*If you want to read more about the philosophy behind such a practice, this is great defense of how rankings like this are inherently personal.
A list of one's best shows is semi-meaningless without an idea of what precisely the writer has watched, so let's go through the runners-up. If a show isn't mentioned at some point in this post, that means I didn't watch it. Yes, I know there's some good stuff out there I missed, but such is life.
Shows that took the year off
I'm looking forward to 2015, when we'll get new seasons of shows that have made my list in the past: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Children's Hospital, and The Returned. We're also getting some more Top of the Lake at some point, so that is cool, even if the original run ended at about the perfect point.
Shows that weren't close to making the list
Top Chef is still among the class of the reality/competition world, but due largely to its age and the accompanying feeling that we've already seen all this before, no longer feels as essential as it once did. How I Met Your Mother was great when the mother was involved (particularly in one of the show's best-ever eps "How Your Mother Met Me"). The rest was...not so great (although I don't think the ending was as bad as others do). The Red Road squandered both a potentially interesting story and Jason Momoa. Martin Henderson's turn as a police officer might have been the most boring and meaningless character/actor pairing of the year.
The first couple episodes of Blackish seemed nice enough, but there wasn't enough there for me to keep watching. Archer and The League continued to do their respective things well, but weren't really close to the comedies that ended up on the list. 24 returned to the air pretty much like it never left. The shorter season was clearly a help, and there legitimately great moments, but it fell into a lot of the same traps that the lesser seasons of the show succumbed to. Finally, The Bridge opened its second season to a great deal of acclaim, but never really worked for me. The overall idea of the show (The Wire on the border) was worthy of praise, but none of the execution came together as it has in other prestige dramas. I could write a much longer blurb on my specific complaints about the show, but I'd rather spend my time talking about what I liked.
Shows that were close to making the list
2014 was a banner year for comedy on television. As a result, some really good shows ended up on the cutting floor of this post. Girls had some great episodes in its third season (particularly the ones that focused on Hannah, such as "Flo"), but some characters' stories/journeys were a little thin, leading to a less fulfilling whole than previous years. New Girl emerged from its creative funk in season three to be the same wacky show we once knew. Brooklyn 99 grew up a bit plot-wise and avoided some of the tropes that hurt the show in the early going. While it still might get there, it's not nearly as funny or charming as its older sister, Parks and Recreation (there's also the issue of completely glossing over any real-world issues, which I think Parks handled better). Married got off to a rocky start, but ended up as a nice meditation on being an adult. Also, Paul Reiser is awesome.
It was also an amazing year for drama, so some other great shows got left out as well. Game of Thrones continued to be the spectacle that it's always been, for better or worse. Continuing my minor criticism of season three, the sheer number of characters and storylines stretched the show a little beyond its storytelling means. The Affair used its dual perspectives in a lot of interesting ways, but in the end didn't seem as significant as its framing device would lead one to believe. The Honorable Woman was a nicely reserved look at the war-torn Middle East that almost never resorted to simple answers about a clearly complex issue. The debut season of Penny Dreadful was a tough nugget to pin down, but featured an amazing performance by Eva Green that made up for any shortcomings. Orphan Black was similar in that Tatiana Maslany continued to shine, even as the show around her got spread a little thin due to its overly-complicated plot. Finally, Manhattan was a nice take on both the personal and societal effects of trying to create a weapon that will supposedly and paradoxically end war (It was also the rare historical drama that didn't become obsessed with pointing out the ridiculous practices/beliefs of the past, so points for that as well).
Last, but certainly not least, are the two shows that were the toughest omissions. Coincidentally, both used to be highly ranked, but suffered through seasons that weren't quite up to the standards of years past. Homeland struggled through the early part of the season, falling into a lot of the same traps as the terrible third season. Then, nearly miraculously, it recovered a lot of its goodwill with a string of episodes that, like the first season, actually addressed real, modern-day issues with the war on terror. Most notably, Carrie and Saul's struggle to negotiate with a terrorist they failed to kill in a drone strike, showed how our present day scenario leaves us with no good choices.
