There is nothing better than getting behind an underdog and watching a scrappy underachiever achieve the impossible. But what if that underdog is less than scrupulous? Perhaps a little devious? How about downright evil? Will audiences still root for the dark horse to win? The best television shows of 2024 were mostly character-driven pieces that seemed to focus on ambiguous figures who occupied morally gray areas. Enigmatic individuals whose story arcs were far from normal, these were a complex group of antiheroes who played against archetypes to create a series of perplexing character portraits — but goodness, were they entertaining.
A good example of this was found in the many multifaceted characters that made up FX’s Shogun, one of the very best shows of 2024. Most of the characters — at least of the ones who are not outright scheming and murdering scoundrels — make morally questionable choices in an effort to further their own agendas. John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) sailed to Japan to disrupt Portuguese trade missions, inserting himself and his politics into foreign affairs with little thought to the disruption it would cause. In turn, Lord Toranaga (played by the outstanding Hiroyuki Sanada) then used Blackthorne as a guileless pawn, hoping the “Anjin” would cause dissension during a time of political turmoil.
Shogun is a brilliant update of woefully outdated material that transforms James Clavell’s saga into a masterclass of storytelling. A rich and complex reworking of the original story, Shogun highlights all the strengths of the original novel while eliminating problematic white savior tropes, thereby creating an inspired remake for a new generation.
Another series whose lead character lurks in the shadows is HBO’s The Penguin, as audiences watched in gobsmacked wonder as a latex-laden Colin Farrell returns to the role of criminal mastermind Oswald “Oz” Cobb from Matt Reeves’s The Batman. From under pounds of prosthetics, Farrell emotes a complex portrait of a would-be crime lord who is part evil genius, part momma’s boy. Matching his dramatic chops was Cristin Milioti as the scene-stealing Sofia Falcone as the duo became the talk of both Gotham and Tinseltown.
Rewriting 80 years of Batman lore in a mere eight episodes, The Penguin managed to defeat superhero fatigue while reviving the DC Universe as it pulls the ultimate magic trick: turning comic book fare into prestige television. Abracadabra. It is one of the best shows of the year.
Another delinquent to delight us in 2024 was Tom Ripley, who saw a sweeping, cinematic reimagining in Steven Zaillian’s Ripley on Netflix. Stunning in its cinematography and chilling in Andrew Scott’s outstanding performance, the miniseries saw the return of Mr. Ripley as the elusive fiend and fraudster as he makes his way through Italy, destroying and consuming almost everything in his path.
Shot in stunning black and white, Ripley recreates 1960s Italy as a devil’s playground for the rich and a paradise in which a monster can prosper. Scott’s Ripley is as charming as he is conniving, a dangerous deviant who hides behind a handshake and a smile. And though he is an evil incarnate, watching him work his wiles on Dickie Greenleaf and his fair Marge (Johnny Flynn and Dakota Fanning) is still something to behold.
Also among the top miscreants to capture the attention of audiences this year was the unsettling Martha Scott from Netflix’s Baby Reindeer. Played to exquisite perfection by Jessica Gunning, the story of a struggling comedian’s toxic relationship with a demented stalker became the season’s “must-binge” when it debuted. Created by and starring Richard Gadd as Donny Dunn in this true-ish story, Martha’s unhinged behavior along with Donny’s ghastly experiences that followed made Baby Reindeer a dark, off-beat thrill ride that viewers could not look away from.
HBO’s True Detective is no stranger to allowing an anti-hero to take center stage, but True Detective: Night Country was a different beast as it steered audiences straight into the dark abyss of the frozen tundra of Ennis, Alaska. After the bizarre deaths of eight scientists from a research facility, along with the discovery of a disembodied tongue, Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro find themselves embroiled in a peculiar investigation brimming with corruption and cover-ups. Led by superb performances from Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, the fourth outing of HBO’s neo-noir detective series used a palette of nuanced characters to paint a picture of small-town life fueled by deception, degradation and deep freeze.
To make it in the entertainment industry, one might have to sell a little bit of one’s soul in return for fame and fortune. And in the third season of HBO’s Hacks, no friendship or loved one is safe when it comes to Hollywood’s sacrificial altar. Starring current and future Emmy-award winner Jean Smart as vet comic Deborah Vance and her human punching bag, Ava Daniels — played with neurotic excellence by Hannah Einbinder — the new season saw the two frenemies turn their toxic friendship into contention as they both look to further their careers. Their relationship might be brutal, but their interactions are pure candy to the comedy lovers.
