[Aptorian]

It's that time of year again where everybody is making lists and nominating books, films, games, etc. as their favorite entries within their medium, genre, era, etc. Such lists are always a great source of entertainment and discussion. Lists of favorites are by their nature always subjective and are often controversial, as fanboys and diehards call each other out and threaten to kill their respective families. A warm and wholesome Christmas tradition all in all.

So why not hear what the Malazan denizens think? Tell us what you watched this year. Did you finally cut the cord and get that Netflix subscription? Did you manage to go an entire season without an asshole spoiling GOT or Westworld? Did your favorite show get cancelled? What stood out this year? What did you especially like? What did you hate?

If you want try and make a top ten of your favorite shows or episodes, or a top 100 or just pick one show you really liked and want to tell us about. There are no rules or limits.

This post has been edited by Apt: 15 December 2016 - 04:14 PM

[Aptorian]

I don't watch a lot of television any longer but this year I did manage to cram in a bunch of shows. Usually I just binge the occasional series off of Netflix or HBO. Off the stuff I watched, the most notable mentions would be:

I watched Mr. Robot season 1 + 2 this year. A phenomenal show that, much like Hannibal, does as much entertaining with it's scenery and cinematography as the actual acting and storytelling.

Mr. Robot is a crazy show about crazy people. But it also crams a lot of social, economic and political commentary in there. I've been impressed with how the show has evolved it's characters over the two seasons I watched and it's managed to surprise and shock me more than once. I think the second season was sort of meh in terms of progress but boy is this show good.

I've also managed to catch up on Game of Thrones. For the longest time I held the position that I wouldn't watch this show before Martin finished A song of Ice and Fire. But at some point I accepted that will never happen, so why not just watch the damn thing.

I binge watched all 60 or so episodes in less than 2 weeks. Man that was a good ride. Turns out I was really missing out. GOT is one of those shows that reminds you just how far TV-production has come and how damn good the overall quality of an HBO show can be.

I loved how they brought the books to life on page. The actors they cast are forever burned into my head as the real life book character. I cannot wait to see how the hell they wrap this story up.


Daredevil Season 2 was really good for the first part of the season and then the show sort of lost me again. I wont get into the really spoilerific stuff but the way they wrapped it was almost boring.

However one of the best TV things of the year also came out of DD Season 2. The Punisher character in this season was an amazing portrait of the comic book anti-hero. Somehow they managed to make the Punisher both a really sympathetic victim and a monstrous killer whom you would run away from if you saw him coming at you. I can still remember the sounds from that stabbing scene in the cafe.

Marvel's Luke Cage started out cool but I thought this was a very disappointing show. The writers never managed to figure out how to write a story around Cage's powers and the Big Bad of the season was not just dumb but also just really lame. Like, I can appreciate the homage to the 70s marvel stories, but that shit doesn't work in 2016.

I've also watched the first two episodes of Westworld. Holy shit this show is good. Like, wow. I imagine they could still manage to drop it all on the ground before I watch the rest but they sure did cram a ton of potential into this show.

There's so much mystery and grossness in those two episodes. Much like Battlestar Galactica there's that question about who is a visitor and who is a toaster, who is the zookeeper and where does the zoo begin and end? Really love how they use Ed Harris and Anthony Hopkins. Those two just chew up the scenery.

This post has been edited by Apt: 15 December 2016 - 05:26 PM

[Primateus]

Strange things, this awesome show took my back to the eighties in a spectacular fashion. It had the right feeling and the proper setting. On the production side they had really done a great job to create the right atmosphere and the right ambiance that would make viewers feel like they were watching a Spielberg Scifi movie from the eighties again. Not to mention it had a good story, with a suspect bad guy and a monster for added threat. I will definitely recommend this show to other people anytime anywhere.

