The Good Place Ended Great

One of the reasons I was so willing to put The Good Place on my greatest series of the decade list, even though it wasn’t over, was that it was a series that didn’t fit any of the constructs of Peak TV. It was a comedy about the afterlife that dealt with philosophical constructs television almost never deals with in any format; it deliver more painful and shocking twists than you would come to expect from Shonda Rhimes or David Lynch; it was one of the most endearing and heartbreaking love stories that even Damon Lindelof can’t always match. And on top of all that, it was delightfully, wonderfully funny, delivering high comedy and stoner humor.

To explain why this series ended so perfectly one must go to the penultimate episode ‘Patty’, where after fifty episodes of straining, struggling and nearly destroying humanity, the Cockroach gang finally managed to come up with an afterlife system that worked. As a reward, they finally got to visit where we’ve been promised for the entire series: the actual Good Place.  And it was a forking disaster.

Michael (Ted Danson) finally found out the reason that the committee running the Good Place seemed so inept – the Good Place didn’t work. It put across an idea that will probably piss off both the religious right and the agnostics: that even Paradise is a bad idea when it just goes on forever.  When you have everything you could ever want, there’s no point of going on, whether alive or in heaven. When Jason got sick of getting everything quickly, you know it’s a shirtshow. So Michael finally came up with the solution: a door. When you finally get tired of Paradise, you walk through it, and… that’s it.

So the question came in the final episode: when would everybody we’ve come to know and love over four seasons decided to go through the door? And that what’s happened. It probably wasn’t a huge surprise that Jason got tired first: his final accomplishment seemed to simplest – beating a video game with a perfect score. But in his last day, he managed to find a way of finding joy with his friends, he threw the ultimate party, bonding with his father, and said goodbye to his soulmate: Janet. (D’Arcy Carden did some of her best work in this episode). Then he just waited.

Tahani (Jameela Jamil) , who for much of the series has been the weakest link, finally managed to get every single one of her arcs fulfilled. She learned how to do everything she’d wanted to do. She finally managed to have a real relationship with her sister. And in the most moving part, the afterlife system that designed finally got her parents to simply and purely say ‘They loved them.” Of all the characters, Tahani also managed to make her real skill work for everyone – use her ability for planning to become an architect herself. But the real sign that she had moved on came in a a great exchange with Michael where he said he wanted to say he knew her: “Name dropping is so gauche,” she said, “but it’s alright.”

Chidi’s decision to move one was probably the most heartbreaking of them all. After an eternity with his soulmate Eleanor (Kirsten Bell(, he finally realized that everything he wanted was achieved.  The fact that even love doesn’t last forever will probably come as a heartbreaking moment of everybody who’s been shipping the two for four seasons, but its hard to be really angry considering the characters spent who knows how many Jeremy Beremy’s together.

And is telling that Eleanor decision to move on came not so soon after losing Chidi, but when she finally managed to resolve things with her mother. We’ve always know it was a tricky relationship, but the fact that her mother is finally following in her daughter’s footsteps – become an architect herself – was one of the more moving moments the series has ever done.

But it was telling that she couldn’t move on until she helped resolve one last problem – helping Michael. The arc that Michael has been on may be the most powerful in the history of this entire decade. In an era where even the best series have suggested that despite all their efforts, change is nearly impossible, The Good Place has basically argued the complete opposite in its run. This series basically says that even a character that has been around since the beginning of time designing evil can become a good person. This theme has been recurrent in the fourth season, particularly with Sean, the head of the Bad Place, who realized near the end that the system he’d spent eternity wed to was fatally flawed, but it’s been especially true for Michael. And its telling that after everything he’s been through, what he wants the most is to be human himself.  Even knowing everything does about humanity, and knowing just how flawed the afterlife has been, he wants to experience it firsthand.

The last scene involved Eleanor, the first character we met, talking with Janet one last time before walking through the door. Janet finally confessed that the one thing she didn’t know was what happened after that, and Eleanor said in  a sense that it didn’t matter, even though it did. The last minute of the episode will probably be analyzed for awhile, but it does seem to suggest that even in oblivion, we go on forever. And its telling that it was an act of goodness on the way out and that Eleanor really has grown on Michael.

The Good Place was nothing short of sublime all the way through. Starting out as one of the most pessimistic comedies on the air, it ended as one of the most optimistic. In an era where even the greatest shows have centered around horrible people, a series that says we can be good, that humanity, for all its flaws, can be capable of saving itself, even in the afterlife, was a tonic this world desperately needs, and not just as a television show.

The finale also touched on all those notes that final episodes should. It’s nice that showrunner Michael Schur acknowledged his other creation by having Ron Swanson show up to compliment Tahani’s woodwork. And in one last beautiful note, we saw Michael learning guitar – something he just couldn’t master in the afterlife – from Mary Steenburgen, Danson real life love. We didn’t need them there, but they’re good.

And there is one more thing about The Good Place that should be commented on – the way it playfully in the back half acknowledged Peak TV with the character of The Judge (Maya Rudolph). It was saying in its own way that even in eternity, great shows will live on, and be loved. So I’ll close on this: Judge, if you’re out there and in the summer The Good Place doesn’t dominate the Emmys, you have my permission to reboot humanity.

My Score: 5 stars

Best of 2010s Jury Prize

Jury Prize

Just as I did for my Top Ten of 2019, I think it’s in the interest of the viewer to know what other series should be considered, if not the best of the decade, certainly some of the shows that would any other time, being considering as such.

Justified (FX)

After Damages disappeared from FX, I didn’t think there were any other great series left on this channel. Then I saw the second extraordinary season of Justified – the battle between the Givens and the Bennetts – and I realized just how wrong I was.

If nothing else, this series stands as arguably the greatest Elmore Leonard creation for film or TV. (Indeed, the later crime writer enjoyed the series so much, he actually wrote another story just for the writers to work with.) All of the crime sagas were generally excellent, featuring some truly remarkable villains. But it involved one of the greatest showdowns of all time between two of the greatest actors of the medium: Raylan Givens, a U.S. Marshall, who in the name of what he considers the law will piss on every inch of authority, and Boyd Crowder, a criminal who spent his entire time in Harlan trying to become bigger and legitimate. Never has the saying that cops and criminals have a lot in common been more accurate in their six season struggle (which I’m sure so many other people considered the weirdest bromance in history) Timothy Olyphant and Walon Goggins have done great work all decade, but rarely have they been as good as they were here.

In retrospect, the Justified finale was more satisfying than I gave it credit for being at the time, with Raylan literally giving up the white hat he’d worn the entire series in the last minutes. And the final twenty minutes had a symmetry that even the best series on TV had a hard time matching. Goggins has said he would be more than willing to do another season. I think it’s unlikely, but I gladly come back to Harlan.

