As the year comes to a close and due to the holidays everything is going into rerun mode, here are my picks for the best shows of 2011.
Homeland
I tuned into this show because I was a huge fan of 24 (it also didn't hurt that Homeland shares the same producers) but as I got into it, it became one of the most nail-biting shows of the year. It's well written, the acting is superb, and if Claire Danes doesn't win the Golden Globe for playing a bi-polar CIA agent who falls for an American POW (played by the excellent Damian Lewis) who may or not be a muslim terrorist, there's no justice in the world.
The Walking Dead
While I was bummed that Executive Producer Frank Darabont was fired, there was no telling that the show suffered the usual sophomore slump. It was nice to see the show slow down in one place (temporarily) but I was a little disappointed that there weren't alot of kills this season, but the writing and acting definitely made up for it. Norman Reedus stepping his game up this season as Darryl proved why he's a fan favorite, and Shane turned out to be the most unpredictable son of a bitch in television history. The second half of season 2 (which premieres in February) can't get here fast enough.
Justified
Timothe Olyphant returned to the second season as lawman Rayland Givens and just like the first season gave the most electrifying performance of his career. There was a lot going on in season 2, but unlike other shows where they suffer from too many cooks in the kitchen, the writers definitely kept the plots in focus. Givens battled a decades-long feud against the Bennett family, which was started by ruthless matriarch and drug queenpin Mags Bennett (played by scene-stealer and Emmy winner Margo Martindale), his anti-hero best friend Boyd Crowder (The Shields' Walton Goggins) and his own personal demons. When mags killed her neighbor who had betrayed her by poisoning him with moonshine, and had the nerve to take in his daughter to raise as her own, her character became one of the most superlative villains in TV history. A series filled with unpredictable, complex characters and superb writing is exactly how stories should be told on television. Which takes us to...
American Horror Story
Certialy this freshman series had plenty of oh shit moments (which is usually expected in a Ryan Murphy series), but it's the same reason why you can't stop watching this fucking awesomely entertaining series. AHS follows a family looking to start over who moves into a notorious Murder House filled with ghosts is scary, creepy, campy, and emotional. I was particularly intrigued with all the back story between the living and the dead, and how they impacted each other (where else will you see a ghost raping a woman and impregnating her with a demon baby?) Hands-down terrific performances by Jessica Lange (who deserves an Emmy), Connie Britton, Taissa Farmiga, Evan Peters, Zachary Quinto, Frances Conroy, and Denis O’Hare.
The Good Wife
One of the things that has always annoyed me about network television is that there are so many procedural dramas on the mainstream 5. I guess in the minds of execs they're easier to guarantee ratings. The Good Wife is not one of those shows. While it does follow the serialized formula of a different case every episode, what makes the show stand out is the complex working aand personal relationships between the characters on the show. Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) imploded friendship with legal investigator Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) after discovering that Kalinda had slept with Alicia's politician husband Peter (Chris Noth). The sexual relationship between Alicia and her boss Will (Josh Charles), and becoming torn between her duties as a mother and a separated wife asked alot of questions between the characters and the moral code of the audience watching. I love this show so much I can't wait for the winter break to be over for new episodes to start up again.
Game of Thrones
HBO has always been great when it comes to casting (which included Sean Bean, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, and the magnificent actors playing the Stark children), but one thing showrunners in David Benioff and D.B. Weiss proved in the 10-episode series based on the best-selling novels by George R.R. Martin, is that everyone is expendable, including your lead actor. Production values were excellent in scope, lots of sex and violence, superb acting, conspiracy plots, family bonds, and the survival of humanity in a land where magic had its last gasp centuries ago. If you haven't seen this show yet, check it out on demand before the new season starts up in the Spring.
Boardwalk Empire
Speaking of which, I'm still bummed over the writers of this compelling series killing off another lead character James Normady (played by the excellent Michael Pitt) by the hands of his mentor Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi). There was a lot going on this season as the young bucks tried to take out Nucky (which lead to James' demise), religious by-the-book cop Van Alden (Michael Shannon) attempting to keep an illegitimate child a secret from his barren wife, Margaret (Kelly Macdonald) feeling the weight of guilt over lying, stealing and cheating on Nucky (Steve Buscemi) and trying to keep it together after her daughter is stricken with polio-stricken, Richard Harrow (the excellent Jack Huston) contemplating suicide,
or Jimmy (Michael Pitt) dealing with the murder of his lesbian wife (Aleksa Palladino) and his secret sexual relationship with his mother (Gretchen Mol). Now that Nucky has gone gangster and has literally gotten blood on his hands after murdering his former protégé, her's to season three that it will become more like The Sopranos and less soap-opera-y
Awkward.
After the success of jersey Shore, since MTv no-longer plays music videos the network had decided to create some original programming and boy were they on the money. Awkward. turned out to be one of my favorite half-hour non-laugh track comedies of the year. The series follows Jenna Hamilton (Ashley Rickards) as she goes through some of the worst years of her life in high school. The dialogue is laugh out loud funny and proves to the viewer why Awkward. is just so...awkward.
Torchwood: Miracle Day
I have been a fan of Torchwood ever since it was on BBC. Once it moved to Starz (where it was guaranteed to get a bigger budget) I was beyond excited. But when the series aired, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. The stories were a bit confusing at times, and the show seemed to be filled with more ideas than a complete focus. I understand we needed to add Americans (Mekhi Phifer and Alexa Havins) to the show to bring in a new audience, but if this show is renewed for a new season I hope they can get it together. Where else on TV is there a lead on a sci fi series who also happens to be gay?
Other TV Favorites:
Hot In Cleveland
The Exes
Subergatory
Strike Back
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
The Hard Times of R.J. Berger
The Vampire Diaries
Dexter
Ringer
Once Upon a Time
Teen Wolf
Death Valley
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