Best in TV: 2012-2013 Season

To make this list, a show had to premiere between 1 June, 2012 and 31 May, 2013.

Top 10 Shows
1. "Game of Thrones" - HBO
2. "Orphan Black" – BBC America
3. "The Americans" - FX
4. "Justified" - FX
5. "Mad Men" – AMC
6. "House of Cards" – Netflix
7. "Veep" - HBO
8. "New Girl" - FOX
9. "Parks and Recreation" - NBC
10. "30 Rock" - NBC

I thought about making this a top 20 list because I could have easily picked another 10 shows I loved this season, but I cut myself off at 10 (originally, this was supposed to be a top 5 list). Also, the top 6 are all hour-long dramas while the rest are all half-hour comedies. Coincidence? Or am I saying that dramas are more meaningful?

Top 10 Performances
1. Tatiana Maslany: Sarah, Alison, Cosima, et al. – "Orphan Black"
2. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: Jaime Lannister - "Game of Thrones"
3. Jennifer Carpenter: Debra Morgan - "Dexter"
4. Matthew Rhys: Philip Jennings - "The Americans"
5. Maisie Williams: Arya Stark – "Game of Thrones"
6. Peter Dinklage: Tyrion Lannister – "Game of Thrones"
7. Julia Louis-Dreyfus: Selina Meyer – "Veep"
8. Clarke Peters: Albert Lambreaux - "Treme"
9. Charles Dance: Tywin Lannister – "Game of Thrones"
10. Bryan Cranston: Walter White – "Breaking Bad"

Honorable Mentions
Diana Rigg: Olenna Tyrell – "Game of Thrones"
Keri Russell: Elizabeth Jennings – "The Americans"

I realize there are a lot of GAME OF THRONES actors on this list. What can I say? The show has terrific performances that I consider better than most shows. I did try to not include that many from one show but I couldn't in good conscience do it and keep the list genuine.

Also, before someone asks why I didn't break the list up between men and women, it's because they are all actors. Why separate acting categories by sexes? That's ridiculous. This isn't athletics.

Top 5 New Shows
1. "Orphan Black" – BBC America
2. "The Americans" - FX
3. "House of Cards" - Netflix
4. "Elementary" - CBS
5. "Copper" – BBC America

There weren't that many new shows I thought should be on this list that I actually watched. The CW's ARROW could have made this list but I'm not finished watching it. Consider it an honorable mention.

And the Top Talent Award of the 2012-2013 Season goes to:

Tatiana Maslany – "Orphan Black"
This young Canadian actor bested highly respected veterans in a TV season with many excellent performances. If you aren’t watching her on ORPHAN BLACK, then I cannot emphasize enough that it would benefit your life to do so as soon as possible.

The From Best-to-Worst Award goes to:

"Community" - NBC
Created by Dan Harmon and killed by Dan Harmon’s firing. The new show runners tried very hard to deliver on the fruitful Harmon garden but only managed to peel back some skin without squeezing out an ounce of juice (minus one episode by Oscar winning writer Jim Rash). Thankfully Harmon has been hired back for next season.

*The choices are personal and not meant to be definitive. Make your own and post it in the comments section.

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Furycast 63 - FOX is Not a Real Network

Jess and Magnus discuss CHUCK (way too much), NEW GIRL, HAPPY ENDINGS, PARKS AND RECREATION, ARCHER, plus some other stuff... like how FOX is not a real network... ummm... Viggo Mortensen... what else? Racism in the industry... look, it is an hour long. It is bound to cover a lot of stuff that I can't remember. Just let it be people! Let it be!

WARNING: this is essentially an unedited podcast. Only 12 seconds at the beginning and 10 at the end were cut out. So if we relieve ourselves or drink water or stop talking for a minute... it is all there. ENJOY!

To listen, press play below.


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Furycast 62 - That Horrible Noise

Jess and Magnus discuss a whole heap of things including the CHUCK anniversary, NEW GIRL, HAPPY ENDINGS, PARKS AND RECREATION, GAME OF THRONES, FRINGE, movies, and why the Golden Globes are dumb. Plus more. Adult language used.

WARNING!!!! Jess' microphone is apparently so bad that I had to put a noise filter on the entire podcast just to help drown out the buzz emanating from it. At times it isn't as bad as other times. It may bother some more than others. I apologize for this and have all the confidence in the world that Jess won't give two shits about it and make no effort to improve her microphone issues in the future.

