2014 Honorable Mentions

Since we are living in an era of so much superb television, I decided to once again make a companion post to my Best Of list. Some of the following shows didn't make the Best Of cut for various reasons, but if you ask me, they are all worth checking out:

Boardwalk Empire- A shortened final season of this show brought most of the characters' stories to a satisfying close without sacrificing quality or craft. The use of flashbacks could be tiresome, but were also powerful and crucial to the show's thematic finale. The quality of Boardwalk Empire got much better towards the end of its run and I for one will miss its impeccably tailored costumes and send up to Prohibition Era accents and culture.

The Comeback- Oh my goodness this season of The Comeback was so darn good that if I hadn't made my Best Of list before the final episode aired, it certainly would have been included. I loved everything about this nine-years-later second season. Like its first season, The Comeback manages to capture the television landscape of its time while commenting on the price of fame and the treatment of women in Hollywood in often poignant and distressing ways. The meta-ness of the show never ceases to surprise me and Lisa Kudrow is doing amazing work. Lisa Kudrow for all the awards!

Fargo- Fargo was all at once an homage to the Coen Brothers' filmography and something of its own entirely, toeing that line expertly with craft and quirk. And it did it all with a smirk on its face. I think what held it back was it's pacing as it took me a few episodes to actually get into the story. But once I did, I enjoyed it as much as the best shows on TV. A time-jump mid way through the season helped on every level. And the characters kept you guessing as they embraced the sometimes heightened reality of the world they lived in. I need someone to give Allison Tolman a new role ASAP.

Homeland- Oh, what to say about the see-saw that is Showtime's Homeland? It will never live up to its zany first season, but the reset of this most recent season was the best the show has been in a very long time (since the second season episode, "Q & A" if you ask me). Yes the show remains uneven: One second I'm thrilled to the edge of my seat and the next rolling my eyes at the improbability and 24-tinted plot points. But I very much enjoyed these most recent episodes, finger-guns and all.

The Mindy Project- The Mindy Project tends to get a lot of hate, especially from the males of the world (which I guess I can understand, although I do believe there's humor for everyone). The first season and a half of the show was okay, yet always comedic. But the later half of its second season and the first half of its third have been firing on all cylinders. The ensemble work is spot on while the one-liners and wordplay keep me laughing for days.

Orange is the New Black- I didn't love OITNB's second season as much as its first and I think it came down to the season's villain. Vee was just such a cartoon villain with no real motivation behind her lust for power/control and her subsequent manipulation over the entire social system. I guess later episodes made her out to simply be a psychopathic egomaniac, but that felt like a disservice to a show that normally has fantastic character work. Aside from Vee, I have no complaints about the season (except for Larry continuing to be The Worst).

Orphan Black- Orphan Black keeps so many balls in the air and while it could be more successful at it, its impressive all the same. But I'm just waiting for it all to fall apart. Tatiana Maslany carries the show on her shoulders by playing all the major characters with such nuance that you can always tell who she is (even when she's one character pretending to be another character). The science of the show can be wonky, but that is what sci-fi is all about. And the end of one episode in particular was so beautifully thrilling that I think I stopped breathing.

Parks and Recreation- Parks and Rec is a forever favorite of mine. The show hasn't gotten stale per say, but it has definitely plateaued in its humor, momentum, and general story. However, the final minutes of this year's season finale was a much needed shot of adrenaline and humor. Jumping ahead three years avoids bogging the show down with pregnancy (again) and other story lines the show has already explored. For the first time in a while, I'm very much looking forward to next season. Filling in the gaps between timelines will hopefully be hilariously fruitful.

Silicon Valley- I found the pilot of this new HBO comedy lukewarm, but as the show found its characters and general story, the show gained a lot of comedic momentum. It all lead to a season finale that happened to be one of the funniest episodes of television I've seen in a while. The show is smart, silly, and cutting. One character in particular, Peter Gregory, was a standout of amusing eccentricity, which only makes the passing of actor Christopher Evan Welch, that more tragic.

Veep- I simply love Veep. I think Julia Louis Dreyfus, Matt Walsh, Tony Hale, and Timothy Simons are all hilarious people. I'm a fan of politics. I'm a big fan of creative cursing. As long as this show is on, I'll be watching it. And like Parks and Rec, I suspect it will be a forever favorite.

Top TV: Honorable Mentions

Yesterday I offered just the tip of my Top TV of the year, but because there was so much fantastic programming, I will now present you with my... Honorable Mentions!
(Believe me, these are all worth mentioning).

