Note: It is now impossible for any one human to watch all TV shows in a given year, especially all the bad ones. This list is 70-odd shows that I had a reasonable expectation would be good, and I ranked/graded them only on the basis of what I actually watched vs. hypothetically lousy shows I wouldn’t watch if you paid me (like 99% of reality shows). The “best” of this list truly is the best of 2023, while the “worst” are just surprisingly lousy.
A Quick Note About “The Curse”…I was enjoying the first half of this limited series, but Paramount Global made the brilliant decision to completely erase the Showtime Anytime app in the middle of this show’s run. Since I receive Showtime only through a cable package–and there is now no way to view Showtime content accept as an add-on to Paramount+–I suppose I will be unable to watch or promote Showtime series released after December 2023, even though I’ve been watching it consistently for over 20 years. Great job screwing over a longtime customer, Paramount
The Worst Show of 2023: “Great Expectations”…Somebody, arrest Steven Knight before he commits more crimes against Charles Dickens! Just like his unrelentingly bleak adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” a few years back, Knight plays fast and loose with his source material here, conjuring up a final “Expectations” episode that is woefully divergent from superior source material. Please understand that this isn’t merely a fan insisting slavish devotion to classic works, so much as I don’t trust Knight’s instincts on what changes to make.
Worse than the overall sluggish pacing, turgid direction, and a truly charisma-barren performance from lead Fionn Whitehead (who feels destined for the Alex Pettyfer or Orlando Bloom career path of being shoved down our throats for a few years before gradually cooling off), “Expectations” eventually crosses over into being outright offensive with a segregationist bent to its romantic leanings. It is almost astounding how many British works (like 2019’s “The Personal History of David Copperfield”) pretend to have “color blind” casting, but “coincidentally” change the relationship fates of characters based on race. What this means is that “Expectations” ends with Pip and the now-black Estella (“The Tourist”‘s fantastic Shalom Brune-Franklin, who may seemingly never find a vehicle that doesn’t insist its white male protagonist belongs with a dowdy white woman instead of her) predictably not winding up together, and instead paired off with same race partners. This is a gross deviation of the classic ending that just so happens to coincide with the races of the four main surviving characters. Grade: D-
71. “You”…I don’t believe this series will ever again reach its season-one level quality, and the fact that I turn to the Lifetime version of this show for greater realism should tell you something. In season four, Joe Goldberg becomes a “John Wick”-level killer of heavily protected (and privileged) British folk that apparently don’t warrant a real murder investigation, as well as one American billionaire who has a private security guard so inept, the willowy Goldberg is able to best them in hand-to-hand combat. To say this series was “unbothered” by reality this season would be the understatement of the year. Grade: D-
70. “Your Honor”…I wrote a longer review when this series (mercifully) concluded last Spring, and it’s probably revealing that this show exited with so little fanfare, considering the buzz of the first season and Bryan Cranston’s involvement. It takes a special kind of incompetence to make a show with Cranston, Carmen Ejogo, Hope Davis, Michael Stuhlbarg, and the always-watchable Margo Martindale into a boring, aimless slog but “Honor” manages to do just that. [For a better second-season use of Davis in nefarious mode, check out “Perry Mason.”] Grade: D-
69. “The Other Black Girl”…The show that butchers a superior book, and somehow manages to be smug while doing it. “Girl”‘s first few episodes were (mostly) faithful, but the series starts to really go off the rails around the mid-point. This is right around the time a white mega-author is getting escorted out of his longtime publisher by security for yelling about their decision to abruptly shelve his book for the high crime of a stereotypical character (yeah…sure), and then the book’s passive-aggressive Karen-esque boss (Bellamy Young) gets quietly massaged into an ally (again, yeah…sure). Another lousy change is that there’s actually no real suspense between the two lead female characters at all, and we keep wondering when the more ominous threats of book Hazel will finally show up.
By the end, we see a completely different ending that trades in the book’s dark realism for something even more cynical: a phony “happy” ending meant to lull its audience to sleep. What’s especially galling is the meta-joke about a legendary black author’s work getting its own ending changed to something more market-driven. This is mentioned roughly a dozen times, right before the TV series does the exact same thing it’s supposedly satirizing. Grade: D+
68. “The Diplomat”…It feels like I’m doing something wrong by disliking this show so much after all the bizarre critical acclaim it received. Maybe I’m just burnt out on seeing the Clinton marriage trotted out to fictional affect (“Madame Secretary,” “The Good Wife,” “House of Cards,” “Political Animals”), and found nothing original in this tonally-inconsistent mess. Or maybe I just think Keri Russell’s overtly brash tactics (she rarely enters a room where she isn’t cursing someone out or talking down to them tersely) is about the furthest thing from actual diplomacy you could portray onscreen. Or maybe I just didn’t like the Russian-appeasing ending of season 1, which feels like it used Chat GPT to cobble together various conspiracy theories spread by Kremlin-propagandists. Grade: D+
67. “The Big Door Prize”…This big shoulder-shrug of a show would’ve been a lot better as an eight episode miniseries instead of stretched out into multiple, tedious seasons. As is, we see a lot of the same plot lines and character dynamics repeated in episode after episode, sometimes making this feel like a bloated, unfunny sitcom. Also, if you’re going to base a sci-fi mystery solely around how it affects its characters, why not make characters that are actually interesting to watch? By the end of the first season, when the only two characters we give a damn about are maritally separating merely to “see what happens,” it’s as if this show is actively trying to kill any interest we might have in it. Grade: C-
66. “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”…If you put a gun to my head, I couldn’t really give you a plot description of this show other than “Godzilla monster may be good, other monsters may be bad.” I’m not a fan of the current Kong/Godzilla/Monarch universe, and I’m even less certain why this show wasn’t released on HBO Max (at least maintaining some semblance of studio–and possibly narrative–consistency) instead of Apple. As is, we’re treated to many long, boring scenes of paper-thin characters complaining in the present, even if the love triangle in the past is a little more interesting. Mari Yamamoto does what she can to generate heat with two different men, giving a Herculean-effort with not a ton to work with. Grade: C-
