Check out Reel Hungry's cross examination of 2013 TV best and worst after the jump!
Will's Picks
'Breaking Bad' Final Season (2008-2013) AMC - Trailer Link
Breaking Bad will go down as one of the best shows of all time because its so consistently outstanding every season in nearly every area. Bryan Cranston's portrayal of Walter White is nothing short of brilliant along with the rest of cast who were nearly every bit as good. In its final season Breaking Bad took no prisoners, left no loose ends and had some of the most dramatic moments in TV history.
'Justified' Season 4 (2010-present) FX - Trailer Link
There's no substitute for exceptional writing, which Justified happens to have in spades and boast some of the best dialog currently on TV. Blood feuds, criminal power struggles and big character defining moments have always been staples of the show but season 4 takes it up another notch. It's also worth mentioning that Boyd Crowder is one of the most interesting characters on TV right now, played by the fantastic Walton Goggins. Justified is witty, well written and throws in some dark humor for good measure.
'Person of Interest' Season 3 (2011-present) CBS - Trailer Link
Person of Interest is a shows that really deserves more attention. Creator/writer Johnathan Nolan melds a great blend of cyberpunk elements, espionage action and conspiracy theories with a small but endearing cast you'd want to root for each week. Some shows take a season or two to find they're sweet spot and for Person of Interest its Season 3. What started as a procedural serial hybrid is slowly morphing into fully realized serial drama and it's getting pretty damn good at it too.
Honorable Mentions: Legend of Korra, Parks And Recreation, Sons of Anarchy, Archer
Ji's Picks
'Justified' Season 4 (2010-present) FX - Trailer Link
Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens and the outlaw Boyd Crowder, one thing this show does right is the constant contest between these two assholes as they try to out smart each other. Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins, respectively, truly are the most interesting partnership on TV right now even though they're on the different sides of the law. Prepare for season 5 as its going to be brutal!
'Legend of Korra - Book 2 Spirits' Season 2 (2012-present) Nickelodeon - Trailer Link
Originally proposed for one season, it was so successful that Nickelodeon signed them on to do another and it was glorious! With fight scenes that rival the best kung fu movies, anime influenced comedy and a captivating story that digs deeper into the Avatar mythology. On a side note Korra season 2 also boast one of the best single hour of TV in 2013. The double bill titled Beginnings Parts 1 & 2 can be view as a stand alone by it self and still tell a powerful avatar tale.
'Person of Interest' Season 3 (2011-present) CBS - Trailer Link
What a season we've been having with this show, new characters, new threats, more puns, more guns. Think a modern day batman and Minority Report with Harold Finch as the brains, the troop as the muscle and the machine, the omnipresent god over looking the land with its dark glass eyes. Getting stronger with each episode, the writing for this show surpasses that of most Hollywood action thriller movies. If you're not in the machine yet, plug in now!
Honorable Mentions: Luther, Adventure Time, Game of Thrones
Hannibal (2013-present) NBC Trailer Link
Hannibal is a riveting horror thriller at its best, diving deep into the psyches of some truly disturbed serial killers and catching them before they strike again. The show's true strength however is in it fantastic casting of the two lead characters, Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter is a harrowing scene stealer and Hugh Dancy convincingly portrays FBI profiler Will Graham teetering on the edge of insanity. Hannibal is chock full of delicious tension, mystery and gore.
Sleepy Hollow (2013-present) Fox - Trailer Link
First thing first Sleepy Hollow is by no means a great show but for sheer lunacy on story premise alone its pretty entertaining. The show is a re-imagining of the headless horseman & Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) story but set in modern day. Oh yeah! I forgot to mention in this version of Sleepy Hollow the headless horseman is actually one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse...Yeah! Its like the writers had a bet on who could be more outrageous each week and not break the show they created. Sleepy Hollow is the best piece of supernatural guilty pleasure on TV right now.
House of Cards (2013-present) Netflix - Trailer Link
Revenge is a dish best served cold, that what House of Cards is ultimately about when congressman Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) doesn't get nominated to run for the Senator seat and set to ruin on those who betrayed him. This show has phenomenal acting moments from Kevin Spacey and will occasionally break the fourth wall to speak directly to us, the viewer. Want to watch the seedy underbelly of political powerplay unfold? Then House of Cards is for you.
