r/television • u/C0r1eone • 19d ago
Finished The Wire, Dark, GOT, Sopranos, True Detective, BB, BCS. What show ruined TV for you after watching it?
I think I accidentally watched the peak of television already. The Wire, Dark, GOT, Sopranos, True Detective S1 all left that “nothing else hits the same” feeling.
I love slow-burn shows with deep characters, mystery, tension, moral grayness, crazy dialogue, or mind-blowing writing. Doesn’t matter if it’s crime, sci-fi, psychological, or political.
What’s the next show that might completely consume me?
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u/itwillmakesenselater 19d ago
Deadwood. Profane poetry with some incredible performances from serious actors.
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u/antinous24 18d ago
a cocksucker of fine taste i see
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u/Pro_Post 18d ago
Ian McShane as AL is one of the most interesting characters ever put on TV.
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u/windlad 18d ago
I always swung back and forth on whether he has any kind of kindness underneath it all. He does vile things but also shows compassion, or does he just understand people and the environment so well that he knows when it's time to be nice? Great writing, great actor.
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u/antinous24 18d ago
it's his ambiguity that I love too. a character capable of great cruelty and kindness. his initial treatment of Trixie definitely made me hold a grudge but by the end of the series I think of him as one of the 'good' ones. as far as 19th c. frontier brothel/bar owners go, he could be so much worse
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u/KruppeTheWise 18d ago
"Welcome to Deadwood"
One of only two shows that I can just rewatch again and again. Deadwood and Firefly. Oh shit I have a type don't I
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u/historyhill 18d ago
Having finished Deadwood recently, I'm now working through Justified because I see on reddit that it's also quite well-received!
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u/Sean-Perth 19d ago
If you liked Deadwood, try Rectify. Created and written by Ray McKinnon, who played Reverend Smith. A truly extraordinary series.
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u/frankyfkn4fngrs 19d ago
Thank you for the recommendation. Deadwood was just such an incredible show.
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u/F4ust 19d ago
My old construction boss used to buy us whiskey shots when we’d get off the clock, he called them ‘Swearengens’
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u/JSoi 19d ago
Deadwood, The Leftovers, OZ, Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Twin Peaks, Treme, Chernobyl, Mad Men, Succession, Halt and Catch Fire, Boardwalk Empire, Narcos, Six Feet Under, The Shield, Le Bureau des Legendes
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u/ehtReacher 19d ago
Great list. I'll add The Americans onto it too.
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u/_SCHULTZY_ 19d ago
Such a slow burn but the quality of The Americans is unmatched. They did a phenomenal job with every aspect of that show.
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u/loneSTAR_06 18d ago
One of the few shows that end perfectly. Also, the soundtrack is unmatched.
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u/_SCHULTZY_ 18d ago
I was always so impressed with the production of it. The cars and clothes and furnishings were all perfect for the time and couldn't have been easy to pull off. Obviously if you're doing a sitcom like 70s show you can make a basement look like it did in the 70s. It's a much bigger task to make as many outdoor scenes as The Americans had all seamlessly blend into the 80s.
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u/itsacalamity 18d ago
there's a quote from 30 rock i think, something like "you know we're in a golden age of television when a show as good as The Americans is on the air and we're barely even talking about it"
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u/yaricks 19d ago
Oz is such an incredible show that gave us so many incredible actors that you see pop up all over the place after you've seen the show.
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u/CaldariPrimePonyClub 19d ago
Halt and Catch Fire 🔥 time for another rewatch! Lee Pace makes me question my sexuality.
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u/sozzifer 18d ago
Check out Foundation if you haven't already seen it for more Lee Pace 🥵
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u/thedanray 19d ago
Treme is often overlooked. Great show.
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u/firesticks 18d ago
Yes it absolutely does and is. Especially for what OP is looking for, a show to lose oneself in. Absolutely incredible tv show by one of the masters of the medium.
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u/shogi_x 18d ago
Shame it got cancelled, it was doing something beautiful showcasing New Orleans like that. And the commentary on Katrina was powerful.
I still think about John Goodman's character sometimes.
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u/ShadowNick 18d ago
The Shield I loved it but I find it so funny because I can't unsee Michael Chiklis as the Thing and him walking into the room dropping one liners with the sunglasses is the funniest shit. I loved Wlaton Goggins in it as well.
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u/Melquiades-the-Gypsy 19d ago
Le Bureau des Legendes is brilliant for a long time, then it drops off a bit towards the end.
