Better late than never >_____>
Top Ten
Chernobyl
Watchmen
Mr. Robot
Barry
Succession
The Mandalorian
Stranger Things
The Boys
Fleabag
Mindhunter
Top Ten
Chernobyl
ThereAre4Lights said:A tale of terrifying bureaucracy and stupidity, along with a lot of courageous people who tried to keep things from falling apart. It made me alternately jittery and weepy every other ten minutes.
Paquete_PT said:A masterpiece. No show since Breaking Bad was this consistently good, every single detail was tuned to perfection, every performance was on point. It helps that this was a real event and the fear is real, but the overall package is of insane value. No show this year captivated me as much.
PoeticProse22 said:Vividly and devastatingly drawn, Chernobyl is riveting even in the minutiae of the story it's telling. The hopelessness inherent to this story was illustrated remarkably well, benefited further by excellent direction and some very tightly crafted and expertly paced storytelling. One of the most noteworthy elements of this series was its striking cinematography. From the desolation of an abandoned city to the numerous excursions into perilous environments, the setting was consistently accentuated in order to heighten a bleakness that permeated the series to chilling effect. This melancholic dread afforded a heightened potency to the dramatic flourishes strewn throughout. On that note, Hildur Guonadottir's music was marvelous, as it pulsated with a disquieting thrum that evoked a constantly simmering tension. Jared Harris, once again, delivered an exceptional performance. Similar to his work in The Terror, he conveys so many subtle emotions within the canvas of restraint. Emily Watson, Jessie Buckley, and Stellan Skarsgard were also excellent and affecting within their roles.
Watchmen
hydruxo said:A very interesting take on Watchmen that really surprised me. Stellar performances from the whole cast but Regina King and Jeremy Irons were the standouts.
Blader said:Like Twin Peaks and Game of Thrones before it, this was appointment television for me, something I couldn't just wait until the next day to catch up on. A brilliant follow-up to Alan Moore's original graphic novel, perfectly calibrated to telling a story about Watchmen in 2019 and addressing the pervasive evils of racism, white supremacy, and generational trauma in a frank and innovative manner. Some episodes are better than others (the Nostalgia trip through Will Reeves' memories in episode 6 is a clear standout) but the writing, direction, cinematography, production design, and especially performances across the board are outstanding. Both new and old characters are handled so so well, from Regina King's Angela to Tim Blake Nelson's Looking to Jean Smart's Laurie to particularly Jeremy Irons' Veidt. These nine episodes were utterly fascinating to watch, and had my eyes glued to the screen for every moment of the season. Also the music just fucking rocks. My favorite TV show of the year.
dancingphlower said:Incredible writing and performances. A fantastic follow-up to the graphic novel.
Mr. Robot
NewDayMarch said:Rami Malek's work this year, on this show, was the best acting I saw in 2019.. The therapy scene (you know it if you saw it) was numbing and heart-wrenching. I came to this show late, so I missed its quick rise of cultural ascendence (and also sudden fall out of the spotlight). I just had to watch the show as a show. Anyone sick of story beats being affected by franchising methodology or merch should watch this as a pallette cleanser-this is very clearly, a vision brought to the screen.
Scottt said:the entire final season contained peaks in formal innovation, paired with a beautiful conclusion to the story
RastaMentality said:Outstanding series finale and probably a top 3 final season ever. Between this and Halt and Catch Fire, my tech itch was properly scratched. This year the tech drama delved into its human relationships, most importantly the brother-sister relationship on the show and gave Rami Malik and Carly Chaikin the finest work of their careers. The final three minutes of this show will linger in my head for a very long fucking time. Sam Esmail is now my most anticipated director in TV.
Barry
TripOpt55 said:I have always preferred my comedies dramatic (think Scrubs and Frasier) and my dramas to be able to deliver laughs (like Fringe or The O.C. so often did). It is no surprise to see my list made up largely of shows that can handle both comedy and drama. Barry – the HBO series about the titular hitman trying to escape his old life and start anew as an actor – is one such show. It seems to deliver heavy dramatic beats and laugh-out loud moments in equal measure. And it does so in the economical 30-minute dramedy format – a format that has been growing more popular to my absolute delight! Barry didn't reinvent the wheel in Season 2, but it did seem to fire on all cylinders in a way it never quite did during its freshman outing. It's hysterical and dark and always prepared to hit you with an unexpected swerve of some kind. And it's still got Anthony Carrigan's hilarious NoHo Hank. What other show can say that?!
Fitts said:"ronny/lily" is the single best episode of television to air in 2019. And that episode is just a small piece of one of the best seasons of television over the past year. Every plot beat feeds a ridiculously compelling narrative of laughs, drama, twists, and turns without a single frame wasted. Season one was excellent, but season 2 surpassed it in every way and has cemented Barry as must-watch television.
Joeku said:Effortlessly genre-crossing and impeccably performed. Stephen Root is the GOAT character actor.
Succession
BeeDog said:I haven't had this much fun watching a show that's full of assholes. Impeccable script, excellent acting, intriguing setup.
Lotus said:This show is actually the main reason I didn't make this list much earlier (and then ended up procrastinating anyways). After all the buzz I saw for it, I felt that I'd be remiss to not watch it first. And I'm glad as hell that I did, because goddamn this show was fantastic. But what ended up selling me on the show very quickly was the realization that it wasn't some overly stuffy drama (though it is very good at that), but actually a black comedy. I didn't expect this show to make me laugh as much as it did.
