2018 shows some of the best TV yet
If you can believe it, 2018 is half gone. ❚ It’s been a wild ride this year on TV, from the resurgence, fall and revamping of “Roseanne” to the absurd twists of “Westworld.” ❚ But while there was a lot we loved this year, 10 shows managed to shine just a little brighter in the insanely crowded TV landscape. (And these shows can still be streamed!) The 10 best shows of the year so far, all of which made us laugh, cry and scream, sometimes all at once:
1. ‘The Americans’ (FX)
The sixth and final season of FX’s stunning spy drama is everything fans could have hoped for. Moody, visually rewarding and emotionally profound, the season sends its spent KGB agents Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and the late 1980s world stage spinning out of control, and then pirouettes into a graceful landing. Its last episode is a fitting a finale for Philip, Elizabeth, their daughter, Paige (Holly Taylor), and FBI agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), one that may be among the best TV finales of all time.
2. ‘The Good Fight’ (CBS All Access)
After a strong first season on the fledgling CBS All Access streaming network, the “Good Wife” spinoff comes back for a second in (pardon the pun) true fighting form. Season 2 gives us a run of deliriously energetic and surprising episodes that help the legal drama
transcend its case-of-the-week format. The series excels at its ripped-fromthe-headlines stories and portrays Trump-era exhaustion in a way no other show has managed to grasp. It might be worth subscribing to CBS All Access to tune in.
3. ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ (FX)
The latest “American Crime Story” adaptation is a misnomer, as it follows (mostly in reverse chronological order) the life of Versace’s murderer, Andrew Cunanan. But as played in a tour de force and award-worthy performance by Darren Criss, Cunanan’s and Versace’s (Edgar Ramirez) interwoven stories are riveting and revealing, a study of the lives and struggles of gay men in the 1990s. At times difficult to watch, the portrait of the spree killer is gilded and fascinating, gorgeous and off-putting from beginning to end.
4. ‘Killing Eve’ (BBC America)
Who knew the standard story of a cop chasing a killer could be so fresh, so exciting and so much fun? From writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, “Killing Eve” is an electric addition to a well-worn genre that gives long-laboring supporting actress Sandra Oh the starring role she deserves. Paired with a stunning performance from Jodie Comer as the assas- sin Oh is chasing, “Killing Eve” is a terrifying delight in every single scene.
5. ‘The End of the F***ing World’ (Netflix)
Stylish, irreverent and darkly funny, this surprise British gem was one of Netflix’s first shows of the year, and is one of its best. “World” finds two misfit teens, self-identified psychopath James (Alex Lawther) and rebellious Alyssa (Jessica Barden), on the run and experiencing a series of escalating crises. But it manages to find the humor and pathos in their adolescent turmoil, no matter how absurd their circumstances.
6. ‘Barry’ (HBO)
Strange, funny, terrifying, dark and whimsical, Bill Hader and cocreator Alex Berg’s dark fairy tale about a hit man (Hader) with dreams of acting doesn’t seem promising on the surface. And yet this strange mashup of Hollywood dreaming and bloody crime drama is so gripping, you’d wonder why no one thought of it before.
7. ‘The Good Place’ (NBC)
The afterlife sitcom aired just five episodes in 2018, but they represent an incredible season of TV that is equal parts hilarious, philosophical, emotional and surprising. The episode “Rhonda, Diana, Jake, and Trent,” in which Eleanor (Kristen Bell), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Tahani (Jameela Jamil), Janet (D’Arcy Carden) and Jason (Manny Jacinto) go undercover in the real Bad Place, is one of the season’s standouts and just a taste of the manic genius of this weird and wonderful show.
8. ‘Atlanta’ (FX)
We had to wait 16 months to get more of Donald Glover’s dramedy, but it was worth it. In its second season, “Atlanta” is more daring, more idiosyncratic and more satisfying than in its Emmy-winning first season. “Atlanta” experiments by separating its main cast for their own mythic adventures in terrific standalone episodes, weaving short stories into something stranger and grander than you realize.
9. ‘One Day at a Time’ (Netflix)
The critically acclaimed family sitcom, about a single mom (Justina Machado) living with her mother (Rita Moreno) and two kids in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, follows a fantastic first season with a beautiful second. It takes more risks and offers a finale like an exquisite Broadway play, with each member of the family getting a soliloquy to Lydia (Moreno) as she lies unconscious in the hospital. Watching “One Day” is not unlike getting a warm hug from a family member when you need it most.
10. ‘Superstore’ (NBC)
This under-rated NBC sitcom manages to make the will-they-won’t-they romantic pairing endearing again with Amy (America Ferrera) and Jonah (Ben Feldman), who finally consummate their relationship in a riotous season finale. Besides its sweet romance, “Superstore” is one of the most reliably hysterical comedies on the air, and it can deftly knock you over with its jokes every week.