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I think his list should count double.
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Dec 31, 2014 17:49
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Rocksicles posted:Your list should be stricken from the record because you're an idiot.
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Dec 31, 2014 18:14
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If "Taking Irish Joe Seriously" were a TV show, it'd make my Top 10.
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Dec 31, 2014 19:22
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Irish Joe's list so far is better than any of the ones with Arrow or Agents of SHIELD on tbh
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Dec 31, 2014 20:05
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Bown posted:Irish Joe's list so far is better than any of the ones with Arrow or Agents of SHIELD on tbh It's going to be tough for him to top his #1 pick from last year, though.
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Dec 31, 2014 20:34
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smg77 posted:It's going to be tough for him to top his #1 pick from last year, though. I fully expect him to just not finish his list this year 
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Dec 31, 2014 21:40
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It's going to be Doctor Who
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Dec 31, 2014 21:45
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Sober posted:It's going to be Doctor Who I hope it's Ascension.
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Dec 31, 2014 21:49
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It's going to be segment between 14:53 to 26:14 of the SyFy original TV Movie High Moon.
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Dec 31, 2014 21:53
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I'm gonna go with SHARKNADO
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Dec 31, 2014 22:35
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Bown posted:Irish Joe's list so far is better than any of the ones with Arrow or Agents of SHIELD on tbh You realize you just made Arrow his number one show, don't you?
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Dec 31, 2014 22:40
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Okay 10. Peter Pan Live! Why the gently caress not? I was entranced for the entire 3 hours, though not always entertained. 9. Legend of Korra Mostly for season 3 which was genuinely great television. Other than that, I thought that season 4 was mainly coasting from that high. 8. Reign The second half of the first season was indescribable. I can't even. 7. Gotham This show is bad, but I guess I like it? 6. Bob's Burgers I was surprised by how much I liked this. I haven't caught all the way back up yet, so maybe the episodes that actually showed this year are bad, but I'm putting it here anyway. 5. Key & Peele It's been one of my favorite comedy shows since it premiered, and this season is no exception. 4. Flash It's pretty much what a super hero show should be. The tone they hit is perfect. 3. True Detective That 6 minute long shot alone would get this on the list. 2. Arrow For the most part Flash might have slightly better this season, but the midseason finale and the previous season puts it over the edge. 1. Silicon Valley I didn't think I would put a sitcom at the top of this list until I started writing it, but here we are. It was a short season, but I really did enjoy every moment I watched it. Mentions: honorable, dishonorable, and otherwise. Masterchef (Jr) These shows used to be great. What the hell happened? Community I had pretty strong opinions about this show a while back. All I know now is that I was notably annoyed when it got picked up by Yahoo. Just let it die. Whose Line Is It Anyway? The reboot has been solidly decent, but meh enough that I forget it exists for weeks and weeks before I catch up again. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I do recognize that it is much better than it was at the start of season 1, but there have been many words posted saying "this is a good show now" and I don't understand them. Each individual word makes sense and it all seems to be complete sentences, but it's all gibberish to me. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia I wish the season premiered 2 weeks earlier so I could put it on this list.
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Dec 31, 2014 23:23
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oh jay posted:10. Peter Pan Live! now this is trolling.
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Dec 31, 2014 23:34
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3. Jane the Virgin Where the hell did this show come from, and why is it so drat good? A show about a woman finding love through unwanted pregnancy shouldn't be sweet, funny and charming, but Jane the Virgin is all that in spades. Everything about this show works. The cast is perfect. The writing is sharp. Plots move along at a brisk pace. There's enough going that things never get dull. And everything is beautifully shot. I can't think of a single bad thing about Jane the Virgin except the premise, and every other element of the show more than makes up for it. Perhaps the most impressive feat of the show is that, despite existing in a world inhabited by larger than life characters, plots are often resolved by the characters simply talking to one another, and behaving rationally. For instance, there's a plot where the main guy is falsely accused of battery by his conniving ex-wife, and while other shows would have dragged out the question of "how will Jane find out and what will she do when she does?" for half a dozen episodes, he straight up goes to her in the next scene, tells her what's up and.. she believes him. I was blown the gently caress away by that because, let's be honest here, when does that ever happen in a television show? Some people have compared Jane the Virgin to Pushing Daisies. I think that's a poor comparison because Jane the Virgin is a million times better than Pushing Daisies. Watch it, love it and then root for it at the Emmys. Trust me, its worth it.
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Jan 1, 2015 00:03
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Ravane posted:now this is trolling. I'm sorry you don't understand art. 
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Jan 1, 2015 00:16
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Bown posted:Irish Joe's list so far is better than any of the ones with Arrow or Agents of SHIELD on tbh Arrow owns, sorry. And having just watched the so-called turning point of SHIELD I obviously won't be voting on it for this year not having seen this season, but I wouldn't bet against it being on there. I hate to say it but yeah it really does seem to have had what was a Parks and Rec (probably worse) start to post-really awful poo poo turnaround (before Parks started to suck again [this analogy sort of sucks]).
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Jan 1, 2015 00:28
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I went back and rewatched the first season of Parks and Rec and its actually pretty good compared to seasons 5 & 6. I wish they would have stuck with the documentary format a little better. It just doesn't have the same energy without the handycam shots.
