It took long enough, but I’m finally back with something new. I couldn’t let 2012 go without weighing in on the year in television with my top 10 shows of the year. Just like last year the list is a combination of best (what I consider to be objective) and favorite (my subjective view). I’d argue I watch a lot of television, but there’s no way I can watch everything. Some shows that may have been up for consideration I simply cannot speak on because I’ve never seen them. If there was an overall theme in television in 2012 it would be that there were many quality shows, but the overall quality was a little bit down from a year ago. Nearly every show on this list was not quite as good as its previous season. Still, 2012 made for a great year of television.

WARNING: SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT

In the discussion but on the outside looking in:

• “Homeland” (Showtime) – Midway through the season “Homeland” was a lock to be in the top 10. Then the wheels came off in episode 10 and 11 in particular. It’s not that the show became implausible, it’s that it became dumb. I’m not sure if the season worked for those of us who were not invested in the Carrie/Brody romance either.
• “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO) – It ended up tying together well enough, but there were too many mediocre episodes before the last quarter of the season. I’m afraid Nucky is not an incredibly compelling central character, unfortunately. 
• “Bob’s Burgers” (FOX) – Hilarious, but for some reason I have a hard time putting it on.
• “Parenthood” (NBC) – The cancer storyline this season has featured so many stellar moments, but I had some serious problems with how the previous season ended. It’s still my favorite network drama and a show I’m happy to turn on.

10. “New Girl” (FOX) – It was fairly easy for me to nail down the top nine shows of the year, but the tenth spot was a battle. There were as many as seven shows that were in contention for the final spot in the top ten, but I ended up giving “New Girl” the very slight edge. “New Girl” has really improved from a show that was merely watchable into one of the most solid sitcoms on television. The show becoming less reliant on Zooey Deschanel and showcasing the ensemble was the biggest reason for the improvement; the chemistry between the actors is all over the screen in each episode. Jake Johnson (Nick) and Max Greenfield (Schmidt) have taken turns stealing the show while developing into two of the best comedic characters on television. “New Girl” is good for laughs and easy to watch entertainment each time out.

• “The Episode” – Secrets
• MVP – Jake Johnson (Nick Miller) – The show’s former straight man has turned into a comedic powerhouse. He delivers the touching moments and funny moments whenever needed.

9. “Justified” (FX) – “Justified” may not go as deep as some of the shows on this list (that’s not to say it’s shallow), but it’s damn entertaining. The third season wasn’t as strong as the excellent second season, but it turned out just fine. “Justified” has established a gallery of compelling characters over three seasons – almost all of which can wield a weapon or two with expertise. I look forward to seeing scenes with these characters and actors. Take Timothy Olyphant (Raylan Givens) and Walton Goggins (Boyd Crowder) at the top of that list. Every time they’re on screen together I get a grin. The dialogue stays snappy with these cool customers too; this show has tons of swagger. But where the second season was very focused the third season had a lot ins, outs, and moving parts to the point where it became a little too convoluted, though it tied together nicely in the end. The real problem with the third season, for me, was something that could be seen as a minor detail, but is just a massive pet peeve of mine. In one of the late episodes of the season, the “big bad” of the season, Neal McDonough’s Robert Quarles is captured by his arch nemesis Boyd. Boyd had all the incentive in the world to either kill Quarles or turn him over to the mafia. Instead he leaves him with a couple of drugged up prostitutes in a camper where he escapes rather easily. Again it could be seen as a small thing, but it undermines the brains of Boyd who has proven to be a master tactician in the world of the show and just looks like the writers wrote themselves into a bad corner. I quite enjoy this show, but that misstep is one of my lasting memories of season three.

• “The Episode” – Thick as Mud
  
• MVP – Timothy Olyphant (Raylan Givens) – A solid season from the show’s lead character. Could always go with Walton Goggins and I liked Mykelti Williamson’s Ellstin Limehouse, but he wasn’t featured enough.

8. “Luck” (HBO) – In all honesty, I don’t know a whole lot about horse racing. “Luck,” a show with none, couldn’t have done much of a better job of throwing an audience into the world of horse racing. The show gave us some insight into the owners, agents, trainers, jockeys, and gamblers that were all connected by a racetrack. While other shows are primarily concerned with plot or character development “Luck,” I feel, was more about world. It was about developing an environment. In its first and only season the show required some patience but ultimately picked up as it headed towards the home stretch. Even in its slower moments towards the beginning of the season, the world building and characters were more than enough to keep up interest. The majesty on display in each horse race was absolutely tremendous. The ensemble cast was among the very best on television this year as well. Unfortunately the death of some horses used on the show led to its cancellation after just one nine episode season. I was really looking forward to seeing where “Luck” was going at the conclusion of the first season, but we’ll never be able to see what else it had in store. It’s a bummer, but the safety of the animals clearly takes precedent over producing a television show.

