Our are the ones whose characters’ experiences resonate with our own. Veep and House of Cards give us a behind-the-scenes, humanizing view of those in power. Silicon Valley parodies the tech zeitgeist in a hilarious and relatable way. Game of Thrones taps into our primal instincts and love for timeless narratives.
These shows, and the dozens of others that have been this year, offer wisdom in many forms, including levity, reassurance and satire.
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Here are 10 poignant lessons from some of America’s favorite series.
On crisis management
“If I have learned one thing about crisis management, it’s that you’ve got to get out there and talk to the American people. If they hear it from you directly, you can get away with just about anything.” — Bill Jaeger, Veep
On legacy
“Richard, do you know what happens if this goes public? I’m Ron Wayne. … The guy that owned 10 percent of Apple and sold it in 1976. No one in this town will work with me ever again.” — Erlich Bachman, Silicon Valley
On collaboration
“A wise man once said the true history of the world is the history of great conversations in elegant rooms.” — Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones
On passion
“You choose a job before you ever really know you’ll like it, right? I mean, when you’re young, you don’t know anything — who you are, what you want to do, be. You pick something because it fits what you like, what you need. But life changes things. You change. Or something. And then one day you wake up and you don’t want to go into the office …” — Philip, The Americans
On confidence
“This is a really big journey that you are on and you just started it, so you have got to learn to let go of what anybody thinks of you.” — Davina, Transparent
On survival
“All life is a series of problems which we must try and solve, first one and then the next and then the next, until at last we die.” — Violet Crawley, Downton Abbey
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On resilience
“We’re just covering up our problems. In order to fix ourselves, we have to start right here. Find that small unbreakable you inside yourself.” — Kimmy, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
On ambition
“I say, let’s be professionals, you and I, make it to the very top, the summit of the world.” — Ivan, Homeland
On perceptiveness
“Conscience has an unmistakable stink to it, sort of like raw onions and morning breath. But a lie stinks even more when it’s coming from someone who isn’t used to lying. It’s more like rotten eggs and horse shit.” — Frank Underwood, House of Cards
On responsibility
“The world is a dangerous place, Elliot. Not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” — Mr. Robot, Mr. Robot