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.
Second seasons are notorious for surpassing their predecessor, and Dead Like Me is no exception. After an excellent first season, Dead Like Me takes it up a notch. With a solid foundation set, Dead Like Me extends itself by pushed the limits, and finding the endless possibilities of the show. Season two moved the series away from being about a girl named George who adjusts to life after death as a grim reaper, and instead becomes an ensemble show; following the struggles of all of the members of the grim reaper group that George belongs to, and explores the various stages of their afterlives. But even in the mist of all these heavy dramatic themes, the comedy remains as clever, witty, and hilarious as ever. Dead Like Me has an extraordinary quality and an ability to connect with people, giving them new perspectives on life, death, and the afterlife; and Season 2 sends the series out on a high note.
From The Simpsons creator Matt Groening comes the animated sci-fi comedy Futurama. Smart and satirical, the show delivers a unique and edgy brand of comedy that's a lot of fun. Season 1 follows a pizza delivery boy named Fry who is accidentally cryogenically frozen on New Year's Eve 2000 and wakes up a thousand years later to a future that he never could have imagined. It's an interesting setup and the show does a good job at world building; creating colorful aliens and strange new technologies for the 31st century. And aside from its great cast of regular characters, some special guest stars stop by; including Leonard Nimoy, Pamela Anderson, and the Beastie Boys. Futurama's first season is wonderfully charming, and brilliantly spoofs the sci-fi genre.
One of the best seasons of television ever produced, Season 1 of Battlestar Galactica presented a revolutionary new vision of science-fiction. The show follows the ragtag Colonial feet as they struggle to survive on the run from a race of synthetic robots called Cylons who destroyed their homeworlds and are intent on wiping out humanity. Starring Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, James Callis, and Tricia Helfer, the cast is quite impressive and delivers some extraordinary performances. The storytelling is also incredibly well-done, constructing an over-arcing plot that’s told over 13 episodes; exemplifying the serial format. Avoiding the common tropes of the genre, the series does a remarkable job at staying character centric. And, creator Ronald Moore does an excellent job setting up a mythology and at bringing a sense of realism to the show. Additionally, there’s a significant spiritual aspect to the series and its exploration of humanity that’s rather unique and compelling. Provocative and edgy, Season 1 of Battlestar Galactica delivers a powerful space opera that’s full of action.
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.
The facts are these...Pushing Daisies is a delightful fantasy series from Bryan Fuller. The show follows Ned the Pie Maker who has the ability to bring dead things back to life temporarily, and use his power to moonlight as an assistant to his PI friend Emerson Cod; but everything changes when Ned comes across his childhood sweetheart and decides to bring her back to life permanently. The visual style of the show is quite unique and uses bright colors and CGI backdrops to create a fantasy-esque aesthetic. Additionally, the series is given a storybook quality by including voice over narration. And the writing is exceptionally well-done; especially the dialog, which is quite clever and witty. A quirky and imaginative television series, Pushing Daisies delivers a brilliant first season.
One of the most creative and groundbreaking shows ever created, Fox’s 24 broke all conventions of network television. In Season 1 federal agent Jack Bauer leads an investigation to uncover an assassination plot to kill presidential candidate David Palmer, but things get complicated when Bauer’s family is held hostage by a group of terrorist involved in the conspiracy. There are also additional subplots that pad out the season; however, most of them feel like filler and detract from the main story arc. Using real-time and split-screen, the directing style adds a great deal of suspense and tension to the show. And while the cast changes a bit, there are strong performances from Xander Berkeley, Sarah Clarke, Mia Kirshner, and Michael Massee. But it’s Kiefer Sutherland’s performance as Jack Bauer that defines the series. Season 1 has a few kinks, yet overall 24 is a brilliant and exciting season of television.
