I made the foolish decision to make an end-of-the-year top ten list. Most top ten lists come out before Christmas, but there was just no time for me to watch what I felt I needed to watch in order to come up with the best possible list. Given that the holidays provide loads of opportunity of free time, it was also more convenient. I don't regret that decision either. The list today, the top ten drama, could have been ably made without the extra time, although a couple shows are in the top ten that I just watched in December. The comedy list on the other hand would have looked a hell of a lot different.
For my order, I decided to list them backwards from 10 to 1 and then afterwards list the honorable mentions. I feel by abstaining from listing the honorable mentions until afterwards, you might actually have some doubt as to what will come towards the top. Also, I don't want to list your favorite show in the honorable mention, you'll get mad and then not read the rest of the post.
Both lists are what I think are the best, but I will admit a certain element of how much I enjoy the show comes into play. By that I mean, there are a few shows that could technically be described as better than some in the top ten, but whenever I put them in there, it just felt wrong. It felt like I was putting it in there only because I felt it was supposed to be in there and not because I thought it was one of my top ten shows of the year.
Anyway my opinions are my own and there's really no need to be offended that I didn't include your favorite show. There's a decent chance I don't even watch it too. I don't have a specific example for dramas, but I'm fairly certain Bob's Burgers most recent year would be strongly considered for comedy, but I'm just not caught up to the show and it was not possible for me to do so. I've wasted enough words introducing this list so let's just get on with it.
*I only count episodes that air in 2015. Most of the shows in this list have the entire season air in 2015, but for shows like The Flash that still follow the traditional network television format, 2015 covers one half of two different seasons. To stay on that example, I'm not technically counting the first nine episodes of the first season of The Flash.
#10 The Flash - CW (Season 1-2)
I consider this show's placement on the list to be an upset. I hadn't planned on putting this on my top ten. I wanted to put it in my top ten, but then I went through the list of shows that I was considering and I didn't seem to have any room for it. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized it had to be on the list.
The Flash is unlike just about every other recent superhero show or movie in that it purposefully goes for a lighter tone acknowledging that being a superhero would be pretty fucking awesome, especially one who runs at lightning speed. It's a show well aware of its origins and it embraces those origins. It has the cheesy, pun-related and comic book dialogue while also retaining an emotional core thanks to a strong cast led by Grant Gustin and Jesse L. Martin. Plus, it appeals to both comic book fans and people who have never read a comic book in their life (like me). I've seen enough comments and read enough reviews to know you might actually enjoy this more if you're into the comics, because the creators are well-versed in its history. But seeing as this is number ten on my list, it obviously appeals strongly to novices in comics too.
There are reasons to watch The Flash and then there is THE REASON to watch The Flash. That reason is Tom Cavanaugh. Words can't adequately describe just how good of a performance he gives, specifically in the first season. He's Barry's mentor and he seems sincere in his intentions, but he also has hidden motives and is clearly not totally on Barry's side. He's able to play these seemingly contradictory points to near perfection.
Model Episode: "Fast Enough" (S1 E23)
So far the best episode of the show was the season one finale. One of the joys of The Flash's first season was that it was able to seamlessly blend its monster of the week and its season long narratives. It all culminates in, frankly, a batshit insane finale.
#9 - Making a Murderer - Netflix
Given that this was released two weeks ago and I've seen nothing like the cultural impact that The Jinx did when that aired, most of you probably haven't watched this. (Edit: Well, when I wrote that, it was a true statement. It's seemingly blown up recently though.) Well, I'm going to need to take this opportunity to say that you should. It is very hard for me to put a documentary series on this list - The Jinx wasn't anywhere close to making it - and yet I can't deny that this belongs here. The show is about Steven Avery, a man wrongfully convicted back in 1985 of sexual assault. He later gets released and well... find out the rest of the story by watching the documentary. If you think that was a spoiler, he gets released by the end of the pilot episode and it was also apparently a very famous case.
The Manitowoc County police department is clearly corrupt, BUT this series does show certain things even honest cops might do that terrify the shit out of me. Like when interviewing potential witnesses, accidentally give them crucial information that they otherwise would not know. Although if you've seen this series, what I'm referencing is nothing short of despicable.
