Best and Worst of Entertainment 2017: Episode VI Return of the Lists

[Wumbo]

Okay, let's do it.

 

Let's look at the music that made this year better than 2016. Because it was! It really was. You wouldn't know it from the vitriol that I spewed on the worst list this year, and believe me, there were still a lot of songs I had to leave out. But with this new year came a new beginning; an era of music that allowed for a break in pop conventions and artists who previously had trouble were now readily able to break new ground on the charts! It was a year of change, and I'd argue the change turned a net positive overall. But it's better to just show you, rather than tell you. So that's what we'll do here. It's...

Wumbo's Top 10 Hits of 2017

Spoiler

 

 

...Yawn.

No, no, that's an exaggeration. This song is still great, by no means is it a bore. But... it's also a blatant copy of what Bruno Mars did with "Uptown Funk". And try as you might, you can't re-create "Uptown Funk" with the same kind of magic that it set, no matter if you have it in the title or not. Bruno Mars, with his newfound talent for ripping from previous R&B and hip hop styles in decades past, has kind of brought it on himself to constantly be experimenting and trying new things. And while I don't feel that with "Magic", I did with this.

10. "That's What I Like" - Bruno Mars

 

Having pretty much exhausted the 80's in terms of R&B music, Bruno Mars has swiftly moved on to the 90's, taking cues from smooth jams with the likes of R. Kelly. It is constantly delightful to see Bruno Mars take us on this journey with his musical prowess. The man's basically as much a pop music nerd as any of us. I feel a connection to him in that way.

And Bruno has always been talented. For a few years he had wasted his talent on songs that made his histrionics annoyingly unbearable, like "Grenade" and "It Will Rain". But here he uses them to his advantage. Like I said, the man knows his music, and it's great to see that he's come out of his shell of dopey heartache songs and has used his music knowledge and talent to bring us these wonderful pastiches. This is a side of Bruno Mars I can get behind, and have been for years now. Can't wait until he gets to the 2000s, though at that point it might be a bit redundant. For now, just enjoy the vibes. That's what I like.

 

 

Spoiler

 

I don't like that rock music has fallen by the wayside. I grew up on rock n' roll, both old and new, and it's sad now to have its relevance be constantly waning, as less and less artists have a shot to make it on the year-end. There was always a place for alternative rock, but that place seems to be the pop charts less and less often. And when it does break through, it's shit like "Believer".

 

Good fucking God. This band cannot be the sole bearer of rock music that makes it big on pop charts. There has to be someone else! I will literally take anyone.

9. "Feel It Still" - Portugal. The Man

 

Oh, that I will most certainly take.

Portugal... The Man (God, what a stupid fucking band name) proved to be the other big alternative hit of this year. How that came about, possibly due to commercial usage, is up to interpretation, but however it came about, I am happy. This deserves to be big.

I admit I haven't delved into Portugal... The Man's full discography, and they must be more than this song. They've been around for over ten years, for God's sake. I've listened to a few of their songs now, they seem like a good, solid band. This is definitely their pop hit, though. Not that it's a bad thing.

It's still a weird goddamn song. I'm still not sure if I've pinned it down. But what I do know is I do love it, very much. and that's a good thing, because it was one of the biggest alternative hits of the year. And I was listening to alternative radio, so I kinda had to like it. Either that or go crazy.

Even in their fluke pop hit, Portugal...

THE MAN still manage to add in some elements that elevate it above your standard 4-chord pop song. There's some funk elements mixed in with the pop, really bringing it back to the start of this kind of music, in the 60's. They really are kickin' it like it's 1966.

I couldn't really tell you what's going on with many of these lyrics. But the song is good enough to have oblique lyrics and have me still jam along like I know what it all means. Is it pro-protest? Anti-protest? Who can say? It's a jam either way. Ooh-ooh.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Rae Sremmurd is on a Top 10 list of mine. This really is a weird year.

8. "Black Beatles" - Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane

 

This song is fucking great, and not just for Rae Sremmurd, for anyone. Every criticism I've heard for this song is complete bullshit. Like, I'm sorry not every line is a reference to a Beatles song. Would you really want a song like that? That'd be corny as hell.

"Black Beatles" looks at The Beatles in a broader sense, understanding the influence they had and wanting to have that influence and notoriety. It just translates into another brag rap, but in this sense it at least has a sense of ambition. And you can't deny that this is one of the best beats you've ever heard. Doesn't sound Beatles-ish, but it definitely sounds like fire. Like something you'd hear from New Order or Depeche Mode.

The one positive thing I can say about Rae Sremmurd on the whole is that they have conviction to their performances, no matter how stupid the lyrics may be. And when you bring their conviction and put it against a beat like this, you just have one hell of a trap song. See, not all trap needs to be dour and downcast! You can still have fun with it and make a song that everyone can appreciate.

It really feels like this song kick-started the hip hop craze this year. And even though it got big off a meme, I'm happy it's here and I'm happy to feature it on my list. So let it be.

 

 

Spoiler

 

*sigh* If Daft Punk have to latch on to other artists to gain pop relevance, so be it.

7. "I Feel It Coming" - The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk

 

I didn't quite get into "Starboy" last year, but man, I instantly got this. This is pretty much the way I would want a Weeknd/Daft Punk collaboration to go. The Weeknd puts on his best Michael Jackson impersonation here and it really works with Daft Punk's beats. If The Weeknd just wants to bring back the entire 80s for me, I'd be fine with that honestly.

I'm so happy we can have talented artists like this representing our home country in a big way. Most of the stuff that comes from Canada never makes it this big, or it does, but it isn't nearly as good. But no, we can lay claim to this one. The Weeknd is ours. I don't think it can be understated how much that means to me as a Canadian reviewer covering primarily American music.

Maybe The Weeknd won't quite reach Michael's status as a superstar. But wouldn't it be great if he did? The guy's got all the charisma as a performer to make for a modern Michael. I'd love to have his career keep thriving into the next decade. I'm constantly excited to see what this guy does next. More collaborations with Daft Punk? Who knows.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

I generally like modern dance music, but it's not like I don't get criticisms for even my favourite songs from that genre. They're shallow and vapid. You can't actually dance to them. And maybe one of the most poignant is how dance artists collaborate with other artists and sap all their personality away in the process.

 

And... yeah, I get it. Florence Welch and Hayley Williams become interchangeable pop singers within the genre. But hey, I have an idea. Why not get an artist that already has no personality, so that she has nothing to lose? Huh? Huh?

Well, they did. And I liked it.

6. "It Ain't Me" - Kygo and Selena Gomez

 

I've never liked Selena Gomez. She went from a personality-free Disney Channel pop singer to... being a personality-free Disney Channel pop singer desperately trying not to be that. All the same, sincer her departure from Disney, there was always this undercurrent of sadness to her songs, sometimes to the point of making me uncomfortable. So, who better really to front a track showcasing the stuttering, melancholy dance beats we've all grown to know and love?

Really, there wasn't anyone better to front this track. As limited as Selena's emotional range is, she's pretty much perfect for this song, which actually does have more emotional power than many dance songs do. Selena's good at quiet melancholy, which is what this song has in spades. So, I finally unabashedly like a Selena Gomez song. It took Kygos to bring her out, but this is by far her best, most ambitious performance.

The beat itself is just wonderfully melancholic too. So chill yet so powerful. Definitely looking forward to seeing more out of this producer. Kygos' first hit in 2017 was a complete success, as far as I'm concerned. And I bet it ain't just me sayin' that.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Country music as a whole has not been good for about five years now. You still get the odd good song, but even that I feel has fallen by the wayside in favour of...

 

OH GOD FUCKING KILL IT

So you'd think that, like most recent years, I wouldn't have a place in my heart for any country songs on my list, certainly not this high. Well, what can I say? There was one song that won me over in a big way, the first country song in about five years or so that I can honestly say I loved from beginning to end.

5. "What Ifs" - Kane Brown ft. Lauren Alaina

 

You just... you just don't get country songs like this anymore. Have I stepped into a time loop? Are we back in 2011 where country music actually had depth and emotion? Because if so, sweet! I'm gonna go turn on a country station right now.

...That was a mistake. But still, we have this song! Hallelujah!

In a genre becoming increasingly meatheaded and distant from actual human emotion. Kane Brown was a fucking breath of fresh air this year. It's not like this is the most lyrically complex country song or anything. But the bar has been set so low that I'll take anything with genuine heart in it. And this song has heart in spades, along with a great performance by Kane Brown. I love this guy's voice. You have all these country singers that sound like they inhaled helium before they stepped into the studio. Kane Brown hits us with a bit of a lower register, and between that and the emotional value of the lyrics, he actually sounds like a fucking adult.

It is really not that hard to impress me, guys. This song has such a simple concept, yet it totally works because it stays true to its premise and delivers genuine heart and soul through its performances. and as far as country music goes, I haven't heard a song this meaningful in a long time. So, what if we were to raise our standards? What if more music could sound like this on country radio?

Yeah, and what if I ate used gym socks for a week? Not gonna happen. But I'll take the small victories where they come.

 

 

Spoiler

 

2017 was a marvelous year, in that it seemed like the sweepstakes were open and anything could fluke its way onto the chart. Only flukes stopped being flukes after a while and just became mainstream.

 

New sheriffs in town all around, mostly hailing from the hip hop side of music. Some were newcomers with staying power, while others were classic greats that constantly bubbled under pop success until finally getting it this year. It's unthinkable that a song like this became a hit. But it did. And I'm happy.

4. "Redbone" - Childish Gambino

 

Sadly, this might be the last we hear from the man we call Childish Gambino. Music-wise, anyway. He's announced his retirement from music after this most recent album, and I haven't seen anything suggesting otherwise. If this is true, then I gotta say, this is a hell of a swan song.

"Redbone" is one of those songs that just plain doesn't belong on the pop charts. Much like Gotye didn't belong on the pop charts. It feels larger than this, like a song that would only be limited by being called a "pop hit". But y'know, if it wasn't a pop hit, I wouldn't be talking about it now. So there ya go.

Nothing sounded like this this year. Hell, nothing in popular music has really ever sounded like this. You definitely have elements of past genres, like funk and psychedelic, but I haven't really heard anything like this. But it all comes together wonderfully for a fantastically creepy song.

"Redbone" definitely took a while to gain popularity, but it racked up enough points to hit the Top 25 of the year-end this year. This strikes me as completely insane. We really do have a new landscape ahead of us, and songs like this just make me all the more excited for what 2018 may offer.

 

 

Spoiler

 

So, "Redbone" is great and all, but I'm a simple man. You give me a catchy beat and some goofy wordplay, and I'm all set. Ludacris used to be good at this, but we haven't heard from him in a while. Time to look for a replacement.

...Oh wait, we had one all along.

3. "Bounce Back" - Big Sean

 

I think I finally get Big Sean. He may not be Ludacris, but in this climate, he'll do just fine. He's definitely got a wicked sense of humour, and doesn't take himself too seriously. But even so, this might be the best song he's ever done.

The hook is fantastic, punning on "bounce back" in multiple ways and having this uplifting message of recovering from setbacks. And then the verses have probably the best flow Big Sean's ever displayed. Add in a simple yet effective beat by Metro Boomin, and you have yourself a great rap song.

Big Sean has personality, damn it. That's what a lot of these new trap rappers are missing for me. I can't tell a 21 Savage from an XXXTentacion for the life of me. But I can pick out Big Sean from a crowd right away. He's got this aura of carefree arrogance to him, which I appreciate coming from the right person with a sense of humour. Big Sean came through this year in a big way.

 

 

Spoiler

 

I swear to God, The Weeknd is going to fuck up my Top 10 lists until the end of time.

2. "Starboy" - The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk

 

Takes a big man to admit they were wrong. And I was wrong about "Starboy". So despite it not even making an appearance on my list last year, here it is as my #2 this year. I... I should just reserve a spot at my #2 for The Weeknd every year. This is the third time in a row now, and probably the least justified, taking other lists into account.

What can I tell you? It grew on me. The Weeknd and Daft Punk are magic together. And I'm kind of half-angry and half-happy it made the list this year, because at least now I can probably talk about it.

"Starboy" was the first single released off of The Weeknd's album of the same name. It was also the first we heard of The Weeknd and Daft Punk together. As I said, magic. Daft Punk definitely adds a new flavour to The Weeknd's music through their beats. One which he had never had before. And The Weeknd gives Daft Punk that real pop relevance that they haven't had since "Get Lucky". It's a win-win.

I know I said I didn't get into it last year, but this year, I totally get it. Everything about this song works. Now that I'm used to The Weeknd's new direction of music, I must say that I'm impressed. And we'll see where he goes from here.

 

 

Spoiler

 

I didn't have to think very hard about my #1 this year. There was one song that I felt just skyrocketed and loomed over everything else that was good. I love all these songs in my Top 10. But this is the song that best transcends the charts and becomes a masterpiece in its own right. And it's about time this artist finally got the widespread mainstream recognition he deserves.

1. "DNA" - Kendrick Lamar

 

I mean, it's true that Kendrick wasn't exactly an unknown artist before this year. But 2017 blew him up with his new album getting more traction than he ever had before, with three hit singles to boast. This was the best of the three, and the best of the year.

Another great beat by Mike Will Made It, by the way. He's definitely off the shitlist with this one. I love how this beat both complements and contrasts Kendrick's flow. It provides exactly the backing Kendrick needs to spit fire. And spit he does.

It's just astounding to me that this became as big as it did. But 2017 was a year where somehow, it all made sense. Anything could become big, the sweepstakes were open. And Kendrick swooped in with the best hit of all. "DNA" just blew the roof off the motherfucker, and as far as I'm concerned, everyone is playing catch-up now. Can't wait to see what's in store for 2018. So happy holidays, happy new year, Wumbo out.

 

Full List:

Spoiler

 

1. "DNA" - Kendrick Lamar

2. "Starboy" - The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk

3. "Bounce Back" - Big Sean

4. "Redbone" - Childish Gambino

5. "What Ifs" - Kane Brown ft. Lauren Alaina

6. "It Ain't Me" - Kygo and Selena Gomez

7. "I Feel It Coming" - The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk

8. "Black Beatles" - Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane

9. "Feel It Still" - Portugal. The Man

10. "That's What I Like" - Bruno Mars

11. "Unforgettable" - French Montana ft. Swae Lee

12. "Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)" - Cardi B

13. "Bad and Boujee" - Migos ft. Lil Uzi Vert

14. "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" - Shawn Mendes

15. "Humble" - Kendrick Lamar

16. "Closer" - The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey

17. "24K Magic" - Bruno Mars

18. "Goosebumps" - Travis Scott ft. Kendrick Lamar

19. "Slide" - Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean and Migos

20. "Sorry Not Sorry" - Demi Lovato

21. "Praying" - Kesha

22. "Rockabye" - Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul and Anne-Marie

23. "No Promises" - Cheat Codes ft. Demi Lovato

24. "Love on the Brain" - Rihanna

25. "Broccoli" - DRAM ft. Lil Yachty

26. "Loyalty" - Kendrick Lamar ft. Rihanna

27. "Castle on the Hill" - Ed Sheeran

28. "Caroline" - Aminé

29. "Feels" - Calvin Harris ft. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry and Big Sean

30. "Hurricane" - Luke Combs

31. "Sign of the Times" - Harry Styles

32. "Let Me Love You" - DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber

33. "Something Just Like This" - The Chainsmokers and Coldplay

34. "Malibu" - Miley Cyrus

35. "Havana" - Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug

36. "Water Under the Bridge" - Adele

37. "All Time Low" - Jon Bellion

38. "Swalla" - Jason Derulo ft. Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla Sign

39. "Attention" - Charlie Puth

40. "Slippery" - Migos ft. Gucci Mane

41. "iSpy" - Kyle ft. Lil Yachty

42. "Side to Side" - Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj

43. "Look at Me!" - XXXTentacion

44. "The Fighter" - Keith Urban ft. Carrie Underwood

45. "Do Re Mi" - Blackbear

46. "What Lovers Do" - Maroon 5 ft. SZA

47. "Despacito" - Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber

48. "Congratulations" - Post Malone ft. Quavo

49. "Mask Off" - Future

50. "Slow Hands" - Niall Horan

51. "Rolex" - Ayo & Teo

52. "1-800-273-8255" - Logic ft. Alessia Cara and Khalid

53. "Stay" - Zedd and Alessia Cara

54. "XO Tour Llif3" - Lil Uzi Vert

55. "Down" - Marian Hill

56. "Wild Thoughts" - DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller

57. "Look What You Made Me Do" - Taylor Swift

58. "Love Galore" - SZA ft. Travis Scott

59. "Bank Account" - 21 Savage

60. "Drowning" - A Boogie wit da Hoodie ft. Kodak Black

61. "Starving" - Hailee Steinfeld and Grey ft. Zedd

62. "Rake It Up" - Yo Gotti ft. Nicki Minaj

63. "Thunder" - Imagine Dragons

64. "Can't Stop the Feeling!" - Justin Timberlake

65. "What About Us" - Pink

66. "Now or Never" - Halsey

67. "Both" - Gucci Mane ft. Drake

68. "Strip That Down" - Liam Payne ft. Quavo

69. "Chained to the Rhythm" - Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley

70. "Cold" - Maroon 5 ft. Future

71. "Scars to Your Beautiful" - Alessia Cara

72. "I'm the One" - DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne

73. "T-Shirt" - Migos

74. "Mercy" - Shawn Mendes

75. "Small Town Boy" - Dustin Lynch

76. "Shape of You" - Ed Sheeran

77. "I Get the Bag" - Gucci Mane ft. Migos

78. "Bad Things" - Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello

79. "Rockstar" - Post Malone ft. 21 Savage

80. "Heathens" - Twenty One Pilots

81. "Everyday We Lit" - YFN Lucci ft. PnB Rock

82. "In Case You Didn't Know" - Brett Young

83. "Issues" - Julia Michaels

84. "Mi Gente" - J Balvin and Willy William ft. Beyoncé

85. "Paris" - The Chainsmokers

86. "Too Good at Goodbyes" - Sam Smith

87. "Young Dumb & Broke" - Khalid

88. "Magnolia" - Playboi Carti

89. "Don't Wanna Know" - Maroon 5 ft. Kendrick Lamar

90. "Passionfruit" - Drake

91. "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" - Zayn and Taylor Swift

92. "Say You Won't Let Go" - James Arthur

93. "Swang" - Rae Sremmurd

94. "Treat You Better" - Shawn Mendes

95. "Tunnel Vision" - Kodak Black

96. "Body Like a Back Road" - Sam Hunt

97. "Location" - Khalid

98. "Fake Love" - Drake

99. "Believer" - Imagine Dragons

100. "Juju on That Beat (TZ Anthem)" - Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall

 

 

[Joe Biden]

On 12/29/2016 at 2:44 PM, Charlie Manson said:

I thought that Starboy was gonna be your #1 but I have no problems with your #1 choice either.

Well, well, it seems that Fredstradamus strikes again.  (I mean, I was that close but still)

 

Surprised that two out of three songs by The Chainsmokers are that high in your top half after you mentioned a while back on Xat that you disliked them and regretted putting "Closer" at #11 last year.

[Wumbo]

33 minutes ago, Charlie Manson said:

Well, well, it seems that Fredstradamus strikes again.  (I mean, I was that close but still)

 

Surprised that two out of three songs by The Chainsmokers are that high in your top half after you mentioned a while back on Xat that you disliked them and regretted putting "Closer" at #11 last year.

I was definitely suffering from Chainsmokers burnout during the summer. Now that there's some distance between me and them, I can once again appreciate their uncanny ability to recycle the same catchy beat over and over and still enchant me.

"Paris" still fuckin blows tho

[Steel Sponge]

So, how about 2017 in pop music? It was a vast improvement in comparison to 2016, but on top of that, it was a weird transition-type year kinda like 1980, 1990, and 2001. Hip-hop/rap was clearly the most dominant genre this year, but the year-end list also had a mix of retrograde-style R&B artists like Bruno Mars and The Weeknd, indie pop from the likes of Jon Bellion and Miley Cyrus, country music that ranged from straightforward pop music to authentic-sounding country music, Latin pop that shaped up this year’s Latin boom, the occasional female pop star hits, the occasional EDM hits, and whatever represented crossover rock. Nonetheless, 2017 was a great year for pop music, and I’m here to talk about the ten songs that were defined the best out of me:

Steel’s Top 10 Hit Songs of 2017

 

Spoiler

 

A small recurring theme that’s going to be covered in this list are songs that I found to have gotten right in what some of the biggest hits of 2016 got wrong in their respective themes. Meghan Trainor’s songs from “Title” (outside of “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”) and especially Charlie’s Puth’s songs from “Nine Track Mind” (outside of “Some Type of Love” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore”),” an album in which I went on a bit of a tangent on about how much I thought it sucked, had me fearing that such a style of music like doo-wop and 60s soul would continue to be defaced and modernized in similar ways that it was from the likes of the two pop stars.

However, when I heard this particular song a few times, I was given a solid reminder that the old school doo-wop and soul sound can be pulled off spectacularly and I’m just glad that Trainor and Puth weren’t the only two examples of mainstream success when it comes to the certain style of retro-sounding pop music….
 

10. Love on the Brain / Rihanna

What Meghan Trainor and Charlie Puth (who changed his musical identity this year round and I’m not going to lie, while “Attention” is not on my top 10, he’s really showing signs of improving) did marvelously wrong with doo-wop and 60s soul style pop, Rihanna did right with one song off her ANTI album. Yeah, when it comes to the song’s lyrical content, the song’s themes can be connected to Rihanna’s relationship with Chris Brown, but I can seriously get past them because the feeling of vulnerability and sensuality just feels so authentic and emotionally gripping here. In fact, this has some one of the best vocal performances from Rihanna. Her pipes and range manage to fit very well within the song’s woodworks.

The 60s soul/doo-wop-influenced production work also sounds so authentic and it’s given a bit of a modern spin in which it doesn’t distract me from appreciating these old school vibes that Fred Ball brought to this track. The percussion and strings gives some serious chills and the bass during the pre-choruses not only gives the song some edge but it’s got a fairly sharp nudge to it. One of the best, if not the best song off of ANTI (That honor would go to “Desperado.”), and it’s a shame it doesn’t get as much love.