The Crown (Netflix)

Like a lot of the series on the Jury Prize, it’s hard to know whether or not to rank this show as one of the great ones as it’s only halfway through its run. But anyone whose watched the third season knows that this series breathes a lot of life into figures that we basically considered waxworks for the last thirty years. And it is more than willing to take risks that some of the greatest dramas won’t.

Peter Morgan is one of the great chroniclers of the Elizabeth II and the Prime Ministers. He’s covered them in film, on stage and on TV. And if it were just for the extraordinary work of Claire Foy as Elizabeth and John Lithgow as a far past his prime Churchill, this series would be the stuff of legend.  But seeing the heartbreak of so many of these figures – the early struggles of the marriage between Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the problems of Princess Margaret, so indelibly played by both Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham-Carter, the struggle with the Duke Of Windsor and the slowly dissolution of the Empire – moves you to tears. And the decision to use elder actors every two seasons is a challenge few series would even dream of – and even fewer pull off.

And considering all of the drama that has emerged from the royal family and England in the past year alone – let’s face, there’s some inner critic in some of us thinking: “That’ll make a great Season 6.”

Sherlock (BBC/PBS)

In all my years of reviewing television for some inglorious reason, I never got around to giving any reviews for Sherlock. Part of that was due to the way creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gattis would release their extraordinary reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes stories – three ninety-minute episodes at a time every two years. Was it a series? A limited series? A group fo TV movies? I don’t think even the Emmy viewers ever could say with certainty. But the one thing we can say that is well, elementary, is that it was an extraordinary piece of work.

If for no other reason it made international superstars out of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman – who utterly transformed any expectations of what Holmes and Watson – excuse me, Sherlock and John – could be after so many interpretations had made them archetypes. But by modernizing so many of their greatest stories in a way we couldn’t have seen before,  making characters who had only a few lines of dialogue in the entire canon as fully dimensional – Andrew Scott’s Jim Moriarty and Abby Abbington’s Mary Morstan are just two of the greatest examples, and opening up new avenues for their clichés in the modern world was a true work of art.

The final minutes of the last episode would seem to indicate that the writers have reached a conclusion with the series. It’s possible, if for no other reason that the stars are really busy. But Holmes did have to come back from the dead because the fans demanded it. Either way, this was one of the great TV masterpieces of the decade, and in my mind, PBS’s greatest accomplishment.

Fleabag (Amazon)

Considering how well the second season ended – not just story wise, but for creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge winning just about every award in the book – one could understand both why this brilliant comedy ended perfectly and why millions are demanding more. This wasn’t an original Amazon series, but so far it stands as their greatest accomplishment.

Focusing on a woman only referred to as the title, Waller-Bridge took us in the first season through the dark world of a hard drinking, very promiscuous woman, who seemed to delight in poisoning every relationship she had, especially with her sister (Sian Clifford) a relationship that was held together more by mutual disdain for Godmother (the incredible Olivia Colman), the kind of nice, open woman you can’t help but dislike. It was a charming series that became absolutely extraordinary in its second season and the classic opening episode which introduced us to Hot Priest (Andrew Scott, is there anything you can’t do?) the least holy man imaginable to be presiding over a wedding. The second season focused on Fleabag’s unlikely relationship with this man who was clearly her soulmate (for one thing, he was the only one who could tell she was breaking the fourth wall) in every way except the most important one.

The series ended perfectly for everyone, except sadly, for her. Which is no doubt why so many people want Waller-Bridge want to go back on her word that this will be the final season.  Considering that she’s working on so many other things (including hopefully, a return to her other great show Killing Eve) it will probably never happen. Probably. Oh God, make her see the light.

Big Little Lies (HBO)

There are a lot of HBO series that I could put on this list that could earn this spot  - I have a soft spot for Barry which has already become the stuff of legend and for The Deuce which may have been one of the best single creations of David Simon. But ultimately, I turned to Big Little Lies because it did so many things well in both incarnations.

When it was just a limited series and an adaptation of Lianne Moriarity’s incredible novel, it was an exceptional piece of work featuring at least four of the world’s greatest actresses in the same spot, playing women each in their own way, quietly damaged and very desperate.  It was so well set to the world of Monterey that you couldn’t imagine it being set in New Zealand originally. And as David E. Kelley continued a triumphant return to form, creating a whodunit and who-did-it that even those who read the original novel were surprised, you found yourself wanting to inhale every minute. About the only problem I had with it winning eight Emmys is that so many competitors were against each other, it seemed unfair that Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley had to lose, even if it was to Nicole Kidman and Laura Dern.

I was appalled, like many were, when HBO decided to go and do a second season. It had ended so perfectly. My doubts lasted about ten minutes into the second season premiere when we watched Meryl Streep take over the role of Mary Louise, the mother of Perry, the monster at the center of Season 1. By the time the first episode ended, it was clear that Mary Louise was as bad as her son – she just poured her violence in a different direction. Watching the ‘Monterrey Five’ deal with the fallout of the murder and the coverup was actually just as mesmerizing, particularly for Zoe Kravitz, who I really hope doesn’t get overlooked for an Emmy nod against her equally brilliant cast.

A lot of people say there will never be a third season. The cast has said they might do it, they’re just all so busy. I really hope they will, because no matter how it turns out, these woman are among the most exceptional characters the decade has produced in one full of strong female characters. The Monterey Five aren’t heroines or anti-heroines. They’re just women trying to do the best they can.

An Inside Look at a Superb King Retelling: The Outsider

Given the early shots of HBO’s new limited series – looking over the body of the child, the early looks into a brutal murder in a Southern setting, the cynicism of the investigators – one could understand just why so many reviewers were willing to just write it off as the most recent incarnation of True Detective. But it becomes clear very quickly that we’re nowhere near the world that we’ve become familiar with. The most obvious reason is the ritual natures of the crime in that series were still grounded in reality. Within thirty minutes of the first episode of The Outsider, its very clear that this is a world that Cohle and Hart could never have tolerated, much less tried to solve a murder.

The early moments, when Lieutenant Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn giving yet another Emmy worthy performance), does seem like were in that territory as we go through the investigation. But soon after Anderson very publicly arrests the suspect Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman), it becomes very obvious that this is not going to be normal. Anderson already has doubts about how the murder of a young child was done carefully, yet afterward his behavior is ‘Come catch me’. Especially when Terry has an ironclad alibi for the exact time of the murder – one that puts him in two places at once on videotape. Anderson is clearly baffled, but before he can go any further, Terry is basically assassinated on the courthouse steps.

Even now, you could make the argument this was still True Detective territory – until halfway through the second episode when its becomes clear that this is a Stephen King work. A man begins haunting Terry’s daughter’s dreams, telling him to drop the investigation. The crime scene shows fingerprints that are deteriorating, and an unknown substance that can’t be scientifically identified. And it’s become clear that there is something far more insidious haunting this investigation.

