Favorite Television Shows of 2015
It’s that time of year—top ten lists!
This year, I’ll be compiling top ten lists (or top ten-ish because I don’t have it in my heart to make the cutoff point at ten) for my favorite albums, songs, films, and television shows of the past year.
Disclaimer alert: if I have not finished the current season of a given television show (e.g. all network television shows that are halfway through their current seasons), I will mention it in the honorable mentions below.
To start them off, here are my favorite television shows of 2015!
10. Girls, HBO (Season 4)
Because part of growing up is about making hard choices—choosing who we want to become, what kind of life you want to lead, and who we want along the ride. Girls drives me insane sometimes with its inconsistency, but for all of its WTF moments, it also has some incredible highs, like this one:
GET IT TOGETHER, BITCH. And let’s be real—the girl probably deserved it.
9. Orange is the New Black, Netflix (Season 3)
OITNB has always been at its best when seamlessly sharing the stories of these inmates, even those that we sometimes forget about (e.g. Chang). Without a central villain like Vee last year, however, this season struggled a bit in finding cohesion. Regardless, some of the heights reached throughout the season—most notably, the delicate handling of Pennsatucky’s rape by a heinous prison guard—make it some of the most noteworthy television of this past year.
8. Game of Thrones, HBO (Season 5)
Before I begin: look, bitch—you have absolutely no right to bitch about spoilers about a show that wrapped up its most recent season in JUNE. That damn Mariah Christmas song is STILL playing in every mall, so guess what? IT’S NOT JUNE.
Now, with that out of the way, this season of Game of Thrones was probably my least favorite season thus far—the Dorne storyline was an absolute mess and featured one of the most horrific lines I’ve ever heard on television. That said, it’s still one of the most hotly anticipated television shows week after week (for good reason) and and produced some glorious hours of television (”Hardhome”, “Mother’s Mercy”). And let’s be real—all of us still DIE when something like this happens:
Burn, bitch, burnnnnnnn.
7. Show Me A Hero, HBO
Let’s get something straight: I will watch anything that Oscar Isaac is in, so when HBO announced a six-part miniseries starring Oscar Isaac, I didn’t really care what the show was about, I was just excited to watch this man give a hell of a performance and NOT be rewarded for it (still annoyed by the lack of an Oscar nomination for Inside Llewyn Davis for a man named OSCAR, but whatever).
Little did I know that over the course of six hours, David Simon and Paul Haggis would piece together a show that was dense with political machinations, but never once lost sight of the individuals and their stories that get caught up in the political fray. By the end of the six hours, I felt such a burden weighing down on me. Perhaps it was because there was a cultural resonance, given the issues it addresses that remains all too real to this day. Or maybe it was because when you really think about it, rarely are there any heroes left to live their own tales. Regardless, it was an excellent miniseries—probably the best of the year—and it is an important work of television.
6. Looking, Season 2 (HBO)
When people refer to Looking as a “gay television show,” I can’t help but feel slightly agitated. Sure, it’s about 30-something gays in San Francisco, but to reduce this television show to a “gay television show” would be to overlook the incredibly universal stories that these characters have to tell, regardless of whether one is gay or straight (I can’t remember any other television show that addresses dating someone who is HIV-positive in such a real and sensitive way—and last time I checked, HIV/AIDS is NOT a gay disease). Reducing it to a “gay television show” overlooks the detailed, nuanced character work that intertwines to create this gem of a show. Reducing it to a “gay television show” would lead you to possibly miss one of the best 30 minutes of television all year (”Looking For A Plot”) that led me to find one of the most cathartic experiences of grieving my dad’s passing.
However, what annoys me most about people referring to it as a “gay television show” is that it’s probably the reason why a lot of people ended up missing out on it and it is most likely the reason why the best show featuring gay storylines that actually felt relatable, as opposed to campy, was cancelled.
But I guess we have the special Looking movie finale to look forward to.
5. Jane the Virgin, Season 2
Sobbing uncontrollably as I re-watch Gina Roriguez’s Golden Globe speech, excuse me.
“It [the Golden Globe] represents a culture that wants to see themselves as heroes.”
Okay, crying again. Pause.