 

 

Spoiler

 

There was a fair chunk of hip hop this year that explored some dark themes and dark narratives. Suffice to say, I didn’t find most of them to be great or emotionally intriguing. However, there was one dark, moody rap song that stood out from the rest and it came from two men by the names of…

 

9. goosebumps / Travis Scott featuring Kendrick Lamar

The main question here is, how do they make a dark-sounding hip hop with an otherwise gloomy theme work? It has to do with the song’s content, in which Kendrick and Travis describe their love for a woman like she eases their minds, makes things feel fine, but gives the two goosebumps when she’s not around. Of course, the moodiness is already accomplished by the song’s instrumentation to correspond with those feelings, but the dark, romantic themes come in when Travis and Kendrick describe their unusual feelings for the woman, like Kendrick expressing that he’ll buy then burn then rebuild a building and stop the debate of war to justify his love while Travis talks about some of the things he wants to do with and for the girl in his verse. What else can I say about “goosebumps?” …Simply put, it gives me goosebumps every time.

 

 

Spoiler

You know, a part of me wanted to put “Feels” on my top 10. Calvin Harris’ current direction in music solidified for me that he’s capable of making some really great music. Whatever it is that I’ve said about Calvin Harris, take it all back, cuz’ man, even I had some embarrassing moments in 2013/2014. I also really wanted to put “Feels” on my list so I could redeem myself for putting “Chained to the Rhythm” on my bottom 10 and applaud Katy Perry for giving me stronger No Doubt vibes from the song, but sadly…this still ends up outmatched by another song. So, who’s going to put “Feels” on this list? It ain’t me…
 

8. It Ain’t Me / Kygo featuring Selena Gomez

“It Ain’t Me” is the one release from a DJ this year that I come back to more often than not, and there’s some good reasons for that and it contributes to why this is on my list. For starters, this song gave Selena Gomez more character and ground to touch upon. I did really like “Good for You” and “Same Old Love” and thought both songs at least had some personality from Selena, but on “It Ain’t Me,” Selena backs it up with a very interesting and well-sung vocal performance. As for the song’s content, the lyrics easily draw some connections to Selena’s past relationship with, of course, Justin Bieber…

I had a dream
We were back to seventeen

It’s not just Selena that really delivers here. Kygo also uses his production to broaden Selena’s personality on the song. The laid-back folk instrumentation and the end-chorus production sound so good fun to listen to. Futhermore, the production establishes the song as a joyful sounding breakup tune, making it sound so much like Selena is so happy to be done with her relationship with Bieber.

If any of you think “Bad Liar” is the best that Selena put out this year, you don’t know what you’re missing until you dive a little deeper into this song right here.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Some of you guys already how I feel about the tedious, unattractive, clichéd dreck that is “Shape of You,” but remember when I said that Ed Sheeran is able to make so much better songs? This particular song was released in the same week as SOY, and I ended up loving it more than I should…

 

7. Castle on the Hill / Ed Sheeran

The first thing someone’s going to point out is that this song takes almost all of its inspiration from U2. However, the more I indulged into this, the more it struck me as homage to U2 and less of a knock-off of U2. This song sounds like something that U2 could’ve written and I’m just happy that Ed was willing to incorporate authentic-sounding rock into one of his songs to create something that’s strangely uplifting and danceable, because this year was not very kind to rock when you have songs like “Believer,” “Middle Fingers,” “Fire Escape,” “Vacation,” “Rx (Medicate),” “Take It All Back,” “Feels Like Summer,” and so forth getting popular (as well as songs like “Young and Menace” being made).

Also, remember when I said there’s a small recurring theme within this list that some of my choices are better versions of other songs I’ve derided in past years? “Castle on the Hill” gets right in what “7 Years” got wrong in its past-life narrative. “7 Years” fails because of the band, Lukas Graham, being so high up their own butts to acknowledge their fame when the song is meant to be centered on Forschhammer’s past life and his dad. In “Castle on the Hill,” Ed Sheeran describes his past life with his childhood friends, how they changed his life, and he never puts them on the sidelines. That’s the sentiment about this song that makes me appreciate so much enough to put this on my list.

Don’t know what else to say from here, but I’m glad you still manage to amuse me every once in a while, Ed.

 

Spoiler

 

it’s the weeknd bye doubleagent reference

 

6. I Feel It Coming / The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk

And what do you know? It’s a collaboration between The Weeknd and Daft Punk and it’s not “Starboy.” Spoiler alert, the latter is not on my list. Why? I don’t hate it, but I don’t adore it enough to place it here. This is a nitpick, but I wish there was more from Daft Punk on “Starboy” besides the production. I do really like the song’s narrative and wordplay, but there are some things about “I Feel It Coming” that feels just right.

The Weeknd composing an R&B slow jam shouldn’t feel right, but he really pulls it off when it comes to the easy comparisons that can be made between him and Michael Jackson. Although, with a performance that draws parallels to the King of Pop, what this song actually reminds me of is “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye – one of the best R&B jams of the 80s IMO. I also like Daft Punk having more a presence here and providing it with some of their vocals because I can feel the duo’s musical style influence very strongly in the production and so it’s a perfect fit for them. The lyrics are very simple, but they’re also attractive and likeable.

Overall, this song only continues to prove The Weeknd as one of the best pop stars currently on the charts. It’s a shame that his other singles didn’t leave as much of a big impact, though. In addition, as very decent I find “Reminder” and “Die for You” to be, I would’ve at least preferred for songs like “Secrets,” “Sidewalks,” and definitely “False Alarm” to be any one of his next singles.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Okay, why is it that some of the best rock songs on the year-end chart aren’t coming from rock bands/singers?

5. Sign of the Times / Harry Styles

“Sign of the Times” is the kind of song that’s just too easy to love. It’s a rock power ballad directly inspired by the likes of David Bowie, Queen, and The Beatles, three of my favorite bands/singers of all-time. The fact that a former member of One Direction is singing this is also already enough to make us feel impressed. So, why didn’t I rank this song any higher? Harry Styles’ delivery is great here, especially with his falsetto lines, and the increasingly building-up instrumentation is also glorious, but when comparing and contrasting the production work and lyrical content, the song feels pretty overblown, even if I didn’t want to admit it. In other words, there are moments where “Sign of the Times” feels a little too dramatic, but regardless, Harry Style still put on a really good, 5 ½-minute long show.

 

 

Spoiler

 

4. 24k Magic / Bruno Mars

When it comes to 2017’s collection of really good popular songs, you guys would probably be thinking that I feel this song would end up being outmatched by a lot of other songs, but I still like this quite a lot. “24k Magic” is living proof that ripping one’s own self off can manage to sound so good. Bruno’s personality already draws parallels to his personality in “Uptown Funk,” but the sound he provides here is distinguishable and goes for an 80s vibe. Even if Bruno’s personality and flow is too similar to his on “Uptown Funk,” he still provides some remarkably sound boasts and it’s still satisfying to hear him like he’s still enjoying every moment in his music. Likewise with “Uptown Funk,” this is too good for any more words. This song still has its 24k magic and so does Bruno himself.

 

 

Spoiler

 

So, we managed to get a Childish Gambino song on the top 40 and on the top 25 of the year-end list, and we have no one to thank besides….a pretty dumb meme on the Internet. Regardless, this is a very solid song.

3. Redbone / Childish Gambino

“Redbone” is a very peculiar step into a different direction from Childish Gambino, and it’s even more peculiar that this managed to become a pop hit. This is a type of song that would’ve been too good for the pop charts. Anyways, one of the perks that I have with “Redbone” is Glover’s singing and his vocal range, which made me think of Macy Gray whenever I hear this song. The fact that this is Glover’s very own voice is very remarkable.

The most prominent feature about “Redbone,” however, is the production work that really brings me back to 70s funk and soul. It also sounds dated that way, but just listening to it and seeing how well Glover can emulate that 70s funk and soul sound makes me think he’s really done his homework. Oh, and the song’s got a really neat guitar solo to boot. What can I say? It sounds too good for the pop charts, but it became a hit and I’m very happy that it did.

 

Spoiler

 

What can I say? I’m a poor sucker for this type of pop songs.

2. Praying / Kesha

This wasn’t the biggest favorite on the year-end charts like I’ve imagined, and while it may not be my #1, “Praying” is still filled with enough passion and effort to be my runner-up. The most defining factor about this song is Kesha’s sheer honesty. This is an example of what kind of music that Kesha has been meaning to make since even before she wanted to be cut from Dr. Luke and his record label. “Praying” is an all-glorious farewell to the man that had Kesha feeling distressed and it is an all-glorious introduction to the real and powerful Kesha. Kesha gives herself all the room she needs to breathe to express her inner thoughts/emotions that she’s had since before being able to turn away from Dr. Luke and his label by providing us with an excellent vocal performance in the form of an uplifting piano ballad about finding peace.

For a departure from the mindless fun pop that the singer has made while under the name of Ke$ha, this is well-deserved and while “Praying” is not only a great, uplifting, and emotional pop ballad, it also brought some hope on the state that female pop artists have been in this year. Thanks to Billboard, radio, and pop consumers alike for allowing Kesha and the song to survive long enough to make the year-end cut.

 

Spoiler

 

And what could possibly be my choice for #1? Well, let’s face it: no one could really top Kendrick Lamar when he’s at his A-game.
 

1. DNA. / Kendrick Lamar

It’s just satisfying how this managed to become a big enough hit this year, but when you got a rapper who is as well-respected as Kendrick, you can see how this managed to stick around. Mike WiLL Made-It’s production work is on point. Kendrick’s flow is absolutely untouchable and memorable. Kendrick’s individuality is fantastic here. Even the music video is fire. It’s an all-around solid rap song that I can’t express with any more words, and it’s so good that it just already seals the top spot for not only my list, but for virtually anyone else’s lists. You may have told us to be humble, Kendrick, but this is definitely something to feel proud about.

(Full rankings list will be up very shortly. They will be on my blog.)

 

 

[Clappy]

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the thread, not a user was posting, so I shared my best list instead.

As I preluded to on the previous page, 2017 was a much better year than last.   I liked the fact that the hits this year were unexpected.  That it wasn't completely dominated by the usual names.  I'm genuinely interested in seeing where things go from this point forward.  As a matter of fact, before I get to the usual format, I'd like to share how I feel about the 2010s so far from best to worst:

1. 2011

2. 2015

3. 2012

4. 2013

5. 2017

6. 2010

7. 2016

8. 2014

See what I mean?  You can only go up from the near bottom of the barrel.  Anyway, onto the best list...but first, some honorable mentions

Honorable Mentions:

Spoiler

“Castle on the Hill” – Ed Sheeran

Don’t get me wrong, this probably should be on the actual list.  But I have heard this song every day.  Five times a day.  For the past eight months.  Maybe after my work playlist changes out, I’ll appreciate this song as much as I did the first time I heard it.

“That’s What I Like” – Bruno Mars

This should also be on the list properly but I got tired of this this year too.  Still a damn great song though that was, no joke, my cellphone alarm.

“Congratulations” – Post Malone (featuring Quavo)

I don’t even feel all that guilty for liking this anymore.  Banger of the year.

“I Get the Bag” – Gucci Mane (featuring Migos)

Oh yeah there was this.  It feels weird to see Gucci and Migos go from laughingstocks for years to now being some of the biggest artists out there.  Who cares though when they provide quality bangers like this.

“iSpy” – KYLE (featuring Lil Yachty)

A hell of an enjoyable bright pop rap song that I wish we had more of this year.  And while Lil Yachty is starting to grow on me, I wish his biggest guest verses weren't so...cringeworthy.

“Love Galore" - SZA (featuring Travis Scott)

Definitely a huge fan of SZA.  She was such a breath of fresh air this year and while her collab with Travis Scott is pretty good, she has much better stuff on her album "Ctrl".  Check it out.

“Feel It Still” – Portugal. The Man

More like I’m a rebel just for cash now, am I right guys?  No but seriously damn good song that I still can’t get out of my head.

“It Ain’t Me” – Kygo & Selena Gomez

I didn’t think I would ever like a Selena Gomez song ever again, but here we are.  2017 was when I just threw everything I thought I knew about pop music out the window.

“Bodak Yellow” – Cardi B

Seriously hope to see Cardi B stick around.  If Nicki Minaj isnt going to give us quality female MC work, then I’ll gladly have Cardi replace her.

“Praying” - Kesha

This is a technically sound song.  Damn great even.  But I can’t come to listen to this song on repeat sadly.  This will probably go down as one of the more praised songs of the year either way though and rightfully so.  I’ve missed Kesha and seeing her grow as a performer just with this one song was a delight.

 

CLAPPY'S TOP TEN BEST HIT SONGS OF 2017

 

Spoiler

I’ve been honest with you guys all year about modern day rap music.  I don’t completely hate it.  It’s fun going back and forth with Nugs about how much better rap music used to be as he consistently tells me to get with the times old man and listen to Lil Pump, Playboi Carti, and any of these rising…god I’m sorry, I can’t finish this sentence without laughing.  So many of these newer rappers, they just don’t stand out.  A lot of these XXL freshmen are interchangeable.  It makes me grateful when I find one of them that has any sort of energy or swing to it.

10. “Caroline” – Amine

 

I told you guys I love this song much more than anyone expected.  Caroline was such a breath of fresh air amongst the boatload of trap bangers that came out this year and Amine was such a fresh personality to boot.  Rappers usually come on the scene bragging about how many bitches they get, how they are sleeping with your girl, and how much money they make swinging drugs.  But bragging about one girl you are trying to have become yours?  Wow, what a novelty concept that doesn’t make you out to be such a douchebag.

I’ve read in interviews that Amine was inspired to write a more modern day version of Billie Jean…and while I can see it and he tried, this is no Billie Jean.  But you know what this reminds me more of than anything else?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aofoBrFNdg

Okay not exactly the same song, but personality wise, it’s like looking into a mirror.  Both come off as so genuine and are insanely catchy.  And I’ve checked out more of Amine’s material, both are lowkey very good artists who are probably doomed to one hit wonderdom.  Like I said, I’ve listened to more Amine…I highly doubt you’ll hear from him again, unless he collaborates with Quavo or whoever else can instantly give you a hit these days.  But if this is the last we hear from him, then I’ll be glad for what we got.

 

Spoiler

As many of you know, I’m trying to break it into the public eye by writing for movie sites whether it be reviews or articles about film.  I submitted my short list of best movies of 2017 ahead of time before I could fully write my actual list.  On that list is the critically acclaimed, financial behemoth that was Get Out.  And in that movie, there was a certain song that was pretty much the theme for the movie and…

9. “Redbone” – Childish Gambino

 

I still feel like someone should pinch me.  Seeing Childish Gambino with one of the biggest songs of any year was a pipe dream of mine for many years, but that’s 2017 in a nutshell for yah.  No but seriously Redbone is a great song about heartbreak and infidelity, but it works even better as a song about staying woke about society as a whole.  And in a year where our society as a whole had tension about race and our political landscape, you’re damn right Redbone works perfectly with that too.  I still can’t believe this song got so popular from a movie….

….oh yeah, it got big because of memes too.  That’s the only way anything like this would ever chart super high.  At least I get the memes behind some of the other songs that got big off them, I…I don’t get what’s so funny about this one though.  I can do the same thing and make it about any song on the radio.  Memes!  Now there’s a fad I wish would stop affecting hit music.  At least it was with a great song though.

 

Spoiler

The times sure are changing and I couldn’t think of a bigger artist to strike out as badly as Katy Perry did.  I don’t know if she will ever come back from that disaster of an album no matter how many times she tries to reinvent herself.  To me, the key ingredient that was missing amongst the constant strikeouts was not just the songs being pleasant to listen to, but just being catchy.  That’s probably why I liked “Chained To The Rhythm” more than everyone else it seems, but even I have to admit that it doesn’t sound fun.  I guess we will have to get our fun happy Katy Perry music from someone else.

8. “Feels” – Calvin Harris (featuring Katy Perry, Pharrell Wiliiams, and Big Sean)

 

Gee who would have thought that Calvin Harris would be the artist to provide us such fun upbeat music in such a dour year?  Definitely not me.  To be honest, if I could give out a Most Improved trophy for an artist this year, it would be Calvin Harris.  Funk Wavs Volume I is actually one of my favorite albums of this year with all the consistently great throwback songs from this album.  And when you want great throwback jams, I can’t think of a better producer to recruit than Pharrell, who you can definitely tell had his hands on this song as well. 

But let’s talk about Katy Perry.  While she doesn’t sound as happy or fun as say in her prime Katy Perry, this is definitely the most on vocally she has been in years.  However, Katy Perry is the obvious weak link in an otherwise great song because she gets overshadowed by Pharrell being Pharrell all over the place and Big Sean providing us the best Ludacris guest verse in years.  If I want dumb, stupid fun rap verses, Big Sean definitely helps provide that in a heartbeat.

Without a doubt though, the MVP of this song is Calvin Harris.  At the end of the day, you need a tight groove to make a song like this work and that groove is untouchable.  Great song all around.  More of this please, Calvin Harris.

 

Spoiler

Back to that previous entry for just one second, about Pharrell.  Pharrell is such a great producer that he can make even the most untalented of artists successful.

I know a lot of people who liked this, but I did not.  Seriously music industry.  Quit trying to make Camila Cabello a thing.  How many attempts are you going to give her to finally notch a smash hit of her own?  Well if you are going to insist that badly, just let Pharrell work his magic and let the rest work itself out.

 

7. “Havana” – Camila Cabello (featuring Young Thug)

 

Okay to be fair, Pharrell was not the main producer, but he was one of the songwriters and doesn’t deserve all the credit.  Because this is just a damn good pop song all around.

Ignore my preamble.  This feels and is a genuine real pop song by an artist that wants to make an ode to her roots.  Which elaborates even further why I previously had problems with Camila Cabello even going back to her Fifth Harmony days.  Every single song prior has felt incredibly fake with fingerprints of record industry executives trying and failing to market her properly.  It’s no wonder she has struck out so many times and why next month is finally the arrival of her debut album.

About the song itself, it’s just sexy as hell.  What Camila is doing here feels just right.  Her voice has never sounded so tolerable because she’s not belting and making her vocals ridiculously pitchy.

Oh yeah and Young Thug is here too.  He’s honestly the worst part about the song.  Not like it is bad or anything, it just goes through one ear and out the other.  I just want to hurry back to Camila’s part because it’s such a star making song.  I don’t know if Camila will ever have a song better than this one and I don’t know if I want her to.  I’ll just go ahead and leave half of my heart in Havana oh nah nah until then.

 

Spoiler

2017 is when the race was declared on for Best Post-One Direction career.  All of them have carved out distinct personalities and identities, which I did not expect. 

Zayn got the head start with being the first and only one to have a number one hit….and flat out fucking sucks.  To me, he’s dead last.  I still hate Strip That Down with a passion and its’ forced provocative agenda, but I have to admit that there’s something there with Liam Payne.  At least there is something there, unlike Louis Tomlinson…who’s just there. 

Niall Horan seems to have a following in terms of being the singer-songwriter type and while I know a lot of you like him….I’m not completely onboard.  Slow Hands is okay, but he’s reminding me a lot of Ed Sheeran in terms of overwriting his music.  I do not need to imagine sweat dripping down your dirty laundry while you’re making love dude…gross.

Let’s open up to who I find to have left the best impression on me.

6. “Sign of the Times” – Harry Styles

 

None of you should be surprised.  This topped my best of spring list and rightfully so.  Harry has proven many things to me as a performer over the past year from his amazing performance in Dunkirk (go see that movie fam) but especially as a solo artist.  He’s got one thing especially that has me invested: ambition.

I don’t expect him to be the next David Bowie like so many others have mentioned as a comparison point, but the fact that we even mention these two names in the same sentence so many times in discussions shows how ambitious he is at least trying to be.  And at the end of the day, isn’t that what you want out of a performer?  To try and emulate one of the all-time greats instead of rehashing modern trends that might not age well?

Here’s something I didn’t figure out until after I made my first post about this back in April.  This song is about childbirth.  It’s a mother being told she won’t make it and how she wants her newborn son to go forth into the world and do great things.  This song is supposed to be dramatic on purpose, unlike some of the forced attempts at from others songs on this list.  It at least fits the dour theme that most pop music was going for this year.

Look what else do you want me to say?  I’m a sucker for power ballads and if this is the closest we are going to get to classic rock…or hell, actual rock music in general in 2017, then I’m glad it became a hit.

 

Spoiler

2017 was definitely a better year when it came to hit singles and as I stated on previous year end lists, I like to keep these lists as authentic as possible.  And despite me saying that the quality wasn’t that good last year for best material, one of my best songs of last year just so happened to pop back up again.  All hail our robot overlords…and a certain familiar face to these best lists.

5. “Starboy” – The Weeknd (featuring Daft Punk)

 

It’s hard for me to believe just two years ago, I complained about the overexposure of one Abel Tesfaye, but yet again, here he is gracing my best list for the third year in a row.  Even more telling is that this song is a spot higher this year than it was last year when I talked about my best list being a weaker state.  What can I say?  It grew on me even more so.

Going to retread what I stated last year, but Daft Punk and The Weeknd just work off each other so well here.  Definitely better than that other song they did together, which I’m sorry guys, I still don’t feel it coming so don’t expect it on here.  That song bores me, despite being pleasant sounding.  No, give me the menacing song about how big of an arrogant prick The Weeknd is.  He’s a motherfucking starboy.

 

Spoiler

…guys I think I like 25 far more than I ever did 21.

Yeah I know what I said last year since I was the only sucker who had that sarcastic Adele song in their Top 10.  But the more I actually listened to this whole album, it just goes to show how much more mature the woman who wrote an entire album about being angry at an ex has grown.  But little did I know that the best track on the entire album was smack dab in the middle.  Guys, this is my new favorite Adele song.

4. “Water Under the Bridge” – Adele

 

Shocker, right?  But this is just…an atom bomb of a song.  The production on this is killer from the opening guitar riff against the piano that reminds me heavily of “Africa” by Toto to the heavy drums that just get bigger and bigger the deeper into the song we get…and then we get to the writing. 

