Seinfeld Award - Comedy Series

The Seinfeld Award for Best Comedy Series
2009: The Office (NBC)
2010: Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
2011: The Office (NBC)
2012: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
2013: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)
2014: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)
2015: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)
2016: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)
2017: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)

2018 Results

10. Broad City (Comedy Central) 2 points
4th by Jaydon

9. Santa Clarita Diet (Netflix) 3 points
4th by Loose

8. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX) 5 points
4th by Larry, Cecil, Tippy

7. The Ranch (Netflix) 5 points
3rd by Loose, Tippy

6. The Last Man on Earth (FOX) 7 points
2nd by Jack

5. Nathan For You (Comedy Central) 12 points
1st by T-time

4. New Girl (FOX) 16 points
1st by Tippy

3. Silicon Valley (HBO) 22 points
1st by Cecil

2. The Good Place (NBC) 23 points
1st by Loose, Larry, Jaydon

1. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) 39 points
1st by Jack, Tyson, Brady, Marsh, Bonz, Lenny

Winners' Breakdown
1st: Jack, Tyson, Brady, Marsh, Bonz, Lenny
2nd: Loose, T-time, Cecil
3rd: Larry, Jaydon
No Votes: Rizzo, Tippy

Cory Matthews Award - Lead in Comedy

The Cory Matthews Award for the Best Lead Character in a Comedy Series
2009: Tracy Jordan (30 Rock)
2010: Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
2011: Michael Scott (The Office)
2012: Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
2013: Nick Miller (New Girl)
2014: Dennis Reynolds (It's Always Sunny)
2015: Charlie Kelly (It's Always Sunny)
2016: Dennis Reynolds (It's Always Sunny)
2017: Dennis Reynolds (It's Always Sunny)

2018 Results

10. Joel Hammond (Santa Clarita Diet) 4 points
3rd by Cecil

9. Rooster Bennett (The Ranch) 5 points
3rd by Loose

8. Tandy Miller (The Last Man on Earth) 6 points
3rd by Jack, T-time

7. Jake Peralta (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) 7 points
2nd by Brady

6. Dylan Maxwell (American Vandal) 9 points
1st by Bonz

5. Winston Schmidt (New Girl) 10 points
2nd by Lenny, Tippy

4. Nathan Fielder (Nathan For You) 13 points
2nd by Jack, T-time, Jaydon, Bonz

3. Michael (The Good Place) 17 points
1st by Loose, Larry, Jaydon

2. Nick Miller (New Girl) 20 points
1st by Tippy

1. Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) 38 points
1st by Jack, T-time, Tyson, Brady, Marsh, Lenny, Cecil

Winners' Breakdown
1st: Jack, T-time, Tyson, Brady, Marsh, Lenny, Cecil
2nd: Loose
3rd: Larry, Jaydon, Bonz
No Votes: Rizzo, Tippy

"The Dealership" Award - Comedy Episode

"The Dealership" Award for Best Episode in a Comedy Series
2010: "The Table Read" (Curb Your Enthusiasm, 709)
2011: "Threat Level Midnight" (The Office, 716)
2012: "Palestinian Chicken" (Curb Your Enthusiasm, 803)
2013: "The Cereal Defense" (It's Always Sunny, 810)

2014: "The Gang Breaks Dee" (It's Always Sunny, 901)

2015: "Charlie Work" (It's Always Sunny, 1005)

2016: "Mac and Dennis Move to the Suburbs" (It's Always Sunny, 1105)

2017: "The Gang Goes to a Water Park" (It's Always Sunny, 1202)

2018 Results

10. "HalloVeen" (Brooklyn Nine Nine, 504) 2 points
4th by Cecil

9. "Karl" (The Last Man on Earth, 409) 2 points
4th by Loose

8. "Josh's Ex-Girlfriend is Crazy" (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, 304) 4 points
2nd by Jaydon

7. "Hard Facts: Vandalism and Vulgarity" (American Vandal, 101) 7 points
1st by Bonz

6. "Engram Patersky" (New Girl, 708) 7 points
3rd by Loose, Cecil

5. "Finding Frances" (Nathan For You, 407) 8 points
1st by T-time

4. "Existential Crisis" (The Good Place, 205) 12 points
2nd by Loose, Larry

3. "Dance Dance Resolution" (The Good Place, 203) 19 points
1st by Loose, Larry, Jaydon