65. “C.B. Strike”…A show spinning its wheels with a forgettable season 3. While watching this, I discovered that I’ve never really been interested in any of the mysteries they’re solving, and mainly watch for the characters–who have never seemed more stuck in a rut. Frankly, there are much better British police procedurals out there, and you’ll see a couple as we move down the list. Grade: C-
64. “A Murder at the End of the World”…Many would think I’m straight nuts for ranking this hyped potboiler so low, but this is a classic Hulu series in the sense that it’s not very good, but everyone raves about it anyway. It utilizes its arctic setting gorgeously, but the characterizations are mostly one-dimensional, and it makes no sense whatsoever to gather a group of supposedly fascinating people (this appears to be a Bilderberg Group-type gathering of influential who’s-who-types), but waste half the series on elaborate flashbacks with the show’s least interesting character (Harrison Dickinson’s Bill Farrah). Emma Corrin is an actor of admirable physicality (just like with 2022’s “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” Corrin gives vigorous sex scenes everything), but it’s the Britt Marling scripts and narrative that never come together here. Grade: C-
63. “Mayor of Kingstown”…The first season was significantly better, and this might be the (very) rare case of a show that kills off too many of its characters, as several season one stand outs were offed before 2 even began (black shot caller P-Dog and one of the head prison guards are both killed in the season 1 finale, the leader of the white supremacists a few episodes before, Kyle Chandler’s original “mayor” in the first damn episode). But the overall narrative was much more stagnant and unsatisfying for much of season 2, moving too slow for entire episodes before rushing to cram things into a finale that didn’t always make sense. Worse, Jeremy Renner’s hapless fixer and his primary femme fatale Iris (season one standout Emma Laird) spend most of the season apart, denying us of one of the show’s only dynamics that actually makes sense. Grade: C-
62. “Vikings: Valhalla”…Vikings do some more stuff, and some more people die, and some characters do battle…yawn. Whatever intrigue the first season of this Netflix continuation had was in short supply with a season 2 that didn’t move the plot along nearly enough. Grade: C-
61. “Somebody Somewhere”…A show I’m not happy at all to be ranking so low, but too many critics have been blind to the steep quality drop-off between seasons 1 and 2. Season 1 was one of the best of its year (and I said so gladly only a year ago), but season 2 was a shocking disappointment–robbed of season 1’s tension and semblance of a narrative. The first two-thirds of season 2 were Sam and Joel hanging out, and cracking each other up more than they seemed to care if an audience might want to be let in on the fun. By the time we get to a forced conflict (Sam acting like a jerk to Joel for minimal reasons), it feels like something the show had to do more than anything these characters might’ve actually done. “I’ve spent the entire season enthralled to be goofing around with you, even while pooping on a toilet…Now let me cut you off completely for the mildest of offenses.” This is a “Somebody” that can do much better when it wants to. Grade: C-
60. “Bass Reeves”…A miscast David Oyelowo leads a ponderous Western almost as bloated and slow moving as supporting actor Dennis Quaid’s face. A show undermined by a surprising artifice (let’s say it hasn’t been made with the most rigorous attempt at historical accuracy) and uneven pacing considering the quality of the same team’s “1883.” Grade: C-
59. “The Continental”…Unsurprisingly, the world of “John Wick” does not easily lend itself to a cheesy Peacock miniseries, and if I were behind the far-superior films, I’d be embarrassed this is somehow linked to “Wick.” Supposedly, the connection is the titular hotel (where the “rules” we’ve seen so well-established in the films are obeyed rather loosely here) and a 70’s version of Winston (Colin Woodell, generically likable but displaying little of Ian McShane’s smooth, courtly cunning), but this version of Winston is so different as to feel like an altogether different character. This almost feels like an unrelated script about a heist at a mob hotel that got unconvincingly changed into a “Wick” prequel. Grade: C-
58. “The Afterparty”…Not a bad show, but one that didn’t need a second season at all, and you can tell that its unique season one premise had grown thin by the complete lack of any buzz whatsoever for this season. Apple cancelled this show only weeks after the second season finished airing, likely making the decision before season two even finished. Just like with the first season, your enjoyment may vary from episode to episode (I liked the 90’s erotic thriller parody “Danner’s Fire” the most and Aniq’s sequel the least), but the genre diversity isn’t as varied here as it was in the first season, making an already bloated season (from 8 episodes in season 1 to 10 elongated episodes here) drag more than it should. Elizabeth Perkins, John Cho, and Paul Walter Hauser are the season 2 standouts. Grade: C-
57. “Daisy Jones and the Six”…This show is actually very faithful to a book I loved, making me wonder “Was the book really as good as I thought it was?” Something about the innovative quasi-screenplay format of the book made the pages fly by, but plays a little bit flat on the screen as you’re waiting for added depth and intrigue that may not have been there on the page. [It doesn’t help that we can now actually hear the songs, and there’s not an earworm in the bunch.]
In episode after episode, we’re watching tried-and-true 70’s rock cliches brought to life in a way that feels oddly generic, like something we’ve seen in a dozen “Almost Famous” knock offs from yesteryear. There’s no specific moment you can point to as particularly bad, so much as an overall feeling of numbness and repetition. Just like “Afterparty,” this would’ve greatly benefitted from being a tighter six or eight episode series than 10 full episodes. Grade: C
56. “Love for the Ages”…This dumb reality show takes a deliciously diabolical premise (three long married couples are split and put into houses with young potential home wreckers, and see who they like better after a few weeks), and somehow fumbles it with shockingly bad casting. For example, two of the three husbands do not seem remotely interested in taking part in this show, and the one who does seem (very) open to it isn’t exactly desired by the woman he picks. The married women are relatively more open, but the supposedly “fun, sexy” young guys wind up being more possessive than their husbands (like one guy who throws a shouting match when a married woman he’s been talking to for a day flirts with another guy). If this show ever gets rebooted, maybe don’t have the entire cast be inexplicably Latin (it’s never explained why half the show is in Spanish), and possibly more open to the entire idea. Grade: C