Whereas the fourth season of Homeland was a return to form of sorts, the fifth season of Justified was a bit of a freefall following a creative peak. There was a bit of a built-in excuse for the decline, with one of the most interesting new characters asking to be written off halfway through. Even so, the story of the Crowes was a bit derivative and inferior to the villains of past seasons. In spite of this, Justified was still worth watching, as Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins' performances continued to be enjoyable as hell. Thankfully, the last couple episodes set up the upcoming final season as a final showdown between Raylan and Boyd. I can't wait.
#25 - Community (NBC)
The re-Harmonized fifth season of Community was a walking conundrum. On one hand, many of the episodes (such as "Cooperative Polygraphy") were every bit as unique and hilarious as the best episodes of years past. On the other hand, the driving purpose of continuing the show post-graduation was oftentimes muddled, and this showed in the weaker episodes near the end of the season. In spite of these imperfections, Community is still mostly the show I once loved. The wacky antics of Greendale continue to not just be funny, but also serve the higher purpose of showing the importance of, well, a community. Thankfully, the show's upcoming sixth season on Yahoo indicates that we won't be perishing by way of asteroid anytime soon.
#24 - Enlisted (FOX)
In a year loaded with great new comedy, Enlisted was not the funniest new program. Nor was it the zaniest, most original, or most insightful. The purpose of saying this, of course, is not to rag on the show....it was after all, one of my favorite shows of the year, and was very good in all of the aforementioned aspects. The purpose instead, is to highlight what made the show special, which is its heart. The antics of Rear D were delightful enough when taken at face value. But when viewed through the prism of Pete's relationship with his brothers and his re-orientation to non-combat life, the show takes on an air of earnest poignancy, which is sometimes difficult to find in the era of sarcasm and irony. It's a shame we'll only see 13 episodes of this show, but at least it went out on a high note.
#23 - Shameless (Showtime)
The lack of guidelines on the differences between Emmy categories has long led to silly situations. Perhaps none have better shone the light on the ridiculousness of the process than the fourth season of Shameless. The show turned in its best and most dramatic season to date, largely because it started taking its characters' problems more seriously. In spite of this, the creators decided to start submitting the show in the comedy categories (the show does still retains much of its humor, but I would say it definitely falls on the drama side of the spectrum now). While that gambit didn't result in an Emmy haul, it doesn't really matter as the Gallagher's tale of poverty-stricken perseverance is a fantastic story regardless. Fiona's fall from grace, Lip's balancing of school with the sense of responsibility he feels for his family, and Ian's struggle to be himself all made for one of the most diverse and real dramas of 2014. While the show can be rough around the edges (like its protagonists), it's got a uniqueness and tenderness that make it worthy of its place on this list.
#22 - Masters of Sex (Showtime)
Of all the shows that appear in both this list and last year's list, Masters of Sex is the one show where last year's capsule could be lifted nearly verbatim. Sure, the show did some things differently in its second season, most notably leaping forward a few years through the midseason episode "Asterion." That said, the same dichotomy remains: While the parts of the show focusing on the study and the relationship of Bill and Virginia* are among the best on TV, the other plot lines range from interesting but strained (Libby's transformation into a civil rights activist) to just plain dull (the whole Cal-o-Metric plot). Whereas the superior Mad Men has typically let the pertinent issues of the time reveal themselves naturally through the actions of its characters**, Masters of Sex oftentimes feels like it's doing the opposite, and letting the idea of the plot drive the story. Given all that creator Michelle Ashford has on her plate, Masters is still quite the accomplishment (this interview nicely summarizes both the internal pressures of staying true to the story as well as the external pressures of writing and shooting on a tight timeline). Here's hoping that future seasons focus more on the strengths and trim the weaknesses.
*The third episode of the season "The Fight" is one of the best episodes of anything this year, largely because it's a so-called bottle episode that focuses on the main characters.
**Besides being more honest to the characters, this also acts as a more sly and subtle commentary on the issues. The civil rights movement is largely in the background for the characters of Mad Men, which is to me more insightful than pushing it to the forefront in Masters of Sex.
