The Best Episode of the Year?

One of my favorite television sites, The Futon Critic, has released its annual list of the 50 best episodes of 2010. Of no surprise to readers of this blog, TERRIERS holds the top spot. Actually, the opening quote from the entry is "One could make a case for virtually any of these last 10 episodes as being the best episode of 2010." My personal choice would have been episode 12, "Quid Pro Quo," but they chose episode 3, "Change Partners." Either way, way to go Futon Critic! Read the whole article here.

My Favorite TV Characters of 2010, Part 5

5. Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), Fringe - FOX

Olivia used to be the sane one, the square charged with looking after the psychotic Walter Bishop and his globe-trotting criminalistic gad of a son, Peter Bishop. Until this year, when it became clear that Walter's experiments on her when she was a child changed her fundamentally, giving her the ability to travel safely between realities. Then, after she rescued Peter, Walternate switched Olivias, sending theirs to our world, and keeping ours. Following a little psychological adjustment, our Olivia was convinced she belonged on the other side, and their Olivia was sent to spy on this world. Suddenly, we had two Olivias, both hiding their true selves under fear of death, each one exploring the duality of their own existence and comparing themselves against what might have been. And in the end, the reason for Olivia's travel to the other side, her burgeoning love for Peter, is betrayed when he falls in love with the other Olivia.

4. Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox), Lost - ABC

Jack was Lost. From the moment his eyeball first appeared on-screen in 2004, we were following his arc - on the island, before and after, through time and beyond. The final part of his arc, from his acceptance that he couldn't control everything to the acceptance of his destined role to the ultimate acceptance of the inevitable, Jack's journey was the most sublime. Although we might never find ourselves running from the law (Kate and Sawyer) or walking again for the first time (Locke) or pregnant with ideas of giving up the child (Claire), Jack was lost in the most universal way, within himself.

3. Gemma Teller Morrow (Katey Sagal), Sons of Anarchy - FX

Although Jax is the main character of the show, and Clay is the presumable villain of the piece, Gemma's Lady MacBeth is the character that keeps it all together, in all ways good and bad. The sins of her past, which may come back to affect everyone's future, were motivated by the same thing that motivates her today: her own rationalized version of family. Yet when her real family (read: Dad, played by Hal Holbrook)intrudes on her life, she softens and shows sides of vulnerability she'd never be allowed to show with the MC. She is the person everyone comes to for advice at the same time as being a main reason everyone is in trouble. She'll use her own rape to bring family together if she has to, but she'll wait for her own time to do it.

2. Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), Justified - FX

I can't help but be a Walt Goggins fan since his role as "Downtown" Brown in MAJOR LEAUGE - BACK TO THE MINORS. Oh, and there was that whole "The Shield" thing. But the role of Boyd seemed to be tailor-made to fit him. He uses the same smooth, calculated drawl whether he's shooting one of his aryan brothers, blowing up a church with an RPG, forgiving the man who shot and almost killed him, converting hill-dwelling criminals to God, or renouncing his own father. Goggins plays everything straight, letting on nothing, and leaving us to take everything at face value when all the other characters in the show and all our instincts tell us differently. He is charming enough to bring us into his confidence, but also capable of the kind of violence that scares us, and this is what makes him fascinating.

1. Hank Dolworth (Donal Logue), Terriers - FX

The real crime of 2010 television is that we'll never get to spend another hour with Hank. He was one of the most fully-realized realistic portrayals of male angst in recent memory. What was revealed throughout the course of the series and in flashback was that Hank was a cop with a drinking problem. If that was all there was, it wouldn't be much. But what we saw of Hank in the series was that he also had a defensive streak, especially when it came to his wife, that, combined with the drinking, caused him to make bad decisions. He was also sick of seeing rich people buy their way out of trouble. All of this combined to make him lose his job and ultimately his wife, driving him into AA. But at the start of the series, in recovery, he's still fighting for the little guy as an unlicensed PI, with an ex-con under his wing as a partner, trying to get his life back. When his wife tells him she's re-marrying and selling the house, his impulsive nostalgic side buys the house on the last big job he did for a crook. For all this good that he's trying to do, taking on the big guys brings trouble, and Hank gets stuck in a place where it's him or them. The scene in episode 12 where he hugs his sobbing wife and says, simply, "I'm sorry" holds so many layers of subtlety that the emotion comes in waves off of the screen. My favorite show of 2010? Possibly. My favorite character? Definitely.