55. “Ahsoka”…Other than Rosario Dawson’s title character and laconic performance (her cool acting can sometimes make you wonder if she’s on elephant-strength Zoloft), this isn’t a good show at all. I’d be lying if I said I even wanted a second season, but it’s at least a show the entire family can watch together. In a world where everything is either Max-level adult or Nickelodeon, it’s nice to have something people can watch together–I just wish it had more narrative coherence, non-annoying supporting characters, and crisper, more-suspenseful action sequences. Grade: C
54. “The Blacklist”…Sure, it’s technically “worse” than a few of the entries ranked lower on this list, and I freely admit that I gave up on this show years ago (this is the first season I’ve watched in more than half the show’s run, and only tuned in to see how it ends). However, it was nice to see the terrific James Spader doing his thing one last time as the delightfully amoral, contagiously-joyful Raymond “Red” Reddington, perhaps the last great character an NBC procedural will ever have. And you have to admit that a couple of the “catch me if you can” games in the last few episodes–where Red’s estranged team has never been more confused by his antics–were pretty fun before getting to the inevitable last shot of the series. If you’re being honest, this guilty pleasure was more fun than many of the “better” shows you could’ve watched instead. Grade: C
53. “Lego Masters”…Speaking of a guilty pleasure that’s been running in place for a while, and has an annoying supporting cast (in this case, the judges), we have “Lego Masters,” where Will Arnett’s jokes have never felt more stale, and the irritating, arbitrary judges have never been more in need of getting swapped out. [This season, a black participant miraculously made it past the half-way point, and I think it might’ve been physically painful for Amy, the closet-Karen judge.] This is a good show to put on while your kids go nuts building their own Lego sets on the floor, but the entertainment value for adults is starting to wane. Grade: C+
52. “Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge”…Slightly better is this “Hot Wheels” riff on “Lego Masters,” where two people compete to build a real-life car that could become a hot wheel…or something. The actual contests are a little confusing (one car is picked per episode and put into a final bracket of eight, but the final eight are randomly tossed aside in favor of three “Winners” that are chosen to build a completely different car in the finale), and the judgements severely lacking (like “Masters,” a habit is made of picking the wrong car in nearly every episode and especially in the finale). Still, nothing beats the primal thrill of seeing a souped-up crazy car roaring into the studio with some custom insanity (like a wrestling ring in the middle of the car or a car crossed with a literal jet plane). What they build is genuinely impressive given the time constraints. Grade: C+
51. “Loki”…I admit I’m one of the few people that felt season 1 of “Loki” was overrated, but even the biggest Marvel booster has to admit that there’s a reason season 2 of “Loki” came and went without much buzz. Maybe it’s time to admit that this whole “Kang the Conqueror” thing isn’t really working out, and the entire concept of the multiverse may be better in theory than in headache-inducing reality. So much of this season feels like a “Who gives a damn?” hypothetical that it lacks any real emotional core or stakes, especially since it’s centered around characters that have either been sidelined (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), already killed (Tom Hiddleston), or proven stupid (Sophia Di Martino’s bloodthirsty Sylvie, whose central goal actually seems pretty dumb). Grade: C+
50. “Full Circle”…I’m normally a huge Steven Soderbergh booster, but this “Circle” gave me more of a headache than a rush. I understand that it’s a loose (very loose) remake of “High and Low,” but the presentation here makes that film look like “Blue’s Clues” in narrative simplicity. “Full” never calms down its puzzle-piece story enough to be worth unraveling the mysteries, and by the time all is revealed in the finale, you might find yourself saying “that’s it? That’s what we were waiting for?” A show that feels like a lot of work as you’re watching it, but is fairly simplistic once looking back on it is the exact opposite experience I’m looking for. Grade: C+
49. “Party Down”…I get it; I’m a villain. Everybody on Earth loves the original two seasons of this Star show (and I do too) so much that it’s hard to admit this reboot isn’t really necessary, and might even hurt the overall legacy of the near-perfect season 2 finale (at the time, the unintentional series finale that chronicled the rebirth of Henry Pollard’s stalled career). This updated version is no “Party,” as we watch our beloved characters get cruelly denied any opportunity for career advancement or even emotional advancement. Too often, it feels like the malign-Gods of comedy writing conspire to keep them running in place forever. Yes, individual episodes of this reboot are hilarious (like a Nazi-lite gathering where Nick Offerman’s fascist is the only one who truly appreciates the artistry of Zoe Chao’s chef’s), but it’s undercut by stagnant characters committing slow-motion suicide, like Adam Scott’s long-struggling actor finally getting the job (and woman) of his dreams, and turns them down. Yikes…Characters who turn down franchise roles (or get denied them through the flakiest whims of “Cancel Culture,” as happens in the season premiere) and/or Jennifer Garner all so the “Party” can keep going forever? That’s more depressing than cutting edge. Grade: C+
48. “Invincible”…This isn’t so much a critique of the series itself as it is a rant against the horrendous treatment of fans by Amazon, who have delayed the second season so much (more than two and a half years went by between seasons 1 and 2) that it feels particularly miserly to release only half of the second season at the end of last year. A mere four episodes then, and then several months later a mere four episodes almost three full years after the first season? Even “Fargo” or “Curb Your Enthusiasm” have faster turn-around times than that; for a serialized drama that relies on propulsive narrative to be stalled for years on end kills the relentless momentum that is “Invincible”‘s core strength. Grade: C+
47. “The Gilded Age”…Like much of Julian Fellowes work, this “exploration” of rich pricks from yesteryear can oftentimes drift into a fictionalized hagiography, as we’re repeatedly asked to identify with people who would likely disdain most of us in what feels like a quasi-celebration of attitudes and people that probably shouldn’t be celebrated.