But the most crucial way that The Outsider is not True Detective is that woman are far more prominent than they ever were in any season of that. Terry’s wife (played by the superb Julianne Nicholson) as someone who believes in her husband’s innocence and finds her family becoming pariahs after her husbands murder. Ralph’s wife (Mare Winningham) provides a level of support that is even harder – they lost a son earlier and Ralph admits it nearly broke them apart. She finds a way to help the Maitland’s even after their dead. And in last night’s episode, we met the most critical character, an investigator sent to try and figure out the backtrail of the Maitland family, Holly Gibney. Those familiar with King’s work, in particular the Mr. Mercedes trilogy may have a picture in their head of Holly that doesn’t match Cynthia Erivo at all. But having seen her for just one episode, its impossible to imagine any other actress in the role. Some purists may argue about turning Holly into someone who is borderline savant in this story, but it may fit the confines of how showrunner Richard Price tells the story. (Given the interconnected nature of King’s work, its unclear if Gibney’s work with Ralph Hodges will enter the story at all. This may be an easier way.) But it helps that Holly is the one person is the whole find willing to accept the unexplainable, something that so far none of the other protagonists seem capable of doing.

The Outsider isn’t perfect. The lighting and the cinematography have struck me as sorely lacking, which may work for a horror film but when you’re trying to tell what’s happening on a TV doesn’t help. And the fact that so many of the critical deaths in this story, noted on so well in King’s novels, happen almost entirely without dialogue will make it difficult for even the Constant Reader to keep track of. But it may be one of the best adaptations of Stephen King for television in a very long time. And for those out there who don’t like Stephen King, this series might just change their mind.

My score: 4 stars.

A Party I'm Glad to Come To: The Party of Five Reboot

When Party of Five premiered on Fox in the fall of 1994, it wasn’t received with the same kind of reverence that My So-Called Life did, but it was worshiped by nearly as many teenagers and adults alike. Dealing with the Salinger family, trying to stay together after their parents were taken from them by a drunk driver, their struggles to stay together would be mapped with some of the most grueling obstacles any TV teenagers would deal with - teenage alcoholism, bouts with cancer, battered wife syndrome – it would’ve been torture had showrunners Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman not gone to such trouble to make us love the Salinger family. It also helped matters that it would have one of the great assemblages of young adult actors in history – Matthew Fox, Scott Wolf, Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert and Jennifer Love Hewitt just to name the leads. It was a wonderful series, but it was constantly struggling for survival, and the fact that it lasted six seasons was, frankly, a miracle.

In the age of the reboot, discussions of bringing back Party of Five have been playing around the last few years. But Keyser and Lippman have taken a far more imaginative approach to the Freeform version that debuted earlier this year. Rather than even attempt to bring the cast back, they’ve decided on the same basic scenario but a completely different cast and format – its still set in LA, but it deals with the Acosta family, a group of Mexican Americans. And rather than have the parents be killed off, the Acosta family has to deal with their parents being deported. (I realize that there’s a certain kind of viewer that is going to find this whole approach propaganda, but be honest; if you’re tuning into the network that brings you The Bold Type and Good Trouble, you’re generally a lot more open minded than that.). The Acostas otherwise brak down much the same way that the Salingers did: there’s Emilio, the 24 year old aspiring musician brought back into the family after the catastrophe, Lucia and Beto (twins, instead of being one older and one younger) both sixteen, trying to live a difficult teenager life; Lucia’s the brain, Beto the womanizer, Valentina, the adolescent who feels her parents loss the strongest, and the baby, who is there as a reminder of what the parents left behind.

There’s a certain similarity in the story going forward – there’s a tension between Emilio trying to be the father, and the fact that Beto and Lucia don’t respect him. There are problems with trying to keep the business afloat (which I think was actually less of a problem in the first season), there are romances brewing between Emilio and the babysitter they’ve hired, and there are the nicknames between the siblings (yes, Beto is called ‘Bay’ by everybody.) But there are a fair amount of new wrinkles: the biggest of which is that the parents aren’t dead, and are still trying to maintain a contact with the children they left behind. In a way, this makes a lot of the drama more wrenching than having them dead,  as not only the children still trying to find their own ways with the parents there and yet not there, but the parents are dealing with their own agonies from being away from their children. The writers also go out of their way to add the wrinkle is that none of the issues that they had initially have gone away: Emilio is dealing with obstacles with his father, who isn’t willing to let him live his own life before the deportation.

The inevitable comparisons and brickbats will come from those fans of the original who don’t like seeing anything from the past changed one scintilla and certainly not with actors who aren’t white. But I have a feeling that Keyser and Lippman have chosen the right network and right time for this particular reinvention of Party of Five.  It’ll probably play better with people who have no memory of the original, but no matter what your opinion, this is an engaging well-written series, and certainly far better than most of the reboots that we tend to get. It’s not a perfect series yet, by any means, but heck, it took a couple of episodes from them to hit their stride. This will be a series that everybody wants to watch.

My score: 4 stars.

My Reactions To This Years Critics Choice Awards

I don’t know how many times I can say how much I love the Critics Choice Awards. They always seem to honor a better class of television than we usually get for the Emmys or Globes, and they always seem to take themselves less seriously than any other awards show. (Well, maybe the Independent Spirit Awards.)

They seemed to having way too much this year. Taye Diggs was in superb form in a way that really makes me wonder why other award shows don’t hire him more. He was a good form walking around the tables. My favorite time with him was when he went to The Good Fight table, joked with former co-stars Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald (the way McDonald and he bantered over their time on Private Practice was adorable) and was great around other guests, particularly Kirsten Bell. Walton Goggins and Chris Hardwick did a marvelous skit, mocking the first ever critics review (Oedipus Rex by Leonard Maltinious) and Wesley Snipes and Niecy Nash did a great job, first in their worship of Eddie Murphy, and then starting the crowd giving a standing ovation to Norman Lear. (I’ll get to that in a moment.) It was a joy, and that was just with the TV.

The awards could’ve been an incidental, particularly as a lot of the TV awards were presented offstage. But as always, I enjoyed the selections, not so much because they’ll necessarily mirror the Emmys (though they did in several key moments) but because they highlighted shows and actors that might well be overlooked otherwise.

This was a great night for HBO, more so because Game of Thrones was shut out. Succession, as at the Globes took the top prize for Best Drama, and though it’s way early in the season, it definitely moves the first tier. They gave Best Actor to Jeremy Strong, whose work was as good as Brian Cox (particularly in the finale). This was also a superb night for Watchmen, which took both the female acting awards. Jean Smart and Regina King did give more than worthy performances, but you’d probably have expected them to give them to Streep and Colman. Will they be front runners as well? Hard to say, considering Watchmen has been shutout of a lot of awards.

