My Top 100 Episodes of 2015
How do you summarize 2015 in TV without talking about the sheer amount of it there was? We’ve counted the shows and ranked the best ones, but now it’s time to rank the top 100 episodes of 2015. Twelve are animated. Ten could be the last episode ever of their respective shows. Network, cable, streaming and foreign shows are all represented. And all one hundred are a testament to what a great year in television 2015 was. Warning: There are major spoilers for almost every episode included.
100. Veep, “Data”
It’s a well documented problem that most modern sitcoms have trouble creating stakes. One show that belies this trend is Veep, which has characters whose decisions could have major impact on the world but are such fuck-ups that they end up in more trouble than almost anyone else on TV. “Data” is a great example of how really high stakes in a comedy can make you laugh and keep you on the edge of your seat at the same time. Plus it features Ben’s (Kevin Dunn) blistering monologue to Dan after Dan learns that he’s getting scapegoated.
99. Justified, “The Trash and the Snake”
“The Trash and the Snake” illustrates how the final Justified season mixed elements from its past with new ones to great effect. The episode has many echoes of season two (the best season of the show) with the return of Dickie and Loretta. Characters like Avery Markham and Katherine Hale bring new dynamics to the show that keep it fresh. Watching Ava spar with Katherine is dramatically fruitful because Ava is the fulcrum of the season’s emotional throughline and Mary Steenburgen makes Katherine one of the most formidable characters on the show. Of course, what this episode will be most remembered for is Boyd and Wynn Duffy’s reaction to a man exploding in front of them.
98. Faking It, “Nuclear Prom”
Faking It had its most fun episode when the members of Hester High went to prom. The cute, earnest relationship between Amy and Felix grounds “Nuclear Prom.” Karma, Shane and Wade’s three-way date does not feel like a cliché plot because Wade is one of the only self-identified bisexual characters on scripted television. Sasha’s weird tryst with Liam feels like a special treat for those of us who were fans of Lindsey Shaw on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. Plus the episode has lots of kissing.
97. Fargo, “The Gift of the Magi”
In two years Fargo has somehow become the consensus pick by critics as Best Show on TV. The show isn’t doing anything unique enough to deserve this title, but it makes sense in an era where so many of the great TV shows have niche audiences that one that mostly plays it safe would get the most praise. Fargo may not be as great as its reputation, but it still has plenty of pleasures. “The Gift of the Magi” has many of those front and center: shootouts in the snow, tension filled standoffs with innocents caught in the fray and characters spouting allegory that is soon contradicted.
96. American Horror Story: Hotel, “Flicker”
Every season of American Horror Story eventually falls apart because Ryan Murphy doesn’t know how to keep a storyline sustained through an entire season (the one exception is Asylum, which Murphy will never top). What kept Hotel from falling into this trap longer than most installments is a constant barrage of flashbacks. “Flicker” (written by Crystal Liu) has the zaniest flashbacks of the season, which largely deal with 1920s Hollywood. It turns out Elizabeth (Lady Gaga) was a lover of Rudolph Valentino (Finn Wittrock in his second role this season). F. W. Murnau (who became a vampire while directing Nosferatu) turned Valentino on the grounds that Valentino would fake his own death. Valentino turned Elizabeth into a vampire but they couldn’t be together forever because serial killer Simon March imprisoned Valentino behind a wall in the titular Hotel. The reveal that Elizabeth was obsessed with Valentino and tried to find men who look as close to him as possible explains why so many of the men this season look exactly the same. Liu wrote an alternate history of Hollywood that is much more fun than the retread of Se7en that the season insisted on exploring. American Horror Story’s weird tangents are more interesting than most shows’ attempts at playing it straight.
95. Louie, “Cop Story”
In 2015, Louie’s greatness was often taken for granted. The show had already produced all-time classic episodes in previous years and Louie’s influence on other shows made it feel less unique. The show still churned out eight good to great episodes, with “Cop Story” the standout. Michael Rapaport redeemed his awful turn in Justified with his portrayal of a depressed cop.
94. The 100, “Blood Must Have Blood (2)”
The best CW show of the year was so consistent in quality in 2015 that individual episodes don’t stand out as much as some shows. But this exciting finale showcases many of the elements that make this one of the most gripping shows on TV. The 100 is at its best when it shows “the good guys” have to make decisions that result in the deaths of innocent people, and this episode definitely delivered on that front.
93. Sense8, “What is Human?”
Many people who started Sense8 wondered when the show would get to the fireworks factory. The answer was “many different times!” By the show’s second half, Sense8 reliably had exciting scenes that brought the sensates together. “What is Human?” has Wolfgang becoming Lito in order to lie to his cousin Steiner, who has a gun to Wolfgang’s head. Lito distracts Steiner long enough for Wolfgang to grab a gun from underneath the car he’s lying next to. After some scuffling, Wolfgang takes an RPG from out of the car’s trunk and shoots it at Steiner’s car as he attempt to drive away. Wolfgang pays back the favor when Lito needs help in a fight against the abusive Joaquin. This is more than just the sensates using their skills to sub in when they’re needed; Wolfgang gives Lito a pep talk that convinces him that he needs to fight for what he loves. Seeing Lito reunite with his boyfriend makes the sensate companionship all the sweeter since it led to something purely good. It’s also cathartic to see Sun, Capheus and Will watching fireworks together in a boat, three people from different cultures finding beauty together. The episode reaches its crescendo when Riley watches her father play in a symphony. But it’s not just Riley, all of the sensates are moved by the music. We see the birth of all eight characters as the music soars. It is clear in this moment that Sense8 is the most audacious Netflix show of 2015 and it is expanding what TV can be.
92. Looking, “Looking For a Plot”
In “Looking For a Plot” Dom, Patrick and Doris confront their past. The three take a road trip to Modesto for the funeral of Doris’ dad. Modesto is the city where Doris and Dom grew up so specters of their past are wherever they go. For Dom it’s the donut shop that used to be his father’s old restaurant. Dom waxes nostalgic about how good the Portuguese food his dad server was but he learns that a simple donut shop has found much more stability than his dad’s place ever did. Patrick decides to tag along with his friends even though he didn’t grow up in Modesto and never met Doris’ dad. Patrick still finds connections to his past though, like when the donut shop reminds him of when he sat in a booth with a box of glaze and an Out Magazine stuffed inside a Sports Illustrated. When the three go to a gay bar Patrick makes fun of a loner who looks depressed and compares him to Patrick’s past self who “snuck out of his parents’ house, wearing his sister’s jeans, thinking about killing himself, obsessively listening to Evanescence…” But when Patrick is on the verge of asking him to dance, a muscular guy approaches the “loner” and they passionately kiss. Doris’ ghost is most obvious (her father), but she also has to face the ghost of the romantic relationship she had with Dom. During a swim in a pool Doris and Dom discuss whether their sex was good (Dom thought so, Doris is adamant that it was not). At the funeral reception people seem more interested in Dom than Doris even though it was her father that died. One man asks Dom if he and Doris ever got married and Dom tells him that he’s gay. Dom tries to find his dad’s grave in his cemetery because he wants to finally come out to his father but he can’t find it. After Dom screams “I’m gay!” to the cemetery from a moving car, another car crashes into the 3 characters and they go to the hospital for minor injuries. Dom, Doris and Patrick aren’t done confronting their pasts yet, as Patrick will find out when he gets home.
