Okay, here comes the hardest of the categories of television to determine.  The Top 20 Streaming Shows of 2017.  This includes series from Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, HBO, Starz, and Amazon Prime.

Here is the problem.  There is legitimately 5-6 shows on these services that could, arguably, be the number one show.  It seems like every week Netflix is putting out a new series to binge. It is tough to keep up.

So this is my list of 20 series.  It is quite possible that I have forgotten something.  For example, I did forget to include Sherlock (BBCA) on the cable list.  Sherlock happened early in 2017 and it slipped my mind, however, it was truly wonderful.  Looking at the cable list, it would probably have come in around #4 or 5.  And that wasn’t even the number of shows available as is on these streaming services.  If I forget one or two, my apologies to them.

I started compiling the list by pulling out what I considered the bottom 5.  Shall we start…

#20.  Big Mouth (Netflix).  A good year for animation, this takes all the controversy and shock value of shows like South Park and Family Guy and amps it up to 11.  Very dirty and yet very funny… this is what adolescent children are really like.  And make sure you stay away from that pillow.

#19.  Castlevania (Netflix).  One of the best adaptations of a video game put together ever.  The short four episode series left the audience wanting more.  We had Dracula in the first episode and just not enough of him the rest of the way.  But Castlevania is coming back for season two so hopefully there will be further excitement coming.

#18.  House of Cards (Netflix).  Oh how the mighty have fallen.  This show was once in the top five, if not higher, but it has not aged well and it suffers from not being as wild and corrupt as the real world politics actually are.  It is too much like our current world and House of Cards is juts not the fun escapism that it once was.  Plus, you know, Kevin Spacey.

#17.  Iron Fist (Netflix).  This was the first chink of the armor of Marvel.  Up until Iron Fist, everything Marvel did was praised and loved by the masses.  Iron Fist ended that streak.  I still say that Iron Fist was not as bad as the world made it out to be, but there can be no denying that it simply did not measure up to Daredevil, Jessica Jones or Luke Cage.  I do have hope that they learn from the mistakes of season two and elevate this material, because Danny Rand deserves a huge hit.

#16.  Comrade Detective (Amazon Prime).  This was so funny.  You had what was billed as a series from the 1980s that aired in Communist Romania during the midst of the Cold War. Supposedly, this series was discovered and dubbed in English.  With the voices of Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the series promoted Communist ideals while having a seriously epic mystery story.  Comrade Detective was a wonderful surprise that few were expecting, but all enjoyed.

#15.  The Defenders (Netflix).  The Defenders was supposed to be the Avengers of the Netflix series, and it was sort of.  The show was fine, but there was just something that was missing.  It was not near as epic as it could have been. Still, we got the uniting of Luke Cage, Daredevil, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones, and the four of them together really was cool.

#14.  A Series of Unfortunate Events (Netflix).  A series from the very early part of the year, Netflix adapted the Lemony Snicket books into an awesome series with Neil Patrick Harris returning to the over the top world of villainy as Count Olaf.  Plus, the addition of the narrator, Lemony Snicket himself, as played by Patrick Warburton was a stroke of genius.  The series did deviate from the books and the Jim Carrey movie somewhat, so you can watch them all and still be surprised.

#13.  Santa Clarita Diet (Netflix).  This is extremely dark and funny.  Who would ever think that they would see Drew Barrymore chewing away on the dead body of a man?  And that it would be hilarious.  Drew gets turned into a type of a zombie and craves human flesh, but she clings to her humanity as her husband, Timothy Olyphant, desperately tries to save her.  But does she want to be saved?  How does her new form affect her family dynamic?  This was another awesome surprise from Netflix.

#12.  Runaways (Hulu).  Marvel television had some setbacks in 2017 (especially Iron Fist and Inhumans) but they were back on their winning ways with the adaptation of the comic series Runaways.  It has been a slow burn so far into the season (8 episodes in and they haven’t run away yet), but I like how they are focusing on the characters.  And not just the characters of Chase, Molly, Gert, Karolina and Alex, but also their parents.  Their parents are not just the stereotypical evil villains.  They are real people who have made bad decisions and decisions for selfish reasons.  Plus, the show has Old Lace, the dinosaur.  Amazing!