2. "Namaste" (Curb Your Enthusiasm, 907) 23 points
1st by Brady, Lenny, Cecil

1. "The Tribunal" (Curb Your Enthusiasm, 908) 25 points
1st by Jack, Tyson

Winners' Breakdown
1st: Jack, Tyson
2nd: Brady, Bonz, Lenny, Cecil
3rd: T-time, Larry
4th: Jaydon
5th: Loose
No Votes: Marsh, Rizzo, Tippy

Louis and Twitty Award - Best Buds

The Louis and Twitty Award for Best Buds
2011: Troy and Abed (Community)
2012: Phil and Luke (Modern Family)
2013: Mac and Dennis (It's Always Sunny)
2014: Tyrion and Jaime (Game of Thrones)
2015: Gilfoyle and Dinesh (Silicon Valley)
2016: Gilfoyle and Dinesh (Silicon Valley)
2017: Erlich and Jian Yang (Silicon Valley)

2018 Results

9. Wendell and Domenick (Survivor) 6 points
1st by Tippy

8. Dustin and Steve (Stranger Things) 6 points
3rd by Loose, Jack, T-time, Lenny

7. Colt and Rooster (The Ranch) 7 points
1st by T-time

6. Tandy and Mike (The Last Man on Earth) 8 points
1st by Loose, Jack

5. Winston and Cece (New Girl) 10 points
1st by Larry

4. Philip and Stan (The Americans) 10 points

1st by Jaydon

3. Hitchcock and Scully (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) 10 points
2nd by Loose

2. Al and Darius (Atlanta) 18 points
1st by Lenny, Cecil, Rizzo, Brady

1. Larry and Jeff (Curb Your Enthusiasm) 19 points
1st by Tyson, Bonz

Winners' Breakdown
1st: Tyson, Bonz
2nd: Jack, Larry, Lenny
3rd: Jaydon, Cecil, Brady
5th: Loose
No Votes: T-time, Marsh, Rizzo, Tippy

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

Although it has been three months since the last installment of The Quiet Pool Perspective Power Rankings, they will keep the Bi-Monthly moniker, because I am simply shifting everything back one month.  August, October, December, February, April, and June works better anyway.  There's that, and there's the fact that I was way too busy moving and starting a new job to post anything at the start of July.  I still don't have time to say a lot, but I do have some new rankings for y'all so take a look...

Rank. Show (Last Time, Highest Ranking) green=moving up, red=moving down

10. Fringe (10, 10) Fridays on FOX
They get one final season to wrap things up in a pretty little bow.  I have no doubt that half the viewers will love the ending, and half will hate it.

9. Sons of Anarchy (9, 3) Tuesdays on FX
Last season was an improvement on season three's hiccup, but not a huge one.  It seems they may never return to the greatness of season two.

8. Curb Your Enthusiasm (5, 1) Sundays on HBO
The former number one takes a big dip after the most recent lackluster season had some time to settle in.  With no new season in the near future, it should stay here for a while.

7. Game of Thrones (4, 2) Sundays on HBO
There was just a lot of clunky story telling in season two.  They need to cut characters and storylines, or add episodes.  There was much too much glancing over arcs.

6. Happy Endings (8, 6) Tuesdays on ABC
The best comedy you aren't watching.  The male actors are hilarious but that's to be expected.  It's the fact that there are three funny ladies in the main cast that sets it apart from the rest.

5. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (7, 5) Thursdays on FX
It's going to be tough to compete with its most recent season, but I have a feeling these guys are just in a bit of a zone.  How will they make Mac being skinny again funny?

4. Breaking Bad (6, 2) Sundays on AMC
The start to this season has probably been the best ever.  With a ton of Walt/Jesse action, we have been lucky.  Hopefully they can continue the excitement throughout the eight eps.

3. Homeland (3, 3) Sundays on Showtime
I have the season two premiered queued up on my computer, and I couldn't be more excited about it.  Bring on the suspense!

2. Community (2, 2) Thursdays on NBC
It's probably going to go downhill fast without Dan Harmon at the helm, but with the cast that they have, I have no doubt it will still be funny.

