Amph Favorite television seasons.

"Vincent and The Doctor" and "The Firebending Masters" are beautiful episodes. When I saw the latter, I was immediately reminded of the former. They are sisters, brothers.

Also, I'd always favour A:TLA Book Three over One or Two simply because it's the culmination of a plan so brilliant it makes me smile just to think about it. Rarely does a show get to play out and close as it always intended.

 

Agree that Season 2 is the best season of House and BSG, but I'll pick Season 1 of Lost. (Though 2 is a close second)

And Season 3 of Buffy is one of my all time favorite seasons of TV ever (Again, 2 is also very good.)

Also, Season 2 of Terminator: SCCC, and Season 1 of Veronica Mars, Joan of Arcadia, Arrested Development, and Pushing Daisies. But those shows were all very short lived.

Finally, because I grew up with it and I adore cheesy New Zealand adventure series, I'll throw out Season 2 of Xena as being awesome.

 

I think I'll agree with Season 4 of The Wire.

I'll probably go with Season 2 of Avatar, although it has the weakest finale of the three.

Breaking Bad: Season 4 so far, but I can't evaluate Season 5 until it's over.

Arrested Development is a tough one, but I'll say Season 2... specifically the last bunch of episodes in that season, which are all fantastic.

Definitely Season 4 of Dexter.

I would need to watch Lost again before I could choose, although I'm initially tempted to say Season 2.

...I'm seeing a pattern here...

 

Lost season 3

 

Yeah, the second season tends to be where a good show find its footing and excels. Parks and Recreation season 2 is another one for me, when it decided not to try so hard to be an Office clone.

 

Seriously?

I love all of Lost.... I mean, there's not a season that I dislike, but

1) Too much time spent on Hydra island
2) Stranger in a Strange Land
3) Expose

...all make season 3 not the best.

 

Yes. Seriously. I'm sure. Not joking. It really is my favorite season.

 

Am I allowed to say that a show with two seasons has two of my favorites, or is that cheating since we're not doing favorite shows? If it's alright, then I have to go with Freakazoid!. Particularly the second season which did away with the three-shorts format for longer stories, but the first season had enough brilliance (Candle Jack, The Cloud, The Chip, Toby Danger, In Arms Way, plus the stronger degree of prevelance for the ensemble characters like Hunstman and Fan Boy) that it's still one of my favorites.

I'd also like to count Monty Python's Flying Circus Season 2, and Doctor Who Series 5, but I'd also include Series 3 for the latter. Some of the strongest episodes in NuWho are from that series in my opinion, and even though Martha suffered a bit from the pseudo Martha-Doctor-Rose love triangle she was still a great companion.

Dexter's Laboratory Season 2 is another favorite. Dexter's Lab was consistently great for the first two seasons (the TRUE seasons ) but the show really hit its peak about midway through the second season with The Muffin King and continued to build up until it culminated in the amazingness that is Last But Not Beast. The last eight episodes alone (with the possible exception of episode 34) were consistently stellar and brought about some of the most memorable shorts in the show's history like The Continuum of Cartoon Fools, Trapped with a Vengeance, DiM (a precursor to Samurai Jack in a lot of ways), LABretto, Dee Dee's Rival, Dexter vs. Santa Claus, and the kid-penned Dexter and Computress Get Mandark! (which is pretty much Axe Cop before Axe Cop existed).

Community Season 2. It had some of the best episodes of the show to date like Epidemiology, Advanced Dugenons and Drugons, Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas, Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples, Celebrity Pharmacology, Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking, For a Few Paintbulls More, Basic Rocket Science, Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design, and, what's probably my favorite episode to date, A Fistfull of Paintballs. Aside from all of these individual grand-slams I think I loved it so much because I really liked the season-long arc of Pierce gradually become more villainous and alienated from the group.

 

The first thing that I thought of was The Office Season 2.


I'd probably include Arrested Development Season 2 and Community Season 2, as well. It doesn't reach quite those heights, but I'd put Alias season 2 there. Lost season 1.

