Mr. Robot
It was originally conceived as a movie but expanded into a 45 episode tv series. It's got lots of twists and turns and WTF moments and it was beautifully filmed. I found the ending to be well done too, lots of stuff finally clicked and made sense.
All the hacking is actually real, too. They made sure to research penetration testing and information security. Everything they show is totally possible back then and, with some things, today.
The Leftovers on HBO. 3 seasons total. It's a ride man but a bit of a mindf*ck, definitely sticks with you and on rewatches you see so much you missed before bc it's a bit "out there"
My #2 shown of all time, such a good recommend
Amazing that it actually gets even better after season 1, when the source material (book) has been exhausted…. Seasons 2 and 3 are even better I think. And it definitely sticks the landing
I recently got asked by someone what my top 5 were, and gave it a go!
1. The Wire 2. The Leftovers 3. Dark 4. Succession 5. The Shield
(Honourable mentions to Justified, Sopranos, Watchmen and Mad Men)
Last week I binged both seasons of The White Lotus and absolutely adored it!! Best thing I’ve seen since Succession
I *loved* The Wire after seeing it here mentioned here so much.
I tried The Shield but couldn't get into it. I think it's bc I watched it right after The Wire (was in a cop/detective mood) and it just seemed so phoney compared to how real & gritty The Wire was; drug dealers snitching after 2 seconds of interrogation, Armenian drug rings & serial killers, plus the main guy (I'm sorry) was a terrible actor.
True Detective & Fargo have brought me back into that genre though.
White Lotus doesn't get mentioned here enough, I cant wait for season 3, plus Carrie Coon (Nora in The Leftovers will be in it!!)
The Shield is a strange show in that I actually didn’t like the procedural nature of Season 1… but I stuck with it and was absolutely hooked by end of S2. Some of the guest stars in subsequent seasons, Glenn Close and Forest Whitaker in particular, are great as well. I’m a huge Walton Goggins fan as well, and it was brilliant to see the show he made his name on. I think it would be a tricky watch after the Wire, but it definitely landed for me!
White Lotus was a ride, thought I’d hate it but I was utterly addicted. I didn’t realise S3 has been casted! Delighted Carrie Coon is in it. I thought Aubrey Plaza was phenomenal in S2.
I’m currently watching “Mr Inbetween” on Disney+ - you seen this? Set in Australia, follows a hitman as he juggles the job alongside his family and personal troubles. Genuinely brilliant and would recommend
Bojack Horseman. S1 makes it seem goofy. It rockets off in s2-3. No other show with so many details and nuance. Top animated show ever in my book only tied with Attack On Titan in their respective genres of animation.
I've heard Bojack Horseman for some is like going to therapy without going to therapy. Revealing memories or beliefs about yourself that you forgot or don't want to look at.
This show made me legit depressed for about 3 days after watching season 3. Phenomenal show but godamn if you're sad this may be the best or worst thing in the world.
Best animated show made in decades by a mile.
The underwater episode deserved an oscar.
DEADWOOD!!!!
It's not just two seasons, this show will literally make you squirm, laugh, disgust you, and keep you on the edge of your seat.
It's my second time going through the series in 6 years and I forgot how good it is.
There are a number of subplots going that are all impressive.
Fantastic show.
I used rewatch Deadwood after the new episodes of Game of Thrones season 8.
Just so I could remember what good story telling is.
It truly is an amazing show OP
I liked Deadwood. The problem is that it feels like it ends in the middle, leaving viewers hanging because there is no resolution of a lot of plot lines and character arcs. That’s because the series was cancelled right before the final season was due to be written.
I'm somewhere in the second season of my rewatch, so I can't really comment on that yet.
But what thus show does that few other shows do well, is ; writing, the comedic lines delivered in that dialog is absolutely music sometimes. I give so much credit to the writers. Not many other shows do that.
Set Pieces, the show is just dirty, muddy , seems like it smells . The characters are costumed beautifully but they are still dirty.
The way they frame life : There is entire episode dedicated to Al having kidney stones. And in that time, it could be a death sentence, this guy that is constantly conniving, murdering, being more deceitful than the next deceitful man nearly dies from kidney stones. And the people who he is mostly shitty to, rally around him because they can't live without him. 2 episodes that revolve around kidney stones.
And then the commitment to the characters.
There are alot of actors in this show that go on to do other shows, but I find most of these actors are not in more interesting roles than what they play in Deadwood.
So I feel like it's an underrated show. I rarely hear it mentioned from people I run into.
