Meghan’s Top 15 Of Everything In 2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens did something truly bold for Star Wars fans: it gave us a literal new hope. Though the film is a tad bit uneven (and has numerous plot holes you could steer a Super Star Destroyer through), Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a rambunctious reboot of a much-beloved, and an oft-written-off, fantasy series. JJ Abrams gave fans the film they always wanted. Now we’ll have to wait 18 months to see if Rian Johnson can deliver the film we always needed.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt had a lot to recommend it. It was 30 Rock show runners Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s triumphant return to the sitcom form, a delightful showcase for the criminally underrated Ellie Kemper, and it’s the only show set in New York City that’s also a loose adaptation of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. It also had two of the best musical moments on television this year. “Peeno Noir” and the show’s infectious opening theme both wormed their way into my heart this spring — and they haven’t dug their way out.

[Stream Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix]

A lot of people did not like this season of Game of Thrones. I totally get it. There were a lot of horrible things on display. Still, I can’t shake my love for this sprawling fantasy soap opera. I love the intricacy of the world’s mythology. I adore the complex and morally grey characters. I’m obsessed with speculating where it’s going next. This was the season when it became totally clear that Game of Thrones isn’t just a niche fantasy series, but a phenomenon. As a long-time fan, it was a joy to behold, and as someone perennially fascinated by how books are adapted to screen — HI, I’M A NERD — it was a glorious study in what happens when a television show outlaps its hallowed source material.

Oh, and Jon Snow is totally coming back.

[Where to Stream Game of Thrones]

What happens when you combine the intensity of American Ninja Warrior with the insanity of wearing a dinosaur costume? Bliss. This bizarre YouTube clip surfaced earlier this year and became my go-to pick-me-up when I had a bad day. Maybe it’s because I love it because the dino’s got such little strong arms. Maybe I love it because the dino falls down a lot. Or perhaps I love this clip because it’s about not giving up in the face of failure. I don’t know the reasons why, but I do know that I love this video. Shout out to Decider’s former Deputy Editor Tyler Coates for bringing it into my life.

While it’s been great to see the Force return to the big screen this year, it’s been even greater to see the re-emergence of Carrie Fisher. The actress and writer is a rare and honest wit. Like Harrison Ford, Fisher gives no f*cks. She delightfully derailed a recent interview with Good Morning America in only the best way. She brought on her dog Gary and used the time to drop some major truth bombs about women and their role in Hollywood. It’s a hilarious and enlightening six minutes.

I fell hard for Poldark this year. The period romance combined my love of bold men in tricorn hats and cravats with my love of shirtless men scything wheat on the Cornwall coast. I totally and completely found myself under Aidan Turner’s spell — but he wasn’t my favorite part of the show. Instead, I became a bigger fan of Eleanor Tomlinson’s Demelza. The honest and loyal country girl had an uphill battle trying to prove her love to Ross Poldark. The show’s noble hero was too proud to see her worth until she put it in a song. After being insulted at the Christmas dinner table, Demelza was strong-armed into providing musical entertainment. It was supposed to be an opportunity for her to embarrass herself, but instead it was a moment of transcendent magic. She warbles a simple love song about love and sacrifice, and as she does so, a spell falls upon all in the room. Ross soon realizes that the gift of Demelza’s love is worth more than anything the fair Elizabeth — or a mine full of copper — could give him.

[Where to Stream Poldark]

I understand that we’ve reached peak TV saturation levels. There are just far too many shows to watch and far too little time. Nevertheless, y’all need to get hip to Manhattan. I’m beginning to feel like a broken record whenever I enthuse about my love for it, but I can’t get over how good it is and how under-watched it is! It’s basically Mad Men but with atomic bombs! GET WITH IT! YOU WILL LOVE IT! YOU WILL SEE!

Also, someone get John Benjamin Hickey nominated for an Emmy already. Sheesh.

[Where to Stream Manhattan]

My thoughts and feelings on CBS This Morning can best be summarized by what I wrote about the morning news show last month:

It’s that good. It really is that good.

[Watch CBS This Morning on CBS All Access]

As a life-long Marvel fan, I’ve been as delighted by the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (aka MCU) (aka all those Avengers movies) as I’ve been frustrated by their television offerings. Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD just isn’t that…good. So, it was a thrill to see Marvel’s partnership with Netflix produce not one, but two amazing new superhero series. Marvel’s Daredevil brought the MCU down to the dirty human level so often overlooked by the epic action flicks and Marvel’s Jessica Jones flipped the script on the superhero genre in general. The latter argued that becoming a hero wasn’t a matter of privilege or responsibility, but a means to overthrow one’s abusers.

[Watch Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix]
[Watch Marvel’s Jessica Jones on Netflix]

Gina Prince-Bythewood’s incandescent romantic drama Beyond The Lights might have come out in 2014, but I didn’t get a chance to fall in love with it until it found its way onto Netflix this summer. The film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Noni Jean, a shy chanteuse on the cusp of superstardom. The one problem? She’s miserable being her stage mom’s puppet and lonely despite her surging sex appeal. She soon falls in love with a morally upright cop after he saves her from suicide and the two embark on a sweet romance that swells with all the woozy excitement of first love. It is, without a doubt, my favorite romance of the new millennium.

[Watch Beyond The Lights on Netflix]

Believe me: I am as surprised by this film’s inclusion as you probably are. But if I’m being honest with myself, this was the best VOD purchase I made all year. This saccharine-sweet fairy tale adaptation manages to make even the most cynical heart believe in love and kindness again. Lily James plays Ella with an infectiously strong sweetness and this is Kenneth Branagh’s best film (as a director) to date. It’s the perfect comfort watch at the end of a hard and scary day — and there have been too many of those in 2015.

[Where to Stream Cinderella]

The best way to describe Forged In Fire is that it’s like Chopped but with no food, just knives. This exuberant History channel reality competition series pits four expert bladesmiths against each other in a series of timed competition designed to test their metal and their mettle. (Did you see what the show did there?) I quickly fell in love with the quirky characters and the fascinating world of metal-working.

Chef’s Table is the best show on Netflix. We’re not getting into a debate. It’s perfect. Each episode is an elegantly appointed affair overflowing with sumptuous food porn and dramatic personalities. More than that, it’s the rare docu-series that inspires you to want to make more of life. You’ll want to hike the hills of Patagonia, fight for a healthier environment, and march proudly to the beat of your own drum.

[Watch Chef’s Table on Netflix]

There is only one album that came out in 2015 that I have listened to front to back and return to again and again, and that’s The Punch Brothers’ The Phosphorescent Blues. The Punch Brothers are this genius band whose sound is a glorious orgy of classical, bluegrass, and modern alternative rock. Their lyrics are always perfect poems and their music is always exuberantly bittersweet. Simply put, this album is a perfect soundtrack to a complete life.

[Stream The Punch Brothers, The Phosphorescent Blues on Spotify]

I realize that Hamilton is extremely popular for its ground-breaking approach to musical theater, but I love it for its sheer adoration of American history. I grew up visiting Valley Forge, Independence Hall, and Yorktown. The Founding Fathers were characters in my favorite real-life soap opera. HBO tried to communicate the drama and excitement of the time in their heralded miniseries John Adams, but Hamilton is the first work of modern art to really explain just how Revolutionary the figures behind the Revolutionary War were.