Jane the Virgin. The little show on the little network that could. How did a show about a girl who’s artificially inseminated by her former-fling-turned-boss-turned-lover’s sister turn into one of my favorite shows and must-see television?
I have no idea, really, but I am so glad that this show appeared when it did. In its first season, the show effortlessly bounced back and forth between its telenovela elements and its heartfelt core; and in its second season, in a sign of what was to come, the writers smartly decided to resolve the cliffhanger of season one’s finale in the first half hour of its hour back on television and boldly continue burning through plot, not undermining any of its characters’ stories, and seamlessly keeping us at the edge of our seats—all while making a few bold political statements along the way.
And it gave us Gina Rodriguez (who is on her way to becoming a huge star—and deservedly so) who probably did not know that by playing Jane Villanueva, she would inspire so many people who are not beautiful white people that they, too, could be seen as heroes.
#TeamRafael #RogelioMyBrogelio #AbrahamLimOnJTV
4. Veep, Season 4 (HBO)
Veep has also been filled with jokes galore, insults (many of which I plan on using in my own daily conversations with people once enough time has passed since the season’s finale in June), and stellar acting from a cast whose talents are just sickening.
But this season also felt a little darker, particularly with Amy’s meltdown and Gary and Selina’s war of words. Moments like these showed significant character growth, but more importantly, it showed that while some of these people absolutely suck at their jobs (love you, Selina, but I’m looking right at you) and are in Washington DC for God-knows-what-reason, there are those who actually care about this country, no matter how self-motivated they may seem on the outside.
Veep is one of those shows that I look forward to week after week, but this season, it surprised me and—dare I say it—moved me, even.
Oh, and fun fact: days after the season finale in June, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President of the United States, giving this satirical political comedy all the more cultural relevance. One is hilarious, the other... not so much. VOTE.
3. The Americans, Season 3 (FX)
It’s kind of sad when there is a show that is as great as The Americans, yet it’s met with such little fanfare and gets little to no awards recognition.
Since watching the season finale, I’ve thought about that from time to time (you know, along with things of grave importance like who the next POTUS will be, global warming, etc). Perhaps it’s because The Americans doesn’t give you hashtag-worthy moments. With every line of dialogue written with intention and both short- and long-term goals in mind, it requires your patience. It’s not exactly fire-breathing dragons (though I love me some fire-breathing dragons) or cooking drugs in the middle of the desert (though I love me some drug cooking in the middle of the desert).
You would think that a show centered on two KGB spies would involve more shoot-offs, explosions, and things we see in the spy movies nowadays, but it’s often just a conversation or how straightforward deaths are depicted on this show that sends chills down your spine. What’s even more riveting is the collision of worlds—the US and the Soviet Union, work and family, secrets and the truth—and how those lines may sometimes blur in the face of some very high stakes.
Speaking of high stakes... PAIGE! DO THE RIGHT THING! BUT WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING.
2. Transparent, Season 1 + 2 (Amazon)
Transparent. Oh, Transparent.
As an actor, it’s part of my job to watch as many films and television shows as I possibly can. I’m happy to say that there are many entertaining shows that keep my attention. I think it’s semi-true—we are living in a golden age of television. Then, there are those rare shows that you are downright thankful to be able to see week after week and the idea that one day the show will no longer be in existence fills you with grief. Transparent is one of those shows.
What’s remarkable about this show is not just how it manages to push its investigation of sexuality and gender forward, but how it manages to do so effortlessly showing you the complex intricacies of a family, even it means pulling it apart by the thread.
I’ve watched episode after episode and have judged every single one of these characters at least once (often times, more than once). However, what’s remarkable about these characters—and this show’s writing—is that right after said judgment of characters, I immediately feel guilt for limiting them to my worldview. Transparent stretches me. It stretches how I see the world and the people that inhabit it. And we all want to be seen.
1. Mad Men, Season 7 (AMC)
A perfect and heartwrenching farewell.
Honorable Mentions:
Catastrophe, Season 1 (Amazon) Master of None, Season 1 (Netflix) The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst (HBO) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Season 1 (CW) Quantico, Season 1 (ABC) How to Get Away With Murder, Season 2 (ABC) Chef’s Table (Netflix) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Season 1 (Netflix)
