Best Of ... Every Else

Yesterday I shared the books that were the best I read in 2017. Today I wanted to highlight some other things I thought were standouts of  2017.

TELEVISION

Stranger Things Season Two

It was no secret that I was eagerly anticipating season two of this amazing show, and luckily season two delivered in so many ways.

Who would have guessed we'd all love Steve by the end of season two? Or that the final ten minutes of the second season would be so perfect? I am already eagerly awaiting my return to Hawkins and cannot wait for season three.

Mindhunter Season One

I was excited about this right from the moment I knew David Fincher would be directing. They added Jonathan Groff to the cast and I was even more intrigued.

Mindhunter turned out to be an incredibly cast and addicting season of television. It also helped feed my true crime obsession this year. Cameron Britton, who plays Ed Kemper, gave one of the best performances of the year in this.

Big Little Lies Season One

I wasn't sure how much I was going to like Big Little Lies going in. I knew that I was excited abiut the actresses involved and that was enough for me to give it a chance. 

It ended up being an incredible series that showcased so many amazing performances from the women involved. The female characters in this were complex and given so much development. I also appreciated the beautiful final few moments of this series. 

Bates Motel Final Season

Saying goodbye is hard to do, and even harder when the show has a stellar final season like Bates Motel did. It was everything I wanted it to be and more.

From the brilliant (and poignant) twist on the shower scene to the strangely beautiful final moments this show gave us stunning performances and the best ending we could have hoped for.

MOVIES

Get Out

This is of those movies that I feel a list like this would be incomplete without. Get Out is a smart and innovative take on the horror genre that boasts some great performances.

This is one of those movies that captured the attention of everyone and defined pop culture this year. I expect it will be part of the discussion for years to come as people are inspired by it and new art is created from that inspiration. 

Call Me By Your Name

There is a lot of awards season buzz surrounding this movie, and it is justified. This is a beautifully shot movie that is filled with incredible performances from not just Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer but the supporting cast as well.

My review will be up on the blog soon so I don't want to say too much, but this is a vivid exploration of love, lust, longing, and loss and how deeply each of these is felt. 

My Friend Dahmer

Ross Lynch gives an unforgettable performance as a young Jeffrey Dahmer in this adaptation of Derf Backderf's graphic novel. The movie was a showcase of his stunning performance and that alone makes it with the watch. 

This movie also fed into my true crime addiction this year and for that I am thankful.

Wonder Woman

This female superhero movie that boasts a female director was one of my favourite things about 2017. I love how well received it was and that it was celebrated for what it is. I hope it continues to open doors and that this is just the beginning of female directed movies.

The action sequences in this movie made plenty of women and girls cry from joy because of the gaze in which they were shot. It is not something we are used to seeing on movie screens and it was a beautiful thing to behold.

OTHER

My Favorite Murder Podcast

This podcast is mainly responsible for bringing my true crime obsession back to the forefront. I am now completely hooked and eagerly anticipate each new episode.

Karen and Georgia have created a podcast that has resulted in a pretty awesome community. It may sound funny but this podcast helps my mental well being and I love that it exists.

#Gallavich (aka Ian and Mickey from Shameless)

While I couldn't include the show on my list (because I do feel that the later seasons are just not as strong) I have to include one of my new ship obsessions - Ian and Mickey.

I'll fully admit they were probably not the most healthy for each other, but everything about them made me ship them. There relationship, particularly in the later seasons, just had so many good moments that you couldn't help but fall in love with them.

What are some of the things that would make your own best of 2017 lists? Let me know in the comments.