Veep- The second season of Veep was a hoot and it might just be my favorite comedy currently on television. Julia Louis-Dreyfus deserves all the recognition she gets for this show as she hilariously leads a superb comedic cast. (HBO)

The Returned- When I was discussing Sundance Channel in my Top TV post, I quickly mentioned that I am currently engrossed in this French show. If it wasn't for the fact that we're mid-season, there was a very good chance this would have made the list. I love the concept of this program and the melancholy feel it evokes. I went into it expecting a horror show, but got so much more than I could have bargained for. (Sundance)

Girls- We all know how much I love Girls. I had some issues with this past season, but there were also some inspired stand outs. "Bad Friend" in which Hannah raves in a mesh top was a delight. And "One Man's Trash" would easily be in my top five episodes of the past year. (HBO)

Orphan Black- Orphan Black is sci-fi in spades. And Tatiana Maslany IS Orphan Black. If it wasn't for her I don't know if this show would be nearly as good as it is. Playing up to four different characters in one episode (including characters impersonating other characters) is impressive enough, but doing it so convincingly that I straight up forget that it's the same actress and actually believe that these characters are all different people is a feat worthy of all the awards television has to offer. And lets not forget to mention the comedic beats, shocking turns, fun accents, and scientific mysteries we get along the way. (BBC America)

New Girl- If I had to give out a Most Improved Show Award I'd give it to New Girl. It found its groove in its second season and it was fun to see it work through the kinks, figure out its characters, and deliver a very funny program with its own brand of humor. Plus Coach is back! (Fox)

Broadchurch- I thoroughly enjoyed this British drama starring David Tennant in another series that does The Killing better than The Killing (the other being Top of the Lake). Broadchurch was beautifully shot, tragically plotted, truly engrossing, and expertly acted. Word on the street is that we will be getting an American version soon--also starring David Tennant (but with an American accent which will be bloody strange if you ask me)--and I fully intend on watching even if I already know who did it. (BBC America)

House of Cards- I may have had a lot of issues with the writing on House of Cards--which really is a deal breaker for me--but everything else about this show deserves a mention. The directing and acting are undeniable. David Fincher set an exquisite tone for the show and Kevin Spacey was amazing, as always. But the breakthrough performance from Corey Stoll was probably my favorite thing about the series (you could say he stoll the show). And I have to admit, the promos for the upcoming second season have me pretty pumped for a continuation of the story. Lets just hope they don't do anything stupid. Again. (Netflix)

Parks and Recreation- Do you guys seriously think I'd leave the most consistent comedy on television out of my year end recap? I love Parks and Rec. Yes it may be getting stale in its later seasons, but it still manages to move me and make me laugh. And for that, it will always get a shout out. (NBC)

Arrested Development- AD gets a nod for pure ambition alone. Overall I didn't love the season, but it sure had a lot of fun with its structure. (Netflix)

30 Rock: Back to the Start

We have a LOT of significant series coming to an end this year: 30 Rock, The Office, and Breaking Bad to name three. And tonight, in about 90 minutes from now, we will get a taste of our first: 30 Rock will airs its final episode. And as long as I've been a fan of television, I (oddly) have also always been a fan of series finales. So many amazing finales pop into mind. When I think back on classic shows it is often moments in the last episodes that I remember best. Most people will typically say they hate endings, they hate saying goodbye, and that they avoid such situations. (I even have a friend, an avid Lost fan, who put off watching the final episode for a year and a half.) But for some reason that's not me. I always look forward to a good ending, a cathartic conclusion, and an emotional satisfaction with the story/characters. And thats especially true of such a monumental show like 30 Rock.

But before going into tonight's finale, I took it upon myself to rewatch the show's pilot episode (which I honestly don't think I've seen in years...possibly even since it aired). And what I took away was how much this show has changed. Its voice, its focus, the characters, their appearances, and most of all, its comedic tone, were all DRASTICALLY different at the start than where we are today. And this is neither good nor bad. While many of the relationships have developed, and characters have grown, and careers/lives have progressed, that is generally a fair expectation of a critically acclaimed show seven seasons in. And yes, humor often changes as well: just compare early Friends to late Friends. But for a show like 30 Rock, with such a distinct and unique zanyiness it calls its own, I found the more subdued pilot incredibly fascinating. That, and the drastic changes in character (Tracy: skinny, charismatic, and even sly; Jenna: smarter, more together, and easier to accept as Liz Lemon's best friend; etc), were the major takeaways I took from the rewatch. But I'm so glad I got another quick glimpse of the beginning right before experiencing the end.