- - - - -

So, for a little post-game wrap-up, I've got some stats for you. I cheated with three ties, meaning there were 28 characters on my top 25 list. 8 came from FX, 10 from NBC, 3 from ABC, 3 from FOX, 3 from SciFi and 1 from the CW. None from CBS, although Barney Stinson was short-listed. 9 of the 28 were women, which impressed myself. And the list is tilted toward drama, as that is my main interest. My friends make me laugh, I don't need TV for that. And obviously, I don't have a chance to watch some of the best shows on TV. I'd love to be watching Treme, Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Breaking Bad and Mad Men, just to name a few. But either way, I don't think I'd be welcome at the People's Choice Awards.

My Favorite TV Characters of 2010, Part 4

10. John Locke (Terry O’Quinn), Lost - ABC

John Locke is another character that was dead for the entire season this year, but reliving his journey as a wheelchair-bound man lusting for life had greater impact after we had gotten to know him for four (or five?) seasons. When he landed at LAX after skipping his conference, only to be refused a walkabout because of his condition, then to have his luggage lost, and ultimately fired for missing the conference was heartbreaking. Then he gets to come home to the wonderful Katey Sagal, who loves him no matter what and rekindles hope within him, enough to follow the possibility that Jack might be able to make him whole again, only to be ready to pass on to the other side. Wonderful acting by Terry O'Quinn in a most unique role.

9. Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), Friday Night Lights - NBC

This year Matt decided to follow his artistic dreams, which meant quite literally abandoning his longtime girlfriend and finding himself in Chicago. By the time he realized it wasn't all it was cracked up to be without her and went back to Texas to invite her along, she had moved on. While he was home, he got the news that his father was killed overseas, bringing up all the issues he had over his own abandonment, coupled with the pressure of seeing his father as a hero, contrary to his own personal experience.

8. Clarice Willow (Polly Walker), Caprica - SciFi

Clarice was the leader of a secret monotheistic sect, the Soldiers of the One, existing on Caprica. Constantly doing battle with the militaristic arm of the sect over the hearts and minds of the youth, her aim was to convert them with the power of words. But her focus changed once she was introduced to Zoe Graystone, from whom she learned about virtual reality and the possibility of transferring consciousness beyond life expectancy, without end. She called this The Apotheosis and saw it as a way of guaranteeing life after death with monotheism, giving people the ability to not only see Heaven, but to pick their own form when they're gone, essentially eliminating faith and replacing it with a timeshare sales pitch. A fascinating exploration of just how far religion can be sold as a commodity.

7. Britt Pollack (Michael Raymond James), Terriers - FX

Britt was the younger and lighter of the pair of unlicensed detectives at the center of Terriers. Even still, he was the burglar trying to make good, not only by allowing himself to be taken under the wing of an ex-cop in order to do right, but also by committing himself to his veterinarian-student girlfriend Katie. The trouble with trying to do good is that life is inherently contrary, and will throw bad at you no matter what you do. So even as his investigations lead him to break the law again, have his life threatened and get thrown in jail, he maintains his optimism. His rooftop proposal to Katie was the most romantic moment of the year, especially considering that we knew what Katie had done. The heartbreak was felt even deeper because we had been complicit in keeping Katie's secret, and when she told Britt, it was too much for him, and he pushed everything away. Even though the series ended with a question, we get the feeling that Britt maintains his optimism and will make the right choice for everyone.

6. Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant), Justified - FX

Raylan is the Elmore Leonard-based character at the center of Justified. A US Marshall with a clear moral code and enough violence inside him to back it up, he's gotten in more than a little trouble with those higher up. As punishment, he was assigned to Kentucky, from whence he came. The theme of the show is less "You can't go home again" than "Who would want to?" Raylan left behind an ex-wife and a life intimately connected with crime, including a father who always had a crooked angle and friends who now blow up churches with rocket launchers, primarily as distraction for bank jobs. His wife has a new man and his new woman shot her old man. Raylan gets intimately involved in stopping the drug trade as he puts his old friend in jail, a local sheriff turns out to be corrupt, and the drug dealer he shot in Miami has friends with long arms. The long, patient road to the violent finale made us wonder where he would draw the line to protect the two women he had brought into this world.

My Favorite TV Characters of 2010, Part 2

20. Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Lost - ABC

Sawyer, once he seemed to have come to terms with himself, settled down and found love, had it ripped away from him, and we had to wait 8 months to find out what the fallout would be. Then he had his love given back to him only to immediately have it ripped away again. His vengeance turned into action, and nearly self-sacrifice on the sub, only to be given a leadership role on the island. His reunion with Juliet in the sideways portions was unlikely but sweet, and deserving for the guy that was always going to end up on the losing side of love.

19. Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), 30 Rock - NBC

My favorite comedy yields my favorite funny lady. It's hard to distinguish Fey from her character at this point. The comedy on the show is not only satirical and absurd, but "meta" as the kids like to say, to the point of confusion. Did you know Tina's birthname is Liz? Well, Elizabeth. Anyway, Liz Lemon's absurd foibles and inability to cope not only put my problems in perspective, but the keep me laughing in numerous ways. And she always has the coolest ex-boyfriends, from Dean Winters to Jon Hamm to Jason Sudeikis to, possibly, Matt Damon.

18. Sarah Braverman (Lauren Graham), Parenthood - NBC

The Braverman clan is divided into the "good kids" - Adam and Julia - and the "bad kids" - Crosby and Sarah. Both have children out of wedlock, but it's Sarah that's having the tougher time of it. Not only are her kids teens, but she's desperately trying to keep them from making the same mistakes she's made, even as she insists on continuing to make them. Sarah's struggle to maintain her identity in the face of, and in spite of, having children is something that all parents can understand. What I truly appreciate about the character is that it allows me to empathize with a situation I would never be able to fully envision, much as the first season of Sex and the City did.

17. Steph Dolworth (Karina Logue), Terriers - FX

Steph came on the scene about a third of the way into Terriers and established herself not only as a way to deepen Hank's character, but as wonderful character in her own right. Blessed with a genius-level intellect and cursed with the inability to function in society, her escape from the care facility and subsequent B&E squatting at her brother's house gave Hank and Britt a caustic foil, while moving the major plot along and giving us a key glimpse into Hank's protective nature, which underlay the show's entire premise.

16. Art Mullen (Nick Searcy), Justified - FX

If there is one entry on this list that is motivated by a single reason, it is this one. Nick Searcy took what might have been a standard-issue "police captain" part and imbued it with surprising depth. His normal, steady cadence signaled a man who was used to maintaining order in a calm and methodical way, but it also underscored the passion in the character, because when Art exploded, he exploded, giving real emotion and heft to this man who loved and respected his job, without just going through the motions.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.13

Merry Christmas!
My first gift to you is the SERIES finale of the excellent television show TERRIERS. That's right, despite the quality of the show, it will not be coming back. I give FX credit for sticking with it, giving it a chance to grow an audience, but the loss will be felt. If you want to read more about TERRIERS, make sure to stay tuned to this blog next week.

In this episode, all the threads come together, with Gretchen, Stephanie, Laura and Maggie all making appearances. Britt's still trying to stay out of jail and Hank's still trying to save his life. Discoveries are made and new enemies emerge, and the only way out for Hank is to stop it all.

The Best Television of 2010

The AV Club has posted their top 25 television series of the year, and it might be of particular note to readers of this blog that both JUSTIFIED and TERRIERS, FX shows that I have championed right here on this blog, were included in the list. There were also a total of 6 shows that you may be hearing about more next week, if you follow this blog. To read the whole article, click here.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.12

The penultimate episode returns to the land scam that started everything. Hank and Laura are putting together the clues, while Britt considers a deal with the devil. Gretchen and Jason are back, as well as Maggie, and Katie asks for Gretchen's advice.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.11

Hank gets a visit from the reporter he saved, who may just have the answer to the case that ended Hank's police career, and his marriage. Britt tries to recover from his breakup with Katie, but finds it difficult.

The Sad News - Terriers Cancelled

It become official yesterday. Despite my e-mail to FX executives promising to get a standard cable package if they renewed the series, they still decided to end it after only a single season. I'm very sad to see this one go. I was blown away by the depth of the characters and the quality of the writing. I've already decided what I'm going to do with the final week of the year on this blog, and there may be more for me to say about TERRIERS. But stay tuned, as the final three episodes will be featured on the Weekend TV segments of the blog. Enjoy it while it's here.

The Futon Critic

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.10

The day has finally come: Gretchen is getting married. Hank is torn; he both wants to be there and wants to ignore it completely. Either way, he wants to drink. Britt's wardrobe malfunction provides an excuse for Hank to drop by, but he gets distracted by the deepening mystery of the hotel project. Meanwhile, talking about their own impending wedding, Britt finds out about Katie's deep, dark secret.

Terriers Season Finale!

I don't know how many of you have been following my TERRIERS posts on the weekend, or how many have started watching the show because of them. But tonight is very important to the show, as the season finale is airing tonight on FX at 10pm ET. To help prevent this episode from becoming the series finale, I would encourage everyone, fan or not, to check out the episode tonight when it airs.