1. Justified (1, 1) Tuesdays on FX
It's been a while now since Justified hasn't been the best show on television.  Somewhere in the middle of season two Justified became the gold standard.

The Cory Matthews Award- Lead in Comedy

Named For: Cory Matthews (Boy Meets World)
Awarded To: The best lead character in a comedy series
2009 Winner: Tracy Jordan (30 Rock)
2010 Winner: Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
2011 Winner: Michael Scott (The Office)

10. Pete Riggins (Bent) 0 points

9. Daniel Sims (Angry Boys) 2 points
5th by T-time, 5th by Me

8. Andre Nowzick (The League) 5 points
3rd by Cecil

7. Dwight Schrute (The Office) 7 points
3rd by T-time

6. Wilfred (Wilfred) 15 points
1st by T-time, 1st by Me

5. Phil Dunphy (Modern Family) 20 points
2nd by Cecil, Rizzo, and Matt

4. Charlie Kelly (It's Always Sunny) 20 points
1st by Rizzo, 4th by Me

3. Dennis Reynolds (It's Always Sunny) 20 points
1st by Jack, 2nd by Me

2. Schmidt (New Girl) 23 points
1st by Tyson, Cecil, Larry, and Matt

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) 34 points
1st by Mags and Bonz, 3rd by Me

This is Larry David's third nomination and second win for best lead character in a comedy series.  Coinciding with Raylan Givens's win for the Frank Pembleton Award, Poolie voter Mags is here to discuss the success of both characters.

________________________

As the suave, handsome, southern gentleman on FX’s Justified, Raylan Givens is known for his quick trigger and smooth demeanor.  Playing himself on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David is infamous for his hilarious tendency to argue inane points to no end, as well as his complete lack of swagger. I would find it difficult to find two other characters which display such stark contrast.

Raylan is the preeminent modern man with a mix of traditional confederate values. He is able to talk his way through or around any situation and does it with an unmatched level of charm and swagger. That a man can wear skinny jeans, plaid shirts and cowboy boots/hat in 2012 and not look like a complete ass says enough about him. Add to that the fact that every woman south of the Mason-Dixon Line wants to sleep with him, and you know the guy is verified.

Juxtapose Raylan with Larry David. The short, bald, bespectacled goon dresses poorly and has a penchant for annoying those around him. Larry will debate any point with anyone at any time, and also harbors extreme prejudice to anyone not just like him. Despite this, he is responsible for what may be the funniest show on television.

Congratulations to Raylan on his winning The Frank Pembleton Award For Best Lead Character in an Action Series. The same goes to Larry for The Cory Matthews Award For Best Lead Character in a Comedy Series. Despite their differences, both are certainly deserving of their respective Poolies.

by Kyle Magnus

The "The Dealership" Award- Comedy Episode

Named For: "The Dealership" (Seinfeld, 911)
Awarded To: The best comedy episode of the season
2010 Winner: "The Table Read" (Curb Your Enthusiasm, 709)
2011 Winner: "Threat Level Midnight" (The Office, 716)

10. "Episode 12" (Angry Boys, 112) 0 points

9. "Thanksgiving" (Suburgatory, 108) 1 point
5th by T-time

8. "Live From Studio 6H" (30 Rock, 618) 3 points
3rd by Matt, 5th by Me

7. "Everybody Loves Grant" (Happy Endings, 214) 4 points
4th by Jack and Bonz

6. "Basic Lupine Urology" (Community, 317) 7 points
1st by Matt, 4th by Me

5. "Anti-Social Network" (It's Always Sunny, 708) 11 points
2nd by Larry

4. "Remedial Chaos Theory" (Community, 304) 18 points
1st by T-time and Jaydon, 2nd by Me

3. "Larry vs. Michael J. Fox" (Curb Your Enthusiasm, 810) 19 points
2nd by Jaydon, Tyson, Cecil, Mags, and Bonz

2. "The Gang's Revenge" (It's Always Sunny, 713) 26 points
1st by Jack and Rizzo, 1st by Me

and the Poolie goes to...