Autoplaying for my convenience.


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Furycast 57 - Shuttlecock Your Turkey

 
Jess and Magnus discuss NEW GIRL, PARKS AND RECREATION, HAPPY ENDINGS, and THE WALKING DEAD.

EXPECT SPOILERS FOR EVERY SHOW DISCUSSED!



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Furycast 55 - Greatest Podcast Ever Part VII

THIS EPISODE WILL FUCK YOUR FACE OFF!

Jess and Magnus talk BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD & CHROME, WALKING DEAD, PARKS AND RECREATION, REVOLUTION, STAR WARS, ELEMENTARY blahblahblah stuff stuff, Yvonne Strahovski crying and sex scenes, and so on and therefor plus HOMELAND, MY SO-CALLED LIFE, STAR TREK, CHUCK yaddayaddapoopmonster there and back again, and Brad Pitt's sucking of Billy Bob Thorton's blood vile around Angelina Jolie's neck, runonsentences plus more. AND A FUCKIN' OUTTAKE THAT WILL FLIP YOUR TITS OFF!

This is the greatest podcast in the history of womankind! If you don't listen to it, your dick will become a pooh-C.... and just think, I edited out 15 minutes for being too hardcore.

PRESS PLAY!


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Furycast 52 - We Are Back!

 
Jess and Magnus discuss DOWNTON ABBEY, NEW GIRL, THE MINDY PROJECT, PARKS AND RECREATION, 30 ROCK, HAPPY ENDINGS, THE WALKING DEAD, and tons of political and social science stuff (republicans, religious types, and general conservative leaning individuals should just skip that final half hour). We also briefly mention the new STAR WARS trilogies.

Unedited podcast. EXPECT SPOILERS FOR EVERY SHOW DISCUSSED! Maybe someone can put the times in for me in the comment section so I can list them for everyone. I am just too lazy to do it right now.



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Furycast 45 - Sexalogue

Jess and Magnus talk *breath* DOWNTON ABBEY, COPPER, NEW GIRL, THE MINDY PROJECT, PARKS AND RECREATION, FRINGE fan wars, ANIMAL PRACTICE, 30 ROCK, extras (that do stuff in the background of scenes), what the listeners want... oh hell, we talk a lot of stuff. Just listen. Oh and there are two outtakes at the end.

AUTOPLAY enabled for purely evil reasons.


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If you have any questions, comments, or requests for a future podcast, feel free to call us at 201-639-GEEK (4335) and leave a message!
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Parks and Recreation: 4.11 - 'The Comeback Kid'

The show that never seems to disappoint did the predictable and delivered on nearly every level. As I tweeted, I laughed out-loud at least 11 times (yes, I counted most of them) and a near handful of those nearly killed me as I saw the tunnel closing in as the blackness welcomed me.

The plot? Leslie Knope's campaign for the City Council has hit a snag after her campaign managers dumped her over several public relations issues. Leslie has decided to go with her friends and co-workers instead and made her best pal, Ann Perkins, her campaign manager.

Meanwhile, Leslie's darling lover, Ben Wyatt, is out of work, lounging around, making calzones and claymation movies. Or movie. A few seconds of something, to be exact (in one of those laugh out-loud moments, Ben shows Chris what he's been working on, which amounts to about 5 seconds).

When Ann has to get a famous local basketball player, Pistol, to not just endorse Leslie at a rally, but also perform one of is famous dunks, the pressure builds. Obviously, to a sophisticated TV viewer, the setup is for Ben to replace Ann. But that setup never feels contrived.

The episode is filled with excellent writing, delivery, and settings. Even a painfully embarrassing sequence on ice (sounds like a ready-made promo) that goes on and on and on like something out of an Austin Powers movie works well and had me laughing several times.

Since the best stuff was in the dialogue, let's kick out some QUOTABLES!

Leslie meets with her friends and co-workers at the office to announce who she has selected as her new campaign manager. Everyone is clearly worried she will pick them. To their relief, she picks Ann.
Ann: Leslie, I don't know the first thing about running a political campaign.
Leslie: Ann, you beautiful tropical fish. You're smart as a whip, and you're cool under pressure. You've resuscitated a human heart in your bare hands.
Ann: No, I haven't!
Leslie: You haven't?
Ann: No!
Leslie: You will. You're that good of a nurse.

