My Favorite TV Shows of 2015
Like I’ve stated previously, the following isn’t necessarily the best television shows that aired in 2015, but they’re my personal favorites that I watched during the year. Though, I can argue that the majority of the shows on this list are the best shows on television.
In alphabetical order:
Better Call Saul
A ‘Breaking Bad’ spinoff/prequel could’ve easily been a bad idea. Saul Goodman was a fun character on the original show, but I didn’t really care to learn how he came to be. Boy am I glad the creators didn’t listen to what I wanted, because ‘Better Call Saul’ turned out to be a fantastic show that stood on its own, instead of in the shadows of the original. The show actually allowed you to care about Jimmy McGill before he finally becomes the Saul Goodman we know. The show is pretty funny, but it’s also a tragedy, as we root for Jimmy to succeed in becoming a good person, even though we know the final outcome.
Standout episodes: I would honestly say the entire season (except the first episode) are equally good. But if I had to pick specific memorable ones, it’d be “Five-O,” which was a flashback episode that delved deeper into Mike’s history, and “Pimento,” which finally revealed a heartbreaking betrayal.
Community
Anyone who knows me knows how much ‘Community’ means to me. It’s a show that dares to be as ambitious as it is different. It doesn’t obey conventional TV rules. It’s a show for the oddballs and outcasts, as well as for those who love film and TV. It seems like every year the show is on the brink of extinction, and after Season 5, this was the case. Thankfully, Yahoo (as random as that sounds) swooped in and gave the show a sixth season. Now the show’s rallying call “Six Seasons and a Movie” is closer to becoming reality. The season wasn’t the show’s best, I’d reserve that spot for Seasons 2, 3 and the first half of 5, but it was still great television, better than most other comedies right now. ‘Community’ is passionate and smart television, it doesn’t cater to lowest common denominator humor like The Big Bang Theory, which is a guilty pleasure of mine. It looks like ‘Community’ won’t be coming back for another season, but the season (series?) finale is the strongest one in the show’s history. Season finales has always been one of the weakest aspects of the show, but this season’s finale actually satisfied me. After viewing it, I was totally okay if it was the very end of the show, and that’s something I wasn’t prepared to accept going into the season.
Standout episodes: “Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing,” which finally dealt with the Dean’s sexuality,“Wedding Videography,” which again showed how background characters really view the main characters, and was another documentary episode, which the show excels at, and “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television,” the finale.
Fresh Off the Boat
I was very hesitant about this show because the trailer for it was cringe-worthy. The shortened first season had some growing pains, but it was a decent and enjoyable show. The second season has been consistently good because it feels like the writers are finally in their groove and understand the characters. Also, it helps that the focus has shifted from little Eddie to his mom Jessica, played by Constance Wu, who is the show’s breakout star.
Standout episodes: “Family Business Trip,” “Shaquille O’Neal Motors,” and “The Real Santa"
Grace and Frankie
This is one of the surprising delights offered by Netflix. The titular characters find out their husbands are leaving them to marry each other. The great thing about the show is it doesn’t just show how Grace and Frankie each deal with the downfall of their marriage, but also how their children and husbands deal with it. There’s no perfect way to handle any of this, and everything about this show rings true and honest. Everyone in the show is funny, likable, and well-acted. I cannot wait for season 2!
Standout episodes: “The Elevator,” “The Secrets,” “The Vow”
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
How many late-night talk shows do we really need? I guess as long as the we have Stephen Colbert and John Stewart-level quality shows, I’m fine with however many we have! John Oliver’s talk show is on par with the former, but what stands it apart is the fact that it’s a weekly show, rather than daily. It may seem like a disadvantage, since he’ll be covering the top newsworthy topics last, but the show’s format works to his advantage because he gets to focus more time and attention to specific topics. For example, he has episodes dedicated to Standardized Testing, the FIFA Corruption Case, European Migrant Crisis, and Government Surveillance.
Standout episodes: All of them are what I’d call “mandatory viewing,” but the most memorable episode was Season 2 Episode 8, featuring an exclusive interview with Edward Snowden.