The Comedy awards struck a more familiar tone. As you’d expect, Fleabag dominated winning Best Comedy, Best Actress (Phoebe Waller-Bridge continues to be the joy of the awards circuit) and finally, finally Andrew Scott prevailed. Bill Hader and Alex Borstein repeated their wins from last year, but having seen Barry and Mrs. Maisel it’s hard to argue they didn’t earn it. I hope that they at least give nominations to The Good Place next year.

Best Limited Series had a better set of winners than the Globes. Stellan Skaagard and Michelle Williams prevails, as at the Globes. But When They See Us finally got the recognition that the Emmys had refused to give it for Best Limited Series and a deserved win for Jharrel Jerome who, if anything gave a better speech than he did at the Emmys. (He was even nice enough to say a kind words for critics) Netflix did the best here, winning Best Supporting Actress for Toni Collette and Best TV movie for El Camino.

There were great reactions, and the inevitable tie  Best Talk Show tied between Late Night with James Corden and Late Night with Seth Meyers. I pulled for both of them, but especially for Meyers, who seems to get very little love from award shows. Meyers speech was typical graceful and self-deprecating: “It’s so pleasing to see so many people I’ve interviewed here… I’d be more emotional, but I have trouble showing my feelings in a airplane hangar in Santa Monica.”

But by far, the best moment of the night came when Best Comedy Special went to All in the Family & The Jeffersons Live. Norman Lear continued his magnificent streak, as well as his ability to be brilliant in a way so many aren’t. “How does it feel to be an old man?’ someone asked me. ‘How would I know? I’m 97. When I meet an old man, I’ll ask him.” Hard to imagine someone being as capable.

And I was nearly as overjoyed to see Kirsten Bell paid tribute to as the ‘See Her’ award. It’s hard to imagine a star more talented, more multi-faceted, or more self-effacing as Bell. I will miss her when The Good Place is over, but probably only til she starts her next project.

This year the Critics, with the exception of the Drama awards, looked more towards the past year then the one to come. But considering that new seasons of Westworld and Better Call Saul, as well as the final season of Homeland will come in the next few months, there will no doubt be much more material to consider. Will this affect the Emmy race? It’s way too early. One thing I can say. The Academy could do well to choose as well the Critics have… not that they ever do.

My Picks For This Year's Critics Choice: Conclusion

BEST LIMITED SERIES

Despite the presence of Unbelievable and Fosse/Verdon, this category comes down to Chernobyl against When They See Us. Chernobyl has been winning awards even when the latter series was in the contest, so I have a strong hunch that it’s going to win here, too.

Should Win/Will Win: Chernobyl.

BEST ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE/LIMITED SERIES

Could Russell Crowe duplicate his victory at the Globes? Not with Jharrel Jerome, who absolutely should’ve been nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press. I would like to see Mahershela Ali or Jared Harris win, but I’m pretty sure Jerome will duplicate his Emmy win here.

Should Win: Ali.

Will Win: Jerome.

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE/LIMITED SERIES

I think Merritt Weyer and Kaitlyn Dever will have to wait to fight it out. Michelle Williams has been making it a clean sweep so far, and she certainly has been making the iconoclastic speeches the world likes. Don’t rule out an upset by King though.

Should Win/Will Win: Williams.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE/LIMITED SERIES

Could Jesse Plemmons or one of the nominees from When They See Us pull an upset? This is the Critics Choice, so you never know. But last year, they stayed pretty close to the Globes in their wards, and in all honesty, Stellan Skarsgard should’ve won the Emmy anyway. So I’m going to with the assumption that Chernobyl will continue its reign here.

Should Win/Will Win: Skasgard.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE/LIMITED SERIES

It is possible there could be a shift here to, say, Toni Collette for her magnificent work in Unbelievable or Emma Thompson for Years and Years. Personally, I’m inclined to give the edge to Collette for her no-nonsense work as Detective Rasmussen. But just as they did last year, I have a feeling the Critics will be like all other awards groups and honor Patricia Arquette, this time for The Act. Better luck at the Emmys, ladies.

Should Win: Collette.

Will Win: Arquette.

On a side note, I’d prefer to see Deadwood win Best TV Movie, but I think it’s more likely to go to El Camino, and I’m pulling for Desus and Mero in Best Talk Show, but I think its more likely to go to John Oliver.

See you on Monday, with my reactions to the results.

My Picks For This Year's Critics Choice: Part 2, Comedy

BEST COMEDY SERIES

This may be the easiest pick of the night. Could Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or Schitt’s Creek upset? It is possible. But considering that the critics were the first people to notice Fleabag and the first groups to recognize it en masse, and considering that it was one of the great shows of the year, Fleabag pretty much has this one in its back pocket. And I have no problem with that.

Should Win/Will Win: Fleabag.

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Could Ramy Youseff, a long shot a week ago, end up pulling another upset and winning for his self-titled comedy? It’s honestly possible, considering that not even thought he had a chance at the Golden Globe.

However, I think it’s more likely to go to one of the veteran’s whose been up for this category and hasn’t had a win yet, and whose likely up for the last time. Which means it’s either Ted Danson for The Good Place or Eugene Levy for Schitt’s Creek. Levy’s speech would probably be more entertaining, but I’m going to give the barest of edges to Danson. Though you never know: Bill Hader could make it two in a row, and he was actually better this year than last year.

Should Win: Danson/Levy.

Will Win: Danson/Hader.

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Could Rachel Brosnahan make it three years running? Could Julia Louis-Dreyfus get a valedictory win for Veep? They could, but I’m betting know. Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been winning just about every Best Actress award in sight, and every argument I made about Fleabag applies more so to its creator/lead. She is the greatest hyphenate in a world of hyphenates.

Should Win/Will Win: Waller-Bridge.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

This is where it gets tricky. Last week, I was sure Andrew Scott had a lock on this category for the Globes and then Stellan Skarsgard surprised even himself. Different awards, different category. Still, you can’t rule out an upset here. Henry Winkler was just as good last year as this year, and anyone who saw the fall finale for The Good Place knows just how incredible William Jackson Harper is.

Still, I feel relatively safe in picking Andrew Scott being anointed for his incredible work as ‘Hot Priest’. The Critics Choice have no problem giving three awards to the same series. Hell, they did it last year.

Should Win: Scott/Harper.

Will Win: Scott.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Ah, category with nothing in the Globes to guide me. Could they make it a three-peat for Alex Borstein? She is still absolutely Marvelous. But this year, I think there is a chance the Supporting Actress will go to a different supporting lady.

Sian Clifford could win if the Fleabag power extends to this category. (Helps that Olivia Colman isn’t here.  Rita Moreno could prevail – this is a show the critics love and she is a treasure. But this time, I think they’ll take the road not taken, and go with Janet/ D’Arcy Carden. In all candor, she deserved to win last year, and the fact that the Emmys didn’t even nominate her, I have a feeling that the critics will give her the prize.