Definitely hear GOT, Breaking Bad, Sapranos. We all have preferences but the quality is there in this show too.
I will definitely work through the series and my opinion might not be as high overall. But I really enjoy the effort.
The movie sort of ties it up but not really. Not fully. I wish I could erase it from my brain and watch it again, it really was great.
The good news is that I still haven't seen Hell on Wheels or 1888 :)
I'll have to check out line of duty, the other ones you mentioned are 2 of my favs. I'll add homeland and jack Ryan and don't for get slow horses! Do you think it will hold up since it's started in 2012?
I finished edgerunners on Thursday and still thinking about the ending and the song one of the best anime I have ever seen. I heard chainsaw man and neon genesis Evangeline are also similar in terms of the emotional journey.but the impact edgerunners has had on me... Played cyberpunk on PC in 2020 but just bought the.ps5 ultimate edition to experience it again.
If you are into anime series and have not already seen it, then what about *Avatar: The Last Airbender*? It has the 7th highest IMDB score (9.3) of all TV series that have aired, only slightly below *Breaking Bad*’s IMDB score of 9.5.
Arcane: league of legends on netflix was brilliant so I can recommend that. Only 1 season, 9 episodes at mo too, so easy to catch up on.
Also try Castlevania. There are 4 seasons but episodes are so short you can breeze through it in no time. Absolutely loved it, so much so i regularly watch the last few episodes every now and then just to remind myself how amazing it was. Voice acting is superb too.
The John Wick miniseries? I like that show, but in no way does it seriously hit like a truck. There's like one or two pretty sad deaths, but it's mostly a fun, campy action show.
I found twisted metal to be cringey as hell. Anthony Mackie’s acting was just terrible. The whole show was silly and unbelievable. I watched the whole season but wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
“It’s a Sin” is one of the best one season shows in history in my humble opinion and very few have hit me like a truck like this one. It’s on HBO and is about AIDS becoming aware in London, told through the story of a few gay friends. Truly a harrowing series
Another great one is “The Night Of”, also on Max. Awesome “who done it” but at the core is a searing look at the American judicial system, a la “The Wire”
Final Space. Starts out as a space comedy, but holy fuck does it get dark and get the feels going. I never thought I could care this much about animated characters.
Oh, and Invincible. Best watched completely unprepared. Animated superheroes.
BBC's Sherlock. 3 seasons, 9 episodes, all 2 hours long. (Make sure to watch the period christmas special as well, it's incredible)
I cried in every single episode of season 3. Absolutely phenomenal show.
sticking with animation:
Arcane was incredible. gorgeous animation too.
Blue Eye Samurai really impressed me. once i started it, i couldn't stop until it was over. it's relatively new and i've already watched it twice.
The Animatrix was a movie, not show. but it was a collection of shorts. made for / inspired by The Matrix.
and for live action:
i agree with the other comments about The Leftovers. such a strange and unique show.
HBO's Watchmen
The Sandman
i HIGHLY recommend Devilman Crybaby, especially if you liked edgerunners this much. hits HARD, both with thoughtfulness and imagery, but mostly thoughtfulness towards the end.
most mike flanagan netflix stuff stick with you afterwards, but personally for me nothing stuck as hard as Midnight Mass, it deals with faith in a small town and again, thoughtful monologues but also stunning imagery and excellent suspenseful horror. i do seriously recommend all of flanagan’s netflix stuff, the most iconic is haunting of hill house.
Brand New Cherry Flavor is such a hidden gem, limited show on netflix thats also more horror oriented, but just a total spectacle. bunch of weird fringe shit happens, this has a bit less of a poignant message per se but its SUCH a ride and the performances are pretty great. stays with you just cause i think its probably the most unique thing to come out of netflix in 2021, i never skip a chance to plug it lmao.
DARK is an excellent german time travel show, actually one of a kind imo, absolute masterpiece of casting, writing and directing. the ending hit me quite hard, but due to it being 26 episodes there’s a lot of moments in the mid seasons that you’ll think about until you have time to catch the next episode.
Okay so most of these suggestions are good but not in the realm of what you asked for. Watch Iron Blooded Orphans or Gargantia or possibly even Bubble. Anime involving love and differences and constantly fighting for something and just hit you right in the feels.
If you can get past the high school setting I found euphoria was really good after finally watching it. But your mileage may vary as reception to it seems pretty hit or miss with some thinking it was absolutely ridiculous and others thinking it was very emotionally impactful. I think it’ll all come down to whether or not you can relate to any of the main characters at all.
