Dann Michalski

Marshall Raylan Givens gets drawn into his family’s blood feud in Season 2 of Justified. While looking for a fugitive sex offender Marshall Raylan Given crosses paths with the Bennett clan, with whom his family has a longstanding feud that threatens to become an open war when Givens guns down one of the Bennetts to rescue a young girl who's been abducted; meanwhile Boyd takes up work at a mine and becomes a hired gun when the company tries to buy up property for a new mining operation. Margo Martindale and Jeremy Davies join the cast as recurring characters and deliver strong performances. Also, the writers do a good job at developing new storylines while also building on and tying off plot threats from the last season. One of the best character dramas on television, Justified delivers an impressive second season.

Veronica Mars is an exceptionally well-written show that’s compelling and fun. The series follows a young high school girl named Veronica Mars who works part-time at her father’s PI agency but does her own investigations on the side. Season 1 follows Veronica’s investigation into the murder of her best friend Lilly Kane, and the cover-up that destroyed her family and turned them into pariahs. While this main over-arcing story is always in the background, each episode has its own intriguing case. Additionally, the cast is especially strong; particularly Kristen Bell, who gives an excellent performance and brings a lot of charisma to the series. The show also makes good use of its guest stars, and Season 1 features appearances by Paris Hilton, Alyson Hannigan, Adam Scott, and Joey Lauren Adams. A sassy film noir detective series, Veronica Mars: Season 1 is full of engaging mysteries and intense drama.

The Jeri Ryan revival of Star Trek: Voyager continues into Season 5 with new and exciting adventures. Featuring such thrilling episodes as “Dark Victory,” “Relativity,” and “Equinox,” the show really ups the action. Yet the character episodes, such as “Once Upon A Time,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” and “Course: Oblivion,” are equally as powerful. Additionally, a couple of interesting guest stars beam aboard; including Lori Petty, Jason Alexander, and John Savage. Plus, TNG cast member LeVar Burton makes a cameo. Full of thrills, the rising tide created by Jeri Ryan proves to have staying power into Season 5 of Star Trek: Voyager.

Widely considered one of the worst seasons of any Trek series, Star Trek: Voyager’s shaky start gets a little rockier in Season 2 as the show continues to stumble. The writers still haven’t figured out what they want the show to be and end up trying to force it into a TNG structure; to the point of turning the main alien antagonists (the Kazon) into bad Klingon rip-offs and calling TNG cast members to the rescue with Lt. Barclay and Q episodes. Still, there are a couple of good episodes here and there, and an interesting story-arc about a crewmember who turns trader. But then there are episodes like “Threshold”; which many fans rank as the worst of the series and some even consider to be non-canon. Incredibly uneven, Season 2 of Star Trek: Voyager is barely mediocre and gets by mainly on good will.

Bereft of ideas, Star Trek rips off Battlestar Galactica for its 4th series, Star Trek: Voyager. Thrown halfway across the galaxy and suffering from massive casualties, the U.S.S. Voyager embarks on a long journey to Earth after reforming its crew from a captured terrorist vessel and a pair of friendly aliens who offer to be their guides. Unfortunately the casting is rather poor, as none of the actors quite have the screen presence of previous Star Trek casts (except for Robert Picardo). And the series is unable to setup any interesting new alien races that compare to the traditional ones from the other series: i.e. Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, etc. However, the show is still Star Trek and manages to deliver a few good episodes full of adventure and mystery. Season 1 of Star Trek: Voyager is pretty rough, but it has its moments and shows promise.

Kristen Bell and Ted Danson star in the heavenly comedy The Good Place. In Season 1 Eleanor Shellstrop dies and goes to the afterlife where she’s welcomed to The Good Place, a planned community made up of people who led extraordinarily good lives; but little do they know she’s not the “Eleanor” that they think she is, leading her to seek help from her assigned soulmate Chidi, an ethics professor, to help her learn to be good so that she won’t be found out. The show does a pretty good job at establishing that it’s its own thing; staying fairly secular so as not to offend any religious beliefs. And the comedy is rather broad, with a little bit of satire here and there. Kristen Bell is brilliantly cast as Eleanor and gives an excellent performance, and Ted Danson is especially good as the “architect” overseeing the Good Place. Plus, Adam Scott guest stars as a recurring character, and is hilarious. Incredibly funny, The Good Place is a fresh and exciting series that delivers a promising first season.