In “Downton Abbey,” it was a family so “old money” lazy, they acted like their own extravagant dinners were too much of a burden to them, and the mere task of chewing food might be too strenuous. In “Age,” it’s robber barons and monopolists who might as well come out and advocate for child labor or a 100-hour work week. The production design is gorgeous, and a gifted cast fully brings it, per usual. However, works like this will probably always be too much of a stuffy, retrograde fantasy to ever really be excellent. Grade: C+
46. “Dark Winds”…I liked the first season of this AMC police procedural, and even considered it one of that year’s best shows. In this season, we still have fine acting from Zahn McClarnon as soulful, conflicted law man Joe Leaphorn (who’s unsure if justice can be served legally), but the overall case isn’t as unique as the first season, with it’s truly original bad guy (a Native American supremacist using helicopter-aided bank robberies to fund larger plans) and more noteworthy action set pieces. Everything here feels like the ghosts of narratives past and future (similar themes even crop up in “True Detective: Night Country”). Grade: C+
45. “The Consultant”…Christoph Waltz’s titular antagonist is a beguilingly ambiguous character: is he a run-of-the-mill insensitive boss? Or a psychopath capable of murder? Or perhaps something supernatural? [It’s insinuated his Regus Patoff is a terminator-esque robot with a solid gold skeleton, but others have interpreted that detail as further proof he’s more likely the literal devil.] Once you reach the bummer ending of this satirization (or celebration) of heartless corporate capitalism, you may find the sum is less than the parts (it never slides over into the proper horror show it keeps teasing), but this is still the dark take on today’s economy that “The Other Black Girl” should’ve been. Grade: B-
44. “Warrior”…This is a good example of how a (mostly) mediocre season can be saved by a great finale. “Warrior”‘s first two seasons were on Cinemax before that premium cable channel stopped making original content altogether, leaving the show homeless. HBO Max stepped in for season 3, but has now cancelled the series again. Given that tumultuous feeling, perhaps it’s for the best that the third season went out with such a bang–as we saw truly amazing kung fu battles (especially Ah-Sahm being forced to take apart his own gang’s house in order to save his sister), and a long-sought reconciliation between siblings that should’ve never been on opposite sides to begin with. Grade: B-
43. “Kindred”…This is an absolutely miserable viewing experience, as almost every scene is fraught with tension or the long-slog misery of slavery. Even in the present-tense scenes, there’s a hysterical Karen neighbor threatening to call the cops every five minutes, and this is in the “calm” modern moments before our black heroine backslides into a plantation. This adaptation makes several bewildering choices (like having Kevin be more of a one night stand Dana just met than her husband–which makes little sense that he’d keep going back to such a horrific time with someone he doesn’t really know), and perhaps the biggest is splitting Octavia Butler’s slim novel into a show with multiple seasons instead of a tight miniseries. But amongst all the chaos, there are gentle moments between Dana and Kevin that offer a respite, and there is something undeniably well-directed about this first season (which got canceled by Hulu, forever leaving viewers in limbo). Grade: B-
42. “The Mandalorian”…I know I’m committing high treason by admitting that I’m just not much of a Mando fan, and many of the individual episode plot lines are goofy and/or for kids. There were better family-centric Dramas than this on ABC a decade ago, and the cannibalization of that content to feed streaming may have overhyped shows like this. I hope we can still be friends? Grade: B-
41. “Lioness”…When I wrote my “Best TV characters of 2023 countdown,” I admitted that this was a mediocre show with only a handful of redeeming things going for it (Zoe Saldana’s interesting lead character and terse-yet-nuanced performance), and yet I wouldn’t mind watching season 2 one bit. It showed enough flickers of promise to make me think a different storyline in season 2 would absolutely be worth exploring. Grade: B-
40. “The Citadel”…Yeah, I get it, this show makes no sense, and has a plot that is impossible to care about. In truth, my viewing of this series might look like a toddler watching fireworks as explosions wash over my eyes, and I say some variant of “sky go boom” as all manner of vehicles explode. The real show isn’t even the action, so much as the blazing-hot chemistry between Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra. [Chopra has now generated such good heat with co-stars as disparate as Sam Heugan and Adam DeVine that you wonder when she’ll be properly recognized as the real romantic lead she is.] And since I’m apparently on an espionage show trend… Grade: B-
39. “Archer”…I don’t get a shred of enjoyment ranking the final season of this loooong running adult cartoon espionage workplace comedy so low. Truly, “Archer”‘s first few seasons were originals, and even the show’s middle run grew increasingly experimental (entire seasons were centered on different themes than espionage). But once Archer woke up from his coma, and he and Lana still weren’t together, and that was a few years back–well yeah, there just wasn’t much to keep rooting for… And I do think it’s genuinely disappointing that the series didn’t give Archer and Lana a finale romance, instead opting to send Archer off on yet another of his endless diversionary plot lines. A show with no growth that goes on forever may be the definition of animated comedy, but it’s also a little bit like hell, as we watch the same gags repeated on an infinite loop. Grade: B-
38. “The Crown”…Elizabeth Debicki is truly perfect as Princess Diana–if you go back and watch archival interviews of Lady Di, it’s almost eerie–but she is sadly missing from the second half of an otherwise snoozy season. The final handful of episodes (where there are no colorful supporting characters to spruce things up) only reveals that this series has been running in place for a while now, and experienced a pretty steep energy drop-off between seasons 2 and 3, as the fussier, wearier, less-interesting version of Elizabeth started to ossify on her forever throne. By the time we get to the finale, it feels like a relief. Grade: B-
37. “Rabbit Hole”…I’m amazed there are so few decent dramas centered around conspiracy theories given this age of Russian espionage and Internet forum “rabbit holes.” Into that vacuum stepped this show with much potential that just never truly went anywhere. Still, it had some nice performances (particularly from the warm Meta Golding and ice-cold Charles Dance), and it would’ve been interesting to see what happened with a stronger season 2 plot. Sadly, we’ll never know as Paramount pulled the plug. Grade: B-
36. “Jack Ryan”…For me, this is probably the worst season of Amazon’s “Ryan” series, because I didn’t totally understand the plot (I could tell you what each of the other seasons is about in a few sentences, this one isn’t anywhere near as coherent), and felt like it was a bit of a retreat to go into a “stateless cabal” of generic villains instead of the more realistic dictators and ex-Soviet heavy hitters he faced in seasons 2 and 3. Still, Michael Pena’s new addition steals the season, and it’ll be interesting to see him in the purposed spin-off sometime in the future. Grade: B-
35. “Shark Tank”…Mark Cuban is quitting after the upcoming 2024-25 season, and I think the show should use that as an opportunity to reboot the entire cast. Many of the current sharks aren’t exactly terrific to start with (Robert has been accused of ghosting several entrepreneurs he’s made deals with, Daymond is literally being sued by some of his entrepreneurs, and O’Leary’s infamous royalty deals are a cumbersome profit-siphoning burden that amount to a “no confidence” vote, many entrepreneurs would be better off not getting a deal than taking one of O’Leary’s crappy ones), and after so many deals, how much time do they really have to commit to a business that isn’t already so successful it doesn’t need their help? Rebooting the tank with 5 new sharks could be just the creative kick this show needs. Grade: B-
34. “Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn”…A good docuseries that provides you with background information on the case of Carlos Ghosn (worthy context rather than just skipping to his arrest and fugitive years) before his spy thriller-ish escape from prison and fleeing of any country that might extradite him to Japan. [He currently lives in Lebanon, not exactly known for their strict adherence to international law.] There are many illuminating details like the arrogant Ghosn refusing to pay the father-and-son team that risked their lives to rescue him. But by the end of this exhaustive four-part documentary you may wish Ghosn was either a lot more likable (he’s oily enough you may feel slightly nauseous listening to his justifications) or much more fully committed to playing the villain. Too often, he comes across as defensive and unconvincingly justifying rather than a truly interesting anti-hero. Grade: B-
33. “The Last of Us”…I know, I know, I’m supposed to love this show a lot more than I do. But this is where my cranky old millennial side comes out, as I can plainly remember “The Walking Dead”‘s overrated first season getting the same breathless praise that “Last” is getting now. Even at the time, I cautioned people that “Dead” wasn’t actually a quality drama so much as it dispersed its slow action with long-winded monologues aping the rhythms of a quality drama. People went nuts arguing with me, but eleven seasons later, absolutely no one would contest what a failure of quality “Dead” turned out to be.
