1. Killing Eve - It's only been on for one season (with only 8 episodes), but I am declaring this the best show currently on television (now that The Americans is officially over). I know that's a bit hasty, and I've been hasty - and wrong- before, like with Mr. Robot (phenomenal first season, mediocre second season, slightly better third season - and noticeably missing from my list because of this decline in quality). Killing Eve is a really special show though, because I honestly have no idea what the show is even about - I'm talking "big picture". The last episode is so far from the first episode, and getting there was just so much fun. It's daring in its storylines, it has very bold, very dark humor, and moments so unexpected that I actually rewound a few scenes and watched again. The music is also superb. I've been a fan of Sandra Oh - I still watch Grey's Anatomy and she is sorely missed, but it's really Jodie Comer who steals the show. If she doesn't get an Emmy for this performance, I will be shocked. The show is part Alias, part Luther, but with more humor and more violence.
2. Schitt's Creek - I just adore this show - and it just keeps getting better. The beginning was a little rough because these characters were so vapid and arrogant, but they've grown so much and now I just want to hug them. David and Patrick are probably my favorite couple on television right now - and that serenade of "Simply the Best" was just so sweet. I love that it came full circle with David singing it to Patrick a few episodes later. I love that the show is created by Eugene Levy and his son (Dan Levy), because the show feels really personal. Plus, Catherine O'Hara is glorious.
3. The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale - FUCKING YES I LOVE NETFLIX SO MUCH. The Soup was one of the few shows that I could put on that would always make me laugh and I miss it so much. This is about as close as you can get and I love it. I binged most of the first season in one day and my cheeks actually hurt from smiling so much.
4. The Expanse - Honestly, my heart sank when it was announced that SyFy cancelled this series. It has so much story left to tell! The third season has been its best yet, in terms of storytelling and characters - but also just in terms of beautiful shots (and very, very gory shots). These worlds, and wars, between the different planets, "The Belters", and the people caught in the middle of it all is so detailed and believable. I was going to wait to read the books until after the series was finished, but I just couldn't wait. So I read "Caliban's War", and am happy to report that the series definitely does the books justice. The books are written very well, and are very easy to read. The third season was also able to attract some superb talent - Elizabeth Mitchell, David Strathairn, on top of an already superb cast.
5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine - The funniest show on television at the moment. I was resistant to watching it because I'm not really a fan of Andy Samberg, but he's great in this. The other cast members, though, are sheer perfection. Andre Braugher kills me with every episode. I don't think dry wit has ever been done better and he should have like at least 5 Emmys for it. Terry Crews is HILARIOUS. The show gets lauded for its diversity, which is great (it is NYC - so if it wasn't diverse, it wouldn't be very realistic), but I think the reason it works so well is because it doesn't feel forced. I read an interview with Stephanie Beatriz and she talked about her audition for the show and how she heard that Melissa Fumero was cast on the show so she assumed that she didn't get the part because there is no way they would hire two Latina women. It's not really surprising, but it made me sad that we still live in a world where someone's race is a factor in getting a job.
6. The Goldbergs - I recently binge-watched this show, and boy, am I glad that I did. It just made my day so much better to sit and watch such a sweet, funny, wholesome show. I love everything about it. I love that they play with the timeline of the 80s. I mean, none of the storylines make any kind of linear sense, but that kind of sets the tone for the series. I love that each episode is based on some part of Adam Goldberg's childhood and the little clips at the end almost make me cry EVERY SINGLE TIME. I love that they spend an entire episode being annoyed at their "Smother" but then end the episode realizing how incredibly lucky they are. These kids seriously had the best childhood EVER. And finally, I LOVE Barry Goldberg. One of my favorite characters in television history. Seriously.
7. Mindhunter - I already wrote down my thoughts on this show here: https://michelle-alwaysacritic.blogspot.com/2017/11/thoughts-on-5-new-tv-shows.html . It's definitely among the best of the season, and I'm hoping that it won't be overlooked for awards season because it feels like it came out a lifetime ago. (also, how funny is it that out of the 5 shows in my post, only 1 is still airing. Actually I don't think Ghosted was officially cancelled yet, but I'm sure it will be any day now. I used to be good at picking tv shows! What happened?!)
8. The Crown - The first season of The Crown was great, but the second season was just spectacular. I'm a little sad that Claire Foy will not continue in the role because she is just perfect, BUT Olivia Colman is one of my favorite actresses ever, so I can't complain. They did a really good job of casting Matt Smith, because I can't fucking stand him but he somehow works (we're not supposed to like Phillip...right?! I mean, we're not supposed to "like" any of them, but he is just the worst). Also, I literally screamed out loud when Michael C. Hall showed up as JFK. What an odd casting choice!
9. The Americans - I'm so sad that this show is over, but also glad that it's ending on a high note (and it never really dropped in quality. All six season were fantastic - although I would say season 5 is my least favorite). I still have three more episodes left to watch because I've been savoring it. I know the final episode is going to devastate me. There is just no possibility for any sort of "happy" ending. It's unfathomable that Keri Russell hasn't won ALL of the awards for her portrayal of this character. I'm hoping that this year will be her year (but she's up against some tough competitors - Jodie Comer, specifically). The most brilliant thing the show has done, aside from having an FBI agent living across the street, is turning Paige into her mother. I never expected that they would go down that route, but they did and it's perfect.
10. American Crime Story - Not as good as season 1 (The People v. O.J. Simpson), but I don't think anyone expected it to be. I also don't think people expected Darren Criss to be so fucking creepy! I'm really impressed with his performance - it's charming, psychotic, vulnerable, funny, and dark, all at once. It's no coincidence that my two favorite performances this year are from former Glee actors - it's no denying those kids are talented. I just hope Lea Michele gets something as challenging to show her range. I'm also surprised that Penelope Cruz was the weak link of the show - her accent mixed with the weird lisp that Donatella has is hard to imitate (realistically), so maybe focus on other aspects of her personality? I just couldn't get past how difficult it seemed for Cruz to pronounce every word. I think the coolest part of the show was that it told the story backwards - it really kept my interest and added a new layer with every episode.
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