• “The Episode” – Episode Four
  
• MVP – John Ortiz (Turo Escalante) – He obviously doesn’t have the fanfare of Dustin Hoffman or Nick Nolte, but Ortiz’s performance worked best for me and his character was probably more connected with the rest of the stable of characters than any other.

7. “Girls” (HBO) – The year’s top new show was also probably the most controversial. Whether it was talk of nepotism (ridiculous), race, or the general “unlikeability” of some of the characters (yes, the characters can be quite unlikable but that could be at least part of the point), “Girls” seemed to get it from all sides. Count me in the camp that defends the show (it wouldn’t be in the top 10 if I didn’t). There are two things that really worked for me in the first season. First, the characters. In real short order Lena Dunham and company defined the characters and relationships. What worked for me even more was the show focusing, to a decent extent, on what it’s like to be twenty-something years old trying to find your way in the world. While I cannot relate to the “girlie” stuff (for lack of a better phrase), I most definitely identify with thinking that your talents are not being realized in your day-to-day life, wanting more out of life, or just generally being lost while still living a pretty privileged life in comparison with most peers. I really appreciated the moments the show devoted to having those feelings. As for the wide criticism the show received, I don’t buy much of it. For me, the bottom line is that the show is well made and can be what it chooses to be; it shouldn’t have to be something it doesn’t want to be (just because others want it to be something it may not have an interest in being). The first season of “Girls” was impressive and a pleasant surprise from a show that frankly was not really on my radar when the year began.

• “The Episode” – All Adventurous Women Do 
• MVP – Lena Dunham (Hannah Horvath) – It’s hard to pick anyone else considering her voice is so clearly all over each episode.

6. “30 Rock” (NBC) – No show packs the jokes like “30 Rock.” They come fast and furious. If you’re not paying enough attention you can miss an array at any given moment. In 2012 “30 Rock” was perhaps the best it has been in airing 30 new episodes. The regular cast with Liz and Jack at the center has been so good for so long; when you add in the recurring characters and guest stars you have a mine full of comedic gold to be layered over an episode. I have yet to see a cast member look uncommitted to a joke as the actors on this show never look afraid to do something embarrassing for a laugh. Not only does the show pack the jokes as mentioned above, but they are as hilarious and clever as they come on television or elsewhere. In its last season, “30 Rock” has paid off a lot of plot with Liz getting married and I’d imagine her and Criss having a child one way or another. With over 125 episodes in the series’ run the show still feels incredibly fresh. “30 Rock” is going out on a high note.

• “The Episode” – Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky
• MVP – Alec Baldwin (Jack Donaghy) – It’s a flip of the coin between Baldwin and Tina Fey (Liz Lemon).

5. “Louie” (FX) – In “Louie,” you never know what to expect. One week Louie may take a trip down to Miami, the next he could be on the most memorable date any of us could imagine, and then he could find himself in the running to take over “The Late Show” from David Letterman. This show is so original and has such a distinctive voice behind it. This third season was maybe a half step down from the spectacular second season, but that still leaves it as one of the very best series on television in 2012. I appreciate so many things about “Louie” but maybe what I appreciate most is that it has something to say about people, relationships, and the world. Sure, it has its laughs (I consider Louis C.K. to be one of the very funniest people on this planet), but it also operates much deeper than the surface whenever it chooses to. The three episode arch of Louie going for the Late Show gig was capped off as perfectly as I could have imagined and the season’s finale, New Year’s Eve, was a splendid character piece. It’s definitely a downer that there won’t be any new “Louie” in 2013, but I will be yearning for its return in 2014.

• “The Episode” – Late Show (Part 3)
• MVP – Louis C.K. (Louie) – The guest stars are consistently well cast, but who else can you give this to? C.K. is great and his stamp is plastered all over this show.