When Ann accepts the job as campaign manager, Leslie has some words before she exits the room.
Leslie: And your first job as my campaign manager is to start dressing like one. I don't wanna have this conversation again.
Ann: Again? You just hired me eight seconds ago.
April: Wow, you're doing a really bad job.

Leslie talks to the camera about her decision to hire her friends and co-workers to work on her campaign.
Leslie: It's true. I no longer have highly trained professional campaign managers. So what? Are most murders committed by highly trained professional assassins? No. They're committed by friends and co-workers. [pause] That analogy was way better in my head.

When Ron, Andy, April, Tom, and a dog get pulled over by a cop, while hauling material for Leslie's rally in a truck, Ron is coolie defiant.
Ron: Now I respect you and your service to this town and your country. But what laws are we breaking exactly?
Cop: Well, you got four people in the front seat. Nobody's wearing a seat-belt. You were speeding and blasting your horn through the hospital zone. The rear of the vehicle is open. Debris' been falling out, and you don't have a commercial license to drive a truck.
Ron: Okay, well we have a philosophical difference on what constitutes a law.

When Leslie has to leave her meeting with Pistol to help Ron and gang out with the cop, she leaves it up to Ann to convince the basketball star to dunk at her rally.
Leslie: I'm polling at one percent. He must dunk, Ann! Do whatever it takes. You know, anything short of sexual favors.
Ann: What?!
Leslie: I do not, I repeat, I do not want you to tempt him with sexual favors.
Ann: I wasn't going to.
Leslie: Good. I wouldn't neither. That's where I draw the line. Although, I am a little offended that you wouldn't do that for..
Ann: Go!
Leslie: Right.

If I had to rate this one, I'd give it:

94 out of 100.

Not the best story episode but full of fun, laughs, and the usual kick ass performances by this killer cast.

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Parks and Recreation - Citizen Knope

This is my first ever review of PARKS AND RECREATION, a show I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with over time. A rare occurrence as most shows lose my (and most people's) interest over the course of its life. And this season has been so full of greatness that every episode seems to knock some other great episode down a peg on the list of top 20. This continues that trend.

Leslie, having been suspended over the issue with her one-true-love (not my job to catch you up), puts together a community harassment group to fill the hole in her life that is always doing something to the extreme.

And stuff happens that you should know about since you watched it. I will determine how much of an effort I should make every week writing these reviews based on how many people accidentally read this one. So, if you want a full-blown GFucking, get to stroking my ego by sharing a link, freeloaders.

Stuff I loved (apart from everything)

Ron's near emotional breakdown over Leslie's present was my favorite moment.

The Ann and Leslie lovefest was at its all-time adorableness. In fact, I kind of fell in the love with Ann in this one. Sure, I have always had a little baby crush on her but now I am full blown creeper 500-yard restraining order crushing on her. Something about her assertive while still being cute nature just gets me. I guess I like strong girly girls who are sexy like a meow meow.

April's painting of her murdering and collecting the heads of the Black Eyed Peas was bad to the shaved bone strips of her victims. Plus, it is time someone point out that they suck. It's just totally true. They do.

Leslie giving Chris a thoughtful gift and then threatening him was so brilliant, the writers over at WHITNEY slit their wrists. They didn't, but they should. I'm not kidding. You may think I am, but I am not. So...

Chris: Out of respect for you, I will meet with your group. But I hope that this puts an end to the madness.
Leslie: Prepare for battle. Oh, I forgot to tell you. I got your Christmas present. It's like a little stop watch that records your jogging times and then sends it to your computer via blue-tooth.
Chris: (excited) That's so thoughtful!
Leslie: Awww, my pleasure. See you in hell!

The "PCP Make It Fun" t-shirts would be ridiculous if Leslie didn't intentionally make it a drug reference. And that is why this episode works so well. Leslie isn't accidentally making drug references, she knows exactly how to effectively make her group noticeable.

Jean-Ralphio, the 10th or something character on this show, who would barely be a blip on the radar on other shows, gets two standout moments as he advises Ben on career choices and then takes the job Ben turned down without knowing anything about accounting, just to exercise his twisted charm.

If I had to rate this episode with a gun to my head, I'd give it:

94 out of 100

I'd give it a higher number but this is a show that doesn't know how to make bad episodes so I have to lower the score a tad just in case some 99s are coming our way.

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