Truth be told, I have only watched three this year.
Succession (season 4)
Judging by the incessant coverage, there was a point in April when Succession became more than just a TV show. It became a phenomenon, and in a perverted way it was interesting to be part of that craze. Because I have been there from the start, and I do not believe there has been a moment when I did not think that Succession was one of the very best. Or else that there is a better TV writer than Jesse Armstrong.
After all, think of another writer has has been responsible for two different TV shows of such immense quality. David Lynch has one. Matthew Weiner has one. Most have none. Jesse Armstrong has Peep Show and Succession.
The final season of Succession was, of course, immaculate, nail-biting, viciously well-written. I watched it religiously, every Monday night, and then I rewatched it the next day so as not miss anything in this family saga of the super-rich and the super-entitled. I wanted them all to fail and, bizarrely, I wanted some of them to succeed. You laughed, but the laughter became much more nervous, and uncomfortable, towards the end. And it ended the only way it could, really - even if your had thought it would end differently. Even if you wanted it to end differently... That final shot, now famous and soon legendary, was inevitable. Which is a testament to the greatness of Succession.
Black Mirror (season 6)
Received wisdom has had it for a while that Black Mirror lost its way years ago. For me, the biggest cracks started to appear during season 4 which mixed the good, the bad, and the ugly (last three episodes of that season are precisely that). And still I kept watching, because of Charlie Brooker's insane imagination that could still produce a stellar episode.
I believe the problem is that Black Mirror used to have that seemingly effortless ability to shock. The pig shocked you. The metal bees shocked you. Even the social ratings shocked you. However, in a world as blasé and desensitised as ours, there is precious little to get shocked about. Not even Charlie Brooker's imagination can make us close our eyes in trepidation or disgust.
Which is not the end of the world, really, and the new season works quite well when Black Mirror does not try to go over the top. When it does (the second part of "Joan Is Awful", the entirety of "Mazey Day"), it just appears silly and crude. Oddly, my favourite episode is the rather straightforward countryside horror "Loch Henry" whose links to technology (the main focus of Black Mirror lest we forget) are tenuous at best yet whose plot is well-conceived and whose resolution is gruesomely satisfying. Overall, the season was deeply flawed, and I am afraid I would not mind if this was the end.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (season 5)
As I have said previously, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel more or less jumped the shark with season 4 (uninspired jokes, meandering story-telling) and I thought I would never get back to it. However, on learning that this year's season would be the final one, I thought I had to do it - if only to pay tribute to the great beginnings.
Clearly the creators of the show chose to go with a bang, and season 5 turned out to be so much more than just a tired showcase for pretty 50s-styled dresses, Jewish humour and feminist tropes. It is all in there, of course, but on top of that you get plot development, interesting foreshadowing and stand-up jokes that are actually good (the climactic sequence was wonderfully executed).
This was a truly feel-good finale, and I found myself once again falling in love with the period and these people who are silly, inconsequential but totally charming. I admit to being a little upset at what they did to Lenny Bruce, but the final flashback scene with him was so brilliant that everything was forgiven. Everything - including that blasted fourth season that almost deprived me of Susie Myerson's scintillating chemistry with producer Mike Carr ("You are a sick fuck, Mike").
