Credit: Showtime photo
Damian Lewis has been incredible on Showtime's freshman drama "Homeland." His former POW is tortured, fascinating and, quite possibly, evil. Yet you still feel for him.
Next week, we’ll be bringing you our lists of the best movies, music and TV of the year.
But before we do, I give you my top TV performers of 2011.
It’s a motley crew of actors, many of whom I’ve loved for years (see: Mandy Patinkin); others, like “Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke or “Justified” villain Margo Martindale, are new to my couch potato radar.
Several were nominated for Golden Globe and SAG awards just last week, but more weren’t, to my horror. I hope they consider this a consolation prize.
Damian Lewis, Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland”
Three reasons why this Showtime series is the best new one of the season. Lewis left me guessing about his motives every week (will we ever really know if he’s good or bad?); Danes is scarily good as an increasingly unhinged CIA agent (her character annoys me, but you can’t deny the acting skills that are on display there); and Patinkin is, well, Mandy freakin’ Patinkin. He brings so much to all of his roles, but usually in the quietest, most subtle ways.
Sean Bean, Emilia Clarke and Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
In a world full of corruption and some pretty awful people, Bean’s Ned Stark was a genuinely good, decent guy. And he got his head chopped off. I can’t remember the last time I was so shocked by a piece of television, and it wouldn’t have affected me as much as it did if Bean wasn’t so good.
I’ve also included Clarke because she believably went from a quiet, scared little girl to a force to be reckoned with (what a splashy first role for a newcomer!), and Dinklage because he simply
was Tyrion Lannister.
Mirielle Enos, “The Killing”
This show started out with such promise but quickly went off the rails. Through it all, Enos nailed everything she was given. I believed her, even when I didn’t believe the show.
Margo Martindale, “Justified”
It’s hard to top “Justified’s” season one bad guy, Boyd Crowder, but Martindale’s Mags Bennett fit the bill. She was a tough mountain mama who would do anything for her boys, which made her one scary foe for Raylan Givens.
Nick Offerman, “Parks and Recreation”
Offerman could’ve shown up on this list last year, and I’m sure I’ll want to include him next year, too. Ron Swanson is one of the best characters on television right now, comedy or drama, and Offerman is just perfect in the role. I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing it.
Jim Beaver, “Supernatural”
“Supernatural” is all about the Winchester boys. We know that. But they couldn’t do what they do with-out Bobby Singer, who has always been more of a father to them than their real one. He was perfect in the series’ last original episode of the year, as Bobby, fighting for his life from a gunshot wound to the head, faced some of his demons and fought like hell to get back to his boys.
Mark Pellegrino, “The Closer” and “Supernatural”
I’m not sure there’s any role this guy can’t play. He scared the bejesus out of me (and occasionally made me laugh) as Satan himself on “Supernatural.” He intrigued me as Jacob on “Lost.” And now he’s regularly cracking me up as Brenda’s lawyer on “The Closer.” Give this guy his own show already!
Seth Gabel, “Fringe”
It’s hard to fill the void of a fan favorite character like Joshua Jackson’s Peter Bishop, and that’s exactly what Gabel had to do this season. I’ve always liked the “Over There” version of his Lincoln Lee, and it was fun getting to know the “Over Here” version too.
Steve Carell, “The Office”
Carell couldn’t have been better in his final episodes of the NBC series, which makes his absence all the more glaring this season.
http://www2.the-burg.com/entertainment/2011/dec/20/couch-potato-top-tv-performances-2011-ar-1557806/