#21 - Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Parks and Recreation remains one of the funniest and warmest programs on television. If you've watched five minutes of the show, you already know this. What's even more remarkable is how it is able to remain so fundamentally nice and yet subvert expectations all at the same time. The main subversion in the back half of season six (the only episodes that aired in 2014) concerned the news that Leslie was pregnant with triplets, and the subsequent worry by some that this would come to fully define her character. Because the show is above silly worries like that, it took just one week for that idea to be squashed, with the fantastic flash forward at the end of the finale showing Leslie, pardon the cliché, "having it all." This isn't to say we shouldn't examine the themes present in the show, but time and time again the show has proven to be adept at treating its characters with dignity and respect. Well, except for Jerry.
#20 - Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
The second season of OITNB was a bit of a sprawling mess, but I mean that in the best possible way. While most shows focus on a smaller set of characters in a less precarious situation, OITNB is obviously very different. In light of that, the seemingly chaotic nature of the show fits its mission well. What elevates the chaos to greatness is how the show is still able to focus on individual characters and give them stories worth caring about. When we see the difficult situations that Taystee and Poussey and Caputo (among others) find themselves in, we fully understand the weight of the decisions they have to make, largely because of the precise detail put into the backstories of the characters. That that level of detail works across such a large ensemble is a testament to the quality of the show and the vision of creator Jenji Kohan. That the details of the prison are unrealistic is mostly irrelevant; what's actually important is how the show is able to portray the fundamental goodness of humanity in a way that few other works are.
#19 - Louie (FX)
When it was announced that the fourth season of Louie wouldn't premiere until 2014 (putting almost two years between air dates), it seemed like a good idea. Since Louis CK basically does everything that goes into making the show, it made a lot of sense that slight downturn in quality of season three was a result of some degree of burnout. The question then is, did this strategy work? I would answer with an inconclusive "sort of."
The fourth season of Louie didn't break many new grounds comedically. The best laughs from the series still reside in the first season (although fake hurricane news reports are pretty funny, too). I also think that the most emotionally resonant half-hours come from past episodes like "Eddie" and "Duckling" in the second season. Where season four was unique and fascinating was in its structure, particularly with the six-part "Elevator." In that saga (or what passes for a saga in the Louie universe), the show interweaved the complex topics of raising children and forming relationships by focusing on the central role than communication plays in almost all human endeavors. And of course, it was still quite funny, with Charles Grodin's world-weary physician providing most of the laughs. Not everything from this season worked (in particular, the embiggined "In the Woods" about Louie's childhood seemed a touch overlong and empty), but regardless, Louis CK continues to push the boundaries of what great television can be.
#18 - You're the Worst (FXX)
The idea of a show featuring terrible people is far from novel in today's TV. Seinfeld and It's Always Sunny are the modern exemplars of such programming, but one can trace DNA from those shows back to earlier hits like All in the Family and beyond. What is relatively novel is taking the time to break these terrible people down into the complex beings they are, and then raising some questions: Could these people possibly be meant for each other? Are they really even "terrible" people, or just people who need others to become who they want to bea? In its debut season, You're the Worst did all of this with aplomb. The show helped to redefine relationships on TV by creating a likable but flawed pairing in Jimmy and Gretchen that, while sometimes exaggerated for comedic effect, felt more real than most couples we've seen before. Add in legitimately compelling sidekicks with real stories of their own*, and you have yourself one of the most refreshingly honest (and hilarious!) shows to debut in some time.
*Between Pete on Enlisted and Edgar on this show, it was a good year for subtle, realistic depictions of PTSD in television comedies.
#17 - Looking (HBO)
This capsule is a touch spoilery, so just go watch the show first. It'll be worth it.
Through seven episodes of the freshman series Looking, I quite enjoyed the glimpse into the lives of three friends, but didn't think much else of it. The finale was a different animal, bringing all of the characters' storylines to a tipping point, yet in a reserved fashion befitting of the way life actually occurs. In particular, Patrick's story comes to a bittersweet end, with Richie breaking up with him on his apartment steps (the way Jonathan Groff appears sad yet secretly relieved - in light of his fling with his boss - is fantastic). All of this payoff clearly signals the presence of an overall vision behind Looking, and that the creators know how to craft a story that serves its characters, rather than the other way around.
