javajaws said:

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Rudyjax said:

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Every season of Game of Thrones until they surpassed the source material.

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Not sure "surpassed" is the word I would use there!

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That was definitely a poor word choice.

The UK (original) The Office S1/S2/S3

The most cringe worthy uncomfortable television I've ever watched.

Homeland S2
The Americans S4

since no one has nominated anything pre Sopranos how about:

Twins Peaks S1 and S2

I like The Wire, I really do, but I also think its one of the most overrated shows of all time.


Ok, I will now run for cover

S3 and S4 of The Wire are both fantastic. Probably 1a and 1b for me.

S2 of The Leftovers was also one of my favorites.

Lost season 1
Dexter season 4
Breaking Bad season 5
Better Call Saul season 5
Succession season 3
GOT season 4

Several season of the West Wing are solid as well as Newsroom.

unpopular:

Prison Break Season 1

I was thinking S1 of The Americans. I haven't rewatched in a while and can't remember the contours of each season, so maybe 4 was the best.

Suits season 8

Four Seasons Landscaping said:

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Because I want to watch it.

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Season 1 of The Wire?

Four Seasons Landscaping said:

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Because I want to watch it.

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Seasons 3 and 4 of the Wire are generally considered the best show/seasons in television history. That and The Sopranos are the reason prestige television became a thing. It's absolutely perfect.

There's a reason why everything is compared to it.

CowtownAg06 said:

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I was thinking S1 of The Americans. I haven't rewatched in a while and can't remember the contours of each season, so maybe 4 was the best.

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My problem with The Americans was that after four seasons, all the episodes just ran together. It was the same thing every episode. Definitely good TV though.

Zombie Jon Snow said:

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On that note if including episodic mini series then

Chernobyl

has to be in the mix

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Chernobyl and The Night Manager are two of my favorite miniseries. It's great to see source material fleshed out.

I tried watching season 1 of The Wire and thought it was boring AF. It's gonna be tough to make it to season 4.

XXXVII said:

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I tried watching season 1 of The Wire and thought it was boring AF. It's gonna be tough to make it to season 4.

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It's a definite slow burn throughout. An enormous amount of plot and dialogue, but that's real life. The show eschews the format of shows like NCIS, The Americans, or Breaking Bad, where everything is seeped in soapy drama (nothing wrong with that) and timelines are sped up. Instead, it grounds itself in reality by going through the minutiae of drug dealing, police investigations, and political machinations. And it goes through them impeccably. It's dark, bleak, and asks questions to which there are not easy answers.

BassCowboy33 said:

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XXXVII said:

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I tried watching season 1 of The Wire and thought it was boring AF. It's gonna be tough to make it to season 4.

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It's a definite slow burn throughout. An enormous amount of plot and dialogue, but that's real life. The show eschews the format of shows like NCIS, The Americans, or Breaking Bad, where everything is seeped in soapy drama (nothing wrong with that) and timelines are sped up. Instead, it grounds itself in reality by going through the minutiae of drug dealing, police investigations, and political machinations. And it goes through them impeccably. It's dark, bleak, and asks questions to which there are not easy answers.

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and for the 90% that don't care about introspection, it's like GOT and everyone dies. It's solid, but I don't get the greatest thing ever. The ending showing how the cycle just repeats was solid compared to most though.

BassCowboy33 said:

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CowtownAg06 said:

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I was thinking S1 of The Americans. I haven't rewatched in a while and can't remember the contours of each season, so maybe 4 was the best.

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My problem with The Americans was that after four seasons, all the episodes just ran together. It was the same thing every episode. Definitely good TV though.

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I liked Season 2 the best. Good twist ending, and that is when the family aspect of the whole series became clear.

The Lost said:

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BassCowboy33 said:

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XXXVII said:

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I tried watching season 1 of The Wire and thought it was boring AF. It's gonna be tough to make it to season 4.

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It's a definite slow burn throughout. An enormous amount of plot and dialogue, but that's real life. The show eschews the format of shows like NCIS, The Americans, or Breaking Bad, where everything is seeped in soapy drama (nothing wrong with that) and timelines are sped up. Instead, it grounds itself in reality by going through the minutiae of drug dealing, police investigations, and political machinations. And it goes through them impeccably. It's dark, bleak, and asks questions to which there are not easy answers.

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and for the 90% that don't care about introspection, it's like GOT and everyone dies. It's solid, but I don't get the greatest thing ever. The ending showing how the cycle just repeats was solid compared to most though.

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Never thought of that, but the GoT world-building isn't a bad comp all the way down to the everyone dies aspect. What makes The Wire greater, to me, is it world builds a real world without resulting to tropes or caricatures. You can never have stepped foot in Baltimore and feel as if you know the city's darkest corners.

What I found most fascinating was the battle of wills between people who actually want to make Baltimore better vs. the people who want to make their bank accounts better, especially once Carcetti and Davis get involved.

Echo s2 Fargo here. The characters and their development along with amazing storytelling are beyond anything else I've seen on TV.