What do you say?

With the emmys now over, I’m glad to see some really great shows get the credit they rightfully deserve. Although it was unfortunate that all the people/shows that I was routing for didn’t win; one thing was very clear, this was a very big year for some great television. There really was a level playing field. That’s what got me thinking of some of the best dramatic seasons that I’ve ever enjoyed and their respective rank…..

10 24 - Season 1

I think the novelty of the show it what got me hooked. The fact that the audience is supposedly watching some form of real-time entertainment. The show premiered shortly after Sept. 11 and the show seem to immolate the American sentiment of trying to catch terrorists quickly and efficiently. Only it took America 10 years not 1 day.

The one funny story is that FX has a marathon of the first season right before Season 2 started. I had miss the last 6 episodes so I decided to watch it. They showed it with the corresponding time it was supposed to be. At 11:30 (30 minutes into the finale) I fell asleep and missed the crazy cliffhanger. Season 2 was then really confusing and took some time before I was able to ever see that last 30 minutes that I missed. I probably would have continued watching the show had I seen that ending the first time.

9 Heroes - Season 1

The first season of heroes did an incredible job of making a believable reality of everyday people suddenly being able to do extraordinary things. It brought together very recognizable comic elements but gave it a very realistic face. The characters were engaging and every week was a new mystery being unveiled.

The show unfortunately had no ability to maintain the essence that made it great and fizzled out quickly.

8 OZ - Season 3

If you ever wanted a glimpse into a maximum security federal penitentiary, here it is.

If you need one overarching theme to this show, its this: there is no hope inside of maximum security prison. It dies upon entry.

Season 3 was great it setting up all the players before sending them down paths of misery and destruction. And for characters that you really empathize with, the calm before the storm is the sweetest of memories. 

7 Veronica Mars - Season 1

I first started watching this show, because I was enamored by Kristen Bell when she was on season 2 of Heroes. As I started watching this show, I quickly realized that her character of Heroes was only the tip of iceberg.

To put it simply, Kristen Bell is divine. This show was made to expose that and make you obsessed with it. The premise high school detective seems hokey, but Kristen quickly draws you in and never lets you down. Its a shame it didn’t make it past 3 seasons, but the first is the best.

The draw of the first season is mainly due to the season-long investigation by Veronica trying to figure out who brutally murdered her best friend, because no one else seems to still care. Her BFF happened to be the richest girl in town and the reason why everyone who used to be her friend now hates her. Its a perfect who-done-it show with lots of little mysteries to solve along the way. Rob Thomas (creator of Party Down) is the genius who weaves it all together and gives these characters depth, attitude, and relatibility which is ultimately what drives the show.

6 Lost - Season 2

This is by far the best season of Lost. Almost all of the main characters backstories have been established so the audience can really just focus in on the what the hell is going on on the Island. ‘The Others’ are still just whispers, and there’s not one single mention of Jacob. Its bliss.

5 The Sopranos - Season 2

I love this season, because its the season where Tony seems to be getting it all. He takes over the family business, and all of his most loyal capos are still alive. Mob life at its most glamourous. (see everything after for the rest).

4 The Wire - Season 5

This may go down as one of the best shows ever made. I’ve never seen a show continue to build on so many levels season after season, and manage to find a way to bring everything full circle and show how every action, choice, and path affects every other storyline.

Truly, truly great television and it all comes together in the final season. If you ever want to understand how the roles of inner-city poverty, government, politics, and media all intersect and undermine each other from ever achieving any measure of success- watch this show. 

3 Game of Thrones - Season 1

This show is great simply because it highlights the genius of work of George R.R. Martin. Though this is set in a world we would define as fantasy, Martin has created a story that transcends the genre and delivers a knock-out for story telling and character development.

What Tolkien did to develop the medieval fantasy original myth and scope, Martin does to Medieval fantasy characters and story lines. Each character is deeply developed and with stories so complex that it drives you to want to know more and more about everyone. HBO did an incredible job of bringing the book to life and visualizing the incredibly complex world that exists in Game of Thrones.  

The most surprising thing about this show and this season is that you can never guess what’s coming next (unless you read the books of course). It sets characters on trajectories that you think you can anticipate, but it never turns out the way you think it will. Which is great, because that’s exactly what happens in life. I’m just glad someone was able to pay such intricate tribute to that. 

2 Dexter - Season 1

Season 1 on Dexter is perfection. Every word and frame is so purely sublime. I’m usually not so keen on origin story lines. I’d rather just power through them and get on to present problems at hand, but this origin story is so unique and intriguing its hard not to appreciate the level of writing it took to get there. 

While it has continued to be one of my all-time favorite shows, the first season was simply perfect from the opening credits in the first episode to  the end of the surprising finale.

1 Mad Men - Season 4

I was surprised this didn’t take home more emmys last night, but it won the most important one: Best Drama. This season blew me away and easily is my favorite single season of any show. The show managed to take a 180 degree turn but do so in a way that was completely believable and so much better because of it.

The first three seasons seem to focus more on office shenanigans and male superiority that ran rampant in the early 60’s. While it was interesting to witness and fun to watch, another season of the same ole gold ol’ boys club would have lost me quickly.

Instead the show strips most of those pesky elements away and leaves you with all the things that are truly great about the show. A lot more attention was paid to the work because it mattered more to the story lines, and every major character finally gets the opportunity to be much more honest about the things around them.  A homerun no question, I just can’t see what’s next.

                             ________________

I could go into much, much more detail about all of these shows, but I don’t want to spoil anything if you haven’t already seen them. But I’m more than happy to talk about any of them because I have many more thoughts hidden behind many, many spoilers. What would you include?