#16 - Veep (HBO)
A lot happened this season on Veep. Selina had an affair with her personal trainer (Chris Meloni) and briefly included him on her staff. Jonah started his own Washington insider blog, and of course, it didn't go well. Oh, and Selina's going to become president (get excited!) What makes Veep great though, is that none of that really matters. I say that because no matter what's happening in the world of the show, it manages to consistently nail its hilarious take on the cynical, mile-a-minute world of politics, which is what I'm assuming most of the audience watches the show for. As long as Selina and her team have any sort of power in Washington, I see no reason that Veep won't continue to be one of the funniest shows on television.
#15 - The Leftovers (HBO)
Unlike many others I've talked with, I've never had a problem falling asleep directly after watching something scary or disturbing. I can watch a particularly bloody episode of Hannibal and go right to bed (I rarely dream about recent happenings, so that helps). This all changed when I watched "Two Boats and a Helicopter," the bottle-ish third episode of The Leftovers. The episode in question focused on the town reverend, and his journey following the mysterious disappearance of 2% of the world's population. While the story piles the dramatic misfortune on a little heavy, the core theme of despair the hour cuts through like a knife, as the reverend's faith in his God and his community are met with apathy and outright malice.
Why did this, of all things, keep me up after watching it? In short, it's because the show succeeds at being an unrelenting portrait of depression by creating an all-encompassing aura of despair that's impossible to ignore. While this was too much for some critics, I found that it avoided being pure emotional torture porn by striking just the right balance. Perhaps the best example of this was one of 2014's best episodes from any show, "Guest".* In it, Carrie Coon's character takes a journey to New York to attend a conference related to the departure. Over the course of the hour, we grow to understand her frustration and sadness at losing her family, and how it leads to her current inability to fully function in the world. And yet, the end of the episode provides a glimmer of hope that there are other people in the world who care and want her to be better. This same pattern plays out in other character's stories as well, showing the show's belief that the ultimate solution to sadness is the knowledge that others are in the same predicament, and that true loving connections are possible, even in the face of grief and loss.
*For giggles, here's a quick top five episodes of the year:
1. "Guest" - The Leftovers
2. "Mizumono" - Hannibal
3. "The Fight" - Masters of Sex
4. "The Strategy" - Mad Men
5. "Alive Day" - Enlisted
#14 - Silicon Valley (HBO)
Like most comedies on this list, Silicon Valley is absolutely hilarious. Between the late Christopher Evan Welch's performance as eccentric investor Peter Gregory, or the members of Pied Piper figuring out the best way to....let's say "stimulate" an auditorium full of men, Silicon Valley might have had as many laugh out loud minutes as any show in 2014. That said, what raises the show a level (and ultimately puts it this high on my list) is the story's commitment to verisimilitude. Sure, there are a lot of wacky, exaggerated antics, but at its heart, Silicon Valley is a show that tackles head-on all of the struggles of starting a new venture in a cutthroat industry. The problems that Pied Piper faces are rarely easily explained away, and are only ultimately resolved in the finale when Thomas Middleditch's character does the hard work to make their algorithm superior. The show even went as far as to work with a Stanford professor to create a brand new metric for evaluating the effectiveness of said algorithm. This commitment to a real plot in an area rarely examined on television makes Silicon Valley one of my favorite new shows of the year.
#13 - True Detective (HBO)
Even thought there were ten whole months after the finale for something to surpass it, no show in 2014 came anywhere close to inciting the same level of debate and disagreement* as did True Detective. While some were captivated by the mystery and the foreboding sense of doom, others decried the show's misogyny. Others still, liked the show overall, but were let down by an ending that was a little more straightforward than one might have expected. In the end, a show as big and with as many things to say as True Detective is going to indubitably be about many different things. While the show is absolutely worthy of the lengthy discussion of its many aspects in that link, I wanted to focus on a slightly different aspect of the "good vs. evil" aspect that MZS highlights first. Beware: spoilers ahead.
*The best part of the debate is that I can totally understand and agree with where both "sides" are coming from. I found both praises and pans to be well-reasoned and enlighenting. No show this year did more to demonstrate the subjectivity of how one enjoys TV.