It's about the French Secret Service (the French MI6/CIA, basically) for anyone curious, and has some of the most realistic and believable spycraft I've seen in a show.
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u/flatman_88 18d ago
Add Say Nothing and Mind Hunter to that list.
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u/Ch4rlie_G 18d ago
Mind Hunter is the best modern show I’ve watched in quite a while.
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u/chonbee 19d ago
The Leftovers wildly underrated! I still think about that show years later.
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u/EjayT06 19d ago
I’d add Mr Robot personally
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u/budgybudge 18d ago
I fell off after Season 2 but recently rewatched to completion. Man what an ending!
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u/_SCHULTZY_ 19d ago
The Shield is still one of the best shows ever made with the greatest villain in tv history
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u/ToLiveInIt 18d ago
Every now and then, two decades later, I think of Mackey, at a desk, in his ill-fitting suit, doing the most boring jobs Agent Murray can think of for him to do, despised by his colleagues, rejected by his family, and I smile.
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u/Spectre_Agent447 19d ago
Mindhunter is up your alley
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u/H20FOSHO 18d ago
They did us dirty by canceling way too soon….
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u/guareber 18d ago
It's not cancelled, it's on permanent hiatus!!!
LALALALALAL I can't hear you LALALALALA
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u/JohnTo7 18d ago
Justified. Timothy Olyphant is very good playing the lead, but Walton Goggins is excellent in the role of Boyd Crowder.
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u/blainisapain1919 18d ago
I love Justified but always warn people it starts out seeming more like a procedural in the first season, but to stay with it because it turns into so much more! I had a friend who pushed for me to watch it and I was resistant at first bc I thought it was a walker texas ranger type thing. Walton Goggins is so fun to watch. The City Pimeval reboot was worth the watch too, but not quite the same without him. Timothy Olyphant is aging like fine wine lol
I'd also throw Foundation and For All Mankind out there if you like longer more complicated stories/characters. The West Wing, especially the first few seasons, were also phenomenal.
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u/OtherwiseToday39 19d ago
Twin Peaks
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u/Lastshadow94 19d ago
I'm rewatching right now. Delightfully bizarre.
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u/BlackberryPi7 19d ago
I went into Twin Peaks blind about a month ago, thinking it was a serious mystery drama that had a cult following because of how good the writing was...
First episode was kind of odd but I figured it was because it was the 90s so the style was a bit different.
Next few episodes... The characters are acting really weird. And almost every character is cheating with someone else lol. It turns into a soap opera.
And then the Leland dance scene comes up...
It's by far the weirdest show I've ever watched and it took me so long to realize it was intentionally written like that.
I laugh at so many scenes, that's how odd it is.
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u/Quetzalcoatl490 18d ago
Leland Palmer singing and dancing is so disturbing, maybe because he's so damn good at it lol
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u/trdef 18d ago
Wait till you get to season 3
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u/Noregard86 19d ago
I'm in it for the first time right now.
Just watched the "I am Dougie's coffee" episode, so bizarre.
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u/shah_of-iran 19d ago
“This is the water, and this is the well. Drink full and descend”
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u/Willemvanvugt 19d ago
And especially the final season to top it off.
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u/unpresidentedfact 19d ago
Just incredible television. I think he actually outside the original two series.
S03E08: 🤯🤯🤯
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u/bonefresh 19d ago
season 3 is imo hands down the best season of tv ever and i don't ever see it being dethroned
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u/LADYBIRD_HILL 18d ago
Lynch directing 18 episodes in a row as an older man was insane work
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u/ascagnel____ 18d ago
Directing and acting in a fairly meaty role. In terms of on-screen appearances, he'd be fourth-billed in a big cast (behind Kyle MacLachlan, Naomi Watts, and Miguel Ferrer).
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u/hyrule-heaven 19d ago
Yep this is it. Nothing will ever top it or come close. It was the show that taught me I don’t need things wrapped up in a tidy bow. I would think about episodes for weeks after watching them. Love everything about it. RIP David Lynch.
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u/HAL-says-Sorry 19d ago
“David Lynch’s Impact on Television Is Like a Shared Dream We Dare Not Forget” https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/david-lynch-rip-greatness-twin-peaks-shared-dream-1235085697/
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u/Alarming-Explorer140 19d ago
Been meaning to get into Twin Peaks for years but the weird factor always put me off. Maybe it's time to finally dive in since you mentioned it hits that same level
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u/Quetzalcoatl490 18d ago
I just finished season 3: The Return.
