Sometimes something important passes you by, and you tell yourself you'll get around to it one day, and most of the time one day doesn't become today. A few months ago I finally decided one day was that day, and I began watching what I quickly discovered to be some of the most brilliant television I've ever seen. Not since the likes of The Wire and The Leftovers have I been so enthralled by characters who feel both intimately familiar yet strikingly original, and it is a credit to the writers that what could so easily have been a tawdry solipsistic exercise in American Exceptionalism instead stands as a nuanced and powerful testament to the complexities of a changed world against the backdrop of the social and geopolitical turmoil of the late eighties onwards. With perhaps the best use of With or Without You I've ever seen, and outstanding performances from the incredible cast, this was a gripping watch well worth your time. 9.79/10