22 Shows You Should Not Have Missed in 2015

Every season of The Walking Dead gets bleaker, gutsier, and more compelling than the last. It's a jarring experience to fall in love with characters, only to watch them get ripped to shreds. This is a world where no one is safe, and the real threat isn't the blood-hungry walkers banging at the gates. This year, more than ever before, it's clear the most dangerous monsters are the fellow survivors, the other humans who have managed to make it this far. The stakes have never been higher.

Broad City is my favorite show because it's completely f*cking hilarious, and is one of the best depictions of what it's like to be a young woman living in a big city, probably ever. It's more realistic than Sex and the City and doesn't take itself as seriously as Girls — plus, it's got a diverse cast and tackles everything from safe sex and street harassment to online dating and crushing on your neighbor. It never fails to make me LOL; I actually spit out my drink watching it once, and that never happens.

I'll be the first to admit that American Horror Story: Freak Show is not the best season of Ryan Murphy's horrifying hit, but lucky for us, the follow-up really hits the nail on the head. Sure, there are some stray plot lines (those vampire kids) but there's so much to love about a season that introduces Lady Gaga as a Countess with an "ancient blood disease" and allows Evan Peters to play his wackiest character yet, an eccentric millionarie with a lust for violent crime.

Breaking Bad is one of the best shows of the last decade, so Better Call Saul had a very high bar set for it. That said, anyone who enjoyed the show's eccentric lawyer Saul Goodman would have been entertained by getting his backstory, but the prequel series is so much more than that. It's unexpectedly poignant and brilliantly acted, thanks not only to star Bob Odenkirk, but costar Jonathan Banks, another Breaking Bad alum who kicked it up a notch for the spinoff.

It's hard to believe, but How to Get Away With Murder has only been in our lives since last year! Shonda Rhimes's legal drama/murderfest is complex, mysterious, and held together by some grade-A performances. Viola Davis is at her prime, and it's only going to get better from here. (Right? Right.)

There's no other network drama in my life that I have to watch the night it airs besides Empire. The fresh new show debuted as a midseason series at the beginning of 2015, and it didn't come in quietly — it grabbed you by the hair and didn't let go (in a good way). It's soapy, sure, so stuff happens, but that's not even the best part — and even then, it's hard to say what's the very best thing about this show. Instead, let's give it up for the dialogue, the music, the hot new talents it's exposed us to, and of course, Queen Taraji.

This taut FBI drama gives me major Shondaland vibes, and has kept me guessing all season long. The interesting back-and-forth format they have between past and present storylines definitely isn't anything groundbreaking, but it still is a cool way to tell the story. Also, the sexual tension between Alex and Ryan is hot as hell.

As a die-hard Friday Night Lights fan and longtime admirer of Coach Taylor, I was eager to binge-watch Netflix's original series Bloodline, which stars Kyle Chandler. Luckily, it didn't disappoint, and the show itself was as mysterious as its intriguing trailer. It takes a few episodes for the plot to take shape, but I quickly found myself invested in the characters and I'm thrilled that it's been renewed for a second season.

As one of Netflix's first half-hour comedies, I wondered if I'd want to binge watch it the way other shows compel you to. What a dumb question. I couldn't get through Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fast enough, reveling over every joke and bit while falling deeply in love with the comedy styling of stars Ellie Kemper and Tituss Burgess. Tina Fey, you did it again, dammit.

I stand for this show. Why aren't more people watching it? The CW proved that they can do quirky comedy with Jane the Virgin, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, while a totally different brand of comedy, is just as funny. Heck, the main character sings a song about hoping her one-night stand isn't a murderer! If that's not high comedy, I don't know what is.

The series has always been superb, but I didn't expect to feel so satisfied with the final season of Don Draper's life and exploits. Stan and Peggy get together, Joan ends up as the bad b*tch we always knew she was, and Don Draper does the impossible — he finds happiness. For giving us one of the best series finales ever, it made the final season as stellar as ever.

The fact that more people aren't watching The Last Man on Earth is a crime, but it also makes me feel like I've found this rare gem of a TV show. I'm constantly trying to convince co-workers and friends to give it a shot, because it's so bizarre that it really cannot be missed. It's undoubtedly the darkest comedy on network TV right now, and it's also one of the most brilliant.

I keep telling everyone I know who still misses Sex and the City: Younger is the second coming. It's got New York, hot clothes, and sexy dating stuff, but it's not a carbon copy — lead Sutton Foster is playing a 40-year-old posing as a 26-year-old. The premise feels less sitcommy in action, but on the whole, it's just a fun, sexy, good time that you can't miss if you keep putting on old Sex and the City reruns.

Orange Is the New Black set the bar really high in its first season, but I'm consistently impressed and delighted by its stable of characters, (somewhat) realistic storylines, and shocking twists. It's possible nothing can live up to the magic of that first season, three seasons in, and the show has maintained its unforgettable charm. Let's keep our fingers crossed for the upcoming fourth season!

This year closed a very long chapter in the world of Pretty Little Liars. We finally found out the identity of "A," a reveal fans have been looking forward to for six whole seasons. Now, we've catapulted five years into the future, and we're in unfamiliar territory. The girls have all grown up, and a new threat looms in the shadows. The show may be an ABC Family veteran, but we just got the fresh start we all knew we needed.

In case you haven't heard (Golden Globe voters have!), Gina Rodriguez is an absolute delight as a young woman who is accidentally inseminated with a stranger's sperm. Fast-forward to season two and the baby has been born, the drama is just as juicy, and Rafael? Still as hot as ever.

Did this really happen? Did we finally get a superhero show with a female superhero that's — gasp! — the best superhero TV show out there right now? I'll say it: we did. Maybe it's precisely because Jessica Jones feels so different than anything else in the Marvel universe, but it's also because it's a legitimately good show.

If you're not already watching this show, get yourself an Amazon Prime subscription ASAP. It's a hilarious (like, really hilarious, I'm not exaggerating) romantic comedy about what happens after a one-night stand between British Sharon and American Rob ends in a pregnancy. Comedian Rob Delaney and actress Sharon Horgan play their roles to perfection, and I never fail to finish an episode with tears in my eyes.

Outlander, a more romantic Game of Thrones, has the brilliant ability to balance extreme darkness with light, expertly blending disturbing 18th century violence with the beautiful, swoon-worthy romance between Claire and Jamie. Every episode is an emotional rollercoaster, which simultaneously breaks my heart and keeps me coming back for more. The season finale ends on a note of hope, so I can’t wait to see what happens when the characters land in France.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Bachelor franchise, and Lifetime's freshman drama totally feeds both of those emotions. The Bachelor-like series — following a fake reality show, Everlasting, shows what really happens behind the cameras (hint: lots and lots of sex). If you missed the first season, you can totally binge it before Ben H. starts wooing his own ladies.

I like a lot of shows, but when it comes to my favorite, there's a clear winner: Game of Thrones. 2015's season five brought us a new side of Sansa, more dragons, and a walk of shame that became a viral sensation. It's safe to say I'm counting the days until the show returns in April to find out if Jon Snow is actually dead (but he better not be).