List-Mania MMX: TV Edition

Like our fearless leader I have a fondness for lists. They are awesome for the sense of finality and authority they provide, even if they are created by drunk kittens. They’re great conversation starters (Hey Johnson did you see that list of 10 greatest rim jobs?) and if you’re a professional troll like Armond White lists can generate huge traffic to your otherwise pathetic blog. So, I’ve decided to break down the 10 best TV shows of 2010. I’ll tackle drama today and comedy in the near future.

Ultimate Caveat: I do not watch Mad Men. And minor spoilers apply for all shows.

5. The Walking Dead: Aside from Boardwalk Empire, no other show premeired this year to such rave reviews and incredible ratings. The 90 minute pilot was grandiose and Frank Darabont created a distinct visual style that transferred the zombie movie to basic cable without sacrificing any of the gore or horror we come to expect from the genre. However, the show definitely lost steam after a strong start. Poor writing, shallow stereotypes masquerading as supporting characters and an uneventful finale left me kind of disappointed. Still, the show has potential and hopefully a new writing staff can inject some life into the remaining characters.

4. Lost: I was initially annoyed at the finale but the more I look back the writers had basically put themselves in a corner and that was the easiest way out. In the end, it was still an entertaining show regardless of plot direction and the finale was fantastic until the final 10 minutes. They still should have killed Kate with the polar bear, I hated Kate.

3. Boardwalk Empire:  Out of all the new shows this year no other had as much hype and expectations as Boardwalk

Empire. You look at the impressive pedigree behind the scenes (Scorsese, Terrence Winter) and in front (Steve Buscemi, Omar Little, Michael Shannon), the subject matter and it’s kind of easy to see why people bust a nut over this show. Crosstalk favorite Brian Moylan trashed the show but he’s off his rocker. No, it’s not Goodfellas circa 1920 but there’s so much more going on. Personally, I loved all the political subplots. Where else are you going to find a major story arc involving Warren G. Harding’s long-forgotten mistress? A serious lack of Omar left me sad but I really liked the finale and all the set-ups for the next season. Bonus points for the Leonardo DiCaprio lookalike doing a bang-up job as Jimmy Darmody and Paz De La Huerta for showing her breasts.

2. Friday Night Lights:

Simply put, the best television drama no one talks about. Somehow a show about Texas high school football created by the guy who directed Hancock has turned into one of the most earnest, thoughtful portrayals of American life and the familial unit. There is no other show on TV that has given me goosebumps or made me tear up like FNL. The marriage of Eric and Tami Taylor just might be the most honest portrayal of a husband and wife I have ever seen on TV. In it’s final season and exiting on just a high of a note as when it started.

1. Breaking Bad: Heisenberg and Jesse Pinkman. I could write pages on the brilliance of these characters, the

absolute dominance by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul over my mind grapes. This show made me say “Holy fucking shit” more times than I can recall. An episode where all the main characters did was chase a fly around a meth lab was filled with more drama and catharsis than the entire season of Dexter. The ending of “One Minute” had me screaming at the screen like a stereotype in a Wayans Brother movie. What started as a means to pay for chemotherapy and surgery has turned into a defining characteristic for Walter White. No matter how many times he tries to step away, the meth and money always come calling. Like The Sopranos, the show has no qualms about making their main character a terrible human being, one who with each season slips further into despair.