Honorable Mentions: The Blacklist, The Americans, Almost Human, Brooklyn Nine Nine
Ji's Picks Best New Shows
Banshee (2013-present) Cinemax - Trailer Link
Everybody loves an anti-hero and this new show is just bizarre. I don't know how they've made it work all together with its transvestite hacker, Amish King Pin, an ex-con posing as a sheriff and gangsters but hell it makes for some good TV.
Brooklyn Nine Nine (2013-present) Fox - Trailer Link
A comedy with enough shenanigans to put it on track on becoming the cop version of scrubs. Brooklyn Nine Nine, with its strong character development and randomness, hooks you in and fast. Andy Samberg and Terry Crews bring the comedy while the rest of the cast give you something to sink your teeth into. Think of a doughnut and the comedy's that gooey centre.
House of Cards (2013-present) Netflix - Trailer Link
This show is all about Kevin Spacey's character. His portrayal of a US congressman, who's plot for revenge following his dismissal on being elected to a key white house office, puts him on a intricate war path as he fights to take what should be his. The twist and turns, the captivating soliloquies #woah# they all become like crack-cocaine as the story unfolds, this can only get better.
Honorable Mentions: The Blacklist, Sleepy Hollow, Hannibal
Will's Most Disappointing Shows
'Community' Season 4 (2009-present) NBC - Trailer Link
Now this one was always going to be in a bit of a grey area because creator and showrunner Dan Harmon left after some disputes with Sony Pictures Television. This effective meant the show would go an entire season without its soul, which probably was a poison chalice to whoever they decided to replace Dan Harmon with. In the end Community season 4 felt empty, even if it manage to get a few chuckles out of me. Luckily Sony rue the error of their ways and put Dan Harmon back as showrunner for season 5. Having seen the first couple of episodes of season 5 I'm happy to say its back! Expect Community to be on the Best of 2014 list!
'Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' (2013-present) ABC - Trailer Link
Man I don't where to begin? With Joss Whedon and Marvel at the helm I thought this would be a winner for sure but Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. just never got off the ground. Maybe it is just Joss Whedon unable to give his full attention to the show as he's juggling too many Marvel projects at once. The lack of superheroes didn't help the show either because that's what the audience were expecting, sadly Marvel didn't deliver. But Marvel did score on their new Netflix projects which will bring their lesser known street level heroes to the small screen, so there's still hope elsewhere.
'Dexter' Final Season (2006-2013) Showtime - Trailer Link
This season of Dexter was one of the worst conclusions to a show I've seen in years, everything just came down to how much you can suspend your belief and to be honest I just found utterly nonsensical. "How does no one notice you're carrying a dead body out of the front door of a hospital?" One of many mind numbing logic farts this season as viewers facepalm themselves continuously. Lack of attention to detail, bad writing/portrayal of characters and poor execution just makes previous seasons feel like a waste of time.
Ji's Most Disappointing Shows
'Defiance' Season 1 (2013-present) SyFy - Trailer Link
Think a Mad Max world that has been terraformed by aliens. Now throw in some abandoned / escaped aliens, salvaged alien tech and this post apocalyptic world should yield some exciting cowboy bandit shenanigans right! But what the hell? It's trying to build up some strong foundations but god it's boring to watch, I found myself zipping past all the nonsense most of the time until i reach the good bits. Take a look back at Battlestar Galactica or Firefly and get us hooked with the right batch of drugs.
Peaky Blinders? Season 1 (2013-present) BBC - Trailer Link
With such a cast you'd think this would hit the mark better but its under performing and if you're from Brum, it's noticeably in-accurate. No doubt it will correct its course in the next season but its not going to lure people from Boardwalk Empire at this rate.
'Dexter' Final Season (2006-2013) Showtime - Trailer Link
I know, it's done a lot but you have to admit you expected more for the last season; people just got.... annoying to watch. Villains also never reached the shocking levels of the past since the trinity killer and all the blood lust in this season just became routine. The writers were trying to hard to recreated a formula that work so well for them that they forgot they try something else. They could of done more, I feel they should of.
Not So Honorable Mentions: Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Family Guy
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