3. Master of None (Season 1)
Of the five shows on this list, I originally thought that I'd have the least to discuss about Master of None, but we'll see if that changes. I have a tough time resisting a good ramble.
This Netflix show is written by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang (Fire Joe Morgan's "Junior", for the baseball fans). Much like Louie, Master of None really only has one regular cast member, Dev Shah, played by Ansari. There are plenty of delightful recurring characters, but Dev is the only one to appear in every episode, and the story is almost exclusively told through his eyes. For that reason, along with the "show about nothing" feel, Master of None reminds me more of Louie than any show I've seen, though it doesn't share Louie's distaste for continuity or its occasional dream-like episodes.
Dev works as an actor who has had some success in commercials, but far less in television and movies. He's an engaging character to follow because he shows continuing growth throughout the season and does so in a realistic, believable way. Season 1 explores Dev's relationship with his immigrant parents (played by Ansari's actual mother and father), the amusing intricacies of latter-day dating, racism (though the show doesn't bludgeon you with life lessons here, respecting the fact that pretty much everyone watching is aware that racism is bad), the struggles of being a small-time actor, and the thrill of new love.
As you might expect from a show created from a comedian as brilliant as Ansari, there's plenty of laughs along the way as well. "30-year-old guy learns about life" wouldn't be nearly as interesting to watch if it weren't for the show's sharp wit and general sense of fun. Dev doesn't have much inhibition about new experiences. In a way, he shows us just how much the world has to offer if you're not reluctant to try things, whether that means taking a weekend trip to Nashville for a first date or simply spending the day hanging out with an old woman. We see a lot of ourselves in Dev, but in this regard, we see our "best selves". Don't get me wrong -- he's as human as the rest of us and makes plenty of mistakes, but I think we all wish we could be like Dev more often.
I think what was most notable about my first trip through Master of None was that there really weren't any sub-par episodes. Every installment of the 10-episode first season was of pretty good quality, with some excellent standouts.
Essential Episodes: Parents (s1. ep2), Indians on TV (s1. ep4), Nashville (s1. ep7), Mornings (s1. ep9)
I realize I just named 40% of the episodes in existence, which seems like cheating, but I couldn't in good conscience cut any of those four, and hey, I make the rules here.
2. BoJack Horseman (Seasons 1-2)
I had a really hard time choosing between BoJack Horseman and my #1 show of the year, but in the end I chose to drop BoJack to #2 because it was pretty slow in the early going before it really found its heart and hit its stride, and there's a few scattered dud episodes. But that doesn't change the fact that it's good. Like, really, really good.
"Wait wait wait, but it's a cartoon. Wait wait wait, but it's about anthropomorphic animals and humans living side by side. Wait wait wait, the main character is an alcoholic horse voiced by Will Arnett. IT'S NOT GOOFY AND STUPID, I SWEAR!"
/me, trying to explain this show to people
Maybe that last bit isn't entirely true, because the show's first six episodes are more or less what you'd expect. The beginning string is genuinely funny, but doesn't seriously make you feel much else. BoJack Horseman is the star of a 90's sitcom (I most commonly associate his past self with Bob Saget, but that's just me) who has been out of the spotlight for a long time and begins on a quest to make himself relevant again by publishing a memoir (season 1) and starring in a movie (season 2). BoJack is obsessed with getting everyone to love him, despite generally doing little of note to actually earn that. What starts as a lighthearted comedy takes several turns for the dark, and despite maintaining a sense of humor, BoJack Horseman is truly a realistic look at depression and the struggle to make oneself happy.
Because of the nature of depression, BoJack's life checks off a ton of awesome boxes, but he still winds up feeling down and stuck all the time. If you were a recognizable celebrity with a huge, awesome house in Hollywoo (not a typo, but it's what/where you think it is), had someone who genuinely loves you, and got to work your dream job, don't you think you'd feel satisfied? For someone like BoJack, it just doesn't work that way, and he's essentially on a never-ending quest to feel good about himself. That quest drives him to do plenty of desperate things which are ridiculous at best (like buying a restaurant while eating at it to impress someone) and utterly despicable at worst (sorry, no spoilers).
While BoJack might be the only character that I'd say is truly fighting a battle with clinical depression, many of the people around him are also struggling for self-fulfillment, and all of their stories are compelling (well, except for maybe that of Todd, BoJack's de facto roommate voiced by Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul, but it's important that this show has at least someone on it that you don't need to take too seriously). It's weird to think that the show I watched this year with the best characters was animated, but that's truly the case, and it's helped by the fact that the voice acting is extremely good. The main cast is stellar, but there's an absurdly long list of guest stars, many of which are pretty famous.