When Rust tells Marty that "the light is winning" in the final scene of the finale, it may seem like a rather corny line*, but it just about perfectly sums up the journey that those characters have taken. Throughout the show, they have encountered darkness in their lives and projected it back out onto those around them. In many ways, that recycling of anger is perhaps not quite necessary, but is at least somewhat inevitable. We need detectives to do their jobs in order to help protect us. At the same time, it isn't easy for most people to process the vileness encountered in such a line of work in a healthy and reasonable manner. In that way, the struggle between light and dark gets at one of the most fascinating themes of the show to me: That we as a society need people to dedicate their lives to working towards the common good in spite of the toll it will take on those individuals. The payoff for their work may not be absolute and immediate (after all "The Yellow King" was just one evil force in a world full of them), but if we can recognize the gradual progress of society over time, then we can fully appreciate all the good that is done by imperfect beings like Rust and Marty. When you cut through the occult mythology and everything else in True Detective, you end up with a simple story that is rarely told in this manner.
*Corniness/earnestness actually fits pretty well with Rust's character, so it actually works pretty well
#12 - The Knick (Cinemax)
Much like Manhattan and Masters of Sex, The Knick is about the thrill of discovery and the toll it takes on those involved. I welcome the fact that these shows have chosen to focus on the pursuit of knowledge, as I find it quite fascinating. That said, these shows all struggle a bit when focusing on the other parts of their character's lives, which keeps them from being ranked higher. There are certainly still other strengths: Manhattan is probably the best of the three at creating fully realized characters, and the central relationship of Masters drives the show to emotional heights surpassing the other shows. Where The Knick excels, and what ultimately pushes it higher on the list, is the integration of its superior construction and its devotion to a seemingly exaggerated past. The first part of that pair is reasonably obvious, with Oscar-winning Steven Soderbergh doing some of the best work of 2014 on any screen, small or large.
The second part (the treatment of the past) is a little more interesting, and deviates a bit from other period shows. It's commonly said that setting something in the past allows one to deal with pertinent modern issues (racism, misogyny) from a comfortable distance. This approach often leads to situations where something outrageous happens to emphasize the point being made. In general, I prefer works that avoid such black and white treatments. However, The Knick actually makes such tactics interesting by being so brazen in the depiction of its 1900, that the self awareness of the show is on full display. By shoving our faces in the questionable ethics of, among other things, the medical practices of the time, the show forces the viewer to confront how a basically decent human race could do such things. Whereas the typical reactions to such things on lesser shows is along the lines of "boy, people were overtly racist back then," The Knick encourages a deeper rumination through its exquisitely constructed universe.
#11 - Bob's Burgers (Fox)
Here's an entry on the list that is such a well-oiled institution, that I'm not sure what there is left to say about it (other than "it's awesome"). While Bob's Burgers is ever-so-slightly removed from its creative peak, it's still one of the warmest, funniest half-hours on television. The Belchers remain a wonderfully odd clan, surrounded by a beach-side community that only one-ups them in terms of wackiness. I would normally worry about a show in its fifth season running out of ideas, but when you come up with ideas as ridiculous as a Die Hard/Working Girl smash-up musical (aptly titled "Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl"), then there are truly no limits on how long the show can run at a high level of quality.
#10 - Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
I mentioned a couple of great performances from leading women in the honorable mention section. As good as those were, I don't think anyone, man or woman, surpassed Frances McDormand's work as the title character of Olive Kitteridge.* In the hands of a lesser actress, it would be easy to dismiss the part as too much of a one note domestic villain (it would actually be surprisingly easy to transform the script into a sitcom, without making too many changes). Instead, McDormand is able to imbue the character with a sense of regret and sadness over those who she has wronged, which paints Olive as more sympathetic than one would observe at first blush. Because of that, I see Olive Kitteridge as a bit of a welcome antidote to the wave of unapologetic anti-heroes that have populated the screen in the past fifteen years. If we're looking to nitpick, then one could argue that the mini-series format didn't best serve the material, but I mostly disagree. Each supporting character in Olive's life got just enough screen time to portray their story and the effect Olive had on it without removing the focus from our main character. In total, Olive Kitteridge was a well-observed story of a life lived well, but with regret; that is to say, a normal life.
