I do not think that it would be inappropriate or presumptive of me to conclude that 2016 has been, for lack of a more eloquent word, trash. Dubbing an entire year as “trash” may seem limiting, as I did force at least 4 people in my life to watch The Lobster. However, despite introducing a few people to the brilliance of Yorgos Lanthimos’ dystopian masterpiece, I am sticking with the narrative that 2016 was, in fact, similar to diving into a smelly dumpster filled with DVDs of The Revenant (obligatory DiCaprio dig).
A bright light in all of this darkness, the thing that has kept me alive, breathing, and able to exist as the ravishing creature that steps foot on the rain-soaked December sidewalks of Montreal every single day in my incredibly impractical shoes, was the exorbitant amount of wonderful television this year hath brought.
We are in the “golden age of TV,” and as much as I hate that phrase, (I always read it as Michael Sheen’s pseudo-intellectual character from Midnight in Paris any time I stumble upon it) it is true. I myself find it integral to my livelihood to consume as much of it as possible because if there is one thing I hate, it is not being culturally dialed-in.
I am sure many of you do not have this issue. Your lives are full of whimsy and adventure and… well let’s just call a spade a spade; fun. You have more important things to worry about than how the soundtrack of Westworld is shaping the narrative of the characters. You’re probably off snorkeling somewhere, or base-jumping, or hanging out with other human beings. What a life you all must lead.
I just watch a lot of TV.
Here are my favourite bits of it from 2016:
- Can you wear a bra with this & other fashion questions about 18th-century France (Outlander, “Not in Scotland Anymore,” April 16)
I adored the first season of Outlander, the story of a time-travelling World War II nurse plunged into Scotland during the Jacobite rebellion. This is due to the fact that I, like any normal person, am just crazy for a good tartan.
The second season took us out of the Scottish Highlands and into the court of Louis XIV. As they are about to head out to a court party, Claire descends the staircase of their Parisian home, and Jamie remarks to her, “You can see all the way down to your third rib.”
This dress. *All the snapping emojis*
Costume designer Terry Dresbach outdid herself with this. She was inspired by the Dior look of the 1940s. For those not versed in fashion history, this was known as “The New Look.” (Dresbach breaks down all of her inspiration, and the elements of her design on her website.)
- Am I crying or laughing? (Veep, “Mother,” May 15)
After the showrunner Armando lanucci left the show after the fourth season, I was concerned for what kind of Veep that would leave us with. From experience (Gilmore Girls and Community), the loss of a showrunner can spell disaster for a show. It loses its voice and things just get terribly messy.
Thankfully, Veep was placed in capable hands after Mr. Ianucci’s exit and this episode exists in the pantheon among the best episodes of the show of all time.
The episode revolves around Selina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) having to stop campaigning while she visits her dying mother in the hospital. So few shows, especially comedies, know how to capture that horrid, awkwardness of death. Death is weird. Despite melodramatic shows like Grey’s Anatomy, when someone dies, it is not necessarily crying family members flinging themselves on a corpse sobbing.
In some cases it may be like that, sure; however, this episode hit that perfect cringe-comedy note and that’s why I included it.
- Obligatory Hamilton talk (The 70th Annual Tony Awards, June 12)
Lin-Manuel Miranda, the genius behind Hamilton, is a beacon of positivity, light and all that is wonderful in this world. When he accepted his award, he delivered this poignant speech:
Love is love is love is love is love and… I am sobbing.Â
- Jude Law is playing a sexy pope & we all need to be talking about it. (The Young Pope (Trailer), June 15)
Okay, so this show did start airing on Sky in October of this year, and will not premiere in the US on HBO until January.
This is just me talking about a trailer I saw when I was watching Game of Thrones. However, it was earlier this year, so it was technically a television moment of 2016.
Why are we all not losing our minds at this? This show looks bonkers and amazing. Jude Law can and will never do wrong in my book, but this just looks awesome. I cannot wait to ramble on about this once the series actually drops. (A critic who has already seen the series said there was a scene where Jude Law was getting dressed in his Pope clothes while “Sexy and I Know It” played in the background. Tell me you are not intrigued by this.)
