Go out and ask any person you know... or even those you don't know. And I am sure they will tell you that they wish 2016 would be over. What with the copious amounts of celebrity deaths and the results of the presidential election still stinging like a slap across the face, it is no surprise that we can collectively be over a year. And in my relatively short life, I have never seen so many people rally around a time to just MOVE ON.
Yet, even in the midst of such political and social turmoil, I hope we can also agree that we were lucky in some respects. As someone who values and studies the pervasiveness of mediated texts, I am here to remind you all that the television and movies that we witnessed this year were nothing short of breathtaking. No, they cannot completely eliminate the pain we may have experienced. But I feel that we are not giving the proper respect media deserves from this year.
Rather than sit here and wallow in the deaths and tragedies of this year, I want to celebrate the qualities of 2016 that deserve celebrating. During the next few weeks, I will be reviewing some of my favorites: television, movies, and perhaps even music. There is so much to be appreciative of from this past year, and they are worth mentioning.
A Year in Television
You read correctly! Today's post is dedicated to the best that television had to offer. It goes without saying that there is plenty I had not watched (I am still trying to catch up on The Americans), but that does not mean we were without greatness. So below, please enjoy, as I recap my favorite series, episodes, and performances from the 2016 television season.
*Note! Although I watched the second season of Fargo this year, I still regard it as a 2015 work. Otherwise, it would have cracked my Top 5 favorite series, and Kirsten Dunst's delectable performance may have taken my #1 spot. Alas, we move forward.
~ Best Television Performances ~ (Listed in alphabetical order)
Julie Klausner & Billy Eichner, Difficult People
Okay, yes, I cheated a little bit here—fitting two
performances into one spot. But if some arbitrary rule maker held a gun to my
head and declared that I could only select either Klausner or Eichner, well…
let’s just say that I’d leave with the greats in 2016. Because these two make Difficult People what it is: crass,
crude, cynical, hilarious, and thoroughly engaging. Right from the get-go the
series is about these two best friends, and immediately we can sense a shift in
the cultural narrative surrounding tropes of the GBF (Gay Best Friend). Here,
we are stripped of the off-putting stereotypes, of both the male and female
characters fulfilling some role that we have seen played out tirelessly before.
What we get is razor edged and witty, and both Klausner and Eichner are
unafraid to make these characters—arguably just variations of themselves, their
first names are their own after all—unlikeable and toxic. But what makes these
performances so fresh and inviting is the fact that we need both of them in this
world. They complement one another in all the right ways. Because however
similar Julie and Billy may be (and you best believe they are kindred spirits),
they are fundamentally different, difficult people. 2016 may have been rough,
but watching these two squabble, bicker, and fail in becoming the famous
comedians they feel destined to become is a diamond of comedy that I cannot
wait to see more of.
Thandie
Newton,
I will warn you now: you are not going to see Westworld on my Top 10 series of the
year. While there is much to be admired in its first season, I ultimately found
the whole ordeal to be more trouble than it was worth. But I find myself
fortunate for having watched this polarizing first season, because I was able
to watch the beauty of Thandie Newton’s performance unfold across the span of
ten episodes. At first, you may think that Newton will get lost in the shuffle,
because Westworld had assembled quite
a cast and there was so much going on. But after a while, it’s clear—Newton’s
Maeve was the heroine we needed in 2016. Playing a host (or in simpler terms, a
robot in the Westworld universe), Maeve slowly begins to unhinge, realizing
that she is just a cog in a machine. Not only can she recall memories from her life
as the owner of a brothel, but also she can vaguely remember her former life in
the park, where she was a mother to a child that was brutally murdered. Or was
she? What is real? What is truth? And while I still cannot fully answer that
based on what happens on Westworld, watching
Maeve’s journey is a miracle that unfolds. Beginning as just another host in a
world full of robots, she slowly comes to terms with humanity—both in and out
of the park. She becomes cognizant of the evils, atrocities, and flaws of the
human condition. And although she is not a human herself, watching her develop
a keen sense of self is truly one of the most riveting portrayals of humanity
this year.
