We have reached the moment of truth in our One Perfect Binge bracket project: The Final Four.
Each of these four contenders has gone through tough opponents to get here. For Breaking Bad, it meant defeating Buffy and Community. For Avatar: The Last Airbender, it meant dethroning Lost, Deadwood, and most recently, The Good Place. The Office comes out of the section of the bracket where a bunch of comedy shows knocked each other around — left in The Office‘s wake are Veronica Mars, Mad Men, and Seinfeld. But perhaps the toughest road has been that of Hannibal, an internet fan favorite with a rabid cult of Fannibals pushing it through victories against Battlestar Galactica, The Wire, and Parks and Recreation. That’s impressive, but the next matchup will be the most difficult. For each of these shows, the final four awaits…
The Bracket
The Final Four
Below you will find the final two matchups, comprised of the final four shows in our bracket. Fundamental questions will be answered: What makes the perfect binge? One of the most heralded prestige dramas of all-time? One of the most beloved animated series ever? A cult favorite that belongs to the internet? Or perhaps the American comedy juggernaut of the streaming era?
As always, we encourage you to choose wisely…
(1) Breaking Bad vs. (11) Avatar: The Last Airbender
The case for Breaking Bad…
If you’re into major heists, drug deals gone right, drug deals gone wrong, drug busts gone right, drug busts gone wrong, long sit-down breakfasts, hostage situations, identical twin hitmen, romance, family bonding time, science… Breaking Bad is the show for you. It literally has something for everyone. So if you’ve somehow avoided watching it until now, you better get on it. Seriously. (Aurora Amidon)
The case for Avatar: The Last Airbender…
It’s rare to find a show as consistently sweet, courageous, and captivating as Avatar: The Last Airbender. How spectacular: to throw yourself heart-first into a series that reciprocates with open arms and rock-solid sympathy. Avatar is #OnePerfectBinge. (Meg Shields)
Vote Below
(16) Hannibal vs. (6) The Office
The case for Hannibal…
Part crime drama, part romance, all drop-dead-gorgeous cinematography, Hannibal is both a breakneck chase and a slow burn that propels you forward. And each season finale is meant to double as a series finale, so there are 3 bombshell “endings” to satisfy you along the way. (Liz Baessler)
The case for The Office…
From awkward dinner parties to office romance, The Office is a side-splitting look at workplace culture. From the office suck-up to the awkward boss, this show marries comedy and tenderness to make its characters feel like family. So embrace that new family and dive in! (Mary Beth McAndrews)
Vote Below
For more, read our One Perfect Binge essays and follow @OnePerfectShot on Twitter.