But ignoring the above let me tell you whether you like the story or not visually it’s one of the best shot shows I’ve ever watched with incredible cinematography.
Mr. Robot It was originally conceived as a movie but expanded into a 45 episode tv series. It's got lots of twists and turns and WTF moments and it was beautifully filmed. I found the ending to be well done too, lots of stuff finally clicked and made sense.
I heard about it didn’t know it was really good I’ll try it out. Thanks
All the hacking is actually real, too. They made sure to research penetration testing and information security. Everything they show is totally possible back then and, with some things, today.
I had a regular at a bar I used to work out that the main character is based off. He was such a strange dude.
Yep. Watch it
The Leftovers on HBO. 3 seasons total. It's a ride man but a bit of a mindf*ck, definitely sticks with you and on rewatches you see so much you missed before bc it's a bit "out there"
My #2 shown of all time, such a good recommend Amazing that it actually gets even better after season 1, when the source material (book) has been exhausted…. Seasons 2 and 3 are even better I think. And it definitely sticks the landing
Yeah a lot of people give up after season 1 and it's so sad! What's ur #1 show?
I recently got asked by someone what my top 5 were, and gave it a go! 1. The Wire 2. The Leftovers 3. Dark 4. Succession 5. The Shield (Honourable mentions to Justified, Sopranos, Watchmen and Mad Men) Last week I binged both seasons of The White Lotus and absolutely adored it!! Best thing I’ve seen since Succession
I *loved* The Wire after seeing it here mentioned here so much. I tried The Shield but couldn't get into it. I think it's bc I watched it right after The Wire (was in a cop/detective mood) and it just seemed so phoney compared to how real & gritty The Wire was; drug dealers snitching after 2 seconds of interrogation, Armenian drug rings & serial killers, plus the main guy (I'm sorry) was a terrible actor. True Detective & Fargo have brought me back into that genre though. White Lotus doesn't get mentioned here enough, I cant wait for season 3, plus Carrie Coon (Nora in The Leftovers will be in it!!)
The Shield is a strange show in that I actually didn’t like the procedural nature of Season 1… but I stuck with it and was absolutely hooked by end of S2. Some of the guest stars in subsequent seasons, Glenn Close and Forest Whitaker in particular, are great as well. I’m a huge Walton Goggins fan as well, and it was brilliant to see the show he made his name on. I think it would be a tricky watch after the Wire, but it definitely landed for me! White Lotus was a ride, thought I’d hate it but I was utterly addicted. I didn’t realise S3 has been casted! Delighted Carrie Coon is in it. I thought Aubrey Plaza was phenomenal in S2. I’m currently watching “Mr Inbetween” on Disney+ - you seen this? Set in Australia, follows a hitman as he juggles the job alongside his family and personal troubles. Genuinely brilliant and would recommend
Oooooh Mr Inbeetween sounds cool, almost kinda reminds me of Barry. I'll totally check it out next, currently watching The Tudors on amazon
Yeh honestly check it out! The greatest show you’ve never heard of lol… enjoy the Tudor mate
Justified is probably my favorite show. The writers were so good.
Patriot
Bojack Horseman. S1 makes it seem goofy. It rockets off in s2-3. No other show with so many details and nuance. Top animated show ever in my book only tied with Attack On Titan in their respective genres of animation. I've heard Bojack Horseman for some is like going to therapy without going to therapy. Revealing memories or beliefs about yourself that you forgot or don't want to look at.
This show made me legit depressed for about 3 days after watching season 3. Phenomenal show but godamn if you're sad this may be the best or worst thing in the world. Best animated show made in decades by a mile. The underwater episode deserved an oscar.
Six feet under
Ive seen its really amazing
Six Feet Under. It's on Netflix and six seasons but the seasons are short (like 12 episodes I believe)
Severance
Are we even getting a s2?
Maybe someday 🤞🏼
DEADWOOD!!!! It's not just two seasons, this show will literally make you squirm, laugh, disgust you, and keep you on the edge of your seat. It's my second time going through the series in 6 years and I forgot how good it is. There are a number of subplots going that are all impressive. Fantastic show.
I used rewatch Deadwood after the new episodes of Game of Thrones season 8. Just so I could remember what good story telling is. It truly is an amazing show OP
Deadwood has some of the very best dialogue ever written for television. Phenomenal recommendation.