Speaking of love-hate relationships, the third season of Hulu’s The Bear returned to find Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) wandering into villain territory as his attempts to follow the path blazed by his beloved mentors are distorted due to his self-destructive nature. The chef’s inability to distinguish between gentle guidance and relational bullying becomes an issue for both the restaurant and the staff, especially Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), who bears the brunt of Carmy’s dark side. The most anxiety-ridden “comedy” of all time, the third season of The Bear takes viewers down a dark path as Carmy mutates from savior to tormentor despite good intentions.
A former Letterkenny nogoodnik-turned-Sudbury hometown hero gave audiences the ultimate underdog story with Hulu’s Shoresy. A gift from our friends in the Great White North, the third season of the Letterkenny spin-off saw the Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs in the National Senior Tournament battling against the best hockey teams from across Canada. Thanks to creator Jared Keeso’s talents both in front and behind the camera, a one-time one-note character best known for his litany of crass jokes involving mothers and gastric issues has evolved into a highly nuanced character capable of setting the tone for high comedy.
From the digital mythos of a best-selling video game franchise, a diamond was mined in the form of Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout, a post-apocalyptic horror series that expanded the already-mammoth fictional world of the Wasteland by setting its story within the cracks of the gameplay narrative. By using unexplored vaults and creating characters that fit perfectly within the established lore, Fallout managed to appease both longtime fans and newbies with its top-notch writing and stellar cast.
Led by former vault-dweller Lucy and a bounty-hunting Ghoul (a fantastic Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins), survivors are forced to make choices that conflict with their moral center and humanity, but are necessary to survival. The result is an elaborate, thoughtfully-crafted adaptation that is at times both humorous and horrifying, and always a spectacle.
And finally, UnBinged ends its best of 2024 list on a humorous note with FX’s English Teacher, the story of a frustrated educator attempting to navigate the uber-woke waters of a clueless student body and their absurd, demanding parents. Created and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez as teacher Evan Marquez, the sitcom’s setting of Austin comes into play as Texas’s renowned haven for heathens meshes with its Red State standing to create the perfect satirical background for a half-hour comedy with bite. As a gay high school English teacher endeavoring to balance his professional goals with a social life, Evan often finds himself at odds with his students, their parents and the occasional teacher. But not with critics and audiences, who found the off-beat sitcom endearing, and one of the best of the year.
2024 was the year of the affable villain, the dark hero, and the underappreciated underdog who led the way for many remarkable series. These were characters striving towards perfection and happiness by whatever means necessary. And though these characters might be extreme, audiences couldn’t help but be drawn to them, perhaps because they shared similar goals: to be the hero of their own story. Which in the end, was a relatable objective for most viewers, no matter how dark the path.
The Final Tally:
- Shogun (FX on Hulu: Feb. 27)
- The Penguin (HBO: Sept. 19)
- Ripley (Netflix: April 4)
- Baby Reindeer (Netflix: April 11)
- True Detective: Night Country; Season 4 (HBO: Jan. 14)
- Hacks, Season 3 (Max: May 2)
- The Bear, Season 3 (FX on Hulu: June 26)
- Shoresy, Season 3 (Hulu: June 21)
- Fallout (Amazon Prime Video: April 10)
- English Teacher (FX; Sept. 24)
Honorable Mentions:
Among the also-rans who almost made the Top 10 were Hulu’s deliciously devious Rivals and Netflix’s heartfelt mystery A Man on the Inside. AppleTV+ had a couple of winners as well with the fourth season of Slow Horses and sci-fi-esque thriller Sunny. The second season of AMC+’s Interview with the Vampire continues to honor Anne Rice’s original text while HBO’s The Sympathizer showed off Robert Downey Jr.’s versatility. And finally, Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV was a harrowing docuseries that explored the seedy underside of children’s television.
2024’s VIP: Kaitlin Olson
Please take a moment to bow down to the underrated comedy queen, who took a break from her duties as Sweet Dee Reynolds on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to lend her talents both as Deborah’s daughter DJ in Hacks and in the hit new show High Potential on ABC. She’s been flying under the radar for too long with too little recognition.
Change of Heart
Disney+’s Agatha All Along was the witchy, bitchy, LGBTQ+ show about love and loss that audiences needed, but when it came to review, the good folks at Disney only gave out a few scant episodes, not really allowing critics to watch the show as it fully blossomed. In the end, Agatha revealed itself to be a poignant series that can stand on its own outside the MCU, or rather, in spite of the MCU. Disney, bubbala, please stop being greedy with those screeners. You are not hurting anyone but yourself.