91. Please Like Me, “Pancakes With Faces”
This episode of Please Like Me has the best abortion storyline of 2015 (sorry Scandal) and a dog dressed up to destroy a fake city that decides to just walk over the bridge. When Claire (Caitlin Stasey) puts on the frog suit and destroys the city it’s one of the most cathartic moments of the year.
90. Halt and Catch Fire, “Heaven is a Place”
The season two finale of Halt and Catch Fire was so good it made fans need a third season. All the characters (besides Lee Pace’s Joe MacMillion) boarding a plane to San Francisco to start a new future together was a great pitch for another year with the Mutiny crew. Of course, Joe MacMillion was already in San Francisco, staring ominously at the bright lights of the Bay Area. Despite low ratings, AMC renewed Halt and Catch Fire for a third season and we are all the better for it.
89. Mozart in the Jungle, “Regresso Del Rey”
Roman Coppola directed the best episode of the first season, “You Go to My Head.” Although the second season is stronger than the first, that dreamy episode from the first episode is never topped. “Regresso Del Rey”, which is also directed by Coppola, comes the closest by taking its characters to Mexico. The spirits of the characters come alive, none more than Rodrigo as played by Gael García Bernal. The most interesting storyline of the episode has Rodrigo enlisting his brother to help Warren find his violin, which takes them on an adventure across Mexico.
88. Adventure Time, “Hoots”
Animated shows don’t get enough credit for how weird they are. Cable dramas are often heralded for one-off episodes that supposedly break the format, but Adventure Time is doing weird experiments on a weekly basis and most of them are great! “Hoots” shows what life is like for the Cosmic Owl, a bird that browses the denizens of Ooo’s dreams and causes the ones he enters to come true. The Cosmic Owl has been a mythical figure in previous episodes, but this episode shows that he has desires just like a normal owl. When he falls for another bird (Bird Woman) in Finn’s dream, he tries to find her dream so he can reconnect with her. After an appearance by Prismo (the always great Kumail Nanjiani), The Cosmic Owl ends up allowing Bird Woman to enter Princess Bubblegum’s dream. When this happens Bird Woman causes havoc. The episode ends with the dark of Bird Woman’s true identity, a reveal that has reverberations for the rest of the season.
87. Kroll Show, “Gigolo H-O-R-S-E”
The first episode of the final season of Kroll Show proved that the show was going to go out with a bang. The show has built on itself each year and by season 3 it feels like a whole world exists within the show. Kroll skewers reality TV, Degrassi and True Detective while making a show that feels completely unique.
86. iZombie, “Dead Rat, Live Rat, Brown Rat, White Rat”
iZombie’s biggest flaw is that its procedural stories are often not as compelling as the overarching narrative, which is about identity, betrayal, and crime syndicates that employ zombies. The penultimate episode of season one avoided this problem by having the impetus of the crime be the protagonist, Liv Moore. Unbeknownst to her, Liv turned hitman Sebastian into a zombie in a previous episode, so the woman he killed at the beginning of the episode would still be alive if it were not for Liv. When Sebastian shows up in Liv’s home, a zombie versus zombie fight breaks out and Liv goes into full-on zombie mode. Liv and Sebastian both being zombies allows the fight to be more brutal than your average TV fight and at one point both of them have a kitchen knife through one of their hands. Liv ends the fight by thrusting the knife that’s in her hand through Sebastian’s head. But the turmoil isn’t over: her roommate Peyton saw the end of the fight. Liv comes clean about being a zombie to Peyton, but any normal human who saw that display would run away. “Retrograde” by James Blake plays as each storyline ends despairingly. Diane Ruggiero-Wright is one of the best writers at ramping up a show at the end of a season.
85. Deutschland 83, “Able Archer”
Martin is an East German border patrol guard who has gone undercover in West Germany in 1983 (hence the title). By the finale, Martin is on the run. He found out that West Germany’s Able Archer program is just a test while East Germany thinks a nuclear threat is imminent. The finale is the most exciting episode of Deutschland 83 by a wide margin: Martin has to evade capture while trying to communicate to East Germany that they need to stand down on the nuclear front. On top of that, Martin, his East German fiancée Annett and his West German lover Yvonne (the daughter of an important General) all end up in the same place. Sparks fly!
84. Bob’s Burgers, “Nice-capades”
There’s a great tradition of Christmas episodes about characters who are trying to avoid getting coal (my personal favorite is by Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends). Bob’s Burgers addition to this category, “Nice-capades”, works because Louise is a character who is sometimes naughty but we love her anyway. Louise leads an effort to convince Santa that the Belcher kids are good by putting a show on in a mall ice rink and the results are magical.
83. Banshee, “You Can’t Hide From the Dead”
Banshee’s forte is action. “You Can’t Hide From the Dead” shows the action from a different perspective by showing a heist using only diegetic cameras. Hood, Ana and Job are all wearing body cameras so the viewer is given a first person shooter style perspective on the action. Surveillance cameras are positioned throughout the military convoy where the heist takes place so the characters’ bodies can be shown moving towards their goal. Greg Yaitanes’ direction keeps the episode from feeling gimmicky. Hopefully other action series will learn to take more risks so they aren’t left in the dust by Banshee.
82. The Goldbergs, “Barry Goldberg’s Day Off”
The Goldbergs crafted a loving homage to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The best moment is when Adam realizes he doesn’t want to be Ferris Bueller, he wants to be John Hughes. Adam sprints to his locker, grabs his camera and films.
81. Review, “William Tell, Grant a Wish, Rowboat”
Watching Forest McNeil’s father try to shoot an apple on Forest’s head with an arrow is simultaneously very hard to watch and very funny. After all the pain Forest had caused people thus far in season two I could not help but get some satisfaction at his pain. This episode also features the Rowboat segment, which is one of the best examples of Review turning something that seems completely mundane into a horrifying, life-altering experience.
80. Person of Interest, “Control-Alt-Delete”
One of the gutsiest moves of the year was Person of Interest telling an episode that centers on Control right after a major character (Shaw) seemingly died. Control is the director of the ISA’s initiative on The Machine. She’s completely in the dark about why the events of the previous episode happened so she does not know where Shaw is. The episode begins with a news report that says two vigilantes are on the loose and it’s easy to infer that Reese and Root are searching for Shaw. But “Control-Alt-Delete” keeps them offscreen for half the episode, which makes their entrance with a rocket launcher all the more exciting. Control’s ignorance of what’s really going on prevents Reese and Root from getting any good information out of her. That same ignorance leads to the tragic scene where a software developer labeled a terrorist by Samaritan asks Control to consider that she’s been lied to. But Control can’t consider that because too much of what she’s done will come tumbling down. So she shoots him.
79. Manhattan, “Behold the Lord High Executioner”
Christopher Denham didn’t stand out in the Manhattan ensemble in the first season, but the reveal that Jim Meeks is a spy for the Soviet Union gave him much juicier material in season two. This is his showcase episode, which puts him in constant danger of being outed. Jim’s handler (Nora) tells him to poison a ten-year-old boy who potentially could point the finger at Jim. He decides that he’d rather be found out than kill an innocent kid, and fate rewards him by sparing his life. The wife of Fritz’s best friend, Jeannie, figures out that Jim isn’t who he says he is and Jim fruitlessly tells her that her husband is the spy. But there’s no getting out of this situation without someone getting hurt. Nora takes care of Jeannie right before Jim has to go on stage in yellow face for the production of The Mikado. Denham’ face as he thinks about his best friend, who is in the audience, never seeing his wife again because of what Jim is while performing in front of everyone would become an iconic image if this show was watched by as many people as it deserved.