 

I love Martha, but the way Ten treated her is precisely why S3 is one of my least favorite NewWho seasons/series. It's almost a mix of the very epitomes of both a rebound and classic emotionally abusive relationship (and I've seen the latter close - up via close relatives). I think that's one of the reasons I like Martha's Companion ending so much. She herself recognized that it wasn't a healthy thing for her to stay and continue traveling with the Doctor, so she got out. Issues with her appearances in S4 and EoT aside, I thought her exit in TLotTL was sent a very empowering and positive message.

 

The Big Bang Theory season 1. The latest TBBT, including this season and much of season 5, is too much about relationship problems and not enough of that geeky that drew so much of us in in the first place. If we wanted to watch shows about relationship issues, we could watch How I Met Your Mother or something.

 

Season 3 of Lost may have a couple of dud episodes, but the finale more than makes up for those, IMO.

 

I was going to post seasons 2 - 4 of The X-Files. So I'd just add season four in there too. Season Five had some great stuff, but you can't beat two through four for just consistently awesome television.

 

I didn't watch X-Files when it came out; I watched the first season via my cousin's DVDs, then ended up buying the second season. The finale of the second season alone was enough to get me to watch the rest of the series, because damn, that was one hell of an ending. I thought the mytharc got a little wonky during the end of season 4/ beginning of season 5, but it was still high-quality television. I also lol'ed every time they had some secret government facility in West Virginia, because I live there.

Are you ever going to pick up the X-Files thread? Because I can't wait for the Jose Chung's From Outer Space discussion. One of the best episodes of any TV series ever.

 

Seinfeld Season 4. Almost every episode clicked, from the LA trip at the start to the show within a show. Brilliance like The Outing and The Junior Mint almost get overlooked. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Definitely Season 2 of BSG.

Having a hard time picking 1 season of Cheers, all the Diane ones are really brilliant. Season 2 probably gets a slight nod, with Sam and Diane finally hooking up at the start, then crashing apart at the end. Season 3 almost as good, with the introduction of both Frasier and Woody.

 

The Wire Season 3. I love Season 4 and get why most people list it as their favorite, but for me, Season 3 will always be the show's high watermark.

 

100% with you on this. Every season of the show is great and I can't really explain it but everything just kind of "clicks" for me in Season 3.

 

I have no argument with choosing Season 3. It's a great season in every way and is a worthy choice for anyone.

 

"Life on Mars". Hmm. Series one or two. Not sure. I love the first for the mystery, and the second for the brilliant resolution. I'll settle on the first as my favourite because it debuted an absolutely exquisite concept... but it's a close run thing. Series three of "Ashes to Ashes" comes close.

 

The Wire should have Best Drama Emmy nominations for at least 3 of it's 5 seasons, and wins for seasons 3 and 4. It might be the best 2 season run of any show, ever.

 

At long last I have a full DVD set of The Wire in my hands. I'm going to start watching it just as soon as the election's over.

Nothing new here. I also loved season two of BSG although in my view the show as a whole never quite matched the quality of the mini-series or pilot or whatever that was.

Season 4 of Breaking Bad is marvelous.

I loved season 2 of Futurama.

 

"Nothing disappears without a trace!" Haha, that ties to both the second season finale and your question about my thread! Yes, it'll be back eventually.

 

Yeah, season 5 is still my favorite but I do love 3. Plus you get a great bridge between the two in season 5 when Tim tells Luke to go out and play his last game then walk away from it... yeah, two really great seasons. But to me 5 is perfect and would definitely be in my top seasons.

You know, I rewatched Series 1 again last week and just skipped the Slitheen episodes, and found I really really liked the series that way. And I totally agree about Eccleston's strengths in those episodes. The scene when he first encounters the eponymous creature in Dalek is absolutely brilliant and riveting.

That being said, as a whole season I'd have to rank it below the others. Such as...

This is a good point, and I do think it has the best serialized plot of any series. but I still think I like series 4 the best. Though series 6 sometimes wars with this less because of the overall plot but just because so many of my absolute favorites are in this series (The Doctor's Wife, Let's Kill Hitler, The God Complex, The Girl Who Waited...). But see, the same can be said of series 4 (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, Midnight, maybe even The Fires of Pompeii)....

DW is really tough because I actually like every series, even though my favorite episodes (Human Nature/The Family of Blood) are in my least favorite series, for instance.

