The Best Television of 2007
by Brian Tallerico

5. Lost (ABC)

Has the Lost backlash settled down now that Nikki and Paolo are dead? Sure, Lost made some mistakes in its third season, stumbling a little bit around the turn of the year, but is there a fan out there who wasn't completely blown away by the final arc? It was almost as if those valleys - the ill-timed introduction of new characters, the seemingly unimportant flashbacks - were the calm before the storm. Without them would the turn-around and the twist to the finale been quite as powerful? Probably not. It's as if the writers of Lost lulled fans into thinking that Jack, Kate, Charlie and the gang had jumped the shark and then revealed that they were never even close. The shark was probably made by the Dharma Initiative anyway. With an end date set for 2010 and commercial-free seasons in our future, Lost could be even better next year.

4. Dexter (SHO)

How do you follow-up the brilliant first season of Dexter and keep the show fresh and original? The creators of Showtime's best series ever wisely diverted from the second novel by Jeff Lindsay and focused their energy where it belonged, right at home, turning everyone's favorite serial killer into both the hero and the villain of their sophomore frame. We all knew that the award-worthy Michael C. Hall, who is currently doing some of the best character work on television, could handle a complex season like this one, but the true charm has been in the development of the supporting cast. Jennifer Carpenter and Keith Carradine were both great this season, especially with the surprising direction their character's relationship took, and Jaime Murray stole a number of scenes as the love interest who made Dexter look sane by comparison. Season one had a concrete villain, but the writers of Dexter took a huge risk in season two by making the villain not only Dexter but the traps of everyday life. What's more dangerous to a serial killer than domesticity? Love? Dependence? Family? Can they top it in season three? After the first one, We would have guessed that the concept well for a show like this would have run dry but after what they did in their second season, don't be surprised if Dexter's still slicing and dicing for years to come.

3. The Shield (FX)

"Now, anything happens to me or my wife or my son... even my mailman, anybody that I am close to, this lands on IAD's doorstep. Just imagine every wrong, brutal thing we have ever done. It’s hard to do, isn't it? We've done so many." - Shane Vendrell, "Exiled," 5.15.07

The entire arc of The Shield, from first episode to last, has been like a great novel. Some episodes diverged into their own short stories, but the focus of the entire show has remained the same - more than any other cop show in recent memory, actions have consequences. The action that Vic Mackey took at the end of the very first episode rippled all the way into the heart of this season's nearly Greek-level tragedy. It's almost as if creator Shawn Ryan is saying that once you cross that line, once you take another life, you're merely buying time until the house of cards collapses around you. Look at the way characters have been woven in and out of The Shield and themes that were sewn into the fabric of the show years ago are paying off now in their best season to date. The only question is if they can top it in their final chapter next year.

2. 30 Rock (NBC)

"... more than jazz or musical theatre or morbid obesity, television is the true American art form. Think of all the shared experiences television has provided for us; from the moon landing to the Golden Girls finale; from Walter Cronkite denouncing Vietnam to Oprah putting that trash bag of fat in the wagon..." - Kenneth Parcell, "The Head and the Hair," 1.18.07

The best comedies often feature the best ensembles. Think about your favorites of the last few decades - Cheers, Seinfeld, Arrested Development - none of them were one-man shows. The best ensemble on TV right now is, without a doubt, on 30 Rock. After a weak start (for an amazing lesson in the development of comic timing watch Tina Fey's ascendancy in that category on just the first disc of 30 Rock: Season One), 30 Rock got stronger in the second half of the first season mostly on the shoulders of Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Tracy Morgan. What has been even better about season two is the spreading of the wealth. Jane Krakowski is finally being given something to do (her weight gain plotline was a highlight) and Jack McBrayer is starting to become a cult icon as the hilariously clueless Kenneth. Even the "supporting, supporting" cast like Judah Friedlander and Scott Adsit are being given time to shine and now rising to the occasion. On almost every level (they need to cut back on the guest stars before they become too reliant on them), 30 Rock has gotten better month by month. Imagine how great it's going to be next year. It's the safe bet for "the best show on television" given its trajectory and the fact that this year's won't qualify.

1. The Sopranos (HBO)

"I mean, our line of work, it's always out there. You probably don't even hear it when it happens, right?" - Bobby Baccalieri, "Sopranos Home Movies," 4.8.07

There are a number of things often overlooked in the furor about the final episode of The Sopranos, but let's focus on two. First, even if you thought the ending was weak, what about the episodes that preceded it this season? The Sopranos was brilliant for the entire season and all of that fell away for people with one scene. You weren't really a fan of the show if you can ignore all of the ensemble work and brilliant writing that came before the cut to black heard 'round the world. Secondly, what were you expecting? The greatest trick of the final season of The Sopranos was that David Chase actually got people thinking that he would offer some sort of concrete ending. From the Russians in "Pine Barrens" to Melfi's rapist, Chase has purposefully left plot threads dangling for years. Would you really have been satisfied if he reversed that trend and tied them up in a finale? Of course not. He was in a lose-lose situation and so, like his hero has so many times, he found another way out. He put his viewers in the shoes of one of the most important television creations of all time. We felt Tony's fear of one family and his joy at spending time with his other family in that final scene. Was it frustrating? Of course. But it was brilliant BECAUSE it was frustrating. How many shows have you seen that can give you the flood of emotions you felt when that screen cut to black? Whether it was anger at Chase, concern that your cable went out, or conviction that the silence meant Tony got whacked, David Chase did something with the final season of The Sopranos that no other show this year was nearly able to do to the same degree - he got people talking again. With the current state of television, that's what every network needs right now.