*And here's my top performances of the year
1. Frances McDormand - Olive Kitteridge
2. Eva Green - Penny Dreadful
3. Tatiana Maslany - Orphan Black
4. Matthew McConaughey - True Detective
5. Jeffrey Tambor - Transparent
#9 - Mad Men (AMC)
The common complaint concerning the previous season of Mad Men was that it seemed a bit repetitive and boring. I disagree with that line of thinking overall, but can at least understand the sentiment; Don's problems with his second marriage and issues at work resembled many of the same beats from earlier seasons. The good news for people of all opinions is that the machinations of the back half of the series paid off in droves in the excellent seventh season, which was among the best work the show has done. Don's journey to a dark place resulted in legitimate change in the character, as he accepted his failures and worked to better himself and become an actual decent human being. Nowhere was this self-improvement (and its positive affect on those around him) more apparent than in his support of Peggy as she led the successful Burger Chef campaign in the wonderful episodes "The Strategy" and "Waterloo." By crafting a real and meaningful redemption ark for Don, Matthew Weiner is closing out the anti-hero era of drama in a unique way. In paralleling the societal change of the sixties with the personal change of our main character, Mad Men is showing us just what such transformations can mean to the world and those that occupy it.
#8 - The Americans (FX)
When I placed the debut season of The Americans in the middle of last year's list, I basically wrote that I liked but didn't love the show. While I included some reasons for this, the true reason didn't become clear until the fantastic second season premiere. In that episode, we are introduced to a fellow family of espionage that might as well be a clone of the Jennings. When three-quarters of that family is killed following a job, Philip and Elizabeth rightfully panic, wondering if the same thing can happen to them. This imbues their actions for the remainder of the season with a sense of personal dread; the cost of failure is no longer just the downfall of their cause, but the downfall of their lives. This acts to further personalize the conflict of the Cold War to a even higher degree than the first season. The Americans made a true leap to greatness in its second season and I can't wait to see what comes next.
#7 - Rectify (Sundance)
The first season of Rectify was a beautiful six episode journey through the first steps of Daniel Holden's reintroduction to society. Upon a re-watch* prior to the start of season two, I had legitimate concerns about where the continuation of the story would take us, and if it was necessary to its central themes. Boy, was that silly. The lengthier second season picks up where it left off, which allows time for Daniel's subconscious to reflect on the events that led him here, and also helps build out the supporting cast's story to create a world worth exploring. Whether the show is following Daniel through his encounters with increasingly odd yet enlightening strangers or showing us his family trying to return to some semblance of normalcy, Rectify paints a non-judgmental picture of small town life that isn't often seen on television. A mixture of profound serenity and the cruelty of real life combine to make Rectify one of the best things on the air.
*It's on Netflix. It's just six episodes. Watch it now.
#6 - Broad City (Comedy Central)
As you can probably tell by now, there were a lot of great comedy premieres in 2014. While Broad City wasn't quite my favorite of the list (so close though!), it's almost certainly the most fresh and welcome voice. In a way, it's the spiritual sibling of Looking, in that both shows feature people from groups other than your typical set of straight white males, without belittling or stereotyping its leads in the slightest. Of course, it's also completely different in that its often zany, sometimes non-sequitir-laden comedy creates a semi-surreal world that is just delightful. Whether Ilana is blowing off work to blow off another job to hang out with Judith Light the dog, or Abbi is busy cleaning up an unprecented pube situation in her gym's bathroom, Broad City is never short on genuinely unique hilarity.
#5 - Last Week Tonight (HBO)
When Last Week Tonight was first announced, it seemed a bit like overkill. Sure, John Oliver was fantastic as a summer replacement on The Daily Show, but did we really need another show in the same vein? As it turns out, it took all of one episode for us to realize that we most certainly did. Whereas the opening segment on The Daily Show typically leaves the viewer with a faint sense that reason in our political discourse is doomed, Last Week Tonight providers a faint shimmer of hope with its (admittedly silly) calls to action. Combining those hints of activism with a half hour of content that is more well researched than many academic papers creates a truly unique outlet that is perhaps the most vital viewing experience on the air today. That may seem strange to say considering the show has had bits on space geckos and a fake political commercial involving a lot of flaccid elderly penis. But if the only way to fight the silliness of modern times is with more silliness, then Last Week Tonight is quite the weapon.