78. Rectify, “The Source”
The season three finale of Rectify demonstrates how the show can make a big impact through small gestures. An early scene has Amantha bringing doughnuts and fritters to a motel where Daniel is. Their mother, Janet arrives at the same time and both advance on Amantha, threatening to steal the food. This playful interaction has an edge to it because the three are acting like how they would when they were younger if they all had been able to stay together. Daniel spent 19 years of his life in prison so every second he spends with his family is an opportunity to fix some of that time. But Daniel is being exiled from his hometown so his time with is family is even more precious. By the end of the episode, Daniel is walking to his new home where he’ll live alone. The last thing he tells his mother before he leaves her (a recurring event in his mother’s life) is that she should forgive herself.
77. Jane the Virgin, “Chapter Twenty-Eight”
A common criticism of Jane the Virgin is that it relies too much on the Jane/Rafael/Michael love triangle to fuel plot. Having her affections ping-pong between the two men every few episodes would have eventually caused narrative whiplash. “Chapter Twenty-Eight” avoids this problem by setting one episode over five months. Watching Jane get over Michael bit by bit so she can be ready for Rafael by the end is very satisfying. Jane keeps a Baby Book where she records numerous firsts, which underlines how the baby isn’t the only one growing in this episode. “Chapter Twenty-Eight” is proof of why Jane the Virgin is one of the most delightful shows on TV.
76. UnREAL, “Return”
From episode one it was clear that UnREAL was special. There have been shows set behind the scenes of TV shows before, but none this instantly addictive. Reality TV is an inherently interesting genre to make a show about because the audience gets to watch the producers manufacture storylines that appear to be real. Constance Zimmer’s cynical Quinn is magnetic in every scene she is in. Shiri Appleby’s Rachel is introduced by a shot that shows her lying down on the floor of a limo wearing a This Is What A Feminist Looks Like T-shirt. Peter O’Fallon’s direction makes it clear that even though she’s beneath the Everlasting contestants sitting on the limo seats, she is in control of them and thinks she is better than them. It’s easy to see why some critics compared this show to Breaking Bad in the scene where Rachel manipulates one of the contestants into breaking down by hinting that she was unloved because she was adopted. Multiple games of manipulation are going on in the premiere, such as Quinn manipulating the contestants into being character types, Rachel manipulating Adam into eliminating Quinn’s villain and Quinn manipulating Rachel so she never leaves. This dark web will only expand in what turned out to be the best new show of 2015.
75. Hannibal, “The Wrath of the Lamb”
The final battle among Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter and the Red Dragon paid off three seasons of the budding romance between Will and Hannibal. Siouxsie Sioux’s “Love Crime” perfectly scores Will and Hannibal’s last scene. Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen are so good in these roles that it would be great to see a continuation of this story sometime down the road, but this works as a very gratifying ending to the series.
74. Black-ish, “Pops’ Pops’ Pops”
When Jack and Diane have to create a family tree for school, Pops tells the story of the family’s history. The cast of Black-ish plays their ancestors in this 1920s set story that’s more fun than any episode of Boardwalk Empire.
73. Fresh Off the Boat, “Miracle on Dead Street”
Fresh Off the Boat’s first Halloween episode demonstrated how the show has gotten better at utilizing its cast. Giving Eddie’s friends more distinct personalities has been one of the biggest improvements season 2 made. Their Halloween costumes reflect this. Jessica Huang and Randall Park have great material in a storyline about what Halloween means to an immigrant family. The episode ends in an exciting showdown where teenage girls destroy the egos of teenage boys, which is always satisfying.
72. Silicon Valley, “Homicide”
The cold open of “Homicide” is one of my favorites Silicon Valley has done so far: Gavin Belson becoming furious after the streaming of a UFC fight using his his compression algorithm is a disaster. Matt Ross, who plays Belson, is born to play rage. The title of this episode refers to an energy drink company that hires Pied Pipers to stream a stunt. Richard and Erlich work with Homicide CEO Aaron Anderson, who went to college with Erlich. Aaron’s dislike of Erlich leads to the great scene of Richard having to tell Erlich that his nickname, Kool Aid, is an insult. The funniest scenes in the episode star Dinesh and Gilfoyle as they try to determine whether they should tell Blaine, the stuntman, that if he does not correct his math he will die. The two try tot tell him but he rejects them. Complicating things, Dinesh falls in love with Blaine’s girlfriend Gina. This leads to Dinesh and Gilfoyle creating a SWOT board of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of letting Blaine die. One of the best visual gags in 2015 TV happens when Blaine stands in front of the SWOT board which is full of hilarious notecards.
71. Justified, “Burned”
Two characters speechifying in front of a community is Justified’s bread and butter. “Burned” has what at first seems like a standard version of this scene between Avery and Boyd at Avery’s party. But then Loretta inserts herself into the conversation and wins over the entire community by touting her late family’s connection to Harlem. Kaitlyn Dever proves she can be just as good as Sam Elliot and Walton Goggins. “Burned” also features more Wynn Duffy’s than Art ever wanted to see, Raylan’s first confrontation with the creepy Boon and Boyd barely escaping death by dynamite.
70. Steven Universe, “Sworn to the Sword”
One of the most important relationships in Steven Universe involves a character who has not been alive in the traditional sense since the series began. Pearl’s connection to her beloved Rose is heartbreaking given Rose’s sacrifice to create Steven. The centerpiece of “Sworn to the Sword” is the song “Do It for Her”, which is about Pearl teaching Connie to fight for Steven like Pearl fought for Rose. Pearl feels that she needs to teach Connie to sacrifice herself for Steven just like Pearl did many times for Rose. The difference is, Pearl could be turned into a gem when she was defeated, a luxury Connie doesn’t have as a human. Along with some intense pathos, “Sworn to the Sword” features exciting sword fighting and development of Connie that made her a more badass character.
69. Sense8, “Demons”
It’s the orgy episode of Sense8. How could it not be the 69th best episode of the year?
68. Broad City, “Coat Check”
This episode wins best guest casting of 2015. Alia Shawkat’s resemblance to Ilana Glazer is used to ultimate comedic effect. Shawkat was one of the MVPs of Arrested Development so it is disappointing that she is not on TV more often but Broad City’s brilliant use of her eased that disappointment a little. (But seriously, how great would it be if she was a regular on an awesome sitcom in 2016?) The real surprise of this episode is Kelly Ripa, who turns in an absolutely insane performance. In “Coat Check”, Ripa plays a heightened version of herself who invites Abbi into her home, drinks moonshine, does hallucinogens and calls male prostitutes. Your move, Jimmy Fallon.
67. Halt and Catch Fire, “Play With Friends”
This is the episode where I fell in love with Mackenzie Davis, and in conjunction the show. Despite never watching the first season, Cameron (Davis) and Donna (Kerry Bishé) became two of my favorite characters on TV. In the best sequence of the episode, Cameron takes a break from dart tag for some smooching.
