Now, I want to make something clear. This is the list of my favorite shows of the past year. It's not the shows that I objectively think were the best made. It's not the shows I'm most likely to watch again or buy on DVD. It's not even the shows that I'm most likely to recommend to other people. I made the list almost entirely by asking one question: What would I regret not seeing the most? I have them ranked or ordered, but trust me, it's a fluid list.
Top 10
Next Top 10
Everything in Between
Bottom 10
10 I Didn't See
10. The Middle
Favorite Episode: The Wonderful World of Hecks
Why not? The Middle has quietly become one of my favorite shows. It's an accessible family sitcom that doesn't try to show off. It's not a ratings or awards juggernaut, nor does it try to be. It's rather miraculous how well it's handled the aging of the children and it's never been "The Patricia Heaton Show" as I assumed when I first heard of it. 2014 was a great year for the show. We got the wonderful "Heck on a Hard Body" last year, which led to the Orlando adventure. Then, the Fall continued the strong run with an appearance by the infamous Death Napkin in "The Sinkhole" and the beautiful disaster that was "Thanksgiving VI".
9. Louie
Favorite Episode: So Did the Fat Lady
Louie returned after taking a year off. It's been fascinating watching as this show has grown. It began as a series of vignettes each episode and this season moved to storytelling at a more epic length including the after school special "In the Woods" and the six part (i.e. Movie-length) "Elevator". When everything was clicking, it was great this year. Just look at Sarah Baker tearing into Louie in "So Did the Fat Lady". Wow. There were a couple nagging issues, most notably the "rapey" vibe where Louie has to force him upon any woman he tries to kiss (something I tried to explain in my Offseason Report), that troubled me too much to keep any higher in the list.
8 Hannibal
Favorite Episode: Yakimono
I've moved this show all over the place on my list this year, but eighth feels about right. It is a beautiful show. I don't know how Brian Fuller and co. find the time to make it look so good and distinct. It's also one of the darkest, most unsettling shows on TV. This year saw the escalation of Will and Hannibal's game of cat and mouse, with Will getting free from the mental institution and Hannibal being exposed for his crimes. The finale was a crazy free for all for the ages. The season ends with nearly everyone in the cast on the edge of death, and unlike most shows, I honestly don't know who to expect back. I'm not sure how it could be on NBC for both ratings and content reasons, but I'm so glad it is.
Favorite Episode: Martial Eagle
The Americans uses a similar formula to the one that made the Sopranos so good: come for the spies, stay for the family. And, this season got even better at it. Where season one was about the things keeping Phillip and Elizabeth together (the mission, the kids), season two was about what was keeping them apart (Phillip's fake marriage, differing levels of commitment to Mother Russia). For a show completely hindered by the fact that none of what they do can make the news, there's always a lot of tension and tightening of the screws. There's the murder of their spy family friends, Larrick tracking them down, Paige getting suspicious (and finding religion), and Stan always closer than they're comfortable with. The acting in this is superb from tiny Keri Russell pulling off menace, to Matthew Rhys and his wigs, to Noah Emmerich's inner conflict over love or being a company man, to Annet Mehendru perfectly masking Nina's motivation at all times. Even the Jennings children weren't a drag: a rarity in any drama.
Favorite Episode: Moving Up
With only half a season airing in 2014, at first, I didn't think I'd have a strong argument to put Parks & Rec up this high. It turns out, 13 episodes aired this year and if that's good enough for cable, it's good enough for me. Then, you look at the episodes from this year and the argument changes to "can I make this any higher?". Remember that episode in which Ann and Chris leave, that left you bawling for several minutes (or maybe that was just me)? That was this year. Remember the completely charming Prom episode? That was this year. Remember the return of Flu Season (One of the series' best from season 3) in which we find out Leslie is pregnant? That was this year. And, remember the two part "Moving Up", with the San Francisco trip and the Unity concert that itself could've been one of the most perfect series finales ever? That was this year. The only thing holding the season back for me is some Eagleton nastiness. This is still one of the finest comedies on TV.
