The 10 Best & Worst TV Shows of the 2018-2019 Season

Best 

1. Counterpart - You Guys!!! I am so upset that this show got cancelled, but even more upset that no-one watched it. First, J.K. Simmons is fucking fantastic as two separate versions of the same character (it's a sci-fi series about parallel worlds - I guess I should have led with that...). It's such an interesting character, and fascinating to theorize about what makes up ones "self". What events led to someone "being" the way that they are? The parallel world story has been done plenty of times, but never like this. It was so original, and intense, and the acting was phenomenal. You all missed out.

2. Killing Eve - Season 1 was the best show on television last year. Season 2 has been more of the same - and almost better in some ways (which seemed so impossible). Jodie Comer is my favorite person in the world right now. The little grins she gives, and the loneliness that she exudes in these really subtle ways is just absolutely brilliant. The relationship between Villanelle and Eve is really unexpected and beautiful (a little reminiscent of Luther, but still beautiful).

3. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - This show is consistently among the best sitcoms ever year for the past 11 years! However, they just blew up the entire sitcom genre with their game-changing season finale. Most described the finale as "jaw-dropping", which is completely accurate. I saw a lot of people talking about it after it aired, and I assumed that they did something non-PC, which is kinda what they are known for. I was so shocked with what they actually did - something extraordinary beautiful- a STUNNING dance performance that represents the internal struggle of Mac's religious beliefs and his sexuality. It will go down in history as one of the best moments in television - and it deserves all of the Emmys.

4. Shameless - The rise and fall of Fiona is the soul of this show, while the heart of the show is Lip's constant strive to do what is right. This past season, with Fiona's heartbreaking "rock bottom" and Lip's quest to take in an abandoned child really just struck all the right cords with me. This is the only show that I watch with a lump in my throat because it always hits me so hard. Ugh, then they had to end Ian's story in *just* the right way (although, I heard Ian is coming back??!). This just might be my favorite season yet (and to be clear it still doesn't hold a candle to the first season the UK version - which is among my favorite seasons of television ever).

5. Better Things - I've written about this show many times, and nothing has changed. Still one of the best comedies on television. Pamela Adlon deserves all of the Emmys. I love her approach to motherhood and friendship. This season feels really confident and natural, and it continues with these really small moments that feel genuine and subtle. It's funny, but not really in a laugh-out-loud way.

6. Dirty John - For a trashy Lifetime series, I really enjoyed this. I liked the way they framed the story - in a more non-linear way. I bought the book that it's based on (which is based on a podcast, which is based on a real-life "Dirty John". I will never get into podcasts...just not going to happen. I have a hard time listening to people talk. I tend to get headaches. I'm more of a visual person.). I think Connie Britton does a great job of being naive, but not stupid - she truly wants to see the best in people, but unfortunately, there are very bad people in the world that take advantage of that. I have to admit, though, her daughters are played by two of my least favorite young actresses (Juno Temple and Julia Garner - and they are both truly terrible in this). It's odd that the series was picked up for season 2, because this had a very clear ending.

7. The Romanoffs - I'm really only adding this because of a single episode - episode 7 titled "End of the Line". It's top-five episode of the year material. Overall, the series is good, not great. I like that they are all stand-alone stories with one, sometimes very minor, connection. But, man, this episode really hit me hard and I'm not exactly sure why. I don't have any personal connection to the story line, but I was so emotionally invested while watching this. It turns into one of these debates in which you can understand both sides, even though both sides are heartbreaking. Also, this is a really striking turn for the usually very funny Kathryn Hahn.

8. A Million Reasons Why - Okay, it's not like Emmy-worthy or anything, but as a sappy Drama, it has me hooked. They've done a really good job of making the audience fall in love with the characters. I have mixed feelings about the finale, as I understand that utilizing a certain event might be sensitive for some people, but I also think it's a big part of *recent* American history, and the effects have trickled down for the past 18 years. It's a part of our story. We can't keep side-stepping it.

9. The Man in the High Castle - I recently caught up with this series, and the most recent season has really hit its stride. I think it took a little too long to get here, but now that it's here...it's really fascinating. I'm glad that they are ending it after season 4, because otherwise they would have dragged it out even more. The cast is great - I mean, Rufus Sewell as a Nazi?! You would think it wouldn't work, but it does. Alexa Davalos (who I'm in love with) and relative newcomer, Luke Kleintank make a great team, and DJ Qualls is added for mostly comedic effect. It's a fun series about history and time-travel with a little romance and drama added in. (and no, I haven't read the book, but it's on my growing list!).