66. Childrens Hospital, “Fan Fiction”
Childrens Hospital can be viewed as a parody of soapy medical shows but the show has so many layers that description barely scratches the surface. In the world of Childrens Hospital, Childrens Hospital is a TV show. “Fan Fiction” begins with the announcement that the episode of Childrens Hospital (the show within the show) we’re about to see was written by a fan named Carol (played by Liz Cackowski) for a contest. The episode follows Nurse Beth, a normally unimportant character who Carol obviously sees herself in. The show utilizes the female gaze by making two of the male doctors analogues of Twilight characters who sexually caress each other. “We want you to watch us, Beth. We’re totally straight but we’re doing this for YOU.” By the end of the episode the major characters have all learned to love Beth and Carol compounds the self-insertion by showing up herself. The episode makes fun of tropes that appear in fan fiction but it also works perfectly as an episode of Childrens Hospital because character motivations suddenly doing a 180 is ingrained in the show’s DNA.
65. Master of None, “Indians on TV”
“Indians on TV” is great TV criticism. The episode begins with a young Dev watching many depictions of Indian characters by white actors, including Short Circuit 2 and The Simpsons. When Dev goes in for an audition he is asked to do a stereotypical Indian accent. He refuses and resultantly does not get the part. Later, Dev gets an email where an executive says “there can only be two” Indian guys on a sitcom called Three Buddies. The rest of the episode explores how Indians are treated in comparison to other minority groups and whether white people actually regret the racist things they do. What elevates this episode is the diverse cast, including three Indian men, and the script by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang based on their life experiences.
64. Inside Amy Schumer, “12 Men Inside Amy Schumer”
In “12 Men Inside Amy Schumer”, Amy is on trial for not being hot enough to be on TV. The episode closely follows the structure of 12 Angry Men, but every beat skewers male entitlement and perceptions of women in comedy. Like the movie (and play) the episode is based on, one man thinks the defendant is not guilty at the beginning and the others slowly change their votes. Instead of reasonable doubt, the men in “12 Men Inside Amy Schumer” get reasonable chubs. One of the strangest aspects about watching this episode is it makes you root for men to objectify a woman because that means she will be found not guilty. The message is clear: a society where men are the sole arbiters of a woman’s worth is terrible. Plenty of great actors give great turns in this, with John Hawkes, Jeff Goldblum, Vincent Kartheiser, and Kumail Nanjiani standing out. It goes without saying that Amy Schumer is the MVP, for her bookend appearances, leadship of a great team of writers, and co-direction with Ryan McFaul. The episode is an incisive statement about our world today that includes Jeff Goldblum banging a dildo on a table, and what more can you ask for?
63. The Carmichael Show, “Protest”
The Carmichael Show’s promising first season tackled a different issue in each of its six episodes. “Protest” was the most essential, an episode in which the Carmichaels and their significant others debated Black Lives Matter protests. The show has an all black cast and each character has their own distinct perspective, many of which rarely get shown on TV. In particular, Loretta Devine as Cynthia Carmichael gets to talk about how her nostalgia for civil rights protests makes her want to protest again. The episode is proof that multi-camera sitcoms can be just as good as any single-camera show on 2015.
62. You’re the Worst, “There is Not Currently a Problem”
Everyone loved Aya Cash in the first season of You’re the Worst, but she exceeded everyone’s expectations in season two. We knew something was up with Gretchen before now, but “There is Not Currently a Problem” was when it was explicitly said that she has clinical depression. Gretchen dancing when there isn’t music while downing alcohol is simultaneously funny and distressing. If you don’t like this episode, you’re the worst and there currently is a problem.
61. Scandal, “Run”
“Run” is abnormal episode of Scandal for a number of reasons. Jake appears at the beginning and a few characters appear in a dream of Olivia’s, but otherwise Olivia Pope is the only regular character on screen. Olivia gets kidnapped and spends the episode trying to escape. Olivia shows great resilience and grit. This episode would not work without Kerry Washington, who becomes a great action star in one episode. The most powerful moment of the episode occurs when Olivia runs with a gun in her hand as quotes throughout the series about being a gladiator, not being a bitch baby and having to be twice as good motivate her.
60. Gravity Falls, “A Tale of Two Stans”
A long lost twin brother is TV trope that gets made fun of often. Normally it’s unbelievable that the character we spend every episode with would never mention this person who was born the same time as them. But “A Tale of Two Stans” makes it work. The event that causes Stanford Pines to be separated from Stanley Pines results in a Don Draperesque identity stealing that makes the premise of the show make so much sense in retrospect. The episode serves not just as an origin story for the two titular characters but the town of Gravity Falls. We finally find out why Lazy Susan has a lazy eye. The Mystery Shack and the Journals get their beginnings. Characterization is added by Grunkle Stan and the new Stan (played by J.K. Simmons) arguing about what happened in present day.
59. Steven Universe, “Cry for Help”
“Cry for Help” becomes an important Steven Universe episode when we see Garnet and Pearl fuse for the first time to become Sardonyx. Alexia Khadime gives Sardonyx a showiness that has a resemblance to Janelle Monáe. The first time Sardonyx take apart what appears to be a villain’s hub is a joyous scene. The episode reaches another level with the reveal that it was Pearl who repaired the hub multiple times because she wanted to become Sardonyx so badly. This is a powerful reveal because Pearl is usually a goody two-shoes but she has an understandable amount of neediness without her love, Rose. Garnet is usually calm as a cucumber, but after Pearl confesses she becomes her most rage-filled self by fusing with Amethyst to become Sugilite. The episode ends with Pearl and Garnet still not on speaking terms, a character dynamic that has repercussions for the succeeding episodes.
58. Game of Thrones, “Hardhome”
The first half of “Hardhome” suffers in comparison to the excellent second half, but the Tyrion/Dany scenes are dynamite. Tyrion has to convince Dany of his worth using his wits and knowledge of Westeros. Dany’s claim that she will “break the wheel” that represents each of the families fighting over the Iron Throne promises forward momentum that has been missing in her story. The Battle of Hardhome is another example of Game of Thrones finally living up to its own mythology. “Winter is coming” has been said so many times throughout the series that there was some worry the payoff would disappoint. There was no need to be worried, as the wights proved to unimaginably terrifying. The sheer number of undead creatures on screen was impressive, but their speed and viciousness was what seared them into memory. (When The Walking Dead tried to borrow from this episode by having a giant horde of zombies it just accentuated how much weaker that show is.) The sword fight between Jon Snow and the White Walker was very exciting and kept the action from feeling too claustrophobic. As Jon sailed away and the leader of the White Walkers raised Jon’s friends from the dead, it became clear that the most gripping battle sequence of 2016 was a harbinger of more to come.
57. Mad Men, “Severance”
Esteemed critic Brandon Nowalk has joked that television died when Mad Men ended. Although there are plenty of good shows still airing, very few of Mad Men’s caliber are left after 2015. The premiere of Mad Men’s last stretch of episodes had many of the sparks that cannot be found in any other current shows. One of my favorite parts of the episode is how the scenes at SC&P use the workplace setting to explore their characters. Current cop and lawyer shows mostly use the workplace to service their procedural stories. The episode starts out about the Topaz pantyhose account, but by the end that’s mostly forgotten in service of Don, Peggy and Joan’s emotional journeys. Ken Cosgrove’s storyline in “Severance” is about whether his pride will get in the way of following his life aspirations or if he’ll continue to be a cog in the same system. I used to see Mad Men and The Good Wife as the two best workplace dramas on TV, but the latter’s slips in quality make Mad Men’s quality stand out more. While everyone on The Good Wife besides Alicia often feels like a chess piece the writers can move around willy-nilly, this episode offers the perspective of Ken’s wife, Roger, Don, Pete and Ken himself on his situation before Ken ensures his continued presence on the show in an unexpected but 100% Ken Cosgrove fashion.