The show has struggled, some say due to its promotion, but is another excellent entry in FX's series of crime dramas. If you liked any or all of THE SHIELD, RESCUE ME, OVER THERE, DAMAGES, SONS OF ANARCHY, or JUSTIFIED you should be watching this show. If you like Donal Logue of GROUNDED FOR LIFE, THE TAO OF STEVE or his second-season stint on another great crime show, LIFE, you should be watching this show. If you liked Michael Raymond-James from his stint as the bayou-drawlin' Rene Lenier on TRUE BLOOD, you should be watching this show. And, especially, if you liked the character-driven storytelling that Shwan Ryan, who is executive producer of the show, brought to THE SHIELD, or the brotherly closeness that series creator Ted Griffin brought to scripts like OCEAN'S 11 or MATCHSTICK MEN, then you should definitely be watching this show.

At least give it a shot tonight. Let's all stand together for quality programming. You scratch our backs, we'll scratch yours.

For more views, read USA Today, LA Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Digital Spy, Concord Independent Tribune, CNN, CinemaBlend, and HitFix.

And there is a special message about tonight's finale from the creative team, via HitFix.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.9

While Hank is laid up, Britt decides to take a case on his own. Meanwhile, Maggie finds out something about Jason and Hank has to decide whether or not to tell Gretchen.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.8

This show is so good. You should be watching. There are five episodes currently on Hulu.com, so you can catch up before the season finale. In this episode, the past comes alive as Britt's former B&E partner sets him up to steal drugs from a jail, which prompts Hank to turn to his former police partner to get him out of Mexico, and puts Katie and her former one-night-stand in danger.

Human Target Returns!

In advance of the 2nd-season premiere of HUMAN TARGET tonight (8pm, FOX), thefutoncritic.com has posted an interesting interview with star Mark Valley and new addition Indira Varma. I have to admit some trepidation hearing there is a new show-runner and a new direction, having really appreciated the first season in a throwback kind of way, but the stunts have always been great, which you know is important to me if you were here yesterday, and I have grown to like the characters. So, I may not be expecting the kind of quality you are getting on TERRIERS (are you watching yet?), but I do expect to get a good time for an hour a week, geeking out on my 80s youth.

Find the article here.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.7

Hank and Britt come across a young man that reminds him of his sister at that age, but who doesn't remember a thing about who he is. Meanwhile, Steph ventures out of the house, now that her meds seem to be taking hold. And Britt can't figure out why Katie is so distant...

Donal Logue Interviews

Although Hulu.com tells us we're only in the middle of the first season of TERRIERS, for those watching live, the season ends in a couple weeks. It sounds like it's on the bubble for a second season, and those of us that appreciate it, we don't want another OVER THERE situation. So, in an effort to entice as many people to watch it as possible, there is a push to promote it throughout the land, including a tour with stars Donal Logue and Michael-Raymond James, as well as interviews with Logue on thefutoncritic.com (here) and at the podcast The Nerdist. So, please, take a look and a listen, allow the awesomeness of the show wash over you, and please, if you're the slightest bit interested, take a look over the next couple weeks, and let FX know that you appreciate the work they put into quality programming.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.6

Britt and Hank attend Hank's ex-wife's engagement party, which gets Hank thinking about the past and Britt about the future. Meanwhile, they're hired to track down a ring that belongs to a dying woman, and Katie goes drinking with her veterinary class.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.5

With a dead Lindus at his house and a mysterious soil survey in his possession, Hank and Britt get called in for questioning. The mysterious man in the brown suit shows up and Hank may see a way out of this mess. As long as his sister doesn't screw it up. This episode was directed by Rian Johnson, of BRICK and THE BROTHERS BLOOM, known for post-modern or oulipistic references, who includes a situation very similar to THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE. Enjoy.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.4

Hank discovers he has a stowaway, and a new job comes from an unlikely source. More details arise about the death of Hank's friend and the hotel he worked at, and a corpse winds up at Hank's house.

Weekend TV: Terriers 1.3

I'm really getting into this series. Britt and Hank are not just stuck in their own forms of adolescence, but they're both in their own sort of recovery and struggling with it daily. Hank is the alcoholic, but we find in this episode that Britt has made significant changes as well. They keep moving forward, but their past is always there to haunt them, and every step forward seems to cost them, sometimes with a piece of their soul. Here, Hank still needs his mortgage, and will do just about anything to get it.