10. The Good Place - Just a ball of joy. I really hesitated watching this, because I'm not the biggest fan of Kristen Bell (I'm not not a fan, but I tried watching Veronica Mars once, and I wanted to die - the acting is painful). She's great in this, though. As is the rest of the cast. I would say that this is probably my favorite ensemble on tv right now. I can't decide who my favorite is, but most likely Jason Mendoza. Although D'Arcy Carden absolutely killed it in the episode titled "Janet(s)". And Chidi is hilarious in a more subtle way. Ugh, they're all just so good.

*Bonus* 11. Schitt's Creek - While this most recent season was not my favorite, the series as a whole is just wonderful so I'm adding it to list to encourage everyone to watch it. Dan Levy deserves some awards.

Worst 

1. Manifest - Apparently this series has been renewed for season 2, which blows my mind because that means it still has an audience. I just couldn't handle it anymore - I think I made it through 10 episodes and this was only because of the main star. She is memorizing, but the rest of the cast is dull. The story just kept getting more and more ridiculous. It was unbearable.

2. Iron Fist and Luke Cage - I know people are getting upset at Netflix cancelling all of their shows (to make way for new ones!), but this was definitely needed. Both of these shows were so absolutely boring. I would put on an episode, and then fight myself from falling asleep within 20 minutes. I felt like I had to watch it in case there were connections to the other Defenders shows (btw, I'm about 1/2 way through Daredevil S3 and if it doesn't start to pick up, I would definitely include it in the worst shows - what the Hell did they do to Fisk? He used to be such a fascinating villain!). I think these shows started off poorly just because of the terrible casting. And some really terrible acting (what the fuck was with Alice Eve's split personality character? The acting made my brain hurt).

3. The Walking Dead - Oh man, I can't believe I still watch this crap. But, I've already invested so much time. I feel like I have to follow through. I did love the addition of Samantha Morton because she is a fantastic under-rated actress. I like her character, not as strong of a villain as Negan, but I doubt anyone will be. I was really happy that they finally killed off the main (weak!) characters. But, the whole let's live in peace crap is really boring. Like they wouldn't just kill Negan?! How fucking dumb. Also they skipped forward so the kids are teenagers, and we are supposed to care about them. I think.

4. The CW DC Shows - I'm so glad that Arrow is ending next year because it's so bad now. I can't even keep up with the side characters - Black Siren should have stayed dead, but then she keeps fucking coming back and we're supposed to care if she's good or evil or both or neither. I don't give a fuck. Then The Flash doesn't make any bit of sense with the whole daughter story-line. So dull. But the worst offense is Supergirl because I really enjoyed it, until now. For some reason these shows seem to have such strong beginning seasons, but drag out to chores to sit through. I'm not looking forward to Batwoman because I love Ruby Rose, and she is way too good for this.

5. Riverdale - I was all in with how ridiculous this show was in its first season, but it's jumped the shark at some point, and it's never going to come back. I adored that the show featured actors from my generation as a teenager - Molly Ringwald, Skeet Ulrich, and the late Luke Perry. I was stunned with the news of his death. I don't know why it hit me so hard, I was never a big fan of 90210 (I was more of a Melrose Place kind of girl), but I did enjoy Perry in other things (Pike!). I think I just had all of these visions of my friends having his poster on their wall and it's surreal to think that he's not here anymore. Anyway, this show blows now. It's laughable - in one scene they are talking about normal high school stuff, the next Veronica is running an underground nightclub, and then the next they are trying to stop a murderous cult. Also, the musical episodes need to stop - none of them can sing.

6. The Sinner - How do you go from Jessica Beil to Carrie Coon and make the show somehow worse? It doesn't make any sense. The biggest problem is just the storyline itself. I'm not sure I even understood the whole thing because I stopped paying attention - I think the kid killed his parents because they were kidnapping him and planning on killing him, but somehow his real mom is involved but in a cult? I don't know. It was just really dumb. And boring.

7. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - I mean, I guess I should have just listed all of The CW shows together, because honestly they are all terrible. Started out great, but multiple seasons in and they are all at the bottom of the barrel. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend really lost my support probably somewhere around last year, when she actually becomes a terrible, horrible, unkind, narcissistic asshole and we are supposed to just forgive her because she's diagnosed with a mental disorder? The whole idea of the show was to subverse the idea of the "crazy ex-girlfriend", but instead they just succumb to the same old cliches. I did enjoy the live show that aired after the finale. It shows how hard this cast works - and even though I hate what it turned into, I hope the cast succeed in their future endeavors because they are all awesome.

8. Project Blue Book - I was disappointed with this show, partly because it's from the History channel so I expected something a little more serious, and partly because I love Aidan Gillen, but man is he terrible on this show. It's super cheesy and the acting is so awkward. I only lasted 3 episodes and I had to stop watching. Nothing happened in those 3 episodes! Nothing!

9. How to Get Away with Murder - I'm not really sure where this show went wrong, but it's really fallen off a cliff. I used to like all of the characters, because they were caught up in drama that wasn't necessarily their fault, but now they are all very, very, very awful people - and I no longer want any of them to get away with murder. I hope they all end up in jail, and quickly so that I can move on.

10. Suits - I miss Meghan Markle! And Patrick J. Adams! They were the heart of the show. What the fuck?! I mean, I guess I understand why Meghan can't be a part of the show (whatever!) and I guess Mike and Rachel belong together so they "moved", but the show just isn't the same without them. It was never really a good show, but it was always a fun summer drama. Now it's dull - and they are trying to do Harvey and Donna thing, but NO THANK YOU. And I was never a big fan of Katherine Heigl (she was good on Grey's Anatomy, but the weakest of that cast), and she's terrible on this show.

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Bohemian Rhapsody - Well, where do I begin? First, I am stunned that this was a serious Oscar contender. It's not a bad movie, but it's certainly not a well-made movie. It has serious issues. It's clear that the director left before the film was finished because there is no clear direction (I've read a lot about the allegations against Bryan Singer, and even though these allegations are not the reason he was fired from this movie, all I'm going to say is that Brad Renfro was my favorite actor growing up and it hurt so much when he died. He had so much talent, and he was so young. If Singer is responsible for Renfro's demons, I hope he is brought to justice). The film just consists of very short scenes edited together (poorly) to get from plot point to plot point. I read a lot about all the different controversies around the film (aside from the Singer controversy) - one being the editing, to which I agree. The other being that it erases Freddie Mercury's sexuality, and that I do not agree with. I don't think it's as obvious as some may have wanted, but there are several scenes that reference his sexuality, including a coming out scene. The problem is that the film has no depth. There's no meaning to his sexuality and his identity, so it comes across as ignored, and I think that's what people have a problem with. Also, I LOVE Rami Malek on Mr. Robot. It's the only performance that I know him from, and he is stunning on that show because he's supposed to be sort of cold and unfeeling. I didn't realize that he's just a cold and unfeeling actor. And those teeth that they put on him do not help his performance at all. It's horribly distracting. He does do a good job during the performances, but I can't believe that he actually won an Oscar for this performance (Bradley Cooper was a million times better). Otherwise, it's a "perfectly adequate" film. I've never really had Queen up there as a favorite band, but this film made me realize that I should - five of their songs are in my Top 50 songs of all-time (I don't actually have a list made, but I'm pretty sure this statement is true) and "Another One Bites the Dust" is in my Top 10 songs of all-time (I do have this list. It would surprise you.). Plus, even though it's not my personal favorite, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is the greatest song of all-time. And it's really fun to see how it all came together.

2. The Spy Who Dumped Me - Actually a lot of fun. It's like a combination of Spy and The Heat (I was disappointed with Spy, but I LOVED The Heat). Mila Kunis is just fantastic (and so stunningly beautiful it hurts). I really enjoy her in comedic roles. She's a lot funnier than Kate McKinnon, in my opinion. Although McKinnon didn't bother me as much in this role as she has in the past. It's a cute movie about friendship, but there are also some fun action sequences. It's definitely way too long, and many sequences could have been cut (like the circus performance that dragged on forever). However, I laughed out loud several times, and I appreciate a female-led comedy that is actually funny and doesn't try too hard. Also, I love Justin Theroux (since Six Feet Under, but especially after The Leftovers). Obviously, the twists and turns are expected and also absolutely ridiculous, but overall I think this is a solid spy comedy. And they set sup a fantastic lead to a possible sequel. I don't think it will get a sequel, because it wasn't exactly a box office success, but I would totally watch it.