1. "Palestinian Chicken" (Curb Your Enthusiasm, 803) 31 points
1st by Cecil, Larry, Mags, and Bonz, 3rd by Me

Including its two nominations this year, Curb Your Enthusiasm has now totaled three nominations for best comedy episode of the season.  This is the series' second win in the category.

Like I've said a bunch already this year, Curb didn't have its best season in 2011-12, but it's hard to keep up when you keep putting out great season after great season.  Sooner or later, there is going to be a letdown.  Fortunately for Curb, it still produced a number of instant classic episodes, and "Palestinian Chicken" was one of those.  It's when Larry became known as the social assassin, and darn it if LD isn't just hilarious sitting in a restaurant eating chicken.  Over the years Larry David has given audiences their fair share of laughs as well as awkward situations, but this episode early in Curb's eighth season was responsible for as many as any outing that came before it.

by Dan Forcella

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

It is that time again, and with the Fourth Annual Poolies only a month away, the most recent installment of the Quiet Pool Bi-Monthly Television Power Rankings could not be any more relevant.  As always, these rankings take into account current success or failure, as well as those achievements or defeats that occurred far in the past.  We now move onto those ranked 10 through 1.

Rank. Show (Last Time, Highest Ranking) green=moving up, red=moving down

10. Fringe (12, 10) Fridays on FOX
The show may have lost a bit of steam with the story starting season four, but things have more than picked up as of late, including a fantastic guest performance by Henry Ian Cusick a couple weeks ago.  The fact that Fringe got picked up for a fifth and final season next year makes me very excited that they are going to be able to end things the way they want to.

9. Sons of Anarchy (8, 3) Tuesdays on FX
The gang won't return until this fall, but the news that Jimmy Smits is going to be on as a guest star only has me more excited than usual for Sons of Anarchy to come back.  Smits was fantastic in his run on Dexter, so I have no doubt he will bring some major entertainment to this FX staple.

8. Happy Endings (9, 8) Wednesdays on ABC
Now that the gang has finished up their second season, I can't stress enough the fact that you need to catch up on Happy Endings.  It seriously has something for everyone, and for me, every single one of those somethings is gold.

Come get some with Jane, Max, and Brad on Happy Endings

7. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (7, 7) Thursdays on FX
The more I think back on this past season of It's Always Sunny, the more I realize how great it was.  All three of the main dudes had fantastic years, and even Dee, who I normally don't enjoy all that much, had some great moments in her.  The finale alone kept this show in the top ten.

6. Breaking Bad (6, 2) Sundays on AMC
How much longer can this series go on?  It has to be coming to an end sooner rather than later, and I can't wait to see how they decide to carve out the finality of this epic tale.  Will there be a new big bad in the mix, or will the Walt/Hank showdown finally come to the forefront?

5. Curb Your Enthusiasm (5, 1) Sundays on HBO
A sub-par season overall, with a number of fantastic individual efforts, Curb stays put based on its great legacy in the comedy world.  When will LD decide to make another season?  And will it compare to the best that this series has had to offer?

4. Game of Thrones (2, 2) Sundays on HBO
Thrones takes a slight dip, because unlike what I heard about the beginning of season two, this is starting slower than season one did.  I honestly think that this show would greatly benefit from a 14-17 episode season.  Sometimes it feels like they are just glancing over moments instead of digging deep.  Why not take advantage of the source material, and make each book two seasons of 10 episodes even?

3. Homeland (3, 3) Sundays on Showtime
September 30, that is when Homeland returns, and we can't wait.  The trailer is out, and it has me all excited.  How will Carrie get things done after all that happened at the end of the first season?  What about Brody?  Nazir?  The mole?  There are a lot of questions to be answered.

2. Community (4, 2) Thursdays on NBC
The NBC comedy jumps up to its highest ranking ever at the Quiet Pool.  A number of great episodes in a row will do that for a series, and between the war ep, the Blade ep, the Law & Order ep, and more, Community has had that in spades.

1. Justified (1, 1) Tuesdays on FX
The champ remains.  Justified has been number one for a long time now, and a season that backed up its stellar sophomore campaign should keep it here for a good while longer.  The question now becomes, "can they do it again?"  And "will they ever run out of steam?"

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

It's time for the March Power Rankings Top 10...

