20 Best TV Shows Of 2018

19. The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale's second season wasn't quite as strong as its Emmy-winning, zeitgeist-capturing debut. There were a couple of frustrating storytelling decisions, especially at the very end, and a relentless bleakness that made it hard, at times, to even want to keep watching.

On so many other levels, though, the series is incredible. You won't find too many better performances on TV than Elisabeth Moss' turn as June, who is capable of saying so much without ever opening her mouth, and yet she's matched step-for-step, scream-for-scream here by Yvonne Strahovski, who makes you empathise with Serena Joy even as she's doing despicable things.

The characters may be compellingly grey, but the show is beautifully shot with a mesmerising colour palette and a particularly evocative use of red. This season, meanwhile, widened its lens to look more at the effects of living in a totalitarian society and how it changes a person. Awfully relevant, often horrific, and unflinching in its story, the show ultimately grips you even if you would prefer to look the other way.