I feel the same about “Us,” because it’s centered around the same dumb characters (Joel’s actions in the finale are inexcusable under any context than him wanting to hang out with his buddy), repetitive action beats, overly-involved flashback structure, bloated speeches from characters we’re repeatedly told aren’t articulate, and even the same post-apocalyptic villains who aren’t actually all that scary. Frankly, if it weren’t for standout episodes like the one-off with Nick Offerman, I probably wouldn’t have ranked it this high. …Hope we can still be friends? Grade: B-
32. “Ted Lasso”…By now, everyone and their brother knows this isn’t “Ted”‘s strongest season or even a good one. And yet I’m ranking it higher than I probably should because the last three episodes of the season did serve as a good swan song to a show that probably should’ve never been as highly regarded as “Lasso” became. The hype around the first two seasons (a genial workplace comedy with inspirational overtones–and not much more than that) made a final season letdown inevitable. But it’s true “Ted” didn’t help itself by having each episode be so damn long, bloated with unnecessary plot lines (Keeley’s entire romance with Jack felt like they were overcorrecting having no prominent gay characters in the first two seasons), skipping over things we might’ve actually wanted to see (the entire Nate storyline would skip over things like him quitting Rupert to show him doing bizarre things like working in a Greek restaurant for a few scenes OR the series never saying if Keeley picked Roy or Jaime), and perhaps ladling on the syrup a bit heavy towards the end. Still, there were enough good moments in the final episodes (and the inspired moment where Ted discovers his “total football” strategy at a Van Gogh museum) to make up for it. Grade: B-
Note: The “B” grade are where things that are actually worth watching begin. To different extents, you could seek out all of these shows and find admirable things…
31. “Beef”…I heard that if you don’t give “Beef” a spot in your “Top Ten Best Shows of 2023” countdown you could be legally executed. So I’m taking one helluva a risk by knocking this good-but-not-great show down a peg. It may have two great performances and characters, but the series should’ve been shorter (a tighter six episode miniseries), and I’m horrified at plans to expand it to additional seasons (why?). The middle episodes in particular feel a little padded and wandering, as this series never pushes things as far as its “War of the Roses” opening scenes make you think they’re going to go. That’s not a problem given the implausible ending of understanding and love, but it sure makes things feel a little aimless in the middle of the season as you’re waiting for their feud to intensify (and a little disappointed that it never really does). I also felt some of the actions of Ali Wong’s character in particular felt more like something the show needed her to do vs. something she would actually do. Grade: B
30. “Lessons in Chemistry”…A show I wanted to like more than I did like (a common thread uniting most of the “B”-grade shows). For starters, this miniseries is almost half over before we finally get to the central hook–an expert chemist makes a smash hit cooking show in the stifled 1950’s by refusing to condescend to her female audience (despite the strong urgings of male management and focus groups).
The first four episodes seem almost unconnected to that as we spend long scenes on an unlikely romance with a fellow chemist (Lewis Pullman), and then the exploration of grief for a central character not prone to giving into feelings. Even the last episode is more of a lengthy mystery into Pullman’s backstory (I’m sorry, but who cares?), and there’s a prominent, somewhat-random subplot about highways slashing through black neighborhoods in LA. It eventually feels like this brief miniseries–again, it’s only eight 45-minute episodes, making this the opposite of the bloated “Beef”–would rather explore anything but its strongest aspect. Still, Brie Larson proves she’s one of the most underrated actresses working today, and the technical aspects of this miniseries are flawless with crisp cinematography, handsome set design, and period-accurate wardrobe. Grade: B
29. “Frasier”…Like almost any white person who’s willingly paid to go to more than one opera, I was a huge fan of the original “Frasier” that ran for 11 very good seasons on NBC. Today, I would be hard-pressed to even name more than 5 sitcoms on broadcast television, thus making the original “Frasier” stand out even more for its consistent quality, and unusual ability to mix expert physical farce from psychological concepts like depression, grief, anxiety, longing, and (especially) existential loneliness. Frasier Crane–and some of the hapless people in his orbit–had that indescribable, untouchable feeling that something was missing as they moved about their lives. The specters of isolation and nebulous dissatisfaction certainly made “Frasier” stand out in a sitcom landscape populated by (almost deliberately) one-dimensional characters and standard plots.
This reboot is just a pale shadow of that, as our beloved former radio psychiatrist is saddled with a far less adept supporting cast of Britishers (especially Jack Cutmore-Scott’s Freddy, sour and unconvincing as Cutmore-Scott appears to spend most of his on-screen energy mastering the inflections of his forced accent instead of being in the moment), and the new/old home of Boston isn’t as soothing a place for comfort viewing as the rain-soaked streets of Seattle (nearly every episode of the original had a character walking inside Cafe Nervosa, the radio station, or Frasier’s home while shaking off an umbrella) nor are Frasier’s Boston digs as appealingly posh as his old Seattle condo. However, the lone bright spot is that Kelsey Grammer hasn’t lost a step, and can still get a surprising amount of laughs from twisting certain inflections or a withering side eye. With some better plots (and some tweaking of the ensemble), I wouldn’t be surprised if the second season isn’t at least somewhat better. Which certainly happened with our next show… Grade: B
28. “Picard”…For me personally, the third and final season of Paramount+’s umpteenth “Star Trek” spin-off was easily the best (let’s be honest, and admit the streamer’s more popular name should be “Star Trek + Taylor Sheridan shows”). Perhaps the biggest reason for this is because it finally understood that the only reason we’re really watching this somewhat-stale, lacking-in-production-values sci-fi is nostalgia, and gave into that impulse with two huge, heaping helpings of it by reuniting Jean-Luc with his old crew and even his arch-nemesis of the Borg. Even if the character of Jean Luc’s son was an irritating bore (between “Frasier” and “Picard,” I think nostalgia-based shows on Paramount+ should avoid “estranged sons of iconic fathers” plots), there were a handful of genuinely touching moments as Patrick Stewart and Co. tried their damnedest to save the known universe one last time. Grade: B
27. “Our Flag Means Death”…I loved the first season of this little-heralded pirate comedy, but found the second season a little disappointing. Whereas the first season felt like a different adventure show every week (desert island one episode, trading barbs with vicious French society the next), this second season felt repetitive from episode to episode as many plots were repeated, and you began to feel like a hostage to one of those endless “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies that’s an hour too long. Still, the core love story between Blackbeard and the “Gentleman Pirate” wasn’t diluted much, and managed to be one of the more convincing couples in 2023 television. I’m sad this show won’t get that “third and final” season it hoped for, but Max’s cancellation of it might’ve come at the right time given the steep quality drop-off between seasons. Grade: B
