Wednesday 31 December 2014

TV in 2014: Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, True Detective, Fargo and Sherlock

2013 was the year that I decided to jump on the TV bandwagon and stop being a film snob who dismissed most of the stuff that hit the small screen. Smashing through Breaking Bad, Dexter, Homeland, The Walking Dead and more in 2013, I delved into 2014 with a renewed appetite for the best the gogglebox has to offer.


That meant mainly focusing on catching up with Game of Thrones for a start which I also started reading the books of in 2013. So I started this year by hitting HBO's fantasy series hard in order to be caught up by the time season 4 aired. I ploughed through seasons 2, 3 and 4 during 2014 and am now eagerly awaiting the beginning of season 5 with everybody else. I've also finished A Storm of Swords bringing me right up to date with the books so there are quite a few moments I'm gagging for and quite a few more I'm dreading. A few other writers and myself also did these cool profiles for Filmoria of all the different areas in the world of GoT:

‘Game of Thrones’ Profiles: Across the Narrow Sea

‘Game of Thrones’ Profiles: The North and Beyond

‘Game of Thrones’ Profiles: King’s Landing


I also watched True Detective this year starring Matthew Wonderboy McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. I had very mixed feelings about this show as while I really liked McConaughey's character, I also thought both the stars overacted their chops off. I also felt that despite it's incredibly brooding atmosphere, the story never went as dark or as deep as I had hoped it was going to go. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty dark but I'd hoped for a more crazy cult and carnage type ending, even if the last episode was awesome. Here's a catch up review I wrote near the end of the first season.



I finished The Walking Dead season 4 this year and started season 5. Season 4 was incredible and season 5 has been pretty decent  so far. I think I probably stand in the minority here but I think this show just keeps getting better and better after a seriously shoddy start with the first two seasons. Even without The Governor and the prison, things have been increasingly tense as the characters got split up out in the open and then had to fight their way out of Terminus in season 5.

The Walking Dead review: Reaching Terminus 

The Walking Dead: how will season 4 end? 

Will Carol make it to the end of The Walking Dead season 4? 

The Walking Dead review: A death in the family



Fargo was the show that really blew me away this year. I loved every minute of it. Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton absolutely nailed their brilliantly written and incredibly fun to watch sociopaths. I hope they don't screw this one up by messing up a second season, though it sounds as though creator Noah Hawley is heading in an interesting direction.

Fargo review: Malvo and Lester finally face off 

Will Fargo return without Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton? 

Fargo review: Malvo goes after the new and improved Lester 

Fargo review: Did Lester and Malvo get away with murder? 



I also finally started watching the BBC's Sherlock so that means more Martin Freeman for me. I enjoyed the first season even if I have a bit of a love/hate thing going on with Cumberbatch. I'm more excited to see more of Andrew Scott's Moriarty who seemed hilarious in his brief appearance in season 1.

What else should I get stuck into in 2015 anybody?

More 2014 lists at I Love That Film:

Best Books I Read in 2014

Top 10 Blockbusters of 2014

Top 10 Music Performances of 2014

Top 10 Best True Stories of 2014

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