The best (and worst) TV shows of 2019
In a few short weeks it’ll be 2020, and the interwebs is awash in Best TV Shows of the Decade lists (including ours). But we can’t end the year without celebrating the great TV series of 2019. Read on for a look at the 20 best shows of the year — first a top 10 from EW critic Kristen Baldwin, followed by EW critic Darren Franich’s picks. And keep clicking until the end for the big reveal: The five worst shows of 2019.
- Perpetual Grace, LTD – Westworld’s Jimmi Simpson stars in this strange and wonderful saga as James, a broken spirit who drifts into a stolen-identity scheme dreamed up by Paul Allen Brown (Damon Herriman — what a year he’s having!). Paul’s Ma and Pa (Jacki Weaver and Ben Kingsley, respectively) are the marks, but not even the Lord can help those who try to take this fearsome couple down. Creators Steven Conrad and Bruce Terris craft a story that unfolds like a Rube Goldberg contraption, as James’ every hapless, miscalculated step toward redemption — all set against the big-sky beauty of Santa Fe — results in yet another comical disaster. The ensemble is stuffed with excellence (Luis Guzman gives a career-best performance as Hector, and Terry O’Quinn is law-enforcement personified as Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger). One episode even hinges on a crucial appearance by the Cash Cab. If you need something to fill the Fargo-sized hole in your heart, the Epix app costs $6 a month. It’s a small price to pay for 10 hours of Grace.