4. “Game of Thrones” (HBO) – Last year’s number one show takes a bit of a drop with what I felt was a weaker second campaign. The scope and scale of this show is something that I have never experienced on television. ‘Thrones’ is this most ambitious show on television simply with its vastness and world building. But I had some issues with how the second season ultimately shaped up, specifically with regard to the disservice I feel was paid to some of its key characters, namely Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen and to a smaller degree, Robb “King of the North” Stark. There were too many wheel-spinning scenes with Jon Snow beyond the wall and Dany talking a big game about her dragons. Robb held so many cards but ultimately became too concerned with his love life while King’s Landing was up for grabs and his home was being overtaken. It’s tough; this has to stand on its own as a television show in my opinion, but obviously has a book series it derives its stories from. Though I had my complaints, I was still enamored with much of the season, the characters, and the battle for power in this brutal world. There is nothing on television I love to hate more than Joffrey Baratheon either. There is lots to like about this show and I eagerly await a third season that I expect to be tremendous.

• “The Episode” – Blackwater
• MVP – Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) – Losing Ned Stark at the end of season one really opened the door for Tyrion’s role to be expanded and Dinklage took full advantage. I’d say that Lena Headey’s (Cersei Lannister) performance was a close second.

3. “Breaking Bad” (AMC) – There’s nothing I anticipate more on television than the cold open to each “Breaking Bad” episode. Those scenes set up episodes (and seasons) tonally and stylistically so damn well. I mean, I can’t imagine a viewer watching the first scene of the season where a disheveled Walter White is given a trunk full of machine gun not being totally grabbed and thinking, “Whoa, where is this going?”. Another thing I thought though was, “How far in the future is this really?” “Breaking Bad” is a show that is extremely deliberate with pacing and timing. With a definitive episode limit established it felt like some of that care was surrendered in service of getting to a specific end. I don’t know if it was so much a reveal but it became clear that over four seasons of story apparently took place in one year. The finale of Season Five Part One pushed through several weeks of story in a “Crystal Blue Persuasion” montage; don’t get me wrong the montage was incredible story telling, but it was out of the ordinary for this show. I have to admit a little concern set in with the disappearance of Jesse Pinkman in later parts of the half season as well. Even with some of these minor quibbles the first eight episodes of this final season were quite good. There were incredibly memorable moments like the train heist. The darker the show got (and it got plenty dark) the more confident and “hateable” its main character seemed to become, which made for fascinating television. The holy s**t moment to end the first half of the season leaves me anxiously awaiting how this is all going to come to an end.

• “The Episode” – Madrigal
• MVP – Bryan Cranston (Walter White) – A boring pick, but he commanded the action more than ever and his performance never wanes.

2. “Mad Men” (AMC) – “Mad Men” is not my favorite show on television. For whatever reason it doesn’t make me tick like some other series, but I do admire the craft with which it is made. Looking back at television in 2012 I cannot think of a better back-to-back-to-back stretch as Signal 30, Far Away Places, and At the Codfish Ball. So much of the fifth season was expertly acted and put together. The impending doom that surrounded Sterling Cooper Draper Price throughout the season paid off devastatingly with Lane’s suicide. The image of Lane hanging from his office ceiling was one of the most memorable and haunting images of the year. I didn’t like every storyline in the season. Looking back I didn’t care for the Pete’s philandering, Joan selling herself for a stake in the company or basically anything that dealt with Betty. I’ve always thought this show was at its best when it dealt with the business side of the story. This season showed what happens when these characters aren’t focused on business and the consequences that surface. The people involved with this show seem to have a firm grasp on what they are doing.

• “The Episode” – Signal 30
• MVP – Jon Hamm (Don Draper) – It’s kind of crazy that Hamm has gotten no love from the EMMYs even though the show has.

1. “Parks and Recreation” (NBC) – The consistency of “Parks and Recreation” is really something to marvel at. Not only is this series consistent, it’s consistently great. It’s a surprise when an episode drops below the high bar the show has set. Those below the bar episodes are far from poor, but are merely good in comparison to what is typically delivered. But what really makes ‘Parks’ the top show for me in 2012 is the characters and my investment in their stories. I really care about what happens to these characters and look forward to them interacting on a weekly basis. Leslie’s run for city council opened up many more possibilities for characters to grow and take on different roles. It has allowed the show to stay fresh while it progresses through its fifth season. At this point the series has developed a world and characters that are well fleshed out. ‘Parks and Rec’ does funny and sweet better than anything on television. The characters on the show definitely care about each other (even though some wouldn’t necessarily want to admit it) and I get the genuine feeling that carries over off the screen. The optimism and care the show exhibits is something I really appreciate.

• “The Episode”: Ron and Diane
  
• MVP: Chris Pratt (Andy Dwyer) – I’m a little surprised by this because I don’t typically go for slapstick as much as others. But Pratt plays Dwyer with such charm it works fantastically.

Please comment if you have thoughts.

Thank you for reading.