26. “Dead Ringers”…A great central performance from Rachel Weisz in this body-horror reboot. But is the rest of the show around her exceptional? Not really, if critics are being honest with themselves. The supporting cast is dull, the major plot of wanting to greatly improve maternal care gets somewhat lost in the horror theatrics, and some of the forced-outrageousness of being on Amazon Prime dilutes the headier themes the series might rather explore (this happens on “The Boys” all the time). Grade: B
25. “Drops of God”…I know very little about wine, and this series did a pretty good job of visualizing the delirium that wine snobs experience when sampling a rare bottle. And even if entire episodes can sometimes feel a little flat (especially when too many scenes are centered around the shutdown, icy professionalism of Issei), the central character of Camille is compelling enough to keep us plowing through all the dissertations on vineyards. Grade: B
24. “Hello Tomorrow”…This retro-futuristic show is about a con artist selling time shares on the moon–hoping to never have to actually build them. Even if there’s too many episodes (too many shows really struggle with this) that cause repetitive scenes, this series still manages to shine in the moments when it lets Billy Crudup’s sympathetic huckster do his thing: selling fantasy to suckers that need a bit of hope in their lives. This series does (sporadically) capture the thwarted-optimism of our space race dreams–which have sat terrifyingly stagnant for 50 years as audiences in the actual 2023 find politicians (and a huge swath of the voters) that have never thought more small, more content to “Build a Wall” than explore the cosmos. However, a better Apple show that covers similar ground can be found in “For All Mankind.” Grade: B
23. “Still Up”…A show that’s a chance for us to goof around with a pair of likable lead characters, nothing more or less. But does every show really need to be more? Plus, I’ll admit to having a bit of insomnia for the bulk of my life, and this series does a pretty good job of conveying that soothing, ambling, dream-like quality of wasted nights doing nothing much. Grade: B
22. “White House Plumbers”…Did you know that the Watergate burglars were mostly morons? I didn’t, and this historical miniseries does a good job of showing the connective tissue between the moronic Republican henchmen of yesteryear with the bozos driving the clown car today (all without ever making any direct reference to Trump). To paint the only scandal ever big enough to force out a sitting POTUS as a farce is a refreshing take on the material. [Those who have the seen the excellent, but deadly serious “All the President’s Men” may think they’re watching a different corruption case altogether.]
However, if I had to point out a risk to this take on the material, it might be that it makes a pure nut job like G. Gordon Libby look less dangerous than he actually is, or it might be hard to take seriously the fatal plane crash that actually did kill Howard Hunt’s wife (as well as Democratic congressman George W. Collins and liberal reporter Michele Clark) under extremely suspicious circumstances. Grade: B
21. “Bosch: Legacy”…I can’t call this the best season “Bosch” (or even “Bosch: Legacy”) has had, since we’re once again watching a case where dirty cops are the ultimate bad guys (I feel this has been true of about half the “Bosch” seasons). Still, Titus Welliver’s pure inhabitation of his determined character is as effortless as ever, and the first two episodes of the season (involving the kidnapping of his daughter) did generate some white knuckle thrills. If this were the first season of this exact same show, I’d probably rank it lower, but, admittedly, it’s nice to spend some time with characters that now feel like old friends without the decade-long lapses of an unnecessary reboot. Grade: B
20. “Scavengers Reign”…The striking animation is the real draw here, as we see marooned astronauts try to survive on a planet that seems determined to kill them. It’s a familiar plot–yes, even the downbeat, moody presentation of it–but the inky, surreal landscapes and alien life make it a worthy mission. Grade: B
19. “The Righteous Gemstones”…A return-to-form season after a somewhat-uneven season 2. Danny McBride and his longtime collaborators (perhaps foremost among them Jodi Hill, the best director you don’t know the name of) have perfected something I call “realistic outrageousness,” that never feels forced like it does on Amazon Prime, Showtime, or Hulu shows. Here, we actually believe it’s plausible a naked fight would break out between Judy’s husband and almost-lover or that the Gemstones would try to convert people at a monster truck show with a visually hilarious truck called the Righteous Redeemer. [Anyone who doesn’t think some of the Gemstones gimmicks are possible may not be familiar with actual televangelists or megachurches.]
And I’m an absolute sucker for Walton Goggins’s perfect “Uncle Baby Billy” character, a washed-up Christian celebrity who makes a fantastic entrance to the season (singing in a giant clam shell outfit at a Christian water park), and never lets up with his season-long arc of trying to get the “Family Feud”-ripoff “Baby Billy’s Bible Bonkers” on TV. Too many critics think it’s not enough for a comedy show to be “just” funny in 2023, but perhaps that’s because too many heralded TV comedies aren’t funny at all. Grade: B+
18. “Only Murders in the Building”…Too many acclaimed TV comedies had off years in 2023 (“Ted Lasso” most notably, but even formerly-underrated gems like “Our Flag Means Death” or “Somebody Somewhere”), and so it was a relief that “Murders” managed to stay consistent with an inspired musical-themed season that had some surprisingly catchy songs. Season 3 managed to try out a different feel without completely compromising what worked in seasons past, and that’s something too many shows have a hard time doing, either keeping things running in place forever or trying divergent threads that don’t really pay off. Since this show is centered around two older NYC bachelors, and has the calming rhythms of comfort TV, it’s an easy one to overlook when end of the year “best” lists are written. But “Murders” hasn’t (yet) hit a wall. Grade: B+
17. “Perry Mason”…The first season of HBO’s underrated detective/lawyer series made my top 10 list for that year. This one has a more cohesive, straight-forward mystery at its center, but may be a little less unusual for it (personally, I missed John Lithgow’s depressive attorney, Perry’s recurring dynamic with Shea Whigham’s imperfect gumshoe, and enigmatic figures like Tatiana Maslany’s shifty preacher). Which one you prefer will be a matter of personal taste, but I absolutely think both are worth watching, and it’s a disappointment this show (which many think improved from season 1 to 2) won’t have a chance to get even better in season 3. Grade: B+
16. “Slow Horses”…One of the treats of each season of this espionage dramedy is how different the main plots are from each other. Season 1 was about idiotic far-right domestic terrorists (and how the most advanced surveillance state in the world could barely handle them), season 2 a twisty corker involving some crafty Russians, and this season is about a “Tiger team” (an internal British security unit designed to test weaknesses) that goes rogue. The twists and turns of “Horses” are so exciting, it’s the rare show I do actually like to binge, and Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb still has the best wisecracks on TV. Grade: A-
15. “Lucky Hank”…AMC is doing something truly daring here by actually doing nothing. College professor Hank (Bob Odenkirk, playing a character almost as different from Saul Goodman as you can get) isn’t happy, but he resists change at every turn. In season 1, we see him actively turn down an affair, be reluctant towards even basic career advancement, refuse to write a second novel, and come close to a meltdown when his wife wants to pursue their old dream of living in NYC. Put simply: Hank…is…stuck, but completely unwilling to do much about it.
