Alright, seriously, from here on out, these are some really good shows. The drop-off in quality between 20 and 40 is pretty minimal, which is why I had such a hard time ranking this year. These probably would’ve all been as good as the Top 20 like 4 years ago. But I made some tough calls, and these are the middle of the best.

(If you missed it, see the previous installment.)

40  Marvel’s Agent Carter

While occasionally heavy-handed on the gender thing, there was a genuine pleasure in watching a 40’s dame do the action hero thing better than her male counterparts and irritate them. Also fun was the rapport with nervous “butler” Jarvis, and the period clothes and advanced gadgets.

 

39  Brooklyn Nine-Nine 2/3

38  Master of None

This spot on the list is one of the bigger places I diverge from the critical consensus. I definitely recognize the significance of the series, and a lot of the things it has to say from the perspective of a 2nd-generation Indian immigrant. My biggest issue was that it felt like it borrowed a lot of its structure and devices from Louie, and did a much poorer job of delivering those messages subtly and naturally. Louie played with structure and format in a way that felt like we were getting random glimpses into his life, that sometimes were just whimsical, and sometimes were significant and meaningful. With Aziz, it felt more like “this is the gender episode,” “this is the racism episode.” Yes, they were often surprising and clever circumstances that as a white man I don’t often consider, and I appreciated that. But as a writer, it felt like he was pushing too much, and felt like a young man’s attempt at imitation of a much older writer’s style. Assuming he still has more to say, I would expect Season 3 to be amazing, as he really nails down his own voice.

 

37  Man Seeking Woman

Maybe the most daring and unique new series of 2015, Man Seeking Woman struck a really nice balance of the genuine and surreal. The fact that all the characters treat all of the crazy fantasy, scifi, or twilight-zone tropes as serious and normal really sells this show. Even when the metaphors are a bit on-the-nose, they’re always pretty fun, and somehow usually relatable. I also loved that they flipped it for one episode and explored the sister’s misadventures using the same device. The sad-sack nerdy guy dating woes are a bit played, so seeing the show from her perspective was both a great change of pace and surprisingly touching.

 

36  Mad Men 7

The finale was quite good.

35  The Last Man on Earth 1/2

Maybe the second most daring an unique new series of 2015, The Last Man on Earth was the master of re-invention. In fact, it nearly transformed what kind of show it was from episode to episode. Will Forte’s character is infuriating a lot of the time, and deliberately so, but somehow also you still need to see what happens next. The show transitions effortlessly between dark and goofball, so much so that you really aren’t sure what turn they might take next. I’d definitely say I appreciate the show more than I actively take joy from it, but it is often painfully funny as well.

 

34  Veep 4

Hugh Laurie was fantastic.

33  The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

30 Rock is back!! Well, kinda. It’s as funny as 30 Rock, and I was surprised how funny Ellie Kemper is as the central character. She’s got great timing, and Titus Burgess is fantastic as well. As was the hilarious actor who cameo’d as Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, but I won’t spoil who that was.

 

32  Louie 5

Season was a step up from last year, but the finale really bugged me. Setting up his character as a close-minded asshole that he’s never been before just so he could grow at the end of the episode felt contrived.

 

31  The Returned 2

For someone who barely remembered everything that happened in the first season (2 years ago), throwing in a whole bunch of new characters and expanding the scope left me pretty lost for the first few episodes. But it settled into a really touching and satisfying end to a quite good spiritual French zombie show.

30  Better Call Saul

A solid follow-up to Breaking Bad that showed us a lot of unexpected depth in the previously one-note Saul Goodman. Bob Odenkirk does an admirable job in bringing the man to life and allowing us to empathize with Jimmy, as he is known before a yet unseen transformation to our “criminal lawyer.” While there are great character moments, and using Jonathan Banks was an essential ingredient, the stakes aren’t as high, and the show lacks a bit in direction. There are some good stories, and the dedicated Mike episode was the best among them, but I am not compelled to come back week-after-week like I was with Breaking Bad, and for better or worse, that is always going to be the comparison.

 

29  The Grinder

This show looked stupid. I read some strong reviews, and watched. Turns out, they were right, and it’s very funny. Rob Lowe brings some elements of his Parks & Rec character and is over-the-top ridiculous and funny. But the more understated winner is Fred Savage, who does the best straight man since Jason Bateman, and has a delightful rapport with both Lowe and his on-screen wife, played by Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia). The rest of the supporting cast also delivers the laughs, especially the father of Lowe and Savage, played by William DeVane (24). Grinder rests.

 

28  Marvel’s Daredevil

Certainly taking cues from the Nolan era Batman movies, Netflix’s Daredevil series is dark, gritty, and atmospheric. It gives us a slow-burn rise of a superhero who stumbles, gets hurt, and doesn’t have a real costume until Episode 13. Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin is a fascinating, fleshed out character who you occasionally empathize with. If they had really stuck the landing, I would have ranked it higher, but while the first 12 episodes felt grounded and human, the finale felt like a comic book. Ugh, that costume. Hoping Season 2 pulls back a bit to the stuff that made it interesting in the beginning.

 

27  iZombie 1/2

Zombie Veronica Mars. Need I say more? Yes. The procedural elements take up more time than I’d like, but the writing is often clever, Ravi is great, the device where Liv inherits a different personality each episode is often fun (sometimes not), and the S1 finale was balls to the wall great. S2 started a bit slow, and I’m not sure if they can sustain this premise forever, but all in all it was a good viewing experience, and quenched a bit of that Veronica Mars gap in my life.

 

26  Show Me a Hero

Another really interesting examination of race relations from The Wire creator David Simon. Took a little while to get going, but Oscar Isaac delivers a great performance in a compelling and powerful look at the effort to establish public housing in Yonkers.

 

25  Game of Thrones 5

This season lacked a bit in the powerful, jaw-dropping moments, but characters got shuffled around making some awesome meetings possible, we got a massive zombie battle, and a child was burnt alive. So all in all, still pretty cool. Shame! Shame!

 

24  Homeland 5

Another very strong season of Homeland. In fact, despite the lower ranking, I’d say it was an even stronger season than last year. (The competition is a lot stiffer this year.) I might even say as a whole, it worked better than Season 1. Solid character drama, an excellent bad guy, some heart-wrenching moments, and episodes of thrilling action. This year it in some ways didn’t sit in any one genre for too long, which helped sustain it through the 12 episodes.

 

23  Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Guys, the title is tongue-in-cheek. If you’re not already watching, you should be. It’s dark, bubbly, ironic, sad, and full of freaking amazingly funny songs. A fresh take on self-delusion and psychological issues lightly dressed as a romantic comedy. Don’t expect a happy ending though; creator and star Rachel Bloom is too cynical for that.

 

22  Catastrophe

This fresh, honest, and hilarious romantic comedy from across the pond debuted on Amazon almost a year after airing in England. But it’s well worth the wait. So much happens in the first episode, it’s almost disorienting. As the predicament just descends and descends, somehow the series stays cute and upbeat and you just need to see more.

 

21  Last Week with John Oliver 2

Oliver continues to nail it with his in-depth analysis of issues we don’t think about too much. The topics this year didn’t all feel quite at the same level of urgency or importance, but I am continually impressed by the research and details uncovered on things going on both in the US and around the world. And yes, he also manages to make these horrible things funny somehow.

Tomorrow I’m gonna hit ya with 11-20! And pictures!