Should Win: Carden.

Will Win: Carden (but you never know.)

Tomorrow, I finish up.

Will The Critics Make The Right Choice: Part 1

I have mentioned on multiple occasions, the Critics Choice  have been my favorite awards show for TV almost since their inception nearly a decade ago. They have a history of nominating series and actors the Emmys and often the Golden Globes tends to forgo (Community, Fresh off the Boat, Justified, The Leftovers) and recognizing series before the Emmys do (The Americans and Better Call Saul). And perhaps best of all, the process has more than often allowed for ties. Last year, Amy Adams and Patricia Arquette tied for Best Actress in a Limited Series. Their collective speech was impressive (and that wasn’t even the biggest shock of the night).

It is harder to handicap the Critics Choice than any other awards show as they more often than not march to the beat of drummers most people don’t even hear. So, as always, I’m just going to go with my own personal predictions, and my feelings as to what they might do. I do, however, hold to the feeling that there are no real losers in this process.

Let’s start with the Dramas

BEST DRAMA

Will the Critics Choice follow the beat of the Emmys and go with Game of Thrones, a series they have recognized twice before? I find it a little doubtful. It’s more likely they’ll go with Succession, a more brilliant series that did live up to the hype.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind if they went with the third HBO nominee Watchmen, one of the more dazzling visual and well-written series of the year. My personal preference would be for either This is Us or The Crown both of which are more than do recognition. But I think it’s going to go to Succession in a very close call. Basically, anything other than Game of Thrones would satisfy me.

Should Win: This is Us/ The Crown.

Will Win: Succession. (but who knows?)

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

With Golden Globe Best Actor winner Brian Cox not nominated by the critics, the race becomes wide open. And can we just appreciate that there are three incredible African American nominees in this category?

I think it will come down to a showdown between Billy Porter from Pose and Sterling Brown from This is Us. Brown has already received two trophies from the critics, so I’m going to give the edge to Porter, whose work as Pray Tell was among the great performances of the year. I’d like to see Paul Giamatti win some day (and God knows his work in Season 4 of Billions earned it) but it just doesn’t seem to be his year.

Should Win: Porter/Giamatti.

Will Win: Porter.

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

With the exception of Zendaya, I would have no real problem with any of these ladies emerging the victor. Personally, I would like to see Christine Baranski for The Good Fight or Regina King for Watchmen prevail. Baranski is long due recognition from any awards group, and King gave an incredible performance in Watchmen. King’s already gotten a lot of recognition from this organization in multiple categories (her Supporting Actress prize for If Beale Street Could Talk  was part of her road to the Oscars)

But ultimately, I think it’s more likely to go to Olivia Colman for The Crown. Her performance is superb, and she is overdue recognition on the TV side. Granted her Best Actress in a Comedy foretold a victory at the Oscars as well, but she’s been superb on TV since Broadchurch. She’s due, and let’s be honest: her speeches are quotable.

Should Win: King.

Will Win: Colman.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

It’s always interesting to see how the Critics give the Supporting Acting prizes. A lot of the time they give them to actors who should be honored but who never did – Christian Slater for Mr. Robot, Giancarlo Esposito for Breaking Bad, and Noah Emmerich for The Americans are among the best examples. Similarly, this year’s group is as brilliant as it is eclectic.

I still want to see Asia Kate Dillon triumph for their astonishing work on Billions. And Justin Hartley more than deserves recognition for his work on This is Us. But I think the most likely winner is going to be Tim Blake Nelson for his incredible performance as Looking Glass on Watchmen. This is the best chance for this exceptional series to be recognized, and this astonishing character actor/writer to be recognized for his work.

Should Win: Dillon.

Will Win: Nelson (but they’re all good choices)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

After the Globes, I’m no longer willing to write her in as a lock, especially in a category this strong. I’d still like to see Susan Kalechi Watson or Audra McDonald prevail. But I basically think this category is a lock for Meryl Streep for Big Little Lies. This is a critics award show, and the critics love Meryl. My only thing is, the Supporting Actor prizes are usually given under tape delay. Will they do the same this year?

Should Win/Will Win: Streep.

See you tomorrow for the comedies.

My Reactions To This Year's Golden Globes: Good Awards, Lousy Host

I tend to go out of my way when writing my reactions to award shows to generally ignoring how the actual ceremony went, and focusing on the awards. However, this year I can’t help myself because of my incredible antipathy towards perennial host Ricky Gervais.

I should make it clear straight out that I have never like anything Ricky Gervais has done. His British comedies, with the sole exception of Extras, have never been appealing to me, always seem to deal with something truly awkward and unpleasant, and even though he tends to write the leads for himself, he always seems miscast.  So my main exposure to him over the years have been the Golden Globes, and each successive occasion, I’m reminded of a Simpson parody which contains a sign with his face on it: “Do Not Let This Man Host” And considering that there’s always some remark from a presenter admonishing Gervais, you have to ask: ”Why don’t they do that?”

Gervais has always struck me as having the attitude of a smarmy matire’d at a restaurant you don’t want to eat at. His jokes are always brutal and unpleasant, which is the exact wrong tone for any awards show. And considering the best reaction he gets from a mostly drunk audience is awkward laughter, it’s always struck me as bizarre why he was asked back four times. Each time, he seems more and more disconnected (among his first lines in the monologue were “This is my last time” and “I don’t care any more”) and much of the time last night, he genuinely seemed to be going through the motions. Gervais is the best argument for the Globes going hostless especially since they spent more than a decade doing just that, and no one complained. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler find time in your schedule, we need you back.

On to the awards. Even without Game of Thrones being nominated, it was a good night for HBO. Succession is a hell of a series, and I more than acknowledge it deserved to win at least as much as The Crown did. Brian Cox is a superb actor, and I’m glad to see him win for something, much less a master class as he gives each year. As I predicted, Fleabag was resplendent as was Phoebe Waller-Bridge. (Phoebe, maybe you could consider hosting next year?)  And I was very pleased to see Chernobyl triumph, though I’ll admit to be surprised Stellan Skarsgard beat Andrew Scott for Best Supporting Actor. He gave a great speech about his not having eyebrows. (And considering his son won in this category two years ago, there’s a synchronicity to this that doesn’t always come in these shows.) And I was delighted by Olivia Colman’s triumph in The Crown, and even more charmed by the fact that, once again, she seemed completely unprepared. Try to be more ready for the Emmys, your majesty.

Once again, however, I think its time the Globes separated Supporting awards between TV Series and Movie and Limited Series. Patricia Arquette’s performance in The Act was brilliant, but it should’ve been in a separate category from Meryl Streep and Helena Bonham Carter. And really, Andrew Scott deserves whatever he get.

