Best Of 2014 (Television)

Hello, dear readers! I hope you've all enjoyed a happy New Year's. If you haven't noticed, I've redecorated a little bit, complete with a new logo (clip art courtesy of the royalty free clipart website, openclipart). Anyway, to celebrate the new year, I'm going back in time to last year, to review the Entertainment of 2014, in this installment I'll be focusing on Television. Spoilers obviously follow below, but I'll try to put warnings on the really spoiler-y areas.

Best Television Return (Season Premiere): Doctor Who
While this could easily have gone to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the season premiere I enjoyed the most was definitely Doctor Who's. The show returned in full force with a new title sequence, theme and a brand new (and already quite beloved) Doctor. Peter Capaldi made his first full appearance (after briefly showing up in the 50th Special, Day of the Doctor, as well as appearing at the end of Time of the Doctor). The premiere had it all: humor, heart-wrenching moments (*cough*, phone call, *cough), blasts from the past, and even a T-Rex in the London Thames! How's that for an opening?
Honorable Mentions: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Castle, Sleepy Hollow



Best Cliffhanger: Sleepy Hollow
Now that is how you end a season. Filled with plenty of 'Holy Crap!' moments and gasp worthy revelations (my jaw was on the ground by the time 'Sympathy for the Devil' by the Rolling Stones started playing), the first season of Sleepy Hollow certainly ended with a bang. While this might have done well in the show's favor during the hiatus, it didn't when the show returned; giving us a bit of a lackluster start to the season after such a shocking and exciting season finale.
Honorable Mentions: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Best New Character: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The only show to actually have new characters this season (not counting Doctor Who, since he's technically still the same man) would be Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This season introduced us to three new characters in the form of Bobbi Morse (Mockingbird), Alphonso 'Mac' Mackenzie, and Lance Hunter (who was previously married to Bobbi Morse). The award for 'best new character' in my opinion really has to go to Lance Hunter (Nick Blood) is easily one of my favorites this season: he's humorous, sarcastic in a way that reminds me of Sherlock in Elementary and gets on well with most of the team (well, with the exception of May, who always looks a 100% done when it comes to dealing with Lance and Bobbi).
 Honorable Mentions: Kitty Winters (Elementary), Bobbi Morse (AOS), Mac Mackenzie (AOS).

Best Ship Moment: Castle
Warning: Spoilers
The best 'ship' moment for me this season has to go to Castle. In the episode 'Time of Our Lives', Castle is knocked out and finds himself in an Alternate Reality, one when he never met Beckett. Once he returns to reality, he asks Kate to marry him (again!). The two decide to elope and get married in a nearly-perfect ceremony (Ryan, Espo, Lanie and Gates so needed to be there!). The ceremony was a beautifully happy one, and left a certain shipper crying with joy (who, moi?). The episode ended with Castle and Beckett dancing to their 'song', In My Veins by Andrew Belle (which I am currently listening to, whoops).
Honorable Mentions: The Pod Scene (AOS, Fitzsimmons).

Best Ship: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
Warning: Spoilers

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Last year introduced me not only to a new favorite show, but also a new ship: Fitzsimmons. I honestly didn't start shipping them until FZZT (but honestly, who couldn't after Fitz's speech to Simmons? 'You've been beside me the whole damn time' gets me everytime-meaning I grin like a madman while also tearing up). And the rest is painful history. The first season's finale had Fitz declare (sort of) his love for Simmons, before attempting to sacrifice himself for her; but Simmons saved him anyway, leaving him with permanent brain damage, leading to about ten episodes of nothing but Fitzsimmons-related pain in the second season. Honestly, will those two just start Fitzsimmons-ing again?
Honorable Mentions: Caskett (Castle)



Best Friendship (or Brotp): Doctor Who

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This was a tough one, but I ended up with the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald. While many people ship them (at times I can see why, especially with episodes such as Time Heist and Last Christmas), I don't, but I do love their friendship. Although this season mainly focused on Clara (a main complaint amongst fans), I believe that was because of the complaints that last season didn't focus on Clara much and that she wasn't doing anything in any of the episodes (casually glances at The Rings of Akhaten, Hide, and Name of the Doctor). Either way, I was sold with their friendship (*cough, their bickering, *cough*) at Deep Breath, and their friendship continued all the way through the season, with plenty of hardships. Plus, the chemistry between Capaldi and Coleman is always brilliant (the restaurant scene in Deep Breath for example, or all of Robot of Sherwood).
Honorable Mentions: Sherlock and Joan (Elementary), Ichabod and Abbie (Sleepy Hollow).



Best New Show: The Flash
2014 was filled with new comic-book shows: Gotham, Constantine and the Flash. Unlike many, I was not entirely pleased with Gotham (not my cup of tea, I prefer light-hearted shows. Plus cell phones in the past, what the heck?), and I haven't seen but one episode of Constantine. However, the best new show in my opinion is definitely the Flash. The show reminds me a lot of Smallville, in terms of tone. It has plenty of likeable characters, particularly Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) who is slowly becoming one of my favorite superheros. Even the love-triangle is bearable (Barry and Caitlin, and Barry and Iris). Although the show is currently on hiatus, it left a lot for us to think about!
Honorable Mentions: Selfie, The Librarians 

Best Show That Sadly Was Cancelled: Selfie
I wasn't entirely sold when I heard what the show was about, and watched the preview. However it had Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy) and John Cho (Star Trek, Sleepy Hollow), both of whom I know are good actors, so I decided to sit down and watch the pilot. Despite some 'eh' moments, the show proved to be funny and charming, or as my Mom puts it 'a cute show'. Despite having ratings that I hear were as good as the first few episodes of Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl, ABC cancelled the show, and Hulu picked it up for the remaining episodes. Like oh-so-many shows, Selfie was cancelled prematurely, no doubt because their timeslot happened to coincide with NCIS.

Best Christmas Special: Doctor Who
Technically this is not cheating: several shows had Christmas-themed episodes: Pretty Little Liars, Castle and NCIS all had them. However, Doctor Who wins this round with a fun, suspenseful, occasionally terrifying, heart-wrenching and hilarious Christmas special. While I'm not going to say much about it because it's obviously only been a week since it aired, I will say one thing: ironically this was the happiest Christmas special that I've seen this year.
Honorable Mentions: The Flash, Pretty Little Liars

Best Performance: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Warning: Spoilers

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While I typically don't pay very much attention to acting (though I can catch bad acting, like in some commercials), I didn't really think this list would be complete without an area for this. I honestly tend to just be absorbed by the shows I watch, so I don't really pay attention to the acting. However, many people have mentioned one particular great performance in  AOS, one that I have to agree with: Ian De Caestecker, who plays Leopold Fitz. What was probably the most challenging character arc to portray, Caestecker managed to portray our beloved Fitz with brain damage so well that you really forget it's just acting. While at times it's easy to miss Season one Fitz, Season two Fitz is just as likeable, and still has the habit of breaking our hearts (Seriously, I tend to bring tissues with me whenever I watch AOS, just in case).

 That's it for the television edition of 'The Best of 2014'. Tomorrow will bring the review for Last Christmas, and the day after will bring the Movie Edition of 'The Best of 2014'. Coming soon will be a 'Looking Forward: 2015'. Also, I really need to get reviewing those Doctor Who books I read last month. Just one more thing: I would like to briefly say a few words: yesterday Edward Herrmann passed away. Though I know he's been in a lot of things, I know him as Richard Gilmore from the Gilmore Girls, a show I've been watching since I was probably a toddler. Gone, but not forgotten, sir, Gilmore Girls will never be the same again. RIP.