The Gates is a genre television show with a fascinating premise; a gated community that serves as a sanctuary for vampires, werewolves, witches, and other supernatural creatures. The arc of the series follows the new police chief of a gated community, called The Gates, who has a dark past and discovers that some of the residents are not what they appear to be. Unfortunately the early episodes have some structure issues, and are unable to balance the main plot with the subplots. But after a rough start, the series finds its grove and delivers some compelling and action-packed episodes. Additionally, the show's ensemble cast is fairly strong and features a number of interesting recurring characters. An entertaining and thrilling series, The Gates has a lot of built-in potential for where it could have gone, but it wasn’t able to fully realize it within its 13 episode run.

An epic historical drama, Titanic: Blood & Steel is a compelling television miniseries. Set during the construction of the RMS Titanic at the Harland & Wolff shipyard, the show follows the lives of steelworkers, secretaries, and engineers as they work to build the largest ship in the world amidst the religious and political tensions of the day. The cast is pretty strong (especially Kevin Zegers and Alessandra Mastronardi), and they do a good job at portraying their characters; both historical and fictional. Additionally, the special effects, set designs and costumes are extraordinarily well-done, creating an incredibly realistic depiction of turn of 20th century Belfast. Titanic: Blood & Steel takes a lot of liberties, but also does a fantastic job at mixing historical events and character drama.

“Oh my god, they killed Kenny!” Hilariously entertaining, Season 1 of Comedy Central’s hit animated series South Park delivers a ton of laughs. The show follows a group of elementary school students named Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny as they get into wacky adventures, including alien abductions, an erupting volcano, a zombie outbreak, wild turkey attacks, and a rampaging genetic clone. The animation is rather crude, but the simpleness has a sort of charm to it and serves as a clever juxtaposition to the adult humor. And the comedy is really well-written, with plenty of no holds barred lampooning of celebrities. Fresh and exciting, South Park delivers an incredible first season.

The Truth is Out There. From Chris Carter comes the groundbreaking television series The X-Files. In Season 1 FBI agent Dana Scully is assigned to work with paranormal researcher Fox Mulder in the X-Files division and determine the validity of Mulder's casework (which investigates unexplained phenomenon). At its core the series is a monster-of-the-week show, and this season features alien abduction, werewolves, clones, psychokinetics, and spirit possession. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson lead the cast and have good chemistry together. They pull off the believer and skeptic roles especially well, which gives the show a compelling character dynamic. The production values are weak and the mythology is a little scattershot, but Season 1 of The X-Files proves to be an impressive sci-fi procedural.

Lifetime retools their Lizzie Borden film into a Dexter-like television series in The Lizzie Borden Chronicles. Season 1 follows the Borden sisters in the wake of Lizzie’s acquittal for the murder of their parents as they move to a new house and deal with a private investigator who's intent on bringing Lizzie to justice. Featuring Christina Ricci, Clea DuVall, Cole Hauser, and Jessy Schram, the series has a strong cast that delivers some good performances. However, the writing goes downhill extremely fast. At first it’s kind of clever and exciting with Lizzie tying up loose ends and taking out her enemies, but then it starts to get ridiculous with her killing off 2-3 people an episode without anyone catching or suspecting her. And this makes it difficult to develop recurring characters and continuing storylines. Still, the costumes and sets are especially well-done, giving an authentic feel for the time-period. Also the soundtrack brings a lot of energy to the series and heightens the action and suspense. Yet while the show has a lot of things going for it, the bad writing doomed The Lizzie Borden Chronicles to a short lived 8-episode season.

J.J. Abrams scales back Alias and attempts to get it back to its roots in Season 4. Sydney leaves the CIA to join a small convert black ops team and is shocked when she learns that it’s being run by Sloane, but she decides to stay on in order to keep tabs on him and connect with her long lost sister who also decides to join the team. The cast is downgraded to just the core members – jettisoning all the recurring ones (except for a couple of guest appearances here and there). Also, the cliffhanger ending of Season 3 is rewritten into some nonsense about Sydney's mom and the Rambaldi mythology is reworked and comes to some kind of conclusion in the final arc of the season. A few notable guest stars are featured, including Angela Bassett, Jason Segel, Joel Grey, and Michelle Forbes, and the action remains incredibly exciting and is full of thrills. While its entertaining and fun at times, Season 4 of Alias focuses on all the wrong things and is a real step down.

