By Luke Whobrey

1 – Breaking Bad

Though often heralded as an oft crime thriller, “Breaking Bad” has had a resurgence in popularity with the release of a spinoff, “Better Call Saul” (an equally nefarious-themed acquaintance), as well as a variety of internet memes chronicling its main character, Walter White’s mouth-agape expression in response to a tragedy. The show, focusing on themes of disparity as well as chronicled events of impending doom, present a narrative meant to show that while action is a gripping feature, there is more to be presumed within what we perceive as “Illegal.”

2 – The Sopranos

A crime drama starring New Jersey’s finest James Gandolfini, the “Sopranos” focuses on an Italian-American mobster who attempts to reconcile his family life with his infidelities as well as the numerous amounts of punches, gunshots, and kicks he has to throw to get people his way. Running for seven seasons, David Chase presents a narrative acquainted with that of oldie-goldies in cinema, reminiscent of “The Godfather”, “Goodfellas”, and “The Untouchables”. 

3 – The Walking Dead

A post-apocalyptic horror show with elements of the Western genre, especially that of Spaghetti Western, “The Walking Dead” chronicles in its first few seasons the life of a certain Rick Grimes, a police officer who awakens in a hospital after having been shot by a criminal. While asleep, the world around him collapsed to hordes of flesh-eating monsters that the characters in the show refer to as “walkers.” Delivering horror with a slice of standoff, “The Walking Dead” provides enough entertainment in both its catalogue of weapons as well as its production of acquired nuances, a feat seldom accomplished in mainstream media.

4 – The Last of Us

Despite only recently coming out and having four episodes total as of writing this, “The Last of Us”, like “The Walking Dead”, focuses through both flashbacks and interactions on a world destroyed by both firebombing from a desperate military as well as the undead who brought it upon themselves. The show echoes themes of affection and bewildered morality, as well as the unfortunate alliances and sacrifices needed to be made to fight against a foe, in this case one mutated with a large appetite for brains. 

5 – Futurama

While a wild suggestion with its two-dimensional landscape compared to the previous shows, “Futurama” serves as one of “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening’s finest works, coming elements of comedy with surrealism, non-sequiturs, and futuristic vendettas, all held together by a stream-of-consciousness format explored in the character of Philip Fry, a despondent salesman who finds himself sent 1,000 years into the future in cryostasis.