Steamy Streaming: 2018
Our Five Favorite Shows Of 2018
With 2018 approaching the rear view mirror, its fresh carcass crushed under the tires of hindsight, it’s time to look back at some of our favorite TV shows of the year. They were sexy, they were provocative, and they reminded us why we’re living in a new golden era of television. The world may be burning to the ground around us, but at least we can binge-watch our favorite shows before the we truly start to feel the effects of President Trump’s repeal of Obama-era net neutrality protections.
Sharp Objects
In a year without Game of Thrones and a sharply divisive season of Westworld, the crown jewel of HBO’s 2018 has to be Sharp Objects. While too many premium cable shows reek of desperation with their superfluous orgies and outrageous displays of violence, it’s refreshing to see an adult show that actually appeals to adult viewers. Amy Adams gives a career-defining performance in this southern gothic mystery thriller which also stars Patricia Clarkson, Chris Messina, and Eliza Scanlen.
Killing Eve
This BBC series stars Sandra Oh as an MI5 agent who finds herself pushed to the edge in her obsessive pursuit of a dangerous psycho assassin, played by Jodie Comer. Their cat-and-mouse chase brings both characters to places they never predicted, but we won’t spoil anything here. The show is notable for experiencing unprecedented viewership growth from week to week, which is basically unheard of in the world of television. Killing Eve, for lack of a better term, is something else.
Bodyguard
Another british show, Bodyguard became a minor sensation when it made its American debut on Netflix. Richard Madden plays a soldier stricken with PTSD who is assigned to protect a politician (Keeley Hawes) whose politics he absolutely hates. As the gambits and the bodies begin to pile up, the danger of the situation brings the two characters together in unexpected ways. Again, this highly-serialized show must be seen to be believed, and is perfect for a late 2018 bingewatch.
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story series is known for combining historical accuracy with melodramatic theatricality, and this mixture is dialed up to eleven with season two. While this combination could potentially be trashy and disrespectful, the show manages to strike a perfect tone which balances style and substance. The show focuses on the tragic death of Gianni Versace, one of the most important fashion icons who ever lived, and the all-star cast (Penelope Cruz, Édgar Ramírez, Ricky Martin) and incredible production design do an incredible job of transporting the viewer into 1990s fashion world.
The Americans
After six seasons, The Americans finally ended its run this year. Now that it’s over, there’s no time like the present to go back to the beginning and watch one of the best FX original shows. Set amidst the backdrop of 1980s Americana, the series follows a sleeper cell of Russian spies who seek to undermine the United States in the later years of the Cold War. Of course, we know that the Cold War never really ended, considering all the evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which had the unfortunate side effect of making The Americans so much more relevant than anybody could have predicted when the show began back in 2013.