The zombie nation is on the rise in Season 3 of iZombie. As the Fillmore-Graves corporation works on building a zombie sanctuary (called Zombie Island) and prepares for the inevitable D-Day when the zombie presence is discovered by the public, Liv and Ravi attempt to infiltrate an underground anti-zombie group…while still working to solve murders with the Seattle PD. Jason Dohring joins the cast in a recurring role as a private military leader who foresees an inevitable conflict between zombies and humans, which adds a fresh new dynamic that tests the loyalties of the characters. The show does a little better this season at keeping Liv in control of herself, but before long it falls back on the tired trope of her completely taking on the personalities of the brains that she eats; which only serves to make her look incompetent and insane, and her co-workers, incredibly stupid. While iZombie’s third season does some interesting things, it’s also a hot mess that’s unable to keep a consistent tone or progress the characters.

Netflix presents the limited series The Frankenstein Chronicles, a period crime drama. When a body of mix matched body parts sown together washes ashore in London a special investigator is assigned to find the culprit. Sean Bean leads the cast and delivers a fairly strong performance. And the writers do a good job at creating intrigue and suspense. Also, the sets and costumes look and feel remarkably authentic. Yet with only six episodes the series doesn’t really have time to develop many of the characters or plotlines. Also, given the dark subject material, the show can get a little gritty and gruesome. The Frankenstein Chronicles shows promise, but Season 1 is rather weak (due mainly to its limited run).

A spin-off of JAG, NCIS is an exciting crime procedural from CBS. In Season 1 former secret service officer Caitlin Todd is recruited to join NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Services), gets to know the team, and learns how to investigate crimes involving military personnel. The writers do an impressive job at using Todd as an audience surrogate to introduce what NCIS is, how it operates, and the team. They also come up with a number of interesting cases-of-the-week, from missing persons to terrorism to murder. Also, the main cast, featuring Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, and Sasha Alexander, is especially strong and has good chemistry. Additionally, there are a number of interesting guest stars, such as Emilie de Ravin, Sherilyn Fenn, Terry O’Quinn, Adam Baldwin, and Julie Benz. Season 1 of NCIS may look like a typical procedural at first, but it has a unique style that mixes earnestness and lighthearted humor.

In its fifth and final season (on the WB) Buffy the Vampire Slayer attempts to deliver the series' most powerful and epic saga. While there is a “big bad” this season, the focus is on Buffy herself, as she explores the true natural of what “the slayer” actually is. The main story arc follows the appearance of Buffy’s mysterious new sister, and her possible connection to a hell god named Glory. Michelle Trachtenberg makes for a good addition to the cast and gives a new dynamic to the show; with Buffy taking on a sisterly role. The writing this season is also quite ambitious, leading to one of the most shocking season finales in modern television. Still, there are some tonal problems as the series mixes its usual camp and lightheartedness with the more serious and dramatic themes of this season. In many ways Season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer marks the end of an era and a conclusion to Buffy’s story arc as a slayer.

The often overlooked black sheep of the franchise, the 2002 Twilight Zone delivers a solidly entertaining season of the strange and fantastical. Produced by Ira Steven Behr (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) the season features 43 sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural tales; including a couple of remakes of classic episodes, such as “Eye of the Beholder” and “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street,” and several others that are inspired by original episodes. Still, the episodes are rather hit-and-miss. The writing is a little weak, at times telegraphing the twist and rushing the story. Yet overall it does a good job at modernizing the series and tackles a lot of same political, social, and theological issues that the original show did. Hosted by Forest Whitaker and featuring a host of impressive guest stars (Katherine Heigl, Portia de Rossi, Jeremy Piven, Elizabeth Berkley, Andrew McCarthy, Jaime Pressly, Jason Bateman) the shows has a lot of talent behind it. It has some flaws, but overall the 2002 Twilight Zone proves to be a worthy revival of Rod Serling’s classic series.

In its third season Buffy the Vampire Slayer delivers an epic conclusion to the high school phase of the series. This season a number of interesting storylines are setup, including the return of Angel, the appearance of a rogue slayer, the rise of Willow as a witch, and the replacement of Giles as Buffy’s watcher. And, the long alluded to Mayor rises up to become the “Big Bad” of the season as he attempts to carry out a nefarious plan that could destroy the town. Additionally, there are a number of daring and provocative self-contained episodes; including the infamous school shooting episode that was all too timely. Featuring recurring guest stars Eliza Dushku, Alexis Denisof, and Emma Caulfield, the supporting cast brings a lot of energy to the show and creates some fascinating characters that will continue on throughout the Buffy/Angel series. Season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is incredibly thrilling and dramatic, and moves the show beyond its original vision.