If you haven't watched this show before, you really need to give it a try (Dev totally would!) and see it through even if you're not dragged in at first. I bet you'll both laugh a lot and feel more than you ever thought you could watching an animated show.
Essential Episodes: Say Anything (s1. ep7), Let's Find Out (s2. ep8), Escape from L.A. (s2. ep11)
Dev works as an actor who has had some success in commercials, but far less in television and movies. He's an engaging character to follow because he shows continuing growth throughout the season and does so in a realistic, believable way. Season 1 explores Dev's relationship with his immigrant parents (played by Ansari's actual mother and father), the amusing intricacies of latter-day dating, racism (though the show doesn't bludgeon you with life lessons here, respecting the fact that pretty much everyone watching is aware that racism is bad), the struggles of being a small-time actor, and the thrill of new love.
As you might expect from a show created from a comedian as brilliant as Ansari, there's plenty of laughs along the way as well. "30-year-old guy learns about life" wouldn't be nearly as interesting to watch if it weren't for the show's sharp wit and general sense of fun. Dev doesn't have much inhibition about new experiences. In a way, he shows us just how much the world has to offer if you're not reluctant to try things, whether that means taking a weekend trip to Nashville for a first date or simply spending the day hanging out with an old woman. We see a lot of ourselves in Dev, but in this regard, we see our "best selves". Don't get me wrong -- he's as human as the rest of us and makes plenty of mistakes, but I think we all wish we could be like Dev more often.
I think what was most notable about my first trip through Master of None was that there really weren't any sub-par episodes. Every installment of the 10-episode first season was of pretty good quality, with some excellent standouts.
Essential Episodes: Parents (s1. ep2), Indians on TV (s1. ep4), Nashville (s1. ep7), Mornings (s1. ep9)
I realize I just named 40% of the episodes in existence, which seems like cheating, but I couldn't in good conscience cut any of those four, and hey, I make the rules here.
2. BoJack Horseman (Seasons 1-2)
I had a really hard time choosing between BoJack Horseman and my #1 show of the year, but in the end I chose to drop BoJack to #2 because it was pretty slow in the early going before it really found its heart and hit its stride, and there's a few scattered dud episodes. But that doesn't change the fact that it's good. Like, really, really good.
"Wait wait wait, but it's a cartoon. Wait wait wait, but it's about anthropomorphic animals and humans living side by side. Wait wait wait, the main character is an alcoholic horse voiced by Will Arnett. IT'S NOT GOOFY AND STUPID, I SWEAR!"
/me, trying to explain this show to people
Maybe that last bit isn't entirely true, because the show's first six episodes are more or less what you'd expect. The beginning string is genuinely funny, but doesn't seriously make you feel much else. BoJack Horseman is the star of a 90's sitcom (I most commonly associate his past self with Bob Saget, but that's just me) who has been out of the spotlight for a long time and begins on a quest to make himself relevant again by publishing a memoir (season 1) and starring in a movie (season 2). BoJack is obsessed with getting everyone to love him, despite generally doing little of note to actually earn that. What starts as a lighthearted comedy takes several turns for the dark, and despite maintaining a sense of humor, BoJack Horseman is truly a realistic look at depression and the struggle to make oneself happy.
Because of the nature of depression, BoJack's life checks off a ton of awesome boxes, but he still winds up feeling down and stuck all the time. If you were a recognizable celebrity with a huge, awesome house in Hollywoo (not a typo, but it's what/where you think it is), had someone who genuinely loves you, and got to work your dream job, don't you think you'd feel satisfied? For someone like BoJack, it just doesn't work that way, and he's essentially on a never-ending quest to feel good about himself. That quest drives him to do plenty of desperate things which are ridiculous at best (like buying a restaurant while eating at it to impress someone) and utterly despicable at worst (sorry, no spoilers).
While BoJack might be the only character that I'd say is truly fighting a battle with clinical depression, many of the people around him are also struggling for self-fulfillment, and all of their stories are compelling (well, except for maybe that of Todd, BoJack's de facto roommate voiced by Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul, but it's important that this show has at least someone on it that you don't need to take too seriously). It's weird to think that the show I watched this year with the best characters was animated, but that's truly the case, and it's helped by the fact that the voice acting is extremely good. The main cast is stellar, but there's an absurdly long list of guest stars, many of which are pretty famous.
If you haven't watched this show before, you really need to give it a try (Dev totally would!) and see it through even if you're not dragged in at first. I bet you'll both laugh a lot and feel more than you ever thought you could watching an animated show.
Essential Episodes: Say Anything (s1. ep7), Let's Find Out (s2. ep8), Escape from L.A. (s2. ep11)
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