NINE OF THE BEST TV SHOWS THAT BEGAN & ENDED IN THE LAST DECADE

There's never a right time to say goodbye...

It's no secret that television has had a renaissance over the last twenty years, rivaling the merits of the big screen since the premiere of The Sopranos in 1999. The 2010s were a banner decade for the medium, offering us subversive and quite often times hilarious stories about women, minorities, and millennial assholes. Here are nine shows I personally enjoyed watching from beginning to end over the last decade, in no particular order.

1. GIRLS (HBO, 2012-2017)

Lena Dunham's opus began when I was still in college and ended after I had moved back to LA from Brooklyn, NY. A lot happened for me in those five years and a lot happened to the anti-heroine of the series, Hannah Horvath (played by Dunham). Girls was, and still is, a defining piece of TV for "girls" my age. Often defined as a "Sex and the City" for the millennial age (which I'm not sure is an accurate description), Girls followed four girls in their mid-twenties navigating relationships, career moves and identity in Brooklyn. I loved it. It was weird and dirty and specific and hilarious. And remember that little actor Adam Driver? I wonder what happened to him.

Notable episodes: One Man's Trash, Beach House, American Bitch

2. YOU'RE THE WORST (FX/FXX, 2014-2019)

I stumbled onto this show by accident and I'm so glad I did. Stephen Falk's (formerly of Weeds) brainchild about four assholes in LA showcased some of the best acting and writing I saw all decade. Aya Cash and Chris Geere carry every episode across satisfying and altogether heartbreaking finish lines every episode. Those performances mixed with Falk's deeply dark sensibilities created such a unique comedy. Not only was it hilarious, but it dealt with hefty subjects like PTSD and depression in a way I had never seen before. The series stayed true to what it was throughout the entire run, and the finale was pitch-perfect.

Notable Episodes: LCD Soundsystem, The Intransigence of Love, Pancakes

3. JANE THE VIRGIN (THE CW, 2014-2019)

Another show I just happened to tune into when it first aired and fell in love with immediately. Jane the Virgin, loosely adapted from a Venezuelan telenovela of the same title, tells the story of Jane Gloriana Villanueva, a determined, bright and religious 23 year old virgin who gets accidentally, artificially inseminated and subsequently pregnant. At least, that's what the knock-out first season is about. We follows the twists and turns of Jane's life over the course of 100 episodes. I used to claim this show as my guilty pleasure, but I realized that calling it that is an insulting disservice. There's nothing guilty about liking it. It offers such a delightful subversion of the genre and its campy quality is what gives the show its heart and its charm. And regardless of the hot water Gina Rodriguez has found herself in over the last few years, girl can act her ass off.

Notable Episodes: Chapter 1, Chapter 36, Chapter 54

4. FLEABAG (BBC/AMAZON, 2016-2019)

I mean, there's not much left to say about this show that hasn't already been said. Perhaps the most doted on series of the decade, Phoebe Waller-Bridge's one-woman show turned TV series about a grieving sex addict utterly eviscerated me. In the short amount of time we had with Fleabag (only a measly two seasons, but still, two perfect seasons) it has managed to not only put Waller-Bridge on the map, but it has also given us an Andrew Scott-aissance. An era we never knew we needed until now. In case you needed to hear it again, Fleabag is very, very good. If you don't believe me, please refer to its many Emmy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG awards.

Notable Episodes: Season 1 Episode 6, Season 2 Episode 1, Season 2 Episode 6

5. SILICON VALLEY (HBO, 2014-2019)

I've always admired Mike Judge's uncanny ability to introduce us to a deeply specific world and Judge-ify it to its hottest degree. Silicon Valley is no exception. A plunge into the often sleazy universe of the California tech startup world, the series follows a group of nerdy coders on a journey towards legitimizing (and profiting from) their new creation, Pied Piper, originally a music compression app that evolves into a decentralized internet model over the course of the show. It would probably be quite easy to determine a formula for every episode and get bored after a few seasons if it wasn't for the phenomenal cast including Thomas Middleditch, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, and Martin Starr, among others. I was always giddy to catch up on the newest episode and I see a rewatch in my future.

