20 SHOWS YOU SHOULD HAVE WATCHED IN 2015
I'm back with another end of the year editorial covering all the juicy shows that you need to be catching up on. They are listed from 20 to 1. You can see last years list HERE.
Bloodline isn’t a show for everyone. For those looking for high-tension, fast-paced storytelling, you certainly won’t find it here. Instead, what you will find is one of the best slow-burn stories of the 2015 year. Boosted by fantastic performances by the main cast (most especially from Ben Mendelsohn), gorgeous cinematography, and engaging family intrigue, Bloodline is a show that rewards the patient viewer.
#19- THE FLASH- Season 2
Last season the show shot off like a cork out a bottle and became one of the best comic book adaptions to the small screen. After completing the first season in its entirety, I regret that I didn’t put it higher, and I'm hesitant to make that same mistake here. Season two, thus far, has been a bit of a step down from its predecessor, but it still retains all the charm of the original. I cannot wait for the second half of the season, which will no doubt deliver the same goods as last year.
#18- AGENTS OF S.I.E.L.D- Season 3
I had a lot of trouble trying to decide which show I liked more so far, The Flash or Agents of SHIELD. Honestly, I liked them both about the same, but I remember how stupid I felt after I put Agents of SHIELD above the Flash last year, which turned out to be premature when the later knocked the second half of the season out of the park. However, all I have to go off of is what I have seen, and there is no deny how far Agents of SHIELD has come as a show and has been ever improving since its creation. Thus far season 3 has been the best yet and a more graceful blending of the superhero and spy thriller genre.
#17- JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL- Miniseries
Thanks in large part to Game of Thrones, the floodgates have been opened to numerous other properties that were thought too big to fit into a single movie. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is a fantastic novel that the BBC brilliantly brings to life. Few have heard of it, but the show boasts impressive visual effects, a gripping story, and a unique mythology that will grab any fan of the fantasy genre. This one might have gone by unnoticed but certainly does not deserve to be forgotten.
#16- STAR WARS REBELS- Season 1 & 2
2015 was a good year for Star Wars. Not only did it put out one of the biggest and best blockbusters of the year, but it also was successful in its small screen attempts. Star Wars Rebels is a different animal from The Clone Wars (an animated anthology series set between Episode II and III). Rebels instead attempts to recapture the spirit of the original trilogy and does so successfully. The characters are fun, there is a central arc within the episodic structure, and the CGI animation is very impressive for TV quality (likely the best out there). As a huge animation buff, it is fantastic to see CGI TV properties taking huge leaps and bounds, and I can only hope that Rebels continues to get better and better as it continues.
#15- PENNY DREADFUL- Season 2
Where the first season was a marvel of production design, makeup, and acting, it suffered in the story department. Season 2 of Showtimes original series brought in their writing A game. With a villain with coherent motivations and a far more streamlines and better-written narrative, Penny Dreadful has now become a show that has reached its full potential.
#14- ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK- Season 3
Netflix is proving to have a little bit of trouble maintaining momentum in their third seasons for their original programming. House of Cards is the real example of this, turning away from political-murder-drama to a political- domestic spat- drama. Orange is the New Black also had some stumbling blocks in its third go around, but unlike House of Cards, it maintained the same appeal of previous seasons with love-hate characters and a brilliant blend of drama and comedy.
#13- DOCTOR WHO- Series 9
I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who for one simple reason—it is the ultimate sandbox for writers. Nothing is considered too over the top or outlandish. Because of this, it creates some truly unique and fascinating stories that you can't find anywhere else. Unfortunately, this also leads to some off and on stinker episodes. Regardless, Doctor Who is overall one of the most fun and unique science fiction shows out there and continues its run as one of the longest lasting and enduring shows out there.
#12- THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE- Season 1
Amazon has been searching for a breakout hit on the level of Netflix’s House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and Daredevil—and it may have finally found it in this ambitious drama The Man in the High Castle. Taking place in an alternate history where the Allies lost World War II, the Man in the High Castle is an intriguing new world to dive into, with likable leads, great production value and plenty of mystery. This show is one to check out for any history buffs and science fiction fans.
#11- MR. ROBOT- Season 1
The surprise hit of the summer season, Mr. Robot may owe a lot to Fight Club, but it still has a voice of its own that makes it stand out from the crowd. The main success comes from a combination of well written and shot tension and the knowledge that you cannot trust the main protagonists perspective in the slightest, giving a sense of unbelievability and causing the audience to constantly question what is real or fake.
