|
Slow Horses S2 was 2022 so you don’t have to ding s3 if you don’t want to. (I didn’t see s2 until this year either, and s3 definitely made my top 10 too)
|
#
¿
Dec 27, 2023 02:13
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 10, 2024 11:50 |
|
|
I feel pretty good about my top 7. The last 3, eh, maybe I'd pick something else on a different day. But first, some Honorable Mentions: Mrs. Davis, Foundation, Sex Education, Ahsoka, Ted Lasso, Based on a True Story, Bosch: Legacy, High on the Hog, Legend of Vox Machina, Brokenwood Mysteries, Steeltown Murders, Detective #24, Human Footprint, The Crown Best shows I watched not from 2023: Andor, Lodge 49. And the Top 10 10) Wheel of Time (Amazon Prime Video). The first season didn't make my list, but I think this was one of the better shows this year? It was actually fun to watch, with loads of additional characters who give the main characters enough to do and with a season long plot that works to reunite everyone in a satisfying climax. 9) What We Do in the Shadows (FX). I don't think this is one of the better seasons, and if you told me the episodes were just fleshed out AI prompts for random plots I wouldn't be shocked. Still, this show goes all in on the outrageous fun. What will those vampire roommates get up to next? As long as the show remains funny and creative enough to make the self-indulgence forgivable, I'll keep watching. 8) The Diplomat (Netflix) I'm not sure how widely this was watched in goonland, but I think there are some very vague similarities to Slow Horses here. A successful in-the-trenches foreign affairs worker (Kerri Russell) gets yanked out of her job and into the posh world of the US Ambassador to Britain. She has to navigate the pomp and glitz of what is supposed to be a mainly ceremonial role, but the job becomes increasingly fraught with secrecy and scandal, and it's clear that others are using her as a political pawn. Among those prodding her on her way is her husband, a former ambassador played with the perfect hint of mischief and menace by Rufus Sewell. 7) Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)- I'm not a fan of musicals, but I could forgive the self-indulgent Broadway setting of this season. Martin, Short, and Gomez keep their magic going and the show delivers a surprising, funny mystery. It's also hard to overemphasize how well produced this show is... I don't know if "slick" is the right word but this show found its groove in earlier seasons and feels so consistent and confident stylistically that you can really sit back and enjoy the ludicrous plot and chemistry of the leads. 6) Perry Mason (HBO) I was a big fan of the first season of this prequel adaptation and if anything this season raised the bar even higher. The show works both as a period drama with varied political and economic slices of life and as a detective/legal investigation. 1930's Los Angeles makes a fantastic backdrop and the show does an amazing job bringing it to life. Add to that great work from Matthew Rhys and supporting cast. 5) Poker Face (Peacock). There are so many reasons this show shouldn't work – an unnecessarily infallible protagonist in a show that reveals the whodonit of random mysteries at the beginning of its episodes, which themselves are barely stitched together with a fairly generic season through-line. But the conceit works thanks to the charismatic Natashe Lyonne and richly textured off-the-main-track settings. The reveal of how her character fit into the odd-ball menagerie is probably as fun as the resolution. 4) Slow Horses (Apple TV+). Gary Oldman, an old disgusting farting savant of a spy, leads a band of MI-5 misfit outcasts in Slough House. Part workplace comedy, part spy thriller, this show is funny as poo poo. This season may have strained credibility even more than past seasons, but the writers understand what we want from the show and are willing to give it to us in spades. 3) Dark Winds (AMC+)- Set in the 1970's on a Navajo land in New Mexico, a team of tribal police and a former FBI agent investigate interconnected crimes. Beautiful country? Check. Old secrets coming to light? Check. Indigenous stories? Yup. Zahn McClarnon? Heck yeah. A great show to look up if you're a fan of shows like True Detective, Mystery Road, or Longmire. 2) The Bear (FX)- I liked this season better than the first, possibly because the plot was a little more focused (on moving towards the re-opening of the restaurant). This show moved up to #2 on my list based mainly on two of my favorite episodes. The Copenhagen episode was quiet and sweet, maybe unambitious but utterly comforting and affirming. In contrast, the family Christmas flashback is literally one of the most well-constructed episodes of TV ever filmed, and the escalating tension was so pervasive I'm almost wary of trying to watch it again. The finale had some issues for me but I'm certainly all in for Season 3. 1) Reservation Dogs (FX)- For the 3rd year running Rez Dogs tops my list. This show is consistently excellent in telling unique, funny, poignant, insightful stories. There are stand-alone episodes (especially Deer Lady) that are memorably great hours of TV, these form the blocks of a season that weaves coming of age stories of young friends with the lives and lessons of the elders and spirits. Even potentially hokey episodes (old dudes go camping with young-uns) that have been done to death in every family sit-com come off as compelling and meaningful. I don't know if the finale was transcendent but it was a satisfying wrap-up consistent in tone with the rest of the series. Do yourself a favor and watch this modern masterpiece.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 29, 2023 23:00
|
|
|
I dunno, it's got its moments. There are still deaths, loneliness, abandonment... It's sooooo good though.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 30, 2023 01:55
|
|
|
Thanks so much for doing this! I’ve already watched one great show thanks to this thread (Silo). Just an fyi that you have Wheel of Time in twice. Also, Slow Horses is the top AppleTV show, not Silo.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 22, 2024 16:59
|
|