I think the biggest shock of the night came when Ramy Youssef ended up winning Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. Even in his acceptance speech, he admitted that no one in the room had watched his show. Perhaps Youseff will prevail later this year, but I have a strong suspicion that this is another one of those awards the Globes gives that the Emmys will basically ignore.

Its never surprising when an awards show becomes political; what was shocking was that the TV acceptance speeches were far more political than the movies were. Russell Crowe, absent because of what was happening in Australia, had Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon give a statement for his absent about the bushfires in Australia, which led to a series of commentaries throughout the night. But by far, the most political speeches were Arquette’s about the war in the Middle East and Michelle Williams acceptance for Fosse/Verdon which, like her Emmy speech, focused on woman’s rights. There was a lot of talk about the coming election, but surprisingly the President’s name never came up, not even from Gervais.

And, once again, I was delighted by the Carol Burnett Award, which was this year presented to Ellen DeGeneres. Kate McKinnon’s speech was hysterical and moving ( until she gave it I had no idea McKinnon was a lesbian) and DeGeneres, who has managed one of the most remarkable comebacks over the past century was typically funny, self-deprecating and not political at all. Hell, she almost made Tom Hanks’ speech seem overblown in comparison.

I wasn’t as satisfied with this years awards as last years, I’ll be honest.  But more than last year, it showed the eclectic nature of the HFPA when it comes to TV than most years do. Just for the love of God, take Gervais at his word, and don’t ask him back.

My Picks for This Years Golden Globes, Part 2

BEST MOVIE/LIMITED SERIES

Assuming that Hollywood has calmed down from the (justifiable) outrage that When They See Us was completely shut out, they have some decent choices. They could go with Chernobyl, if they wanted to mirror the Emmys (they have the last two years). They could go with Unbelievable, if they wanted to give Netflix a consolation prize (and I’ve now seen the first few episodes; it’s a good series in its own right). They could go with Fosse/Verdon, if they want to establish some independence.  I’d prefer that last one, but I think they’re going to keep on with the tradition they’ve followed for Limited Series for the last few years, and mirror the Emmys. And let’s be honest, Chernobyl was absolutely brilliant.

Should Win: Fosse/Verdon.

Will Win: Chernobyl.

BEST ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE/LIMITED SERIES

Considering my first, second and third choice for this category aren’t here, I’ll have to go with my someone further down the list. Russell Crowe might be a dark horse, but I think The Loudest Voice isn’t going to do well. I’d like to see it go to Jared Harris, whose been one of my favorite actors ever since the early seasons of Fringe. I think he’ll win, though you can’t rule Sam Rockwell out for an upset for his superb work as Bob Fosse. (Now remind me why Mahersala Ali, Ian MacShane and Jharrel Jerome aren’t here?)

Should Win/Will Win: Harris.

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE/LIMITED SERIES

Have since seen a few episodes of Unbelievable and there’s a good argument for either Merritt Wever and Kaitlyn Dever, particularly the latter. Helen Mirren was superb in Catherine The Great, and Joey King was exceptional in the act. But really, this one is Michelle Williams to lose. She was brilliant in the role, she more than deserves the prize, and she’s always done better at the Globes than any other awards show.

Should Win/Will Win: Williams.

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

All the nominees have a good argument. Skarsgard’s work in Chernobyl was mesmerizing. Alan Arkin and Henry Winkler are brilliant comic talents who more than deserve to be recognized by this body. Even Kieran Culkin’s work in Succession is really superb.

But this is one occasion the Globes are going to right a wrong by the Emmys, and that is by giving a trophy to Andrew Scott, aka ‘Hot Priest’. Will it mean giving a third trophy to Fleabag, which is excessive for the Globes? Sure. But that’s still not a reason to not do it. Scott’s going to be taking every prize the Emmys didn’t give him and that starts Sunday.

Should Win/Will Win: Scott.

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Easiest choice of the night, which is odd because it shouldn’t be. Toni Collette was marvelous in her work on Unbelievable. Patricia Arquette won an Emmy for this very role in September. Emily Watson was superb in Chernobyl. And any other year, Helena Bonham Carter would have this locked up.

But from the moment we first saw her as Mary Louise in Big Little Lies  - hell, when we heard she had been cast in the role – we knew this was going to go to Meryl Streep. Her performance was one the greatest things about a series that hadn’t justified a second season until we saw her work.  And considering how glorious her speech was last time she was front and center, you know the Globes want to hear her speak again. She is not overrated. Certainly not here.

Should Win/Will Win: Streep.

See you Monday with my reactions to the outcome.

My Predictions For This Year's Golden Globes, Part 1

For the better part of the past decade, the Golden Globes have been among the more fascinating of the pre-Emmy award shows. For much of the first half they did a superb job of recognizing overlooked hits, spotting trends, and recognizing forgotten series. Hell, they’ve even gone so far as last year to give an honorary award for television, justifiably named for Carol Burnett, something I’ve been advocating for years for. My only real objection going in this year is that they’ve decided to let Ricky Gervais host for the fifth time. If ever there was a time to go hostless, its now – particularly considering the ceremony did so for much of the start of the new millennium. Oh well. I’ll wince through.

Here are my predictions for this years television awards.

BEST DRAMA

Again, I just want to thank the HFPA for showing the good sense not to nominate Game of Thrones thus forcing a coronation for a final season that even the biggest fans thought was a disappointment.

Much as I’d like to see Big Little Lies emerge triumphant, I think this may ultimately come to a showdown between The Crown and Succession, among the best series of the past year. I give the barest of edges to the former series, fully acknowledging the quality of all the other choices. Well, except The Morning Show.

Should Win: Big Little Lies.

Will Win: The Crown.

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

I really wish they’d give it to Rami Malek for his extraordinary performance in the final season of Mr. Robot. But rare is the occasion that the Globes looks backwards for recognition, so I think it unlikely he will prevail.

I think this comes down to a showdown between Brian Cox for his role as Logan Roy on Succession and Billy Porter for his work on Pose. Porter would seem to have an edge because of his triumph at the Emmys, but its never clear how closely the Globes will trend towards that. That said, I’m still going to give him the edge because it is an extraordinary performance.

Should Win: Malek.

Will Win: Porter.

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

I want to see Nicole Kidman triumph, and if the Globes were lazier, they might let her. But the Globes have been much more vigorous when it comes to sharing the wealth, and considering Kidman won for playing this role two years, they might be inclined to give it to someone else.

The smart money seems to be on Jennifer Aniston, not so much for her performance on The Morning Show, but for her return to television. Given the mixed reception to the series in general, I see it more likely to go to someone else. Considering that Olivia Colman was exceptional on The Crown and has had a great year on TV in general (she could’ve gotten nominated for Fleabag very easily), I think she will anointed yet again.