I’ve said in the past that I love songs about messy relationships and Adele here clearly knows this relationship is sputtering out, but all she wants to know is that the guy is aware that she mattered in the first place.  I love this sentiment and it’s a sign of maturity to hope that everything they’ve been through was worth the relationship in the first place.

Adele really has come a long way in terms of me thinking she’s an overrated critical darling to becoming one of my personal favorite singers.  I like this new direction she has taken and it’s developed a fan in me.  All those bad things I’ve said?  It’s water under the bridge.

 

Spoiler

Your guess is as good as mine...

3. “24K Magic” – Bruno Mars

 

Amongst all of the dark, depressing, and even suicidal music that hit the year end list, it’s always nice to listen to music that just makes you feel happy to be alive.  And while that other Bruno Mars song is definitely more original, is also very good, and is not a complete retread of something he’s already done, it’s the rehash that made it very high on my best list.

There is admittedly nothing original about this, well except for #blessed.  Who cares if it doesn’t move the needle forward?  I sing along to it every time.  It’s unrepentant party music at a time when there is a vast shortage of it.  It keeps the party going right where Uptown Funk left off.

I don’t know how long Bruno Mars will able to keep this act up when all artists have to evolve at some point in time, but simply put, I’d rather have throwback Bruno Mars more than a throwback to ACTUAL Bruno Mars…and I just cringed at the thought of that.

 

Spoiler

I’ve had some close calls when it comes to ranking my best list in the past, but this year, it was tough.  To me, two songs stood out above the rest and I had to think long and hard about which song should be the rightful number one.  This happened two years ago with three songs and I look back and admit that I made the right choices at the right spots because they still stand as such today.  So why not waste any further time delaying the inevitable?  I GOT I GOT I GOT I GOT….

2. “DNA” – Kendrick Lamar

 

What else can I say that hasn’t already been said?  2017 was a fantastic year for Kendrick Lamar with him getting the mainstream recognition he rightfully deserves with one of the biggest albums of the year that provided three mainstream hits and a fourth on the way with LOVE.  This was the biggest surprise hit from that album to me.

I did not expect this to become as big as it did.  It wasn’t a radio single that somehow managed to stick around the charts long enough to make the year end list and it’s damn excellent.  Kendrick spits straight fire against a production that suits him and goes against him perfectly.  Congratulations Mike Will Made It, you will never make a banger that bangs this hard ever again.

You know it is only fitting that in a year where rap music dominated the charts, that one of the best alive finally gets his due recognition, even if the album isn’t his best.  That’s how good Kendrick is, it’s in his DNA.

 

Spoiler

So yeah, if Kendrick isn’t number one, then who is?  Well the first time I heard this, it just hit all the right buttons for me.  I was astonished at it.  I was amazed.  I knew it was going to make my best of the year list.  Little did I know though, that the more I heard it, the more I loved it.  And at the end of the year, amongst all of the new trap rappers flooding the scene and with how big rap music has become right in front of our very eyes, personality helps you stand out and I can’t think of a bigger doofus to provide us with some much needed personality with the best song he’s ever done.  I said two years ago I was waiting for him to take the step to the next level and he’s finally done it.

1. “Bounce Back” – Big Sean

 

I’ve understated all year long how much I love this song and simply put, it’s fantastic.  Big Sean has taken that much needed next step and his skills have improved over time, while still being the same goof that we’ve come to expect from his music. 

This is the best chorus of the year from all the “bounce back” puns to the uplifting message about bouncing back from whatever you are overcoming.  That it’s okay if you take a loss as long as you can bounce back from it.  Hearing this is like a godsend to my ears and working in its favor is that simple minimalist production from Metro Boomin.  With all of the bangers Metro put out this year, his simplest is his best to me.     

I’ll say it again.  It’s rejuvenating to hear this in my mainstream rap where I am constantly reminded by rappers about how much better they are than you and how they are untouchable, invincible, all they do is win….yada yada yada.  I’m so fucking sick and tired of those lines that they have become such a cliché within itself. 

Big Sean bounced back in a big way this year with the best hit song of 2017.  Happy holidays everybody and as always, thanks for reading.

 

 

Full Rankings:

Spoiler

1. “Bounce Back” – Big Sean

2. “DNA” – Kendrick Lamar

3. “24K Magic” – Bruno Mars

4. “Water Under the Bridge” – Adele

5. “Starboy” – The Weeknd (featuring Daft Punk)

6. “Sign of the Times” – Harry Styles

7. “Havana” – Camila Cabello (featuring Young Thug)

8. “Feels” – Calvin Harris (featuring Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, and Big Sean)

9. “Redbone” – Childish Gambino

10. “Caroline” – Amine

11. “It Ain’t Me” – Kygo & Selena Gomez

12. “Feel It Still” – Portugal. The Man

13. “That’s What I Like” – Bruno Mars

14. “Bodak Yellow” – Cardi B

15. “iSpy” – KYLE (featuring Lil Yachty)

16. “I Get the Bag” – Gucci Mane (featuring Migos)

17. “Castle on the Hill” – Ed Sheeran

18. “Praying” - Kesha

19. “Love Galore” – SZA (featuring Travis Scott)

20. “Congratulations” – Post Malone (featuring Quavo)

21. “Chained to the Rhythm” – Katy Perry (featuring Skip Marley)

22. “LOYALTY” – Kendrick Lamar (featuring Rihanna)

23. “Slide” – Calvin Harris (featuring Frank Ocean and Migos)

24. “HUMBLE” – Kendrick Lamar

25. “Broccoli” – D.R.A.M. (featuring Lil Yachty)

26. “Black Beatles” – Rae Sremmurd (featuring Gucci Mane)

27. “All Time Low” – Jon Bellion

28. “Closer” – The Chainsmokers (featuring Halsey)

29. “Something Just Like This” – The Chainsmokers & Coldplay

30. “Swalla” – Jason DeRulo (featuring Ty Dolla Sign and Nicki Minaj)

31. “Sorry Not Sorry” – Demi Lovato

32. “Location” - Khalid

33. “In Case You Didn’t Know” – Brett Young

34. “Unforgettable” – French Montana (featuring Swae Lee)

35. “Wild Thoughts” – DJ Khaled (featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller)

36. “1-800-273-8255” – Logic (featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid)

37. “Goosebumps” – Travis Scott (featuring Kendrick Lamar)

38. “What Ifs” – Kane Brown (featuring Lauren Alaina)

39. “Despacito” – Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee (featuring Justin Bieber)

40. “Passionfruit” - Drake

41. “Can’t Stop the Feeling” – Justin Timberlake

42. “Everyday We Lit” – YFN Lucci (featuring PnB Rock)

43. “Side to Side” – Ariana Grande (featuring Nicki Minaj)

44. “Slow Hands” – Niall Horan

45. “Small Town Boy” – Dustin Lynch

46. “Heathens” – twenty one pilots

47. “Bank Account” – 21 Savage

48. “Thunder” – Imagine Dragons

49. “I Feel It Coming” – The Weeknd (featuring Daft Punk)

50. “What Lovers Do” – Maroon 5 (featuring SZA)

51. “No Promises” – Cheat Codes (featuring Demi Lovato)

52. “XO Tour Llif3” – Lil Uzi Vert

53. “T-Shirt” - Migos

54. “The Fighter” – Keith Urban (featuring Carrie Underwood)

55. “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” – Shawn Mendes

56. “I’m The One” – DJ Khaled (featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne)

57. “Mask Off” - Future

58. “Too Good at Goodbyes” – Sam Smith

59. “Young, Dumb, & Broke” - Khalid

60. “Rockabye” – Clean Bandit (featuring Anne-Marie and Sean Paul)

61. “Paris” – The Chainsmokers

62. “do re mi” - blackbear

63. “Both” – Gucci Mane (featuring Drake)

64. “Love on the Brain” – Rihanna

65. “Attention” – Charlie Puth

66. “Bad and Boujee” – Migos (featuring Lil Uzi Vert)

67. “Down” – Marian Hill

68. “Stay” – Zedd (featuring Alessia Cara)

69. “rockstar” – Post Malone (featuring 21 Savage)

70. “Swang” – Rae Sremmurd

71. “Don’t Wanna Know” Maroon 5 (featuring Kendrick Lamar)

72. “Mercy” – Shawn Mendes

73. “Magnolia” – Playboi Carti

74. “Scars to Your Beautiful” – Alessia Cara

75. “Let Me Love You” – DJ Snake (featuring Justin Bieber)

76. “Slippery” – Migos (featuring Gucci Mane)

77. “Fake Love” - Drake

78. “Hurricane” – Luke Combs

79. “Malibu” – Miley Cyrus

80. “What About Us” - Pink

81. “Rolex” – Ayo & Teo

82. “Shape of You” – Ed Sheeran

83. “Bad Things” – Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello

84. “Now or Never” – Halsey

85. “Cold” – Maroon 5

86. “Strip That Down” – Liam Payne (featuring Quavo)

87. “Say You Won’t Let Go” – James Arthur

88. “Juju on Dat Beat” – Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall (apparently they have real names)

89. “Starving” – Hailee Steinfeld & Grey (featuring Zedd)

90. “Drowning” – A Boogie Wit da Hoodie (featuring Kodak Black)

91. “Look at Me” - XXXTentacion

92. “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” – ZAYN & Taylor Swift

93. “Mi Gente” – J Balvin (featuring Willy William)

94. “Rake It Up” – Yo Gotti (featuring Nicki Minaj)

95. “Tunnel Vision” – Kodak Black

96. “Believer” – Imagine Dragons

97. “Look What You Made Me Do” – Taylor Swift

98. “Treat You Better” – Shawn Mendes

99. “Body Like a Back Road” – Sam Hunt

100. “Issues” Julia Michaels

 

[Young Nug]

since Old Man Clapper tryna come at me the in the margins of his post I’m gonna join the music reviewing bandwagon and make a list for the first time since this was musically the year of Nuggets

I’ll have a list to send up y’all mothafuckin asses by New Years

[Clappy]

4 hours ago, Bada Bing Nuggets said:

since Old Man Clapper tryna come at me the in the margins of his post I’m gonna join the music reviewing bandwagon and make a list for the first time since this was musically the year of Nuggets

I’ll have a list to send up y’all mothafuckin asses by New Years

Lol not at all was I trying to come at you.  But if this means that you’ll finally make a list...then sure think what you want meatloaf boy.  

[Wumbo]

On 12/25/2017 at 2:56 PM, Bada Bing Nuggets said:

since Old Man Clapper tryna come at me the in the margins of his post I’m gonna join the music reviewing bandwagon and make a list for the first time since this was musically the year of Nuggets

I’ll have a list to send up y’all mothafuckin asses by New Years

 

Edited October 10, 2018 by jjsthekid

[WhoBibbles]

It's that time of the year, so exciting. <3

What can I say? Television of 2017 was pure blast for me and I feel like I watched too many good TV shows this year but I still feel like I'm missing highly acclaimed shows that are worth seeing like The Good Place or GLOW or Twin Peaks and great shows that I need to catch up badly like The Expanse or Brooklyn Nine Nine. Hopefully next year because I don't have enough time to check up them all, final exams are coming, so lets start off this list with some

Honorable Mentions:

Spoiler

Doctor Who (BBC): Series 10 of Doctor Who was pretty good but I felt like it could have been much better. Monks three part started off so strong but fell apart at the end and aside from Thin Ice, Oxygen and World Enough and Time and maybe The Doctor Falls; this season wasn't anything special to me, especially after marvelous series 9. With that being said, the trio of this series (Doctor/Bill/Nardole) were pretty strong and the conclusion to Moffat's era, as well as Peter Capaldi as The Doctor, was satisfying and emotional. Thank you all for working on this wonderful show and cheers to Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor, I hope she'll be great.

South Park (Comedy Central): I have been questioning the direction of this show after last two season 20 episodes and this season because I feel like it has no idea what It wants to be anymore. Does it still wanna tackle continuity that has been hit or miss in recent seasons or does it wanna get back into episodic format that makes the episodes feel more stand out? Still this season of South Park was definitely better than season 20 because It was less messy and we got more stand out episodes like Put It Down, Hummels & Heroin and Moss Piglets. Heck, even Doubling Down, which made me roll my eyes at Heidi/Cartman and Trump Garrison again, made a great commentary on abusive relationships, seeking attention, Trump supporters' regret on Trump and victimization. Especially considering Heidi/Cartman plot was concluded perfectly in the last episode, I really appreciated their efforts on that episode. Still I'm worried about the direction of this show after the cliffhanger at the end of this season but after 20 seasons, South Park still manages to be entertaining and clever.

You're The Worst (FXX): Sadly the show that I put at #5 on my 2016 list wasn't as compelling as previous seasons and it felt inconsistent at times with Gretchen and Edgar. But the show still pulls off hard moments like the whole episode with just Gretchen and her old friend (one of the most disturbing episodes of any shows) and last two episodes. And Lindsay's character development was a big plus. I'm not sure how Gretchen and Jimmy's relation will be tackled in season 5 but It seems that they are preparing for the end and I hope it's satisfying enough.

The Punisher (Netflix): This year of Marvel Netflix shows have been a bit step down. Iron Fist was painfully mediocre and The Defenders could have been a lot better but The Punisher came and it sort of restored the whole Netflix shows. Like most other Marvel Netflix shows, this show suffered from being dragged out at middle episodes and my biggest disappointment was that we could have used more Punisher taking down random criminals than the whole military conspiracy plot but this show managed to be brutal, well-written and mature with themes of PTSD and gun violence. Frank/Micro dynamic stole most other dynamics of the year and this is the Netflix season that actually had a finale that made me %100 satisfied. I can't wait to see Punisher taking his full form in season 2 because all the past connection stuff was done so well in this season, they don't need to tackle it too much anymore.

iZombie (The CW): Just like You're The Worst, iZombie this season wasn't as great as first two seasons mainly for dumb Peyton/Blaine/Ravi love triangle at the first couple of episodes nobody asked for and Liv felt like a comic relief most of the time but what I'm glad about these flaws is that they are aware of these and they fixed it later on. Peyton, Blaine and Ravi got their own arcs, Liv became focused again, Clive was at his best this season and the show still does it well with Major. After three years, the show delivered what I hoped for to happen and I can't wait for season 4 when it comes out.

Adventure Time (Cartoon Network): I can say this that my love for Adventure Time is back. It knocked outta the park this year with two excellent miniseries and other episodes that explored Princess Bubblegum's past and how that, along with some other plots, is setting up the big finale of the show. It's gonna be hard to see Adventure Time ending next year but at least it seems like they are preparing to end 7 years of glory with a bang and I can't wait for the finale episodes.

Future Man (Hulu): I'm a sucker for sci-fi stories, especially if they are good comedies and this is one of them. One main complaint I'll have with this show is that sometimes jokes do get too raunchy for my taste but the show made me laugh a lot and it had such a great trio (Josh, Tiger and Wolf are the best!) with really funny supporting characters. I'm not sure what they have plans for season 2 because season 1 wrapped up mostly everything with one cliffhanger at the end, so I'm kind of worried how season 2 is gonna tell but I hope it'll be worth it and I'm not ready to say goodbye to the trio of the show.

Star vs The Forces of Evil (Disney X D): The show has been doing a good job at its story arcs and character development. It even brought back some silly and fun aspects of first half of season 1 with some unexpected twist and turns. I still think humor is a bit hit or miss on this show but the show keeps entertaining me and it makes me appreciate at it tackling some mature themes like discrimination and stereotypes. I can't wait to see how Ecilpsa and Star will end up as the show goes on.

Samurai Jack (Adult Swim): I'm actually surprised that this didn't end up in any of best 2017 shows list I've seen online. Yeah, I didn't include it too but still this show deserves recognition after how masterfully it brought back the show to end the story of Jack defeating Aku or not. I'll say that last three episodes kind of let me down especially how the finale felt anti-climatic but I did like how they ended on a different note than any other finales of shows I've seen. I'm so glad to binge watch this show this year, as well as this great last season.

Stranger Things (Netflix): As much as I love the show, it's barely made it to the list this year. That being said, season 2 is worth checking out. I understand all the complaints this season got, especially the 7th episode but all new dynamics, new characters, visuals, acting by the kids, humor and 80s feel were all enjoyable and the stakes felt even higher than the first season. I'm not sure what else new they are gonna bring to season 3 but we'll see. The show still has its charm and fun.

OK K.O.! Lets Be Heroes (Cartoon Network): Sometimes It takes a while for shows to find their place but not this cartoon. The show became what It meant to be from the start. An action packed comedy cartoon and I have been enjoying every second of it. CN has been a bit more about slice of life and slow burn with shows like We Bare Bears, Clarence and now Steven Universe became a part of it, I kind of got tired of this. That doesn't mean I don't like slow burn shows but We Bare Bears and Clarence lost my interest and Steven Universe have been so inconsistent with its arcs this year. OK K.O. doesn't have this. It's a fast paced cartoon with tons of good humor and nice animation but it knows that just because you wanna develop characters and story arcs, that doesn't mean you still can't have fun. The show is full of lightheartedness and humor but it does a good job at setting up certain plots and give the characters some backstory to flesh them out. I hope the show continues to go with the root of both lighthearted fun and interesting story arcs and character development.

 

Now those are out of the way, time for best of the best. <3

 

DR. WHOBOB'S TOP 10 BEST TV SHOWS OF 2017

Spoiler

#10 Rick and Morty (Adult Swim)

The show continues to surpass my expectations and deliver some of the best comedy I've seen this decade. What I loved season 3 of Rick and Morty is that almost every episode deals with issues our main characters face and their struggle with keeping a good family dynamic. Yes, this was also in season 1-2 but characters like Beth and Jerry got separated storylines and their development in this season was just great. Rick and Morty dynamic is just as strong. Summer wasn't focused much but she did became such a more awesome character this season. Yeah, joke like schezuan sauce or Pickle Rick went a bit too far but the show keeps its creativity and great humor. I don't know when season 4 will be but I certainly can not wait.

 

Spoiler

#9 DC's Legends of Tomorrow (The CW)

Behold, the only consistent DC CW show ever. As much as I'm quite fond of Flash and Supergirl in their recent season so far, second half of Flash season 3 and Supergirl season 2 were too melodramatic and dumb. Arrow season 5 was pretty decent but season 6 ruined the show again with comeback of Olicity, the show becoming more and more idiotic and fan fiction-tier and character arcs going nowhere that I consider quitting Arrow after season 6 ends. Legends of Tomorrow, however, doesn't suffer from stupid CW drama or annoying characters. It keeps topping itself with corny and over the top plots like a fluffy toy becoming a god or the gang trying to save George Lucas' legacy or pure E.T. parody with heartwarming moments. It's not the only reason. Characters are really complex and you actually take their struggle seriously but you also have so much fun with the show's clever humor and the gang trying to save time. Adding such a cheesy show like Legends of Tomorrow to the list is pretty risky but for every dark and depressing show, I'm glad shows like this exists to balance the golden age of TV.

 

Spoiler

#8 Dear White People (Netflix)

Okay, this is a pretty controversial show to be added in the list but hear me out, this show is actually great so far. I get that the show made people annoyed due to the title and the trailer, which I have never checked out but the show actually examines both sides of the problem and keep it natural and interesting. You understand where the characters are coming from but it's also the fact that they are not so perfect people and not all of their points are shown as right. It tackles racism towards both black and white people. The show isn't afraid to speak the truth and the characters are sown as bunch of human beings who deal with these kind of stuff but also make a big mess in their lives. There are even topics that are disccussed briefly like homosexuality, which I can actually relate. So I highly recommend this show out. It's not for everyone and I can see why it'd feel off-putting to people but personally I loved almost every second of it.

 

Spoiler

#7 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW)

I was thinking if I should include this show to the list or not because second half of season 2, while it was good, it didn't have the same feeling I felt towards season 1 and first half of season 2. Season 2 was still funny and interesting but some of plots were dropped too soon and it went back and forth with Rebecca and Josh's relationship but my feelings were changed when I saw how incredible season 2 finale was and first half of season 3 was some of the strongest TV I've seen this decade. The show has gotten darker and messier (in a compelling way), Rebecca's character arc was just hard to sit through and the show examined her mental illness so well but the show never loses its charm. Musical numbers are so catchy that I can't stop downloading them to my phone and listen it outside, the humor is wonderful and other characters deal with their own issues. I wonder if the show is gonna have a forth season or what it wants to do next if it doesn't get canceled because it seems they are preparing for an end but I hope the show keeps surpassing itself with every step of the way.

 

Spoiler

#6 Legion (FX)

My most anticipated superhero show of 2017 managed to be exactly what I wanted to be. It's so artsy (without being too preachy) compared to other superhero shows and that's a big compliment to say. I love some action and comic booky moments but Legion was all about the style and the tone. It was such a big thriller and a lot of aspects of the show was very trippy and scary. The show excels at mystery of David's mental illness and big people studying mutants and trying to control them before it gets out of hand. All the actors of the show were phenomenal, especially Aubrey Plaza; the cinematography, the music choices and visuals were so beautiful. It was an experimental show and it succeeded at that. MCU is great and all and X-Men universe has its big step downs but when X-Men universe is good, they are brilliant and the show is the biggest example of that. Note that you don't need to see X-Men movies to get this show, the show is its own thing and it's a masterpiece.

 

Spoiler

#5 Big Little Lies (HBO)

This series was only 7 episodes and my god, it came out as a success. Thank HBO for this wonderful miniseries. I don't know where to start? Actors? They all sold it. Their characters were all memorable and complex but the actors made them even better. I loved that this was a prequel of a mystery, it wasn't like someone got killed and the story is aftermath of it. The story was characters growing as better people or them finally standing up for themselves. Even whodunit was handled so well in my eyes that I can't praise enough. A complete well-made story of characters dealing with their own crap. If HBO gives us more high quality miniseries like this, I'll happily watch it.

