I don’t know who decided that the TV season and the school season should coincide, but he or she was a moron.
We just spent an entire year of our precious young lives toiling away in Alden, consuming energy drinks like water. And now, when most of us actually have an hour or two to spare, the television packs it up and calls it quits.
Sure, we’ll get a Breaking Bad here or there. But for the most part, the television gods expect us to have summer jobs or go out and enjoy the sunshine with our friends. Those animals. Just in case you need the memory of the 2010-2011 season to keep you warm in the already very warm summer, here are the shows I most enjoyed during the year.
Best shows I did review:
Justified was simply marvelous this year, but I must admit I didn’t sense the greatness coming after the first two episodes. This is another classic example of why it is best to judge a show by its whole season and not just the first few episodes.
Game of Thrones was, and continues to be, wonderful. It seems like we’ve had the “where is HBO’s next Sopranos” discussion every year. And the best thing Game of Thrones did in 2011 was slam the door shut on that argument once and for all.
There wasn’t a more purely entertaining half-hour of television this year than Parks and Recreation. The sitcom is a critical part of television history and is also, in many ways, the most under-appreciated as an art. But make no mistake: season three of Parks and Recreation was a comedic work of art.
Best shows I didn’t review:
I’m still not sure why I didn’t end up reviewing The Walking Dead this year. It came out on Halloween night and would have been a nice weekday morning gory read for those still hungover. The six-episode first season of Dead was uneven at times, but the 90-minute pilot remains my favorite episode of television this year.
There has never been another show like Louie, the truly singular vision of creator/director/producer/editor/writer/actor Louis C.K.
C.K secured sole creative control of every aspect of his show by agreeing with FX to make it on the cheap. The deal is the envy of every other showrunner and comedian alive. And Louis C.K is making the absolute best of it. The first season of Louie was almost indescribable, adhering to no genres or typical television norms. It’s bold, it’s exciting, it’s funny and it’s very, very good.
—Alec Bojalad is a junior studying journalism. If you wouldn’t mind spending your summer inside watching TV, email him at ab239807@ohiou.edu
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