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Jan 1, 2015 00:37
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I didn't have the time to write as much as I wanted for this, but here goes: 10. Orphan Black The second season went in some really strange, and sometimes awful (Tony), directions, but it was still Orphan Black. They set up some nice threads for next season, and I'm excited for it. 9. Peter Pan Live I'm a sucker for live theatre, and this was a fun way to spend 3 hours. Getting anyone but Christopher Walken to play Captain Hook would have been a good change though. Stunt casting is rarely entertaining, and Walken did nothing to prove otherwise. 8. House of Cards Watching Underwood destroy his enemies never gets old. I'm looking forward to the third season, in which he plots his way into world domination. 7. Sleepy Hollow The most fun you can have in 42 minutes. Not much I can say that hasn't been said. 6. Arrow Though it treaded water for most of the season, it seriously pulled itself together for the last couple episodes. 5. Justified Certainly not the strongest season they've had, but the characters elevated the season's poor plotting, and the final season was set up nicely. 4. You're the Worst I almost missed this show. I had written it off after seeing the first ads come out, but Couch Chat quickly set me straight. 3.Peaky Blinders This show does the "man plots his way to victory" storyline in a far more entertaining way than House of Cards, and I was surprised to see it absent from most lists. Sam Neill and Helen McCrory were both real treats, though the show was solidly cast all around. Cillian Murphy is outstanding, and I'm ashamed I only knew him from Batman prior to watching this show. 2. Fargo If we are in a golden age of television, Fargo stands as one of this art form's crowning achievements. Unfairly overshadowed by the far more showy (and far more HBO-y) True Detective, Fargo has earned every piece of praise it receives, and deserves ten times more. I waffled for a while on whether to give it the #1 spot over The Americans, as they were both so incredible. But The Americans came off an outstanding first season and still managed to exceed expectations, so here it sits. 1. The Americans The Americans is the best show on television. I make a point of not watching previews, and no show has tested my resolve as much as this one, because even one more minute with these characters per week would be a godsend. It's television heroin of the highest grade.
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Jan 1, 2015 01:20
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Irish Joe posted:I went back and rewatched the first season of Parks and Rec and its actually pretty good compared to seasons 5 & 6. I wish they would have stuck with the documentary format a little better. It just doesn't have the same energy without the handycam shots. I unironically agree, except with the lovely faux The Office single camera "documentary" sitcom bullshit that was inexplicably popular back then, but I felt parks and rec went off a cliff when Leslie got elected to office. But 
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Jan 1, 2015 01:47
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I hate being an adult, there are so many TV shows that I don't have time to watch. As a result shows like Fargo and Transparent languish unviewed when I know I should take the time. Alas.  10. Looking Many HBO shows are a slow burn when they start up, Looking was worse than others. These people were horrible to each other, and yet I kept watching. Then came an episode that was just two characters fresh in a relationship walking around SF talking and getting to know each other while flush with excitement and I was hooked. The producers put on the kind of show that they wanted to see, and I'll follow it along next year. 9. 24: Live Another Day God bless the Jack Bauer Power Hour. Fresh, fierce, and fun. Please bring it back in another year or two, please?  8. Drunk History One thing that I found when I was compiling this year's list was that I favored shows that were Fun. Entertain me, make me feel like I didn't waste my time, and I'll keep enjoying the show. Drunk History isn't revolutionary, but it hits me in just the right spot and sometimes you actually learn something. 7. Bob's Burgers What a family! They're all crazy but they love each other and they make me laugh. 6. Jane the Virgin I'd put this higher at this point but I want to see how the rest of the season goes. We need more pure soapy fun like this, and the main cast are impossibly delightful. ALBA NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! 5. Arrow Amazing action, rising plots in the Buffy tradition, and BARROWMAN. Salmon Ladders for everyone!4. Scandal If you love a good scene-chewing monologue then you need to watch Scandal. Joe Morton is a goddamn treasure and Mellie Grant is one of the very very very very very very very very very very very very best characters on TV. 3. Doctor Who This was a bit further down my list at first but they stuck the landing with the Xmas special. New Doctor plus a true examination on what being the Companion does to you while completely rehabilitation Clara's character? More, please. 2. RuPaul's Drag Race I mentioned Fun above, this show maxes out the Fun and stirs in the Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent to make a thrilling competitive reality show. I mention it every year in the OP of the thread, but one of the great things about the show is that simply making it onto the show is the prize because it puts your name out there. This year's version brought about an increase in upper-echelon queens that can only help to serve the show and there was thankfully no true villain (only a passive-aggressive elephant). Add in some of the best lip syncs ever on the show and the best Finale episode since Adam Lambert on Idol and it's almost perfection. 1. Hannibal I said "almost" perfection because Hannibal exists.  I can't wait to watch in real time next year.Honorable Mentions - House of Cards for an engrossing story - The Walking Dead for turning it around in a big way - The Flash for coming out strong but lacking the deep stakes of its older brother - Saturday Night Live for introducing us to Leslie Jones - Game of Thrones for forcing me to watch each episode before going to sleep - How to Get Away With Murder for an intriguing plot that made my eyes water - Community for turning itself around - Orphan Black because I want it to be able to turn itself around Onto 2015!
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Jan 1, 2015 01:53
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