The Expanse. These books, along with Tour of the Merrimack are probably among my most favourite scifi books and certainly the best I've read for at least over a decade. And The Expanse tv series did not disappoint at all. Sure, it was a little different from the books, but that was to be expected. The flow of the show, the production value and the effort put in by the actors made this show one of my best experiences on the TV side of things this year.

[Aptorian]

Oh right, Stranger Things! Really liked the production and setting and really didn't get the story. Way too familiar and predictable, but on the other hand it was also like reliving all those TV shows and films from the 80s. Like I wrote in the Stranger Things thread, that show felt like coming home. Like a door in your mind opening and letting you travel back to the way the world looked when you were a kid.

It might be an "Only 80s and 90s kids will know" sort of opinion, but I really think this was a show that was made for those of us who grew up with Twin Peaks, Stephen King, Rosanne and similar cultural icons.

This post has been edited by Apt: 15 December 2016 - 05:38 PM

[QuickTidal]

Let's see:

The best shows of 2016, eh?

....since there has yet to be any DOCTOR WHO this year (thanks Steve Moffat, you choad!)

Well, STRANGER THINGS is easily on top this year. Binged that hard, and was impressed not only with the intriguing story, but the characters (and actors playing them), the nostalgia, the combination of creep+adventure worthy of speilbergian 80's movies, and basically the whole premise. Just excellent throughout.

THE CROWN, at times a slowish burn, but if you have ANY interest in the monarchy of Elizabeth II from the beginning, and the politicking and history making that occurred behind closed doors, you can't find a better show. Since DOWNTOWN went off the air, this show has scratched my "posh historical drama" itch. Plus, Matt Smith is in it.

LEGENDS OF TOMORROW. Originally the schmaltziest of the DC CW shows, LoT has become by second favourite this year (after FLASH, which is still my all time fave), with much tighter plotting, pacing, villains, and overall entertainment. They've learned how to tell a multi-person team saga without feeling the need to focus evenly on each member. It's almost a completely different show in second season.

GAME OF THRONES, now that we've bypassed the point where everyone is in the books this show is EVEN better than it was because now none of us know what's gonna happen! Anyways, fantastic as always. Though, we no longer have HBO (which means I've not watch WESTWORLD...but thankfully I've avoided every spoiler and know nothing about it) so next year we shall have to get that back.

THE ROYALS...there have only been 2 eps this season so far, and it's already damned good fun! But then, I love this show, so this was expected.


LAstly, THE 100 is still a damned fantastic show, even though S3 had some questionable narrative choices.

[Dadding]

My Top 10:

1. Game of Thrones
No brainer. So good. Always so good. I like the show a lot more than the books. It cuts out all the superfluous content, and really focuses a plot that I think is way too much "X character went to Castle Y and met Z, A, B, and C who we'll never meet again".

2. Westworld
Been a fan of Jimmi Simpson since seeing him in Person of Interest, then there's Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Ed Harris, and Anthony Hopkins too. It's hard not to like with a cast like that.

3. Black Mirror
Before season 3 came out I binge watched all the other episodes and each and every one of them was perfect. Except for maybe The Waldo Moment. Fifteen Million Merits was my personal favourite, I can see ads that stop when you close your eyes becoming a thing any moment now.

4. Limitless
A truly underrated show that's now cancelled, based off the movie with Bradley Cooper - he's in the show but not the main character. Take a pill and become super smart? Love it.

5. Stranger Things
I don't often gravitate towards horror, but this one was worth it. And so many references floating around that I felt like I had to watch it.

6. Mr. Robot
Less green characters on black background and furious finger flinging that your usual "hacker" show, which was refreshing.

7. Frequency
First season isn't done yet, but it's on Netflix. Police / crime procedural with a dose of time travel. Enjoying watching it with the roommates.

8. Daredevil
Still not as good as Jessica Jones in my opinion, but it's a Marvel Netflix show which makes it good enough to make the list.

9. The Night Of
Really enjoyed this one and finished it quite quickly. Keeps you guessing the whole-way through, poignant commentary on prison.