#10- JESSICA JONES- Season 1
Marvel typically has been seen as a more family friendly franchise, but Netflix gives them the perfect venue for stretching their legs and exploring more adult oriented content. And Jessica Jones is about as adult as it comes, coving topics such as post-traumatic stress, murder, and rape. This second Netflix-Marvel collaboration doesn’t fail to deliver. Some may even disagree with me for putting it lower than Daredevil. But to them I say, this is may list, damn it!
#9- ASH VS. EVIL DEAD- Season 1
After the first misguided attempt to reboot the Evil Dead Franchise, the series returns to its roots with this fantastic little series with Bruce Campbell reprising his iconic role of Ash. Unlike the 2014 film, Ash vs. Evil Dead has a tone more in keep with Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness, serving as primarily a comedy with a horror undertones. Campbell is as wackily phenomenal as ever, and the show remains bloody gory goodness with a twisted sense of humor.
#8- SILICON VALLEY- Season 2
After a fantastic premiere season, Silicon Valley returns in fine form. I’m still of the opinion that the show is too short and could use a larger episode order, but that is hardly a mark against it. All that means is I just want more of a good thing.
#7- HANNIBAL- Season 3 final
The news of this show's cancelation was one of the biggest disappointments of the 2015 TV season. Hannibal remains one of the best shows produced by network TV. With gorgeous cinematography and phenomenal performances, this should have been a long-running and healthy series. Though the show ends, it at least leaves off in a good place, even if it's not entirely loyal to the source material. It also finds time to re-adapt material from Red Dragon and does so in a way that doesn’t feel like a re-run of the Edward Norton helmed film. Hannibal was little watched but should be respected by any fan of the horror-psycho-thriller genre.
#6- Rick & Morty- Season 2
This animated series could be known as the Doctor Who of comedy. Sure, it is more a parody of Back to the Future, but much like Doctor Who, it is a massive sandbox where the writers can create and do anything in their imagination, leading to a plethora of highly imaginative comedic situations with storylines that are quite literally out of this world.
#5- DAREDEVIL- SEASON 1
Daredevil seemed like an odd choice to turn into a tv show. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, the character was considered one of Marvel’s most profitable properties. Certainly he would be better suited for the big screen, right? Wrong! With more adult themes and a darker direction, Netflix managed to give us a Daredevil adaption that Disney distribution would never have touched. Netflix knocked this one out of the park and gave us one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) TV comic book adaption yet. Bring on season 2 already.
#4- JUSTIFIED- Season 6 final
Another show that I was sad to see go. Justified, similar to Hannibal, was a show cut before its time had come. The show runners wanted to see another two seasons but were forced to condense it down to one. Despite this decision, the show went out with a bang, giving us the best season of the entire run of the show. The showdown between Givens and Crowder lived up to its potential and turned Justified into a must-watch for any self-respecting western fan.
#3- BETTER CALL SAUL- Season 1
Spin-offs of popular tv shows rarely work and they tend to land flat on their face. Thankfully, such wasn’t the case for Better Call Saul, a spin-off of the critically lauded Breaking Bad. This show has a completely different feel, leaning more in the gray area of Dramedy rather than an outright drama. Even better, the show does not overly rely on Breaking Bad. You could watch Better Call Saul having never seen an episode of its sister show, and it would be understandable, easy to follow, and engaging.
#2- FARGO- Season 2
After True Detective, the breakout anthology series of last year over inflated then popped in its sophomore season. That little disaster started to get me a bit nervous about what FX was bringing to the table with Fargo's return. Fortunately, the show delivered just as much as last year, giving us a bloody, tense, funny, and ludicrous show filled with an abundance of colorful characters. What more could you possibly ask for? Watch it now!
#1- GAME OF THRONES- Season 5
Running low on material, the fifth season of the popular fantasy series had to fill a lot of gaps in its 5th season run. Some of these changes were better received than others, but it doesn't change the fact that Game of Thrones remained the tensest and most binge-worthy show of 2015. Every episode had you sitting on the edge of you seat and eagerly awaiting the next. This season also marked the end of George R.R. Martin’s material and the future seasons will have to adapt off of his notes or create a path of their own. We can only wait to see if the show can maintain its quality without Martin’s writing to bolster it. The training wheels are off now. We’ll see in season 5 if the showrunners can stay upright without them.
What do you think? Agree, disagree? Tell me some of your favorite shows and rankings in the comment section below!