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It's not very consistent, but Firefly is a perfect example of Joss Whedon's abilities as both a filmmaker and showrunner. And that western vibe doesn't hurt a bit.

What a disappointment. Poorly written and unable to develop its own good story, Dexter's eighth season starts with promise but fails to live up to its former glory.

Incredibly dark and ambitious, season seven is a relatively satisfying comeback and return to form for the series, even if it doesn't hit all the right notes.

Dexter's sixth season takes some rather bizarre turns with its story, characters, and overall sense of self. And unfortunately, this time around, Hall's brilliant performance is not enough to make it right.

The finale is definitely a low point, but given the show's unusual ability to repeat itself and yet add enough new material to makes things both interesting and good, season five only goes to prove that the series has not overstayed its welcome.

Dexter's fourth season tries too hard for the story's sake, resulting in muddled character development and a number of irritating appearances by the titular character's father. While it may not be able to compete with the first two seasons, Michael C. Hall and John Lithgow put on an unforgettable show, all leading up to an unbelievably shocking conclusion.

We find our favorite serial killer settling in as something other than the monster he proclaims to be, which is why Dexter's third season is more reliant on its new characters than its solid story to fill the bill. But with a brilliant performance from Michael C. Hall and the show's haunting visuals, nothing really sticks out as a problem.

Dexter's second season is able to bring more to the table than its predecessor on every level. Season two also represents a sort of maturation for the series, with solid character progression and bold story developments **** any notion of predictability.

Dexter is violent, dark, and showcases an unsettling side of humanity. With the titular character narrating his own life as the story progresses, this show adds an uncomfortable sense of intimacy to the mix, which the charming Michael C. Hall only uses to his advantage. That being said, those who can buy into its deliberately brutal tone and unconventional style will find season one fascinating.

The ninth season feels strained, distant, and tainted. The finale is somewhat of a disappointment, and some of the characters tend to get in the way of what the show actually represents. It's still worth watching and definitely represents an improvement over its predecessor.

Even though its final episodes are white-knuckle intense - enough to please any hardcore fan of the series - season eight still represents a dip down in quality, and it succumbs to its wounds, thanks in part to the overwhelming amount of new faces that aren't supplied with the right amount of character development needed to properly introduce them.

Season seven will definitely turn some heads. And in both directions. It contains some flaws, but those willing to overlook its jumbled structure will discover the grand design Carter has so beautifully crafted.

This sixth season of The X-Files features some highly memorable moments, and it never fails to entertain. Mulder and Scully pursue the truth, no matter the cost. Their characters stay true to their beliefs, and some aspects of season six allows viewers to witness this in the most radical of ways. It's enough to keep fans on the edge.

Season five is entertaining and aggressively so. While it doesn't cover any new ground, we still manage to witness one of the show's high points, with performances and profound storytelling triumphing over most of its flaws.

While it's really not much of an improvement over season three, more solid ground is covered here than ever before, thanks in part to an intriguing and involving focus on the show's basic premise.

There's a sense of strength present here that is undeniably absent in the first two seasons, but the writing isn't as bold. Some interesting new characters are brought in, and the partnership between Mulder and Scully reaches engrossing levels

The second season introduces more of the mythology that makes the series so grand, and it does so in a potent manner, exceeding expectations by having the ability to surprise more often than not.

The X-Files approaches the paranormal from an entirely different perspective. The character development is sharp and the season finale is so damn satisfying.

While the ride to the end of the road may have been worth it, True Blood's final season doesn't deliver enough to be deemed worthy, and leaves a decent series behind with an unfortunate conclusion.

I'm not entirely sure about what went wrong here. At times, I feel that it's mainly because the shocking finale of season five didn't play out here nearly as well as I'd hoped it would. At other times, I've felt it's solely because some of the best characters in True Blood met cheap and meaningless endings. However, I truly believe creator Alan Ball's absence in season six, albeit the show had been going slightly - though only slightly - downhill for quite a while with him at the helm, did something to the show's ability to strive above mediocrity for several seasons. But when Ball left, the show finally dipped down, and soaked itself with unintentional self-awareness and formed a ridiculously bad ability to tell its own decent story. It seemed the main antagonist in this season would become a great threat to the vampire world, but his story ends with nothing but disappointment. While I'll admit the episode At Last is one of the most beautifully shot episodes of the entire series, that still doesn't make up for this season's unreasonably poor quality.

Season five works. The story is too far-fetched and even the musical score, that is overplayed throughout, makes the entire thing seem laughable, but this fifth season is able to pass the test in that it's such a guilty pleasure to watch. Everything is flawed here, but it's worth it because we want to see what happens to the characters we know and love, which isn't necessarily a bad thing when you're talking about a show like True Blood. The final minute or two of the season finale is worth sticking around for as well.

We are brought back to the Bon Temps we left behind. As the season progresses, the story still manages to provide enough solid development to work. That being said, the finale, And When I Die, is absolutely brilliant. Everything falls apart and it leaves viewers with an unhealthy desire to begin season five.

Season three is just as entertaining as season two, and it's an improvement over season one as well. Too many new characters are introduced and it's hard to connect with them on a personal level, unlike a majority of the others present in the show. Nonetheless, True Blood still keeps its remarkable balance between great television and shallow mediocrity tipped in its favor and the result is a rather grand spectacle of comedy, action, horror, and fantasy.

A large improvement upon the first season, and without a doubt the show's best installment, the second season of True Blood makes up for its flaws with some thoroughly entertaining storylines, unforgettable characters, and incredibly intense moments.

It's addicting and entertaining. The writing isn't the best, and the acting isn't that solid, but the first season of True Blood is definitely worth your time.