Place. Show (Last Time) red=moving down, green=moving up

10. Mad Men (9) Sundays on AMC
The long wait is almost over.  Mad Men returns in March.

9. Happy Endings (11) Wednesdays on ABC
If this show keeps climbing the way it has, Happy Endings might find its way into the top five by the end of the year.

8. Sons of Anarchy (8) Tuesdays on FX
Kurt Sutter is announcing new characters.  I wish one of them was replacing a dead Clay Morrow. Oh well.

7. It's Always Sunny (7) Thursdays on FX
Can the next season compete with the genius they put forth this fall?

6. Breaking Bad (5) Sundays on AMC
If you only count the second half of the season, Breaking Bad would be a top three show.  Don't forget the boring first half of the season.

5. Curb Your Enthusiasm (3) Sundays on HBO
The weaker episodes of the season are starting to make their way into my memory.

4. Community (6) Thursdays on NBC
Who's excited to see Troy and Abed back togetherrrrrrr?

3. Homeland (4) Sundays on Showtime
Will season two be able to build on the greatness of the first?

2. Game of Thrones (2) Sundays on HBO
Less than a month away until Game of Thrones is back!  Winter is still coming!  It's always coming!

1. Justified (1) Tuesdays on FX
Has this season disappointed?  Nope.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

I recently finished listing all of my favorite shows of the year, but what about now? What shows that are still on the air are the series you all should be watching? Well that's what the Quiet Pool Bi-Monthly Power Rankings are for. In the first rankings of 2012, we will recognize the shows that have been succeeding as of late, and some that will be returning to our screens for the first time in a while this winter. Next up are spots 10 through one on my list.

Rank. Show (Last Time) green=moving up, red=moving down

10. Chuck (10) Fridays on NBC
After a hilarious start to the finale season with Intersect Morgan stealing the show, Chuck has had a couple of episodes of late that have been less funny but epic in scale. The most recent chapter with Sarah and her mom was one of my favorite, emotionally, of the series. If they continue to hit on all of these cylinders down the stretch, we should be in for a nice ride.

9. Mad Men (7) Sundays on AMC
Is this show ever going to come back? The longer the hiatus, the further and further down the power rankings it goes. Mad Men needs to be on the air to hang on to its elite status for me. It doesn't leave the same last impression that something like Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad does.

8. Sons of Anarchy (5) Tuesdays on FX
Sons drops a few spots after leaving such a sour taste in my mouth with that season finale. As good as the entire season was, they almost ruined it all at the end. All of the action, the turmoil, and the consequences the characters were facing leading up to the finale seemed to mean nothing as the final reveal wiped the slate clean. It didn't feel organic at all. Combining the facts that Clay lived, Jax stayed put, and Juice got out of trouble, made it all feel contrived.

7. It's Always Sunny (8) Thursdays on FX
It was a truly fantastic season for Always Sunny this year. Like Seinfeld before it, these characters have been on a momentous transformation from strange to effing out of their minds. The more I watched the season finale (which is now in the double digits), the more I laughed at almost every single line of dialogue.

6. Community (6) Thursdays on NBC
Community has hit on so many of its risks as of late that it's almost too easy to forget how risky some of those decisions are. Will people find this multiple timeline episode funny? Who cares? We're doing it because it's funny to us. And it was to me as well. One of the funniest episodes on television this year.

5. Breaking Bad (4) Sundays on AMC
As great as Breaking Bad is - see me ranking it at number five here - it is still frustratingly slow at times. The first half of this past season was excruciatingly so at times. The end was great though, and as we are all usually prisoners of the moment, Breaking Bad remains at the top of everyone's list.

4. Homeland (16) Sundays on Showtime
This is a gigantic leap, but Homeland was my second favorite show for all of 2011, so I have to give it some love up at the top. Through 12 episodes I have complete faith in the writers to keep telling good story, while there is no doubt that Claire Danes and Damian Lewis will make sure that there is something interesting on screen during almost every second of air time.

3. Curb Your Enthusiasm (2) Sundays on HBO
This past year wasn't one of Curb's finer seasons, but its track record allows the show to stay up near the top for the time being. If it has another less than stellar sample next time around, and Always Sunny brings the heat again, we may have a change at the top of the comedy hierarchy.

