Best FX TV Shows for character development

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Best for character development

Adults, Season 2

4.9 attribute score

Highest scored product for this attribute based on supporting review evidence.

Safest pick

The Bear, Season 5

4.6 attribute score

Balances the attribute score, supporting reviews, and overall product strength.

#1 Adults, Season 2
4.9

Season 2 is widely praised for giving the ensemble clearer wants, more vulnerability, and deeper individual arcs, with Anton and Paul Baker receiving especially noticeable growth.

Pros: humor, cast chemistry

Cons: season length, season pacing

#2 The Bear, Season 5
4.6

Character growth is a major strength, especially Sydney stepping forward, Carmy finding a healthier relationship to cooking, and Richie reaching a more hopeful place. Reviewers repeatedly describe the ensemble as...

Pros: series finale quality, character development

Cons: episode pacing, visual style

#3 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Season 18
4.5

The season finds fresh facets in familiar characters without fundamentally reforming them, a balance one reviewer considered a creative strength.

Pros: humor, story quality

Cons: plot originality

#4 The Drop: A Snowfall Saga
4.1

Several reviewers found the characters lived-in, compelling, and well introduced, especially Wanda and Lamar. Others criticized underdeveloped figures such as Artillery and DG, making this an uneven area overall.

Pros: franchise connection, story quality

Cons: episode pacing, season pacing

#5 The Shards
4.0

Debbie and Thom receive some of the clearest growth, and positive reviews appreciated time spent beneath the characters’ polished surfaces. The finale, however, left some major emotional turns underdeveloped.

Pros: acting quality, entertainment value

Cons: story quality, suspense

#6 The Beauty, Season 1
3.2

The character development divides opinion: some moments work, while others feel uneven or overdone.

Pros: entertainment value, story quality

Cons: theme depth, genre satisfaction

#7 American Horror Story, Season 13
2.9

Constance’s pact and some of the human grief material add welcome depth. Ben can feel underwritten, and critics of the second batch find the returning characters largely static.

Pros: main cast performance, suspense

Cons: franchise connection, episode length