Season 5 of Dexter was referred to as a “re-imaging of the series,” and it succeeds brilliantly at this. A character drama at heart, this season does an incredible job at developing the main characters and giving them compelling story arcs. In the wake of Season 4’s shocking finale Dexter finds himself broken and lost, and attempts to find redemption in helping a traumatized rape victim track down and exact revenge against the rape gang that abducted and brutalized her; meanwhile Det. Quinn starts to suspect that Dexter is dirty and hires a P.I. to investigate him. The serial storytelling is especially well-done, as the stories move fluidly from episode to episode; staying remarkably coherent and organic. And the guest stars this season, Julia Stiles, Peter Weller, and Jonny Lee Miller, deliver extraordinary performances. Dexter has come a long way, and this new re-imaging in Season 5 makes for an exciting time for the series.
Arrested Development finishes its television run with a hilarious 13 episode third season. But even with a shortened season, the show delivers in spades. Picking up where Season 2 ended, Michael tracks down his father and arranges for him to be placed on house arrest while he attempts to track down a British syndicate that set up the Bluth Company; meanwhile Gob discovers that he has a long lost son. The character plots align especially well this season, and the overall story arc is tightly woven throughout the episodes. Also, several interesting guest stars make appearances, including Charlize Theron, Dave Thomas, Judge Reinhold, and Justine Bateman. The comedy is ripe with pop culture and political satire, and the show even takes a few shots at itself. Season 3 contains some of the best that the show has to offer and sends the series out on a high note. Stars that shine twice as bright only last half as long, and Arrested Development streaked the heavens with a brilliance that’s rarely ever seen.
A bold new type of sitcom, Arrested Development: Season 1 is an ingenious comedy with a unique brand of humor. Using an interesting meta narrative format, the show follows real estate developer Michael Bluth as he struggles to keep his family together and save the family business after his father is imprisoned for embezzling funds. The cast is especially strong, particularly Jason Bateman and Will Arnett; who both bring a lot of charisma to their roles. There are also a number of impressive guest stars featured, including Heather Graham, Carl Weathers, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Additionally, the comedy is extraordinarily sharp, and remarkably consistent; as a number of jokes reoccur and are carried on throughout multiple episodes. A groundbreaking television show, Season 1 of Arrested Development is outrageously hilarious and incredibly fun.
Produced alongside the series' film debut (South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut), South Park's third season is really creative and daring. This season Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny take their adventures beyond South Park; visiting the Rain Forrest, joining Starvin’ Marvin in a space adventure, re-fighting the Civil War across the South, going to Jesus' millennium party in Las Vegas, and traveling to Arkansas for a national recorder concert. Additionally, Mr. Hankey hosts his own Christmas special and Korn comes to South Park to play their Halloween festival and solve a groovy mystery. Plus, several new recurring characters are introduced, including Chef’s parents, Skeeter, Skyler (Shelly’s boyfriend), Dougie, and God. The look of the animation has gotten a little better (with crisper images and cleaner movements) and the comedy is more outlandish and funnier (though it’s also more crude and vulgar). Mired by triumph and tragedy (the launch of their first film and the loss of a cast member), Season 3 of South Park is incredibly strong and takes the series to new and interesting places.
Season 7 of Dexter delivers one of the most compelling story arcs of the series as Dexter and his sister Deb are set on a collision course. After discovering Dexter’s secret life of as a serial killer Deb tries to break him of his addiction to killing, but is eventually forced into choosing between accepting his killer natural or taking him down. Full of twists and turns, the episode arcs are extremely engaging. Jennifer Carpenter steps up and owns this season, delivering incredibly strong and compelling performances. And, recurring guest stars Ray Stevenson and Yvonne Strahovski create captivating characters that enrich the show’s character dynamics. Dramatic and thrilling, Dexter: Season 7 is a little unconventional but extraordinarily powerful.
The end of Time is nigh as the Red Forest approaches in the fourth and final season of 12 Monkeys. After learning of a weapon that can kill the Witness, James Cole and his team embark upon one last mission. The writers do an extraordinary job at tying up the mythology, answering the big questions, and paying off the scenes of characters’ future selves in past seasons. Also, a number of actors from previous seasons return; making for some interesting Back to the Future Part 2 moments where scenes from the past are revisited from a different perspective and given new meaning. Additionally, the actors bring their A-game, doing some of their best, and the finale is epic, truly worth of the series. Arguable the best season of the series, Season 4 of 12 Monkeys sends the show out on a high note.