Model Episode: "Indefensible" (S1 E4)
It's hard to pick a specific episode, but I believe this episode had the biggest impact on me. It's one of the hardest things I've ever had to watch, mostly because it really happened. Again, I don't want to spoil, but I'm just getting angry thinking about it. If you watched it, I'm talking about what happened to Branden Dassey and his appointed lawyer.
#8 - Sense8 - Netflix (Season 1)
This show is responsible for one of my favorite scenes of the year, when the group of sensates all sing along to "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes. I don't think my feelings towards that scene can be replicated because I tried to watch it on Youtube and it's just not the same as that first time. That was the moment I fell in love with the show. Sense8 is about eight different characters around the world of different ethnicities, sexual orientations, and genders. They are able to communicate with each other gradually, through their special abilities.
There's something so different about this show. It's full of the celebration of human life, of the differences in human beings and how we should celebrate those differences. It's a show with eight characters that couldn't be more different using their differences to overcome the threat to their lives. It could be characterized as slow and the characters themselves could be characterized as cliches. To an extent, they do start out that way. I'm starting to come around to the idea that being a cliche isn't necessarily a bad thing by itself as long as you develop the characters. Also you could argue it's necessary with such an ambitious idea to familiarize the audience with the characters as soon as possible by creating known character staples.
The cast is quite good despite being full of relative unknowns (full disclaimer: the foreign actors might be well-known elsewhere, but I'm pretty good with actor's names and I've never heard of any of the eight principal characters so I feel comfortable saying they aren't well-known in the US). Anyway, none of them are weak links. If there is a standout actor, I'd have to give it to Miguel Ángel Silvestre, who plays Lito. For the entirety of the show, his story is pretty much completely unrelated to anything else happening and due to him (and Alfonso Herrera and Eréndira Ibarra) it's arguably one of the most compelling. And Doona Bae, who plays Sun, is also pretty good by virtue of playing my favorite character.
Model Episode - "What's Going On?" (S1 E4)
There's really no way for me to pick any other episode. This is an episode that takes full advantage of its premise by having every character sing along to a... well it's not a very well-respected song critically speaking. (I don't mind it, though I was literally one-year-old when it was popular and I have a feeling it being overplayed is a huge factor in why it's disliked among certain circles). I also rarely can point to one specific episode that makes me love a show and how can I resist picking the episode of Sense8 where everything clicked.
#7 - Jane the Virgin - CW (Season 1-2)
It says a lot that two CW shows made my top ten list. Seriously, when did the CW become so good? (Also, I'm sorry iZombie fans, but this won't make my list and it's entirely due to the fact that, hey some really good shows needed to be left off this list). Jane the Virgin distinguishes itself from other shows I watch because it is entirely different from every other show I watch. It juggles different tones constantly between being a melodramatic telenovela, a multigenerational family drama, a romantic love triangle, a crime mystery (easily the weakest part, but hey you need to keep Michael involved), and I'm probably missing something else.
I'm not going to write a review of this show anywhere else so I need to say it here. One pet peeve of mine about this show is Jane's writing career. In order to keep the show somewhat in reality, the writers clearly intend for some things to be realistic, like the familial bond, and some things that could come out of a telenovela. I get the impression, and I could be totally wrong here, that her writing career is supposed to be at least semi-realistic. I don't know what it is, whether it's my jealousy at how easily she's able to go back to school post-graduation (I would love to take the graduate program she did, but due to the price and lack of foreseeable income it would generate, I can't) or the fact that the show isn't all that convincing in portraying her as this great writer she's supposed to be, but it just rings false to me.
Anyway, I just had to share that. I have to give credit to the show for creating a love triangle where both men seem like actual competition instead of the usual love triangle where it's pretty obvious which one is the better option. (For what it's worth, due to the fact that Rafael's strengths are mostly pretty face and rich, I'm #TeamMichael) Gina Rodriguez is perfectly cast, able to change her performance for whatever the tone of the scene requires. Yael Grobglas's performance is so good that the writers know that no matter how bad her actions are, the audience will sympathize with her character. Lastly, Jaime Camil takes an over-the-top telenovela star whose performance fits that characterization and makes him a character... somehow. It's great.