The genius of True Detective's second season is that it's overwritten, not as compelling as its predecessor, and at times a little too arrogant for its own good - and yet the characters are more fully developed, the cinematography is some type of miracle, and the setting - a California that's apparently all there but mysteriously slightly off - perfectly highlights this season's attitude towards the series as a whole.

Thought-provoking, eerily beautiful, and exceptionally well-acted, True Detective broadens the scope of what television is capable of. Unlike anything else on the small screen, this character-driven drama benefits largely from the unique differences of its two central protagonists - while also building off their personal dilemmas - and uses a disturbing storyline to further develop their relationship.

**** expectations and better than any spin-off series has a right to be, Better Call Saul shows great promise, and certainly gives Breaking Bad a run for its money.

The Newsroom's greatest season by far, as the characters we come to know, love, and understand begin the rest of their lives and the series reaches a predictable, though satisfying, conclusion.

What separates The Newsroom apart from almost all other shows on television? The writing. And with season two, Sorkin's characters speak with enough loaded dialogue and enormous wit to run the entire series alone based on the words coming out of their mouths. It could be badly acted and terribly directed, but that's certainly not the case here. Apart from some structural flaws when it comes to the story, this second season runs like clockwork.

It's heavily one-sided, but Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom easily swipes away at any flaws it may contain with incredible writing and a fully committed performance from Jeff Daniels.

Season five of Game of Thrones wastes no time getting started, and throughout its run, manages to shock, unnerve, and intrigue. This show will likely be labelled a classic upon completion.

With enough twists and turns to make a Shyamalan enthusiast proud, Game of Thrones continues to prove to audiences why it's one of the greatest television series of all time.

Season three is an exceptional installment in the Game of Thrones series. It holds the viewers steady and calm, then rips open any notion of predictability and turns it to ashes in their mouths.

A complex, multi-layered follow-up that doesn't disappoint. The entire cast - not just a select few - lead the story and the audience through the battles, the heartache, the romance. Season two delivers.

Game of Thrones is full of complex yet immersive storytelling, honest characters, solid writing, and fine acting. Season one is definitely worth your time.

The fifth season signifies that The Walking Dead has drastically matured. Unpredictability returns, and there is rarely a dull moment to be had. The story is all over the place in the best possible way, character arcs return to familiar - yet welcome - themes, and things are as gripping as ever. This truly is the series at its finest.

With solid writing, beautiful cinematography, and great acting all around, the fourth season of The Walking Dead further proves that the series is one of the greatest additions to the zombie genre.

Introducing a ruthless antagonist and including more guts and gore than its predecessor, season three gets the job done in spectacular fashion. The finale may disappoint some, but it's nothing too unbearable.

Season two survives the walking dead thanks to a fascinating dissection of its characters. It may not be a step up from season one, but it's visually stunning and packs some heavy punches.

Emotionally resonant, and featuring a powerful lead in Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead succeeds not just as a tale of apocalypse and horror, but as a character-driven survival story that ultimately refuses generic categorization by its dead inhabitants.

Less ambitious than Band of Brothers, but a whole lot darker, The Pacific is both a tragic and important reminder of the individuals caught between an international armed conflict and the home they yearn to see again.

Realistic, vulgar, and prophetic, Generation Kill succeeds in portraying the first few days of the Iraq War with an artistic dread that's entertaining, as well as important.

Each episode of season five builds upon the last. The final eight episodes of this show are so superbly acted, so incredibly intense, and so emotionally heart-wrenching that at times it's hard to watch. This is especially the case for Ozymandias, perhaps the most painful and best episode of the entire series. Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, and Jonathan Banks run the show with their extraordinary performances. This season is a fitting conclusion to the series. It ties up all loose ends imaginable and confirms Breaking Bad as the greatest television show of all time.

Amazing. Breaking Bad is simply amazing. Not a frame, second, or line wasted. Not one weak episode or performance. Everything here in season four is solid. Giancarlo Esposito's performance is the only one to even remotely match Bryan Cranston's brilliant portrayal of Walter White. The final four episodes of this season are so intense, well-crafted, and brilliantly written that it's more than enough to provide for some nail-biting binge-watching.

Bryan Cranston understands his role as Walter White so well that at times it's easy to forget that we are merely watching an actor portray a character. Additionally, season three of Breaking Bad is so brilliant that your jaw will literally drop several times throughout the show, most notably within the final five minutes or so of One Minute and Full Measure. Cliffhanger after cliffhanger, development after development, frame after frame, word after word, second after second. Breaking Bad is phenomenal television, and this third season helps solidify that claim.

Insanely addicting and ridiculously exciting, season two of Breaking Bad is television done right. The acting, the perfectly-developed characters, and the emotional storm that develops throughout this season which ultimately ends in a gut-wrenching and shocking final two episodes will appeal to just about anyone who has been watching the series from the beginning up until this point.

Vince Gilligan's groundbreaking television series begins with a bang, but there is a sense of something missing throughout this first season. However, any flaws present here are largely overshadowed with phenomenal acting on the part of Bryan Cranston.

This series is an excellent achievement for the television medium. Mixing some of the most terrifying events in human history, as well as providing a deft undertone of courage and heroic triumph all around, Band of Brothers is a visually-stunning and emotionally compelling story from start to finish.

Ultimately, season two isn't nearly as satisfying as its predecessor. If you're a first-time viewer, and you hit the post-nine slump, ride it out to the end and I promise, you'll be rewarded. While the season squanders its potential halfway through, the last episode is an unforgettable finale to something poetic and grand. The final moments of Beyond Life and Death will frustrate viewers, but they'll also experience a raw-nerve sensation of satisfaction. With a third season on the way, which will air roughly 25 years after its initial conclusion, there truly is no better time than now to jump on the bandwagon and dive into this fantastic series.