In its second season Buffy the Vampire Slayer builds a deep and rich mythology. While the show continues the monster-of-the-week format, it also continues to have a seasonal “Big Bad.” This season's arc follows a pair of vampires named Spike and Drusilla who come to Sunnydale and seize power in the wake of the Master’s death. And while the over-arcing story is well-written and remarkably compelling, there are several duds in the monster-of-the-week episodes. Recurring guest stars James Marsters and Juliet Landau make for wonderful additions to the cast and have incredible onscreen chemistry, both with each other and with the other cast members. Seth Green is also added to the cast in a recurring role, and brings a new dynamic to the established character relationships. Season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer attempts to develop the series into an epic saga, and delivers some of the most riveting and compelling storytelling in television.

Joss Whedon's cult television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer gets off to a rough start in Season 1. The show follows the adventures of seemingly normal high school sophomore Buffy Summers, who lives a double life as the Slayer; the "Chosen One" who has superhuman abilities and battles against the forces of evil that are drawn to the mystical energies that emanate from the small coastal California city of Sunnydale. The tone of the show is rather uneven; which at times is dark and gothic, and at other times is campy and lighthearted. And, the low-budget production values are fairly apparent and detract from the episodes. Still, there's some good storytelling and clever, witty dialog that's typical of Whedon's work. Additionally, Sarah Michelle Gellar proves to be an impressive lead and handles the material extremely well. While it's a little crude, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 1 is entertaining and fun, and sets the groundwork for what would become a groundbreaking series in genre fiction.

The Purge is adapted for television as a USA limited series. Season 1 follows a business woman, a returning marine, a member of a cult, and a power couple on Purge Night (when all crimes are legal) as they navigate the dangers and obstacles they encounter. The cast is fairly good and delivers some strong performances. And the writers do an impressive job at building story arcs and at developing the characters throughout the season. Also, they address a number of sociopolitical issues without being heavy handed (as the films often were). Additionally, the show’s able to retain the suspense and terror of the films while toning down the violence (though there’s still plenty of violence and implied violence). It’s not without its problems, but for what it is The Purge: Season 1 is a solid continuation of the film series.

Rip-roaringly fun, Futurama delivers non-stop laughs in Season 4. The writing is incredibly good with lots of clever satire and parodies, resulting in ridiculously hilarious episodes like "Roswell That Ends Well," "A Tale of Two Santas," and "Godfellas." But the capstone has to be the Star Trek reunion episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before," which features the entire original cast (minus DeForest Kelley and James Doohan). However, the guest stars don't stop there; Sigourney Weaver, Lucy Liu, and Hank Aaron make appearances throughout the season. But the episodes aren't all wild hijinks and craziness, as there's some nice character building with Leela finding her parents and Bender facing an existential crisis after meeting "god." Extraordinarily entertaining, Season 4 of Futurama is one of the best seasons of the series.

Jam packed with laughs, Futurama moves into its third season and pushes the series into unexplored territory. The show really opens up as the Planet Express ship goes to exciting new places. Full of hilarious adventures, Leela joins an environmental group to protect penguins, Zoidberg goes to Hollywood to make a movie with his uncle, Bender adopts a dozen orphans, and Fry is committed to a robot insane asylum. The season does a good job at developing the characters and their relationships, particularly Fry and Leela's. Additionally, secondary characters, such as Calculon, Capt. Brannigan, and Pres. Nixon, are used impressively well. And the season includes several notable guest stars, including Sarah Silverman, Lucy Liu, and Beck. Season 3 of Futurama continues to deliver the zany comedy that makes the series so incredibly entertaining.

Matt Groening and David X. Cohen deliver more laughs as Futurama launches into a second season. Full of hilarious adventures, this season Bender joins the Robot Mafia, Zoidberg returns to his home planet to mate, Fry enrolls in Mars University, and Lela finds another cyclops. There are also some brilliant parody episodes of Titanic, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Animal House. And along the way several new recurring characters are introduced, including Lrrr, Cubert, the Donbot, and Santa Claus. Additionally, a host of guest stars make appearances: John Goodman, Bob Barker, Vice President Al Gore, Claudia Schiffer, and Stephen Hawking. Season 2 of Futurama continues the smart, outrageous comedy styling that makes the show so ridiculously funny.