Somehow, this manages to be compelling instead of annoying (unlike “Party Down”) as the onion that is Hank gets peeled, and we sympathize with him and his passive depression as he unpacks long-ago baggage from his doormat mother and neglectful jerk father, recently resurfaced with a dementia diagnosis. One of the most devastating scenes of 2023 was Hank finally confronting his old man, only to discover that his dad no longer has the bandwidth to even remember what Hank is talking about. Hank’s life is one where he’s almost afraid to hope for things to improve dramatically, preferring to rest in the peaceful shade of mediocrity. Grade: A-
14. “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson”…The fastest two hours you can spend watching a TV show, as Robinson is an expert at knowing how not to wear out his welcome. The sketches are relatively-tight, mostly hilarious, and there’s no noticeable quality drop off from the first two seasons (there’s nothing quite as laugh out loud hysterical as “Coffin flops,” but also not as many tedious sketches). You may wish Robinson was more prolific than just making six, 20-minute long episodes every two years, but it’s good for a comedy to leave you wanting more instead of thinking “No, I’m good…fully full, no need for dessert.” Grade: A-
13. “Extrapolations”…This anthology series centered around climate crisis tries to tell what life might actually be like in a climate-addled future. Even if it doesn’t always work (per usual with anthology shows, the episodes have varying levels of quality, and the scripts are generally clunky), it’s admirable and expertly made on a technical level. Plus, the lack of subtlety often works in the show’s favor–like having Matthew Rhys’s climate-denying Uber-capitalist literally eaten by a starving polar bear in the first episode–since “Extrapolations” is actively trying to wake us up to something we ignore too often. Grade: A-
12. “Schmigadoon/Schmicago!”…Even more drastic than the musical changes and inside-showbiz satire of “Only Murders” third season is the complete overhaul of the simple small town of “Schmigadoon!” into the darker, grittier city of “Schmicago.” Since I believed the first season of “Schmigadoon” was excellent (it made the 10 best list that year), I thought they might should’ve quit while they were ahead.
And so, it’s a pleasant surprise that “Schmicago” manages to be almost as good as a first season that explored true love while season two goes after darker themes of fulfillment and the elusive nature of true happiness. The second season is essentially saying “We’ve found our true love…now what?” which is a surprisingly adult take in a culture that subconsciously tells you any problem in your own life must be the fault of your partner, but actual fulfillment is rarely connected. Josh and Melissa try ways of escaping their repetitive real world existence by getting framed for murder in Schmicago before going for side paths to fulfillment like cabaret star and/or genial, all-knowing commune leader to helpless hippies. This is a balancing act that’s tricky to pull off while doing riffs on “Sweeney Todd,” “Hair,” “Cabaret,” and “Chicago,” which makes the second season all the more impressive. It’s almost a shame this show wasn’t renewed, as it would’ve been neat to see what they came up with next as the musicals of the 50’s and 70’s give way to ones even more modern. Grade: A-
The Fabled “Top Ten”
10. (tie) “Fargo” and “Justified: City Primeval”…I wouldn’t describe the return of either of these long-dormant FX crime dramas as perfect, and there are certainly some rough patches (“Primeval” can feel repetitive in its middle episodes, and on “Fargo” Sam Spruell’s bizarrely Biblical hitman is a better concept than compelling character and lives far longer than his viability).
Still, “Justified” manages to be the rare reboot that can successfully change elements of the original (the setting, the blue-tinged cinematography, and even the feel are completely different) while still delivering a satisfying maturation of a beloved character. On the original FX series, I often found Raylan Givens an irritating distraction to the more layered villains he was chasing (obviously Boyd Crowder, but also the gone-too-soon Mags Bennett or even Sam Elliott’s Avery Markham). Here, his character is more grown-up, introspective, and even more likable, as he pursues a worthy romance with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor’s ambitious criminal defense attorney (arguably the most interesting woman Raylan’s ever dated) and tries to keep his teenage daughter away from the hair-trigger psychopath he chases all season (Boyd Holbrook, who has an electrifying menace). And the last episode of the season was a standout, with the pitch-perfect return of Boyd Crowder ending the series just right.
And “Fargo”‘s fifth season is a clever allegory for living in the Trump years. Even if He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named is never explicitly mentioned, there’s no denying he’s an influence for Jon Hamm’s psychotically-vengeance-minded, but weirdly law-averse sheriff, a man with a selective view of the Bible as he seeks bizarre “retribution” and indulges in sexual kinks. I also felt Hamm’s towering villain could take his place with some of Robert Mitchum’s iconic antagonists like “Night of the Hunter”‘s Reverend Powell or “Cape Fear”‘s Max Cady.
9. “Jury Duty”…I didn’t think it was possible to find a fresh way into the “let’s surprise an unsuspecting bozo” sub-genre of semi-reality television, and I definitely didn’t think it was possible for the resulting show to be good enough quality to make a “Best TV of the Year List.” “Duty” excels with absurd (yet believable) belly laughs, hilarious performances from a stealth supporting cast of character actors, a surprising respect for civic duty, a relatable desire for a fair legal system that actually works, and the M.V.P. of supporting comedy actors in 2023: James Marsden, whose performance as a knowing-celebrity jackass version of himself may make you realize how underrated he’s been all along. Marsden’s juror has special perks, and there’s terrifically hypocritical dialogue like the smugly judgmental “The director called some bitch ‘sweetheart’…can’t do that.”
