Summer Pre-Gaming (The Six Most Exciting Summer Prospects)

Who needs the beach when you have a screen with the beach on it?
 "I hereby declare this Summer the Summer of George!" - George Costanza, Seinfeld, S08E22

The Spring season has been an interesting one. Probably the biggest surprise, at least to me, was Turn season two. I wasn't super psyched for it, but upon watching, the show blew me out of the water with its quality - even comparable to Game of Thrones. In addition, the HBO comedies were fantastic, Game of Thrones, despite a bit of a lackluster season, was good TV, and of course, Mad Men came to a close, forever. Closing the book of Spring however, leads us to opening that of Summer.

In the coming weeks and months, the Summer season at first glance seems a bit barren. HBO gives us two comedies that don't seem all that exciting in Ballers and The Brink, while at the same time pumping out the unbelievably anticipated True Detective season two. Meanwhile, FX is giving us more Married, The Strain, and introducing the new comedy: Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. AMC introduces two new series in Fear the Walking Dead and Humans, while at the same time bringing back Hell on Wheels for the beginning of the end. Starz will be introducing the new Seth McFarlane comedy at the end of the Summer: Blunt Talk, and Netflix brings back Orange is the New Black along with BoJack Horseman. All in all, though not as exciting as what we were given in the Spring and what looks to be in the Fall, (dear god - Fargo, Leftovers, Survivor: Second Chances, The Walking Dead, The League, The Knick, etc) I'm still very excited to dive into the new array of Summer programming!




 6. Humans Season 1 (AMC)
Something tells me that girl isn't a Human.
Starting next Sunday, AMC will be debuting their first sci-fi series: Humans. In previews and first looks, the show seems to deal with incredibly humanoid robots, a utopia/dystopia world in the not-so-distant future, and the question of what exactly it means to be human. (Speaking of which, on our movie watch, how good was Ex Machina?) The idea excites me, and even more so, I'm excited by the fact that AMC is trying out so many new ideas and shows. What started out as a channel with a bunch of lucky break shows is slowly becoming a powerhouse of good television. This is the real transition period for the channel though. Without Breaking Bad or Mad Men around, it's time for things to flood into AMC. My biggest fear for Humans is the problem that several of the less impressive AMC series have run into: lack of intrigue. Halt and Catch Fire and Low Winter Sun both struck out in that category. While the plots were relatively interesting, the shows were so slow and without expert writing that they inevitably fell flat. If Humans is able to ramp up the intrigue, have a budget that allows for interesting sci-fi visuals, and most of all, develop characters we want to watch, the show could lead AMC into the future.

5. BoJack Horseman Season 2 (Netflix)
This is going to be Off. The. Hook.
BoJack Horseman, the story of GOB Bluth if he was a horse, is coming back in mid-July. The first season was far from perfect, but it was funny, and the character of BoJack was actually quite well drawn. No, the narrative wasn't as well done as it could have been, but in an overall sense, it was recommended viewing. What will be great to see with season two however, is how the character of BoJack, along with the interesting world of the show will continue to develop. A world wherein animals talk and do business, alliteration seems to dominate, and a horse drinks himself almost to death due to his washed-up celebrity nature is a fascinating one, even in terms of comedy. Thus, watching our characters, especially BoJack himself thrive within it will be a treat. This is the breaking point however. Should BoJack Horseman falter and give us a lot more of what we've already seen, the show will be quite lackluster. However, if the narrative, characters, and comedy grow, BoJack could rule the dramedy department.


 4. Rick and Morty Season 2 (Adult Swim)
Once more into the fray, dear suburban family!
Unlike BoJack Horseman, Rick and Morty was a straight comedy, delivering ridiculous situation after Quantum Leap gone wrong, week after week. The first season was fantastic - giving us lovable characters, a semi-fluid overall plot, and some of the funniest comedy we've seen in a while out of a new show. The second season, after being pushed back quite a while, looks to deliver more of these fantastic qualities, along with a hopefully extended amount of time to do it. What makes Rick and Morty so exciting is that it felt as if it was never supposed to be a hit. Just another Adult Swim comedy in a pool full of ridiculousness, a very intelligent and creative show wasn't expected to flourish so well. Once noticed however, the internet began to love the show, and it quickly became the biggest hit out of Adult Swim, ever. If the second season lives up to the first, a new comedy classic could subtly be taking over.

 3. Fear the Walking Dead Season 1 (AMC)
The lamest title for a spinoff since "Joanie loves Chachi"
I am not a fan of spin-offs. Before Better Call Saul, Fear the Walking Dead would either have been number six, or completely out of this post. However, with the amazing quality of Saul, I have renewed faith in AMC's spin-off capability. No, Vince Gilligan isn't working on this one, but perhaps the new prequel will have enough to it that it can become its own show, just as Better Call Saul has. To top it off, the show will take place in California at the start of the zombie outbreak, meaning we will be seeing a whole new time period, a whole new cast, and a whole new plot. Starring Deadwood's Kim Dickens, the show looks to give us more information as to how the outbreak started, how society fell apart, and why Rick Grimes and his group are suffering all these years later. While it could easily fall on its head and be embarrassing to the entire Walking Dead franchise, it could just as easily help bring AMC into the future of great programming. Let's hope for the latter.



 2. Hell on Wheels Season 5A (AMC)
Further West we go!
I love a good Western. Deadwood is probably my top drama (tied with Breaking Bad,) and shows like Justified and Hell on Wheels I am especially partial to. However, they're quickly leaving my screen! Two of the three I mentioned are now over, and Hell on Wheels is officially entering its final season (by AMC standards.) Thus, the two year process of saying goodbye to Cullen Bohannon, Thomas Durant, and Thor Gundersen is finally beginning in July. The railroad of the 1860's still has much to be worked out, and the chaotic nature of the West continues to drive our characters toward whatever fate awaits them. I am ecstatic to see where all of this goes. With many of our characters working on the Union Pacific and Bohannon working for the Central Pacific, a collision is coming. As we've always known, through the highs and lows of Hell on Wheels, and even more so in the final season, blood will be spilled, money will be made, railroads will be built, and men will be broken. All aboard!

1. True Detective Season 2 (HBO)
We get the Miniseries we deserve
Here we are: the number one most anticipated show of Summer 2015. The second season of the long awaited HBO miniseries: True Detective. The first season of this show was amazing - transporting viewers to the dark world of Louisiana and the 15 year case that essentially changed the lives of two detectives forever. They wandered into the dark world of Carcosa, fought the so-called Yellow King, uncovered the terrifying rituals of child rape and sacrifice, and all the while shared philosophy on life and death. If it weren't for Fargo, it wouldn't be a stretch to say True Detective season two was the most impressive event of 2014. And here we stand, awaiting eight more episodes of the brooding, dark, drama, this time with four main characters instead of two, Los Angeles instead of Louisiana, and industrialism instead of nature. There seems to be a bigger narrative, more ground to cover, and more darkness to touch. The real question is whether it can ever live up to the first edition of the detective drama. If it does, the war between Fargo and True Detective for best miniseries only heats up that much more.

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