- Cersei Lannister slays all day. (Game of Thrones, “Winds of Winter,” June 26)
Let me preface this by saying Cersei is my favourite character on this entire show. Maybe on any show. She is resilient and fabulous, and Lena Headey deserves all the awards for her portrayal.
That being said this scene was maybe the greatest thing I have ever seen in my entire stupid life.
Cersei has to head to this nonsense trial where she would have been found guilty of a myriad of things and killed, but she had this wicked plan to trap all of her enemies (the High Sparrow, Margaery, Mace, Loras Tyrell, Lancel and Kevan Lannister and a gazillion other people) in the Sept of Baelor and set fire to the whole thing while she watched from her tower and drank wine.
The entire scene was a fairly wordless 10 or so minutes, with this incredible score done by the incomparable Ramin Djawadi, and it was stunningly beautiful as it was incredibly satisfying on a character-driven level.
A bit later in the episode, she locked up the septa who followed behind her with a bell when she had to do her walk of shame through the streets of King’s Landing last season. As the Mountain entered the cell, Cersei just smirked and started intoning “shame” over and over again just as the septa had done to her.
It was incredible. Lena was firing on all cylinders.
I am sort of alone in thinking Cersei is the true hero of this entire story, but it was delicious to watch her enact revenge. Truly delicious.
- Why is Thandie Newton such an underappreciated actress? (Westworld, October 2)
This show is somewhat overpraised. I still sort of love it though. It is insanely confusing and I never understand what is going on. I experienced a similar feeling when someone told me I was a “nice person.”
That being said, Thandie Newton is a goddess who walks amongst us. Her performance as a “host” (That is what they call the robots on this ludicrous show. Just roll with it.) named Maeve is flawless. She is the only thing on this show that truly “works” for me, other than that one scene where James Marsden was naked.
- Obligatory Jon Hamm talk. (Billy on the Street, “Immigrant, or Real American? With Jon Hamm!” November 15)
Billy Eichner is everything I aspire to be as a person: loud, brazen, hilarious, and friendly with various cool celebrities. The fifth season of his increasingly popular pop culture game show, Billy on the Street, started off with a bang.
Literally.
God, I hate myself for making that joke. Moving on. He spent some time with Jon Hamm, running around the streets of New York asking strangers if they would engage in a ménage-a-trois with himself and Mr. Hamm.
The enthusiasm that most of the people they approached failed to express was horrifying. Why anyone would even have to think for a second about his or her answer to that question is baffling to me. Anyways, here it is. Enjoy.
- Buh-bye, Lady Mary. (Good Behavior, November 15)
I love this show unabashedly, and not just because the main guy in it is a flawless specimen.The new series premiered this fall on TNT and follows Letty Raines (Michelle Dockery of Downton Abbey-fame), who attempts to lead a clean life after her recent stint in prison. She gets caught up with this crazy hot hitman and madness ensues.
The thing about this show that is keeping me impressed week after week is its ability to subvert what it is trying to say about itself each episode. I never know what to expect from the following episode, and not in an “I’m confused” way. It is more a “This is exciting, where do we go from here?” kind of way.
The costuming is fabulous, and as a huge fan of The Americans and their copious disguises, I am deeply impressed by the deployment of various wigs. Plus, Michelle Dockery is cranking out a busted North Carolinian accent, having crazy sex, and smoking pot on the bathroom floor of a gas station. It is something to behold.
*Speed Round*
- Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, January 1: Those fools over at Sherlock gave us this one measly Christmas special to hold us over until the new episodes drop. It was all good fun, though. Any chance to see B. Cumberbatch as Sherlock is a-okay with me.
