Heat

Sure, I watch TV purely for the compelling characters, the intricate storytelling, the killer soundtracks. Definitely not because I’m anticipating nudity I can discuss in uncomfortable detail with everyone I see the next day.

This year had some legitimately notable moments. Orange is the New Black opened with Taylor Schilling and Laura Prepon in a shower scene that announced the show’s intentions pretty clearly. Rose Leslie in Game of Thrones season 3 became one of those scenes everyone remembers—the kind of thing that defines a show in people’s memory. Masters of Sex basically committed to the principle that nudity could exist in almost any scene, which is at least consistent.

There’s a real argument that TV’s become an actual art form. The writing often beats what you get in movies, the actors get meaningful depth, the directors have control. All of that’s true. But there’s something dishonest about watching and pretending you didn’t notice the bodies. That’s the whole point. That’s entertainment.