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1. Transparent vs. 16. Love
Transparent was the first online series to ever win a major award, earning the Golden Globe for Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy in 2015. Love has Judd Apatow’s name behind it, and Gillian Jacobs has fan cred from Community. But it sort of feels like just another series from Netflix. Transparent is a flagship show for Amazon, showing that it’s a player in creating original content. No upset here.
8. Narcos vs. 9. Mozart in the Jungle
Maybe the Golden Globes are just in love with Amazon programming, giving Mozart in the Jungle awards for Best Series, Musical or Comedy, and Best Actor in the same category to Gael Garcia Bernal. Mozart also gets a nod for creativity, as a series about the New York Philharmonic. That’s a show you’re probably not seeing anyplace else. While Narcos had a promising first season and told the Pablo Escobar story that’s never really been made into a movie, it doesn’t necessarily feel like anything different. Musicians beat the drug cartel!
5. Daredevil vs. 12. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
In terms of cultural recognition, Jerry Seinfeld beats Daredevil. But Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is a light series. Even if it seems to be getting better with each season, it feels like a hobby for Seinfeld. Daredevil was a different kind of storytelling for Marvel, getting into the dark, grim territory its movies haven’t ventured into. Suddenly, R-rated superhero movies could be a trend, but Marvel’s already gone there with its Netflix shows. Seinfeld wouldn’t really want to fight anyway.
4. Jessica Jones vs. 13. Bosch
Bosch deserves credit for bringing Michael Connelly’s great LAPD detective to life and providing those stories to a whole new audience. But Jessica Jones showed that Marvel didn’t just get lucky with Daredevil. The studio’s Netflix shows are a whole universe on their own with an entirely different feel from the movies, focusing on deeply troubled characters whose lives are anything but glamorous and special talents are a burden. There are plenty of anti-heroes on TV, but Jones feels fresh because we usually see men in such roles.
6. Master of None vs. 11. The Man in the High Castle
Aziz Ansari got the showcase his comedy and social observations deserved with Master of None. But its scope is small; its world is relatively self-centered. The Man in the High Castle asks arguably the greatest “What If?” of all time, imagining that the Axis Powers won World War II and what America would look like as a result. It’s ambitious and unlike anything seen on network or cable TV (even premium cable). As with its other two shows, Amazon offers what isn’t being seen anywhere else. Ansari can always go home to that bowl of pasta.
3. Orange is the New Black vs. 14. Bloodline
Bloodline is led by three fine actors in Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn and Sissy Spacek, and has an interesting angle on the family drama. But Orange is the New Black felt like something new from the moment it debuted on Netflix. A series about a women’s prison that wasn’t exploitative, that featured female characters prominently, and showed a side of the criminal justice and prison systems that are never seen nor considered. It’s heartbreaking what happens to these people, yet you can’t wait to see what’s next for them. This is a total blowout.
7. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt vs. 10. BoJack Horseman
As original as Kimmy Schmidt feels, making comedy out of a woman who’s been kidnapped and lost 15 years of her life, Bojack Horseman has a major advantage based on originality. It’s an animated series about a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals co-exist, and the main character is an upright horse who used to be a sitcom star. Explain that one at a summer barbecue or Thanksgiving dinner when someone asks what you’ve been watching on TV.
2. House of Cards vs. 15. Grace and Frankie
Frank Underwood sneers at this matchup, as he sneers at just about everything. These two shows don’t belong on the same court, even though Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin provide a good matchup on paper. It’s a total mismatch. House of Cards just began its fourth season, and though its quality has been inconsistent, the show has given us a totally memorable, culturally relevant character. And if the Washington D.C. in this series seems too outlandish to be true, watch CNN or go to the New York Times to see what’s going on in politics these days. Underwood seems normal.
Second Round
https://youtu.be/CluxHR9pkdQ
1. Transparent vs. 9. Mozart in the Jungle
Amazon battles Amazon. Jeff Bezos wishes there wasn’t a loser. But ultimately, one of these shows has to advance. The more daring series featuring a transvestite character advances to the next round.
