Out of all the shows I watch, these five were my favorite this season. Each one of these shows kept my interest consistently and while rarely leaving me disappointed. There were a lot of great shows to choose from, so please weigh in on what your favorites are as well.
1. Friday Night Lights
This season has not completely finished airing on NBC yet after its initial run on DIRECTV, so I won’t go into full detail of what happens. I missed it on DIRECTV so I decided to buy it the day it came out on DVD because I couldn’t wait for it to get to NBC! The fifth and final season became my favorite of the entire run. It was sad to see such a fantastic show come to an end, but they did go out with an amazing series finale. Old favorites returned and the characters got the happy endings they deserved. If Connie Britton and/or Kyle Chandler do not get nominated for an Emmy this year I will picket wherever I need to in Hollywood! This show definitely has not received the credit it deserves and it is due. Favorite episode = “Always.”
2. Cougar Town
Some shows in their second season go into a sophomore slump (cough, Glee, cough), but not Cougar Town. The second season was funnier than the first and got better with each episode. My favorite thing about this show is how it can be funny while including heartwarming moments at the same time. The cul-de-sac crew of Cougar Town is one of the best casts on television these days and their chemistry never falters. It is a huge bummer that ABC decided not to bring back the gang for Season Three until midseason next year. Favorite episode = “Little Girl Blues.”
3. Castle
Castle is a show that can be serious and fun at the same time. It also is another show that keeps getting better with each episode. I love the chemistry of the core four actors: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Seamus Deaver and Jon Huertas. There was a lot of character development this season with Ryan and Esposito getting into the action more with their fight in the last episode being one of their best scenes together. The relationship between Beckett and Castle deepened and they finally started to realize what they meant to each other. The season finale was one of the strongest episodes of the series and gave us fans the confession of love that we have been waiting for. Favorite episode = “Knockout.”
4. Fringe
Just when you thought Fringe couldn’t get any more complicated, it does. But for Season Three it was a good thing. The show brought us back and forth between both worlds, showing what it was like on the other side and it was interesting to see the relationships between the alternate Fringe team. I think the writers did a good job on balancing the issues between the characters and the fringe events that they were faced with in their worlds. There were so many surprising moments that I don’t think I could even choose which one was the best. Of course by the end of the season they gave us another shocking season finale and left us guessing on where the Fringe team will go from here on out. Jonathan Jackson gave a fine performance as Peter this season and John Noble (Walter) is another actor on my list of who deserves an Emmy. He really was phenomenal going back and forth between Walter/Walternate. For next season, I would like to see Jasika Nicole (Astrid) more front and center. I love her character and think that she deserves a little more screen time. Favorite episode = “Entrada.”
5. The Vampire Diaries
Here is another show that strayed from the sophomore slump and by the end of the season had established itself as more than a teen drama. This season was just as entertaining as the first and really developed its story lines and characters. The writers did not play around this season, killing many characters off and giving us even more violent episodes. This show definitely does not stop with the storylines and resolves things quickly, but not so fast that you can’t keep up. I thought that they brought the show to a whole new level with the introduction of the originals, Klaus and Elijah, plus they set up what could be an even better season in the fall. The only thing I was disappointed in was the loss of Aunt Jenna. I thought her character had more potential when she finally found out about the vampires and I really liked the pairing of her and Alaric. I am really intrigued by the Jeremy storyline coming out of the finale and would like to see more Alaric next season. Favorite episode = “The Sun Also Rises.”
Great job with this Erin and always fun to see which shows make each TVGA writer's top picks list.
Boardwalk Empire, The Walking Dead, The Killing, Community, Parks & Rec quickly come to mind as shows I'd have to heavily consider for my life. Loving the final season of FNL of course, though I'm forced to watch it one week at a time on NBC !