The 16 best TV shows of 2018 so far

Returning shows:

"The Americans" — FX

Critic Score: 99%

Audience Score: 92%

The final season of "The Americans" intensifies the thrilling action and espionage as it pulls characters apart just as we thought they would come together in the end. Things are building up quickly, and it's setting up something completely unpredictable and probably cruel — but thrilling either way.

"One Day at a Time" — Netflix

Critic Score: 100%

Audience Score: 95%

"One Day at a Time" was a critic favorite in 2017, and it exceeded expectations with its second season, which debuted on Netflix in January. The show depicts a Cuban-American family as they adjust to their new life. It's positive, funny, smart, culturally relevant, and has great performances. The show isn't afraid to take on dramatic material or to get political.

"Silicon Valley" — HBO

Critic Score: 100%

Audience Score: 74%

Without TJ Miller's Erlich Bachman on the show, "Silicon Valley" is a little more upbeat in its fifth season. The jokes and storylines are more clever, since the writers aren't relying on Bachman to say (or do) something stupid. Miller's absence also leaves more room for the side characters we've come to love over the years, from Jared to Jian-Yang to Dinesh and Gilfoyle.

"The Good Place" — NBC

Critic Score: 100%

Audience Score: 86%

After season one, I called "The Good Place" one of the most ambitious TV shows ever. And that was only after season one. Season two, particularly the second half which aired in early 2018, proved that it absolutely is. It took all expectations and flipped them upside down. Its season finale teased a completely different format for the series that will help us get to know all of the characters and the afterlife they exist in even more.

"Westworld" — HBO

Critic Score: 94%

Audience Score: 88%

Season two of "Westworld" is even better than season one. With more room to expand now that the world within the show has been established, there's more excitement, action, and character development. The second season also puts women in charge of the story, which is its major strength so far.

"UnReal" — Lifetime

Critic Score: 95%

Audience Score: 83%

Season three of "UnReal" was written before the #MeToo movement started, but it certainly reflects it. The season explores the complexities of being a victim of sexual assault, and attempts to answer the question a lot of people ask, but shouldn't: Why did she wait so long to say something?

"Atlanta" — FX

Critic Score: 99%

Audience Score: 84%

Season two of FX's comedy series "Atlanta," subtitled "Robbin' Season," has leaned into horror genre tropes for great humor and a handful of violent, genuinely frightening moments. But the show's evolving depiction of the annoyances of fame, centered around the role of rising rapper Paperboi (Bryan Tyree Henry), makes it one of the most compelling and hilarious shows on television.

"The Handmaid's Tale" — Hulu

Critic Score: 97%

Audience Score: 86%

Like season one, season two of Emmy winner "The Handmaid's Tale" is hard to watch. But it's also hard not to watch, with captivating performances from Elisabeth Moss, Alexis Bledel, and Yvonne Strahovski. This show, now stretching its plot beyond Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel, will give you a glimmer of hope before stabbing you in the back with a devastating plot twist. It might be difficult content to get through, but it's so beautifully made that it's worth it.

New shows:

"Killing Eve" — BBC

Critic Score: 100%

Audience Score: 88%

The female-driven "Killing Eve" is stylish, thrilling, and has incredible performances from Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer. It isn't a typical spy thriller, and that's what makes it so great. Oh's performance is truly extraordinary, and proves, like she did with her work on "Grey's Anatomy," that she's one of the best TV actors ever.

"Everything Sucks!" — Netflix

Critic Score: 69%

Audience Score: 90%

"Everything Sucks!" tells the story of Kate Messner, a high school sophomore who's coming to terms with her sexuality. Her journey, which happens to take place in the 90s, showcases how hard it was to be an LGBTQ+ teen two decades ago. The season, which really picks up in the final episodes, also follows a lovely romance between Kate's dad and her friend Luke's mom, which is one of the few "parent" stories on a teen show that's not a complete waste of screen time. Unfortunately, Netflix already canceled the show. But there's an active campaign to bring it back.

"Trust" — FX

Critic Score: 76%

Audience Score: 62%

"Trust" tells the story of the Getty family — more specifically the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III in 1973 (sans Christopher Plummer). Brendan Fraser makes a major comeback with his Emmy-worthy performance as James Fletcher Chase. It's also glamorous and quite stylish thanks to executive producer Danny Boyle, who directed a few episodes.

"Barry" — HBO

Critic Score: 98%

Audience Score: 83%

Bill Hader proves he has serious acting chops as a hitman who decides he wants to be an actor after going to one acting class. Hader's performance makes the unlikely premise work. "Barry" balances the violence with quirky characters and meta jokes about being an actor in LA that feel very fresh.

"Queer Eye" — Netflix

Critic Score: 96%

Audience Score: 88%

You'll laugh and sob while watching this makeover show, where the fabulous new Fab Five make over men in the state of Georgia. These men find common ground with people who are different in many ways: culturally, politically, emotionally, and that's what makes this reboot so special.

"Wild Wild Country" — Netflix

Critic Score: 100%

Audience Score: 97%

"Wild Wild Country" tells a wild story from United States history. It doesn't judge its vast set of quirky characters, and has many jaw-dropping moments throughout every episode that will you won't believe.

"American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace" — FX

Critic Score: 87%

Audience Score: 93%

The series, which is Ryan Murphy's best work to date, gives us a glimpse of Gianni Versace's life, impact, and death. But more than that, it's an examination of the men Versace's killer, Andrew Cunanan, murdered. It showcases the lives of gay men in the 90s, a time that's not so long ago, but was much different than today.

"The Terror" — AMC

Critic Score: 91%

Audience Score: 89%

Set in the Canadian Arctic, "The Terror" follows a British expedition stuck in ice, haunted by a horrifying creature. The show is terrifying and impeccably made — from the sets to the costumes to the performances. The limited series stars some of your favorite British actors, including some from "Game of Thrones" like Ciaran Hinds (Mance Rayder), Tobias Menzies (Edmure Tully), and Clive Russell (The Blackfish). Jared Harris, who played Lane Pryce on AMC's "Mad Men," also stars.