Should Win: Colman/Kidman.

Will Win: Colman.

BEST COMEDY OR MUSICAL SERIES

This is actually a tougher choice than Best Drama, considering the list. Kominsky Method won last year, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel the year before, and Barry and Fleabag were among the best shows of the year. Under other circumstances, I would give the award to Barry, which had some of the most remarkable moments in television all year.

But I’m pretty sure this is Fleabag’s to lose.  Given the immense amount of love it received at the Emmys,  its general favorability among critics, and the fact that Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been pretty emphatic that there will be no third season, I think the Globes will pick this in a heartbeat. All the other series will have other chances.

Should Win/Will Win: Fleabag.

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY/MUSICAL

Given the scarcity of the competition, this may be even easier to predict than Best Comedy. Oh, Paul Rudd is a national icon, and Michael Douglas is always superb to watch.  But this year, it will definitely go to Bill Hader.

I complete retract everything I said last year. Hader’s work in the title role is an exceptional performance that mixes comedy, action, and drama very well. Hell, he should get a trophy just for ‘ronny/lily. And considering he’s won virtually every prize BUT the Golden Globe for his work here, I think they’ll rectify that Sunday.

Should Win/Will Win: Hader.

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY/MUSICAL

Under other circumstances, we’d be talking about the possibility of Rachel Brosnahan become the first actress to three-peat at the Golden Globes since Sarah Jessica Parker. Hell, we might be talking about Natasha Lyonne’s triumphant conquering of the medium. But this year, its pretty obvious who will be winning this year.

Just as it’s obvious that Fleabag will prevail for Best Comedy, it is equally clear that its  writer-producer-star shall triumph for her performance. Waller-Bridge is nearly as delightful to watch accept awards as it is to watch her perform. The Emmys more than proved that.  Considering that a series she helped create is nominated for Best Drama (Killing Eve, which in a lesser year might win) she’s already proved her versatility. She shouldn’t be so surprised when she wins this year.

Should Win/Will Win: Waller-Bridge.

The Greatest Series of The Past Decade

When one tries to rank the greatest shows of a decade that was filled with them, there are many benchmarks you can use. High quality acting, writing and directing, groundbreaking tropes, setting new benchmarks in what the medium can do. But what I’d looked for when I was establishing my list was consistency. Sustained excellence, ideally over its entire run, superb performances all the way through, and above all, a superb finish.

I’ll admit, when you look at my list, you will see some surprises. I don’t believe a series that may have been a watercooler series that was rewarded by the Emmys (like Game of Thrones) a groundbreaking popular series (like The Walking Dead), or a series that for a time was one of the greatest (like Mad Men) will be here because they were either were too violent or sexual in the first case, or had there best moments prior to the decade beginning in the last case. And there are some series that frankly don’t appeal to me at all (Downton Abbey always left me cold) or had moments of peak that ended too soon, and were inconsistent the rest of the way. Homeland is the perhaps the best example of this. And there are some series that have been brilliant in the beginning but are nowhere near their end. (The Crown and Atlanta are extraordinary series that still haven’t run long enough for me to consider them.) I’m also willing to combine series that take place in the same universe or setting.

Are these series the most famous of the 2010s? Maybe not. But if you’re looking for a list of series that will, decades from now, be considered among the pantheon of greatness, in my mind, the list starts here.

10. The Good Place (NBC)

Technically, this series is an outlier among my contenders because it has yet to finish its run (there are still four episodes to go next year before it concludes.) But few comedies have been as consistently funny, been more willing to deal with daring ethical issues, feature some of the most memorable twists of the decade (‘Michael’s Gambit’ is one of the greatest of all time) or do things that completely reshape the format of the episode (Janets was a mindbender that made your head and your heart ache.) I’m not sure which issue concerns me more as the series wraps up: whether humanity can be saved or whether Eleanor and Chidi end up together for eternity. What I know is that this show is brilliant because it knows both are equally important. And considering that this series has proven once again that Ted Danson is one of the greatest talents of all time, that’s worth in its itself.

9. Masters of Sex (Showtime)

This decade proved that Showtime was in the same market as HBO, and while this series may not have been as successful as Shameless or Homeland, or even got a proper finale for its characters, in my opinion, it was the most consistently engaging. With Michael Sheen playing William Masters as a man who wanted to revolutionize the scientific world but not disrupt his own and Lizzy Caplan more then demonstrating her dramatic chops as Virginia Johnson, a woman fighting for equality every step of the way, these two leads led us through more than a decade of a brave new world. Featuring one of the greatest guest casts ever assembled, from Beau Bridges and Allison Janney to Niecy Nash and Betty Gilpin, and some of the most incredible episodes in the history of the decade (‘Fallout’ in Season 1 and ‘Fight’ in Season 2 rank among the greatest I’ve ever seen) this series never got the proper appreciation from either the Emmys or its audience. Its four seasons on the air seemed not long enough and just right, which is the perfect way for lives like theirs to be measured.

8. Jane the Virgin (CW)

It’ was always going to be a battle as to which of this show or Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was going to be on this list. And while Crazy was more creative and energetic, and certainly could deal with dark subjects as well, the final vote went for the more daring ways that both the title character and the series were willing to completely shake up the format. It had one of the most heartbreaking turns of the decade (Michael’s death) and the biggest shock (Michael’s actually still alive.) It dared to suggest that it is possible for a person to have more than one soulmate in their lives. And it was willing to deal in love in a way that few series in any medium will even try any more. Perhaps the biggest crime existing today is that Gina Rodriguez, as well as the series, were completely ignored by the Emmys for their entire run. The fact that the Emmys will recognize services that aren’t even on TV, but ignore a network on broadcast television appalls me to this day. But I’m sure reacting to all this, Jane would just say: ‘Eh. The world never did know how to deal with telenovellas.”

7. Fargo (FX)

This decade has seen a resurgence in the anthology series, and FX has been at the forefront of this change. None have been more true to their source material or consistently excellent as Noah Hawley’s tribute to the Coen Brother’s classics that has nothing in common with the movie and is yet completely faithful to it. Watching Billy Bob Thornton inflict chaos and violence on everyone and everything he approaches to seeing Kirsten Dunst leave a man in her windshield and come home to make dinner to seeing Ewan McGregor play twin brothers, each about to enter their own world of misery has been some of the greatest joys I’ve ever seen. There is utter mayhem and carnage and insanity and there are the forces of good let by the authorities such as Alison Tolman and Patrick Wilson and Carrie Coon – always being outflanked by the law they try to enforce. I don’t know how many more ‘true stories’ we’ll get before Hawley runs out of ideas – we’ve had to wait more than three for Season 4. But its always a wonder to go into the snow and ice.