#11.  The Keepers (Netflix).  I was so compelled by this 7-episode documentary series about this cold case from the 1960s that I could not believe it.  The series tells the story of the unsolved murder of Cathy Cesnik, a beloved nun and Catholic high school teacher in Baltimore.  But it turned into more than just a decades old murder case.  It looked at religion, the sexual misconduct by priests and other religious leaders and presents a haunting tone that sticks with you.  You cannot help but wish for more of a resolution than what you get and you will be thinking about Cathy for days after.

#10.  Orange is the New Black (Netflix).  A consistent show, OITNB had a tremendous season with the riot at the prison putting the power into the prisoners’ hands.  What followed was a remarkable commentary on humanity and how these few freedoms could really affect how you are as a person.  The series left all of our main characters in a desperately precarious position as the police were on their way into the prison.  Who would live and who would die?  I guess we have to wait to find out.  Orange upped its game again this season.

#9.  American Gods (Starz).  The adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novel was startling good television despite the fact that the whole first season was nothing more than set-up for season two.  It took us the entire season to reveal that Ian McShane’s character was Odin.  The show also had perhaps one of the best performances Gillian Anderson has given in quite a while as one of the present day gods who showed up as Lucy Ricardo or David Bowie.  Well see what season two has in store for us.

#8.  13 Reasons Why (Netflix).  The adaptation of a YA book turned into a sensation on Netflix.  Dylan Minnette and Katherine Langford were truly wonderful in their roles as tortured teens, one listening to the suicide tapes made by the other.  It is a tragic story that still manages to show how important life can be and how it is important to treat each other with respect and love instead of with callousness and disrespect.  There will be a season two, but I kind of wish they would have left the powerful series as a one and off.  We’ll see what happens.

#7.  Mindhunter (Netflix).  I have a hard time putting this at number seven because it was so great.  Based on one of my favorite books of all time, this follows the character of Ford, an FBI agent who helps revolutionize a style of interview that would lead to the ability to profile serial killers, rapists and bombers.  The series is outstanding and includes several actors playing real life serial killers.  Mindhunter was a new way to look into the depth of the human mind.

#6.  American Vandal (Netflix).  This is one of the most original series of the year.  A spoof of the Making a Murderer type of documentary, American Vandal follows an investigation searching for the truth of who spray painted a bunch of penises on the cars of a school’s faculty.  The mockumentary style is perfect for this subject matter that keeps you laughing with each and every unbelievable twist that the series throws at you.

#5.  Glow (Netflix).  Only at number five?  I never would have guessed, because this series that tells the real life story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling is some of the best television we have seen in years.  The wrestling part is so authentic that I, as a wrestling fan, had to stand up an applaud.  And the characters are so deep and amazing.  Alison Brie is the star but the real scene stealing performance was from Marc Meron as the “creative” force behind the show.  GLOW was more than a wrestling program, but it also showed what people can see in wrestling.  It is a special series.

#4.  Stranger Things 2 (Netflix). There was some concern that the second season of Netflix’s Stranger Things would not live up to the first season.  Season one came out of nowhere to be a cultural phenomenon.  However, that worry quickly subsided as I think the second season actually exceeded the first, especially with the tour de force performance from Noah Schnapp.  Noah had the least amount of screen time in season one, but here he was front and center and delivered a performance that many seasoned adult actors would wish they could do.  He displayed the full range of emotions and broke your heart with his struggles to overcome the evil within him.  Stranger Things was an epic success.

#3.  The Tick (Amazon Prime).  The return of the Big Blue Super Hero known as the Tick brought the humor of a super hero spoof back to our screens once again.  Improving upon the original pilot, The Tick brought us a great adventure with our favorite arachnid themed super hero (not including a spider) and his sidekick, Arthur.  Arthur continued to be the focus of the story, and we got some answers to those nagging questions such as Is this all just in Arthur’s mind? or Is the Terror dead?  The next six episodes of The Tick will drop in February and to that I say, “Spooooooooooooooooooooooon!”