56. The Knick, “Williams and Walker”
The best episode of the second season of the most visually striking show on TV has plenty of spectacle. Thack successfully separated conjoined twins. Cliff Martinez’s hypnotic score was used brilliantly in the ball sequences. Putting all the characters in one place is a great way to create compelling television, and Steven Soderbergh’s direction elevates that even further.
55. Adventure Time, “The Comet”
A comet has been hurtling towards Ooo for most of season 6. The way Adventure Time ends the season is much more existential than expected. Finn ends up having to sing for his life to try to get the universe to save him months before Kevin did the same thing in The Leftovers finale. The Comet gives Finn a proposition that would let him leave his mortal coil and go to “the end and the beginning.” The comet lists things that Finn would be leaving behind such as love, hate, friendship and ice cream waffles while images of characters that represent those ideas flash on the screen. The sequence gains its power from the vastness of the world of Adventure Time. In the last few years the show has told the story of hundreds of characters so giving Finn the option of leaving all of that behind is the perfect culmination to the season.
54. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, “The Gang Misses the Boat”
“The Gang Misses the Boat” is about the gang trying to start new lives. After Dennis drives their van into the river, they decide they’ve had enough of their usual shenanigans. Dennis tries to sell the van but he insists that whoever buys it must be the person who removes it from the river. Watching Glenn Howerton’s Dennis get enraged at potential buyers and later try to deny that he’s angry is a treat. Meanwhile Frank tries to find a new gang to hatch schemes with. When he happens upon a trio who are opening a bar, Sunny explores how a normal group of people would react to his antics. Frank releases a ferret in the bar to scare away rats and buys fake IDs for a bunch of teenagers so they can drink. Without Charlie to clean up after Frank, the bar gets shut down by the health inspector. The two members of the gang that do stick together are Charlie and Dee, who realize they can have an amicable relationship when the rest of the gang isn’t there. They eventually kiss and sleep together, a long awaited event by fans (okay maybe just me). The gang end up going back to their old ways but at least they get to eat rum ham.
53. Please Like Me, “Natural Spring Water”
Josh, Tom and Arnold take MDMA at the beginning of “Natural Spring Water”. Josh Thomas directs enchanting scenes that show the three boys’ behavior after taking the drugs. Josh and Arnold kiss each other, dance and lip sync to a song just like the stars of Dirty Dancing. Tom wants to show off his friends to the world so he takes them to a club where they meet Ella, a character that will turn out to be a fantastic addition to the cast. After learning that the boys are on MDMA, she tells them they should go for a run. Cue “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and we’re off to the races on one of the most exhilarating sequences of the year. The first ten minutes are a jolt of electricity. There’s an inevitable crash though, as soon as the Backstreet Boys ask “Am I invincible?” Tom trips and falls hard on his head and arm. He has to go to the hospital. The middle stretch of the episode allows the characters and audience to get to know Ella better and for some necessary plot developments to shake out. “Natural Spring Water” ends with a great rant by Josh’s father when he picks up Josh, Tom, Arnold and Ella from the hospital. Josh and Tom are sorry for the trouble they got into but that doesn’t remove the fun they had while doing it.
52. Venture Bros, “All This and Gargantua-2”
Keeping track of all the different factions of characters in this Venture Bros. can be difficult. There’s the Revenge Society, the Council of 13, the Investors and The Monarch, and that’s just the villains. Within those groups there are characters that have their own agendas such as The Sovereign, Dr. Mrs. Monarch, Phantom Limb and Dr. Henry Killinger. “All This and Gargantua-2” is catnip for hardcore Venture Bros. fans who have been waiting for all these characters to meet (or meet their ends). Most of the action takes place in Gargantua-2, a space station built by Jonas Jr. The special is a fitting sendoff for J.J., who tells Rusty that all his riches weren’t enough to satiate his loneliness. As the station is being bombarded by asteroids, Rusty’s son Dean discovers that the manual reset for the station’s power requires two sets of arms and the two turn the power back on together. This goes to show that while Venture Bros. may be one of the best shows at harnessing huge mythologies it’s still great at the small moments between two family members.
51. Veep, “Election Night”
One of the keys to Veep having its best season in 2015 was Hugh Laurie. Tom James was a fully formed character from his first episode and his dynamic with Selina (the always great Julia Louis-Dreyfus) had a fire to any scene the two shared. “Election Night”, the season finale, has plenty of great scenes between Tom James and Selina Meyers. In the early going it seems Tom has the upper hand on Selina, such as when the topic comes up of whether he should have ran for president and her for veep. But in the end Selina upstages Tom by interrupting his story to supporters and breaking traditions by going out to the crowd before the election is called. The season ends in an exciting cliffhanger where either Tom or Selina could end up president. Whatever happens, the show will benefit from keeping both characters at the center of the show.
50. Parks and Recreation, “Leslie and Ron”
The best episode of Parks and Recreation’s final season kept it simple. Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson are locked in the parks department office until they can reconcile their differences after not talking to each other for three years. Ron tries to break out of the office using the land mine Leslie gave him years ago but finds a surprise instead. Meanwhile, Leslie tries to figure out why Ron betrayed her years ago. She finally finds out that she had forgotten to eat lunch with Ron when he was trying to reach out to her. Ron had missed his friends from the parks department and was willing to take a federal government job to be back with Leslie, April and even his favorite Gergich. Parks and Recreation relied too much on trying to elicit emotion from its audience in its final years, but this gut punch was completely earned. Ron and Leslie work together to turn the office back to how it was when they worked there, a metaphor for this episode trying to recapture the greatness of seasons 2–4. Leslie farting into a saxophone that Ron plays is proof that at least for one episode, it worked.
49. Penny Dreadful, “Nightcomers”
Eva Green is the best part of Penny Dreadful. What’s the best way to make a great episode? Focus an episode on her. How do you make that episode even better? Have Patti LuPone act opposite her as the leader of a powerful coven. This was the only episode LuPone was in this season but she was so good that she’ll be a regular in season 3.
48. The Americans, “Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sleep”
“Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sleep” is an episode that gives the audience no easy escape route. Either we have to root for Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) to do something that could endanger her entire family or we have to root for her to kill an innocent, old woman named Betty. Lois Smith’s stoic performance as Betty makes her feel like a real person even though this is the only episode she appears in. Although Betty tries to humanize herself as much as possible to make Elizabeth spare her, you can see in her eyes that she knows she’s finished.