10. Guilty Pleasure Pick: Scream
Watched this Netflix Horror series with the roommates too. Cheesy? Yes. Good? Yes.

[amphibian]

1) The Magicians - a more approachable, funny, and meaningful take on the quite good Lev Grossman books. The cast is superb and the departures from the book (considerable) both make the show easier to get into for newbies and more interesting for those who've already read the books. Think a grad school Harry Potter plus Narnia and true danger + plenty of sarcasm to cope with all the bonkers stuff.

2) The Expanse - great adaptation of the story, with a few bumps in the early going for a book reader because they're showing the process of the crew gelling together, whereas we've been reading them as gelled together for years now. Fun stuff and very cool to see on TV.

In essence, SyFy funneled their Sharknado money into some truly smart and entertaining TV. I'm shocked and I'm very pleased.

3) Westworld - easier to be excellent at than Game of Thrones, but the writers did it and played with several very dangerous, yet nearly omnipresent tropes in stories. Entertaining, brilliant, and very interested in the shifts of power dynamics once a playground is no longer a playground. I paraphrase a line I read in a review here - "What happens when videogame NPCs become more than NPCs? What does that say about us as people and individual persons?"

[Aptorian]

amphibian, on 15 December 2016 - 08:00 PM, said:

I paraphrase a line I read in a review here - "What happens when videogame NPCs become more than NPCs? What does that say about us as people and individual persons?"

This kind of thinking actually influences a lot of my play style when playing games. I don't like being unnecessarily cruel or violent to NPCs. Especially if they have just a hint of humanity in them. Technically what is the difference between a digital person and a physical person, etc?

I've only watched the first two episodes of Westworld but I am already really fascinated with the subjects they are discussing.

[worry]

I liked a lot of TV this year, so I made a top 20 list! And there's still a lot I haven't watched yet that I suspect I'll enjoy (Atlanta, Mr. Robot, The Americans).

20. Gilmore Girls
19. iZombie
18. Silicon Valley
17. Brooklyn 99
16. New Girl
15. Orphan Black
14. American Crime Story: People vs O.J. Simpson
13. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
12. Lady Dynamite
11. Game of Thrones
10. BoJack Horseman / Adventure Time (tie)
9. Black-ish
8. Fresh Off the Boat
7. Better Call Saul
6. O.J.: Made In America
5. Stranger Things
4. You're the Worst
3. Ash vs Evil Dead
2. Better Things
1. Baskets

Edited to add Adventure Time -- I know that technically makes it a Top 21 but that's ok cuz uhhhhhhhhh Gilmore Girls was only 4 episodes so it still fits.

This post has been edited by death rattle: 17 December 2016 - 12:09 AM

[Malankazooie]

Two shows that I've never seen mentioned in the TV thread (which surprises me because there a few serious television addicts here, and I mean like, watches every show addicts ).

Those show are Halt and Catch Fire and Rectify.

[polishgenius]

I spent much of 2016 not watching much television, and I'm still catching up on a lot of the stuff I recently started (home for the holidays on Saturday, so should have some time then), but my current list based on what I've seen of what I've seen:


1) Quarry - slow burn psychological thriller about a Vietnam vet getting home and getting caught up in some criminal shit. It's seriously high-quality in every metric so far and from what I've heard it only gets better. It looks great, the writing's great, the characters are great, the action when it hits is great... superb work.

2) Atlanta - Donald Glover spreads his wings. It's a comedy and a tragedy and a celebration and a searing indictment and quite brilliant.

3) The Young Pope - Paolo Sorrentino does TV, enough said.

4) Hap and Leonard- Michael K. Williams and James Purefoy as a pair of odd-couple-best-friends slackers who get hooked by Hap's ex wife (Christina Hendricks) into a scheme to find some old loot money. Starts of nice and relaxed and slowly builds to a really awesome chaotic climactic ending. Seemed to go under the radar, I liked it a lot.