2. Game of Thrones (3) Sundays on HBO
Winter is coming back, but we still don't have a premiere date. Game of Thrones should return in April, and I am as excited as can be. If Justified had my favorite season of 2011, Game of Thrones is my most anticipated season of 2012. I can't wait to see where this story goes.

1. Justified (1) Tuesdays on FX
Returning in just a couple of weeks, Justified has topped a number of my lists as of late. I'm hoping that the show can match the magical season two it put forth last year, unlike its FX partner Sons of Anarchy, which followed a fantastic season two with a horrid third installment.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

It's that time again. The Quiet Pool Perspective's Bi-Monthly Power Rankings are back, and a lot has happened since early September here at the Pool. The Weekly Comedy Rankings have been working so well at helping gauge what shows are doing well on a week by week basis, that I might try to start doing the same thing with the other categories. For now, here are the November Power Rankings. Remember these take into account past and present performances, and the Honorable Mentions are not necessarily numbers 21 through 30 on my list. Enjoy.

Rank. Show (Last) red=moving down, green=moving up

10. Chuck (10) Fridays on NBC
Chuck premiered its final season last Friday, and it was pretty good. If you like Chuck, which obviously I do, then this last season is going to be fun. It's fun, it's funny, and it's easy to watch. If you've never gotten Chuck, then I just feel bad for you. That just means there's plenty more Morgan Grimes to go around for the rest of us.

9. Dexter (9) Sundays on Showtime
Some people are hating on this season of Dexter, but to me it's about the same as every other season thus far. It's just a solid show. No longer revolutionary...if I was doing power rankings immediately following its first season, Dexter would probably a Top Three show, but it still bring the thrills on a weekly basis. The religious theme of the season hasn't been a selling point for me, but hasn't really detracted from the series either.

8. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (13) Thursdays on FX
Compared to the other comedies that are airing this fall, It's Always Sunny is having a fantastic season. Is it as great as some of the early Sunny seasons? Maybe not, but I think it's a big improvement over last year. With gems like "The Gang Goes to Jersey Shore" and "Frank Reynolds' Little Beauties" this has turned out to be a great season of laughs so far.

7. Mad Men (8) Sundays on AMC
It's been a while since we left Don Draper and company, and we still have a while to go before we drop in on the crew from the 1960s. The ad men better watch their back because some of these other series are creeping up behind them.

6. Community (5) Thursdays on NBC
Community got out to a lackluster start to begin the third season this fall, but back to back classics in the alternate timeline episode and last week's Halloween episode have brought it back in the game. As long as they continue to put out hilarious eps like those every couple of weeks, Community's place in the Top Ten should be set in stone.

5. Sons of Anarchy (7) Tuesdays on FX
What a great bounce back season for the Sons. They stalled a bit in stretching out the John Teller story line over the first few weeks on the season, but the action and importance of every scene has stepped up dramatically over the past few episodes. Clay is on a rampage and I am loving every minute of it. I wouldn't be surprised if he started calling himself Hollywood Morrow and starting a new gang of bikers called the New World Order.

4. Breaking Bad (6) Sundays on AMC
For as slow and boring as the first half of the fourth season of Breaking Bad was, the second half was just as thrilling and exciting. It was basically showstopper after showstopper to end the season, finishing with a pair of absolutely fantastic episodes. As a whole it wasn't at the level of seasons two or three, but that back half of the order was as good as anything Breaking Bad has done.

3. Game of Thrones (3) Sundays on HBO
We're still waiting for the return of the Starks, Lannisters and company. I honestly don't think I can't wait that much longer.

2. Curb Your Enthusiasm (2) Sundays on HBO
Curb's most recent season wasn't its best, but it sure was good enough to keep it as the top comedy currently on television.

1. Justified (1) Wednesdays on FX
Justified is going to have a tough time competing with itself after putting forth one of the best seasons in television history last year, but I sure can't wait to see them give it their all.

Curb Your Enthusiasm 810 Review- Start The Violin Music

Leon- "Michael J. Fox bout to be Michael J. f**ked up in a minute."

