We recently took a look at what we thought were the Top 10 New TV Shows of 2013 but flashy new shows weren't the only ones demanding our attention this year. Here are some of the best returning shows that caught our eye in 2013:
Two simple words cemented the third season of this popular fantasy series as must-watch television: "Red Wedding". If you don't know exactly what those words mean, chances are that if you had access to the internet this past June, you at least heard them uttered in a combination of despair and awe. What other show has inspired a frenzy of YouTube reaction videos of people watching television? What other show has inspired numerous list articles chronicling hundreds of outraged tweets about a single scene? What other show has had the guts to kill off a sizable portion of its likable characters in one bloody swoop? And the rest of the season wasn't too shabby, either. Author George R.R. Martin and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss continue to enjoy subverting traditional fantasy tropes. As men like Tyrion Lannister, Theon Greyjoy and Robb Stark continue to think they're in charge, it's really the women in their shadows who are the movers and the shakers of this fictional realm. And what a varied group of women they are: protective mother Catelyn, dragon queen Daenerys, fire priestess Melisandre, manipulative and beautiful Margery, the conniving Queen Of Thorns, paranoid and cruel Cersei, fierce warrior Yara, fearless child Arya, trapped and desperate Sansa... "Game Of Thrones" boasts perhaps the strongest cast of female characters outside of Netflix's "Orange Is The New Black", which is saying something for the traditionally male-dominated fantasy genre. (Just look at "The Hobbit" -- Peter Jackson had to invent an entirely new character to wedge a female presence into that blockbuster trilogy.)
Amy Poehler and the folks at the Pawnee, Indiana Parks Department are the most consistently hilarious and consistently underrated group of comedians on television. "Parks And Rec" is always a breath of fresh air. In an age when cynicism is standard, the show finds humor not in sarcasm or misanthropy, but in optimism, friendship, and the quirks of its believably cartoonish cast of characters. Most other series about politics delight in pointing out the machinations, ineptitude and/or hypocrisy of our nation's leaders ("House Of Cards", "Veep", "Scandal"). "Parks And Rec", on the other hand, celebrates the can-do spirit of normal people who make this country run smoothly. Now in its sixth season, the show has found a way to be more timely than ever (while still maintaining its sunny outlook) by putting its heroine Leslie Knope through a recall vote and pitting her against her archenemy, Councilman Jam. Other comedies often start to tire and recycle punchlines after so many years on the air (just look at "Modern Family"), but the jokes are still flying fast and strong over in Pawnee. More and more people are starting to notice -- this sixth season finally landed the show an elusive nomination for Best Series, Comedy at the Golden Globes. Better late than never!
In its third iteration, entitled "Coven", AHS is more fun than ever. Last season, "Asylum", was critically lauded if painful to watch. The acting was breathtaking, but the plot, involving the torture, dismemberment and murder of inmates at the world's worst sanitarium at the hands of Nazi doctors, possessed nuns, misogynistic serial killers and aliens, was grueling. The setting was claustrophobic, the costumes were drab, and the general atmosphere of "Asylum" was chock-full of despair. So for this season, Ryan Murphy & Co. flipped their freak show on its head. Taking place in modern day New Orleans, "Coven" tells the story of a school for young witches under attack by rival voodoo practitioners, Bible-thumping neighbors, and corporate-sponsored witch-hunters. But the tone has been drastically lightened, featuring the most humor of any season so far. The colorless uniforms of "Asylum" have been traded in for couture dresses and fancy hats. The oppressive asylum has been swapped for the distinctive architecture of the French Quarter. And joining the cast of AHS regulars (including the incomparable Jessica Lange as Supreme witch Fiona Goode), is a slew of stunning newcomers: Kathy Bates as Delphine LaLaurie, a historical figure infamous for torturing and murdering her slaves; Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau, Fiona's voodoo nemesis; Patti LuPone as a religious nutjob who lives next door; and, when the show returns from hiatus in January, Stevie Nicks as herself. The less depressing (but still gruesome) "Coven" has more people tuning in than ever. This season opened to 5.5 million viewers, up 44% from last year's premiere, and up a whopping 77% from the show's debut three years ago.
Perhaps the best show to ever grace our airwaves signed off this year with a stunning final eight episodes. Having completed the transition "from Mr. Chips to Scarface" (as creator Vince Gilligan summarized), Walter White tried to leave the meth business behind, only to be sucked back in when his DEA brother-in-law finally uncovered the identity of the mysterious Heisenberg. Featuring series-best performances from its entire cast (Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris) as well as some newcomers like the paranoid Lydia and a gang of Neo-Nazis, the last string of episodes was unstoppable in its ability to shock audiences. And, having featured plenty of memorable villains in its run, including Gus and Tio, Todd (played by Jesse Plemons of "Friday Night Lights") emerged late in the game as perhaps the most terrifying of them all, with an ice-cold heart hidden underneath boyish good looks. The highlight of the final season was undoubtedly the third-to-last episode, "Ozymandias", which featured the death of one beloved character, a soul-shattering confrontation between Walt and his family, and a memorable phone call that was a tour-de-force moment for Cranston and his battling personas of Walt and Heisenberg. Some viewers felt that the finale wrapped things up a little too neatly for this often-messy show, but that's a small complaint for six year's worth of masterful storytelling.
No show ought to suddenly become as good in its fifth year on the air as "The Good Wife" did this season. For four years, the show has delivered consistently solid courtroom drama, featuring a believable-but-eclectic cast of characters and an impressive roster of guest stars (Michael J. Fox, Martha Plimpton, Carrie Preston, Mamie Gummer among many others). It was often considered the last bastion of quality drama on network television in a world where cable and Netflix were quickly taking over but nobody expected it to suddenly become the hottest must-watch drama practically out of the blue. The writers took a risk and exploded their tried-and-true formula, igniting a veritable civil war at Lockhart/Gardner. Alicia's decision to leave and start her own firm shocked her colleagues and audiences alike, sparking the best string of episodes in the show's history. The episode in which her bosses uncovered Alicia's traitorous plan, appropriately titled "Hitting The Fan", was the most tense 60 minutes on television this entire year, and that's saying something on a list that includes bloody massacres, warring witches, and cornered drug kingpins. In the still-rippling wake of that explosive episode, the show has been on fire, pitting Alicia against her former bosses in court time and again to varying results. "The Good Wife" had been so good for so long, the writers didn't need to risk such a massive change. But thank god they did, because it resulted in hands down the best television of 2013.
Tweet us @Stagebuddy and let us know what you think about your returning TV favorites this year.
