TV.com's Top 100 Everything of 2014, Vol. 9: Items 20–11
Just think, if there were no such thing as Vol. 10 of our annual Top 100 Everything list, the items on Vol. 9 WOULD BE THE TOP 10! That's how important the following honorees were to television in 2014. Vol. 9 is like the vice president or the Miss America runner-up of the year, and if, for whatever reason, Vol. 10 cannot fulfill its duties of signing autographs at shopping malls, or if its satin sash that reads "The 10 Best Things About Television in 2014" doesn't fit, or if, God forbid, an assassination attempt leaves it gurgling blood during its inauguration and it expires, then Vol. 9 will inherit the crown. Enjoy!
20. We're proud of you, Psych
The long-running USA comedy finished its nachos and said goodbye this year after eight seasons of pineapple-flavored fun, and while the final season wasn't perfect, it was a solid capper to a series that will forever hold a place in our hearts. Shawn Spencer and Burton "Gus" Guster are one of TV's all-time best dynamic duos (anyone who argues otherwise can suck it), and their hijinks will be greatly missed. So many good times. So many amazing memories and one-liners. So much food.
PREVIOUSLY: Psych Series Finale Review: A Time to Resign to Maturity
19. Broad City's comedic chemistry
The type of natural partnership that exists between Broad City stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobsen is the unicorn of television, something so rare that when you see it, you check your drink to determine whether someone dosed you with something hallucinogenic. But these two ladies are very real, and their voice is so strong (vape life!), that Broad City is (probably) the year's best new comedy. And as is the case with every strong comedic couple, the debate over which of the two women is our favorite is endless, because there's no wrong answer.
PREVIOUSLY: The Best New Cable (and Streaming) Comedies of 2014
18. Homeland gets back on its feet and takes our breath hostage with an embassy assault
One of the most difficult tasks faced by any television show in 2014 belonged to Homeland, which was forced to exist in newly post-Brody world. Brody and Carrie were the show in its first three seasons, after all. But with Season 4, Homeland overcame a shaky start and found its footing as a very good terrorism drama, thanks to a string of late-season episodes that were absolutely bonkers. The highlight was "13 Hours in Islamabad," a tense, action-packed thriller that gave Peter Quinn (and Max) a chance to shine while Haqqani and his men infiltrated the American embassy in Pakistan. Homeland may be a simpler series now, but if it continues on its current path, we may just forget that it was ever about star-crossed lovers.
PREVIOUSLY: Homeland "13 Hours in Islamabad" Review: Chaos Reigns Supreme
17. Unbelievably tense, watch-'em-through-your-fingers FIIIIIIIGHTS!!!
Epic battles between massive armies are cool and all, but if given the choice, we'll always prefer a one-on-one, no-holds-barred showdown over a large-scale squabble. The crunching of bone! The closing of an airway! The hand-to-hand combat! Fights are that much better when they're personal, and television delivered some fantastic fisticuffs in 2014. Among our favorites were Games of Thrones' Mountain vs. Red Viper match-up to determine Tyrion's guilt, Hannibal's Jack vs. Hannibal dust-up to open Season 2, and Happy Valley's basement brawl between Catherine and Tommy. Heck, even The Flash's crossover-fueled Flash vs. Arrow skirmish was excellent! People punching each other on the small screen: It hurts so good.
16. Unbelievably tense, drawn-out ACTIONNNNN!!!
We gasped! We screamed! We passed out! TV gave us two utterly outstanding and suspenseful action sequences this year, and both of them came from brand-new shows. True Detective's uninterrupted six-minute tracking shot was a masterful display of organized chaos and underrated choreography, treating gangsters like chess pieces and allowing Matthew McConaughey to boil over under director Cary Fukunaga's daring vision. And Fargo's shootout in a whiteout was every bit as nerve-racking, with minimalism and limited visibility provoking untold paranoia. Both scenes aptly proved why television is the ultimate medium for directors to experiment with.
PREVIOUSLY: Fargo "Buridan's Ass" Review: Red, White, and Who?; True Detective "Who Goes There" Review: Six Minutes of Magnificent Madness
15. Person of Interest ties it all together
CBS's techno-thriller was accurately marketed as a procedural when it debuted in 2011, but like the artificial intelligence it's focused on, the show has evolved into something much smarter, not to mention more serialized. Standalone episodes are now few and far between, with even the ones that initially appear to be throwaway installments taking abrupt, deep turns into the show's mythology. After three strong full seasons and a wonderful start to Season 4, there's no denying that Person of Interest is one of network television's best serialized genre shows. Plus, it has a cute dog.
PREVIOUSLY: The Best Genre Shows of 2014
14. Community (and Abed) bids farewell to Troy
While Season 5 featured many fine moments (MeowMeowBeanz!), it was plagued by a few creative problems due to its disintegrating cast. However, Community's send-off for Troy, "Geothermal Escapism," was a perfect bittersweet goodbye, told from the point of view of the only person who mattered: Abed, who was left partnerless and with no one to do that cool handshake with.
PREVIOUSLY: Community "Geothermal Escapism" Review: The Psychology of Letting Go, Revisited
13. Louie tackles a taboo subject head-on
Nobody deals in discomfort as deftly as Louis C.K.'s Louie, and Season 4's "So Did the Fat Lady" was a major squirmer. The episode started a refreshingly frank conversation about female body image when a plus-size woman (guest-star Sarah Baker) pursued Louie for a date. When pushed for a reason why Louie wouldn't go out with her, Louie dodged his obvious answer and denied that he thought she was fat, resulting in an excellent monologue from Baker that explained her character's perspective. Throw in some sharp directing and the scene's underlying exploration of double standards took over viewers' living rooms until we were awkwardly looking at our shoes. Hopefully, once we looked up again, we were a little more enlightened than before.
PREVIOUSLY: Louie "So Did the Fat Lady" Review: Uncomfortably Close
12. Silicon Valley dorks up a dick joke for maximum efficiency
The first season of HBO's new comedy came out swinging with smart, biting satire that took aim at the somewhat out-of-control wild west known as the tech industry. But since the show was created by Beavis and Butt-Head mastermind Mike Judge, it also featured its share of crass toilet humor. Well, the smarts and the sophomoric came together in the season finale, when the guys embarked on one of the greatest dick jokes ever committed to video. Amazing stuff.
PREVIOUSLY: Silicon Valley Season 1 Finale Review: A Win for the Little Guys (and Dick Jokes)
11. Hannibal's delicious second season
If we had to choose one word to describe Hannibal's thrilling sophomore effort, it would be "guts." The show's carefully designed and expertly executed Season 2 was bookended by the aforementioned elaborate and violent fight between Hannibal and Jack that concluded with not one, not two, not three, but FOUR bodies lying in pools of blood on the floors of Hannibal's usually pristine home. Exuding the confidence of a series much older than it actually is, Hannibal has known exactly where it's going from the moment it began, and has never once faltered in its quest to be the best-dressed piece of art on television. Anchored by another chilling performance from Mads Mikkelsen as the titular cannibal, Season 2 successfully upped the ante (R.I.P. Beverly), the tension (that fight still makes us nervous), and the artistry of the show's elaborate murder scenes (remember that human mural?), making Hannibal one of the most disturbingly appetizing and well-crafted shows on TV. If you don't believe us, just ask Mason Verger how his nose tastes.
PREVIOUSLY: Hannibal Season 2 Finale Review: Would You Stand Up and Walk Out on Me?
