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I didn’t watch nearly as much television this year as I’d have liked, and a lot of the shows I did enjoy I didn’t end up finishing. So instead of doing just honorable mentions, here’s a list of shows I started or fell behind on and need to get back to: A Series Of Unfortunate Events (watched the first four) Patriot (currently blitzing through the last four episodes) The Get Down (my #3 last year! Didn’t watch all of the first episode, that animated stuff was rough) Steven Universe (haven’t seen the last five or so episodes) Search Party (watched the first two) Future Man (watched the first two) Twin Peaks (watched the first two episodes and decided I needed to see FWWM) Star Trek: Discovery (didn’t watch past the two they aired on real TV) The Tick (didn’t watch episode six) Preacher (like six episodes behind) iZombie (didn’t watch the finale) MST3K: The Return (watched like an episode and a half) Dad of Light: Final Fantasy XIV (Yes, really, watched an episode and a half) Dear White People (I didn’t love what little I watched of this, honestly, but it was just most of the first episode) Riverdale (like two episodes behind) And then there’s shows I never got to like GLOW, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Mindhunter. As for actual honorable mentions, the three I unfortunately had to cut at the last minute were The Punisher, Steven Universe, and Stranger Things. 10. American Gods American Gods is a good book that meanders a bit too much in the middle, even if the digressions make sense in the overall narrative and it all gets tied together decently in the end. American Gods is a good show that meanders a bit too much in the middle, even if the digressions make sense in the overall narrative and it all gets tied together decently in the end. My point, then, is that there’s really nothing else this adaptation could have been, and what it is manages to capture the spirit of the book with some of the most gorgeous composition on television. Yes, it’s slow, covering only the first third of a long-but-not-that-long book in eight hour-long episodes. But it gets the right things right, consistently. The individual vignettes of the stories of the gods are all fantastic, and the expansion of certain characters’ roles is phenomenal. 9. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This show should be a joke, right? It’s not just me? How is this as good as it is, as consistently as it is? This show aired its best episode ever this year, which is no small feat. Buoyed by outstanding performances across the board and the willingness to just go loving nuts whenever it gets the opportunity, this show continues to amaze me. 8. Legion I wanted to love this show, but instead I merely came to like it. It’s a shame that the final episode isn’t as strong. It’s a shame that it decided not to really explore the ideas from its premise I was most interested in. It’s a shame that the last third or so takes a weird detour that mostly works but also kind of doesn’t. Legion is not what I thought it would be. What it actually is: surprising, funny, and shockingly scary. And holy poo poo, what can I say about Aubrey Plaza that hasn’t already been repeated ad nauseum? 7. Riverdale Guilty pleasures are dumb. If you love something, own it. For instance, I love Riverdale, the dumbest show on television, full stop. Here are just a few of the amazing plot points Riverdale blew through this year: Drugged milkshakes A serial killer with a psychotic obsession with one of the main characters A gang war in which one of the main instigators is a character named “Sweet Pea” That gang war eventually leading to a loving street race And hard drugs named “Jingle Jangle”! Riverdale has no pretensions about what it is, and it is gloriously campy. There’s nothing ironic about my enjoyment of Riverdale, it’s just the tastiest junk food on television right now. 6. Rick and Morty Rick and Morty is constantly trying new things. They don’t always work, but it’s always trying. “Pickle Rick” is one of the best episodes they’ve ever done because it’s dumb, sincere, and brave all at once, and manages to thoroughly dress down its main character’s incredibly toxic worldview. This show gets a lot of poo poo. I won’t say it’s undeserved, but it’s also just loving incredible when it’s firing on all cylinders. 5. Better Call Saul Better Call Saul is probably a better show than Breaking Bad at this point, and it owes it all to Bob Odenkirk, who is just an incredible presence onscreen. Jimmy McGill has been denied and marginalized for so long that one can’t help but root for him, which makes it such a shame when he gives into his own worst nature, breaks the rules, and proves everyone who ever doubted him right. It’s hard to watch. It’s even harder to stop. 4. Patriot Behold, the tale of The World’s Saddest Man! Jesus, this show came out of nowhere, and it is something else. It’s like a Greek loving tragedy unfolding in slow motion from eight different angles. Everything good is transient. All victories will be undone. Failure is the only universal constant. ...It’s also funny as hell. 3. American Vandal American Vandal also completely blindsided me. It’s an incredibly well-executed mockumentary, from the reuse of footage to the random students walking into B-roll shots to request interviews. It’s hilarious and somehow even tragic. It’s kind of a perfect little thing in its own right. 2. The Good Place How can a show be so willing to blow itself up in so many different ways? The finale was incredible, but everything since has been on an entirely new level. There’s an amazing willingness here to let moments that other, lesser shows would save for a finale go off in the middle or even the beginning of the season. Even the latest episode ended in a way that leaves me with no idea where it can possibly go next. Also, “The Trolley Problem” is the funniest episode of television all year, and it’s not close. 1. The Deuce I haven’t seen The Wire. I really should, but I just haven’t. This, then, is my first David Simon show, and holy poo poo, what have I been missing? There’s the amazing feeling of a world just beyond the boundaries of every scene, implied by the texture of every moment and the incredible set of actors populating the cast. It’s rich and nuanced in the best of ways, never going for the easy way forward or the simple depiction. The introduction to C.C. and Lori, in particular, could have so easily been a trite example of one taking advantage of the other, but the writers know we know what’s up and throw our expectations for a loop. No other show this year made me feel as full a range of emotions as The Deuce, from tragedy to humor to horror, to full, complete captivation with the amazing completeness of what I was watching, permeating through every aspect. Here’s the best selling point I can think of: I find most nudity offputting because I’m a loving prude, but I couldn’t get enough of this show’s depiction of the sex trade. This show consistently goes above and beyond, and I can’t imagine another show taking the top spot for me. Arist fucked around with this message at 22:58 on Jan 7, 2018 |
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Jan 7, 2018 22:55
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Oh man if I realized I could put Pretty Good on my list
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Jan 8, 2018 02:53
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Escobarbarian posted:I don’t think any of my list have shown up yet NICE same, same
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Jan 12, 2018 19:31
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Time to find out The Deuce is at #40 or some poo poo and I get to curse you all out
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Jan 14, 2018 18:10
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only because jojo's didn't air last year
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Jan 14, 2018 18:31
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I think SU suffered this year from its insane hiatuses which is probably why it fell so far.
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Jan 14, 2018 18:44
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Really surprised that's the lowest thing on my list.
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Jan 14, 2018 20:32
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Really thought this would end up higher, huh
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Jan 14, 2018 21:13
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Jan 14, 2018 21:18
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Escobarbarian posted:What is that show even about anymore SPACE
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Jan 14, 2018 22:08
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Season 2 made me realize I actually like Stranger Things, even if upon reflection the only storyline I cared about was Steve and the kids.
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Jan 14, 2018 22:12
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YEAH I GOT WHAT I WANTED
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Jan 14, 2018 23:14
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| # ¿ Jan 19, 2021 03:12 |
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I'll be waiting in the lobby if anyone wants stock market tips
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Jan 14, 2018 23:21
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