#4 - Fargo (FX)
The first season of the anthology series Fargo is a bit of a different beast from most of the dramas on this list. Instead of being primarily concerned with a particular theme and then constructing a mood/feel based on that (Hannibal is probably the best example of this), Fargo is explicitly based on the Coen Brother's oeuvre. This isn't to say that there aren't weighty themes running through the show: the ideas of fate and consequences to one's actions haunt the series as much as the cold, barren landscape. That said, what I'll remember most about this fantastic season are the various ways creator Noah Hawley took the work of others and made it his own. The gorgeous cinematography, the dark humor, the way each episode seemingly crept into existence rather than simply beginning: These were all hallmarks of a show that felt familiar, but also had a unique voice worth listening to.
#3 - Transparent (Amazon)
Transparent is, on its surface, a story about a transgender woman transitioning late in life (I mean, it's right there in the title after all). That part of the show is fantastically done, telling a story that is both sympathetic to the struggle of such a process while also not letting Maura off the hook for her shortcomings.* What elevates this to a truly great show is that it is so much more than that one thing, though. The tribulations of each member of the fully realized Pfefferman clan touch on almost every aspect of modern life. Family dynamics color every interaction between the main cast, showing how past experiences shape new ones. The character's problems with intimacy (both too much and too little) highlight the difficulty of making and maintaining relationships. And finally (circling back to Maura's transition), the inability of the characters to fully admit and understand who and what they are underscores the main themes of the show perfectly: While there are interpersonal and societal issues aplenty in our world, the fundamental issue for many is simply not understanding themselves. By examining the gradual process of self-actualization between this group of dynamically different yet clearly related people, Transparent is able to achieve so much, and with such a deft touch.
*Making Maura a real person, with all of the warts that come with that, makes this a far more enlightening show than if she were painted as some sort of transgender superhero.
#2 - Hannibal (NBC)
At first blush, it would be easy to write off Hannibal as just another entry in the anthology of ultra-violence propagated on modern television. However, doing so would be very, very wrong. The visceral, gory, yet beautiful way violent acts are depicted,* as well as the consistent mastery of tone, are signs of far superior quality over dreck like Stalker or The Following, but the reasons for Hannibal's brilliance go beyond that. What makes it one of the best shows on television is the very way it treats its subject matter. Rather than playing violent acts as cheap thrills or tone-deaf plot points, Hannibal uses its antagonist's transgressions (as well as the side tale of the Vergers) as a portal into the very nature of how evil shapes humanity. Hannibal's second season elevated this to new heights, as the quest to capture Hannibal ensnared every character, leading to an unforgettable conclusion. Add in continually great acting from Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen (among others), and a compelling season-long plot, and you have yourself the best drama of 2014.
*There is constant fascination by fans of the show that this exists on network television. I actually think that working within those constraints makes the show stronger, as it needs to convey some of things which it can't show through the character's reactions (ie. Mason Verger's face)
#1 - Review (Comedy Central)
"Life. It's literally all we have. But is it any good?" - Forrest MacNeil
Review takes the top spot on my list in large part because it is damn funny. When the show isn't challenging itself to pixelate as much of the screen as possible during an orgy, it's forcing our protagonist to drown his sorrow in a table full of pancakes. Whether Forrest was taking his father-in-law on a fateful mission to space, becoming an overt racist, or simply saying nothing but "there all is aching," there was never a shortage of amazing laughs. Whatever part of our society Andy Daly and friends felt like lampooning in a given week was taken to task in the most enjoyable manner possible.
All that said, mere hilarity (even of the highest order) isn't enough to ascend to the peak of television in 2014. What makes Review the very best television has to offer is the way it uses its concept not just for humor, but to tie together the endeavor into a whole that is greater than its parts. A show about someone dedicating himself to certain things each week is funny; a show about the journey of that man throughout his conquest to effectively review his life is brilliant. Such a construct allows for subtle commentary on not only the fickle nature of evaluating things, but the very impetus behind work and life itself. The end of the season can be seen as the intersection of those two themes, as leading an overly-examined life takes Forrest to a place of some enlightenment such that he rejects the occupation that literally tells him what to do with his life. It's probably a fundamentally silly exercise to over-analyze and ascribe too much to a comedy show, but as the very subject of the show itself is over-analyzation, I think it's entirely appropriate. In the end, that very interplay between the absurd and the profound is what makes Review the finest show of the year.