47. Mad Men, “Person to Person”
The debate about whether the finale is cynical was too narrow for such an expansive show. It felt like critics trying to apply the template of Sopranos finale debates to the show by choosing a binary to divide viewers into one of two camps. A theme of career versus happiness ran throughout the last seven episodes of Mad Men, and was given different conclusions in “Person to Person” depending on the character. Richard leaves Joan and Peggy declines a partnership, but Joan uses both of her names in her new company, achieving independence. Pete uses a new job opportunity to rebuild his family with Trudy and their daughter. Peggy continues on her pathway to creative director but finds love with Stan in McCann. The theme of connection in the finale has been heavily analyzed, but what’s missed is three pairs of characters tying a bow on their relationships with past lovers. Pete tells Peggy that “someday people are going to brag that they worked with you.” Roger gets Joan to agree that half of Roger’s earnings will go to heir son when he dies. Don’s call to Betty isn’t as successful as the other two, as he fails to convince Betty that he should live with their kids after she passes. But Don hasn’t had his epiphany yet. Peggy tells Don to go home but he doesn’t know where that is yet. Don’s final scene of the series is an easy marker for when Don realizes everything that makes him whole, but Leonard’s refrigerator monologue is when he feels seen. The look on Don’s face as Leonard talks about wanting to be loved but not recognizing that the people closest to him may already love him has been seen in other places in the series, but this is the first time Don hears someone else expressing what he is feeling. Don hugs Leonard and it’s the first time he has truly connected with someone. Jon Hamm gave an especially exemplary performance in his phone call with Peggy and the scene with Leonard. Some of the other Mad Men episodes in the final season were tighter, but the show ended on a high note. As Joan said, “That’s spectacular! What a mess!”
46. Black-ish, “THE Word”
Kenya Barris wrote the season 2 premiere of Black-ish, in which the characters debate who is allowed to say the N-word after Jack is threatened expulsion while performing “Gold Digger” at a talent show. The characters on the show discuss aspects of race on a regular basis so this does not feel like a Very Special Episode but a continuation of the show’s natural rhythms. “THE Word” is the best example of how Black-ish has a very distinct, funny voice.
45. UnREAL, “Future”
Three scenes in the UnREAL finale stand out as reasons why the show was one of the best of the year. In the first, Rachel gets Adam into a confessional booth and acts like she is in hysterics about Adam marrying Anna. Adam assures her that the wedding is just for TV and that he’ll annul it at the end of the year. As soon as Adam leaves Rachel stops crying and opens the other end of the booth, revealing Anna crying real tears in her wedding dress. Shiri Appleby’s performance in this scene guarantees her spot as one of the five best performers of the year. Later on, the wedding (which is being broadcast live) falls apart when Anna doesn’t show up. Rachel walks down the aisle and tells Adam that he’s free to go. While this is happening Chet, the creator of the show, fumbles to capitalize on this development. A network executive freaks out when a contestant calls the show Chet’s “personal whore house” and tells Quinn to take over. Quinn immediately calls out five different orders and runs out to follow the runaway bride. The scene is a testament to how good Quinn is at her job and how great Constance Zimmer is at getting what she wants. Finally, Rachel and Quinn reflect over the season on lawn chairs. Rachel asks “We killed somebody, didn’t we?” and Quinn responds “Yeah. Let’s not do that again.” The two confront the darkest moment of the season and promise each other “no murder next season.” After a while Rachel stares at Quinn and tells her “I love you. You know that right?” “I love you too… weirdo.” says Quinn. The camera zooms out from Rachel in a shot that mirrors the introductory shot of Rachel in the pilot, but as the shot gets wider the frame includes Rachel as well. Now that Hannibal is over they’re officially the best love story on TV.
44. Review, “Conspiracy Theory”
The exciting season finale of Review tasked Forest with getting obsessed with a conspiracy theory. The theory that Forest develops is that Grant, his producer, is the cause of all the bad things that have happened over the course of the show. The thing I love about this episode is that someone is making all the bad stuff happening to Forest, it’s just not Grant. It’s Andy Daly, the creator of the show and actor who plays Forest. In this episode Forest gets right up to the edge of discovering he is on a TV show. “Conspiracy Theory” ends in one of the most shocking final scenes of the year — if it weren’t so similar to the end of Hannibal.
43. Banshee, “Tribal”
“Tribal” is one of the best “put all the characters in one place and see what happens” episodes of 2015. A man who stole the identity of the sheriff, his deputies, the man responsible for the majority of crime in Banshee, his lawyer, the district attorney and a reformed Neo-Nazi are all in the Banshee prison when Chayton and the Red Bones begin to attack it. The reason this episode is so much better than Fargo’s Rhinoceros, which has a similar premise, is that the relationships between the characters are more complex in Banshee. Although there are a few scenes that take place away from the prison, the characters are trapped in the CADI for the entire episode and the tension keeps building until it literally gets broken.
42. Transparent, “Kina Hora”
While watching Transparent season 2 it was hard not to think about the conversation surrounding the show. The show’s anointment as one of the most important shows on television by cis critics should be questioned, especially because of transphobic comments made by creator Jill Soloway and her sister Faith. It was also hard not to be wary of the show when every trans person I follow either avoided the show or thought it was trash. The season’s most successful episode, its first, did not absolve the show’s problems but its stylistic flourishes make it one of the most visually interesting episodes of the year. The quick edits as Amy gets married sell just how terrified she is. The show’s cut from the wedding in the present to a party in 1933 Berlin made time travel seem real. The strongest element of season 1 was the interactions between the Pfeffermans and their past selves so seeing Hari Nef’s Gittel in the same frame as Gaby Hoffman’s Ali was promising in its mystique.
41. The Middle, “Halloween VI: Tick Tock Death”
The Middle has a good track record with Halloween episodes but this year’s installment was the first one that was actually scary. The grim reaper stalking the house added actual terror to the proceedings. For a brief moment Frankie Heck became a horror movie villain as chased Brooke Shields’ Rita Glossner. Brick met a woman who has a painting that looks just like Brick. After some more information Brick contemplates the idea that because of time travel he’s looking at his current girlfriend all grown up and the show hints that his theory isn’t farfetched. Time travel being added to a TV show that has never had any thing unrealistic happen before is a surefire way to get me to love an episode. Brick’s storyline also ends with him expressing joy when he learns that he has sex multiple times in the future, which is an example of The Middle showing more maturity this year (the show rarely references sex and this is the first time Brick has shown an interest in it). To top that all off, we finally get some extended face time with Kenny this episode.
40. Shameless, “Crazy Love”
“Crazy Love” gets off to a great start by having Fiona (Emmy Rossum) beat the crap out of Jimmy (Justin Chatwin). Jimmy’s return to the show was met with groans by many fans of Shameless, but he caused Fiona’s unspooling, which always makes for great television. Fiona cannot stop her compulsion to sleep with Jimmy, something that is made more complicated by the fact that she just got married to someone she just met, Gus. Fiona crying as she has sex with Gus after spending the night with Jimmy makes it clear why Rossum gets so much praise for her performance. “Crazy Love” is also the episode where Ian goes on a road trip with a baby he kidnapped, which is one of the most stressful stories Shameless has told. Cameron Monaghan makes you feel for Ian (who is bipolar) while you simultaneously fear for the baby’s life. Mickey’s (Noel Fisher) reactions to Ian after they reunite are a reminder of why that relationship was so important to this show.
39. Brooklyn Nine-Nine, “Yippie Kayak”
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Die Hard spoof episode is a contender for best episode of the series. The Jake/Boyle interactions are fantastic and Gina gets to use a flamethrower!
