Everyone knows by now that television is now a completely serious and important art form. While many desire to compare film and television, I think that television has now reached a point where it no longer needs to be compared to film because it is now a distinct art form that has its own advantages, and this was well displayed in this years crop of television.
My list of my five favorite television shows (with the next five in unranked order) represents the diversity of styles that television now offers. Not only did we get smart versions of familiar genres, but we also got a show that delivers some of that incredible tension that only television can induce, and also a show that highlights perfectly a singular point-of-view of an auteur.
Because I believe that season by season judgement is the best way to judge television shows, I only counted the shows that had seasons that ended in 2011, which also means I tried my best not to consider the ongoing seasons of shows like Parks & Recreation when judging the season that ended in 2011. There also a couple of shows that I did watch that I feel I may have had merited serious considerations if I had watched them. The most notable of those are Treme and Justified (currently catching up with that one). I've also included links to the original reviews of the shows if they have been written about previously. For the shows without links, reviews are probably forthcoming.
Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order):
Boardwalk Empire
Community (read original review here)
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones (read original review here)
Parks & Recreation (read original review here)
5. Homeland
There has been some conversation that suggests that next season of Homeland has no chance of being as good as this season, but I have faith in Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon. If they can create a first season that is this great not only because of a fun plot filled with suspense and tension, but also because it has two incredibly compelling characters who can carry so much weight on their own, then I have no problem believing that the rest of this series can be as good as this first season. Carrie Matheson (played by a remarkable Claire Danes) wants to investigate a former POW named Nick Brody (played with much emotion by Damian Lewis), who is a man she believes to be a secret terrorist. But throughout the tense first season, we find that these two characters are actually not so different from each other and getting their jobs done while coping with the continued stress from previous jobs, makes life that much harder.
4. Enlightened
I don't think anyone was excited to watch this series before it aired, and even response to the first episode was fairly tepid. While audience viewership was abysmal the whole season, critical response improved drastically. I don't think the improving critical response was a result of the show improving as it went on, but actually a result of critics needing to see more from the show to see the true nature of the show. This isn't a workplace comedy, or just a star vehicle for Laura Dern that's devoid of substance, this is a wonderfully contemplative show that has smart ideas about change, optimism, and doing the right thing. Enlightened is a show that reveals why exactly people go crazy trying to make sure this world is a better place for all.
3. Mildred Pierce
Todd Haynes' five-and-half-hour long miniseries is exactly what I want to see more of. It's a long, some might even say over-long, portrait of a strong but self-conscious female character in the 1930's. Kate Winslet gives a flawless performance as a divorced mother struggling to give her children the life that they deserve during the Great Depression. On top of that, her daughter Vida seems to abhor the working class lifestyle and sees herself as an upper-class woman. This class struggle between Mildred and Vida is realized in a completely personal and intimate way, but at the same time it mirrors the social and economic experience of those who lived during that time period. Every single aspect of the story, from the dialogue to the acting to the great cinematography, each contribute to the series' operatic yet intimate feel.
(Read original review here)
2. Breaking Bad
Somehow this show keeps getting better season after season. Our lead character, Walter White, goes through more significant change in the fourth season and his transformation from weak middle-class high school chemistry teacher to dangerous drug kingpin continues and is maybe even solidified. Much of this season was spent on the epic chess match between Walter and Gus Fring. As Gus, Giancarlo Esposito gives one of the great performances I've ever seen on television, and the competing ideas of business and morality between Gus and Walter led to some remarkably tense sequences that were filmed with a keen audiovisual touch that you can't find anywhere else on television. The question way back in the pilot was: how far would you go to provide for your family? Now, the question has morphed into: if you were making millions of dollars for yourself and your family by doing some reprehensible things, how easily would you give it up?
(Read original review here)
1. Louie
It was immensely difficult for me to put any show above Breaking Bad on this list, but Louie is so innovative, unique, and perfectly put together that I had to do it. Television has rarely been quite as personal as it is in comedian Louis C.K.'s half-hour "comedy" on FX. Not only does C.K. star in every single episode, but he also directs, writes, and edits each one as well. The first season of this show was brilliant on its own, while also incredibly hilarious. But the second season went above and beyond all expectations by going to some very dark places and adding not only biting social commentary, but even poetic and moving episodes. The season is structured like a collection of short stories, and it's remarkable how each one of those stories does something incredibly unique or important, whether it's a Bunuel-like surreal short about New York City, an honest exploration of self-pleasure, or an extraordinarily moving and sweet story about the things that bring all humans together. While you certainly won't laugh as much in this season as the first, this season makes up for that by helping the medium of television take a large leap forward, arguably a much bigger accomplishment than simply making you laugh.
(Read original review here)
No comments:
Post a Comment