20 Best TV Shows Of 2016
6. Orange Is The New Black
After its third season, which, while not bad, failed to reach the standards of the previous two, it could've been questioned what Orange Is The New Black had left. As one of Netflix's first original series, it could've settled into more mid-tier level, much like House of Cards (which is still good, but nowhere near the heights of Seasons 1&2).
Instead, OITNB came back stronger than ever, with Season 4 the show at its most surprising, its darkest, and, yes, its best.
Litchfield becomes overcrowded, the prison is run for-profit, and the guards work harder than ever to dehumanise the inmates. The show uses this to find new strengths, using all of its expanding cast to tell stories that are horrific, tragic, scary, and also, on occasion, utterly hilarious. Not many shows can come close to having so many fleshed-out characters that demand our attention and empathy, and none with such diversity.
Season 4 ran parallels to real life, mirror the Black Lives Matter movement and providing a scathing commentary on the prison system. Within that, and this own unique world its created, it delivered its most powerful and heartbreaking run yet.
Best Episode: The Animals