Master of None
I’m a fan of Aziz Ansari because of ‘Parks and Recreation’, but I am not a fan of his standup comedy. It’s hard for me to explain, but I feel like his standup is trying too hard. He always over-explains things, and it annoys me. So I wasn’t expecting much from his new Netflix show, but it turned out to be fantastic. The show apparently features story elements taken from his standup comedy as well as his new book “Modern Romance.” What’s great about this show is it’s lead is a minority (portrayed by Ansari), his group of friends are diverse (an Asian guy, a Black lesbian, and a White guy), and the show deals with real issues facing the entertainment industry that other shows are too scared to tackle. “Parents” is my favorite because I can relate to it so much as an offspring of immigrant parents. “Indians on TV” tackles representation of minorities on television. “Ladies and Gentlemen” deals with the differences in how women are treated in comparison to men. The show actually deals with important issues, while at the same time being hilarious and clever.
Standout episodes: “Parents,” “Indians on TV,” “Nashville,” “Mornings”
Orange is the New Black
A lot of people didn’t like the third season of OITNB, but I personally loved it. I think it had to do with expectations. I feel like too many people wanted to juicy and provocative drama that came with the second season, in which there was a central villain in the form of Vee. Season three didn’t have a villain. Instead, the season’s main theme seemed to center around motherhood. The season dealt more with the inmates’ everyday lives, rather than just pure drama. I loved just getting to know these characters more and spending more time with them. I didn’t care for a villain. It worked for me.
Standout episodes: “Mother’s Day,” “Where My Dreidel At,” “We Can Be Heroes,” “A Tittin’ and a Hairin’”
Parks and Recreation
Who would’ve thought a show that most people thought would fade away quick, a show that people felt was a cheap knockoff of ‘The Office’, would quickly become one of the best television shows in history? From Season 2 onwards, ‘Parks and ‘Recreation’ has been a consistently funny show full of characters we all care about. What makes it special is the lack of cynicism in the show. Instead, the characters and the show itself is full of hope and optimism. We truly love every character and wish for their well-being. The 7th and final season was a perfect ending, as we got to spend just the right amount of time with all the characters and their sendoffs. I love this show.
Standout episodes: All of it! But especially the finale “One Last Ride”
Sense8
The Wachowski’s haven’t had much luck in the theatrical departments since their “Matrix” trilogy. Their knack for ambitious storytelling haven’t been well-suited for two-hour storytelling, so the serial format of television seems perfect for them. Thankfully, it all worked out in ‘Sense8′. Full of ethnically diverse and unique characters that we care about, ‘Sense8′ is fun, thrilling, sexy, and much more. I’m fully engaged in the world the Wachowski’s have created, and I can’t wait to return in season 2.
Standout episodes: “What’s Going On?” “Demons,” “Art is Like Religion”
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
With NBC’s Thursday Night Comedy lineup no longer in existence, there’s been a void. NBC was the lowest rated network, but it offered the smartest and best comedies (’The Office’, ‘30 Rock’, ‘Parks and Recreation’ and ‘Community’). I’m glad NBC sold Tina Fey’s new show to Netflix, as I’m sure it would’ve tanked on NBC due to low ratings. Fey’s new show ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ works for Netflix because by binging it, one can easily take in all of the joy from the episodes, rather than slowly losing interest. The show isn’t perfect, like how they handle their minority characters - specifically Dong the Vietnamese - and Tina Fey’s poor excuse in defending it - but besides that, it’s a ball of pure fun. Ellie Kemper is a perfect delight as a cult-survivor who has lived underground for most of her life and now must deal with modern-day culture. The show also gives us one of the funniest and most memorable supporting characters on TV - Titus Andromedon. “Pinot Noir, Au Revoir.” The first season was made before being sold to Netflix, so it’s interesting to see how the writing/style/format changes going into season 2.
Standout episodes: I don’t remember because I binged this all at once, but I do remember the first half of the season being a lot stronger than the second half. As soon as the show started dealing with a love triangle, as well as the court proceedings against The Reverend, it started getting sloppy.
