It's best to start with my aforementioned top ten. As always, there's a lot that I admit that I haven't seen and I clearly prefer comedies.Strong arguments can be made for a lot of shows being better, but these are the one I enjoyed or appreciated the most. Lastly, I did only include episodes that aired in 2013 which is really awkward for how seasons air.
Favorite Episode: So many to choose from but Ozymandias has to be the best.
Look, I hate consensus because it's very rarely right. This year, that's not the case. There is undeniable greatness to this last season of one of the finest dramas TV has ever seen. Few shows have ever ended so strong. I was so worried that they had too much to cover in these final eight episodes. If anything, they covered too much though. I was on the edge of my seat for virtually the entire season and have no lingering questions about the end (when does that ever happen?). My TV schedule is a lot emptier these days.
2. Parks and Recreation
Favorite Episode: Leslie and Ben
It's getting to the point that the only thing Parks & Rec. has to compete against is itself. Last year, it was my favorite show. This year, it is second to one of the greatest series finales of all time. See what I mean? This year didn't have anything as engaging as the election, but it did have the Leslie and Ben wedding, a trip to London, the best bachelor party in history, Ron as a talk show host, Patton Oswalt's legendary filibuster, and countless other wonderful stories. There's some unevenness due to having to continually prepare for potential cancellation, but I'm hard pressed to find anything else wrong with it.
3. Girls
Favorite Episode: Boys
This show is flat out funny. It doesn't sit on its funny moments like a lot of comedies. It just has funny lines if you want to catch them and moves on. The second season is the only show this year that I liked significantly more the second time I watched it. With the short turnaround time for the season, I was worried that the quality would suffer. As is, I am in awe of Lena Dunham. I know I picked Boys as my favorite episode, but that's been changing by the hour. I've heard some people complaining about One Man's Trash, for instance, but I found that to be a wonderful little experimental episode. Then there's the awkwardness of Video Games or the constant laughs of Bad Friend. So much to love!
4. 30 Rock
Favorite Episode: Last Lunch
This would be higher on my list if more than the final 5 episodes aired in 2013. You see, while Breaking Bad had one of the all-time great final seasons for a drama, I'd say 30 Rock did the same for a comedy. In short, they did it right. They knew this would be the final season and every episode worked toward that. Every single character got an end to his or her story that was right. Find me another time when that has happened. This was already one of my favorite shows of all time, but there's something nice about when it doesn't end leaving a bad taste in your mouth.
5. Game of Thrones
Favorite Episode: I think I have to pick The Rains of Castamere, right?
I'll never be as obsessed with the show as some people I know. That doesn't mean I'm not more than happy to keep up with it. No show demands my undivided attention more than this one due to sheer number of characters and stories and it is well worth it. This may have been the best season yet, with moments like the Red Wedding and Daenerys freeing the slaves. Just thinking about it makes me realize how much I've already forgotten...I need to start studying before the next season.
6. Shameless
Favorite Episode: A Long Way from Home
Few shows are able to both make me howl with laughter and affect me emotionally like this show. It is so very wrong. Just this season had Frank as a gay rights spokesperson, a Kevin, Veronica, and Veronica's mom three-way, Lip hitting on a former child molester, and anything dealing with Carl. It also had emotional highs like Fi's custody hearing. I've always enjoyed the show, but it's now reached the point that I've considered getting Showtime just so I can keep up with it. Too bad the rest of the lineup can't keep up.
7. Rectify
Favorite Episode: Jacob's Ladder
This show kind of came out of nowhere. Sundance has made quite a name for itself this year. I still need to see Top of the Lake, but this is one series I did get to watch and I'm glad I caught it. It's filled with out of nowhere fantastic performances from Aden Young, Abigail Spencer, Adelaide Clemens, and so many others. There's only six episodes and that's not enough of this quiet drama about life for a man once he gets out of prison for a crime he [probably] didn't commit. I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did. Thankfully, it's been picked up for a second season.
8. Veep
Favorite Episode: Running
I liked but didn't love the first season. The second was a near complete improvement, especially in the second half of the season. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale are totally deserving of their Emmy wins this year.
9. Mad Men
Favorite Episode: In Care of
It's a shame that the series is aging. People are getting used to it. I'd say it's as good as it's ever been. Sadly, there's not as many new things to do and we are in the thick of the parts of the 60s that everyone is used to, so we have things like an obligatory MLK Jr. assassination episode and everyone growing facial hair. That shouldn't negate how amazing this cast continues to be. To think that Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery. None of them will likely earn Emmys for their work on this show. That's crazy.
10. Arrested Development
Favorite Episode: The B. Team
There's a lot of shows I could've picked for this last spot. It changed a couple times. Alas, I had to include the return of A. D. in my best of. It was a drop from the quality of previous seasons, I'll admit. All the regulars returned, which pleased me, along with newcomers like Isla Fischer and Maria Bamford who did good work. More than anything, I respect the giant puzzle that was this season. Hampered by conflicting schedules, Hurwitz wrote the season to focus on different characters each episode, showing numerous sides to almost every story, often changing the meanings entirely. It's the ambition that moves it into my top 10.
More to come.
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