 

Spoiler

#4 Regular Show (Cartoon Network)

last year was Gravity Falls and Wander Over Yonder, this year we say goodbye to another legendary cartoon called Regular Show. And they ended this show with a bang. After many years of run, Regular Show decided to be more serialized than it ever was and they pulled it off with season 7's Rigby and Benson's storylines and season 8 was them basically (I have to talk spoilers to be more in depth, so)

Spoiler

going to space and Pops being revealed to be the chosen one. Many movies and tv shows used the chosen one as a plot device but Regular Show used it to tell a meta commentary on the show's run and I loved every second of it. This show is called Regular Show, yet they waited so many years to finally break the forth wall and go bizarre with telling jokes of criticisms and highlights of the show. The final confrontation between Pops and Anti-Pops was epic and they ended with Pops sacrificing himself. Rest in peace Pops, you are our hero.

It couldn't have ended this perfectly. The show may have had its struggles and all but it ended as one of my all-time favorite shows. Thanking everyone who worked in this show because it has been a wild ride and it's time to celebrate the glory of this show. OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH.

 

Spoiler

#3 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)

Spoiler alert for season 5!

Spoiler

speaking of shows that went to space

Why didn't I check this show sooner? Seriously, this show is criminally underrated and underappreciated and let me just say that this show is among one of the best works MCU has put it together. After Winter Soldier tie in (ironically enough), the show became its own thing and it tops itself each season with three dimensional agents and villains and great visual effects. This show knows how to set up its plots, create personal stakes for each characters, become as dark as it can get and mix humor with social commentary and morality of the characters. This year, they have been the best with episodes like Self Control being one of the strongest TV episodes I've ever seen and Fitz having dark storylines that challenges him each day. They keep avoiding status quo and add new tone and style to feel like a new thing. Take notes, Arrow! Acting is superb, visuals and music are on point, characters feel real and sympathetic, stories are engaging and creative. What else do you need? Please watch this show, I beg you to do it. I know I'm overhyping it and maybe what I said isn't enough to convince some but it has become one of my favorite shows of all-time. Stay strong S.H.I.E.L.D.!

 

Spoiler

#2 Mr. Robot (USA)

Hello Mr. Robot, you have finally deserved my respect after magnificent season 3. This was the season of our characters hitting their low points and how to get out of this horrid situation. Season 2 was the season that set up all of these and season 3 delivered them, one by one. Many people have quitted after season 2, which I can understand, it was being too ambitious and while it worked for me, it didn't work for others but season 3 took best elements from both season 1 and 2 and made itself so better than those seasons. I kept getting goosebumps for something thrilling, surprising and exciting thing the show showed. The emotional aspect was pure strong, especially in episode 8 which is my favorite episode in the entire series. I hope the show keeps up being this strong because I loved every single minute of season 3.

finally my #1 is once again

Spoiler

#1 BoJack Horseman (Netflix)

Two times in a row, BoJack Horseman gets the first place in best of TV and it shouldn't be so surprising. It's the most human show ever and season 4 goes even beyond the themes of depression, redemption and happiness. But what I found the most interesting about this season that (aside from us literally comparing our lives to stories) is that this season was all about sexism and how that effects some people. The show took a darker approach to sexism and made it so upsetting and it explains one certain character's behaviour (not gonna tell who) and life. The show is all about Hollywood scandals and season 4 tackled not just sexism; also gun control and how that effects movie/tv industries, sexualizing women in media, asexuality, racism, fracking and even some comment on Trump's election that didn't feel out of place or forced or stupid. One episode was all about BoJack's inner monologue and it was the most personal story I've ever seen. I don't know how I can praise this show much longer. Characters like BoJack, Diane, Todd, Mr. Peanutbutter and Princess Caroline are all screws up I would love and hate to spend time with. If season 5 is the last season, then I gotta say the show is going to have a really satisfying conclusion or not because life isn't about conclusion and the show is about life after all. We'll see how the show goes but right now, I'm so happy that a show like this exists to remind me I'm not alone that suffers with depression, disappointments and screw ups and it makes me thankful I have people who are always there for me.

Once again, thank you all for reading this list and my best movie of 2017 list will come eventually.

[Hayden]

TOP 5 TV ENDINGS OF 2017

Honorable Mention: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This is something that I shared with Jjs for a good number of years. It made me come around on the franchise but I'd still say I enjoy other serialized cartoons more. Letting neither Shredder/Splinter come out of their rivalry alive was ballsy, but despite the extra season it had after that, it did a poor job wrapping up side characters and threads from the past. Mutant Apocalypse felt like an entirely different TMNT incarnation, other than Mikey dragging along his pets into the future. The Fall of the TMNT (aka Rise of the TMNT) comes out in 2018. But I'm already at peace with the material and don't need to see any other adaptations of it.

5. Man Seeking Woman

Katie Findlay made the last season of this much more watchable. For once the series was building towards something, even if it was rushed and everything after "Bagel" was garbage not even centered on the main relationship. But "Bagel" is my chosen series finale damnit. For once our lead had someone likeable to bounce off of, unlike that annoying bro friend. I don't know whether to say the series was underrated or not, because at the end of the day people really did not miss anything mind blowing. But I feel like rewarding Season 3 for at least trying to add some personal stakes and character development to a series mostly about exaggerated fantasy dating humor. 

4. Harvey Beaks

I really think CH improved after Chowder, at the very least The End & The Beginning was a lot less clumsy than Chowder Grows Up. It still had some of his charm, just more restrained. Which may have been for the best since the series was able to be a lot more down to earth instead of being one 4th wall break after the next. It was able to teach lessons, be funny in a stupid way, and have a fantastic music track. (Seriously, check out Ego Plum). The finale really does the dynamics of the core trio justice, as this time it's a flashback to younger years that sheds light on the mysteries surrounding Foo and Fee. There's a beautiful concluding message about how you drift from people in life, but their influence is still left behind on you. This ranks up with the best Nicktoons of all time and it really is a miracle in this decade to say that.

3. Regular Show

This made me cry. The tear ducts did flow. Pops never seemed like a character that could produce such a poignant feeling of loss but that he did. Going back to the first episode with that keytar really felt like a jolly good full circle. Heroes is literally immortalized in my head now, making it one of the best presents Quintel could tribute David Bowie. If I have one criticism it's that Mordecai marrying a bat was a semi-copout that I had no emotional investment in. Also that reunion photo is confusing. 25 years from now I can look back at aged Mordecai and Rigby for old cart's sake and identify with them. But for now I'll carry on my slacker prime years. Adventure Time, I'm still pulling for you to defeat this.

2. Orphan Black

Helena saved this ending and was the pumping blood vessel of this weird little gritty show. They made the right choice having Sarah/Helena/Art be the ones going into the final war zone. (Middle of labor Coady kill was epic). I can't say I was thrilled to spend a half hour afterwards with the clone club's kind of dull happy ending, but the series' strength was always its climactic death action. Though perhaps Season 5 had a lot of unnecessary deaths towards the end. (Mark and Gracie deserved a happy ending, come on). I had one last big adrenaline rush when Rachel stabbed her tech eye out, but I'm still wondering what black hole Jesse/Cal fell in. I don't know what BBC America is going to do without the suspense this always brought, but at least the future is female.

1. Samurai Jack (and Hey Arnold)

 

Why group these together? Because they are both stray ends of nostalgia all the way back in 2004. 2017 brought out nice fancy bows for Jack getting back to his home land and Helga finally earning Arnold's admiration. I had to credit both because it's a highly unusual nostalgic pay-off, but Samurai Jack is the clear champion of this spot. Everything from the heart-pounding chase and clash with Daughters of Aku to Scaramouch to the callbacks of initial one-off characters to Aku being slain. Every week it was my most giddily anticipated event. A smorgasbord of fine animation and a psychological mess of a hero. I can't entirely disagree that Ashi got snubbed at the end because that was kind of meh after so much of the season being her journey too. Much like in Jungle Movie, I was not very high on the parents being the main character's end destination reward (a product of my own independence from parents?). Overall the ending still hit it home with that last shot and the symbolic ladybug. One of my very favorite symbols.  Like Jack, some of my demons have gotten a last laugh or two in, but I've still got a special world to live for.

[Hayden]

Bottom 5 TV Endings of 2017

Dishonorable Mention: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

This misses the list because it is kind of in a bizarre limbo. It has a large amount of fan support to be saved by another distributor, but its creator also is going through a harassment scandal that may or may not be false. But talking about the actual ending of the show itself, it got a happy ending kind of montage and most character arcs came to a decent enough closure. Except for a really weird cliffhanger (above) that doesn't entirely feel earned. Ken did an absolute reverse of being powerless to becoming head of Blackwing in a half-baked manner. This does fit with the season's theme of the main characters trying to take control of their chaotic lives, but after an entire season apart this betrayal to Bart doesn't quite land perfectly as a wrap-up. Season 3 might've given them the spotlight. All things considered, amusing little puzzle series but it feels like a piece scattered off somewhere.

5. Rabbids Invasion

Ah yes, the time machine that only ever took them to about two places because of the budget. Silly French cartoon. That definitely got old. But when you have about 250 segments of this to make you're bound to repeat ideas and settings frequently. This was completely inoffensive and not that bothersome though, even if most of the dialogue was Rabbid babble. The name recognition brought in abnormally strong ratings to Nick (proving Nick will even send performers to Nicktoons out of sheer laziness). The finale itself is basically a simple story of the Rabbids accidentally doing a good deed and becoming world heroes, and then their stupidity undoing that status change. Not profound but not terrible for a show I figured would end on a random episode rather than a two part adventure.

4. Uncle Grandpa

That was not exquisite. Even with the knowledge that the show got cancelled instead of ending on its own terms, I still think they could've put together something better than this. They made a callback to their pilot and had Uncle Grandpa saying "It looks like this is the end" so that implies they knew their fate when making this. Uncle Grandpa is a random show, yes, but this didn't even feel up to randomness par. No structure or any good jokes. In the final batch of UG I'd probably say "Anger Management" was the last classic. It was plot related (and plot-ending) in the sense that the Aunt Grandma's recurring appearances ended with her being erased, but it was still able to tell a goofy 4th wall breaking story while letting Uncle Grandpa's personality quirk be the main center of comedy. Oh well, at least we'll have a good mourning.

3. Girl Meets World

It's hard to think of a show more stale and inauthentic while trying to seem deep and sentimental. I think this is what happens when you have devout Christians at the helm of your writing. Super preach mode instead of trying to make a show that's entertaining. I mean when all of the nostalgia packs itself into one room, they can't even have Eric do one last Feeny call. Why even pull this stunt if you aren't going to commit? To make matters worse, after all of the hollow shipping (there wasn't much chemistry in this cast) they break up Riley/Lucas and leave it floating again. The final message of the show is to stay in your social bubble instead of exploring the world. Girl, please.

2. Fairly Oddparents

WHY DID THIS SEASON GET AN EPISODE EXTENSION IF THE EXTRA SEVEN WERE GOING TO LOOK LIKE THIS? I'VE SEEN BETTER ANIMATION WORK FROM BFDI. The thing that appeared in this clip is not Poof. I don't care if the show reboots itself in a few years, because then it can reasonably drop Poof/Chloe/Sparky, but what good is the original doing for the network? Bunsen Is a Beast is on its way out, so if we get new FOP news in 2018 expect it to continue with flash since Nick will want to pay as little as it can. Butch was so confident in Season 11 that he didn't even write an ending this time. That or he thought people would be so upset with no ending that they would send letters/e-mails to persuade Nick. Sad irony is that his timing is never not behind.

1. Pretty Little Liars

I'm not posting this Paily scene because I dislike Paily (although if you read anything PLL related you'd see a weird hate boner for Paige). I'm using this as an example of what the show manipulatively took away. Paige was the only character in this series to have any growth as a person, and she was not even a Liar or Mona, she was a side love interest. Because of an outspoken fanbase that thrives off abusive relationships (Ezria does not even begin to get close to the disaster I'm about to say) they made Emison get together. In the books, Emily takes down Alison, who is A. Here? A rapes Alison into a pregnancy by implanting her with Emily's eggs.  Rather than have an abortion, it is portrayed as the romantic jump start of an endgame for Emily with her selfish and needy tormentor. I didn't need to watch every season leading up to the last either because every old character cameo was forced in without being essential to the mystery. The final A is Spencer's twin (instead of Melissa, which would add actual stakes). Her evil plan is to steal Spencer's boyfriend. Oh and she turned one of Rosewood's other pedophiles into a diamond. Basically everyone sits around consoling Aria while writer's pets Ezra and Spencer are the people kidnapped and thus the only ones facing the final villain. Mona doesn't die to service the happy endings of the unlikeable core cast, but she gets one of her usual Mona Sue moments by escaping away to Paris with a boyfriend and keeping Spencer's twin as her own personal prisoner. A spin-off is on the way with her being its main sell. I fucking hate everything this endorsed. Its demographic was a terrible influence on it, and it was a terrible influence on its demographic. 

[Clappy]

Long overdue delay, but it's been finished.  Sorry for the delay.  Now that I have a functioning laptop once more, it's time for...my honorable mentions:

Spoiler

The Mayor (ABC)

It's the best new show that pretty much none of you are watching.  A little ironic given how we gave a celebrity who has no political experience into such a high position of power, but it at least gives the series some much needed positivity.  Wish I could the same about our real life leader.

Future Man (Hulu)

Hulu original series don't really get as much viewership or acclaim as Netflix original series.  Hope this gets some sort of recognition because it really is a damn good show.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)

A normal stalwart on my best list the past few years.  Didn't have as strong of a season this past year, but it's still a great show none the less.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS)

I've qualified Samantha Bee on my honorable mentions in the past for being a great late night show year round.  Today I do the same for Stephen Colbert who went from trying to tone down what he does best for network television, to now having the best late night program in such a huge year all around for the genre.  That's what happens when politics are ripe for mocking in this day and age.

Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Best year for this long running program in a LONG time.  Once again, has a lot to do with politics.

Dark (Netflix)

When an original program gives you such a huge boost in viewership, imitators begin to follow.  Dark isn't as good as Stranger Things is due to not having as investing characters, but this is still a damn great series regardless due to it consistently keeping me on the edge of my seat.

The Defenders (Netflix)

I’ve been on the record for being not as heavily invested in the Defenders-verse on Netflix.  Because outside of Jessica Jones, I’m not really invested in any of the other series.  Daredevil I should like more, but it’s okay at best.  Luke Cage, I never completely got invested in.  Iron Fist is a lot better than nearly everyone gives it credit for, but it’s not all that special or memorable.  So with me pretty much liking only one of the series, this didn’t have as big of a payoff on me personally.  That being said, there was some sort of payoff that I liked a lot, but it wasn’t the payoff that won me over.

This Is Us (NBC)

It's as good as the critics say it is and I've cried more than I'm afraid to admit to.  Shut up.  

Regular Show (Cartoon Network)

I’ll admit that I was a skeptic about the in space gimmick for the final season, but it honestly worked very well and breathed a bit of life back into such a jolly good show.  Especially the back half of the last season.  We also had a major death in the finale that I admittedly should have seen coming in hindsight with the build towards it in the final couple episodes.  And when it happened…I teared up.  Especially those last five minutes.  It was sad to see Regular Show go but I’m glad they sent it off on a proper ending.

CLAPPY'S TOP TEN BEST TELEVISION SERIES OF 2017

Spoiler

Let’s see how many of you know me well:

-I love wrestling.

-I love the 1980s.

So by all accounts, this new series was right up my alley.

10. GLOW (Netflix)

And even then, I was skeptical if I would get into this.  The trailers did not deliver anything to convince me that this was going to be any good.  But I tuned in and it turned out that I dug the hell out of this.  It’s just a blast to watch these women have so much fun doing what they are doing.  1980s wrestling was especially a campy time period in the era where Hulkamania was running wild brothers and GLOW fully embraces the campiness of this era for its first ladies of wrestling.

These characters are greatly developed and hell I even spot a few cameos from well known female wrestlers of the present (Hi Awesome Kong) having the time of their lives living up to the campiness of this era of wrestling.  But what's even more compelling is what goes on outside the ring and we get that development that makes these characters so compelling to watch.  It's a great show about a great period of wrestling.  Even if these women were all kayfabe, it's a joy to watch.

 

Spoiler

See everyone?  I warned you.  It’s so bad, that it’s fucking great.

9. Riverdale (The CW)

After a whole year of arguing with myself over whether I can justify this neo-noir of the Archie comics that has so many elements that piss me off if it was any other show, I can’t deny it anymore.  This is one of the best shows on television this year….for all the wrong reasons. 

I just find myself just amazed every time I watch this.  How can ANYONE like these characters?  They are so unlikeable…yet intriguing.  Okay let me backtrack those last two sentences.  The girls on this show have levels of intrigue about them despite the fact that they are stereotyped beyond belief.  Veronica, in my opinion, is the most interesting character of the entire show, despite being given the snooty rich girl persona who is trying to change her ways that we’ve seen so many times before.  Betty has plenty of elements towards her that make her more than just the Mary Sue character that the comics helped originate.  She has some deep psychological trauma with her sister getting locked up in an insane asylum.  And then there is Cheryl.  Veronica is the most interesting, but Cheryl is my favorite because of how over the top she is.  Everything about this character is just freaking hilarious.

But the guys?  Look I’ve known I’ve been blunt in the past about my feelings towards this character, but this Jughead just doesn’t have a good actor behind him.  Cole Sprouse is a terrible Jughead, plain and simple.  This new version of Jughead could have possibly worked, but Cole Sprouse just can’t portray him convincingly like at all.  And I think termi said this best, but this version of Archie is incredibly unsubstantial to the series.  It’s not a knock against KJ Apa, who I think is a decent enough actor.  It’s just that his character is not all that interesting.  He’s always wrong about everything and just wants to focus on his music career.  When I think of Archie, I think of the guy leading the pack.  Not being background eye candy.

Even with Riverdale’s substantial amount of problems, I can finally admit that I love this show…unironically.

 

Spoiler

You know what’s great about an eighteen month hiatus?  That you can pull in new viewers…like me.  What took me so damn long?

8. Rick and Morty (Adult Swim)

It took me a long time to get on the Rick and Morty bandwagon despite all the critical praise and the huge fan base it has.  Primarily because I could not get over how much these characters reminded me of lame Back to the Future rip-offs.  Well boy was I wrong.  This show started off seemingly like that, but like most shows I tend to come around on, it started to evolve. 

Season 2 is when the series really started to carve out a distinct identity for me and while Season 3 wasn’t as good, it’s still a supremely strong one.  These characters face struggling keeping a strong family dynamic so interestingly well.  As long as the show keeps carving out such strong stories and hilarious jokes (Pickle Rick is amazing), then it will keep me invested.  And hopefully next time I am able to pick up Schezuan Sauce when the promotion is available.

 

Spoiler

I hope we all appreciate this while it’s still on because I think it’s starting to become time to say goodbye.

7. BoJack Horseman (Netflix)

After binge-watching the new season of BoJack Horseman, I couldn’t override this feeling that this ride is almost over.  Especially with how near finalized BoJack’s long term storyline is playing out.  But with how dark and dreary mainstream pop culture is right now, I can’t think of a more fitting show to tackle all these themes with such a false sense of optimism.

As for the rest of these characters, I still think Todd is incredibly underutilized with giving him investing material.  I like how well they are tackling Mr. Peanutbutter and Diane’s relationship dynamics.  But the real MVP of this season is one Princess Carolyn.  I’ve never been more invested in this character after everything she went through this season.  Not going to spoil it in terms of hopefully getting more people to watch this show if they haven’t, but I promise you will not be disappointed.  That being said, this wasn’t my favorite animated show of this year…

 

Spoiler

What else can I say about this long overdue fourth season except about damn time it came back.

6. Sherlock (BBC)

I am accepting the fact that this series is on its last legs as every year passes and Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s star power rises, but I’m glad when it does come back.  Both have announced that if this show comes back for one final season, that it will be its last and I seriously hope it does.  Because this season was a much needed rejuvenation with the return of Moriarty, who consistently has great chemistry with Benedict’s Sherlock.

I don’t know what else to say about this show that I haven’t in the past.  This is admittedly not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you want a series with great acting, dynamic characters, and love mystery…Sherlock is the show for you.

 

Spoiler

So to answer my earlier question, if BoJack Horseman isn’t the best animated series of 2017, then what is?  All I got to say is…WOO HOO!

5. Duck Tales (Disney XD)

I’m honestly dumbfounded how amazing this turned out to be.  By all accounts, this shouldn’t have worked.  Disney has been rebooting so many of their nostalgic properties in an effort to make as much money as possible and while I’ve had mixed results with all these tv reboots and live action adaptations of animated classics, Duck Tales goes the extra mile and actually reconsiders everything about the classic original.

Can’t tell which one is Huey, Dewey, and Louie?  Then make them all separate individual characters.  Say whatever happened to their mom?  Make it one of the ongoing focal points of the series as they figure out the mystery of Della’s disappearance.  How do we make people like Webby Vanderquack?  By making her likeable obviously.  This is hands down the best family show of the year and it’s not even close.  I didn’t think it was possible to say this, but with the amounts of effort being put into this series, this is on path to being better than the original.  Duck Tales.  WOO FREAKING HOO!

 

Spoiler

Did I have problems with this season?  Yes.  Is it still one of my favorite shows on television?  Are you freaking kidding me?  Of course it is.

4. Stranger Things (Netflix)

I’m going to keep this one short because I already wrote a very long post about my thoughts on this season and the problems I had with it.  But the slow burn this season had grew on me after rewatching this season in its entirety.  And yeah I wasn’t a fan of The Lost Sister the second time around, but I admire the fact that The Duffer Brothers wanted to try something new.  Because that gives me still strong hope that Season 3 will be trying out new things because if you keep getting the same formula over and over again, you will grow tired of it.

I love this show and I can’t wait to see where things go from here.

 

Spoiler

With all due respect to Stranger Things, this was the best Netflix original series of this year.

3. 13 Reasons Why (Netflix)

And with due respect to BoJack Horseman, this was the best example of tackling such dark and dreary material in mainstream media of this year.  Suicide is such a tough subject matter to tackle, especially when it involves today’s youth.  13 Reasons Why had to walk a very thin line when it comes to how to portray such complicated material and while I know that the public outcome has been divided if they glorified it too much or not…I think this series tackled it incredibly well.