Model Episode - "Chapter 28" (S2 E6)
Since I watched the first season in literally less than a week, it was kind of hard to pick a standout episode. But ultimately I went with an episode that proved the writers were unafraid to try new things. This episode occurs over three months, a pretty drastic change from its usual format. I also could have chosen the episode when the "bromance" between Rogelio and Michael starts or the season one finale, which is probably a better representation of everything that makes Jane the Virgin great.
#6 Mad Men - AMC (Season 7 Part Two)
The first four shows on this list represent shows in their first season, so its fitting that I break the trend here with a show in its very last season. There's not really anything new I can add that hasn't already been written about Mad Men. Not many shows could have nearly every episode put an end to a character's journey. Essentially, each episode seemed to have an episode where if if they were the main character, that episode would function as their de factor series finale. They may have appeared in later episodes, but they did have a specific episode end their character journey.
I don't find anything particularly unique about Mad Men's final season (part two) compared to its previous seasons. Obviously, given its placement on this list, that isn't a complaint. I just mean to compliment the virtues of Mad Men's final season (part two), I might as well be complimenting what makes Mad Men, Mad Men. While I hold the first four seasons higher than the following three - including the final season - what is "average" Mad Men is quite a bit better than everything else on television.
Plus, I think Mad Men stuck the landing for the finale. I consider the journey more important than the conclusion (which is why I think Lost is still a great show), but I've found instances of picking this list where the finale factored a lot more into my thinking than I thought they would. It ties everything together. Hell - and this will probably sound blasphemous to some - it's significantly lowered my opinion of Breaking Bad (at least in terms of best shows ever). So, thank you Mad Men, for ending the show on a good note.
Model Episode - "Person to Person" (S7 E14)
Well, it'd be really weird if this wasn't my pick after my whole last paragraph said how great it was that Mad Men ended the show on a good note, wouldn't it? Anyway, I've always found it hard to tell apart Mad Men episodes from each other except for the select few that seem to end up on the "Best Mad Men Episodes" list.
#5 - Rectify - Sundance (Season 3)
I'm going to guess most people have either never seen this or if they did, thought it was too slow. It's also only six episodes. How do judge a show that only has the burden of making six episodes over a show that has to make 22 episodes? Well, there are two ways I'm justifying this ranking. First thing is first, not many shows have truly great episodes. I mean you really enjoy a season and usually there's one or two episodes that you can pick out later when you make your "Best Episodes" list in your head. But most of the time, you enjoy the show for its status quo.
Part of my rankings honestly were looking at the episode titles, reading about them if necessary, and then seeing how many episodes I instantly remember loving. The whole episode comes into my mind and I want to go back and see that episode. Mad Men hurt itself because I know a Mad Men episode that blows my mind and none in season seven really did it. It probably set too high of a standard. As for the Rectify, I have no problem in saying that there were more very good episodes in this six-episode season than most shows. In fact, I had this ranked higher, but realized I couldn't simply make the argument that it was true for any of the shows above it.
Rectify is responsible for possibly my pick for the greatest scene of the year. I would link it to you if I could find a link. A drunk, depressed Teddy confesses to his nephew about something he did when he was younger. Clayne Crawford is just spectacular in this scene. It's one of those scenes where everytime I think of it, I just feel horrible at how often this likely happens. Great piece of writing. Great acting.
Model Episode - "Thrill Ride" (S3 E2)
This episode obviously contains the aforementioned scene I was talking about above. As Brandon Nowalk of the AV Club says "This episode does for Teddy what Rectify does for Daniel." We see things from his perspective and through other people.
#4 - Justified - FX (Season 6)
Full disclosure: Justified's last episode aired in early April so it's pretty hard for me to specifically remember some of this season. If you're wondering why it's as high as #4, well I had the same problem with similar shows that ended so early in the year. I'll have the same problem with some of the upcoming shows as well. But I did read the episode descriptions for this season, and it brought me back the feelings I had for this season.