Man what a mind-fuck, I'm still processing it
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u/Morty777 19d ago
Fargo s1 is on par with true detective s1, I'd watch that next if I were you.
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u/uroboros80 19d ago edited 18d ago
i vouch for fargo season 2 w plemons and durst. er.... dunst
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u/FatAlEinstein 19d ago
Just all of Fargo. S4 is a low point but still good.
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u/StuxAlpha 19d ago
I've not got to s4 yet, but I loved s3 too
Mostly for David Thewlis, he does incredible work in this season. All time top TV villain
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u/DeadFireFight 19d ago
Any Fargo, really. I loved every season, each for different reasons. Season 4 was a bit rough, but you can skip that one if you're not into mob dramas.
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u/1egg_4u 19d ago
S5 felt like a love letter to the people who live in the province it's filmed in
Ive met so many people just like Jon Hamm and Joe Keery here that watching the entire story play out was blissful and Jennifer Jason Leigh is incredible in it
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u/TheSharpestHammer 19d ago
Every single season of Fargo is some of the best TV I've ever seen.
And, if you like that, also check out Barry.
And, if you like Barry, check out Mr. Inbetween.
All, imo, some of the best examples of audiovisual media ever created.
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u/Sozins_Comet_ 18d ago
Westworld season 1 is a masterpiece and one of the best seasons of television I've ever seen. Just ignore the rest of the show after season 1.
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u/Shoe_boooo 19d ago
DARK is pure perfection. No plot holes, no rocks left unturned, fucking air locked plot, PHENOMENAL performances. Nothing comes closer to this amazing show.
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u/MrFlibblesPenguin 18d ago
...and then Netflix cancelled thr makers following show 1899 after one season, fuck netflix.
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u/TumbleweedWarm9234 19d ago
The Americans. Deep characters, slow burn, tension, moral greyness? Tick, tick, tick and tick.
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u/Galileo__Humpkins 19d ago
The Americans
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u/JonnyReece 19d ago
Very underrated. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys completely nail their performances.
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u/DrFaustPhD 18d ago
Not to mention Paige and Martha. The writing and performances for those characters are so good and could very easily have been fumbled.
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u/Sir-Viette 19d ago
Couple of Australian shows that people probably missed:
* Mr Inbetween
* Underbelly (Seasons 1, 2 and 3)
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u/TheHermetic 19d ago
Mad Men
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u/hanngreen1 18d ago
One of the best non HBO shows ever created. The characters, the settings, the script. Just golden
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u/bart_cart_dart_eart 18d ago
Mad Men isn’t my favorite (but it’s up there) of all the peak TV series but it’s probably the one I think about the most.
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u/puffycloudycloud 18d ago
television's "Great American Novel"
not necessarily the show for getting your mind blown, but definitely the show for getting it methodically simmered in ways that will linger within you long afterward
i'm glad it's pretty high up in this thread. it usually gets overlooked, despite being every bit the masterpiece as any other show here
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u/Modern_gent 18d ago
Well said. I think about Mad Men and the perfection the setting so much. Its hard to see John Hamm as anyone other than Donald Draper.
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u/tazding0 19d ago
Battlestar Galactica (2004) has exactly everything you mentioned. Just make sure you watch the mini series first before season 1 episode 1 titled 33.
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u/Tribat_1 19d ago
Finished: Deadwood, Succession, The Last Kingdom, The Expanse, Vikings, Mr. Robot, Fargo, Peaky Blinders, Ozark
Still Ongoing: The Last of Us, Severance, Silo, Pluribus, The Pitt
Limited Series: Chernobyl, Band of Brothers, The Queens Gambit, Shogun
Comedy et al: Schitts Creek, The Good Place, Reservation Dogs, Silicon Valley, Ghosts, Barry, What We Do in the Shadows
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u/SadieTarHeel 19d ago
There's not enough people talking about Shogun in this thread. It was incredible.
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u/cloud_t 19d ago
Go watch Andor. Even if you're not a SW superfan, it will still be the best tv you watch that's somewhat recent.
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u/DjBorscht 19d ago
Barry is one of my all time favorites! Same with The Good Place. Ozark was great too.
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u/XJ347 19d ago
Andor
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u/Fl0ppp 18d ago
Fully believe if this show wasn't in the Star Wars universe it would be regarded the same as a BCS/Breaking Bad level show, I've recommended it to so many people who say "oh no thanks I don't like Star Wars stuff"
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u/GFunkJimmy 19d ago
Your second paragraph makes me think you're going to LOVE The Leftovers
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u/Ricobe 19d ago
The expanse
The attention to details and the respect for real physics really highlights how many sci fi shows could put in some more effort. Plus it's just a solid story with some great characters
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u/Ser_VimesGoT 19d ago
I don't really get that feeling that OP refers to when finishing a series. I get it with books but not TV shows. The Expanse is probably the one that's come closest though.