#2.  The Punisher (Netflix).  Marvel TV got right back on track with the best version of the Punisher that has ever been on screen.  The show was brutally violent, filled with action, but also spent time to develop these characters.  I never thought the Punisher could be a character drama and be successful, but that is exactly what we got.  I loved every second of the series that was way more cerebral than I ever thought it could be.

#1.  Twin Peaks: The Return (Showtime).  I waited over 25 years to get this series, and it did not disappoint.  However, you absolutely had to be patient and be a fan to follow it.  I understand completely how people were getting frustrated by it.  I was too a few times.  I wanted the real Dale Cooper back.  Not Dougie Jones (though I grew to appreciate Dougie).  When Dale Cooper finally emerged from his Dougie Cooper dream-like state and proclaimed that “I am the FBI” the Twin Peaks fans everywhere exploded in joy.  It is one of the best moments of the year.  In true Twin peaks fashion, the conclusion to the 18-part series was anything but tied up into a nice little bow.  In fact, it is like trolling its fan base.  However, if you look that the production value of the series, the humor and dialogue, the character development, the oddity, Twin Peaks was more than television.  It was like an 18 hour film that brought its fans along on a wild and somewhat satisfying ride, showing bits of what we loved and reminding us how damn good that cherry pie was.  There was also a beautiful goodbye to the Log Lady, Margaret, aka Catherine Coulson, who had died soon after the filming for the series concluded.  The scene where Margaret was on the phone with Hawk, telling him that she was going to die, was heartbreaking on the show and in real life.   Twin Peaks: The Return was some damn good television.

Game shows have always been a staple of television, and this year there were a couple that I had to see.

Top Six Game Shows

#6.  The $100,000 Pyramid.  One of my old favorites from childhood returned with Michael Strahan in the Dick Clark hosting position.  The biggest difference was the bump in the amount available to the contestants.  $100,000 is a serious chunk of change.  Celebrities were always fun as well.

#5.  Jeopardy.  The Alex Trebek quiz show is always a classic and is entertaining every time.  There are great questions and very intelligent people involved.  It always makes you feel smart when you get a question that the contestants miss.

#4.  Battle of the Network Stars.  Not really a game show, per se, but I absolutely loved the return of another childhood favorite.  The ABC competition had some flaws, but the idea is always a winner.  The show could have benefited from an audience cheering on the celebrities, but there were some real serious attempts at athleticism… and some not so much.  And there were several moments that can only be had by celebrities.

#3.  Celebrity Family Feud.  Steve Harvey is always a hoot, but if you put him on a stage with a bunch of celebrities playing the classic Family Feud game, you have gold.  The best?  When Steve Harvey’s own family played the game this season… hilarity ensued.

#2. The Match Game.  Alec Baldwin led the second season of this classic game show where the contestants need to get ready to match the stars.  It is funny.  It is dirty.  It is controversial.  Some times you cannot believe what they have said.  I think Gene Reyburn, Charles Nelson Reilly and Brett Somers would be proud.

#1.  The Gong Show.  Who’s a cheeky monkey? Yes, I AM!!!! With its host, “British comedian” Tommy Maitland, I never thought that this show would become so vital in my life as it did, but I absolutely LOVED the revival of the Gong Show.   Sure it is stupid.  Yes, there are some TERRIBLE acts.  Actually, the worse the acts were, the better the show turned out.  But there were some great acts too.  I will always remember the epicness of Zombie Ballet, creepy contortionist named Liv Twisted, Uprooted among others.  There were some Thursday nights when I went to a movie premiere and I found myself speeding home with the hopes of getting there in time for the Sing a-Long.  Shaving Cream was never so popular as it was with Albert.  Each and every Thursday, I was ready for the funsies, and The Gong Show never failed to deliver them to me.  I do not care about those people who held their noses up for this show.  They are entitled to their opinion, though in this case, their opinion receives a big gong from me.   All I needed to send me into an ultimate Geek-gasm was a special guest appearance from the Unknown Comic!