3. Glass - I simply do not understand how James McAvoy is not being praised for his performance in this movie (or for Split). His performance is ground-breaking. It's like nothing that I've ever seen. He transitions from character to character seamlessly. If he doesn't get nominated for an Oscar this year, I will riot (quietly with my 4 cats). The movie...is just okay. I don't really remember much of Unbreakable. I do remember that I liked it more than other Shyamalan movies, but I only saw it once, and that was almost 20 years ago. It's cool that they used the same actor that was in the first one (as a kid), but I wouldn't have known that if someone didn't point it out to me. I'm sure there are a ton of other things that I didn't notice as connections to Unbreakable, but as a stand-alone movie, I was a little bit bored. I enjoyed Split a lot more - it had more tension and build-up. This fell a little flat.

4. The Favourite - I liked this movie, but it is nowhere near the brilliance of The Lobster or The Killing of a Sacred Deer. This felt more obvious, more universal, which isn't necessarily bad, but it was a disappointing watch for me, because I was just expecting something a little more deep. It honestly felt more like a Sofia Coppola film, like if you combined Marie Antoinette with any other Coppola film you would get this movie. The craftsmanship is still there, with the use of  some serious extreme fish-eye lens shots and tracking shots of that hallway (my God, how many times did these actresses have to walk up and down that hallway?!). All three of these actresses are perfect. Just absolutely perfect. I'm really happy that Olivia Colman won an Oscar because she deserved one 8 years ago with Tyrannosaur (HOLY SHIT was that really 8 years ago?? That's crazy! Feels like yesterday.). Emma Stone was the highlight for me, though. She just keeps getting better and better, and continually outshines her co-stars. She's going to be the next Meryl Streep (I would say that's Amy Adams, but it seems that the Oscars like Stone better).

5. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part- Has anyone else even seen this? Because I never saw anything about it when it was released. It was suddenly listed on available movies to rent, and I was completely surprised to find out it was released in theaters earlier this year. After watching the first 10 minutes, I realized why it was released so quietly. I couldn't even sit through the whole thing. The last time I stopped watching a film was when I walked out of one of the Harry Potter films. I can usually sit through even the worst of the worst, but I felt like if I continued watching this movie, it would have resulted in a massive headache. I guess I can't really give it a fair review since I stopped it after about 30 minutes. I just couldn't take any more of the noisy, visually crowded, mess of a movie.

Summer Movie Preview: 12 Movies that I'm Excited About

1. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (5.17) - I was a fan of the first two, so it's natural that I'm excited for the third, but then, after this, I'm hoping that they are done. Anything more will be overkill.

2. Booksmart (5.24) - I really like Beanie Feldstein (she's Jonah Hill's sister). I also really like Olivia Wilde, and I'm excited for her directorial debut.

3. Rocketman (5.31) - I think this looks fantastic. I adore Taron Egerton - and he proved to have a knack for singing Elton John songs with his voice work in Sing. I'm a little hesitant because I also thought that Bohemian Rhapsody looked fantastic, and it was a hot mess, but I tend to enjoy watching Egerton for two hours no matter what, so I think I'll be happy with it.

4. American Woman (6.14) - I've been waiting for Sienna Miller to step back up to a starring role after starring in endless roles as "the wife". This looks ideal for her talents and has a great supporting cast - Christina Hendricks and Aaron Paul.

5. Men in Black: International (6.14)- I never thought in a million years that this would be the film I would be most looking forward to this summer, but here we are. Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson made a great team in Thor: Ragnarok, so I think they'll have great chemistry in this. Plus, if I remember correctly, I actually enjoyed the third installment? I think I did....

6. The Dead Don't Die (6.14) - Jim Jarmusch. Bill Murray. Tilda Swinton. Zombie comedy. Done.

7. Spider-Man Far From Home (7.2) - Homecoming was super cute, I expect more of the same. But, I'm not on board with Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio. The trailer made him seem super cheesy, and I'm not ready for Gyllenhaal to be anything other than giving Oscar-worthy performances.