I was moved from start to finish watching Clay Jensen uncover the story behind his crush Hannah Baker’s decision to end her life.  I watched all thirteen episodes from start to finish over the course of one day and shed many tears because I developed such a deep connection for these characters and their outcomes.  This show was great and I can’t recommend it enough…

…that being said, I don’t think it deserves a second season.  I can’t even begin to imagine how they would be able to tackle it, despite some hinted loose ends that need to be wrapped up.  I’m incredibly skeptical, but because this first season was so strong, I’ll still tune in anyway.

 

Spoiler

So I’ll be honest, I was not a fan of most of the first season of this next show, but once it completely rebooted itself at the end of the first season, I fell in love with it.

2. The Good Place (NBC)

When this debuted last fall, it was fine.  I wasn’t wowed by Michael Schur’s follow up to Parks and Recreation, but it felt like he was writing himself into a corner because the premise was so…unchallenging.  But boy was I wrong the closer we got to the season finale as this so called “good place” wasn’t as moral as it was cracked up to be.  The second season so far has been a vast improvement over the first now because of the series blowing up the original premise.  Ted Danson is no longer playing the guardian angel role to Kristen Bell’s immoral being, he’s gone full demon. This series has descended into unexpected chaos week after week and it’s gotten so much funnier because of it.  And now that the series is on a midseason hiatus, it can’t come back fast enough as the larger story this series is heading towards keeps getting more and more interesting.

 

Spoiler

My number one wasn’t a technical television series.  It was a tv movie.  Does it cheat the title of best television series of the year?  It’s debatable.  But it’s my list and what I say goes.  And the best thing I saw on television in 2017 ended fifteen years ago and you all know where I’m going with this by now.

1. Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie (Nickelodeon)

I’ve given my thoughts countless times about how mainstream pop culture has been raiding nostalgia far too much in the 2010s in order to make tons of money, but this is one of those occasions where the nostalgic pay off was very much worth it.  We’ve waited for years upon end to know if Arnold ever got reunited with his parents and the main character’s end destination was just sitting there waiting to be tackled upon.  Well after all those years, and replacing some key voice actors, all I can say was that the mission was finally accomplished and those viewers who have remained loyal and faithful for so long were not left disappointed.

 

[WhoBibbles]

3 hours ago, Clappy said:

Long overdue delay, but it's been finished.  Sorry for the delay.  Now that I have a functioning laptop once more, it's time for...my honorable mentions:

  Hide contents

The Mayor (ABC)

It's the best new show that pretty much none of you are watching.  A little ironic given how we gave a celebrity who has no political experience into such a high position of power, but it at least gives the series some much needed positivity.  Wish I could the same about our real life leader.

Future Man (Hulu)

Hulu original series don't really get as much viewership or acclaim as Netflix original series.  Hope this gets some sort of recognition because it really is a damn good show.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)

A normal stalwart on my best list the past few years.  Didn't have as strong of a season this past year, but it's still a great show none the less.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS)

I've qualified Samantha Bee on my honorable mentions in the past for being a great late night show year round.  Today I do the same for Stephen Colbert who went from trying to tone down what he does best for network television, to now having the best late night program in such a huge year all around for the genre.  That's what happens when politics are ripe for mocking in this day and age.

Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Best year for this long running program in a LONG time.  Once again, has a lot to do with politics.

Dark (Netflix)

When an original program gives you such a huge boost in viewership, imitators begin to follow.  Dark isn't as good as Stranger Things is due to not having as investing characters, but this is still a damn great series regardless due to it consistently keeping me on the edge of my seat.

The Defenders (Netflix)

I’ve been on the record for being not as heavily invested in the Defenders-verse on Netflix.  Because outside of Jessica Jones, I’m not really invested in any of the other series.  Daredevil I should like more, but it’s okay at best.  Luke Cage, I never completely got invested in.  Iron Fist is a lot better than nearly everyone gives it credit for, but it’s not all that special or memorable.  So with me pretty much liking only one of the series, this didn’t have as big of a payoff on me personally.  That being said, there was some sort of payoff that I liked a lot, but it wasn’t the payoff that won me over.

This Is Us (NBC)

It's as good as the critics say it is and I've cried more than I'm afraid to admit to.  Shut up.  

Regular Show (Cartoon Network)

I’ll admit that I was a skeptic about the in space gimmick for the final season, but it honestly worked very well and breathed a bit of life back into such a jolly good show.  Especially the back half of the last season.  We also had a major death in the finale that I admittedly should have seen coming in hindsight with the build towards it in the final couple episodes.  And when it happened…I teared up.  Especially those last five minutes.  It was sad to see Regular Show go but I’m glad they sent it off on a proper ending.

CLAPPY'S TOP TEN BEST TELEVISION SERIES OF 2017

  Hide contents

Let’s see how many of you know me well:

-I love wrestling.

-I love the 1980s.

So by all accounts, this new series was right up my alley.

10. GLOW (Netflix)

And even then, I was skeptical if I would get into this.  The trailers did not deliver anything to convince me that this was going to be any good.  But I tuned in and it turned out that I dug the hell out of this.  It’s just a blast to watch these women have so much fun doing what they are doing.  1980s wrestling was especially a campy time period in the era where Hulkamania was running wild brothers and GLOW fully embraces the campiness of this era for its first ladies of wrestling.

These characters are greatly developed and hell I even spot a few cameos from well known female wrestlers of the present (Hi Awesome Kong) having the time of their lives living up to the campiness of this era of wrestling.  But what's even more compelling is what goes on outside the ring and we get that development that makes these characters so compelling to watch.  It's a great show about a great period of wrestling.  Even if these women were all kayfabe, it's a joy to watch.

 

  Hide contents

See everyone?  I warned you.  It’s so bad, that it’s fucking great.

9. Riverdale (The CW)

After a whole year of arguing with myself over whether I can justify this neo-noir of the Archie comics that has so many elements that piss me off if it was any other show, I can’t deny it anymore.  This is one of the best shows on television this year….for all the wrong reasons. 

I just find myself just amazed every time I watch this.  How can ANYONE like these characters?  They are so unlikeable…yet intriguing.  Okay let me backtrack those last two sentences.  The girls on this show have levels of intrigue about them despite the fact that they are stereotyped beyond belief.  Veronica, in my opinion, is the most interesting character of the entire show, despite being given the snooty rich girl persona who is trying to change her ways that we’ve seen so many times before.  Betty has plenty of elements towards her that make her more than just the Mary Sue character that the comics helped originate.  She has some deep psychological trauma with her sister getting locked up in an insane asylum.  And then there is Cheryl.  Veronica is the most interesting, but Cheryl is my favorite because of how over the top she is.  Everything about this character is just freaking hilarious.

But the guys?  Look I’ve known I’ve been blunt in the past about my feelings towards this character, but this Jughead just doesn’t have a good actor behind him.  Cole Sprouse is a terrible Jughead, plain and simple.  This new version of Jughead could have possibly worked, but Cole Sprouse just can’t portray him convincingly like at all.  And I think termi said this best, but this version of Archie is incredibly unsubstantial to the series.  It’s not a knock against KJ Apa, who I think is a decent enough actor.  It’s just that his character is not all that interesting.  He’s always wrong about everything and just wants to focus on his music career.  When I think of Archie, I think of the guy leading the pack.  Not being background eye candy.

Even with Riverdale’s substantial amount of problems, I can finally admit that I love this show…unironically.

 

  Hide contents

You know what’s great about an eighteen month hiatus?  That you can pull in new viewers…like me.  What took me so damn long?

8. Rick and Morty (Adult Swim)

It took me a long time to get on the Rick and Morty bandwagon despite all the critical praise and the huge fan base it has.  Primarily because I could not get over how much these characters reminded me of lame Back to the Future rip-offs.  Well boy was I wrong.  This show started off seemingly like that, but like most shows I tend to come around on, it started to evolve. 

Season 2 is when the series really started to carve out a distinct identity for me and while Season 3 wasn’t as good, it’s still a supremely strong one.  These characters face struggling keeping a strong family dynamic so interestingly well.  As long as the show keeps carving out such strong stories and hilarious jokes (Pickle Rick is amazing), then it will keep me invested.  And hopefully next time I am able to pick up Schezuan Sauce when the promotion is available.

 

  Hide contents

I hope we all appreciate this while it’s still on because I think it’s starting to become time to say goodbye.

7. BoJack Horseman (Netflix)

After binge-watching the new season of BoJack Horseman, I couldn’t override this feeling that this ride is almost over.  Especially with how near finalized BoJack’s long term storyline is playing out.  But with how dark and dreary mainstream pop culture is right now, I can’t think of a more fitting show to tackle all these themes with such a false sense of optimism.

As for the rest of these characters, I still think Todd is incredibly underutilized with giving him investing material.  I like how well they are tackling Mr. Peanutbutter and Diane’s relationship dynamics.  But the real MVP of this season is one Princess Carolyn.  I’ve never been more invested in this character after everything she went through this season.  Not going to spoil it in terms of hopefully getting more people to watch this show if they haven’t, but I promise you will not be disappointed.  That being said, this wasn’t my favorite animated show of this year…

 

  Hide contents

What else can I say about this long overdue fourth season except about damn time it came back.

6. Sherlock (BBC)

I am accepting the fact that this series is on its last legs as every year passes and Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s star power rises, but I’m glad when it does come back.  Both have announced that if this show comes back for one final season, that it will be its last and I seriously hope it does.  Because this season was a much needed rejuvenation with the return of Moriarty, who consistently has great chemistry with Benedict’s Sherlock.

I don’t know what else to say about this show that I haven’t in the past.  This is admittedly not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you want a series with great acting, dynamic characters, and love mystery…Sherlock is the show for you.

 

  Hide contents

So to answer my earlier question, if BoJack Horseman isn’t the best animated series of 2017, then what is?  All I got to say is…WOO HOO!

5. Duck Tales (Disney XD)

I’m honestly dumbfounded how amazing this turned out to be.  By all accounts, this shouldn’t have worked.  Disney has been rebooting so many of their nostalgic properties in an effort to make as much money as possible and while I’ve had mixed results with all these tv reboots and live action adaptations of animated classics, Duck Tales goes the extra mile and actually reconsiders everything about the classic original.

Can’t tell which one is Huey, Dewey, and Louie?  Then make them all separate individual characters.  Say whatever happened to their mom?  Make it one of the ongoing focal points of the series as they figure out the mystery of Della’s disappearance.  How do we make people like Webby Vanderquack?  By making her likeable obviously.  This is hands down the best family show of the year and it’s not even close.  I didn’t think it was possible to say this, but with the amounts of effort being put into this series, this is on path to being better than the original.  Duck Tales.  WOO FREAKING HOO!

 

  Hide contents

Did I have problems with this season?  Yes.  Is it still one of my favorite shows on television?  Are you freaking kidding me?  Of course it is.

4. Stranger Things (Netflix)

I’m going to keep this one short because I already wrote a very long post about my thoughts on this season and the problems I had with it.  But the slow burn this season had grew on me after rewatching this season in its entirety.  And yeah I wasn’t a fan of The Lost Sister the second time around, but I admire the fact that The Duffer Brothers wanted to try something new.  Because that gives me still strong hope that Season 3 will be trying out new things because if you keep getting the same formula over and over again, you will grow tired of it.

I love this show and I can’t wait to see where things go from here.

 

  Hide contents

With all due respect to Stranger Things, this was the best Netflix original series of this year.

3. 13 Reasons Why (Netflix)

And with due respect to BoJack Horseman, this was the best example of tackling such dark and dreary material in mainstream media of this year.  Suicide is such a tough subject matter to tackle, especially when it involves today’s youth.  13 Reasons Why had to walk a very thin line when it comes to how to portray such complicated material and while I know that the public outcome has been divided if they glorified it too much or not…I think this series tackled it incredibly well.

I was moved from start to finish watching Clay Jensen uncover the story behind his crush Hannah Baker’s decision to end her life. I watched all thirteen episodes from start to finish over the course of one day and shed many tears because I developed such a deep connection for these characters and their outcomes.  This show was great and I can’t recommend it enough…

…that being said, I don’t think it deserves a second season.  I can’t even begin to imagine how they would be able to tackle it, despite some hinted loose ends that need to be wrapped up.  I’m incredibly skeptical, but because this first season was so strong, I’ll still tune in anyway.

 

  Hide contents

So I’ll be honest, I was not a fan of most of the first season of this next show, but once it completely rebooted itself at the end of the first season, I fell in love with it.

2. The Good Place (NBC)

When this debuted last fall, it was fine.  I wasn’t wowed by Michael Schur’s follow up to Parks and Recreation, but it felt like he was writing himself into a corner because the premise was so…unchallenging.  But boy was I wrong the closer we got to the season finale as this so called “good place” wasn’t as moral as it was cracked up to be.  The second season so far has been a vast improvement over the first now because of the series blowing up the original premise.  Ted Danson is no longer playing the guardian angel role to Kristen Bell’s immoral being, he’s gone full demon. This series has descended into unexpected chaos week after week and it’s gotten so much funnier because of it.  And now that the series is on a midseason hiatus, it can’t come back fast enough as the larger story this series is heading towards keeps getting more and more interesting.

 

  Hide contents

My number one wasn’t a technical television series.  It was a tv movie.  Does it cheat the title of best television series of the year?  It’s debatable.  But it’s my list and what I say goes.  And the best thing I saw on television in 2017 ended fifteen years ago and you all know where I’m going with this by now.

1. Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie (Nickelodeon)

I’ve given my thoughts countless times about how mainstream pop culture has been raiding nostalgia far too much in the 2010s in order to make tons of money, but this is one of those occasions where the nostalgic pay off was very much worth it.  We’ve waited for years upon end to know if Arnold ever got reunited with his parents and the main character’s end destination was just sitting there waiting to be tackled upon.  Well after all those years, and replacing some key voice actors, all I can say was that the mission was finally accomplished and those viewers who have remained loyal and faithful for so long were not left disappointed.

 

Spoiler

-I gotta say I wasn't expecting Sherlock in your list since season 4 is mostly considered as bad by fans but cool, even though I haven't seen the whole show. Moffat, showrunner of the show, already gets enough undeserved shit as Doctor Who's (ex)showrunner. So it's nice to see him getting a bit more support.

- I considered adding Riverdale to my honorable mentions but after how Black Hood arc was ended terribly, as well as characters switching their moods back and forth in season 2, plus stuff like Betty's pole dance, yeah no. So I decided to step back. But I'll say that Archie has become interesting in season 2 when he was a part of the mystery of Black Hood and I think Cole improved as Jughead. He still needs more work but I actually felt his emotions during last season 1 episodes, as well as a few season 2 episodes.

- I liked Defenders alright but I felt like the whole hand set up could have been much better and I just rolled my eyes at last two episodes. And Iron Fist still needs a better characterization. I'm tired of his stupidity and anger issues. I just hope season 2 will fix this because it's getting a new showrunner who loves martial arcs and the character. 

- #1 choice was definitely surprising and I couldn't agree more. I didn't add it on my TV list because well, I think the movie deserves in the other list (spoilers  )

Wonderful list overall man and I can't wait for your movie list.

[Clappy]

9 hours ago, Dr. WhoBruh said:

  Hide contents

-I gotta say I wasn't expecting Sherlock in your list since season 4 is mostly considered as bad by fans but cool, even though I haven't seen the whole show. Moffat, showrunner of the show, already gets enough undeserved shit as Doctor Who's (ex)showrunner. So it's nice to see him getting a bit more support.

- I considered adding Riverdale to my honorable mentions but after how Black Hood arc was ended terribly, as well as characters switching their moods back and forth in season 2, plus stuff like Betty's pole dance, yeah no. So I decided to step back. But I'll say that Archie has become interesting in season 2 when he was a part of the mystery of Black Hood and I think Cole improved as Jughead. He still needs more work but I actually felt his emotions during last season 1 episodes, as well as a few season 2 episodes.

- I liked Defenders alright but I felt like the whole hand set up could have been much better and I just rolled my eyes at last two episodes. And Iron Fist still needs a better characterization. I'm tired of his stupidity and anger issues. I just hope season 2 will fix this because it's getting a new showrunner who loves martial arcs and the character. 

- #1 choice was definitely surprising and I couldn't agree more. I didn't add it on my TV list because well, I think the movie deserves in the other list (spoilers  )

Wonderful list overall man and I can't wait for your movie list.

 

Spoiler

-Yeah I was the polar opposite of the fans because I feel a lot of them got spoiled by Season 3 and the long delay between 3 and 4.  It was a very good season.

-I don't have The CW at my apartment so I can't comment on Season 2, but I will catch up with it when it's put on Netflix.

-I think number one is fitting because it was a TV movie and not a theatrical movie.  Maybe if the run time was longer, I could see it being put on the other list, but it didn't clock out at enough time for me to consider it for that one.

 

[Katniss]

Entertainment is often looked towards as an escape, and in 2017, people surely needed an escape from all the lousy things happening in the world. Fortunately, there was a treasure trove of shows to dive into this year. Whether they took you to other dimensions or stayed relatively grounded in our own world, TV has continued to entertain this year like never before. As always, I can’t consume everything, but here are ten shows that really grabbed me this year.

But first, let’s go over a few honorable mentions that just missed the cut:

Spoiler

 

One Day at a Time (Netflix)

It's easy to be skeptical of remakes, reboots, and revivals of TV shows. Many of them don't hit the mark quite right. However, this show is an absolute delight. I haven't seen the original 1970s Norman Lear sitcom, but this remake, which focuses on a multigenerational Cuban-American family in Los Angeles (and is also produced by Norman Lear), is an absolute delight. It does such a good job touching on important social issues, from PTSD to immigration, in a touching and engaging way.

Yes, it's a sitcom, but there's a sense of warmth and heart there that’s genuine. And it really is funny, especially Rita Moreno, who steals the show as grandmother Lydia. If you want a feel-good show to binge on, this is it.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

This show continues to be one of the things that make me smile most in this world. I love the way it's tackled certain issues—the Moo Moo episode. where Terry deals with police brutality/racial profiling, and Rosa’s multi-episode coming out arc have especially been highlights—while never losing its charm and humor. I still adore these characters after all these seasons. And the show even managed to survive losing Gina, who I think is one of the funniest characters (due to Chelsea Peretti's real-life pregnancy) because the rest of the cast is just that strong. 

The Crown (Netflix) 

The second season delves into the late 1950s and early 60s, and oh what a ride that was. It's got a darker tone than the first season and is more entrenched in personal turmoil than ever. I loved the way it dealt with the monarchy dealing with certain events in history, such as the Suez Canal crisis or public critical attacks on the queen, and having to decide how (and if) to change with the times. Though Philip can be frustrating, I do appreciate the attempts to expand his character through backstory. I did miss the greater focus on Elizabeth, but she still gets moments to shine and showcase Claire Foy’s arresting stage presence. And Margaret continues to be a small highlight; the episode where she meets her love interest this season was captivating.

The cast of The Crown is going to be completely replaced next season, as it’s supposed to take place in the 1970s and Queen Elizabeth is aging. I’m looking forward to seeing what the new cast brings, but Claire Foy and Matt Smith will definitely be missed.

Insecure (HBO)

I hadn't watched the first season when it aired last year, which is a shame because I missed out on some fine television. A few years ago I absolutely loved Issa Rae’s web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, and she brings that same sharpness and hilarity to this series about a black woman in her late 20s who navigates ups and downs in her personal and professional lives while living in LA. It's such a good show that brings the laughs while also serving up some brutal emotional moments.

And it's unapologetically black. It's not totally about black issues but it's very much rooted in black culture (and even touches on some casual racism in the workplace). Though that doesn't mean people of other races can't enjoy it. In the end, it does speak on universal themes of life and love that can apply to anyone.

Skam (NRK, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation)

I've seen many teen shows throughout my lifetime. Gossip Girl. Skins. One Tree Hill. But Skam is something special. It’s a Norwegian show that chronicles the lives of different teens going to a high school in Oslo, and each season focuses on a different character. I inhaled the previous three series (which I watched online because I obviously don't have Norwegian TV) in a matter of days; they were that good. Even though I’m American and the characters of this show are from Norway, Skam really feels like an authentic look at the teen experience in general. I especially admire the way it seamlessly incorporates technology without it looking hokey or unrealistic. (Side note: If I’d watched this last year, it totally would’ve gone on my best list, because seasons 2 and 3 are really good. Heck, season 1 is great too. I just love this show a lot, ok? )

The final season of this show aired this year, and it finely wrapped up the series. This season’s main focus was Sana, a girl who struggles with being Muslim in a Norwegian society. Her friends don’t understand her faith, and she is torn because she wants to fit in but also be a good Muslim, as well as her growing attraction to a boy who doesn’t share her religion. This show did a great job dealing with that culture clash, as well as the problem of cyberbullying and the complex natures of friendship. While I wish we could have more stories with these characters and expand on certain ones who didn’t get whole seasons to themselves, I’m glad Skam was able to wrap things up and make the time we did spend with these characters worthwhile.

 

1

 

And now:

Kat's Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of 2017

Spoiler

10. Glow (Netflix)

I wouldn’t call myself a wrestling fan. But I love Alison Brie, and her star factor, combined with the fact that this was a comedy-drama set in the 1980s, enticed me to check this out. And I’m so glad I did because this series is delightful. It’s an underdog story about a gang of ladies, along with their director and producer, trying to make a successful wrestling TV show. (I never knew GLOW was a real wrestling promotion/show until I saw this series, and that just makes this all the cooler.)

Watching the behind-the-scenes action involved with wrestling was fascinating and led to some hilarious moments, especially with the colorful personas created by the GLOW girls (Zoya the Destroya and Liberty Belle are an absolute delight). Though I’m glad they touched upon how messed up it was that certain characters had to play certain unfortunate (and racist) stereotypes and how they attempted to subvert them.  And the show often has some tender, emotional moments with regards to friendships and the ladies’ personal struggles outside of the ring. With witty dialogue and a cast of likable characters, this show has managed to capture my heart regarding a subject I wouldn’t normally watch.

 

 

Spoiler

9. Master of None (Netflix)

I enjoyed season 1 of Master of None, but season 2 took the show into new (and interesting) creative directions. The season starts as an Italian cinematic dream—the first episode, which chronicles Dev’s adventures in Modena, Italy, is filmed entirely in black-and-white. Further great examples of experimentation in this season are “New York, I Love You,” which focuses on the intersecting lives of different New Yorkers, and “Thanksgiving,” a wonderful episode that offers snapshots of different Thanksgivings in Denise’s life as she comes to terms with her sexuality.