Rest in Peace

The following are the top actors/actresses from the section of Network TV.

Best Actor in Network TV

#6.  Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor)

#5.  KJ Apa (Riverdale)

#4.  Kiefer Sutherland (Designated Survivor)

#3.  Ben McKenzie (Gotham)

#2.  Cole Sprouse (Riverdale)

#1.  Clark Gregg (Agents of SHIELD)

Clark Gregg brings a perfect tone to Agents of SHIELD, a serious nature mixed with a wit filled with humor.  Agent Coulson is the heart and the soul of the show.

Best Actress in Network TV

#5.  Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon a Time)

#4.  Chloe Bennett (Agents of SHIELD)

#3.  Kerry Washington (Scandal)

#2.  Minnie Driver (Speechless)

#1.  Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder)

Nothing has been as powerful this year as Viola Davis’s Annalise trying to save Laurel’s premature baby by giving the baby CPR.  Viola Davis is not afraid to let herself look as if she is falling completely apart either. Tears, snot, spittle…everywhere.  Just dramatic as can be.

Best Supporting Actor in Network TV

#7.  Mason Cook (Speechless)

#6.  John Ross Bowie (Speechless)

#5.  Michael Cerveris (Gotham)

#4.  Robin Lord Taylor (Gotham)

#3.  Jack Falahee (How to Get Away With Murder)

#2.  Donal Logue (Gotham)

#1.  Colin O’Donoghue (Once Upon a Time)

Colin O’Donoghue has taken the villainous scoundrel Captain Hook and turned him into a heroic figure on Once Upon a Time, and this past season, he even broke into song.  The musical episode of Once Upon a Time is surpassed only by Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Once More With Feeling episode. Hook also was able to marry his true love in Emma in the season finale.  Now, in the recent season Colin is playing a different version of Hook.  He is a star.

Best Supporting Actress in Network TV

#5.  Morena Baccarin (Gotham)

#4.  Lana Parrilla (Once Upon a Time)

#3.  Karla Souza (How to Get Away with Murder)

#2.  Ming Na-Wen (Agents of SHIELD)

#1.  Elizabeth Henstridge (Agents of SHIELD)

Jemma has had a tough year.  When she found herself trapped in the Framework, a computer program world, she realized that not only was the love of her life Fitz running Hydra, but that she was dead.  So she had to drag herself out of the grave.  No matter what Jemma is going through, Elizabeth Henstridge gives an emotional and powerful performance.  She is long overdo for recognition for her outstanding efforts on Agents of SHIELD.

This is a new category to add to the Year in Review section of the EYG site.  That is because the Movie Trivia Schmoedown has become a huge thing on the internet and I never miss an episode. So I compiled a list of matches from 2017. I have also linked the YouTube video on the list.

After the list, I will be adding some other specific awards connected to the Schmoedown.  I know the Movie Trivia Schmoedown will be having their own winners and I have not been swayed by those (since I don’t know what they are a of this writing.)

Oh … and by the way, just like all of these lists in the Year in Review, there are SPOILERS in here, especially for the Schmoedown Spectacular 2, which was just released.  Be warned.

Top 25 Matches

#1.  JTE defeats Drew McWeeny, Oct. 3.  LINK  This match up went multiple sudden death rounds and was as full of drama as any have ever been.

#2.  Star Wars Iron Man Match- Sam Witwer defeated Ken Napzok Dec. 22 LINK

#3. Rotten Tomatoes defeated IGN, May 23rd  LINK

#4.  The Patriots defeated Team Trek, Feb. 14th.  LINK

#5.  Josh Macuga defeated “Finstock” Marc Andreyko, Feb. 3rd.   LINK

#6.  Dan Murrell defeated Mark Reilly and John Rocha, Triple Threat, July 7th   LINK

