The Best TV Shows Of 2019... So Far

Let’s face it, Peak TV peaked a long time ago. With the advent and explosion of streaming services and channels, television reached a new golden age of content. It was great at first, especially when filmmakers like David Lynch were coming back to TV and the stigma of slumming-it TV was over, with top-shelf directors and actors all being lured to the prospect of an Emmy-winning, actually well-respected TV series (or often mini-series). And while this phenomenon still exists and hopefully continues, audiences are essentially under siege. There’s a war going on for our eyeballs right now and it’s being waged on the small screen. And it’s only going to get worse. The bandwidth on the attention economy is becoming super frayed as not only Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon pump out new series after new series, but players like Facebook Watch, Disney+, Apple TV+, and Warner Media prepare to get into the mix. That’s not even to speak of cable channels giants like HBO and FX that aren’t going anywhere.

So, we’re just getting started and the deluge of content is only going to get worse. It’s a good and bad problem to have and absolutely terrible if you’re a film/TV critic trying to stay on top of it all (we know, we know, champagne problems). At some point, the bubble will burst and frankly, some of these players are going to fall by the wayside. But until then, it’s roll up your sleeves and dive into the content.

The reality is, and the sentiment we hear often is: who has time for all that? We couldn’t agree more. That said, while there is a glut of content, there’s also tons of gems among the shiny objects that frankly aren’t that good, all that often. Which is why we think our Best Of TV 2019… So Far guide is more important than ever. Waiting to hear what the good stuff is? Frankly, we got you. So, without further ado and in no real particular order, here’s what we believe are the bests show of 2019, so far.

“Barry” (Season 2)
The first season of “Barry” started on somewhat unsteady ground, struggling to reconcile its clever potshots at the narcissistic aspects of L.A.’s showbiz culture with the nastier elements that roiled beneath its jokey surface. However, showrunners Bill Hader and Alec Berg eventually smoothed out these kinks, ending Season 1 on a note of genuine, heart-wrenching tragedy. Season 2 of “Barry” is not only deeper, darker, and more confident than it’s ever been – it’s shaping up to be one of HBO’s more idiosyncratic and memorable 30-minute comedies in some time. Hader continues to give a masterful and menacing lead performance as the namesake assassin, whose penchant for bloodletting is the only thing standing in the way of his aspirations to actorly glory. Season 2 finds “Barry” in a more generous mood toward its supporting ensemble: primarily Sarah Goldberg’s alternately sympathetic and irritating thespian striver, Henry Winkler’s self-involved but strangely human acting coach Gene Cousineau, and Anthony Carrigan’s wry, chrome-domed European gangster, NoHo Hank (who gets most of the best lines per episode, if we’re being honest). Honestly, Season 2 would be a standout for its fifth episode alone: we’re talking about “ronny/lily,” in which Barry and his sinister mentor Fuches (national treasure Stephen Root) square off against a dim-witted but apparently un-killable martial arts expert and his daughter, who might just be a demon from another dimension. For anyone who was worried about this show experiencing a sophomore slump, it’s our pleasure to report that “Barry” is as bracing, depraved and inventive as it’s ever been – and in many ways, the show feels like it’s just getting started. – Nicholas Laskin [Our Review]

“Chernobyl” (Miniseries)
For a large part of the ’90s and ’00s, audiences were inundated with an unhealthy amount of disaster films. Directors like Roland Emmerich cemented their reputation by destroying cities via everything from global warming and apocalyptic conspiracy theories to aliens and radioactive lizards. Needless to say, Hollywood hasn’t always been sensitive when it comes to tackling real-life global tragedies. Of course, it would be understandable to approach a miniseries based on the catastrophic Chernobyl disaster with a healthy degree of skepticism. Learning that the guy responsible for writing “The Hangover” franchise was in control of the series didn’t do much to instill confidence. Fortunately, “Chernobyl” ended up being a massive surprise on all accounts. The first episode thrusts you right into the horrifying action of the titular event, immersing audiences into the destruction with little build-up. There’s an exploitative version of this series, to be sure, but thankfully creator Craig Mazin and director Johan Renck aren’t interested in cheap audience manipulation. In “Chernobyl,” humans are selfish, petty, and often driven by ego. There are no good guys or bad guys: just flawed human beings making hasty, irrational and often life-altering decisions. The show adopts a dry, procedural tone in later episodes as it becomes abundantly clear that the accident itself exposed some truly dark political implications – ones that threatened to reveal a level of corruption nobody was prepared for. Mazin’s sober approach to the material is refreshing and all the more effective for how uninterested he is in sentiment or unearned redemptive beats. Aided by Renck’s subtle and assured hand behind the camera, some meticulously detailed and expressive art direction and costume design, and a nearly non-existent but still dread-inducing score, Mazin’s five-episode series is nothing short of a knockout. It’s definitely not an easy watch, but honestly, it shouldn’t be. This is as close to a real-life disaster film as you’re going to get, and while the show is never punishingly bleak, it doesn’t shy away from the grim realities of what happened. It’s searing, haunting storytelling of the highest caliber, and the best show you might not be watching on TV right now. – Max Roux [Our Review]

“Fleabag” (Season 2)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the writer, creator, and star of Amazon’s tartly funny and bittersweet tragicomedy “Fleabag,” is having something of a Hollywood moment as of late. She was one of the sole memorable components of “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” where she played a caustic, witty droid, and she’s currently doing a round of rewrites on the upcoming “Bond 25” in addition to being the brains behind the justly acclaimed series “Killing Eve” (also on this list). And yet, when “Fleabag’s” droll, heartbreaking first season hit Amazon Prime way back in 2016, few Americans were hip to the show’s peculiar, pathos-inflected brand of uniquely British comedy. With “Fleabag’s” immaculate second season, it’s become clear that Phoebe Waller-Bridge isn’t going to remain a well-kept secret for long: if there’s any justice in the world, this batch of six impeccably conceived episodes will make her a household name. If anything, “Fleabag’s” sophomore chapter is a startling improvement on its already very impressive first season, deepening the show’s wellspring of pain while providing ample opportunities for inspired physical comedy, sensitive and layered performances (special shout-outs to Olivia Colman as Fleabag’s self-obsessed stepmother, Brett Gelman embodying an obnoxious, entitled creep better than almost any actor we can think of, and “Sherlock’s” Andrew Scott as a hunky priest who just happens to be Fleabag’s new love interest), and, of course, plenty of winky fourth-wall breaking. Fleabag, naturally, is still trying to figure her life out, though she’s less of a hot mess than she was in the show’s first season. The primary arc of Season 2 involves the pending nuptials of Fleabag’s father, as well as our heroine’s budding relationship with Scott’s benevolent man of the cloth. And yet, what actually happens in this show is of only so much importance – this is such a wildly imaginative and emotionally explosive comedy that we’re confident when we say that we would follow Fleabag to the ends of the earth if that’s what the show demanded. – NL [Our Review]