8. “Upload”…What will the future actually look like? This is a question endless shows have attempted to answer, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the actual result was something like the corporatized, soft-dystopia of “Upload” (ironically made for Amazon, one of the very companies most likely to bring about this crappy prognostication). The world presented here is one where even the afterlife–or a glitchy virtual facsimile–has been maximized for profit, and basic human decency takes a backseat to business at almost every turn. This is easily the best season of “Upload,” and it’s a relief that Nathan and Nora have finally been paired up, even if the show irritatingly still insists there’s a version of Nathan out there who’s right for Ingrid.
7. “Queen Charlotte”…I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a TV show this lushly romantic, and yet, also pragmatic about what “happily ever after” actually looks like. [Even the first season of “Schmigadoon” had nowhere near this much actual intimacy and sexual heat.] Romance used to be a fairly common genre on TV, and yet it’s become a sadly endangered species in recent years, as most TV characters (and even Barbie) are encouraged to pursue career advancement and–seemingly–nothing else. A talented cast expertly treads the line between social commentary (there’s a lot more riding on Queen Charlotte’s marriage than even she realizes) and swoon-worthy scenes.
6. “Happy Valley”…Almost every female-led show on TV will eventually have a plot line about sexism or misogyny, but “Happy”‘s third and final season is one of the best representations of that I’ve seen. Noble copper Sgt. Catherine Cawood has been raising her grandson by herself since he was a baby (her daughter killed herself not long after giving birth, and the boy’s biological dad is a psychopath, rapist, murderer, and Catherine’s arch nemesis), but the confused boy still feels the pull of bad male role models as he has a complex relationship with his wife-beating coach and secretly visits his incarcerated, diabolical dad.
Sgt. Cawood must deal with an insane-making amount of bull from male superiors, macho teachers at her grandson’s school, crafty bad guys, and even her own sister (whose husband thought it was a “good idea” for his nephew to visit his “dad” in prison, even though said dad once tried to light the young boy on fire). Every step of the way, she’s flummoxed that so few people around her seem to question things like why a man might chain up the refrigerator to “motivate” his already-thin wife and young daughters to lose weight or why it might not be the best idea for her impressionable teenage grandson to visit his manipulative, homicidal father in prison. Many TV shows talk about the patriarchy, but “Happy Valley” does a much better job of showing the subtle psychological control of actually living in it.
5. “The Other Two”…A show I slept on for years before finally breaking down and watching all three seasons in the span of about two days. To be honest, I didn’t think there was anything left for an “inside showbiz” series to show me, but I’m delighted to be wrong. Each season of “Two” is better than the one before it, and that is especially true in the excellent (and final) third season, which embraces a healthy dose of surrealism (such as a “Pleasantville”-like parody of soul-dead CBS procedurals), and the most brutal showbiz satires since “Difficult People” ended. [Season 3 standouts include the ridiculous back-patting of “A Night of Undeniable Good,” gay characters as marketing gimmicks, and a very, very long AIDs-play sendup of lamely self-important “issue” works that feel more like a judgmental chore than anything someone would willingly submit to watching.] By playing jealousy, competition, and shameless spotlight-chasing for laughs, “Other” is one of the best comedies about “bad” people since “Eastbound and Down” went off the air.
4. “For All Mankind”…Earlier in this countdown, I mentioned that “Hello Tomorrow” does a decent job of capturing the thwarted optimism of our past “space race” dreams, but “Mankind” does a great job of it. Even if this is a sci-fi show (an actual one, and not just “an action show with sci-fi stuff in it”), its heart is a romantic one, as it passionately advocates for space travel, dreaming big, and coolly describes the nuts and bolts of what an actual Mars colony would look like. Unsurprisingly, there’s the “haves” and the “have nots” even on a different planet, and the moronic politicians and Russian tyrants back home have (too much) power to wreck things 200 million miles away.
By the time we get to the last third of the season’s plot about “stealing” a martian asteroid that The Powers That Be want to divert to Earth in hopes of saving space exploration, I was all-in for Team Mars (when Dev pitches this to Ed, you may find yourself giddy). And the viscerally-exciting 4th season finale was one of the best episodes this show’s ever had.
3. “Succession”…I’ve written so many articles about “Succession” over the last year, that anything here would just be a recap. Many call it the “Best TV show of the last five years,” and I don’t necessarily disagree. The surprise death of Logan so early in the season, the grandly sinister majesty of their hostile-takeover summit in Norway, Kendall’s cunning machinations to take the top prize, and a final 20 minutes filled with ruthless, literal fights between various characters (Tom and Gregg, then Kendall and Roman, then Kendall and Roman again) to take a prize they all want are some of the season’s highlights.
2. “Barry”…Okay, I literally just said in my “The Other Two” listing that I’ve grown tired of “inside showbiz” satires. And yet, “Two,” “Succession,” and now “Barry” have all made my top 10. [“Jury Duty” even features a parody version of James Marsden.] That may all seem hypocritical, but I guess it’s also proof that the “Nepo Baby”-era of Hollywood is just really, really good at making compelling stories about itself.
Whereas “Succession” treats boardroom power moves with the tragedy of Shakespeare, and “The Other Two” was probably the funniest show of 2023, “Barry” goes a different route by combining the approaches to make a bruise-black comedy at the bottom of the Hollywood totem pole (where most shows spend only a few episodes before all characters hit it big). The first half of the season has “Barry” being the rare antihero show where its homicidal lead actually goes to jail, and then there’s a time jump in the middle of the season as daring and experimental as anything you’ll find on “Fargo,” as we see radically different versions of Barry (mild-mannered and somewhat useless without his core skill of violence to fall back on) and Sally (restlessly depressed, scheming for kicks, and even somewhat dangerous). The finale is one of the bleakest–and most truthful–examinations of how Hollywood ensnares even characters who think they’ve evolved beyond it (poor Gene), and whitewashes violent truths to serve up “more satisfying” myths.
1. “I’m a Virgo”…The best TV show of a strong year isn’t always an obvious thing to pick, and yet I pretty much knew it would be “Virgo” only a few seconds after finishing it in the dead of summer. Every episode has boundless ideas and clever allegories mixed with honest laughs, and some of the most skillful dissertations on criminality and income inequality you’ll ever see. Series creator Boots Riley could’ve made a didactic work of rage, but instead expands his cool empathy to show how even the antagonists of his show are caught up in systems they barely even notice (like Walton Goggins’s superhero, who’s really an unknowing, oppressive enforcer of the status quo). Possibly even more impressive is how he manages to make even his wildest rabbit holes feel absolutely essential to the plot (like an existential crisis causing cartoon that may trigger an existential crisis in “Virgo” audiences as well).