Master of None continues to be a candid, funny, relatable show about love (I thought the episode where Dev tries out a dating app was great), religion, and life in general. It's become a more beautiful and captivating show in season 2. Aziz Ansari says he doesn't know when he'll make a season 3, but I'll be waiting excitedly when he does.

 

 

Spoiler

8. Dear White People (Netflix)

This is a show that generated controversy from the title alone and actually got some people to boycott Netflix. But the title didn’t turn me off from watching this show, and I’m glad I checked it out. Dear White People, based on a 2014 film of the same name, is brilliant. The show focuses on a group of black students at a predominantly white, Ivy League-type university who are thrown into upheaval after a racist blackface party is thrown to protest main character Sam White’s radio show, the titular Dear White People, that calls out racist occurrences on campus.

The show is a clever satire of racial relations, politics, and cultural bias in today’s “post-racial” world, though it’s also brutally honest and brings the tension at points, especially during a certain interaction between a black man and a white cop at a party. Dear White People shows that in this society, nothing is black and white (pardon the pun) and nobody’s perfect. Even in trying to do the right thing, sometimes were misguided, and there are still issues to be worked on. These messages are so important to hear today, and thanks to this show for presenting them well while being very entertaining.

 

 

Spoiler

7. American Vandal (Netflix)

The concept behind my favorite new Netflix show of the year can be summed up with one question: Who drew the dicks?

The premise of American Vandal—twenty-seven faculty cars have had dicks spray-painted on them and one student seeks to find out whether the accused vandal, Dylan Maxwell, is really to blame—does seem rather silly. However, this turned out to be a truly engaging show. It’s a satire of true crime documentaries and podcasts such as Making a Murder and Serial while managing to have a genuinely engrossing mystery. There were so many twists and turns in the hunt to find the culprit and I loved it.

American Vandal is also hilarious. Yes, a good bit of the humor involves dick jokes, but they’re actually funny dick jokes. There’s also a bunch of fun jokes poked at the high school experience in general and the nature of the crime that was committed. You laugh at these characters a lot, but you also grow to appreciate them (whether you like or dislike them) as actual people, and not flat high school stereotypes.

Even though the premise may sound awkward (or hilarious, depending on what kind of person you are), this was definitely a worthwhile watch.

 

Spoiler

6. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Amy Sherman-Palladino and I have a history. Her show Gilmore Girls was an integral part of my pop culture experience when I was younger and I still adore it today (even if the Netflix revival left me a bit mixed). So when I heard she was creating a new show, I got excited. When I got further detail that it was about a housewife in the late 1950s who enters the world of stand-up, I was pumped. Y’all already know that period pieces are my catnip, especially if they have awesome female characters.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is an absolute charmer. Not just visually, though the attention to period detail in this show is gorgeous. But the character of Midge Maisel is a delight. Rachel Brosnahan does a superb job with Amy Sherman-Palladino’s distinct rapid-fire dialogue, infusing Midge with plenty of wit and confidence but also vulnerability. And she’s surrounded by a lovely cast of supporting characters, from Midge’s serious yet hilarious father to Susie Myerson, an employee of The Gaslight Cafe and Midge’s eventual manager.

I love that Midge is so funny, but her journey to become a comedian isn’t a smooth sailing, overnight success kind of deal. She kills it out there, but there’s a bunch of roadblocks she has to overcome along the way, from other characters as well as her own internal struggles. But through it all, Midge remains a great protagonist who learns how to become a more empowered woman.

I’m very glad that Amazon instantly greenlighted two seasons of this show because I can’t wait to see where Midge’s journey takes her next.

2

 

Spoiler

5. Stranger Things (Netflix)

A good sequel takes the characters and situations we know and love and manages to ramp things up in a new and interesting way. The Duffer brothers managed to do just that with Stranger Things 2. The Mind Flayer is a menacing villain and seeing it act as a spy through a possessed Will was chilling (and I've said it before, but can we please give Noah Schnapp some props? He was amazing this season). I loved the way characters and their relationships were advanced—Steve, who was already taking steps in development during season 1, became my favorite character as he grew closer to Dustin and the kids, and Hopper and Eleven’s father-daughter bond was truly touching. I appreciate the way this season touched on how Nancy was struggling with her grief over Barb and the way Will struggled with PTSD after his stay in the Upside Down. I even enjoyed the divisive “The Lost Sister” because of how it helped develop Eleven as a character.

But the old gang wasn't the only good part of this season. The show managed to interest me in some new faces as well. Max is a refreshing female addition to the group and I liked her tough and snarky personality. Bob Newby was an absolute sweetheart. I loved seeing Dustin and Lucas’s families, especially Erica...more of her in season 3, please. And Billy, though I dislike his character, provides an intriguing human antagonist aside the supernatural villains the gang already has to deal with.

I wasn’t sure where the series would go next after season 1 and was delighted by how things played out here. Bring on Stranger Things 3!

 

 

Spoiler

4. The Americans (FX)

The Americans is coming close to winding down its adventures of Soviet spies living in America, and this penultimate season was an absolute nail-biter.

I've read that people didn't enjoy the slow-burn pace of this season, but I loved it. It made things all the more tense for me. This season shows Philip and Elizabeth growing closer than ever and starting to feel reservations about their spy missions in general, which is a fascinating development from the start, where the couple (especially Elizabeth) were more willing to do the spy work for their country. Seeing their relationship expand and truly feel like a loving marriage was so heartwarming.

Even though there wasn't a ton of action, there was still plenty of plot to keep me captivated. Leave it to The Americans to have me intrigued about Soviet wheat crops. Then there's family drama simmering, some related to spy stuff and others not. So much goes on in only thirteen episodes and yet it still leaves me wanting more.

Though this season was more of the slow side, it's still well-acted and beautifully detailed. It was a good way to start the beginning of the end.

1

 

Spoiler

3. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW)

This show continues to amaze me. The back half of season 2 had some quality episodes (big shout-out to “Josh is the Man of My Dreams, Right?” for introducing the Santa Ana Winds), but so far, season 3 has been a knockout. We see Rebecca at her most—well, vengeful and crazy, but I’d also say broken. It's heartbreaking to see her at her lowest point and see the show go darker than it’s ever gone before.

However, throughout all this darkness are some great moments of the show. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has done a stellar job talking about mental illness this season. Rebecca has such a supportive system of friends out there and it warms my heart. However, the other characters aren’t just background pieces to Rebecca’s story; they’re allowed to have their own problems and character development. And the show itself is still as funny as ever and still has engaging, fun, clever musical numbers. Rebecca’s journey to recovery won't be easy; she still has a long way to go. But she's trying, and that's what matters. I appreciate this show for taking the “crazy ex” character and continuing to make her more nuanced and developed as time goes on.

 

 

Spoiler

2. The Good Place (NBC)

2017 saw The Good Place go from good to great. The latter half of season 1 takes the original premise and creates some entertaining twists and turns. But season 2 is where the very idea of the show gets turned on its head. This series is so crazy and imaginative and always manages to surprise me.

In addition to the madcap antics of Eleanor and company, the show does raise some interesting ethical questions. What does it mean to be a “good” person anyway? Can people truly change? The philosophical queries faced by the characters really adds some depth to this show. It’s wacky and crazy, but also smart and filled with compassionate and tender moments. This show is incredibly creative and thoughtful and I’m glad to be on this wild ride, wherever it may go.

 

It's an odd analogy, but my favorite show of 2017 was one that was like a good, hot bowl of soup, or oatmeal. It was something that warmed my insides and stuck with me for a good bit because I enjoyed it so much. This show was something I truly savored as I watched it from week to week and I'm so glad it was made.

Spoiler

 

1. Big Little Lies (HBO)

Here it is, folks. My favorite show of 2017. From the outside, it’s easy to think of this show as a Desperate Housewives sort of deal, with rich women just swanning about in the coastal city of Monterey, California. However, this show, which is based on a novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty, is so much more than that. Yes, you do get huge houses and stunning shots of the beach, but you also get a group of female characters who are very nuanced and well-crafted.

The show starts off with some admittedly amusing cattiness, with Reese Witherspoon’s Madeline Mackenzie consistently getting the funniest one-liners. However, it evolves into a poignant show about how powerful female friendship can be. It also does a good job of tackling the subject of sexual assault in a year where the problem of assault and harassment has become an important issue in Hollywood. It can be chilling and heart-wrenching to watch, but Nicole Kidman portrays the plight of Celeste Wright, who’s stuck in a toxic marriage with her husband, very well.

The central mystery of the series is fascinating. Rather than state that someone was killed and search for the culprit, part of the mystique is finding out who was killed in the first place, with some witness interviews conducted with Monterey residents sprinkled in as potential clues. I found myself sucked into the mystery while also fearing for the lives of the ladies I’d grown to love in only seven episodes.

So many aspects of Big Little Lies are wonderful. Director Jean-Marc Vallée’s cinematography is stunning. Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, and Zoë Kravitz deliver excellent performances. The music choices are on point and really add to the mood of the series. I absolutely loved this show.

It was originally planned to be a miniseries, but HBO announced that the show would have a second season. While I think the first season wrapped up nicely, I’m still going to check out another season because I love these characters so much. Big Little Lies is beautiful, captivating, and reminds me of why I adore television so much: because it can richly and complexly bring stories to life.

 

 

And that's all, folks! It was fun talking about all the shows I loved this year. Stay tuned for my best/worst music lists and my favorite movies list still to come.

[WhoBibbles]

3 hours ago, Katniss said:

Entertainment is often looked towards as an escape, and in 2017, people surely needed an escape from all the lousy things happening in the world. Fortunately, there was a treasure trove of shows to dive into this year. Whether they took you to other dimensions or stayed relatively grounded in our own world, TV has continued to entertain this year like never before. As always, I can’t consume everything, but here are ten shows that really grabbed me this year.

But first, let’s go over a few honorable mentions that just missed the cut:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

One Day at a Time (Netflix)

It's easy to be skeptical of remakes, reboots, and revivals of TV shows. Many of them don't hit the mark quite right. However, this show is an absolute delight. I haven't seen the original 1970s Norman Lear sitcom, but this remake, which focuses on a multigenerational Cuban-American family in Los Angeles (and is also produced by Norman Lear), is an absolute delight. It does such a good job touching on important social issues, from PTSD to immigration, in a touching and engaging way.

Yes, it's a sitcom, but there's a sense of warmth and heart there that’s genuine. And it really is funny, especially Rita Moreno, who steals the show as grandmother Lydia. If you want a feel-good show to binge on, this is it.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

This show continues to be one of the things that make me smile most in this world. I love the way it's tackled certain issues—the Moo Moo episode. where Terry deals with police brutality/racial profiling, and Rosa’s multi-episode coming out arc have especially been highlights—while never losing its charm and humor. I still adore these characters after all these seasons. And the show even managed to survive losing Gina, who I think is one of the funniest characters (due to Chelsea Peretti's real-life pregnancy) because the rest of the cast is just that strong. 

The Crown (Netflix) 

The second season delves into the late 1950s and early 60s, and oh what a ride that was. It's got a darker tone than the first season and is more entrenched in personal turmoil than ever. I loved the way it dealt with the monarchy dealing with certain events in history, such as the Suez Canal crisis or public critical attacks on the queen, and having to decide how (and if) to change with the times. Though Philip can be frustrating, I do appreciate the attempts to expand his character through backstory. I did miss the greater focus on Elizabeth, but she still gets moments to shine and showcase Claire Foy’s arresting stage presence. And Margaret continues to be a small highlight; the episode where she meets her love interest this season was captivating.

The cast of The Crown is going to be completely replaced next season, as it’s supposed to take place in the 1970s and Queen Elizabeth is aging. I’m looking forward to seeing what the new cast brings, but Claire Foy and Matt Smith will definitely be missed.

Insecure (HBO)

I hadn't watched the first season when it aired last year, which is a shame because I missed out on some fine television. A few years ago I absolutely loved Issa Rae’s web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, and she brings that same sharpness and hilarity to this series about a black woman in her late 20s who navigates ups and downs in her personal and professional lives while living in LA. It's such a good show that brings the laughs while also serving up some brutal emotional moments.

And it's unapologetically black. It's not totally about black issues but it's very much rooted in black culture (and even touches on some casual racism in the workplace). Though that doesn't mean people of other races can't enjoy it. In the end, it does speak on universal themes of life and love that can apply to anyone.

Skam (NRK, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation)

I've seen many teen shows throughout my lifetime. Gossip Girl. Skins. One Tree Hill. But Skam is something special. It’s a Norwegian show that chronicles the lives of different teens going to a high school in Oslo, and each season focuses on a different character. I inhaled the previous three series (which I watched online because I obviously don't have Norwegian TV) in a matter of days; they were that good. Even though I’m American and the characters of this show are from Norway, Skam really feels like an authentic look at the teen experience in general. I especially admire the way it seamlessly incorporates technology without it looking hokey or unrealistic. (Side note: If I’d watched this last year, it totally would’ve gone on my best list, because seasons 2 and 3 are really good. Heck, season 1 is great too. I just love this show a lot, ok? )

The final season of this show aired this year, and it finely wrapped up the series. This season’s main focus was Sana, a girl who struggles with being Muslim in a Norwegian society. Her friends don’t understand her faith, and she is torn because she wants to fit in but also be a good Muslim, as well as her growing attraction to a boy who doesn’t share her religion. This show did a great job dealing with that culture clash, as well as the problem of cyberbullying and the complex natures of friendship. While I wish we could have more stories with these characters and expand on certain ones who didn’t get whole seasons to themselves, I’m glad Skam was able to wrap things up and make the time we did spend with these characters worthwhile.

 

1

 

And now:

Kat's Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of 2017

  Reveal hidden contents

10. Glow (Netflix)

I wouldn’t call myself a wrestling fan. But I love Alison Brie, and her star factor, combined with the fact that this was a comedy-drama set in the 1980s, enticed me to check this out. And I’m so glad I did because this series is delightful. It’s an underdog story about a gang of ladies, along with their director and producer, trying to make a successful wrestling TV show. (I never knew GLOW was a real wrestling promotion/show until I saw this series, and that just makes this all the cooler.)

Watching the behind-the-scenes action involved with wrestling was fascinating and led to some hilarious moments, especially with the colorful personas created by the GLOW girls (Zoya the Destroya and Liberty Belle are an absolute delight). Though I’m glad they touched upon how messed up it was that certain characters had to play certain unfortunate (and racist) stereotypes and how they attempted to subvert them.  And the show often has some tender, emotional moments with regards to friendships and the ladies’ personal struggles outside of the ring. With witty dialogue and a cast of likable characters, this show has managed to capture my heart regarding a subject I wouldn’t normally watch.

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

9. Master of None (Netflix)

I enjoyed season 1 of Master of None, but season 2 took the show into new (and interesting) creative directions. The season starts as an Italian cinematic dream—the first episode, which chronicles Dev’s adventures in Modena, Italy, is filmed entirely in black-and-white. Further great examples of experimentation in this season are “New York, I Love You,” which focuses on the intersecting lives of different New Yorkers, and “Thanksgiving,” a wonderful episode that offers snapshots of different Thanksgivings in Denise’s life as she comes to terms with her sexuality.

Master of None continues to be a candid, funny, relatable show about love (I thought the episode where Dev tries out a dating app was great), religion, and life in general. It's become a more beautiful and captivating show in season 2. Aziz Ansari says he doesn't know when he'll make a season 3, but I'll be waiting excitedly when he does.

 

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

8. Dear White People (Netflix)

This is a show that generated controversy from the title alone and actually got some people to boycott Netflix. But the title didn’t turn me off from watching this show, and I’m glad I checked it out. Dear White People, based on a 2014 film of the same name, is brilliant. The show focuses on a group of black students at a predominantly white, Ivy League-type university who are thrown into upheaval after a racist blackface party is thrown to protest main character Sam White’s radio show, the titular Dear White People, that calls out racist occurrences on campus.

The show is a clever satire of racial relations, politics, and cultural bias in today’s “post-racial” world, though it’s also brutally honest and brings the tension at points, especially during a certain interaction between a black man and a white cop at a party. Dear White People shows that in this society, nothing is black and white (pardon the pun) and nobody’s perfect. Even in trying to do the right thing, sometimes we’re misguided, and there are still issues to be worked on. These messages are so important to hear today, and thanks to this show for presenting them well while being very entertaining.

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

7. American Vandal (Netflix)

The concept behind my favorite new Netflix show of the year can be summed up with one question: Who drew the dicks?

The premise of American Vandal—twenty-seven faculty cars have had dicks spray-painted on them and one student seeks to find out whether the accused vandal, Dylan Maxwell, is really to blame—does seem rather silly. However, this turned out to be a truly engaging show. It’s a satire of true crime documentaries and podcasts such as Making a Murder and Serial while managing to have a genuinely engrossing mystery. There were so many twists and turns in the hunt to find the culprit and I loved it.

American Vandal is also hilarious. Yes, a good bit of the humor involves dick jokes, but they’re actually funny dick jokes. There’s also a bunch of fun jokes poked at the high school experience in general and the nature of the crime that was committed. You laugh at these characters a lot, but you also grow to appreciate them (whether you like or dislike them) as actual people, and not flat high school stereotypes.

Even though the premise may sound awkward (or hilarious, depending on what kind of person you are), this was definitely a worthwhile watch.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

6. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Amy Sherman-Palladino and I have a history. Her show Gilmore Girls was an integral part of my pop culture experience when I was younger and I still adore it today (even if the Netflix revival left me a bit mixed). So when I heard she was creating a new show, I got excited. When I got further detail that it was about a housewife in the late 1950s who enters the world of stand-up, I was pumped. Y’all already know that period pieces are my catnip, especially if they have awesome female characters.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is an absolute charmer. Not just visually, though the attention to period detail in this show is gorgeous. But the character of Midge Maisel is a delight. Rachel Brosnahan does a superb job with Amy Sherman-Palladino’s distinct rapid-fire dialogue, infusing Midge with plenty of wit and confidence but also vulnerability. And she’s surrounded by a lovely cast of supporting characters, from Midge’s serious yet hilarious father to Susie Myerson, an employee of The Gaslight Cafe and Midge’s eventual manager.

I love that Midge is so funny, but her journey to become a comedian isn’t a smooth sailing, overnight success kind of deal. She kills it out there, but there’s a bunch of roadblocks she has to overcome along the way, from other characters as well as her own internal struggles. But through it all, Midge remains a great protagonist who learns how to become a more empowered woman.

I’m very glad that Amazon instantly greenlighted two seasons of this show because I can’t wait to see where Midge’s journey takes her next.

2

 

  Reveal hidden contents

5. Stranger Things (Netflix)

A good sequel takes the characters and situations we know and love and manages to ramp things up in a new and interesting way. The Duffer brothers managed to do just that with Stranger Things 2. The Mind Flayer is a menacing villain and seeing it act as a spy through a possessed Will was chilling (and I've said it before, but can we please give Noah Schnapp some props? He was amazing this season). I loved the way characters and their relationships were advanced—Steve, who was already taking steps in development during season 1, became my favorite character as he grew closer to Dustin and the kids, and Hopper and Eleven’s father-daughter bond was truly touching. I appreciate the way this season touched on how Nancy was struggling with her grief over Barb and the way Will struggled with PTSD after his stay in the Upside Down. I even enjoyed the divisive “The Lost Sister” because of how it helped develop Eleven as a character.

But the old gang wasn't the only good part of this season. The show managed to interest me in some new faces as well. Max is a refreshing female addition to the group and I liked her tough and snarky personality. Bob Newby was an absolute sweetheart. I loved seeing Dustin and Lucas’s families, especially Erica...more of her in season 3, please. And Billy, though I dislike his character, provides an intriguing human antagonist aside the supernatural villains the gang already has to deal with.

I wasn’t sure where the series would go next after season 1 and was delighted by how things played out here. Bring on Stranger Things 3!

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

4. The Americans (FX)

The Americans is coming close to winding down its adventures of Soviet spies living in America, and this penultimate season was an absolute nail-biter.

I've read that people didn't enjoy the slow-burn pace of this season, but I loved it. It made things all the more tense for me. This season shows Philip and Elizabeth growing closer than ever and starting to feel reservations about their spy missions in general, which is a fascinating development from the start, where the couple (especially Elizabeth) were more willing to do the spy work for their country. Seeing their relationship expand and truly feel like a loving marriage was so heartwarming.

Even though there wasn't a ton of action, there was still plenty of plot to keep me captivated. Leave it to The Americans to have me intrigued about Soviet wheat crops. Then there's family drama simmering, some related to spy stuff and others not. So much goes on in only thirteen episodes and yet it still leaves me wanting more.

Though this season was more of the slow side, it's still well-acted and beautifully detailed. It was a good way to start the beginning of the end.

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3. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW)

This show continues to amaze me. The back half of season 2 had some quality episodes (big shout-out to “Josh is the Man of My Dreams, Right?” for introducing the Santa Ana Winds), but so far, season 3 has been a knockout. We see Rebecca at her most—well, vengeful and crazy, but I’d also say broken. It's heartbreaking to see her at her lowest point and see the show go darker than it’s ever gone before.

However, throughout all this darkness are some great moments of the show. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has done a stellar job talking about mental illness this season. Rebecca has such a supportive system of friends out there and it warms my heart. However, the other characters aren’t just background pieces to Rebecca’s story; they’re allowed to have their own problems and character development. And the show itself is still as funny as ever and still has engaging, fun, clever musical numbers. Rebecca’s journey to recovery won't be easy; she still has a long way to go. But she's trying, and that's what matters. I appreciate this show for taking the “crazy ex” character and continuing to make her more nuanced and developed as time goes on.

 

 

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2. The Good Place (NBC)

2017 saw The Good Place go from good to great. The latter half of season 1 takes the original premise and creates some entertaining twists and turns. But season 2 is where the very idea of the show gets turned on its head. This series is so crazy and imaginative and always manages to surprise me.