I absolutely adore the 30 Rock we have today (even if its for only about an hour more). And while I prepare for tonight's farewell, I have been reflecting back on the show's run. It really was such a clever show that bravely addressed race, gender, politics, and comedy without actually even trying to. Besides its quirk, that is what I admire most about the show. And while I'm very sad to see such a comedic milestone come to a close, thats not to say I'm not looking forward to a genius and poignant finale. So lets go to there, people. Because there ain't no party like a Liz Lemon party and a Liz Lemon party is...ending.

The Office: "Customer Loyalty"

So I was trying to get this post out all weekend. But for some reason I was finding it hard to articulate it in a way that made it sound worthy of a post. Then I realized I was making a mountain out of a molehill all over a quick minute of television. And every post doesn't need to be a dang essay.

Anyway, now to the point.

This is the ninth and final season of The Office, a show that has definitely dropped in quality over the years, but which remained one of my favorites out of habit and sentimentality. Its heyday is long past, but at its best it was hilarious and heartfelt, yet cringy and conventional. It was somehow standard and specific at the same time. When Steve Carrell left, the show lost its way a bit, but it still made me laugh (and what more could I ask from a comedy?). I accepted the fact that the story was going forward without Michael Scott (a decision I personally wasn't jazzed about) and that it was probably going to stumble along the way. But I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did because it somehow managed to reveal glimpses of former hilarity and heart. This ensemble is so in tune and professional, it remains hard to resist their charisma and comic relief. I'm glad the show has finally accepted it's time to leave, and I'm even more glad they are tying things up and pushing the story forward.

One thing I always loved about The Office was its acceptance that relationships grow, people change, careers progress, employees have secrets and interests and dreams, and that its okay to just let characters find each other and be together. Most shows would have dragged Jim/Pam out so much longer than The Office did. Greg Daniels isn't afraid to let relationships progress in relatable, natural ways. He still finds ways for there to be stakes and to keep things funny and fresh. This is something I've always admired about The Office (as well as Greg Daniels and Michael Schur's other amazing sitcom, Parks and Recreation).

However, for the past couple of seasons I've been fleetingly craving something else from The Office. For this documentary crew, through which we witness the weekly happenings of Dunder Mifflin, to become more involved with the goings on of these characters. I just felt that a crossover was bound to happen. I knew the writers were perfectly capable of it, and I was surprised they didn't do more with it. Yes there were references and creative flourishes now and again...but I honestly thought it was a missed opportunity that we at least didn't get an intoxicated Meredith propositioning a camera man (straight into the camera and unsettling viewers at home would have been perfect), or Kelly crushing on a sound-guy, or Ryan the egomaniac constantly blogging/tweeting about the crew. So upon this final season's premiere episode, I was very glad to see Jim and Pam talk to someone off camera, asking why the crew was still filming after all these years, only to actually hear a voice respond: telling them they wanted to see where Jim and Pam Halpert ended up, of course.

And then this past Thursday's episode happened. I feel like seasons and seasons have been leading up to the last five minutes of "Customer Loyalty" in which a raw and emotional fight between Pam and Jim led to a devastated Pam looking to the familiar faces behind the cameras for comfort and advice. And she actually received a sympathetic hug from a boom operator named Brian, who put down his equipment and got the cameras to turn away. They broke the fourth wall in those last five minutes and it was pretty riveting-- especially for a comedy that has "lost its way." It was emotional in way The Office has always done so well. We've known Jim and Pam for nine years, we've seen their friendship lead to love and marriage and family. We know them. And seeing that fight was actually really hard to watch (a true testament to both the actors, I have to say). That alone was story-telling I responded to. And then the show actually did something I thought they would have done long ago for a gag. But they pulled it out in a very tense moment instead. And I'm glad they chose such a dramatic and vulnerable moment to do it...to make it important, to spin the show on its head and actually shake things up a bit before bowing out in May.

Who knows where we go from here. Who knows how big of a part Brian and his crew will play going forward. Some people weren't a fan of this reveal. But I have to say, I'm truly excited to see what Greg Daniels-- who returned for this final season-- does now that this card is in play. I for one am excited about The Office in a way I haven't been in years, and truly intrigued by what they do with their final twelve episodes.