- American Crime, January 6: Fabulous acting, poignant storylines, and Felicity Huffman yelling about e-mails.​
- American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson, February 2: The scene in the episode “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” when Sarah Paulson (portraying prosecutor Marcia Clark) gets her haircut in a montage with “Kiss from a Rose” playing in the background. That is all.​
- Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, February 8: This woman delivered some of the most hilarious and honest coverage of our election. Bless her.
- Downton Abbey, March 6: The timing for this, too, is complicated because the last season technically aired in 2015, but the final episode aired in 2016. I have not been emotionally stable enough to return to this show, but I know Lady Mary ends up with Matthew Goode, and isn’t that the dream for all of us?
- The Girlfriend Experience, April 10: Why aren’t more people watching this show? Based on Steven Soderbergh’s film of the same name, the Starz series takes you through the double life of law student and high-end sex worker Christine Reade (Riley Keough). This show is dark, moody, stylish, and sexy without feeling gross. Keough gives that kind of studied, mannered performance that I love (see: Cate Blanchett in Carol). Episode 9 “Blindsided” is genuinely one of the most enthralling things I have seen in my entire life. This show is worth 6 and a half hours of your time.Â
- Stranger Things, July 15: I could not go anywhere or do anything this summer without being subjected to talk of this show. I thought it was great, but the hype of this show was simply inescapable. I do love that we get to watch Winona Ryder lose her mind for 8-episodes, though.
- Fleabag, July 21: I rambled (partially) about this already here.
- The Great British Baking Show, Series 6: I could not find the US premiere dates for this, but I know I watched it this year. This show is like a warm hug, it is a competition where the people competing are not even competitive. They are genuinely nice, in fact. It is a delight. When Nadiya won this season, I was sobbing. I got so emotionally invested in this woman baking cardamom-flavoured cakes. A note on this show: we are only getting one more season of this with the original presenters and judges, and I will accept none of that. ​
- The Good Place, September 19: This show is breath of fresh air and I love Ted Danson more than most 20-year-olds. He is a delight in this, as is Kristen Bell.
- This is Us, September 20: Normally, I hate things that are this kind of genre: the melodramatic family-thing. Not into it. However, I really enjoy this show. It is super well-acted, charming, and touching without being cheesy. Plus: Milo Ventimiglia.
- Jane the Virgin, October 17: In its third season, this show is still charming. With its format of a telenovela, it is always whacky, but still brings in some incredibly real, human moments. That being said, fans of the show, I am wholly #TeamRaphael. How can anyone be Team Michael? You are on the wrong side of history.
- Black Mirror, October 21: I rambled about this already here.Â
- ​Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, October 21: Beginning its second season over at the CW, CEG is back and just as innapropriate and brilliant as ever. Rachel Bloom is a dream. The way this show handles super dark topics like alcoholism or abortion, and turns them into songs that somehow don’t diminish the seriousness of those topics, but still bring humour and brilliance into them is astounding. Watch it.Â
- Rectify, October 26: Why aren’t more people watching this show? (Part 2) It follows Daniel Holden who is released from nearly 20-years on death row after new evidence clears him of the rape and murder of a teenage girl. He heads home and neither he nor his family are able to adjust to his return; the character work on this show is nearly unparalleled. It is a stunning southern gothic, that moves like molasses, but in the most satisfying, emotionally stirring way. The fourth season – its last – has been incredible so far, and I hate to see such a great show end.Â
- The Crown, November 4: I rambled about this already here.
- Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, November 25: I obviously have so much to say about this. I could write a book on how many thoughts I have, but I will just say that Emily Gilmore saying bullsh*t is everything I needed and more.
Speaking of BS, despite all of the noise and negativity swirling around out there, it is nice to know that I will always have TV. This is actually a condensed list of everything I wanted to include; I realized I left 22 items off so as not to put you into a sleep from which you’ll never awake. With the nonsense I spewed with this prolonged list, you’ll probably just doze into a comfortable nap. Do consider delving into one (or all. Whatever. Your choice.) of the above shows to kill some time and take a break from it all.
Happy watching (and holidays!) xx
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