38. Rick and Morty, “The Wedding Squanchers”
The season 2 finale of Rick and Morty exhibits the show’s strengths at both massive and intimate situations. The first half takes place at a wedding and features many of the crazy aliens that inhabit Roiland and Harmon’s universe. At the episode’s midpoint Morty and his family have to escape from the wedding because it was a trap set by the Galactic Federation. Rick is wanted for countless crimes so he can never return to Earth. Only 3 planets with a 99% similarity to Earth exist outside of the Federation’s jurisdiction. The show has its fun with these planets, which include a world where everything is on a cob and one where the sun screams for the entire 42-hour day. The family eventually settles on a planet so small that Morty can throw a frisbee and catch it just by waiting for it to all the around. While taking a walk, Rick finds an ice cave that leads to the planet’s core and realizes he can hear the rest of his family discussing whether they should turn Rick in. Morty and Summer are adamant that they shouldn’t even though Rick is selfish so often. Rick hears Beth say that she doesn’t want her father to leave again but hearing his family sacrifice their happiness for him makes him realize he has to do just that. So Rick gets in the spaceship and calls in a tip to the Galactic Federation as Jerry to where he’s going. Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” plays as Rick is taken into galactic prison and his family is brought back to Earth. It’s a crushing ending that adds depth to a character who has become much more complex than his conception as a fucked up Doc Brown.
37. Last Man on Earth, “Alive in Tucson”
Last Man on Earth peaked in its first episode. The show had other good episodes in its first season and has developed into a pretty solid show in season two, but “Alive in Tucson” is still the high watermark. Free of most sitcom tropes, the Last Man on Earth pilot felt free to explore whatever weird territory it wanted. This is mostly thanks to four people: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Christian Sprenger and Will Forte. Lord and Miller directed the episode while Sprenger provided the cinematography. The episode is beautiful shot. Forte wrote the episode and for most of the runtime he’s the only person on screen. It seemed like the show could go anywhere after this episode. The show may not have quite lived up to expectations but there is no denying that the pilot is still a great work of art.
36. Please Like Me, “Eggplant”
The season 3 premiere of Please Like Me is a great romantic comedy. It stars Josh Thomas (the creator of the show) as Josh, Thomas Ward as Tom and Keegan Joyce as Arnold. The romance is between Josh and Arnold and takes place over a series of months. Time is marked by the growth of the chickens Josh owns. Many modern sitcoms use a romance as a driving force for plot, but most are shackled to the standard format of an episode telling the story of a week or less. In “Eggplant” the relationship between Josh and Arnold expands and contracts multiple times because of Arnold’s anxiety and fear of commitment. Throughout the entire episode, Tom is the rock that keeps everything grounded. During the periods where Arnold is staying away from Josh, Josh has time to talk to his mother and father (separately) and Skype with Claire. The pendulum of Josh and Arnold’s relationship give the show a chance to alternate between scenes where Josh and Arnold interact and scenes that analyze their interactions without the episode feeling too overwritten. The best scenes include Josh and Arnold’s first time having sex, one of the most romantic sex scenes of the year, and the final scene which is a Love Actually homage that criticizes Love Actually.
35. Mom, “Three Smiles and an Unpainted Ceiling”
This episode snuck up on me. I put on an episode of Mom while I was packing because I wanted something light. I was shocked when Alvin, Christy’s father and Bonnie’s lover, died. “Three Smiles and an Unpainted Ceiling” prove that Allison Janney and Anna Farris are two of the best comedic and dramatic actresses on TV.
34. Review, “Murder, Magic 8 Ball, Procrastination”
Review had been hyping the use of the vetoes all season so there was some worry that their use would not live up to expectations. A.J. Gibbs’ (Megan Stevenson) delighted reaction was worth it alone, but the deep regret Forest feels after he realizes he has to murder someone because he misused one of his vetoes is the greatest payoff one could ask for. This episode features many devastating moments for Forest, such as when he has to follow the directions of a magic 8 ball instead of leaving the scene of a crime. The magic 8 ball sequence is a great microcosm of Review: Forest is always having to do something he knows is against common sense because his TV show stipulates that he has to.
33. The Flash, “Fast Enough”
If you want to watch a show that’s fun, your best bet is often The Flash. As season one progressed the show became more confident to try bigger and zanier things. The finale was its most epic installment yet, with time travel, two Barry Allens interacting with each other and a wormhole. “Fast Enough” is the most exciting episode of the series so far and it has many high emotional points, which is to be expected when The Flash is trying to go back in time to save his mother. Grant Gustin, Tom Cavanaugh and Jesse L. Martin turn in excellent performances.
32. The Middle, “The Graduate”
Sue Heck is one of the greatest characters on TV. She’s finally graduating from high school but as usual for Sue, things aren’t going her way. She lost her yearbook and because of loopholes she isn’t going to be recognized for any of her accomplishments. Lucky for Sue, The Middle decides to take a cue from Buffy by having her classmates recognizer her during graduation. Sue’s yearbook is found and passed around the students and when it gets to Sue, it’s full of heartfelt odes to Sue. She tried out for every extracurricular activity at the school, which originally made her seem like she didn’t fit anywhere, but it turns out everyone had something to remember Sue for. A montage of great Sue moments plays to the tune of “Make Your Own Kind of Music” (which I associate with Lost). I began sobbing when this happened. Sue jubilantly accepts her diploma and gives a thumbs up to her parents, paying off 6 years of The Middle.
31. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, “The Gang Goes on Family Night”
Very few episodes made me laugh more than “The Gang Goes on Family Night” in 2015. Putting the gang on a family feud style show is genius by itself, but having Keegan-Michael Key be the host puts it on another level. His exasperated reactions to the gang are perfect. Very few shows could create an episode as funny as this in their eleventh seasons.
30. Gravity Falls, “Weirdmageddon Part I”
Fans didn’t know when it aired, but “Weirdmageddon Part I” is the 3rd to last episode ever of Gravity Falls. The episode feels like creator Alex Hirsch and the other writers using every crazy idea they’ve ever had. Bill Cipher, an evil triangle with a top hat, causes the apocalypse in Gravity Falls. This episode has a special opening credits sequence that hellish imagery and weird villains instead of the usual images and characters. In the most experimental portion of the episode, Dipper and Wendy drive into different bubbles that momentarily cause them to transform into other versions of themselves including anime and live-action. The episode is grounded by the simple task of Dipper trying to get back to his sister Mabel. At times “Weirdmageddon Part I” evokes Mad Max: Fury Road with its frenetic chase sequences and apocalyptic backdrop.
29. Hannibal, “Antipasto”
The season three premiere of Hannibal was a clear departure for the show. Will, Jack and the rest of the FBI characters who anchored the first two seasons were absent. “Antipasto” was a two-hander between Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) and Bedelia (Gillian Anderson) set in Paris and Italy. Season three of Hannibal was sometimes too oblique but the beauty of this episode was overpowering.
28. Nathan For You, “Nail Salon / Fun”
Nathan has tried to make a friend on countless Nathan For You episodes but he is constantly rejected because he plays up his weirdness. In this episode, Nathan decides he wants to scientifically prove that he is fun. This involves finding someone on Craigslist in the “strictly platonic” section that Nathan can hang out with. In order to “prove” how fun Nathan is, he wants to check Brendan’s serotonin and dopamine levels before and after he meets Nathan. Nathan takes Brendan on a day of fun that includes hat shopping and go-kart racing. As a nurse measures Brendan’s seratonin, Nathan presses a button that makes fart noises to make sure Brendan is having the maximum amount of fun. The results come in and Brendan’s serotonin shot up 2.5 times between the first and second samples. Nathan is now confident he can prove to anyone who does not find him fun that they are wrong. He comes clean to Brendan about the ulterior motive for the day they had together. At first Brendan is confused, but he remarks that nothing Nathan did hurt him. A montage of Nathan and Brendan having fun together at a theme park follows. Nathan’s insecurities about whether he could have friends were so high that he resorted to insane and unethical activities, but “Nail Salon / Fun” shows that even he can find a companion.
