10 best TV shows of 2024 so far, ranked

Night Country isn’t as good as the first season of True Detective, but it’s far better to the two other seasons that preceded it. Jodie Foster and Kali Reis carry this season on their shoulders as former friends Police Chief Liz Danvers and Trooper Evangeline Navarro. The mystery they’re given to solve seems almost impossible to fully unravel, and there are some questions that remain unanswered by the time the final credits roll.

There is an alien invasion at the heart of this series that’s unlike any of the others we’ve seen on film or television. The aliens won’t arrive on Earth for centuries, but their chaotic and disruptive influence is already felt in the present. Military might and even science seem useless in the face of this threat, leaving some brilliant minds, including Jin Cheng (Jess Hong) and Augustina “Auggie” Salazar (Eiza González), to devise unconventional strategies against them. Others, like Saul Durand (Jovan Adepo), are very reluctantly drawn into the fight as well. It’s refreshing that things seem so dire for humanity, and yet the show still offers some hope for the future.

In this reboot, John (Glover) and Jane Smith (Erskine) don’t really know each other at all when they’re tasked to pose as a married couple while carrying out lethal missions. But inevitably, they start to have romantic sparks, which complicates their relationship and their overall mission. The show goes out of its way to test the Smiths’ loyalty to their employers and each other. And while there’s currently no word about a renewal, this is a story that deserves to be continued.

With this show, DeMayo delivered more than just a modernized take on an old cartoon series; it’s also one of the most thrilling pieces of superhero fiction in years. X-Men ’97 hasn’t shied away from taking narrative risks or shocking places that even the comics haven’t dared to go. If this series can maintain its momentum through the first season finale, the show may actually rank higher on our list before the end of the year.

The Kurcfamily’s situation quickly becomes dire as they are forced to flee their homes and their former lives. Not all of them are able to escape the grasp of the Nazis. But a few of the Kurcs manage to get out and survive, even if they may never be able to reunite as a family again.

Ella Purnell stars as Lucy MacLean, a young woman who has spent most of her life living in a vault separated from the rest of humanity. When Lucy finally emerges from the vault to find her missing father, she’s not prepared for the people of the wasteland or the dangers that await her. But Lucy does prove that she’s a survivor as she acclimates to her new life.

Stanton is so outraged by the murder of Lincoln that he personally leads the hunt for the president’s killer, John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle). But in this era, it was a lot harder to find a fleeing suspect who already had a head start. It’s an incredibly tense time for both the country and for Stanton, whose sanity may be cracking under the strain.

The Captain soon finds himself feeling conflicted loyalties while in living in the U.S. Only a few episodes of The Sympathizer have been released to date, but it’s been so wildly entertaining that it’s bound to remain on this list by the end of the year.

Tokyo Vice had a strong first season on Max, and an even stronger second season earlier this year. The series follows journalist Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort) as he attempts to make his name on Tokyo’s crime beat near the end of the 20th century. Jake thought he could handle anything the criminal underworld had to throw at him, even as Detective Hiroto Katagiri (Ken Watanabe) tried to dissuade him. Now, Jake’s in way over his head. and he’s not the only one in danger.

Much like our pick for No. 1 on this list, Tokyo Vice has expanded its focus beyond following the white foreigner living in Japan, which has only made it a more interesting show.

Blackthorne gets to live because Lord Toranaga sees value in him, but Toranaga has far greater issues to deal with as he fights his rivals and attempts to hold on to his power. Mariko’s story is also explored in greater detail as she tutors Blackthorne in the ways of Japan’s people while they form a bond with each other. The higher production values of this adaptation are cinematic in scope, and the show is already an instant classic. Shōgun is the TV series to beat in 2024, and a strong contender to remain at No. 1 when the year comes to an end.