These shows crafted their entire seasons well from start to finish.
Not a moment was wasted and with no filler comes kudos from the TV Fanatic team about a job well done.
What seasons did you think were stellar during 2016-17?
Riverdale Season 1
Riverdale. Every single moment of every single episode had my attention and the end of the hour came too quickly when I was watching it. – Jack
Lucifer Season 2
Lucifer Season 2 elevated a fun show to another level. With the addition of Lucifer’s mother and the end of Dan’s shady storyline, the team has gelled in an exciting way that makes tuning in each week more fun than ever. The season balanced the mythos and angel lore with insane cases but still managed to ground things in the core relationships. – Mandy
Colony Season 2
Colony Season 2 was everything I hoped it would be and more. As with any good series, with every reveal there were more questions to answer, creating layer upon layer in this world after aliens inhabited earth. Every hour played with our minds, throwing breadcrumbs only to vacuum them up and lead us down a different path again later. There is still so much to learn, and we can do it together during Colony Season 3. – Carissa
The Originals Season 4
All signs were pointing to The Originals hitting a lull, but with a decreased episode order and a scary new villain, it became clear the series had returned to its former glory. – Paul
Archer: Dreamland
Archer – Dreamland: Seriously. They put the title character into a coma at the end of Season 7 so what do they do? They REBOOT the entire cast of characters in Archer’s coma dream as 1949 Los Angeles film noir detective archetypes. Archer gets some messed up PTSD WW2 flashbacks (while in his own coma if you’re keeping track), Lana goes undercover as a lounge singer, Pam turns into the androgynous Poovey, Krieger fought against the Nazis, Cyril is a dirty cop, Cheryl is rich and nuts and named Vandertunt, Barry ends up crazy and cyborg-y (so no change there… oh, wait, he’s named “Dutch”), and Mallory… well, she’s always Mother, isn’t she? Honestly, the mind boggles at where they can possibly go next season. – Diana
The Leftovers Season 3
The Leftovers Season 3, like Season 2 before it, was incredible. This time it consisted of bottle episodes dedicated to one character at a time giving every actor time to shine in ways we’d never realized they hadn’t already. If only every production team understood their characters and their motivations as well as this one, there would be no disappointments on television. – Carissa
Master of None Season 2
Master of None Season 2 was even better than Season 1. Not only was it funny and heartwarming, but it was even more creative. It featured an all black-and-white episode spoken mostly in Italian, an episode that intertwined the lives of three New York strangers, and one that spanned Thanksgivings over several years and uniquely portrayed a character coming to terms with her own sexuality. On top of all that, there’s the amazing story between Dev and the engaged Francesca as they struggle with their developing feelings for each other. The whole season was absolutely fantastic. – Stacy
Feud: Bette and Joan
Feud Season 1 was a wonderful character study, a cool peek into old Hollywood and a terrific showcase for two of the best actresses of our generation. If a series had Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon on it ever season, I’d watch. Toss them into old Hollywood and vintage outfits and it would be impossible to pass up. – Carissa
Sense8 Season 2
Sense8. The season being so good is actually unexpected. There was no way of knowing how the show could progress with such an unusual concept, but they successfully managed to delve deeper into the science and folklore behind the sensate species. They introduced us to new sensates. There was more action, danger, and higher stakes. Plus, the sensates have fantastic chemistry with each other. There were fresh pair ups, more group shots, and stronger individual arcs. – Jasmine
Channel Zero: Candle Cove
Channel Zero: Candle Cove watched separately worked only if you watched them in order (well, what show doesn’t?), but as a whole, it was a treat. It’s really unsettling and freaking and one I didn’t want to watch in the dark. I can’t wait until the next season comes to scare us this fall! – Carissa