Castle tries to avoid the Sam and Diane curse as the show goes into its fifth season and brings its two leading characters together. This season Castle and Beckett attempt to have a romantic relationship, but in order to continue working together they have to keep their romance a secret from their fellow co-workers at the NYPD. The cases are entertaining and clever as always, and the show reaches its 100 episode milestone in a wonderfully Hitchcockian homage. The show also delivers a game changing season finale that has the potential to unalterably change the series. Sexual tension can only take a show so far, and Castle has done a good job in its fifth season at taking that next step and at evolving the character relationships.
For the return of Jack Bauer the fifth season of 24 goes for its biggest stakes yet and gets even more action-packed. Taking a new direct that will ultimately be the series’ undoing, the show becomes all about Jack. This season Jack Bauer comes out of hiding when former President David Palmer is assassinated, and vows to bring those responsible to justice; meanwhile a rogue faction of Russian separatists threaten to release a deadly nerve gas. Overall the story arc for the season is pretty cohesive; though some of the recons in the second half don’t quite work. Unfortunately though, in addition to David Palmer, several fan favorite characters meet their end (both on and off screen). However, the new cast features a number of impressive guest stars, including Mark Sheppard, Peter Weller, Ray Wise, and Stana Katic. Full of thrills, Season 5 of 24 is incredibly ambitious and gets kind of crazy.
New dangers are faced in Season 3 of 24 as the series takes on biological terrorism. This season Jack Bauer goes undercover with the Salazar drug cartel in order to acquire the Cordilla virus and stop it from falling into terrorists hands; meanwhile President Palmer faces a scandal that could end his presidency. The plot structure is a lot like Season 1 and takes a twist every few episodes; ramping up the action with each new plot development. And as usual, the tone is incredibly edgy and dark. Featuring James Badge Dale, Joaquim de Almeida, Vanessa Ferlito, Paul Blackthorne, and D.B. Woodside, the season has a strong supporting cast. Full of exciting thrills, 24’s third season is a game changer for the series.
Jack is back for another powerful and thrilling season of 24. Escalating the danger and intensity, in Season 2 Jack Bauer has to stop a Middle Eastern terrorist group from detonating a nuclear device in L.A.; meanwhile President David Palmer discovers that there are elements in his administration that are assisting the terrorists in order to set the country on a war path. The writing is especially good (with the exception of the Kim storylines), and do an extraordinary job at building suspense and tension. Additionally, the episodes seamlessly flow together, creating an incredibly cohesive story arc. The cast this season is also quite impressive, and includes Michelle Forbes, Laura Harris, and Daniel Dae Kim. Daring and edgy, Season 2 of 24 is a non-stop thrill ride.
Incredibly outrageous and daring, Season 2 of UnREAL gets even more salacious and provocative. After being promoted to showrunner Rachel makes Everlasting history by choosing a black suitor for the show, but when the creators start fighting over the show’s direction chaos erupts; causing the network to bring in someone new to run things. The writers do a great job at building intention and at delivering shocking plot twists. And there are some interesting character developments among the main cast, who all deliver excellent performances. Yet at times the episodes can be a little uneven, with some contrived plot turns. Still, while it has a few rough patches, Season 2 of UnREAL is extraordinarily compelling and edgy.
Incredibly addictive, UnREAL is a trashy and provocative dark satire from Lifetime. Season 1 follows the behind-the-scenes of a dating show called Everlasting, where a group of women compete for a rich British aristocrat while the producers manipulate them in order to provoke melodrama that will generate ratings. Shiri Appleby and Constance Zimmer lead the cast and give outstanding performances. And the writing is quite impressive, with sharp, witty dialog and clever, daring plot twists. Additionally, the serial storytelling does a great job at building suspense and tension as the season progresses, with gripping cliffhangers at the end of each episode. Scandalous and shocking, Season 1 of UnREAL is a gritty exposé of reality television.
Season 1 of Netflix’s Lost In Space presents a bold new vision of this classic sci-fi series. When a colonist ship is attacked by an unknown alien the Robinson family makes it to an escape ship and crash-lands on a strange planet where they have to find a way to survive. The show has a pretty good cast that gives some strong performances. And, a couple of cast members from the original series make cameos. Also, the writers do a solid job at structuring the seasonal story arc and at developing the characters. The special effects and set designs are rather impressive as well; particularly the design for the robot. A thrilling adventure, Season 1 of Lost In Space is exciting and action-packed.