Notable Episodes: Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency, Meinertzhagen’s Haversack, Two Days of the Condor

6. VEEP (HBO, 2012-2019)

I am not the first to sing Veep's praises and I hope I'm not the last because it really is wonderful. Known for its cutting insults and insufferable band of political chess pieces who tend to fail upward, Veep is truly a vehicle best steered by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who has won 6 Emmys for her portrayal of the caustic Selina Meyer. Even after a transition in showrunners mid-series, the political satire kept its razor sharp edge, which grew slightly eerie as it started to mirror our real political climate. JLD, Tony, Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Reed Scott, Timothy Simons (among others) - we have no choice but to stan.

Notable Episodes: Kissing Your Sister, Mother, Congressional Ball

7. CATASTROPHE (CHANNEL 4/AMAZON, 2015-2019)

Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney's masterpiece about a one-night stand turned nuclear family is such a delight. The jokes and the dialogue are so goddamn tight, you could bounce a quarter off its ass if it had one. In a crisp four seasons we watch Rob and Sharon (played by Rob and Sharon) go from messy and unmoored to...tethered yet messier as they navigate marriage and parenthood. Horgan in particular is such a force that it's nearly impossible not to root for her. An honest depiction of what marriage looks like when nobody's watching, except all of Amazon and Channel 4.

Notable Episodes: Season 2 Episode 3, Season 3 Episode 6, Season 4 Episode 5

8. CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND (THE CW, 2015-2019)

All my life I longed for someone like Rachel Bloom to grace my television. A show that is equal parts comedy, musical theater, satire and sizzling exploration of mental health, Crazy Ex Girlfriend filled a large void in this theater nerd's aching heart. The series centers on Rebecca Bunch (an avatar for Bloom herself), a high powered NYC lawyer who decides to abandon her life to follow true love in the form of her summer camp crush, Josh Chan of West Covina, California. The twist is that Rebecca's inner monologue (and eventually the rest of West Convina's) is expressed through musical song and dance. The show really evolves past its conceit, taking us on a journey of self-acceptance with raunch and sweetness. Not only did this show introduce us to true gems like Donna Lynne Champlin and Vella Lovell, it also awards us with some serious jams (all available on Spotify!). Sometimes poignant, often hilarious. Even if you hate musical theater, there's something for you.

Instead of episodes I'm going to name Notable Songs instead: West Covina, You Stupid Bitch, Settle For Me, First Penis I Saw, Where's The Bathroom

9. I LOVE DICK (AMAZON, 2016)

Is it even fair to put a show on this list that only lasted one season? Of course! It's that good! I am a Kathryn Hahn STAN. Put her in a show about gender performance/dynamics, eroticism, female rage, marriage, art and obsession and I'm in. I admittedly have never read the Chris Kraus novel of the same name that the show was adapted from, but I Love Dick as an entity all its own captivated me from start to finish. Jill Soloway infuses their particular brand of raw energy to this bizarre tale of a failed filmmaker named Chris who follows her husband to Marfa, Texas where he is taking a research fellowship under famed artist, the titulart Dick. Chris becomes obsessed with Dick, to the detriment of her marriage. But actually, that part of the story is the least interesting portion of Soloway's adaptation. The real excitement comes from the performances by Roberta Colindrez (swoon) and Bobbi Salvör Menuez (formerly known as India Menuez). As a bonus, most episodes are directed by the singular Andrea Arnold - the same director who landed in the middle of an unfair controversy directing the second season of Big Little Lies. Anyone who has seen American Honey knows Arnold SLAPS. Anyway, the show was sadly canceled by Amazon after only one season, and never really got a chance to find itself. But, I still recommend it to anyone in search of a weird and uneven project that boggles the mind in a way that is oh-so welcomed.

Notable Episodes: The Conceptual Fuck, Scenes From A Marriage, A Short History of Weird Girls

Honorable Mentions: American Vandal, Broad City.