Don't be so dramatic, TV! Just kidding, we love our dramas, and 2014 was a veritable Whitman's Sampler of them, so we squeezed each one to figure out what they were made of and then kept gobbling them up until we'd gained 10 pounds each. Who needs Breaking Bad when you've got flat circles, sympathetic Russian spies, and lonely serial killers who really just want a friend, you know? Below, we've listed our 11 favoritest favorites of the year—let's hear yours in the comments!





The Americans | FX

What sophomore slump? Not only did The Americans maintain a super-high level of quality in its transition from Season 1 to Season 2, but it took the drama to new heights with an expanded story that was both tighter and more engaging. The tension skyrocketed as the series evolved, shifting from a show about KGB spies who happen to be married to a show about the dangers of being a married KGB spy with two children. As Philip and Elizabeth's chosen profession threatened to cleave a path through their carefully controlled lives, The Americans became more personal, highlighting the importance of family with a special focus on their teenage daughter Paige. Add in stellar performances from supporting cast members Annet Mahendru, Noah Emmerich, and Margo Martindale, and you've got one of the best shows not just of 2014, but of the last several years.

TV.COM REVIEW: The Americans Season 2 Finale Review: Mother (Russia) May I?





Fargo | FX

Our expectations were low when Fargo was announced. "FOR SHAME!" we thought. "The classic Coen Brothers movie is perfect in every way, and any homage to it would be offensive at best!" Well, shame on us, because Fargo went on to become one of the best TV series of 2014, period. Showrunner Noah Hawley's sharp writing and FX's loose creative leash attracted an unbelievable roster of talent—Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, newcomer of the year Allison Holman, a host of incredible directors—resulting in one of TV's most amazing triumphs since, well, Breaking Bad. Season 1 was extremely violent and darkly comic, and if you haven't watched it yet, you should drop everything and get started right away.

TV.COM REVIEW: Fargo Series Premiere Review: Breaking Bad





The Good Wife | CBS







There are only two network dramas on this list, and the other one should arguably be on cable, which means The Good Wife is the best network drama by default. But of course that doesn't mean it's not worthy of the title. The show's fifth season easily dealt with the fallout of not one, but two series-altering decisions: the law firm defection and of course, Will's death (which we still might not be ready to accept as a thing that actually happened). At a point in its lifespan when most veteran network shows would be content to just phone it in, The Good Wife reminds us that Alicia Florrick won't be done until she decides she's done, and who are we to to complain with that logic?

TV.COM REVIEW: The Good Wife "Dramatics, Your Honor" Review: Bad Calls







Hannibal | NBC

The fact that a drama of this magnitude exists on network TV in 2014 is reason enough to celebrate, but then Hannibal went and topped off its beautifully stylized horror aesthetic with magnetic and manipulative performances from both Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy, too. Charged with tension from start to finish thanks to the intense fight scene between Hannibal and Laurence Fishburne's Jack Crawford that bookended Season 2, the second chapter of Bryan Fuller's psychological thriller ensnared us with its intimacy and gutted us emotionally the same way it gutted its victims physically. Plus, who can forget the scene where Michael Pitt's Mason Verger ate his own nose?

TV.COM REVIEW: Hannibal Season 2 Finale Review: Would You Stand Up and Walk Out On Me?





Mad Men | AMC

We're still waiting to see how AMC's decision to air Mad Men's final season over two years plays out, but judging by the end of Season 7A, we're willing to bet it'll go out on top, just like Peggy in her pitch to Burger Chef. Despite stumbling a bit early on, the show quickly found its footing with a string of exceptionally well-done episodes that mimicked Don Draper in his prime, swooping in to save a pitch. Anchored, as always, by the complicated relationship between Don and Peggy, the series proved that even after Bert Cooper's death—and a season in which Ginsberg cut off his own nipple and gifted it to Peggy—Mad Men still has some magic left.