Season 2 of Once Upon a Time proves to have a bit of magic, but it’s not as focused as Season 1. Jumping the shark from the get go, the series violates its premise by introducing historical figures into the mix, which creates an uneven tone. The series also weakens its storytelling ability by breaking up the main cast into two separate plot lines. Yet, overall the season follows the residents of Storybrooke, who have regained their fairy tale identities (with the breaking of the curse) but remain trapped within the city limits, and must face new villains that threaten to destroy them. It’s not a bad story arc, but the execution is hit-and-miss. Still, a host of new and exciting characters, including Sleeping Beauty, Captain Hook, and Dr. Frankenstein, are introduced. It takes a while, but eventually the second season of Once Upon a Time gets back to the compelling storytelling and action packed adventures that made the show a hit.
Once again 12 Monkeys delivers an extraordinarily mind-bending season full of shocking twists. Season 3 picks up with Cole searching for Titan, where Cassie is being held captive, and after finding her he learns that she has given birth to their son; leading them to go rogue in order to search through time to find him and stop him from becoming The Witness. James Callis joins the cast as a reoccurring character and delivers and excellent performance. And, Emily Hampshire continues to steal the show with some of the most bizarre and funny scenes of the entire series. The writing is also quite impressive, crafting an extremely elaborate and compelling story in just 10 episodes (as opposed to its usual 13). Incredibly powerful, Season 3 of 12 Monkeys takes its characters (and audience) on a remarkable journey.
Mind-blowing and action-packed, Season 2 of 12 Monkeys changes the direction of the series. After seizing the time machine in 2043 the 12 Monkeys send several Messengers into the past to end time itself, and it’s up to Cole and Railly to track them down and stop them. The show changes up a lot of the character dynamics; with Railly turning into a hardcore resistance fighter after having been stuck in the future, Cole teaming up with Ramse in the past, and Jennifer being turned against the 12 Monkeys (becoming a rogue). And the performances are a lot better for this, giving the actors more to do; especially Emily Hampshire as Jennifer, who breaks out and becomes the most charismatic and interesting character of the series. The writing too is extremely impressive; particularly in how it develops a mythos for time and ties together the various factions (showing them interconnecting throughout time). Also, Madeleine Stowe, star of the original film, makes a guest appearance in the season finale and gives an incredible performance. Extraordinarily riveting and full of adventure, Season 2 of 12 Monkeys is a transformative season that takes the series to a new level.
Homeland delivers a thrilling second season as the stakes get higher and secrets are revealed. When Brody’s suicide tape is discovered during a mission in Beirut, Carrie is brought back into the CIA to run an operation to uncover Body’s terrorist cell; meanwhile Vice President Walden courts Body as a potential running mate for the upcoming election. Once again Claire Danes and Damian Lewis give excellent performances that are extremely compelling. And the writers do an extraordinary job at building the tension and suspense, and at constructing the season story arc. They also continue to probe topical sociopolitical issues in interesting ways. Additionally, the action scenes are intense and exciting, heightening the drama, and enough can’t be said about the mind-bending season finale that changes everything. Delving deep into the world of espionage, terrorism, and politics, Season 2 of Homeland is incredibly powerful and full of intrigue.
The hunt for Beckett’s mother’s killers heats up in Season 3 of Castle. After a summer break Castle returns to the 9th precinct to continue catching murders witch Beckett’s team and they soon find new evidence about her mother’s case; meanwhile Castle’s home life gets more complicated as Alexis makes plans to graduate early and move out to attend college. And the supporting characters are developed more as well, as Esposito and Lanie begin a relationship, Ryan proposes to his girlfriend, and a past case comes back to haunt Captain Montgomery. Additionally, the writer’s try some new things, including taking Castle and Beckett out of New York (“To Love and Die in L.A.”), tackling a series killer case (“3XK”) and domestic terrorist (“Setup” & “Countdown”), and ending the season finale on a nail-biting cliffhanger (“Kockout”). Also, the list of guest stars is as impressive as ever; Lance Henrikson, Laura Prepon, Bruce Davison, Adrian Pasdar, Tina Majorino and Jane Seymour. Castle just keeps getting better and better, and Season 3 may be its strongest yet.