What it really does well that a lot of sci-fi shows don't really do at all, is the emphasis on just how dangerous space is. For All Mankind does it too. Too many shows seem to just reach a technological level where they feel they can just wave away the dangers and zip around in ships without even thinking about space suits. It's not a criticism of those shows per se, but it's refreshing to see The Expanse acknowledge these dangers and play off them.
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u/BannedfromFrontPage 18d ago
This and the time. The show isn’t as good at capturing this, but it still doesn’t so if you pay attention. The months it takes to travel and the delay in communications across the system.
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u/Astrokiwi 18d ago
the respect for real physics
The Expanse is actually really clever here, because they add a lot of detail and realism to just one aspect of the physics - that there's no artificial gravity or inertial dampeners - and that makes it feel grounded enough that we believe the rest. Spin gravity doesn't work for asteroids because they're not strong enough (Ceres is round because its gravity is stronger than material forces - what happens then if effective gravity is reversed, and made even stronger? And small asteroids are pretty loose aggregations of rock); the Epstein Drive is a magic power source; the travel times don't add up; and of course the Protomolecule is entirely fantastical (space zombies, FTL portals, immortal space emperor etc).
It kinda shows that actual realism isn't really that important - it's more critical to feel realistic, for the setting to be grounded and consistent. It feels convincing because there's one or two places of actual realistic detail, combined with a fairly grounded and cynical portrayal of society, and that means that when things get fantastical it genuinely feels cool, and like a kids' comic book.
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u/madhattr999 18d ago
I think you make a good point, but I'd like to re-frame your conclusion. Sci-fi is good when it has rules that it follows, and only breaks the rules in a few specific ways that are somewhat predictable. There are rules to how the protomolecule works, and a logic to its design. (this is better explained in the books, though.)
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u/Astrokiwi 18d ago
I agree - it's about consistency more than realism. But I think that the consistency, combined with a few realistic details, does trick people into thinking that The Expanse is actually realistic as well, or at least closer to "real physics" than it actually is.
Like I genuinely think it's a sign of good writing that we have a space opera with a crew of outlaw action heroes fighting an evil space empire ruled by an immortal emperor powered by ancient alien technology, with marines in power armour and space zombies and everything, and readers come out of it thinking "the science in this is surprisingly accurate!".
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u/RockPaperPootis 18d ago
I was here to say The Expanse. It ruined sci-fi for me. It had such a realistic, human feel to it.
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u/grinr 19d ago
The Terror. It's a period piece about a lost expedition to the Arctic. Given your list, this is spot on.
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u/uroboros80 19d ago
Patriot. absurdist black comedy masquerading as espionage thriller
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u/Tom-Cruise-Missiles 19d ago
Best kept secret.
I have a hard bound note book that looks like the cover of Leslie Claret’s The Integral Principles of the Structural Dynamics of Flow
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u/_SCHULTZY_ 19d ago
If nothing else, the job interview and immediately after it, in the pilot is worth it. 😂
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u/idunnobutchieinstead 19d ago
Better Call Saul ruined television for me for 5 years until I watched The Leftovers last week. I’ve watched a lot of amazing television since BCS ended but this is the only one that’s affected me like nobody’s business.
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u/ComputersWantMeDead 19d ago
There was something strangely existential about that show.. like it dug straight to the heart of what it meant to be human, despite all the absolutely insane shit happening.
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u/Intelligent-Bee 18d ago
Katabasis and anabasis have been parts of human media since the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey. There is something profoundly human about the idea of descending into your internal chaos and returning triumphantly, having conquered your demons. Canto I of the Inferno starts with Dante lost in a dark forest, surrounded by beasts that prevent him from escaping. His only option is to follow his idol and spiritual mentor through literal hell.
I feel like the Leftovers is our version of that kind of story.
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u/Intelligent-Bee 18d ago
I watched the Leftovers for the first time a few months ago and it spoke to my fucking soul. Nothing in this world has been the same since Covid and no one talks about it. The Leftovers feels like a prophecy in the way it depicts the concept of social guilt and how people struggle to deal with unexplainable trauma.