Captjohnboyd said:A masterfully written and acted show. Topical, cynical, biting humour, pathos. I really enjoyed the first season but the second has elevated it to my number one must watch show. They way the writers transition from awful tragedy to gut busting humor is nothing short of amazing but the bigger surprise to me is how much they manage to make you identify and in some cases even feel bad for such reprehensible people. Credit to the actors as well. There's not a single weak link on the show. I'd give a particular shout out to Jeremy Strong who plays damaged goods as well as anyone on TV right now. In a time in which the wealth gap is widening and right wing media is ruining the world it's nice to see some billionaires miserable for an hour a week, even if it's not real
The Mandalorian
Voras said:This is the Star Wars show I've been waiting for for so long. It so perfectly captures the fun of the best parts of the Star Wars movies. Baby Yoda is great. The comedy is great. I love how the show digs into the lore of the Mandalorians and of the Star Wars galaxy post galactic civil war. Carl Weathers absolutely nails the over enthusiastic bounty hunter guild leader and is a joy to watch. The show also had a great collection of directors from Taika Waititi, to Bryce Dallas Howard, to Deborah Chow who has already been picked to helm the Obi-Wan show.
BDS said:This show got off to a great start. Mando is cool, baby Yoda is an instant classic, and it has cool Star Wars action on a weekly basis...plus some dope teases for future seasons.
Voras said:This is the Star Wars show I've been waiting for for so long. It so perfectly captures the fun of the best parts of the Star Wars movies. Baby Yoda is great. The comedy is great. I love how the show digs into the lore of the Mandalorians and of the Star Wars galaxy post galactic civil war. Carl Weathers absolutely nails the over enthusiastic bounty hunter guild leader and is a joy to watch. The show also had a great collection of directors from Taika Waititi, to Bryce Dallas Howard, to Deborah Chow who has already been picked to helm the Obi-Wan show.
Stranger Things
hydruxo said:My favorite show of the last five years. It just hits all the right notes for me. I'm more invested in the characters on this show than any other show on tv right now and season 3 was a wonderful and heartbreaking ride. Also loved the introduction of Robin, who is now one of my favorite characters on the show. There's a scene between her and Steve that was just incredibly well written and acted. It felt like something out of a John Hughes movie and I loved it so much.
Rivenblade said:the mall! The monster! Steve! They haven't topped season 1, but this was a fun time through and through.
NKnight7 said:Again, it was another great season for Stranger Things. The shift to a summer setting with traditional summer elements like the public swimming pool to the 4th of July Fair really helped to make this season stand out, as well as the great returning characters and new characters (especially Maya Hawke's Robin.) The storyline was just as entertaining too, having both fun and humorous moments to the more dark and sad moments. This is easily one of Netflix's best properties, and this season just further showed that.
The Boys
SlayerSaint said:This show came out of nowhere to surprise me, it's a nice take on the superhero genre after the cookie cutter MCU (which I like but it gets stale, y'know?). Antony Starr absolutely kills it as Homelander for my favorite new TV character of the year - by far. Very well acted, some great dark humor, this show has it all, including tons of edginess but it works. Eagerly await season 2.
lucky300 said:This is absolutely the best superhero themed TV show I have ever seen, and my favorite TV show of the year. It's not really what I expected at all, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Can't wait for season 2!
NKnight7 said:The Boys was addicting to say the least. When the season premiered I was glued to my screen for every episode and now I'm left waiting for the next season, which will be a hard wait. It was very fun watching this dark comedy and seeing how dark and twisted these superheroes could be. It can be gory, funny, and exhilarating to watch, and is probably one of my surprise hits of the year in terms of television.
Fleabag
TripOpt55 said:It isn't often that I enjoy when a piece of fiction breaks the fourth wall and yet every smirk or cocked eyebrow that Fleabag's titular character shot my way during its first season was enough to send me into hysterics. The fact that Season 2 managed to include a revelation that made that whole concept even more enjoyable is one of the many reasons it sits atop my list of 2019's best shows. Fleabag's star and creator, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, makes every precious moment of the series' short, six-episode sophomore season count. From the opening episode – an awkward family dinner that manages to introduce (or reintroduce) all the season's primary characters while simultaneously delivering the funniest half-hour of television all year – to the series' bittersweet, yet fitting final moments; from the will-they-won't-they between PWB's character and an unlikely love interest to the awkward evolution of the relationship she has with her sister, I loved every bit of Fleabag's second season. I wrestled with where to rank most of this list, except for this show. It's been in the pole position ever since I watched it on its US release in May and none of the admittedly great shows that have aired since has made me rethink its placement one bit. Fleabag was simply my favorite show on television in 2019.
Starphanluke said:What can I say? It has already skyrocketed into being my favorite show of all time. The wit, the charm, the incredible use of the 4th wall as a measure of growth within the character of Fleabag herself. *Chef's Kiss* Every character is either immensely likeable or loathsome in just the perfect way (looking at you, Godmother), and there isn't an inch of fat in the show.
Static_Void said:This show was fantastic. I was captivated by Fleabag's second season from beginning to end. What Phoebe Waller-Bridge did really is impressive. There's a kind of honesty to this show that makes the 4th wall breaking aspect really work and interesting. This season was so hilarious and touching. And even though the ending was perfect, it breaks my heart that we will probably never see a third season.
Mindhunter
Linus815 said:Contrary to others, I actually found the 2nd season to be more compelling than the first. I thought that the character arc, story arcs were more clearly defined, and, while it had less of what made the show truly special in the first case (the interviews), the deep dive into the child murders was absolutely fantastic. The finale did an incredible job at communicating how frustrating and desperate the situation must have been at the time.
Disco said:Fincher and co doing what they do best with the slow burn serial killer investigation. Loved that they weaved in the racial climate and problems that would arise from white cops investigating those particular murders. Holt McAllany has so much charisma just playing an everyman.
Natiko said:I love this show. The mood, the characters, the dialogue - it's all incredibly engrossing and well done. Truly hope it gets to keep going. Don't hurt my heart Netflix.
