Any dramatic series that starts with the hero wielding a gun in his underwear in the middle of the desert already has a lot going for it. When you add an outstanding cast, top-quality writing and a dark strain of humor, it's hard to think of any other television series that comes close to the magnificent achievement of Breaking Bad. That the series sustained this exceptional level of quality for five seasons is little short of a miracle.

There are other tried and true elements of the season. The house's many ghosts interacting with one another as well as the Harmon family adds the complexity of conflicting goals and multigenerational drama to the tale. For example, all the women want a baby, as do Patrick and Chad, and sharing isn't exactly an option. In all, the viewer might find himself reminded that, as Sartre wrote in No Exit, “Hell is other people.” 

Director Todd Phillips’ third entry in “The Hangover” franchise is supposed to be his last, and we should be thankful. I say this not because “The Hangover Part III” is particularly bad, but because it is entirely forgettable. Worthwhile sequels should move a franchise’s characters and plotting in new and interesting directions. Although “Part III” is a significant improvement over the horrid “The Hangover Part II,” it doesn’t come close to matching the original film in terms of creativity or laughs. 

“American Horror Story: Asylum” premiered on November 17 of this year and appears to  lack the focus that the first season possessed.  Briarcliff Mental Institution – the insane asylum where this year’s story takes place – is the singular location, but the set of characters established as the focal point seem to be built on the thin side.  With the announcement earlier this year that the show was to be continued as an anthology, excitement and momentum built around the fact that many of the actors from Season 1 were to be cast in entirely different roles.  

Surely writer-director Joss Whedon found himself thinking about “Batman & Robin” and similar efforts when charged with bringing the Marvel Comics superhero group The Avengers to the screen. Success would mean merging characters from several previous Marvel movies – “Iron Man,” “Captain America,” “Thor” and “The Incredible Hulk” – and introducing them to even more players. The potential for failure was immense, making it rather astonishing that Whedon not only succeeded but produced one of the best films of 2012 so far.