In addition to the madcap antics of Eleanor and company, the show does raise some interesting ethical questions. What does it mean to be a “good” person anyway? Can people truly change? The philosophical queries faced by the characters really adds some depth to this show. It’s wacky and crazy, but also smart and filled with compassionate and tender moments. This show is incredibly creative and thoughtful and I’m glad to be on this wild ride, wherever it may go.

 

It's an odd analogy, but my favorite show of 2017 was one that was like a good, hot bowl of soup, or oatmeal. It was something that warmed my insides and stuck with me for a good bit because I enjoyed it so much. This show was something I truly savored as I watched it from week to week and I'm so glad it was made.

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1. Big Little Lies (HBO)

Here it is, folks. My favorite show of 2017. From the outside, it’s easy to think of this show as a Desperate Housewives sort of deal, with rich women just swanning about in the coastal city of Monterey, California. However, this show, which is based on a novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty, is so much more than that. Yes, you do get huge houses and stunning shots of the beach, but you also get a group of female characters who are very nuanced and well-crafted.

The show starts off with some admittedly amusing cattiness, with Reese Witherspoon’s Madeline Mackenzie consistently getting the funniest one-liners. However, it evolves into a poignant show about how powerful female friendship can be. It also does a good job of tackling the subject of sexual assault in a year where the problem of assault and harassment has become an important issue in Hollywood. It can be chilling and heart-wrenching to watch, but Nicole Kidman portrays the plight of Celeste Wright, who’s stuck in a toxic marriage with her husband, very well.

The central mystery of the series is fascinating. Rather than state that someone was killed and search for the culprit, part of the mystique is finding out who was killed in the first place, with some witness interviews conducted with Monterey residents sprinkled in as potential clues. I found myself sucked into the mystery while also fearing for the lives of the ladies I’d grown to love in only seven episodes.

So many aspects of Big Little Lies are wonderful. Director Jean-Marc Vallée’s cinematography is stunning. Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, and Zoë Kravitz deliver excellent performances. The music choices are on point and really add to the mood of the series. I absolutely loved this show.

It was originally planned to be a miniseries, but HBO announced that the show would have a second season. While I think the first season wrapped up nicely, I’m still going to check out another season because I love these characters so much. Big Little Lies is beautiful, captivating, and reminds me of why I adore television so much: because it can richly and complexly bring stories to life.

 

 

And that's all, folks! It was fun talking about all the shows I loved this year. Stay tuned for my best/worst music lists and my favorite movies list still to come.

Spoiler

- Nice to see Big Little Lies as #1. Agreed with everything else you said. I'm somewhat skeptical about the second season because aside from Madaline, they pretty much wrapped up characters' story arcs. Maybe something I'm missing too but season 1 felt like a big conclusion for me. Nevertheless, I'll be watching it mainly for Madaline's unfinished arc and hopefully giving Bonnie more screentime.

- Yeah for Crazy Ex, Stranger Things and Dear White People recognition.  

as always, such a great list Kat.  

[terminoob]

6 hours ago, Katniss said:

Entertainment is often looked towards as an escape, and in 2017, people surely needed an escape from all the lousy things happening in the world. Fortunately, there was a treasure trove of shows to dive into this year. Whether they took you to other dimensions or stayed relatively grounded in our own world, TV has continued to entertain this year like never before. As always, I can’t consume everything, but here are ten shows that really grabbed me this year.

But first, let’s go over a few honorable mentions that just missed the cut:

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One Day at a Time (Netflix)

It's easy to be skeptical of remakes, reboots, and revivals of TV shows. Many of them don't hit the mark quite right. However, this show is an absolute delight. I haven't seen the original 1970s Norman Lear sitcom, but this remake, which focuses on a multigenerational Cuban-American family in Los Angeles (and is also produced by Norman Lear), is an absolute delight. It does such a good job touching on important social issues, from PTSD to immigration, in a touching and engaging way.

Yes, it's a sitcom, but there's a sense of warmth and heart there that’s genuine. And it really is funny, especially Rita Moreno, who steals the show as grandmother Lydia. If you want a feel-good show to binge on, this is it.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

This show continues to be one of the things that make me smile most in this world. I love the way it's tackled certain issues—the Moo Moo episode. where Terry deals with police brutality/racial profiling, and Rosa’s multi-episode coming out arc have especially been highlights—while never losing its charm and humor. I still adore these characters after all these seasons. And the show even managed to survive losing Gina, who I think is one of the funniest characters (due to Chelsea Peretti's real-life pregnancy) because the rest of the cast is just that strong. 

The Crown (Netflix) 

The second season delves into the late 1950s and early 60s, and oh what a ride that was. It's got a darker tone than the first season and is more entrenched in personal turmoil than ever. I loved the way it dealt with the monarchy dealing with certain events in history, such as the Suez Canal crisis or public critical attacks on the queen, and having to decide how (and if) to change with the times. Though Philip can be frustrating, I do appreciate the attempts to expand his character through backstory. I did miss the greater focus on Elizabeth, but she still gets moments to shine and showcase Claire Foy’s arresting stage presence. And Margaret continues to be a small highlight; the episode where she meets her love interest this season was captivating.

The cast of The Crown is going to be completely replaced next season, as it’s supposed to take place in the 1970s and Queen Elizabeth is aging. I’m looking forward to seeing what the new cast brings, but Claire Foy and Matt Smith will definitely be missed.

Insecure (HBO)

I hadn't watched the first season when it aired last year, which is a shame because I missed out on some fine television. A few years ago I absolutely loved Issa Rae’s web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, and she brings that same sharpness and hilarity to this series about a black woman in her late 20s who navigates ups and downs in her personal and professional lives while living in LA. It's such a good show that brings the laughs while also serving up some brutal emotional moments.

And it's unapologetically black. It's not totally about black issues but it's very much rooted in black culture (and even touches on some casual racism in the workplace). Though that doesn't mean people of other races can't enjoy it. In the end, it does speak on universal themes of life and love that can apply to anyone.

Skam (NRK, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation)

I've seen many teen shows throughout my lifetime. Gossip Girl. Skins. One Tree Hill. But Skam is something special. It’s a Norwegian show that chronicles the lives of different teens going to a high school in Oslo, and each season focuses on a different character. I inhaled the previous three series (which I watched online because I obviously don't have Norwegian TV) in a matter of days; they were that good. Even though I’m American and the characters of this show are from Norway, Skam really feels like an authentic look at the teen experience in general. I especially admire the way it seamlessly incorporates technology without it looking hokey or unrealistic. (Side note: If I’d watched this last year, it totally would’ve gone on my best list, because seasons 2 and 3 are really good. Heck, season 1 is great too. I just love this show a lot, ok? )

The final season of this show aired this year, and it finely wrapped up the series. This season’s main focus was Sana, a girl who struggles with being Muslim in a Norwegian society. Her friends don’t understand her faith, and she is torn because she wants to fit in but also be a good Muslim, as well as her growing attraction to a boy who doesn’t share her religion. This show did a great job dealing with that culture clash, as well as the problem of cyberbullying and the complex natures of friendship. While I wish we could have more stories with these characters and expand on certain ones who didn’t get whole seasons to themselves, I’m glad Skam was able to wrap things up and make the time we did spend with these characters worthwhile.

 

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And now:

Kat's Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of 2017

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10. Glow (Netflix)

I wouldn’t call myself a wrestling fan. But I love Alison Brie, and her star factor, combined with the fact that this was a comedy-drama set in the 1980s, enticed me to check this out. And I’m so glad I did because this series is delightful. It’s an underdog story about a gang of ladies, along with their director and producer, trying to make a successful wrestling TV show. (I never knew GLOW was a real wrestling promotion/show until I saw this series, and that just makes this all the cooler.)

Watching the behind-the-scenes action involved with wrestling was fascinating and led to some hilarious moments, especially with the colorful personas created by the GLOW girls (Zoya the Destroya and Liberty Belle are an absolute delight). Though I’m glad they touched upon how messed up it was that certain characters had to play certain unfortunate (and racist) stereotypes and how they attempted to subvert them.  And the show often has some tender, emotional moments with regards to friendships and the ladies’ personal struggles outside of the ring. With witty dialogue and a cast of likable characters, this show has managed to capture my heart regarding a subject I wouldn’t normally watch.

 

 

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9. Master of None (Netflix)

I enjoyed season 1 of Master of None, but season 2 took the show into new (and interesting) creative directions. The season starts as an Italian cinematic dream—the first episode, which chronicles Dev’s adventures in Modena, Italy, is filmed entirely in black-and-white. Further great examples of experimentation in this season are “New York, I Love You,” which focuses on the intersecting lives of different New Yorkers, and “Thanksgiving,” a wonderful episode that offers snapshots of different Thanksgivings in Denise’s life as she comes to terms with her sexuality.

Master of None continues to be a candid, funny, relatable show about love (I thought the episode where Dev tries out a dating app was great), religion, and life in general. It's become a more beautiful and captivating show in season 2. Aziz Ansari says he doesn't know when he'll make a season 3, but I'll be waiting excitedly when he does.

 

 

 

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8. Dear White People (Netflix)

This is a show that generated controversy from the title alone and actually got some people to boycott Netflix. But the title didn’t turn me off from watching this show, and I’m glad I checked it out. Dear White People, based on a 2014 film of the same name, is brilliant. The show focuses on a group of black students at a predominantly white, Ivy League-type university who are thrown into upheaval after a racist blackface party is thrown to protest main character Sam White’s radio show, the titular Dear White People, that calls out racist occurrences on campus.

The show is a clever satire of racial relations, politics, and cultural bias in today’s “post-racial” world, though it’s also brutally honest and brings the tension at points, especially during a certain interaction between a black man and a white cop at a party. Dear White People shows that in this society, nothing is black and white (pardon the pun) and nobody’s perfect. Even in trying to do the right thing, sometimes we’re misguided, and there are still issues to be worked on. These messages are so important to hear today, and thanks to this show for presenting them well while being very entertaining.

 

 

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7. American Vandal (Netflix)

The concept behind my favorite new Netflix show of the year can be summed up with one question: Who drew the dicks?

The premise of American Vandal—twenty-seven faculty cars have had dicks spray-painted on them and one student seeks to find out whether the accused vandal, Dylan Maxwell, is really to blame—does seem rather silly. However, this turned out to be a truly engaging show. It’s a satire of true crime documentaries and podcasts such as Making a Murder and Serial while managing to have a genuinely engrossing mystery. There were so many twists and turns in the hunt to find the culprit and I loved it.

American Vandal is also hilarious. Yes, a good bit of the humor involves dick jokes, but they’re actually funny dick jokes. There’s also a bunch of fun jokes poked at the high school experience in general and the nature of the crime that was committed. You laugh at these characters a lot, but you also grow to appreciate them (whether you like or dislike them) as actual people, and not flat high school stereotypes.

Even though the premise may sound awkward (or hilarious, depending on what kind of person you are), this was definitely a worthwhile watch.

 

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6. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Amy Sherman-Palladino and I have a history. Her show Gilmore Girls was an integral part of my pop culture experience when I was younger and I still adore it today (even if the Netflix revival left me a bit mixed). So when I heard she was creating a new show, I got excited. When I got further detail that it was about a housewife in the late 1950s who enters the world of stand-up, I was pumped. Y’all already know that period pieces are my catnip, especially if they have awesome female characters.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is an absolute charmer. Not just visually, though the attention to period detail in this show is gorgeous. But the character of Midge Maisel is a delight. Rachel Brosnahan does a superb job with Amy Sherman-Palladino’s distinct rapid-fire dialogue, infusing Midge with plenty of wit and confidence but also vulnerability. And she’s surrounded by a lovely cast of supporting characters, from Midge’s serious yet hilarious father to Susie Myerson, an employee of The Gaslight Cafe and Midge’s eventual manager.

I love that Midge is so funny, but her journey to become a comedian isn’t a smooth sailing, overnight success kind of deal. She kills it out there, but there’s a bunch of roadblocks she has to overcome along the way, from other characters as well as her own internal struggles. But through it all, Midge remains a great protagonist who learns how to become a more empowered woman.

I’m very glad that Amazon instantly greenlighted two seasons of this show because I can’t wait to see where Midge’s journey takes her next.

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5. Stranger Things (Netflix)

A good sequel takes the characters and situations we know and love and manages to ramp things up in a new and interesting way. The Duffer brothers managed to do just that with Stranger Things 2. The Mind Flayer is a menacing villain and seeing it act as a spy through a possessed Will was chilling (and I've said it before, but can we please give Noah Schnapp some props? He was amazing this season). I loved the way characters and their relationships were advanced—Steve, who was already taking steps in development during season 1, became my favorite character as he grew closer to Dustin and the kids, and Hopper and Eleven’s father-daughter bond was truly touching. I appreciate the way this season touched on how Nancy was struggling with her grief over Barb and the way Will struggled with PTSD after his stay in the Upside Down. I even enjoyed the divisive “The Lost Sister” because of how it helped develop Eleven as a character.

But the old gang wasn't the only good part of this season. The show managed to interest me in some new faces as well. Max is a refreshing female addition to the group and I liked her tough and snarky personality. Bob Newby was an absolute sweetheart. I loved seeing Dustin and Lucas’s families, especially Erica...more of her in season 3, please. And Billy, though I dislike his character, provides an intriguing human antagonist aside the supernatural villains the gang already has to deal with.

I wasn’t sure where the series would go next after season 1 and was delighted by how things played out here. Bring on Stranger Things 3!

 

 

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4. The Americans (FX)

The Americans is coming close to winding down its adventures of Soviet spies living in America, and this penultimate season was an absolute nail-biter.

I've read that people didn't enjoy the slow-burn pace of this season, but I loved it. It made things all the more tense for me. This season shows Philip and Elizabeth growing closer than ever and starting to feel reservations about their spy missions in general, which is a fascinating development from the start, where the couple (especially Elizabeth) were more willing to do the spy work for their country. Seeing their relationship expand and truly feel like a loving marriage was so heartwarming.

Even though there wasn't a ton of action, there was still plenty of plot to keep me captivated. Leave it to The Americans to have me intrigued about Soviet wheat crops. Then there's family drama simmering, some related to spy stuff and others not. So much goes on in only thirteen episodes and yet it still leaves me wanting more.

Though this season was more of the slow side, it's still well-acted and beautifully detailed. It was a good way to start the beginning of the end.

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3. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW)

This show continues to amaze me. The back half of season 2 had some quality episodes (big shout-out to “Josh is the Man of My Dreams, Right?” for introducing the Santa Ana Winds), but so far, season 3 has been a knockout. We see Rebecca at her most—well, vengeful and crazy, but I’d also say broken. It's heartbreaking to see her at her lowest point and see the show go darker than it’s ever gone before.

However, throughout all this darkness are some great moments of the show. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has done a stellar job talking about mental illness this season. Rebecca has such a supportive system of friends out there and it warms my heart. However, the other characters aren’t just background pieces to Rebecca’s story; they’re allowed to have their own problems and character development. And the show itself is still as funny as ever and still has engaging, fun, clever musical numbers. Rebecca’s journey to recovery won't be easy; she still has a long way to go. But she's trying, and that's what matters. I appreciate this show for taking the “crazy ex” character and continuing to make her more nuanced and developed as time goes on.

 

 

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2. The Good Place (NBC)

2017 saw The Good Place go from good to great. The latter half of season 1 takes the original premise and creates some entertaining twists and turns. But season 2 is where the very idea of the show gets turned on its head. This series is so crazy and imaginative and always manages to surprise me.

In addition to the madcap antics of Eleanor and company, the show does raise some interesting ethical questions. What does it mean to be a “good” person anyway? Can people truly change? The philosophical queries faced by the characters really adds some depth to this show. It’s wacky and crazy, but also smart and filled with compassionate and tender moments. This show is incredibly creative and thoughtful and I’m glad to be on this wild ride, wherever it may go.

 

It's an odd analogy, but my favorite show of 2017 was one that was like a good, hot bowl of soup, or oatmeal. It was something that warmed my insides and stuck with me for a good bit because I enjoyed it so much. This show was something I truly savored as I watched it from week to week and I'm so glad it was made.

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1. Big Little Lies (HBO)

Here it is, folks. My favorite show of 2017. From the outside, it’s easy to think of this show as a Desperate Housewives sort of deal, with rich women just swanning about in the coastal city of Monterey, California. However, this show, which is based on a novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty, is so much more than that. Yes, you do get huge houses and stunning shots of the beach, but you also get a group of female characters who are very nuanced and well-crafted.

The show starts off with some admittedly amusing cattiness, with Reese Witherspoon’s Madeline Mackenzie consistently getting the funniest one-liners. However, it evolves into a poignant show about how powerful female friendship can be. It also does a good job of tackling the subject of sexual assault in a year where the problem of assault and harassment has become an important issue in Hollywood. It can be chilling and heart-wrenching to watch, but Nicole Kidman portrays the plight of Celeste Wright, who’s stuck in a toxic marriage with her husband, very well.

The central mystery of the series is fascinating. Rather than state that someone was killed and search for the culprit, part of the mystique is finding out who was killed in the first place, with some witness interviews conducted with Monterey residents sprinkled in as potential clues. I found myself sucked into the mystery while also fearing for the lives of the ladies I’d grown to love in only seven episodes.

So many aspects of Big Little Lies are wonderful. Director Jean-Marc Vallée’s cinematography is stunning. Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, and Zoë Kravitz deliver excellent performances. The music choices are on point and really add to the mood of the series. I absolutely loved this show.

It was originally planned to be a miniseries, but HBO announced that the show would have a second season. While I think the first season wrapped up nicely, I’m still going to check out another season because I love these characters so much. Big Little Lies is beautiful, captivating, and reminds me of why I adore television so much: because it can richly and complexly bring stories to life.

 

 

And that's all, folks! It was fun talking about all the shows I loved this year. Stay tuned for my best/worst music lists and my favorite movies list still to come.

I could feel the presence of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on this post before I got to it. Such a good show. I agree that Midge is a great character and protagonist, but Susie was the character that kept me coming back. I thought she was absolute dynamite.

[Katniss]

11 minutes ago, terminoob said:

I could feel the presence of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on this post before I got to it. Such a good show. I agree that Midge is a great character and protagonist, but Susie was the character that kept me coming back. I thought she was absolute dynamite.

Susie was awesome. Alex Borstein's comedic timing is impeccable.

[Clappy]

My girlfriend just got an Amazon Video account to start off the new year so I will make sure we put The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on our "watch list".  Great list as always Kat.

[Clappy]

If one form of entertainment took a massive nosedive in quality this year, it was without a doubt movies.  Not only did the gross amount end up being less than the previous two years, but going to the movies, probably my biggest past time, was not as fun this year.  More often than not, I left the theater supremely disappointed.  And as the year went on, the more frustrated I was with how half-assed most of the movies I saw this year were.  Some of these barely qualified as functioning products.  Hell, for the first time in a year, I didn’t write a Craptacular Cinema installment.  Because none of these movies were worth one.  They weren’t even hilariously bad.

That being said, this year did have some saving graces to give this year a sense of redemption.  And I’ll get to those in due time, trust me.  But I’m going to try something new this year.  Remember how I’ve been conflicted as to whether Netflix original movies should count as major motion pictures?  Well a couple times this year, I saw trailers at actual movie theaters for some of these movies.  So if that’s the way it’s going to be now, then congratulations Netflix.  YOU JUST MADE THE LIST!  So sit back and relax as I tackle the worst of the worst first.

Also, before I start, I’m going to take the time to plug two apps you all should download that I have on my phone and highly recommend.

First of all, I know most of you probably wonder, “How does Clappy have the money to see these many movies?”  Well for years, one of my best friends worked at a movie theater and he would always get me discounted tickets and/or give me free passes.  It’s always a nice treat to have friends in such good places.  But not all people stay at one job for the rest of their lives, and yeah, he moved on to a warehouse job.  So how do I get to see so many movies now?  Well I have an app on my phone called MoviePass.   For $10 per month, you can see one movie a day in theaters.  Awesome right?  Well it only works in select theaters but once you sign up, you get a pre-paid debit card in the mail and you swipe in when you check into the theater.  But I highly recommend this app for all of my fellow movie buffs out there.  Definitely worth it to see so many mainstream movies all for the price of $10 per month.  Great deal.

Second, while I’m working my way into freelance film writing for some film sites on the internet, I’m also getting into reviewing online.  I don’t know how many of you watch Jeremy Jahns or still watch the Nostalgia Critic, but lately they’ve been plugging this app called Stardust and…I caved in and downloaded the app myself.  I’m entering the world of 15-30 second reviews of movies and shows that I’ve been watching and you can follow me there if you want to see more of my thoughts.

Enough preamble…let’s get this show on the road!

 

DISHONORABLE MENTIONS:

Spoiler

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Oh that tale as old as time did not sit well with me the more this year passed by.  This…this right here is what I feared Disney was going to do with these live action updates of their animated classics.  It all sat fine with me up until this shot for shot remake.  Oh and this year also effectively killed my image of Emma Watson as an actress capable of doing no wrong.  I didn’t completely hate her as Belle, but yeah she was still pretty bad.  You could tell she was heavily edited when it came to singing and when she wasn’t…dear god.

Despicable Me 3

These movies are done to me.  Of course they are far from being done as a movie franchise.  We are going to keep getting more of these and Minion movies as long as Illumination keeps making money off of them.  But in terms of being actually good movies?  I highly doubt it because I should have learned my lesson from Despicable Me 2, which I actually liked, that Illumination wants to take these movies in the solely comedic direction.  And even being judged as solely a comedic movie, this was not nearly as funny as I expected. 

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

What a snooze fest this movie was.  How many times is Hollywood going to attempt to reboot the story of King Arthur and fail?  It’s been nearly twenty years since we got any sort of decent middle aged Arthur story and that one was animated.  Please stop.

Geostorm

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually wish Roland Emmerich directed this.  If you’re going to make a natural disaster movie, at least Emmerich knew how to make his interesting…well most of the time; see last year’s worst list finalist Resurgence.  I completely forgot I saw this and it came out two months ago.

Underworld: Blood Wars

Why are we still getting these movies?  Didn’t they end like twice already?

The Circle

Don’t know how many of you outside the hardcore cinemaphiles actually remember this came out this year.  But what a talented cast being put into such a shitty movie.  Hey guys, did you know that technology can be dangerous?  That the web browser you might be using is trying to “get you”.  What a fucking stupid movie this was.