6. American Crime (ABC)

I was reluctant to include another anthology series on this list, but this incredible piece of work (from ABC!) was either number 1 or 2 on my top ten list all three seasons it was on the air. A series which each year took most of the same actors and put them into stories involving some of the most impossible issues of our day (racism, homophobia among teenagers, illegal immigration) put some of the most impressive characters and just let it boil if never explode (we never saw the actual crime that instigated the series) could be utterly incredible. The series had no comic relief and offered no easy solutions, which is probably why it couldn’t survive particularly on a network dedicated to all things Shondaland. But watching this incredible group of actors (particularly Timothy Hutton, Felicity Huffman and the awe-inspiring Regina King) create characters this indelible made you realize that broadcast TV could still good great thing. This was as close to The Wire as the network will ever approach. You owe it to yourself to watch it.

5. Parenthood (NBC)

One of the most extraordinary accomplishments of the decade – a remake of a series that had already failed. That Jason Katims’ incredible portrait of the Braverman family managed to last one season, much less a hundred episodes, speaks volumes about the state of NBC’s programming at the time and their faith in a series that was unlike any we ever saw before. A family dealing with hosts of obstacles – a child on the spectrum, a mother with cancer, children who kept slipping on the path to adulthood, the parents who never lost faith in them, and the ability to have trust and love throughout three generations – this was one of the sheer joys of the decade, not to mention the fact that this series has seventeen regular cast members and none of them – from Peter Krause and Monica Potter to the astonishing Mae Whitman – ever seemed to be underutilitzed. Only the Emmys continuing blindness to the fact that network programming can be as exceptional as cable kept it from being recognized by them, as well as the fact it had to struggle for renewal ever single year. There are rumors that they may do a reunion. As much as I’d like to see the characters again, why mess with perfection?

4. Mr. Robot (USA)

The greatest dystopian vision of the decade involved no zombie apocalypse or female repression. Instead, it took the far more daring idea that we’re living in it now, and we signed up for it. Sam Esmail’s incredible work was by far one of the most radical and daring vision that only a few have managed to ever match in TV history.  From its incredible teasers to some of the most brilliant experiments in the history of the decade – opening like a USA sitcom, an episode edited  as if it was all one shot, another where there was no dialogue, and a battle of wits that climaxed in the biggest revelation the series would ever do. Rami Malek justifiably became the superstar he deserved to be, and every other actor in the cast from Christian Slater to B.D Wong on down was more than up to the challenge. And yet for a series that blatantly lived in darkness, the ending came with shoots of optimism we thought possible – and proved that saving the world can be nearly as important as saving yourself. Esmail has already proven that he is no one-hit wonder with his work on Homecoming last year. I can not wait to see what dangerous visions he will take us through next.

3. The Americans (FX)

Without question, the single greatest television series of the decade was this FX series that started out as a period piece about Communist sleeper agents in Reagan-era D.C. and ended up being more relevant than even its producers could ever have imagined it being. Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell gave two of the greatest performances of all time as Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, two agents whose commitment to doing often unspeakable things for their country led them into territory so dark that it took more and more out of them each season. Their unlikely friendship with their next door neighbor – who worked in the FBI – led to one of the most bizarre cat and mouse games that climaxed in the final episodes with one of the most powerful confrontations of all time. A series that had a longer memory that so many of the others – storylines started in Season 2 paid out in the final year – and had the good sense to let things simmer rather than boil. This series, more than any other on television, managed to realize its vision because of the support of critics – though the Emmys did eventually come around in the back half. The final episode was one the greatest and most satisfying last episodes in the history of TV – the Jennings escaped, but it cost them everything. It’ll be along time until we see a series like this one again.

2. The Good Wife/The Good Fight (CBS/CBS All Access)

Until the last troubled season, The Good Wife was the greatest single accomplishment of the 2010s. Starting out as what is becoming a dying entity – the legal drama – it became a series that was completely impossible to quantify by its end, following Alicia Florrick through the world of law and politics (office and local), and watching her try to negotiate a world that was forever chaotic. Few series – network or anywhere else – would be willing to complete change the game as frequently or brilliantly as The Good Wife did, and few series have ever had such a magnificent cast of supporting characters – from Alan Cumming and Chris Noth, to the incredible group of opposing attorneys and judges they face. (I still believe Carrie Preston’s character should’ve gotten her own spinoff.) And it was more than willing to bite the hand that fed them and the Peak TV world that it existed in.

The ending was a disappointment, but it directly linked to the extraordinary spinoff. As easy as it could’ve been to simply be ‘The Good Wife with swearing’, watching Christine Baranski and company negotiate the insanity that surrounds the world around us now just as well as its mother series handled the Obama era. It’s been willing to deal with some of the most relevant issues facing us, knows when and how to use regulars from the original series, and states that the only way to deal with the insanity of a world gone mad is handle your own. Robert and Michelle King are the greatest showrunners of the 2010s and have created an incredible universe. But even though their world is extraordinary, it’s still second fiddle to…

1.       Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul (AMC)

My greatest flaw as a critic was coming so late to a series that so many expected to be Weeds 2: The Methening. As anyone who’s seen Breaking Bad – and the number of viewers keeps growing every year – it was anything but that. Watching Bryan Cranston create one of the greatest characters of all time in Walter White and watching him turn from ‘Mr. Chips to Scarface’ – even though he never really was either – was one of the greatest accomplishment that you’ll see in any medium. And Cranston was just the lead with some of the greatest performances in history: from Aaron Paul’s heartbreaking work as Jesse to Dean Norris’ dogged perseverance as Hank this deserved its place in the Pantheon of a great shows. When Walter finally admitted to Skyler the true nature of its darkness, it was a great moment, though the costs were Hank’s life, Jesse’s soul, and Skyler’s dignity. The Emmys got it exactly right when they gave it sixteen awards over its remarkable five and a half years, and it deserves recognition as one of the four or five greatest series of all time.

After it all ended, you think that a  prequel series about Saul Goodman, the attorney who mercifully brought come lightness into Vince Gilligan’s vision would’ve just been pleasing the fans. But Better Call Saul has gone from being one of the greatest spinoffs in history to one of the greatest shows on television in its own right. Where as Cranston was brilliant at painting a picture of a man who was letting his inner monster out, Bob Odenkirk is heartbreaking as Jimmy, a man trying to be good against a world that won’t let him – and that, in the last episode of Season 4, he has surrendered too. Jonathan Banks and Giancarlo Esposito have been so good in recreating their greatest accomplishment that they make you forget they will become victims of Heisenberg’s rise to power. With a cast including such brilliant performers as Michael Mando and Rhea Seehorn, and teasers and visuals that more than rival the ones we saw on the parent series, the Albequerque that Gilligan and company have created is a world nearly as remarkable as the Seven Kingdoms and far more harsh to live in. Even George R.R. Martin thought so.