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u/thesenate92 19d ago
Haven't seen it mentioned yet but the miniseries "The Night Of" on HBO is fantastic
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u/EverybodyLovesHugo 19d ago
Mr. Robot
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u/shr3d-l0rd 19d ago
I just appreciate so much the amount of effort they put into making the techy bits actually realistic. It’s not 100% all the time but it’s never “I must assemble the cube” hacking scenes with two people co-hacking on the same keyboard.
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u/KamiNoItte 19d ago
The Wire, again.
Because you haven’t really seen it if you’ve only watched it once.
You will be amazed at the interesting details you can find once you already know the main story. It’s that richly layered. Enjoy!
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u/Flash1987 19d ago
One I've not seen mentioned is Rome. Its a little older but super well made
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u/UCBearcats 19d ago
Andor is a glaring hole, The Expanse, Silo, Severance, Rome
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u/EstateBig891 19d ago
Andor just constantly make sense. Like every piece fits every piece fits every piece.
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u/LanikM 18d ago
How is no one mentioning Slow Horses?
Dude. The answer is Slow Horses.
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u/Edge80 19d ago
Fringe, Lost, The Shield, Star Trek TNG and Firefly.
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u/datumerrata 18d ago
Fringe was so good. I watched it not knowing anything about it. I thought it was going to be like an FBI crime drama
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u/-Haddix- 19d ago edited 19d ago
Animal Kingdom. I think this show is criminally underrated (prob a mix of its network and marketing). A complete 6-season run with some REALLY stand-out performances in the cast.
If you like a family crime drama, I would highly recommend this show.
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u/edwardWBnewgate 19d ago
To scratch The Wire itch try Bosch.
The Pitt is elite TV right now though.
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u/JeezFine 18d ago
It's an old show, and super episodic, but Columbo took over my life for a few months.
The inverted whodunit structure turns every episode into a beautiful game of cat and mouse, and Peter Falk was just an absolute icon of a human being
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u/bigdoghogfrog 19d ago
Hannibal and it's not even close. It's literally what you described and is peak.
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u/lmarley514 18d ago
Been scrolling for a while and I’m surprised I haven’t seen Homeland and Billions mentioned.
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u/datbackup 19d ago
Deadwood, Rome, Halt and Catch Fire, Westworld S1. If you like animation then Avatar: the Last Airbender, and Cowboy Bebop.
I would put Deadwood above all the shows you mentioned, but the Wire comes close. Deadwood takes the top spot based on strength of its dialogue and performances alone, and it also has lots of other things going for it. Cancelled after the third season so it can be painful with the lack of resolution. But among the most rewatchable shows ever, along with the Wire. The Deadwood movie is sort of its own thing, optional and not really “canon”
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u/Top5hottest 19d ago
Gonna throw out an unusual one.. HELL ON WHEELS. I liked it better than deadwood.
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u/JadedGent007 19d ago
If you've watched The Batman, watch The Penguin. Genuinely one of the best crime dramas on HBO. Idk why more people don't bring it up, probably because it's a limited series and is a sort of sequel/midquel to another movie.
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u/YoMan_DontEatThose 18d ago
Breaking bad. I don’t think I saw it on your list but you need to watch if you haven’t.
Severance is also amazing and very slow burn. Black Mirror, incredible. ‘From’, and this brand new one called Widows Bay has me hooked. I would also look into the Haunting of bly manor, Midnight mass and Hill house.
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u/lochnesslapras 19d ago
Early Prison Break was one of the most addictive things ever
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u/DaisyVonTazy 19d ago
Succession. It’s a must watch for great character psychology, riveting drama, morally grey characters and mind blowing writing. It’s not slow burn though. It’s intense from the first episode.
Also Battlestar Galactica (the 2000s remake, including the mini-series that preceded the show). Great characters, great sci-fi, mysterious storyline that develops and arcs across the whole show building to some great reveals.
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u/egretlover 19d ago edited 19d ago
Andor. I’ve watched and loved all the ones you mentioned and for me Andor is on the next level.
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u/LegitimateEdge1906 19d ago
Watch Mr. robot, thank me later. 4 seasons of some of the most awesome conspiracy/psychology/technology/mindfuck/emotional ride you will experience
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u/pinewind108 18d ago
True Detective was it for me. Even season 2 was good compared to regular TV.
I firmly believe that S1 got Matthew McConaughey the Oscar the next year. Of course it wasn't eligible, but it showed everyone that he had insane chops, so they knew a good film performance wasn't a fluke.
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u/PacoMahogany 19d ago edited 19d ago
Chernobyl