Sarah
Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Taking a step back from the typical Ryan Murphy world of American Horror Story, Paulson sinks her teeth into the role of head prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial, Marcia Clark. There is plenty of speculation surrounding the Simpson trials. Did he kill Nicole Brown or not? Who do we believe in this media circus? And while that is up for us to decide, Clark's determination in finding Simpson guilty was harrowing and heartbreaking. As she battles sexism in the work place and in the media's eye, it is clear that there are multiple shades to this woman that we were perhaps not privy to in the midst of the trials. Public humiliation, shame, and mockery consumed Clark in the year of the trial. But Paulson's depiction of this woman is nothing short of a masterclass in acting. We do not see a woman cower behind the negative media attention. She is hurt and scorned, but she will fight until the final verdict. Paulson explores every single facet of this woman and her portrayal brings back the respect that Marcia Clark was denied in 1994. Need proof? Check out the episode titled "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia." I watched this mini-series during the summer, and I still cannot get this performance out of my head.
Courtney B.
Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Every bit Paulson's equal, Vance steps into the eyes of Johnnie Cochran head of the "Dream Team" for Simpson's defense. But whereas with Paulson's darker, quieter, more intimate qualities, Vance is larger-than-life, encapsulating the persona of a public figure-- one who is used to attention, one who constantly wants the spotlight on him. He is loud, brash, and controversial. But what makes Vance's performance especially beguiling lies in the mystery that hides behind his eyes. Where Paulson truly believes in Simpson's guilt, what does Johnnie Cochran actually believe? He will defend Simpson's innocence for the court and to the press... but does that reflect his inner turmoil? These questions carry long after the credits for the final episode rolls. And it's that question that haunts. Perhaps it haunted Cochran too. But Vance brings these layers and these doubts to a light boil over our own perceptions-- to the point that even we are questioning our convictions.
Phoebe
Waller-Bridge, Fleabag
She breaks the fourth wall on the regular. She lies. She sleeps around. She curses. She steals-- all with no remorse or guilt. Fleabag is the opposite of a heroine. And that is precisely what makes her so compelling. Waller-Bridge brings out all of the flaws of this leading lady, leading us to believe that she is a bad person-- bent on self-destruction. But is that really it? Is there more lurking beneath the surface. To give everything away would defeat the beauty in this performance, but needless to say, in a slight six episodes, Waller-Bridge takes us on a rollercoaster ride of hilarity and heartbreak. With a single glance, she can send us into stitches... but at the same time, with that same glance, she can send us spiraling into doubt. What is the motive behind that look? She is alluring and delicate, and each layer she peels away reveals something so fascinating and so thought-provoking. I cannot wait to see what season 2 of this series has to offer.
HM: Maria Bamford (Lady
Dynamite), Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex
Girlfriend), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger
Things), Sterling K. Brown (The People
v. O.J. Simpson & This Is Us), Micah Fowler (Speechless), Ilana Glazer & Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta),
Judith Light (Transparent), Julia
Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), Mandy Moore (This Is Us), Sarah Jessica Parker &
Thomas Haden Church (Divorce), Issae
Rae (Insecure), Jeffrey Tambor
(Transparent), Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld),
and the entire ensemble of Orange is the
New Black
~ Best Television Episode ~
"The Panic in Central Park": 5x06 in Girls
~ Ten Best Television Seasons of 2016 ~
10. Insecure (Season 1)
9. Veep (Season 5)
08. Broad City (Season 3)
07. Girls (Season 5)
06. Fleabag (Season 1)
05. Orange is the New Black (Season 4)
04. Transparent (Season 3)
03. Atlanta (Season 1)
02. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (Season 1)
01. Difficult People (Season 2)
HM: Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Divorce, Lady Dynamite, Speechless, Stranger Things, This Is Us
I had a blast compiling my list of favorites from this past year. So if ever you are feeling down about the year, focus on the positive, rather than the negative. With that, I turn it to you all! What are some of your favorites from this year?
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