5) Daredevil s2 - much of the second half was weak, but all of the first half and everything involving Punisher was so great that I have to put it up here.


6) Game of Thrones - a proper return to form, kicking up the pace, resolving plotlines, and with a truly superb final two episodes.

7) Westworld - some great ideas, some great moments, and discussing it was a hoot. But it did get a bit messy and it did in places live down to my fear of 'mystery over common sense' storytelling. Still, it's a cracking start and I can't wait for s2.

8) Luke Cage- first half was really good, but the second half was utterly pony so it comes bottom of the list of tv that I actually watched.


The list may change as I still haven't finished several of the series on it.

Really must catch up on Expanse, The Magicians, Blacklist, Stranger Things and The Night Manager. My tv watching, never all that consistent, just went pretty much dead for most of the year, not even really sure why.

[worry]

I definitely plan to marathon Rectify once the final season goes up on Netflix (I know that's a ways away). It's on my list, alongside The Leftovers, of things to finally watch when they're complete I'm reallllly feeling depressed.

[Vengeance]

So I agree with a lot of this but my number 1 show is Rick and Morty! It was brilliant.

1. Rick and Morty
2. Stranger things
3. Mr. Robot
4.DareDevil
5. Narcos
6. The Night Manager

[EmperorMagus]

Vengeance, on 16 December 2016 - 12:59 AM, said:

So I agree with a lot of this but my number 1 show is Rick and Morty! It was brilliant.

1. Rick and Morty
2. Stranger things
3. Mr. Robot
4.DareDevil
5. Narcos
6. The Night Manager

Rick and *burp* Morty is the *burp* best thing *burp* ever.

[Morgoth]

1 Westworld
2 BoJack Horseman
3 Stranger Things
4 Narcos
5 Mr. Robot
6 Rick And Morty
7 Game of Thrones
8 Luke Cage
9 The Expanse
10 Brooklyn 99

[paran falcon]

My head and shoulders above all this year is Stranger Things. Yes, I'm of an age that is perfect for feeling the nostalgia the show provides in spades for the late 70s/early 80s, but I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. But on top of that, I very much liked the actual story and there are multiple stellar acting performances, imo. We've already watched it twice and my daughter wants it for Christmas. Eagerly anticipating the second season and desperately hoping it maintains what we love about it!

I haven't had HBO in years so have not seen GoT beyond S3. Need to catch up. Which means I also haven't seen Westworld yet, although I very much want to.

The Night Manager was a very well acted miniseries also.

This post has been edited by paran falcon: 16 December 2016 - 11:28 PM

[acesn8s]

Top 3:
Lucifer
Daredevil 2
GOT season whatever

Good but not top 3:
Luke Cage
Blue Bloods
TWD

Disappointed:
Longmire (this season just fell flat).

[James Hutton]

MR. ROBOT! The first halve of this second season was definitely slow, but it's masterfully crafted. Oh, and I so much like their music, and the emotions it plays on. The very last scene of the last episode for instance.

WESTWORLD has been recommended to me several times. And it shows up near/at the top of a lot of the lists here -- I'll try it out ASAP.

Am still catching up with ORPHAN BLACK, now somewhere in the second season. Great show! Fan of Tatiana Maslany's acting. Probably in love with Felix.

Am also psyched for the next season of SENSE8, starting December 23rd (24th?).

[Traveller]

I really enjoyed Westworld. I was glued to every episode which is a surprisingly rare phenomenon.

Was season 2 of Fargo on this year? I think it was. I didn't think they could top season one but they did so in style. Watch if you missed it.

Lucifer was fun, Game of Thrones was still entertaining; can't think of anything else right now.

[worry]

I haven't watched Rick & Morty but now that you mention it I forgot to put Adventure Time on my list. Not necessarily the show's best season, but it still managed to get richer and more expansive even at this late date. I suppose I'd put it tied w/ BoJack at #10.