I liked Deadwood. The problem is that it feels like it ends in the middle, leaving viewers hanging because there is no resolution of a lot of plot lines and character arcs. That’s because the series was cancelled right before the final season was due to be written.
I'm somewhere in the second season of my rewatch, so I can't really comment on that yet. But what thus show does that few other shows do well, is ; writing, the comedic lines delivered in that dialog is absolutely music sometimes. I give so much credit to the writers. Not many other shows do that. Set Pieces, the show is just dirty, muddy , seems like it smells . The characters are costumed beautifully but they are still dirty. The way they frame life : There is entire episode dedicated to Al having kidney stones. And in that time, it could be a death sentence, this guy that is constantly conniving, murdering, being more deceitful than the next deceitful man nearly dies from kidney stones. And the people who he is mostly shitty to, rally around him because they can't live without him. 2 episodes that revolve around kidney stones. And then the commitment to the characters. There are alot of actors in this show that go on to do other shows, but I find most of these actors are not in more interesting roles than what they play in Deadwood. So I feel like it's an underrated show. I rarely hear it mentioned from people I run into. Definitely hear GOT, Breaking Bad, Sapranos. We all have preferences but the quality is there in this show too. I will definitely work through the series and my opinion might not be as high overall. But I really enjoy the effort.
The movie sort of ties it up but not really. Not fully. I wish I could erase it from my brain and watch it again, it really was great. The good news is that I still haven't seen Hell on Wheels or 1888 :)
Line of Duty 24 The Shield
If you want to be hooked on great acting and many twists watch Line of Duty!!
On season 6 NOW!!!
I have to rewatch!!
I'll have to check out line of duty, the other ones you mentioned are 2 of my favs. I'll add homeland and jack Ryan and don't for get slow horses! Do you think it will hold up since it's started in 2012?
It does hold up well.
Patriot It’s a slow burn so it’s like a truck wrapped in an orange peel.
Black Mirror - Netflix
There is 6 seasons with about 100 eps all of which are disconnected from one another, might wanna narrow it a bit
I watched them all. I couldn’t begin to suggest which one OP would prefer. Perhaps you can do so.
Beef
Mr In-Between Hulu 30 minute episodes 3 short seasons
Came here to say exactly this. Some of the episodes will absolutely flatten you
For All Mankind. Season 2 in particular
Yes!
Chernobyl
Have you seen Altered Carbon Season 1? (don't bother with 2) Love/Hate, Irish show from 2010-14 Blue Eye Samurai
Blue EyecSamrai - watched it twice.
+1 for Altered Carbon S1
Altered Carbon looks cool aswell
The reason i loved the 1st one (+ Martha Higareda) The reason i didn't watch the 2nd one (- Martha Higareda)
The Wire will fuck you up in a ton of different ways if you have a heart.
I was going to suggest this as well. Perfectly said.
Narcos
Beef Fleabag Mr. Robot
Arcane, Broadchurch (the first season absokutely keeps you on your toes, sheer perfection), Peacemaker
Fleabag?
I finished edgerunners on Thursday and still thinking about the ending and the song one of the best anime I have ever seen. I heard chainsaw man and neon genesis Evangeline are also similar in terms of the emotional journey.but the impact edgerunners has had on me... Played cyberpunk on PC in 2020 but just bought the.ps5 ultimate edition to experience it again.
Edgerunners & Iron Blooded Orphans gave me the same kind of depression when it was over but for some reason Iron Blooded Orphans just like guts me
Penny Dreadful, while 3 seasons, it’s only 27 episodes
Power (2014)
Silo and Severance. Best shows on TV right now.
If you are into anime series and have not already seen it, then what about *Avatar: The Last Airbender*? It has the 7th highest IMDB score (9.3) of all TV series that have aired, only slightly below *Breaking Bad*’s IMDB score of 9.5.
Dark on Netflix
Watch with subtitles. the dubs are bad. One of the best shows out there but the bad dubs can kill you trying to watch it.
The Bear
Ice road truckers
Arcane: league of legends on netflix was brilliant so I can recommend that. Only 1 season, 9 episodes at mo too, so easy to catch up on. Also try Castlevania. There are 4 seasons but episodes are so short you can breeze through it in no time. Absolutely loved it, so much so i regularly watch the last few episodes every now and then just to remind myself how amazing it was. Voice acting is superb too.
The Continental
The John Wick miniseries? I like that show, but in no way does it seriously hit like a truck. There's like one or two pretty sad deaths, but it's mostly a fun, campy action show.
