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| Scene from Atlanta |
With the passing of another year is another great year of TV. In 2017, there was a strong mixture of new series, returning favorites, and finales for some of the most influential. This installment is meant to highlight 20 TV series that made a difference over the past year and definitely deserve to be remembered for everything that they did right. So join in as the commentary explains why you should have been watching these shows week-to-week (or in the case of Netflix: hour to hour) and should definitely catch up on them if you haven't been doing so.
1. Atlanta (FX)
It may have taken over a year to come out, but the second season of Atlanta came out guns blazing. The show continued to transcend genre, occasionally delving into serious drama as well as absurdist slapstick. While Donald Glover had a banner year alongside Solo: A Star Wars Story and the music video for "This is America," his work on this show will embody what makes him a perceived genius. It's a show that can take a simple plot of getting your hair cut and make it into a crazy road trip story. It can also have a season-long revelation occur in a frat house as naked men dance to D4L's "Laffy Taffy." There's so much to love in the weirdness of the stories and the direction is just as brilliant thanks often to Hiro Murai. More than any other show this year, Atlanta feels like a show that is ahead of the curve, predicting the future of TV as well as creating media that will be studied for years to come. Who is Teddy Perkins, or better yet... WHAT is "Teddy Perkins" besides one of TV's strangest head trips? There's too much to get into here. Just watch the show and prepare to have every expectation exceeded.
2. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
It's a tough question to answer, but where exactly does American Crime Story go after something as popular as O.J. Simpson? Producer Ryan Murphy has created some of the greatest new series of the past few years, and one of his smartest moves here was essentially presenting the story in a fragmented order. By placing the story of fashion mogul Gianni Versace's murder in reverse, it allows for something more surreal. It's an exploration of why Andrew Cunanan (played by the great Darren Criss) ended up doing it. Much like Pose, Murphy's series broke ground as it explored the complicated social ramifications of being gay in the late 80's/early 90's where "Don't ask, don't tell" was the norm and AIDS was still a rampant issue. There's so much more to Cunanan's story than meets the eye, and it's just as tragic as it is disturbing and repulsive. Considering that Murphy promises the next target to be Hurricane Katrina, one has to wonder how he could possibly keep the power of this miniseries going. After O.J. Simpson and Gianni Versace, it's hard to see how, but here's hoping it works.
3. Killing Eve (BBC America)
While Phoebe Waller-Bridge left a memorable impression in Solo: A Star Wars Story, it should be noted that her writing for this dark crime drama was far more interesting. While her work is generally better remembered for comedy, she has more than enough skill at making a story of two women and obsession come to life with clues scattered throughout as Sandra Oh turns in one of the year's best performances. With an excellent wardrobe as well, this is a show that feels like it broke down the door and demanded to be loved right away. There's intention and power behind every frame, and it captures a different and subversive side to the crime drama that feels essential now. This is where the cat and mouse hunts must go. There's no place else to go, especially with a villain as immediately iconic as Jodie Comer's Villainelle.
4. Pose (FX)
Before the year was half over, Ryan Murphy had produced two of the greatest series of 2018 about identity. With the other being the second season of American Crime Story, his exploration of the drag queen scene in the 1980's ended up being one of his most ground breaking and important shows ever. While the sight of seeing queens dance before Billy Porter's sassy remarks, what made the show so powerful was the lack of glamour outside of the clubs, where the struggles of the LGBT community were allowed to be explored honestly and often for the first time by trans actors. The show provides a lot of the year's most emotional moments and the best performances as well, introducing actors who more than deserve to have long and successful careers. This is a show that pushes boundaries by trying to normalize and empathize with a community who hasn't been seen often in scripted dramas. Thankfully Murphy brings enough heart to the show to make it more than an exercise in camp.
5. Better Call Saul (AMC)
There hasn't been a show that feels predicated on the audience yelling "Say the line" quite like Better Call Saul. Since the first episode, many have wondered when lawyer Jimmy McGill would become the iconic criminal lawyer Saul Goodman. After patiently waiting through four seasons, it finally comes towards the end of the season as Jimmy faces some of his strongest moral conflicts to date. Once again Bob Odenkirk gives a conflicted, heartbreaking performance of a man on the edge of morality, finally being won over by the freedom that comes with recognizing petty thieves. The supporting cast as usual is great, especially Rhea Seehorn and the evolution of Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) as a chicken man/drug kingpin. The prequel series is finally catching up with Breaking Bad in ways that look familiar. Now the only question is how long until Heisenberg and crew show up.
6. Love (Netflix)
In the age of indie chic, few series were able to capture the laid back vibe quite like this Paul Rust, Gillian Jacobs series. There's definitely plenty to dislike about these two lovebirds, but it's partially why their romance is so sweet. Their ability to look beyond narcissism and find the meaning of a deeper love allows for the story to evolve into something more interesting and personal. With this marking the end of the series, it feels like the show hits its stride early and often, managing to convey a side of Los Angeles culture that is highly entertaining. It's the 20-something romance that feels all too real, and that's why it's just funny as it is painful to watch. It is likely to go down as one of Netflix's more overlooked gems, and hopefully it catches on as time goes on.
7. BoJack Horseman (Netflix)
To some extent, it's dicey for any show to tackle the headlines so early after they've left the presses. Even then, everyone's favorite animated horse joined the ranks of poignant toxic masculinity archetypes with a story that explores a Me Too era complaint caused by none other than BoJack. As much as he's been a sympathetic figure in the past, he's also an abusive alcoholic that gets attacked for reasons that make sense. This is the show coming to terms with its own ethics, and there's plenty to love about it. The show also remains one of the funniest and saddest on TV, even as BoJack spends an entire episode giving a monologue at his mother's funeral. This season proved that the show is willing to go to places that are uncomfortable, and it's what helps place it in the pantheon of great TV, comedy or not.