Remember that thing I said about how the ending was more important than I thought? Justified's final season is a prime example of that. Hearing the names Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins alone should probably be the end of my argument, but this season also featured Mary Steenburgen, Sam Elliot, and Garrett Dillahunt. There's also the return of Kaityln Dever as Loretta from season two (the series' best season), the always reliable Patton Oswalt, the hilarious Jere Burns (this show is funnier than quite a few comedies actually), and Mykelti Williamson. The only person missing from the Justified All-Stars is Margo Martindale. And that was never going to happen.
Justified's sixth season is a season of master plotting. Sometime in the middle of the season, the plot ramped up to where it seemed like anyone (except for Raylan or Boyd) could die and each successive episode somehow kept the tension as high as could be. It was to the point where it was the eighth episode and hard to imagine how they could keep up the pace they were at - it really seemed like they'd need to either stall or have the last few episodes be quiet reflection with most of the characters dead or in jail. And yet, they managed to believably keep the action and tension high into the finale.
Model Episode - "Fugitive Number One"(S6 E11)
Really, you could probably put any of the last few episodes of the season here and not be wrong. This one stands out to me at least because of two death scenes that are brutal to watch. For fear that not everyone reading has seen this series - and because I think everyone reading should watch this series - I'll not spoil the deaths, but both scenes just add to this sense of impending doom. Both were also pretty heartbreaking to me, though none of the characters were "good" people.
#3 - Hannibal - NBC (Season 3)
Rectify made the top five based off its writing, for the most part. Justified made the top five for its dialogue, pacing, and plotting. Hannibal makes this list based off its directing mostly. Put it this way: this director of this movie directed five episodes and the cinematographer of Pan's Labyrinth directed three episodes. Directors come in and experiment with things to see how they can make use of a presumably small budget. I think I read a quote from Bryan Fuller telling directors to make it like a pretentious art film. (He was probably joking) I can see how the directors followed that, but it's also underselling how good the show was.
Hannibal was perhaps worried about cancellation so the back end of the season dealt with the television show's interpretation of The Great Red Dragon. Honestly, that's most of what I remember about the season. Richard Armitage being effectively creepy and strangely sympathetic. He gives a performance worthy of the character of Francis Dolarhyde. The show also improves by giving a greater role to Gillian Anderson - always a good move - and making Alana Bloom a much more active and more interesting character.
Hannibal is essentially talented directors with free reign with the writing of Bryan Fuller brought to life by fantastic acting from the regulars to the supporting players. Hugh Dancy, Laurence Fishburne and Mads Mikkelson - which is the definitive Hannibal Lecter performance for me anyway - all are as reliable as they've always been. Then good luck picking the best supporting actor of this group: Rutina Wesley as Francis' blind love interest, Nina Ariande as Will's wife, Katherine Isabelle as Margot Verger, or any of the actors I've mentioned above. Seriously, all of them are making me run out of adjectives to describe them.
Model Episode - "Digestivo" (S3 E7)
I'm going to choose the bridge between the two halves of the season. The first is focused on Will finding Hannibal and the second on the Red Dragon. Both are good, but here is where we get exposed to an episode of Mason Verger (I didn't give Joe Anderson enough credit for Verger, but I sadly prefer season two's Michael Pitt). At the end of the episode, the show reframes Hannibal's capture by law by having him give up to spite Will instead of actually being caught. It fits in perfectly with the show.
#2 - Fargo - FX (Season 2)
I find Fargo and Justified pretty similar in terms of why and how they're good. They both have unusually excellent plotting that lets the tension stay high. Both shows make it seem like characters would have to die before the finale, manage to prolong it to the end of the season, and not make it seem like they stalled or faltered along the way. Both have excellent dialogue that allows it to go slower than you might otherwise expect. And both have quite the cast to boast with some of the best performances coming from the people you wouldn't expect.
If season one of Fargo was the Billy Bob Thornton showcase, season two is the Bokeem Woodbine showcase. And the Kirsten Dunst showcase. And though he wasn't in the whole season, the Nick Offerman showcase. (Seriously, he was amazing in his drunken state trying to convince Bear Gerhardt to back away from the police station. There's also Patrick Wilson, Jean Smart, Jesse Plemons, Ted Danson, and the list goes on. Zahn McClarnon as Hanzee turned out to be a much better character than he initially seemed.