4. Jessica Jones vs. 5. Daredevil
Here, we have Marvel against Marvel. Many people favor Jessica Jones here, but Daredevil is a richer series with more ambitious storylines, a deeper cast and better villains. Maybe Matt Murdock feels a bit more like a character we’ve seen before, while Jones seems original. But Daredevil is reaching higher with its second season (The Punisher! Elektra!) and has a larger story to tell. We don’t know if we’ll see Jones again yet. She’s going back home to polish off a bottle of whiskey.
3. Orange is the New Black vs. 11. The Man in the High Castle
Orange has been through three seasons and masterfully worked in new cast members and storylines, managing to provide new characters to a setting that could get repetitive. We don’t yet know if Man in the High Castle can follow through on its ambitions. Orange has already done so, making that binge of every season seem like no chore at all. We can’t wait to watch the next one.
2. House of Cards vs. 10. Bojack Horseman
A talking horse against Frank Underwood? Doug Stamper would have already sent Bojack to the glue factory. President Underwood has far bigger fish (horse?) to fry, much more important battles to fight. House of Cards has yet to be tested in this regional.
Sweet Sixteen
1. Transparent vs. 5. Daredevil
It’s a superhero world right now and everyone should just enjoy the ride. Transparent deserves praise for its bold storytelling, but Daredevil is like a 13-hour movie, telling a story that its big-budget counterparts can’t do in two-hour chunks. The more we see of Matt Murdock, the more compelling and intriguing he becomes. The crime-fighter moves on.
2. House of Cards vs. 3. Orange is the New Black
One of the best matchups of this entire tournament and a dream pairing for Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. But cultural resonance wins the day here. House of Cards may take place in a more warped Washington D.C., but it feels more reflective of the world we live in. Orange may depict a world we’ll never entirely understand unless we live in it. But Frank Underwood seems to get stronger as he keeps going, becoming something close to an iconic character.
Elite Eight
2. House of Cards vs. 5. Daredevil
Matt Murdock is a fighter. Just like his father, he goes down swinging and won’t give up. But could he even touch Frank Underwood? Wilson Fisk might seem like a petty criminal in comparison. Daredevil may want to protect the people, but Underwood wants all the power. That megalomania overwhelms the superhero’s noble quest, even if he might consider taking drastic steps to win. Underwood doesn’t even consider playing dirty; he just does it. The devil goes down.
East Region Final Four Representative: House of Cards
The Final Four
1. Game of Thrones vs. 4. American Crime
Oh, American Crime, you’ve risen far above your network counterparts. However, these days there’s only so far a network show can rise. You simply don’t have the budget, talent or ability to skirt an R-rating the way a show on HBO can. Game of Thrones, you are cruel and remorseless and unjust. Just how you like it.
1. Fargo vs. 2. House of Cards
The general consensus about House of Cards is that it’s still good and still crazy, but was better a couple seasons back. Perhaps never better than the first season. With two seasons under its belt, Fargo has maintained a pretty high bar of excellence and, according to some, improved on the second go-round. If we’re looking at things pound-for-pound, the President of the United States has nothing on the Kansas City mob.
The Championship
1. Game of Thrones vs. 1. Fargo
You know, if it were just about pop culture resonance, Game of Thrones would probably have this in the bag. Nothing moves the meter quite like a GoT shocking moment. The quieter moments don’t always work as well. Fargo is also great at creating shocking moments, but better withmemorable quiet moments. Little speeches that seem to be about nothing are, in fact, about the nature of life itself.
Either one would be a worthy champion and had we been doing this for a few years now we’d expect that GoT would be some kind of defending champ, but this year we’re giving the slightest of edges to Fargo for the way it combines the senseless violence of Game of Thrones (minus the senseless sexual content) with the philosophical sensibilities of the Coen Brothers and does it all so well.