#7.  The Patriots defeated Modok, August 11   LINK

#8.  John Rocha defeated Dan Murrell, Feb 17  LINK

#9.  Above the Line defeated Wolves of Steel, Sept. 12  LINK

#10.  Star Wars 5-Way Match- Sam Witwer becomes #1 contender, Dec. 8  LINK

#11.  Free for All- Samm Levine wins.  LINK PART 1   LINK PART 2

#12.  The Patriots defeated Above the Line, Dec. 22  LINK

#13.  Kristian Harloff defeated Jeff Sneider, July 7.  LINK

#14.  Jeremy Jahns wins Fatal 5-way Innergeekdom match, March 31  LINK

#15.  Manager’s Bowl- Emma Fyffe wins, Dec. 22   LINK

#16.  Late to the Party defeated Critically Acclaimed, Aug. 25  LINK

#17.  Jeremy Jahns defeated Robert Meyer Burnett.  May 12  LINK

#18.  Kristian Harloff defeated William Bibbiani.  May 19.  LINK 

#19.  Top Ten defeated the Schmoes.  March 21.  LINK

#20.  Jason Inman wins Fatal 4-way match.  Nov. 24  LINK

#21.  Team Action defeated Top Ten.  Sept 13th  LINK

#22.  Jason Inman defeated Hector Navarro, Dec. 22   LINK

#23.  Blofeld’s Cat defeated “Nerd’s Watch” Rachel Cushing, hanidcap. Dec. 22 LINK

#24.  Hector Navarro defeated Jeremy Jahns.  July 7.  LINK

#25.  Mike Kalinowski defeated Brianne Chandler.  Oct 31  LINK

Player of the Year:  Samm Levine.  This is a no brainer.  Levine ended the year as champion after winning the Ultimate Schmoedown singles tournament, winning the Ultimate Schmoedown team tournament (with Drew McWeeny), winning the Free for All.  Quite a run this year.

Team of the Year: The Patriots.  Duh.  You may not like them, but you cannot argue with the fact that JTE and Jeff Sneider defeated everyone they faced this year.  Most of the matches were dramatic and close.  An argument could be made that Team Trek should have beaten them.  But in the end, The Patriots are 8-0.

Rookie of the Year:  Rachel “The Crusher” Cushing.  Rachel has been on the precipice of being a champion, coming up just short.  You forget that Rachel is a rookie.  Her battle against Blofeld’s Cat in a handicap match showed how much heart she has.  She is a future champion without a doubt.

Best Moment:  Andrew Ghai spears John Rocha.  I almost made this Ken Napzok turning heel, but when Andrew Ghai of Team Action tackled The Outlaw after Team Action’s loss was completely unexpected.  Now, it was so well done that I thought that it was maybe real.  If it were real, then I wouldn’t list it here because that would have been a terrible thing.  But as a WWE style bit, this was awesome.  And big props to John Rocha for taking that spear like a champion.

Best Turn:  Ken Napzok turns heel.  Star Wars Champion at that time, Ken Napzok turned heel and joined the group he had sworn to fight against, The Lion’s Den.  Rachel Cushing talked him down and convinced him to have a match as Nerd’s Watch vs. Blofeld’s Cat.  Then, Ken no-showed the match, forcing Rachel into a handicap match.  Ken then arrived after her defeat to rub it in.  Just a huge heel move from a great performer.

Best Promo:  Ken Napzok and Kristian Harloff.  This was just epic.  After Ken had ditched Rachel, Kristian came into the interview area to confront Ken, and what happened was absolute gold.  Ken was absolutely on fire, spouting off perfect excuses for his turn, reasons that you could understand.  Ken even brought up Kristian not naming Ken commissioner.  It was amazing work from both of these men and it really added a gravitas to the storyline.

Best Special:  Schmoedown Spectacular 2, Dec. 22nd.  Every special has been tremendous, but this one was extra special.  Great matches, lots of storyline work, amazing graphics from Bryan Ward, every back stage vignette is great.  It was so much fun and we got a good chunk of Kristian Harloff and Mark Ellis (in the world’s greatest Tetris suit).

Best Faction:  The Lion’s Den.  They had a tough night at the Spectacular but they are easily the one that is above the others.  Now, perhaps Emma Fyffe will put together an awesome one, but, for now, the Lion’s Den continues to be the top faction.

Best Manager:  Tom Dagnino.  Another one who you may hate, but Tom Dagnino is entertaining.  He is great on the mike and just engages the audience to hate him.