Model Episode "The Castle"
Here's another show where I don't really think you can necessarily go wrong with any answer. This is the episode where everything turns to shit. Basically, this is the episode where Hanzee turns on the Gerhardt family, the police are ambushed at motel, Ed and Peggy end the episode running away ("It's just a flyer saucer, Ed. We got to go."), and Betsy falls ill at home. Again, I don't necessarily know if this is the best episode, but this is definitely the episode where the most seems to happen and that's as good of a choice as any really. Nearly any episode would apply.
#1 - The Americans - FX (Season 3)
Come on, did you really expect any different - at least for those who follow me on Twitter? This had to be the choice. Fargo was a strong contender for #1, but ultimately I was pretty sure that it was mostly due to the fact that it was the series I JUST saw. I'm a little worried it's too high still. But The Americans third season was perhaps their best season to date. (Season two's ending kind of breaks down the more you think about it and season one wasn't as great as either at keeping the story momentum.)
Due to both the viewership and the fact that - outside of people who I've met through the internet - nobody I know has ever watched this show (that I'm aware of at least), I'm not going to go into too much detail about what makes this season great. The two protagonists, Phillip and Elizabeth, face a dilemma put upon by the Soviet government. (If you aren't aware of the premise, Phillip and Elizabeth are married undercover Soviet spies living in America who speak perfect English) One of the characters has no intention of following through on their orders while the other encourages it. Basically, this show excels at identifying perhaps the most important element of marriage - trust - and then making both skillful liars and spies, obviously making trust extremely difficult.
This season also really hammers down the toll that killing and lying and the things required of an undercover spy would have on a normal person. We FEEL what the characters are feeling. The show has built up two seasons worth of sympathy to the point where we root for them over the Americans. This season features a dead body being put inside a suitcase, the most painful and intimate tooth extraction you'll ever see, and many deaths. Oh and this season also features the dad needing to seduce a girl his daughter's age and it's actually worse than it sounds when you know why specifically he struggles with this.
Model Episode - "Stingers" - (S3 E10)
Wow it's going to be impossible to say why this is the episode without spoiling. For people who've seen the show though, it's the episode where the primary conflict of the whole season - the conflict that it appeared would last at least to the final episode - is revealed in this episode. The writing in this episode exceeds even the usual Americans episode as the characters behave as realistic as I can imagine in a situation nobody has surely ever experienced.
Honorable Mentions
Shows once in my top ten
The Leftovers - I would have felt dishonest if it were in my top ten. I just don't really connect with this show as most seem to do. I don't want to levy this criticism towards it, but I can't think of a better word: it's just a little too pretentious for me. I don't think this is true of everyone in the sense that I don't necessarily think other people will find it pretentious. I just find frequently watching the show that I'm not buying the events are as important as they show is trying to convey.
Looking - I really did want to include this in my top ten, but then I watched Sense8 and then I watched Making a Murderer and it just became impossible to include it on my list. I don't think I'll get many complaints about this one though.
The Knick - I wasn't really planning on putting it on the list, but then the ending of the second season was about as good a conclusion as you can hope for to any series. So then it made it's way on, only to again be knocked off by my recent watches. Anyway, if I had to pick a reason why this isn't on the list, it's probably that I don't find the writing that great. This show is being considered almost solely due to the director, the setting and the acting. Sometimes the writing is great, specifically the season two finale, but most of the time it's only average.
The Rest
I enjoyed the third season of Banshee and it had a few of the best action sequences of the year. I really liked the first season of Better Call Saul, but if I'm being honest it was never seriously considered. I can't really say why either. It's just one of those things when I was making the list and highlighting certain shows, and this pretty much immediately was highlighted as an honorable mention show. The same is said for Game of Thrones fifth season. I've always thought of this as a good (with occasionally amazing episodes), not great show. Nothing changed in the fifth season. iZombie, despite its awful name, is a Rob Thomas show and he's got a pretty good track record. This is a much better show than you think it is. Jessica Jones was brought down by mostly one episode, an episode with narrative shortcuts and contrivances. In fact, I think it's probably the worst episode of any of the shows mentioned on this post. (Edit: I forgot to mention Mr. Robot as another show that is on honorable mention.)
That is my list. Tell me what you think.
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