Monster Trucks

I didn’t forget about this piece of shit.  People actually spent $125 million dollars on a movie about this amazingly bad idea.  Better yet, they casted people with actual talent like Amy Ryan, Rob Lowe, and Danny Glover.  How fucking hilarious.

Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween

What an obnoxious movie title…anyway, it took only six days to make the first last year.  It took even less time with a bigger budget this year.  This is what happens when we, as a society, keep giving Tyler Perry our hard earned money.

Transformers: The Last Knight

You know 2017 had a lot of clunkers when not even the almighty shitfest that is the latest Transformers movie doesn’t even make the list proper.   Yeah…it’s THAT bad.  The only positive is at least Michael Bay is done directing these movies after this one.  Hopefully.

Bright (Netflix)

Remember how I said I saw some of these trailers in theaters?  Yeah, this was the biggest Netflix original movie to date.  And good fucking lord what has happened to David Ayer and his ability to make good movies?  First you had Suicide Squad and now this?  At least Suicide Squad was able to get some enjoyment out of it being entertaining.  This is dark, dreary, and absolutely abysmal.  Not even Will Smith could save this from being any good.  He clearly didn’t give two shits while making this, so why should I?

Death Note (Netflix)

If I made this list full of failed adaptations gone very very badly, this would be dangerously close to topping the list.  Honestly, this should probably be on the list proper because there was just so much cringeworthy terrible ideas in this adaptation, but I still stand by Willem Dafoe’s portrayal of Ryuk being nearly redeeming multiple bad decisions with this adaptation.  Also, Adam Wingard is a good director.  Too bad everything else nearly sucked.

Ghost in the Shell

Say what you want about the above choice, but I’ll take interesting levels of terrible over boring uninspired shlock.  I love me some Scarlett Johannsson, but this was supremely bland.  Which if you know the anime by now, it’s definitely not that.  2017.  The year where two of my favorite animes were both botched in adaptation.

Snatched

Look, I don’t if it’s Amy Schumer’s shtick getting old in record time or if it’s Goldie Hawn just sitting on the sidelines too long and losing her comedic touch, but this was serious levels of cringe bad.

Pitch Perfect 3

It’s time to retire this series proper.  Just fucking end this.  Dangerously close to making the actual list if it wasn’t for Anna Kendrick.  Please get her out of these movies.  She clearly doesn’t want to be in them anymore.

The Greatest Showman

Another fairly recent movie that was dangerously close to making this list.  Only because I had to do an actual report on P.T. Barnum and know for myself how big of an asshole the guy truly is.  Making a feel good story about such an asshole, and making it a musical none the less, just made my skin crawl the entire time I was watching it.  If this is what we are going to get from Hugh Jackman now that he retired from the Wolverine character, consider me uninterested.

P.S. – For a musical, zero…that’s right, ZERO…of these songs are any good.  Which is incredibly disappointing because the potential was there on so many of them.  But for a movie musical about existing in the 1900s, way too many of these are modernized with so many millennial tropes that it’s annoying.  And I wouldn’t mind that if it had Baz Luhrmann levels of self-awareness, but they just don’t.

Unforgettable

I was considering this for the main list at one point, but ironically, I forgot about it.  It was bad, don’t get me wrong.  If you’ve seen one Lifetime inspired revenge fantasy, you’ve seen them all.  But compared to last year’s entry “When The Bough Breaks”, at least Rosario Dawson tries here in comparison to basically no one trying in that other one.  She tries really hard.  Still sucks though.

A tad more than usual.  Enough of the previews, onto the feature presentation!

 

CLAPPY'S TOP TEN WORST FILMS OF 2017

Spoiler

Some quick thoughts about the horror genre this year.  For the second year in a row, I think we had more good come out of this genre than bad.  Are good horror movies making a comeback again?  That’s up for what you, the people, choose to decide.  Because if we keep spending our money wisely when it comes to movies, then movie studios will pay attention.  That way, we won’t keep getting revivals of properties that are way past their expiration dates like Underworld (action/horror but still) or Saw…whoops I mean Jigsaw (seriously guys, who are you trying to fool?).  Eventually, the money pit with these franchise are going to run dry, case in point:

 

10. Rings

 

 

And this is coming from someone who loved the original and thought the sequel wasn’t as bad as many people made it out to be.  But this?  Dear god, this series should have been left back in the early 2000s where it belongs.  I mean not even the studio hacks who thought rebooting this franchise would work in 2017 couldn’t even bother to get with the times.  In the era of smartphones and tablets, this movie feels supremely dated.  HOW MANY PEOPLE STILL USE LANDLINE PHONES IN 2017 I ASK?!  Fear not though because thanks to some supremely stupid logic and reasoning, you can now watch Samara on QuickTime…and not the latest update of QuickTime, an older update from years and years ago.  I know this movie was sitting on the shelf for two years, but Jesus I would call some of this technological jargon outdated in 2015 too.

Even if you look past how out of date this movie feels, as a movie this is fucking terrible.  These jump scares are so supremely predictable that I called every single one ahead of time. The acting, outside of a wasted performance by Vincent D’Onofrio, is wooden, bland, and utterly forgettable.  I couldn’t tell you who our lead actress was and I’m supremely good with lead names.  All I can tell you is that I thought she looked like Jessica Alba, I wonder what she’s been up to?  This movie is an utter bore and I hope we can throw The Ring franchise back in the well with Samara, where it belongs.

 

Spoiler

https://thetempest.co/2015/01/23/entertainment/death-chick-flick/

Take the time to read this if you are looking for an interesting read about film genre tropes.  It’s one of my favorite articles over the past few years I’ve found from some of my film going sites.  It brings up a legitimate question that is definitely debatable.  Is it time to officially declare “the chick flick” dead?  That is a very good question.  There was a time in my life in the 2000s where I immediately associated films with multiple female leads as bad movies.  Now that wasn’t always the case because there were plenty of movies from that time frame that I actually love like Mean Girls, as the article above pointed out. 

No, if you want to point out the one genre that was to blame for my judgment, as it always comes back to is “romantic comedies”.  I can’t think of a genre that got more tired, more predictable, more burnt out by the public faster than romantic comedies in the 2000s.  God, too many bad ones I don’t even know where to start.  I can sit here all day and fill a Top Ten Worst Romantic Comedies of the 2000s list and have to make some supremely painful cuts.  But I think the consumers have wised up in the 2010s, as we are now getting smarter movies with multiple female leads to put the term “chick flick” to death.  But every so often, a movie comes out that brings back 2000 romantic comedy PTSD and goes to show that studios still want to force these onto us.

 

9. Home Again

 

 

It’s like I never left the last decade each time we get force-fed one of these awful piece of shit movies.  I do legitimately like Reese Witherspoon and I know how good of an actress she is, but I feel like she’s done this role way too many times.  Granted not as a single mother though, but that’s why we have to have inner conflict when three 20 something year old men come into the picture and are living with her and her kids and she has to fall in love with one of them or something….I don’t know and quite frankly I couldn’t care less because this movie is artificial ass.

This is such a hollow movie.  None of these people feel real.  Everything in this movie is so fake.  I can seriously go straight down the romantic comedy check list and it hits every mark.  And here is something I learned just by looking up this movie.  The director is the daughter of Nancy Meyers, who has honestly directed some of the better romantic comedies out there, and Charles Shyer (a long time screenwriter who has so many movies under his belt I don’t know where to start).  Which makes even more sense now because Reese Witherspoon’s character is the daughter of a former big name director father and actress mother.  Does this mean Home Again was inspired by the directors’ own life?  Ugh who cares if this was a passion project or not.  This straight sucks.  Next.

 

Spoiler

 

It can’t be understated how big of a news story it was that Disney bought out 20th Century Fox.  Disney monopolizing the competition like this is...just surreal.  I know I posted that photo of The Simpsons predicting this making light-hearted fun out of it, but man I'm still shook.  Yeah you can go ahead and question all you want about monopolization and fair competition, but hey I'm going to try and look at the brighter side of this acquistion for this post.

Think of all the franchises now in the Disney library.  The X-Men, Blu Sky Studios, Avatar, Alvin and the Chipm….oh dear god no, please leave those movies dead Disney.  With all of these franchises now in Disney’s hands, maybe it’s time to end some of their current ones.  Case in point.

 

8. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

 

 

Look, we’ve all admitted by now that Disney did a hell of a job making a billion dollar franchise off an amusement park ride.  We’ve admitted that for over ten years now.  It’s also been ten years since we’ve gotten a Pirates movie that is anywhere remotely close to being decent.  These movies keep getting progressively worse and if it wasn’t for the fact that the first one is one of my all-time favorite movies, I would have given up on this franchise a long time ago.

But now, in 2017, this ship has sunken.  I’m done with this damn series.  I’m done with Johnny Depp’s now impression of his Jack Sparrow persona.  I’m done with them trying to make the next Orlando Bloom with these young guys who don’t have Bloom’s charisma.  I’m done with these messy plots.  I’m done with these MacGuffins they search for.  I’m done with the endless callbacks to the first movie.  I’m done with them failing to make the bad guys “the bad guys” because they are only antagonistic because Jack Sparrow is an asshole.  I’m done with the fake outs of Barbossa being truly dead once and for all.  Not a spoiler because this is like the third time this franchise has done that.  I’m done with them teasing even more movies in the mid credit sequences, especially this last one because the villain that’s being teased to return wasn’t that interesting to begin with.  I’m done with all the classic rock star cameos (seriously Pete Best is the best you can get?).

These movies are just sleep walking through their run times now and I’m just so damn done with them.  I don’t know why I keep falling for this same trap over and over again?  I guess I keep hoping that one of them can recapture the magic feeling the first one gave me.  But as of now, this franchise is a dead man walking.  Literally.  I think Johnny Depp is dead on the inside from so many of these movies.

 

Spoiler

Two years ago, I called the original hilariously bad…yet still terrible.  But the joke is over.  All because we got a sequel that is seriously 100 times worse.

7. Fifty Shades Darker

 

 

I don’t think a full length explanation is needed because the amounts of suck involved with this source material is self-explanatory.

But let this sink in how much I thought this year sucked.  The original was number six on my worst list of 2015.  The sequel is one spot higher.  I don’t understand who finds these movies sexy?  They are so ridiculously bad…and that was just the first one. 

The second one is not even funny levels of awful.  I cringed so many times watching this.  The acting is even more wooden than the first one.  I don’t know how that’s possible unless they got a massive pay raise or something so they phoned in as hard as the people who made this did. 

I’ve seen more passion from house hold appliances than I’ve seen between Dakota and Christian Grey.  Thank god these films are done after next month.

 

Spoiler

This title better stay true to its promise. 

6. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

 

 

Look I like the video games just fine, especially 4 and 7.  When it comes to video game film adaptations sucking, no franchise has sucked more than the Resident Evil movies.  Uwe Boll may have made worse movies, but at least they are one offs theatrically.  These damn movies have gone on for fifteen years with each one sucking worse and worse with each passing installment.  Yet somehow, these keep making a crap ton of money and keep giving Milla Jovovich starring roles.  Yes, The Fifth Element made her a scene stealing star, but it’s been twenty years since that role and she really hasn’t done anything good since then.

But I know what you are thinking, what makes the final chapter that bad?  This has some of the worst directing and editing I have ever seen in a mainstream motion picture.  I know Paul W.S. Anderson has been directing for over twenty years now, but dear god this movie is so much worse because of every decision he made directing and editing this.  The previous Resident Evil movies, yes all five of them, were never these levels of headache inducing pain.  Not helping matters at all is his decision to include so many terrible CGI sequences that are far worse than they usually are while also directing with shaky cam.  Shaky cam: a format of directing that I wish would go away in 2018.  So with all of this choppy film making decisions, it just makes everything around it that much tougher to sit through.  I’m used to the bad acting and the lazy screenwriting.  It’s nothing out of the normal for this movie franchise.  But every single thing that makes this movie that much worse is all because of Paul W.S. Anderson.  It’s his fault that he choose to direct a lot of this movie in shaky cam.  It’s his fault that the editing is some of the worst I’ve ever seen.  It’s probably his fault that this movie is a post 3-D conversion to make some more money.

But hey, it’s just another day for the Resident Evil movie franchise.  Most of us won’t do anything for as long as the Resident Evil movies have sucked.

 

Spoiler

 

One of the biggest punching bags over the past two years is the self-implosion of the DC Comics Extended Universe.  Now we’ve all had our fair share of cheap shots making fun of how badly this cinematic universe is fucking screwed, myself included.  But I’ll be honest with you guys, even I’m getting tired of pointing out how doomed they are.  Especially in 2017, when both entries into this franchise were both good (Wonder Woman) and not as bad as I initially feared, but still a slight clusterfuck that I thought was meh at best 5/10 (Justice League).  Yeah I know I put both entries last year on my dishonorable mentions list, but even then they weren’t outright disasters like the public consensus made them out to be.

What I’m trying to say here is fight the real enemy.

 

5. The Mummy

 

 

Say what you want, but at least the DCEU had one movie that was successful enough to kickstart their cinematic universe.  Universal completely fucked up their Dark Universe with one hell of an epic disaster.  This not only bombed critically and financially, but it single handedly ended the Dark Universe before it even began.  Bride of Frankenstein, which was supposed to be released next, is no more.  The Invisible Man?  Disappeared.  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?  Split.  Creature from the Black Lagoon?  Drowned.

So how bad is this?  Guys, this movie fucking sucked a big fat one.  It focuses way too much on planning ahead rather than focusing on making a competent movie to begin with.  This movie has no identity because it tries too hard to follow every modern trend that is going on without any sort of distinct flavor that makes it unique in its own right.  Shoot off the top of my head, I can say it follows the zombie trend, the superhero trends, the giant action/adventure epic trend, the jump scare horror trend, the chosen one cliché, and it does all this without any hints of self-awareness or any sort of fun that you would expect from a popcorn blockbuster flick.

It does have one thing though, it has that studio meddling of overconfidence that this is the first chapter in a cinematic universe.  When in reality, it’s an epic misstep that is fucking awful.

 

Spoiler

 

2017 was a banner year for Stephen King adaptations as we got far more of them than we have in previous years.  And while we all know how big of a cultural phenomenon IT was, I’d like to talk about how good Gerald’s Game was because that is going to be lost amongst all of the awards recognition.  Netflix seriously needs to start letting their original movies be qualified for awards season because this was a good one.  Oh yeah, what was the third Stephen King adaptation again?

 

4. The Dark Tower

 

 

No.  Amongst all of the Stephen King movies we’ve gotten in the past decade, this was the fucking worst.  I should have anticipated this was going to suck so hard with it being in “developmental hell” for fifteen years, but I held the slightest amount of optimism because this book series is one of King’s most treasured entities.  Good lord this movie was a clusterfuck.  How can you decide to continue an eight novel series that ended perfectly with such a thrown together, half-assed steaming pile of dogshit?

The Dark Tower book series was an enthralling eight book series that blends multiple thematic elements into an epic quest for our hero, the “gunslinger” as he heads to a physical tower, that’s also metaphorically symbolic about something I don’t want to deeply spoil because it really is a damn good book series that you all should go read.  The Dark Tower movie is about a special chosen one who helps a good guy beat a bad guy.  That is literally it.  So you go from an awesome book series that is pretty much King’s magnum opus to a shitty, by the numbers, mainstream movie that we’ve seen done so many fucking times.  That’s like making the Harry Potter book adaptations into a crime drama.  It’s a jump sharking decision.

So yeah, absolute failure in terms of adapting the source material.  How is the adaptation itself?  Honestly, it is so by the numbers that it’s beyond boring.  Like if you’ve seen one summer blockbuster like this, you’ve seen them all.  Which is just supremely disappointing because I can’t stress enough how good the books are. 

 

Spoiler

There were a lot of theatrical disasters this year.  But say what you will, at least these last few were put together cohesively and had a beginning, middle, and end.

 

3. The Snowman

 

 

I still have no idea what the hell The Snowman was and who is to blame this disaster.  I’m fully convinced this was sabotaged in some way shape or form because with this talented of a cast, director, and writing team, there was no way in hell The Snowman was supposed to be these levels of bad.  Granted, we’ve seen time and time again that Michael Fassbender is terrible at picking out these sorts of projects since this is like the third year in a row where he’s been the leading man in a critically reviled piece of shit.  Even then, I refuse to believe it because Martin Scorsese is involved.

What we got was an incomprehensible, yet beautiful disaster.  The cinematography was really good…and that’s about it.  This movie was a mashed mess of ideas that didn’t fully develop into a coherent one with a beginning, middle, and end.  I have never read the novel this was inspired by, but I’m pretty sure books have beginnings, middles, and ends.  Shoot, director Tomas Alfredson said that the studio wouldn’t let him shoot 15% of the script, so the proof is completely in the pudding there that this was sabotaged.

You never get the chance to fully understand anything that is going on because this movie is so unfinished.  Why the hell is Fassbender’s character, Harry Hole (yep that’s his name, laugh it up) a raging alcoholic that consistently wakes up on park benches?  Does he have a troubled past?  Is that also why he smokes nearly a pack a day?  His backstory is nonexistent.

But yeah stupid decision after stupid decision in this movie and it makes you wonder how much of the blame goes to the studio for meddling or how much goes to the director.  Yes, Tomas Alfredson’s previous two movies are fantastic, but he has to get some of the blame here.  He sets up most of this movie for future movies that I guarantee won’t be coming now.  He kills of the lead female character, who allegedly plays an integral role in the rest of the book series so there goes that idea.  Shoot even the “big action scene” at the very end feels completely awkward.

Guys, this is the biggest misfire of the year.  Plain and simple.  It’s got beautiful cinematography but that can only get you so far when the rest of your movies is a melted, meddled mess.

 

Spoiler

I bet you were all expecting this to top my worst list, weren’t you?

 

2. The Emoji Movie

 

 

Making fun of The Emoji Movie is way too easy.  But even if I did have some sort of quality ranting to give on this movie, countless of others have already done it better.

Now for my quality two cents.  This movie doesn’t suck to me for all of the reasons you’ve heard others list previously.  No, it fucking sucks because it’s not even remotely interestingly bad.  Don’t get me wrong, I hated everything that everyone else hated…but I knew what I was expecting.  I knew walking into this that there were going to be product placements.  I knew walking into this that there were going to be endless amounts of bad to groanworthy puns.  I knew that there was going to be poop jokes.  I knew there was going to be some sort of terrible morals about how we should all text more.

Now here is where my biggest problem lied.  There was zero flavor to this movie.  I walked in expecting to have a crap ton of Crap Cinema material, but this movie couldn’t even give me that.  You’re the motherfucking Emoji Movie.  Everybody knows you’re going to be a dated terrible animated movie.  Do something to give your consumers something to remember you by.  Why do you have to be so by the numbers and be exactly what everyone expected you to be?  Wasn’t one of your messages to embrace what makes you different?  EMBRACE THE FACT THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE TERRIBLE THE MOMENT THIS MOVIE WAS ANNOUNCED. 

Like the potential was there for this to be so bad, that it could have been good.  I knew I was going to hate this as soon as it was announced, but here’s the honest truth about me.  I go into everything with an open mind.  I don’t look at the Rotten Tomatoes scores and have that judge my thoughts by connection.  I don’t follow other movie critics and use their word as verbatim.  I do all of that because I like knowing what others think, but I format my own opinion by myself.  The potential was there that I could have laughed this movie off and think “you know what, this movie was dogshit, but I respect it for being that”.

The Emoji Movie was none of that.  It was dogshit because it believed it was dogshit.  It’s not even interesting levels of bad.  It’s a studio hack thinking that this is what children want and shoves it right at them.  It’s a functioning product with zero flavors.  I fucking hate it for that more than anything else.

 

Spoiler

So when it comes to the movies, I go to be entertained.  Whether they are good or bad.  I’ve done a lot of complaining about this year and any one of these movies could easily top this list.  But at the end of the day, I have to ask myself this question.  What movie did I take the least amount out of?  What movie felt like the smallest amount of effort was put into?  Which one sucked the most?  Which one was absent of anything redeeming out of it?  Well after sitting on this decision long and hard, I think it’s safe to say what my worst movie of 2017 truly was.

 

1. Flatliners

 

 

 

I bet nearly all of you forgot this existed, didn’t you?  Yes, the remake of the already terrible Joel Schumacer film is hands down, one of the most boringly bad movies I have ever seen.  There is not a single redeeming quality about this movie.  Which is INCREDIBLE because this cast is actually quite talented: Ellen Page, Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, James Norton, and Kiersey Clemons are all young talented actors.  Kiefer Sutherland, who was in the original, is in this too.  Granted playing a different character for some weird reason since he was still alive at the end of the original.  This shouldn’t have sucked.

But dear god this bored the hell out of me.  There was not a single thing even close to remotely interesting in this movie and it’s about medical students attempting near death experiences because of their fascination with the afterlife.  HOW CAN YOU MAKE ONE OF THE MOST BORING MOVIES EVER OUT OF THAT?  I sat in the practically empty theater with like two other people bored to tears.  No joke, I actually got so bored that I started to play Doodle Jump on my phone.  Then after I got bored with that, I downloaded Minecraft for my iPhone to see if I got better at that game (spoiler alert: I still suck at Minecraft).  And you know what the worst part was?  No matter how good of a multi-tasker I am, I still don’t feel like I missed a damn thing about this movie.

None of these characters are interesting.  The jump scares in this are supremely predictable.  I even called the death of the main character (let’s be honest, none of you are going to actually sit and watch this so why should I bother with the spoilers).  If it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve made a resolution after walking out of 47 Ronin (the only time I’ve ever done that) to never walk out of a movie ever again, this is the closest I’ve been since then to testing my patience on said resolution.  Like I stood up out of my seat walked down the stairs, stopped myself, hesitated, then walked back up those stairs and sat at a different seat because there was only three people in the room with me.

See?  Even my own personal story is more fascinating than this fucking movie.  This is usually the part where I usually say some sort of pun like “Flatliners falls flat” or “This movie is dead on arrival” but no.  It doesn’t deserve one of my clever puns that have probably already been used before.  Fuck this movie.  Worst movie of one of the worst movie going years.