Truly love the Movie Trivia Schmoedown and I am so looking forward to the next season of the show.  Congrats to Kristian Harloff and Mark Ellis and everyone else involved in creating such a fantastic program for YouTube.

The next category of television we will be looking at will include the Network shows.  I have had less here than in past years, and there are many here that I have slowly faded out of my watching queue.  There are only so many hours in a day.

Still, there are some that I must see each and every week.

#10.  The Mayor (ABC).  Okay, so this is one that I have fallen behind again.  Each episode has had some familiarity to it and I have not caught up.  Still, it has appealing actors and a cute story to it.

#9.  Ghosted (FOX).  I have really liked this series, especially with the relationship between LeRoy and Max.  I wish the show had more time to expand on each episode’s story.  It should either have two part episodes or it should be an hour.  But so far, Ghosted has been very entertaining.

#8.  Scandal (ABC).  This is the final season for Scandal, and, unfortunately, they have turned the White Hat wearing Olivia Pope into a master villain, like dear old dad.  I assume the ending will be her eventual redemption, but, for me, it might be too late already.

#7.  Designated Survivor (ABC).  President Kirkman has had less conspiracy this season and more internal White House drama.  At times, the show is extremely solid, and other times it feels a tad fluffy.  Still, Kiefer Sutherland is always enjoyable.  But what about that final scene with Kirkman’s wife?

#6.  Speechless (ABC).  This comedy has been very consistent each week with a lot of laughs, some bad behavior, and a family who loves one another.  J.J. is allowed to be every bit as bad as his siblings can be and that is refreshing.

#5.  How to Get Away with Murder (ABC).  Holy crap, that mid season finale was intense.  Those scenes with Annalise desperately trying to save the newborn baby was insanity.  I was literally holding my breath the entire time until that cry came out over the black screen.  Amazing.

#4.  Whose Line is it Anyway (CW).  Improv continues to be fun and enjoyable as the best improvisation comedians on the planet show what they can do.  Colin, Ryan and Wayne are brilliant.  We also got a guest star of Chip Esten. Greta stuff.

#3.  Riverdale (CW).  Melodrama everywhere.  The first season was a creepy and extremely fun adaptation of  Archie and his friends.  It reminded some of Twin Peaks.  Season two has been a little less solid as the Black Hood storyline has stalled the season so far.  Hopefully, Riverdale can get back on track.

#2.  Gotham (FOX). Last year’s number one is still very high on my list.  I loved the Professor Pyg story that Gotham told this year (though I am not a fan of how it has seemingly ended) and you get compelling characters such as Penguin, Ed Nygma, Harvey Bullock etc.  Bruce Wayne needs a good spanking, but other than that… Gotham hits some serious heights.

#1. Agents of SHIELD (ABC).  SHIELD reclaimed the number one show after we saw Ghost Rider, the LMD storyline, and this season’s trip into the future and space to battle the Kree.  AoS is well written and extremely witty every week and never fails to double down on the show’s strength… and that is the wonderful group of agents we love.  Friday night may not be a great night for SHIELD rating wise, but it still is the best show around.

Others: Once Upon a Time, Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon,

Worst show I watched:  Inhumans.

This is the third year for the Kick Ass Female Award.  In a world where women’s power has become something even more apropos, this is the award for the ladies.  I have always been a fan of kick ass females, all the way back to Anna Devane on General Hospital.  So here is the official award, now and forever named after Finola Hughes’ GH character, one of my favorite females of all time.

Previous Winners:  Rey (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Mockingbird (Marvel Comics)

#10.  Nebula (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2).  Nebula came back and fought her sister Gamora and came to an understanding.  Nebula may have a big role against her father in the upcoming Avengers movies.

#9.  The Amazons (Wonder Woman).  The Amazons, led by Queen Hippolyta, were a major part of the DC movie Wonder Woman and they had an important scene in Justice League as well.

#8.  Lorraine (Atomic Blonde).  Lorraine had one of the best fight scenes of the year inside a hallway in a movie that was somewhat entertaining.