Yes, it should have. That one of the best shows of all time wasn't even nominated even though it was on HBO and even then they freaking loved HBO is the biggest travesty in awards history. I know a lot of this is just that absolutely no one watched it when it was on, but still.

Anyway, I do think season 3 is a worthy choice but I agree with most people in that season 4 is my favorite one. It's just that the other seasons look at the problems of urban life and society, but season 4 is the one that goes to the absolute source of the problem in examining how pretty much everyone (parents, schools, cops, government) has failed the black urban youth of America and thus perpetuated the problems with black urban adults.

 

"Vincent and the Doctor" is my favorite episode of DW, I think ("The Girl in the Fireplace" a close second), and if I had to choose a favorite season, it would probably be 5.

 

Vincent and the Doctor is a top 5 episode of all time, no question. And like I said, the arc in 5 is the most solid. I just happen to love the crap out of so much of series 6. But I guess it's irrelevant, because I still pick 4 as my personal favorite, consistent quality aside. Ten and Donna still have my favorite Doctor/Companion relationship of any series in NuWho. She actually challenges him on things and isn't just fawning and impressed by him, but sees him as sort of just a guy, which makes for a really interesting contrast to the portrayal of his potential, god-like power. Plus, I mean, it has David Tennant, so... trump card


And now my list, with explanations, which is quite long. Apologies in advance, but television is my life so I can't really help it

ER- This is my favorite show and therefore the hardest for me to pick and choose with. I sincerely love all of seasons 1-8 and there are some brilliant episodes later on, including the fact that the final season 15 was oddly very good. Season 6 ends with my favorite arc and season 7 has the best unrequited love story in a season of a drama that I've seen. But in the end I think I have to go with season 4. From the beginning with the remarkable live episode to the end of William H. Macy's time on the show, this season probably wound up being the most solid all the way through. Every arc in this year was totally believable and compelling and helped shed light on a slew of social and ethical issues in County.

Lost- Season 5. It's the best Ben Linus season, and I'm all about Ben.

BSG- I'm probably in a small minority here, and I do love season 2, but I have to go with season 4. I'm one of those people who loves the ending of this show and everything leading up to it (including the devastating false ending in the middle) is great in this season.

Friday Night Lights- Season 5. As Eric and Vince say they think the Lions were the best thing to happen in their life, I think it's the best thing to happen in the show. And I think "Always" is one of the best series finales ever.

The Wire- Season 4, for reasons previously listed.

How I Met Your Mother- Season 2 probably has the most classic funny episodes, but I think season 4 is my favorite for the combination of hilarious and heartbreaking with the "Barney in love" plot.

Arrested Development- Season 2 is the straight up funniest season of any comedy ever. Full Stop.

The Office (UK)- Series 1 might be funnier, but series 2 has the brutal and even touching reality. If you include the special in series 2, it makes it even more the winner.

The Office (US)- Season 2, as people have pointed out, is brilliant. Season 1 was horrible and I didn't watch the show for a couple years after that. When I was persuaded to watch season 2, I instantly realized (with joy) that it had become it's own brilliant show.

The West Wing- For classic WW brilliance in its heart and comedy and drama combined, season 2. But for its innovation and brilliant characters (shout out to Alan Alda as Vinick), season 7 is close behind.

Mad Men- Season 4. Though I really do think 5 was pretty awesome, I would still in fairness say season 4 even if I weren't barred from voting for 5

Breaking Bad- This show is impossible because I truly feel like every season is brilliant but every one of them is more brilliant than the one before. So right now it's season 4, but I can't judge 5 yet because it's not done yet.

Justified- Season 2. Even though 1 is really great, I think the added complications that came with the Bennett clan made season 2 even better. Boyd and Raylan were both at their best in their shared opposition to the fantastically portrayed Mags. The show's still been very good since then, but it's never quite been able to shake the shadow of that awesome character.

Sherlock- I know this is a highly irregular show, but series 2 is absolutely some of the best stuff to ever be put on the television, start to finish. It's much shorter so it has that advantage, but as flawless series/seasons of shows go, it stakes that claim pretty solidly.

Dexter- Season 4. I mean, 2 was mind-blowingly brilliant. And then 4 came along and somehow topped it. Which was quite the feat and still stands as one of the best seasons of a show period.