Television Breakdown: Best of 2010

5. The Walking Dead (Pilot, Vatos)

Two months into television broadcast season, we had received absolutely nothing of interest to fill the place in our hearts left empty by shows like Law and Order, 24, and Lost. Then came this zombie series by emotional-horror filmmaker Frank Darabont, and our life is beautiful once more. It took only one episode for us to be fully invested in the characters of this series, and the exact artistry of the narrative. After a rocky second episode, the show really found it's footing with the emotional powerhouse Tell it to the Frogs, and then became a possible successor to Mad Men with the shocking and disturbing Vatos. The ending did seem like a break from what we'd grown accustomed to, but it's more than admirable of Darabont and the writers to take such risks during the first season of a show. This season was gory, heartbreaking, heartwarming, funny, and outstandingly rated. It's a sign of better things to come.

4. Glee (The Substitute, A Very Glee Christmas)

Glee came back from the first half of it's season with what felt like a victory lap of nine episodes. They were taking their newly found fame and success to tell stories purely for the hell of it, and not quite coming out with the challenging episodes we wished they'd give us. Season 2 was a proper correction to that problem, though it wasn't at first. It took some time to fall into its stride as a full fledged series, and it came out victorious. The show is somewhat hit and miss, but mostly hit, and I'm fine with that. Many of the characters have their highs and lows, and the actors do a great with it, most notable Jane Lynch, Heather Morris, and Chris Colfer. It's just a bright and bubbly show that throws these characters through the hell that is high school, and that shows best in A Very Glee Christmas, which emphasizes how much of dreadful time the characters are having, but the joy the series always exudes. Although, a personal favorite of my will always be Gwyneth Paltrow's guest turn in The Substitute. Although, as I hear it, it may not be a one and done deal. Hint. Hint. Nudge. Nudge.

3. Lost (The Candidate, The End)

Quite a few shows ended their long term run this year, but the one I was most emotionally invested in was this gem from J.J. Abrams, and I didn't enter into the mythology until two days before the final season premiered. There have been mixed reactions in the aftermath of the finale, and I just don't get it. Were audiences really expecting answers to all the trivial and meaningless questions they made up along the way? What always appealed to me about the series was the characters and how almost every character death had a deep emotional meaning. On top of that, it's an epic scale story with deep moral undertones spanning across six seasons, which is something that hasn't really been attempted on television before. It opened the door for long narrative arc dramas like The Walking Dead. The finale was meant to give closure to the characters in an emotional way, and it pulled that off at maximum. The way they tied the "sideways world" storyline into the final season actually works perfectly as an ending to this series, and that final scene is immensely tear jerking. I stayed up late into the night to see how the series capped off, and I was devoted right until the very end. I didn't feel cheated.

2. Mad Men (The Suitcase, Hands and Knees)

I'll admit that I haven't gone back and seen the first three seasons of the hit drama Mad Men, and I just entered the fourth season with exuberance. The season was already half over, but putting the money into buying those previous episodes on iTunes was one of the greatest investments I've made in the past year. I love that this is a period drama on network television, and it's almost like if somebody took films like Revolutionary Road and adapted them into a television series. Jon Hamm was a revelation for me, and it's hard for me to believe that he's only reaching the peak of his talent now. He seems like a man who has been this great for years. Elizabeth Moss was originally just the girl from Get Him to the Greek, and she's one of the spunkiest and most likable characters on the show. Maybe I'm a little unfocused because this was my first season watching the show, but I caught it at a time when Fringe wasn't on the air, and I thought this may actually eclipse it as my favorite show on television. It's a meticulously designed and surprising story made in a high-quality manner deserving of an Oscar winning feature.

1. Fringe (Peter, Entrada, Marionette)

Unfortunately for Mad Men, when Fringe came back on the air, it became the best show on television, and I don't just mean that in a fanatical way. I've always loved Fringe, but this year took it to brand new heights emotionally and psychologically. Lets reach back into late Season 2, when the last eight episodes of the season were echoing through the internet with critics wishing the series was this good for entire season. The best of the lot was undoubtedly Peter, the flashback to when Walter did you-know-what, and that was the episode that had me continuously holding back tears for an entire hour. Then Season 3 came, and the critics' wishes for entire season of Peter-caliber episodes were granted. It started on a bang with the adrenaline-fueled Olivia, and then just kept going with episodes that emotionally expanded both universes. We were finally able to empathize not only with the other side, but with the seemingly emotionless shapeshifters. The last two episodes of the year delivered at an equal emotional level as Peter, with Entrada going the fast-paced route to resolve the Olivia-situation in truly cinematic fashion, and Marionette spending the proper time to dissect the aftermath of the scandal in a heartbreaking holding point for next year. Fringe moves to Fridays in January, and Fox has already given the series their vote of confidence in all ways possible. I can promise you confidently that the series will be back for season 4. It's a certainty.