#7.  Carol (The Walking Dead).  The queen of the apocalypse continues to be the most dominant female on the Walking Dead.  Heck, I would rather see Rick, Daryl, Negan or any other character coming after me rather than Carol.

#6.  Hela (Thor: Ragnarok).  Hela became Thor and Loki’s sister in Thor: Ragnarok and came back to kick some Asgardian ass after the death of Odin.  Hela showed off both her dominant side and her beauty thanks to gorgeous Cate Blanchett.

#5.  Eleven (Stranger Things).  The one and only Eleven came back from the Upside Down to grab control of her powers and help battle the monsters tormenting her friends.  Plus, she got to dance with Mike.

#4.  Rey (Star Wars: The Last Jedi).  Rey has assumed the place at the top of the mountain among the Jedis and she battled Kylo Ren in the throne room of Snoke.  This fight scene was one of the best of the year.  Spoilers…. she then lifted some rocks.

#3.  Valkyrie (Thor: Ragnarok).  One of the true standouts of one of the best movies of the year, Tessa Thompson brought us a great character as well as a kick ass woman.  Valkyrie had her story that fit beautifully into the film, and she showed off her mighty skills.

#2.  Laura (Logan). She who would be X-23 was a brutal and wild animalistic little girl cloned from Logan.  Of course, the wild child was more than just a beast.  She was a huge part of the heart of one of the best movies of the year.  And the acting job Dafne Keen gave was amazing.

#1.  Wonder Woman (Wonder Woman) However, it had to be.  After starring in one of the most beloved movies of the summer and easily the most beloved DCEU movie ever, Wonder Woman, as portrayed by Gal Gadot, shut all the haters and the doubters up.  I did not think Gal Gadot had it in her, but I was proven oh so wrong.  Wonder Woman was a transcendent figure in pop culture this year, and I can say that it is about time.

Here are the top actors and actresses from the cable section of the television awards.

Supporting Actor on a Cable TV Show

#7.  Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead)

#6.  Paul Bettany (Manhunt: Unabomber)

#5.  Tyler Labine (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#4.  Elijah Wood (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#3.  Alfred Molina (eud: Bette and Joan)

#2.  Joe Gilgun (Preacher)

#1.  David Thewlis (Fargo)

One of the great villains of the year, David Thewlis truly was imposing and intimidating to the poor people on Fargo.  Complex and compelling, Thewlis could never be ignored.

Supporting Actress on a Cable TV Show

#7.  Izzie Steele (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#6.  Fiona Dourif (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#5.  Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel)

#4.  Jackie Hoffman (Feud: Bette and Joan)

#3.  Jean Smart (Legion)

#2.  Melissa McBride (The Walking Dead)

#1.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Fargo)

She started as a con woman/villain Nikki Swango and quickly became someone whom everyone wanted to root for.  Her relationship with Ray in the series really was an honest and heartfelt one and provided much of the emotion for Fargo.  She was awesome.

Actor on a Cable TV Show

#5.  Dan Stevens (Legion)

#4.  Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel)

#3.  Sam Barnett (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#2.  Evan Peters (American Horror Story: Cult)

#1.  Ewan McGregor (Fargo)

This is the third win for Fargo in these categories, but this is probably the most deserving.  Ewan McGregor was so good in his dual role that it was hard to tell that he was the same actor.  His work as Ray was heartbreaking and then how Emmit went off the deep end after killing his brother was a tour de force of acting. 

Actress on a Cable TV Show

#6.  Amanda Marks (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency)

#5.  Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Cult)

#4. Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black)

#3.  Carrie Coon (Fargo)

#2.  Susan Sarandon (Feud: Bette and Joan)

#1.  Jessica Lange (Feud: Bette and Joan)

What kept Fargo form winning all four categories?  Two astounding performances from two brilliant actresses in one epic series.  The top of those two performances belongs to Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford.  Lange constantly filled each scene with the pain and the struggles of this star actress trying to keep relevant in a world that wanted to bring her down.  It was a raw and painful performance in many ways and showed just how powerful Jessica Lange could be.