In Season 4 Dexter faces new challenges as he balances married life with his Dark Passenger. Retired FBI agent Frank Lundy returns to Miami to seek Dexter’s help in looking for a mysterious serial killer he calls the Trinity Killer, who commits three seemly unconnected murders in a cycle repeatedly throughout various cities; meanwhile Angel and LaGuerta begin a secret relationship and Quinn gets close to a reporter who has questionable intentions. John Lithgow joins the cast as Trinity and gives quite a performance. Equally as good is Courtney Ford as the mysterious reporter Christina Hill, who proves pivotal to the story arc. But as good as the whole Trinity plot is (and it is), it’s kind of undercut by the WTF Angel/LaGuerta romance. Still, the heart of the show is Dexter, and his struggle to conform to a family life with a wife and kids proves to be a compelling theme. While it doesn’t quite reach the highs of previous seasons, Season 4 of Dexter is remarkable strong and takes the series in some interesting new directors (particularly given the shocking season finale).
Castle: Season 1 is an exciting and dynamic crime drama with a comedic edge. As part of his research for a novel, mystery writer Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion) shadows NYPD homicide detective Kate Beckett (played by Stana Katic) and helps her and her team solve cases. The writing is quite good, making for some interesting crimes and dialog that’s sharp and witty. Additionally, the characters are developed especially well, as is the series as a whole. One of the best cop dramas on television, Castle delivers an impressive 10-episode first season.
From JJ Abrams and Jonathan Nolan comes the tech thriller Person of Interest. In Season 1 a software engineer named Harold Finch, who built a computer algorithm called The Machine that can predict violent crimes, recruits former black ops agent John Reese to assist him in saving peoples’ lives. Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson lead the cast and give strong performances. And the writers do a good job at keeping the cases-of-the-week fresh and exciting by switching up whether the “person of interest” is the killer or the victim, and slowly revealing Finch and Reese’s backstories in pieces throughout the season. Additionally, the show uses an interesting aesthetic that utilizes security camera and other electronic device points of view to transition between scenes; making The Machine an omnipresent character in the show. Also, the fight scenes are thrilling and intense. Action-packed and full of intrigue, Person of Interest delivers an extraordinary first season that promises bigger things to come.
The Showtime political thriller Homeland is a high-quality and provocative series that exemplifies what serial television can do. Season 1 follows the return of Sergeant Nicholas Brody, a U.S. Marine who was held prisoner by al-Qaeda for 8 years in Iraq, as he struggles to reacclimate to life back home with his family; meanwhile the CIA secretly investigates Brody as a possible double agent after receiving a tip that an American POW had been turned by al-Qaeda. The material is especially rich, and quickly evolves into a complex and compelling story. The casting is also especially good; as Claire Danes and Damian Lewis are incredible, and really give dynamic performances. And the supporting cast members, such as Mandy Patinkin and Morena Baccarin, are equally as strong. Full of intrigue and suspense, Homeland delivers an extraordinary first season.
The CW reboots the La Femme Nikita franchise with the sexy spy thriller Nikita. In Season 1 former black ops assassin Nikita Mears attempts to bring down her former agency, Division, after discovering that they’ve gone rogue and are aiding terrorists; meanwhile a new Division recruit named Alex, who’s training to be an assassin, secretly works with Nikita from the inside. Starring Maggie Q, Lyndsy Fonseca, and Xander Berkeley, the show has a solid cast that delivers good performances: especially Q, who does an excellent job pulling off the fight choreography and gunplay. And despite a bit of CW-ishness, with superfluous romance plots and sexy young actors, the over-arcing stories of Nikita seeking redemption for her past and Alex’s struggle to maintain her cover are quite compelling. Additionally, the writers do an impressive job at building suspense and tension, which is further heightened by an exceptional score. Action-packed and full of intrigue, Nikita delivers an extraordinary first season, and promises to get even better.