8. Dear White People (Netflix)
The first season defied expectations and became one of the best movie-to-TV adaptations of recent years thanks to its excellent casting and poignant comedy buried inside the comedy. With the second season, the show only grew in urgency and created one of the most memorable shows of the year. With episodes exploring racial history in prestigious schools as well as abortions and why you do not feed trolls, the show continues to make the current dialogue around race relations more complicated and meaningful to a greater society. More than any other show, this continues to be one of the best comedies on TV thanks to an urgency that shines through in character portraits that reveal just how complex the average person in, and how it goes beyond identity. It's also about how they see themselves in society. With an amazing twist at the end of the season, there's plenty to look forward to in the show's future. Let's hope it gets there soon.
9. The Bisexual (Hulu)
Desiree Akhavan had a strong 2018 on both TV and film. Her film, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, was a strong comedy exploring gay conversion therapy before Boy Erased came along. On TV, she continues to explore a much more complicated side of sexuality. Following a separation, Akhavan must find a way to be accepted and love, but finds it difficult when placed alongside her need for relationships and family. Her identity is as much about what separates her as what connects her, and there's plenty of experience thrown into every moment in the show. It's among the most affecting and personal of the year, and Akhavan's career is only going to continue to get more interesting as time goes on. This series never lacks a chance to be funny or sad, sometimes at the same time. It's great writing all around and evidence that the debate on sexuality is only going to get more interesting as time goes on. Hopefully Akhavan will be there to tell her stories.
10. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix)
It may be silly to say, but the true expression of female empowerment came in the form of a TV reboot of a He-Man spin-off. Where the 80's series was more obsessed with muscular, sexual bodies, the new version features something a tad more realistic. The women in the show have different body types and their personal struggles have a depth that goes beyond heroes and villains. She-Ra must come to terms with her life as a former villain, managing to find acceptance from Glimmer and Bow as she uncovers her powers. It's a hero's journey that is plenty fun because this is one of those shows where every character is just as flawed as they are compelling forces of good. With a great supporting cast of princesses who go beyond typical expectations, this is one of the most enjoyable new series of the year as well as one of the most enjoyably playful and supportive. The show is a giant warm hug that ends every episode by throwing a blissful charm over the audience. Sometimes that's enough to make a show great.
11. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)
With the first being a surprise hit, there feels like there was built up anticipation for Amazon's most acclaimed program. For starters, it won a ton of Emmy's, including for Best Comedy Series. Then it came out with a second season that not only continued the show's high quality of drama and screwball enthusiasm, but it placed it into a different context that allowed the wacky elements to shine as the heart inside became more intriguing. This is a world where men are dominant in comedy and women must work extra hard to get recognized. With excellent performances all around, this is another great season of a show that embraces character and allows the ensemble to shine in ways that are delightful and thought provoking.
12. Sharp Objects (HBO)
2018 was the year of writer Gillian Flynn. Along with the Steve McQueen movie Widows, she penned the screenplay for this miniseries based on her debut novel. Much like her other writing, there's certain aspects that can't avoid being controversial, especially as it explores the traumatic experiences of women within the crime drama structure. Add in a great supporting cast, and you get a series that pushed Amy Adams to yet another compelling performance that has enough layers to earn her an Emmy. Fans of dramas exploring complicated women will truly appreciate this series, especially with it featuring Big Little Lies director Jean-Marc Vallee once again behind the camera. It's one of the best stories of the summer, even at its most uncomfortable moments. It also proves that Flynn adaptations are the future of TV. The only thing missing is more Gillian Flynn novels to adapt.
13. Barry (HBO)
While it seemed like HBO's half hour comedies were doomed to grow stagnant, Bill Hader found a way to revitalize the format with a story of a hit man who turns to acting. It may sound like a gimmick, especially from a former Saturday Night Live member. However, it manages to go beyond the premise and finds the heart of a man rattled by death and the need to perform in a stressful environment of acting. The cast is just as great, managing to capture a blend of dark humor with psychological studies that lead to some of the most fascinating twists in any series this year. No matter how long the episodes are, Hader has found a calling card that proves he is capable of so much more than mugging for the camera. He can be a charismatic force of nature, finding depth in a character that could easily be seen as caricature.
14. The End of the F***ing World (Netflix)
One of the year's first surprise hits of the year was a show about two of the darkest teenagers you'll ever meet. The protagonist is so numb to happiness that he deep fries his hand before the first episode is up. The plot's focus around suicide may make it difficult to see as appealing, but the show finds a way to explore something human in the darkness. This is as much about getting inside the heads of mentally unstable people as it is the understanding of what it means to feel loved. It may be a crass and uncomfortable story in some ways, but it does more than enough to leave a mark with one of the strongest single seasons of TV this year. Many aren't happy that it's getting a second season given its poignant ending, but only time will tell if the show can move past darkness and find something else to explore that's still engrossing as well as gross.
15. G.L.O.W. (Netflix)
With Orange is the New Black fading, it makes sense that Jenji Kohan's second series with Netflix has continued to remain one of the most delightful shows on the streaming service. While Allison Brie continues to remain the charming center of the series, things improved as the show expanded beyond her story and into the lives of the other women. Suddenly the average episode had more sympathy, adding weight to a seemingly silly career profession. As the saying goes, the show must go on and the ladies do. Their journey to network TV is full of complicated hurdles, but they get there with one of the most enjoyable, lively shows to come out about a niche subject. Here's hoping that the show can maintain its quality as well as its neon glow. It has so much going for it.
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