5. The Leftovers
Favorite Episode: Guest
This is a brutal viewing experience and there are people who absolutely hate this show. I get it. For me though, I couldn't tear myself away. I loved every gloomy, nihilistic second of it. After all, this is the show that introduced me to Carrie Coon, and for that, I am grateful. There's a lot of people caught up in the questions in this post-"rapture" world. Quite frankly, I don't care. Maybe there is an answer. Maybe Kevin is crazy and the National Geographic from the 70s does have an answer. Maybe Wayne Gilchrest wasn't full of shit. I don't really care. This show hit emotional beats like no other show on TV. If you weren't tore up when Nora walks into the dining room with the dolls of her lost family, you are cold, cold person. Honestly, I even found the show funny a lot of the time. Kevin returning the baby Jesus and no one caring. Come on, that's funny. All I can say to anyone too afraid to watch or those who watched and didn't like it, is don't take it so seriously. It's not a puzzle to be solved.
Favorite Episode: Tactical Village
This might be reaching a bit, but two of my favorite things in a TV is consistency and making me laugh, both of which Brooklyn Nine Nine has/does. It's no surprise that a Michael Schur office comedy is something I'd enjoy. It's pretty perfectly cast with a diverse set of comedic performers all in ideal roles. Andy Samberg is energetic. Terry Crew is intense and silly. Joe Lo Truglio is excessive. Melissa Fumero is tightly wound. Chelsea Peretti is sarcastic. Andre Braugher is even and calculated. Stephanie Beatriz is harsh and angry. Dirk Blocker and Joel McKinnon Miller are bumbling. It finds a way to mix all those into an enjoyable package. It's weird. For a show I enjoyed this much, I had trouble finding a single favorite, stand-out episode because they were pretty much on the same level week to week.
Favorite Episode: Optimal Tip-To-Tip Efficiency
I never expected to have Silicon Valley this high. It looked like an interesting show when I first heard about it. I got into it late though and watched it all in one day. Then a funny thing happened. I watched it again. I watched it a third time too. Sure, it's only eight episodes, but look at this blog. Does it look like I have time to be rewatching things? It's a simple underdog story and each episode is presented in a basic "Here's a problem. What's the solution?" way. The cast is entirely made up of third leads in other movies/shows who shine in the opportunity. Zach Woods especially has never been used better. Seriously, The Office writers better look at this and realize how badly they misused him. More than any other show though, a single episode bumped this way up on my list. The finale, "Optimal Tip to Tip Efficiency" has perhaps the single best low and high brow joke of the year that then gets magically tied into the biggest plot moment in the season. It also has a desperate Zach Woods going up to strangers and presenting them with all the pivots. This was such a wonderful debut season that I'm worried that a second season can only be a letdown.
2. Veep
Favorite Episode: Alicia
One of only two top ten shows from my list last year to stay in the top ten and the only one to improve. Much like Silicon Valley, I rewatched this more than other shows below it which was a major driving factor. Simply put, I laughed harder watching this than I did any show. And I'm not talking about, sitting in a room with friends. I'm talking about, laughing loudly and freely in an empty house. Giving Selina and her staff a goal (running for president) gave the season focus and drive that it didn't have before. "The Choice", "Clovis", "Alicia". Each week brought a great episode that was trying to do something different than the one before. Armando Ianucci's dialogue has never sounded better on this show.
1. Fargo
Favorite Episode: A Fox, a Rabbit, and a Cabbage
In the end of the day, I couldn't think of another show to top the list. Everything else was uneven in a way that Fargo wasn't. It was well-written. The characters are full realized. The show looked great. It gets bonus points for succeeding in the impossible task of evoking the Coen brothers without parodying them. It gets more bonus points for beating one of the most buzzworthy shows of the year (True Detective) at its own time hopping game. No show had a better used cast or more satisfying story, beginning to end. It reminded me how great Billy Bob Thorton can be. It confirmed how versatile Martin Freeman is. It introduced me to the wonderful Alison Tolman. It redeemed Colin Hanks for that season of Dexter. This really was the best that 2014 had to offer.
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