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BENJAMONSTER AWARDS 2024: Outstanding Limited/Anthology Series

We are at the big three awards! Today's award is for Outstanding Limited/Anthology Series!

Past Awards in This Category: 2023   2022   2021   2020

This year's nominees are...

BABY REINDEER (Netflix)













FARGO (FX)













LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY (Apple TV+)











MANHUNT (Apple TV+)











RIPLEY (Netflix)











TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY (HBO)













And the Winner Is...
RIPLEY
Netflix
This should be no surprise if you've been following my awards in the Limited/Anthology series categories. I consider Ripley to be a masterpiece. Compelling stories and characters, inspired performances, meticulous writing and directing, carefully considered choices and, above all else, a stunning cinematic achievement. Ripley is one of the most gorgeous pieces of art I've ever watched but if that's all it was, that wouldn't be enough. It was paired with a really compelling story. This is artistic vision at its best - clearly everyone rowing in the same direction. I doubt we'll see more of Ripley because it didn't seem like it broke through for Netflix. There's part of me that would love to see more of this artistic vision, but I also am more than content with it being eight episodes of perfection.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:
There were some other strong shows but truthfully nothing came close to Ripley. Probably the most competitive was the fifth season of Fargo. It was clearly a return to form after the show's weird fourth season. The performances and story were really compelling. Baby Reindeer was a really fascinating and dark portrayal of stalking that lived up to the hype of being a Netflix breakout. The other three shows had their strengths and flaws. Lessons in Chemistry was another series that was gorgeous to look at and it had a really strong lead performance by Brie Larson. True Detective: Night Country was brilliant at creating the vibes and world it lived in even if the story meandered a bit. Manhunt was a solid historical drama that looked at a well-tread topic from a different perspective.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Drama Series!

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