#and it makes sense for sam to be supporting this season although i lowkey think assad should've been in lead as well

[pynkhues]

I really do feel like Jacob, Sam, Delainey, and Assad deserve nominations -- their performances were just so extraordinary. Eric was also fantastic--I might personally put Ben Daniels over him, but that might be unfairly giving him too little credit for his performance just because the character seems closer to him than any of the other actors do to their characters.

I totally agree, anon! They're all so good, including Ben, and it would be so nice to see them all nominated. I'm not sure if this season will be eligible for the SAGs, but I really hope it is just because it's like, the only awards ceremony that offers a Best Ensemble category which this cast absolutely deserves.

I feel for Eric a bit, because in a lot of ways, he's got both the hardest and least glamorous role? He's really functioning as a gateway character for the audience to the broader storyworld, and as a result, he becomes a bit of a barometer of tone. He's modern without being too modern, he's sceptical, he's funny, and his dry tone is actually what lets the rest of the show be high melodrama. Without him, the show would veer too far into camp. It's Daniel's voice and Eric's performance that grounds the series because - like a true tonal barometer - he's constantly checking the pressure of a scene, and the side effect is that he doesn't really get to transcend tone - at least not at this stage - in the way all the other actors get to. He has to stay grounded for the show to work.

Which is a hard thing to acknowledge when every other actor gets to explore characters at such heightened points of emotion! But it's vital all the same, and I truly think the show would be lost without him, which in a lot of ways is a true supporting actor role, and lowkey a reminder that Sam and Delainey at the very least, if not Assad as well, are really probably closer to co-leads than they are supporting.

[timotay-chalamet]

Best TV of 2016: 10 - 6

Part 3 of this never ending series. Part 4 will be posted tomorrow

PART 2

PART 1

10. CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND

This show took me a while to get into, and I must confess I watched the first episode, didn’t enjoy it and decided to not continue. I’m not entirely sure why I decided to come back to this show, but I am glad I did. Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) decides to move to West Covina after she sees her high school summer fling Josh Chan (Vincent Rodriguez III) from New York. Did I mention this show has musical numbers? Because it does, and they are amazing (this show is no Glee, trust me). What this show does perfectly is melt together musical genres, styles and gives each member a cast the chance to shine. The first season was perfect, and as a viewer I really appreciated how well written the show was, and how it was able to find humour and pathos all the while presenting a beautifully feminist perspective. This is a show that values the subtleties of female friendship, but also female rivalry. The supporting cast of this show are perfect, and are often foils for Rebecca’s absurdist ��romantic’ gestures. Donna Lynne Champlin’s, Paula Procter is particularly brilliant but all the supporting cast are equally brilliant. But the best part is that they are able to have lives outside of Rebecca. This show is bitingly hilarious, it doesn’t take itself too seriously and it’s able to subvert tropes of genre. It’s basically brilliant *starts singing the Sexy Getting Ready Song*

 Best episodes: I’m Going a Date with Josh’s Friend, My First Thanksgiving with Josh, That Text was not Meant for Josh, Josh is Going to Hawaii, Why is Josh in a Bad Mood, Paul Needs to Get Over Josh

9. MR ROBOT

Planning a revolution is easy, executing a revolution is more difficult, sustaining a revolution is hard. This season of Mr Robot examined with repercussions of such a revolution, who benefits? Who falters? And how does such idealism exist in world that may not want it.

This season of Mr Robot was either love it or leave it, there is no in between. The critical darling of 2015 has been absent from many top of 2016 lists, and I am trying to understand why? I will commend Sam Esmail for making the show with his own vision and while I feel some of the criticism lobbied at the show were warranted, I had to question if we were watching the same show. For my part, I don’t feel like the ‘twists’ are every really twists, not in the traditional sense, and from the beginning the audience knows that Elliot is an unreliable narrator, so it really wasn’t so shocking to see him in prison. I did think that the reveal was done beautifully, and the cinematography is bar none, the man knows his way around a montage. It also continues to use some of the inspired musical choices on TV.  Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson continues to create an iconic performance full of subtext, mania and restraint. There is a reason why he continues to win awards. Christian Slater’s, Mr Robot is finally able to be the unhinged id, and Slater revels in this new development. Carly Chaikin delivers one of the finest monologues on the show, and this season we were able to see her as a defacto leader.  The female centric solo episode, particularly following the previous episode’s revelation, was an inspired choice, and Angela’s (Portia Doubleday) karaoke was particularly heartbreaking. The inclusion of the FBI and Dom (Grace Gummer) was a welcome change of perspective. And how can we forget B.D Wong’s electric performance as Whiterose, complete and utter scene-stealer, as is Stephanie Corneliussen as Joanna Wellick. I feel this is a set up season of the show, and that next season we will see the full repercussions of F Society’s revolution.

