5. “Barry”
“Barry” really amped things up in its second season, from feral adolescent girls, to assassin training camp, to a season-ending cliffhanger of epic proportions. Creators Alec Berg and Bill Hader put together a returning season that somehow managed to improve on the already great Season 1. Perhaps the smartest decision they made was to spend much of Season 2 further fleshing out some of the show’s breakout characters from its inaugural season, including Anthony Carrigan’s brilliant performance as insecure gangster NoHo Hank. Sarah Goldberg is also given more to do as actress Sally Reed in Season 2, including a meta arc about the lack of good roles for women in Hollywood. Bottom line, “Barry” is a fun, funny show with real stakes, perhaps the closest thing we currently have to a true “Breaking Bad” successor. – EF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir1_hjemxNA
4. “Succession”
After a first season that failed to gain much traction outside of a relatively small group of fervent believers, HBO’s “Succession” finally cemented itself as the prestige show of the moment with a second season too good to be ignored. Featuring an unequaled ensemble of eloquently amoral characters, as well as a powerhouse lead performance from Jeremy Strong, the second season of Jesse Armstrong’s series about the impossibly-rich left a lasting impression. From the introduction of Roman Roy’s (Kieran Culkin) romance(?) with Waystar Royco general counsel Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron), to Kendall’s legendary rap, to “you can’t make a Tomlette without breaking some Greggs,” this was one of the most overall memorable seasons of television in years. As a result, it generated some memes. It generated a lot of memes. – EF
3. “When They See Us”
The story of the Central Park Five turned 30-years-old in 2019. The case shook the lives of five young men, accused and then wrongly convicted for the rape of a female jogger in Central Park. Ava DuVernay brings the case to life with laser-sharp precision and panoramic empathy, giving life to the boys who were condemned, in large part, because of the color of their skin. The four-part miniseries follows the suspects – Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, and Raymond Santana – from the day of their first interrogation to the moment of their release, years later. The two timelines intersect, as a crop of piercing child performances (Asante Blackk is a major standout) then passes the baton to an aching set of young men delivering the sadness and strength of a lifetime. The one actor who plays both roles is Jharrel Jerome as Korey Wise – watch out as his career, which began in 2016 with a stunning supporting role in “Moonlight,” skyrockets over the next few years. – EK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3F9n_smGWY
2. “Watchmen”
Damon Lindelof surprised many before the premiere of his latest HBO endeavor when he noted there might be only one season of the alternate reality drama. Considering “Watchmen” is set over 30 years after the events in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons‘ landmark graphic novel, you can understand his concern whether audiences would embrace the series. Especially after the mixed reaction to Zack Snyder‘s movie adaptation 10 years ago. The good news is that Lindelof, Nicole Kassell (an executive producer who directed the first two episodes), and his writing staff have created a fascinating world full of genuine mystery and conflict that mirrors today’s fractured society. The genius of Lindelof and colleagues is demonstrating that even in a world where masked heroes have been around for decades, racism and white supremacy are not only prevalent but deeply ingrained in the history of the United States. That impressive narrative is assisted by fantastic performances from Regina King, Jeremy Irons, and, most wonderfully, Jean Smart, among others. Lindelof might sincerely be clueless to where a second season of “Watchmen” might venture, but after this stellar series, he’s got even more to live up to the second time around. – GE
1. “Fleabag”
It feels almost useless to say anything more about “Fleabag” Season 2, considering that everything that could possibly be said about it already has been. Talking about how good “Fleabag” is, well, it’s almost boring at this point. And yet here we are. There’s no getting around the fact that this was a truly excellent season of television, a huge leap in quality from the only slightly inferior Season 1. This was, in no small part, due to the introduction of Andrew Scott as the now-iconic “Hot Priest,” in a performance that radiated superhuman charisma and somehow took over the Internet for several weeks. This isn’t to downplay the incredible work of creator-writer-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge (who, it must be said, is killing it right now). In Season 2 of “Fleabag,” Waller-Bridge plays with the fourth wall in ways we have never quite seen before, culminating in an exhilarating scene in which the Hot Priest finally tries to get a look at whatever it is Waller-Bridge’s titular Fleabag sees every time she looks into the camera. Formal innovation, superb writing, and riveting, hilarious and heartbreaking performances made “Fleabag” Season 2 the most exciting shows of 2019 by far. – EF
Honorable Mentions
As per usual, there were dozens of shows worthy of inclusion on this list, but ultimately, something’s gotta go. Top of mind for us and almost making the list was Hulu’s “Shrill,” starring Aidy Bryant, and we’re definitely looking forward to the second season in 2020. Other shows considered included “The Mandalorian”—fun, but obviously not complete and losing a bit of steam already— “Veep,” “Catch-22,” “Game Of Thrones” (an uneven final season, obviously), “The Good Place,” “Why Women Kill,” Showtime’s “On Becoming a God in Central Florida” with Kirsten Dunst, HBO’s “Los Espookys,” “Our Boys,” “Perpetual Grace LTD,” “Living With Yourself,” “Dead To Me,” “Undone, “The Other Two, “The Good Fight,” “The Act,” “Miracle Workers,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and the final season of “Catastrophe.” Here’s to looking forward to 2020, but also nervous af to see the extra tsunami of content AppleTV+, Disney+, and HBOMax drop on us next year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyUr_-jxWZA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpxhCX47lZg