8. The Lion King (7.19) - I just have to see it. I'm hesitant, but the trailer is pretty strong. The Lion King had a big impact on my childhood - my cat is even named Simba, so if it's not good, then I'm going to be pretty pissed off.

9. Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood (7.26) - BRAD PITT AND LEO IN A MOVIE TOGETHER DO NEED TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE??? I think it really says a lot about Leo, that Hollywood's biggest directors (Scorsese, Tarantino, Luhrmann, and possibly Spielberg) want to work with him multiple times.

10. Hobbs & Shaw (8.2) - I'm a sucker for this franchise. Some are terrific, some are garbage, but I need to see them all.

11. In the Shadow of the Moon (8.9) - Michael C. Hall in a movie about a serial killer...um...I obviously HAVE to watch it. Although, I'm not sure if Hall is the serial killer. It will be incredibly disappointing if he's not.

12. Where'd You Go, Bernadette (8.16) - I don't know much about this film, but it has an excellent cast and it's directed by Richard Linklater (the only film of his that I didn't like, is his most praised - Boyhood).

3 Thoughts on Captain Marvel

*Spoilers ahead*

1. It felt forced - First, I felt forced to even watch it. The trailers were God-awful, and I dreaded every moment of watching this movie, but I felt like I had to see it before I watch Endgame (which I have not seen yet, and I probably wont for at least a few weeks). Second, the movie, itself, felt forced. The dialogue is really unpleasant. Is Captain Marvel supposed to be witty or something? The dialogue between her and Fury is obnoxious. It certainly didn't feel natural. And can we talk about the music for a second? Because it really took the whole obnoxiously forced feeling to the next level. I just *knew* that they were going to play "Just a Girl" at a big moment. While part of me wanted to yell out "FUCK YES!" (it's one of my favorite songs of all-time - I was a teenage girl in the 90s, it can't be helped), another part of me just groaned at the predictability of it all. To their credit, there weren't a whole lot of female-led alternative/grunge bands in the 90s, and since that's what they were going for they had limited choices (related side story - a few years ago I became irate at the Pandora app because when you set an "alternative" playlist, it will literally play only male artists for hours on end. When I complained out-loud, I was challenged to name female alternative bands and I could only name No Doubt, Garbage and Hole. BUT, there are many female solo artists that still fit the bill in my opinion, like Alanis Morissette and Patti Rothberg.).

2. Was I supposed to be surprised? - Was this movie made for non-MCU fans? We already know who the "good" guys are and who the "bad" guys are, so why are we pretending like it was a shock to know that she's working for the wrong side? Why not establish that from the beginning, and then base the story around her own realization? Why does the audience have to play along? Also, I'm pretty good at avoiding spoilers, so I didn't really know much about this movie - aside from the fact that a cat named Goose is heavily featured, but I was well aware that Jude Law was playing the "bad" guy. Nothing about this movie surprised me in the least bit, so much so that I question the point to any of it. Couldn't they just introduce Captain Marvel during one of the Avengers movies? Save us all two hours? The more I think about it, the more annoyed I am at this movie, but I will say one positive thing. I think they did the whole "human" moment really well - with the flashbacks of her getting back up after getting knocked down. It was nice. The end.

3. The stacked cast - I've pointed out before, that I would prefer to have stronger actors like Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, etc. over someone like Chris Evans (sorry, even after all these movies, I still just see a pretty face), so I thought I would LOVE the casting in this movie - Brie Larson, Jude Law, Annette Benning, Ben Mendelsohn - all actors that I am incredibly fond of (particularly Jude Law. I didn't realize how much I missed his smile. Where has he been? Just that Young Pope thing?). Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. All of these actors seemed like they were just wasting their talent on a pointless, mediocre film. I do really like Brie Larson (she's been in two of my favorite films of the last decade - Room and Short Term 12), but she's about as dull in this as Scarlett Johansson is as Black Widow (i.e. extremely fucking dull). I also really don't like the whole de-aging thing - it's just super fucking creepy - especially for the amount of screen-time that Samuel L. Jackson has in this. And we know what Jackson looked like 20 years ago (his performance in A Time to Kill is burned into my memory forever - "Yes, they deserved to die, and I hope they burn in Hell!"), and he looks....almost...the same as he does now?! Certainly nothing like what they did to him for this movie. He looked plastic.