 Best episodes: unm4sk-pt1.tc (2.01), unm4sk-pt2.tc (2.02), logic_b0mb.hc (2.04), h4ndshake.sme (2.06), pyth0n_p1.p7z (2.07), pyth0n_p2z (2.08)

8. THE NIGHT OF

Everyone’s worst nightmare is being arrested for a crime they didn’t commit and it’s even worse if you don’t remember; that’s the premise of The Night Of. Nasir Khan (Riz Ahmed), in a series of ‘please don’t that’ choices manages to charged with the murder of his one night stand. The first episode of this show is a heart attack inducing experience, as Naz manages to make the stupidest of the all stupid choices. What follows is an exploration of race, religion and the criminal justice system. John Turturro is brilliant as Jack Stone, the down and out lawyer who only through good timing and luck get’s Naz as a client; although I will say that we see his feet more than my eyes needed to. Enough cannot be said about Riz Ahmed’s performance, and this role reignited my love for him but I don’t think anyone noticed because I’ve been totally lowkey and subtle about it. But anyway Ahmed sells the transformation from Bambi in the woods to career criminal brilliantly, and his acting is always subtle but tells us so much. The only issues I have this show are pacing, and some questionable story choices, while I know this is based on a BBC production, certain storylines should have been abandoned for realism. And on that note, some of the court scenes were completely ludicrous and I’m no lawyer but even I knew that dramatic license was taken. Overall I enjoyed the mystery, and the performances were brilliant but as a story it slightly missed the mark of a truly iconic show. But what a star making year for Riz, in every way!

 Best episodes: The Beach, The Art of War, The Season of the Witch, Samson and Delilah, An Ordinary Death, The Call of the Wild

7. BETTER CALL SAUL

Better Call Saul really come into it’s own this season, both thematically but also stylistically. Vince Gillian was able to meld what fans loved about Breaking Bad into the darkly comical world of Saul Goodman. It cannot be said enough that Bob Odenkirk was brilliant this season, Jimmy’s McGill’s foray into legitimacy is short lived but we as an audience are able to see the flickers of ‘Saul’ that made him the character he is in Breaking Bad. Gilligan also uses montage, and suspense perfectly this season and the show ended on an enormous cliff-hanger that makes me exited for next season. Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler is also undeniably brilliant as she is caught between her own personal ambitions, and the reality of working with Jimmy, as partners only. This season was extremely exiting, and next season I feel will be even better as the stakes have been raised. The beauty of this show is that audience already has a touchstone for the season, so our interest lies in formation of these characters, as we are aleady privy how they turn out.

 Best Episodes: Rebecca, Inflatable, Nailed, Klick

6. ATLANTA

I wasn’t sure what to expect coming into this show, I am being completely honest. I was under the impression that the show would be a ‘slice of life’ dramedy with some comedic elements; luckily I was wrong and this show has exceeded my every expectation. What Donald Glover and his writing staff have done beautifully is add these surreal elements into the show that never feel tacked or forced but completely and utterly delightful. The show also deals with serious issues, such as police brutality, social media, celebrities and feminism but always with a comedic touch. I also think it’s a brave choice to have episodes without the main protagonist, it just adds layers to an already brilliant show. This show is brilliant, Glover deserves all the praise that he is getting, but I also think that his supporting cast deserve the accolades equally as this show would not even remotely work without their comedic presence.  

 Best episodes: Streets on Lock, Value, B.A.N., The Club, The Jacket