This eighth season was billed as Curb Your Enthusiasm coming to New York. The show worked Larry leaving for NYC in so hilariously that I overlooked the fact that it took half the season to get him here. And while I was ready to criticize the season for not having an overarching theme to the 10-episode run, "Larry vs. Michael J. Fox" brought the New York era to an end in such a funny and poetic manner that I'm ready to forgive the uneven season.

Back in "The Vow of Silence," Larry broke down and went to New York because he kept using it as an excuse to get out of a charity event. It was such a fitting ending, therefore, to have to do the same thing in order to get out of a Michael J. Fox's charity event in New York. Only in typical Curb fashion, they threw a perfect curve ball in not sending LD back to L.A., but to Paris, where Leon bought himself a chalupa!

And that was the thing about "Larry vs. Michael J. Fox," not only was it constructed beautifully as an episode and as an ender to the season, but it was ridiculously hilarious along the way. I noted more funny moments, and compiled more quips for our Curb Your Enthusiasm quotes page, than I did for any other episode this season.

The scene in the park would have made the episode a winner all on its own. Between Larry buying Greg a replacement gift even though the flamboyant seven-year old obviously loved his sewing machine, the kid giving Susie a hand-sewn pillow sham with a swastika on it, and Jeff taking a bullet for Susie, the five-minute span made for multiple laugh out loud moments, as well as a number of times to acknowledge the cleverness of it all.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Curb Your Enthusiasm season finale, head over to TV Fanatic.

Curb Your Enthusiasm 810 - "Larry vs. Michael J. Fox"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

Whoah buddy! The fall tv season is upon us, and so are the September Power Rankings here at the Quiet Pool Perspective. Here is your look at what you should be watching, or catching up on if you have missed the boat.

Rank. Show (Last Week) red=moving down, green=moving up

10. Chuck (11) Fridays on NBC
One final go around with the Buy More crew. Let's hope they bring it. This past season was just as weird and funny as ever, but the story lines left something to be desired. Morgan as the intersect? Chuck running his own spy organization? Shaping up to be a great ending.

9. Dexter (9) Sundays on Showtime
I keep hearing that this past season of Dexter was the worst yet, and by a good margin, but how was it any worse than two, three, four and five? Well maybe since it didn't have Jimmy Smits, it wasn't as good as three, but that's about it. This next season still won't measure up with the first one, but it will continue to be exciting.

8. Mad Men (6) Sundays on AMC
As good as Mad Men is, the longer it is off the air, the more I remember it for being boring and the less I recall that fantastic acting and writing. It's going to be hard to compete with the drunken ways of Don Draper from a year ago.

7. Sons of Anarchy (8) Tuesdays on FX
The season four premiere is tonight, and I've heard good things. I can't wait to see what Jax, Clay and company have in store for us this year. I'm mostly pumped for Jackson's new haircut...nothing like a fresh cut.

6. Breaking Bad (3) Sundays on AMC
I was looking forward to writing about how boring this season of Breaking Bad has been, but the past two episodes have pulled the season out of its own downward spiral. Walt has been fantastic throughout, Jesse was great in "Problem Dog" and Gus did the thing this past Sunday. Still, this has been as boring of a season as an all-time great show can have.

5. Community (7) Thursdays on NBC
Michael K Williams. John Goodman. Let's get it started in here!

4. The Office (4) Thursdays on NBC
I enjoyed James Spader in last year's finale as much as anyone, but I don't know how he will do as a leading man on this show. Is his character too weird? We shall see. I'm hoping Jim and Dwight pick it up and become more of the leading men, as long as Jim steps his game up.

3. Game of Thrones (5) Sundays on HBO
Season two is way too far away. I am so jealous of those who have read the books and know exactly what is going to happen when we return. I just wanna see some dragons!

2. Curb Your Enthusiasm (1) Sundays on HBO
Yes, it has been a lackluster season of Curb, so it drops out of the one spot for the first time in a while. Even this most recent episode wasn't an all-time classic, although it was one of the funnier of the year. One ep remaining to redeem itself as the best comedy on tv.

1. Justified (2) Wednesdays on FX
The new champ is here. Justified had one of the best seasons in television history this past spring, and is now the well-deserved best show on television. Will season three be able to compare? Probably not, but I have faith it won't fall like some others have.