TV.COM REVIEW: Mad Men Season 7A Finale Review: "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da, Life Goes On"





Manhattan | WGN AMERICA



WGN America's second original scripted program (after the witchy Salem) immediately earned the fledgling network serious cred as a source for outstanding drama. Set in the 1940s in Los Alamos, New Mexico—a town built in the middle of desert to serve as a top-secret headquarters for the nation's best scientists to invent the atomic bomb—Manhattan is a gorgeous, layered series that lit a fuse in its pilot and kept on burning until its explosive Season 1 finale. The show is ostensibly about secrets (military, corporate, and personal) being kept under immense pressure in a confined environment, and every element of the story, from the military's mission to what's happening in the lives of the scientists' wives, is equally fascinating. Plus, fantastic performances abound; John Benjamin Hickey's turn as the mysterious Dr. Frank Winter is one of the standouts of the television year.

TV.COM INTERVIEW: Manhattan Series Creator Sam Shaw on Strong Female Characters, the Show's Surprisingly Modern Roots, and Why It Isn't a Story About WWII





Orange Is the New Black | NETFLIX

The second season of Netflix's breakout (but locked-up) hit proved to be just as good as its first, and it's easy to see why. Litchfield Penitentiary has an endless supply of stories to tell, and Season 2 explored new territory by spending some time with characters we didn't know so well while also keeping us up-to-date on the folks we came to love in Season 1. It also introduced us to one of 2014's best villains in Vee, who was the icing on the storytelling cake.

TV.COM REVIEW: Orange Is the New Black Season 2 Review Part 1 (Episodes 1–6): Conflict Over Community





Rectify | SUNDANCE TV

Another sophomore sensation, Rectify spent its second season digging into what made its first season so good: the quiet moments with its characters. Whether it was Amantha taking a job as a cashier at a budget market or Daniel ripping apart the kitchen cabinets, Rectify saw the value in taking its time in order to squeeze out every last drop of emotion. Don't call this show "slow," call it "effectively deliberate."

TV.COM REVIEW: Rectify Season 2 Premiere Review: Wake Up, Partner





Shameless | SHOWTIME



Four seasons in with a fifth on the horizon, Showtime still has no idea how to market this complex, emotionally rich, and underrated gem that deftly pivots between moments of black comedy and heartbreaking drama. But much like its deeply flawed protagonists, Shameless always overcomes its hardships to remind us that its layered imperfections are what make it so perfect. The series takes pleasure in kicking the wild Gallaghers when they're down, but it also cleverly knows when to let poignant silence do the heavy lifting. While the specific challenges facing the show's characters might not always translate to water-cooler fodder, the performances accompanying them are some of the best on TV. In 2014, the unparalleled Emmy Rossum anchored a season that featured equally memorable turns from co-stars Jeremy Allen White and Cameron Monaghan, among others. And despite the suffocating darkness that clung to its Season 4 storylines, Shameless continued to be a bright spot.

TV.COM REVIEW: Shameless "Iron City" Review: She's Family





True Detective | HBO

Remember when everyone was in tears because Breaking Bad was ending, and how we all thought television would suck forever? And then remember when True Detective came along and blew our minds out of our heads with its philosophizing and hidden symbols and big words paired with imagery of dead girls? We're not saying True Detective replaced Breaking Bad, but it sure reminded us that good character crime dramas still exist. Just when we think the darkness will win, the light shines through.

TV.COM REVIEW: True Detective Series Premiere Review: A Puzzle That Reinvents the Crime Drama





Vikings | HISTORY



Come for the psychedelic mushrooms and disgusting torture, stay for star Travis Fimmel's steely blue eyes! A lot of you have been wondering why Vikings is absent from our list of 2014's best genre shows, but guess what!? It's a historical drama, so we decided to put it on this list instead (meanwhile, Game of Thrones remains in the genre category). Yes, the show has taken some liberties with the "historical" part, but History's action-packed period piece is one of television's best under-the-radar epics. Mini-arcs kept things interesting in Season 2's 10-episode run, while season-long stories paid off in the end. And are Vikings' battle scenes some of the best on television, or are they some of the best on television?

TV.COM REVIEW: Vikings Season 2 Finale Review: You Come at the Earl, You Best Not Miss









What are your favorite dramas of 2014?