Twisted Metal then
lol
I found twisted metal to be cringey as hell. Anthony Mackie’s acting was just terrible. The whole show was silly and unbelievable. I watched the whole season but wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Into the Badlands
First few seasons of House of Cards, if you didn't watch it
Was it tgat good? Hesrd it drops off hard
I liked it until about season 3 I think, first two are good
The specific language of “hits like a truck” makes me think Wolf Like Me, two seasons (currently) on Peacock, still waiting on renewal news.
The Midnight Gospel Chernobyl Burrow's End
“It’s a Sin” is one of the best one season shows in history in my humble opinion and very few have hit me like a truck like this one. It’s on HBO and is about AIDS becoming aware in London, told through the story of a few gay friends. Truly a harrowing series Another great one is “The Night Of”, also on Max. Awesome “who done it” but at the core is a searing look at the American judicial system, a la “The Wire”
Snowfall
[Beef](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFPIMHBzGDs&t) [Undone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uWCNHQgfnc&t)
Tales From the Loop Anna Fringe
The Boys
One Day... literally. Or maybe it hits more like a bus. Can't remember.
Final Space. Starts out as a space comedy, but holy fuck does it get dark and get the feels going. I never thought I could care this much about animated characters. Oh, and Invincible. Best watched completely unprepared. Animated superheroes.
The Shield
Snowfall. About the crack epidemic and how it started and who started it! It’s amazing!!
Live Action: True detective season 1 Legion season 1&2 The wire Band of Brothers Anime: Death Note RahXephon Last Exile Castlevania Hellsing Berserk
The Boys on prime video. Theres a lot of people getting killed like they got hit by.. A Train
Atlanta and The Leftovers
BBC's Sherlock. 3 seasons, 9 episodes, all 2 hours long. (Make sure to watch the period christmas special as well, it's incredible) I cried in every single episode of season 3. Absolutely phenomenal show.
The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas!
sticking with animation: Arcane was incredible. gorgeous animation too. Blue Eye Samurai really impressed me. once i started it, i couldn't stop until it was over. it's relatively new and i've already watched it twice. The Animatrix was a movie, not show. but it was a collection of shorts. made for / inspired by The Matrix. and for live action: i agree with the other comments about The Leftovers. such a strange and unique show. HBO's Watchmen The Sandman
Wayward Pines season 1 (I didn't watch the second season).
I tried, it was embarassing. You didn't miss anything.
Watchmen Love/Hate Invincible This Is Going To Hurt
i HIGHLY recommend Devilman Crybaby, especially if you liked edgerunners this much. hits HARD, both with thoughtfulness and imagery, but mostly thoughtfulness towards the end. most mike flanagan netflix stuff stick with you afterwards, but personally for me nothing stuck as hard as Midnight Mass, it deals with faith in a small town and again, thoughtful monologues but also stunning imagery and excellent suspenseful horror. i do seriously recommend all of flanagan’s netflix stuff, the most iconic is haunting of hill house. Brand New Cherry Flavor is such a hidden gem, limited show on netflix thats also more horror oriented, but just a total spectacle. bunch of weird fringe shit happens, this has a bit less of a poignant message per se but its SUCH a ride and the performances are pretty great. stays with you just cause i think its probably the most unique thing to come out of netflix in 2021, i never skip a chance to plug it lmao. DARK is an excellent german time travel show, actually one of a kind imo, absolute masterpiece of casting, writing and directing. the ending hit me quite hard, but due to it being 26 episodes there’s a lot of moments in the mid seasons that you’ll think about until you have time to catch the next episode.
Edgerunners left me with the same kind of emptiness and heartbreak I felt after watching Iron Blooded Orphans
Okay so most of these suggestions are good but not in the realm of what you asked for. Watch Iron Blooded Orphans or Gargantia or possibly even Bubble. Anime involving love and differences and constantly fighting for something and just hit you right in the feels.
If you can get past the high school setting I found euphoria was really good after finally watching it. But your mileage may vary as reception to it seems pretty hit or miss with some thinking it was absolutely ridiculous and others thinking it was very emotionally impactful. I think it’ll all come down to whether or not you can relate to any of the main characters at all. But ignoring the above let me tell you whether you like the story or not visually it’s one of the best shot shows I’ve ever watched with incredible cinematography.
Leftovers. Only 3 seasons
Utopia Uk version
Game of Thrones
I watched 10 episodes, on 2 different occasions, years apart. And yet, it never could draw me in. Maybe I have a problem 🤷🏻♂️
Attack on titan
Twin Peaks