27. You’re the Worst, “The Heart is a Dumb Dumb”
The season 2 finale of You’re the Worst directly mirrors the season 1 finale. This is good news to me because I slightly preferred season 1 to 2. “The Heart is a Dumb Dumb” proved that You’re the Worst could keep its darkness while still being sidesplittingly funny. The rhythm of the show is quicker when its set at a party. The episode ends on the sweet note of Jimmy and Gretchen saying “I love to you” to each other on the same steps they sat on in the pilot, proving that they’re one of the best couples on television.
26. Rectify, “The Future”
Daniel Holden is the type of person to get swallowed in a task that he cannot devote any resources to anything but that thing. Previously Daniel had knocked a can of white paint into a pool he had been painting blue because he was angry about his life. Daniel spends most of “The Future” painting the pool blue again. He feels guilty for desecrating the pool, but finishing this job is also symbolically important because Daniel has accomplished so little in his life. He wanted to fix his mother’s kitchen but ended up destroying it. When Amantha tells Daniel that he has to leave the premises by the end of the day, he becomes determined to finish the pool before he has to leave. Daniel taking on a herculean task by himself primarily for himself is very relatable to someone creating a Top 100 Episodes of 2015 list. As Daniel puts the finishing touches on the pool his family joins him to celebrate both the pool and the fact that Daniel has been cleared as a suspect of a murder case. Daniel and the people who love him have been through so much hurt that it feels incredibly cathartic that they get this moment of peace. Daniel tells his mother that he wants to leave the state the next day. He’s ready to move on.
25. Parenthood, “May God Bless You and Keep You Always”
The series finale of Parenthood had plenty of tearjerking moments, as is appropriate for this series. Most of these involved Zeek, the patriarch of the Bravermans played by Craig T. Nelson. The wedding between Sarah and Hank is moved to Saturday because everyone knows Zeek does not have long to live. Many major character have heartfelt scenes with Zeek that have an added profundity because it may be one of the last. Zeek tears up as he tells Hank how much he loves Sarah and how he wants Hank to be there for her. When Zeek asks Sarah if he’s been a good father, she responds “the very best.” While watching the extended Braverman clan pose for wedding pictures he remarks to his wife Camille “we did good, didn’t we?” Zeek and Camille tell Amber during the reception that they want her to live with them as their “third act.” Some time after the wedding is over Camille finds that Zeek has passed away peacefully. Bonnie Bedelia’s performance is very moving; you can feel both the sadness and acceptance in her voice. The episode has many great moments that don’t involve Zeek. The one that affects me the most is when Max, who has Asperger syndrome, asks a girl to dance. Seeing Max do something I’ve never been able to do put me in an emotional state that few current shows could. The show ends with the Bravermans sprinkling Zeek’s ashes on a baseball field and playing ball. Along with the sequence of different subsets of Bravermans being goofy while taking photos, the baseball game showed how Parenthood had one of the most cast of characters to spend time with. The game is interspersed with flashforwards of happy times for all the Bravermans. The best one of these involves two actors from Friday Night Lights, one who had never been in the show before. These happy endings felt earned because there was still the twinge of sadness about Zeek dying and they seemed realistic for the characters (unlike the Parks and Recreation finale).
24. The Leftovers, “No Room at the Inn”
The Leftovers season 2 didn’t work for me. I had my problems with season 1 but generally agreed with the consensus that “Two Boats and a Helicopter” and “Guest” were great episodes. For many people, almost every episode of season 2 was on the same level as those two episodes. For me, only one episode was. Turns out Christopher Eccleston is my key to loving The Leftovers. (Before I get too much hate mail, Carrie Coon and Regina King are great too, but one great scene does not make a great episode.) “No Room at the Inn” benefits from being the most self-contained episode of season 2. Episodes that center on Matt Jamison work the best because his religiosity fits so well with the world of The Leftovers. Many things in The Leftovers make me want to call bullshit, but when I see Matt want to believe in a higher power I believe in The Leftovers.
23. Steven Universe, “Jail Break”
The two best ways to elevate a good Steven Universe to a great one are having a character sing and having two characters fuse. The season 1 finale of Steven Universe, “Jail Break”, leapt into the show’s pantheon when Ruby and Sapphire fused to become Garnet and began singing about how much better they are together. Garnet, one of the four main characters, had not been revealed as a fusion yet so the reveal packed an emotional punch. Estelle’s “Stronger Than You” is one of the year’s best musical moments and the love between Ruby and Sapphire indicated that Steven Universe was becoming one of the best queer shows on television.
22. Banana, “Episode 6”
If 2015 was the year of depression on TV, we still got our fair share of characters who suffered from anxiety. There’s Arnold on Please Like Me, Edgar on You’re the Worst, Nathan on Nathan For You and of course Amy on Banana. The anthology format of Banana allows more creativity in its depiction of anxiety than other shows. Since this is the only episode of the series that focuses on Amy, it can show every scenario that she fears might happen without the gimmick getting old. “Episode 6” also features the delightful date between Amy and Kay. The end of the episode’s stark optimism is in contrast with the dark end of Cucumber’s “Episode 6”, which shows why Banana is the perfect companion to Cucumber.
21. Looking, “Looking for Gordon Freeman”
Patrick humiliates himself throughout season 2 of Looking, but nothing compares to the rant he makes at his Halloween party. Jonathan Groff gives one of the best performances of the year in “Looking for Gordon Freeman.” Anyone who thought Looking wasn’t funny just needs to watch his face contort as he reacts to his party falling apart. The episode also features all of its characters in delightful costumes and an ending that feels like a reply to the ending of Remedial Chaos Theory.
20. The Eric Andre Show, “Bird Up”
This might just be the weirdest TV episode of 2015. The Eric Andre Show is a parody of public access talk shows starring Eric Andre and Hannibal Buress. Bird Up is a segment where Andre dresses up in a green bodysuit with a bird on his shoulder, declares “This is Bird Up! The worst show on television!” and does weird things to people on the street. This is a segment that’s popped up on the show before, but in this episode it keeps interrupting the talk show for the entire episode. Layers are continually added onto Bird Up, such as Bird Up the musical, Chris Up with Chris Rock and Hannibal’s Snail Down (which is ordered for 17 seasons!). In one sequence the camera zooms out from the bird’s eye into space and Eric is shown floating in a different galaxy. At the end of the episode it’s revealed that a focus group of old people have been watching this episode. Their befuddled reaction is hilarious. As one of them hypothesizes that there is no way they just saw the finished product, Andre shows up in the adjoining room and yells at them. The episodes ends, but Andre is still popping up in the production cards where he usually doesn’t. Eric Andre can not be contained by television.
19. Fortitude, “Episode 10”
The most shocking TV death of the year wasn’t on Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead. It was on Fortitude, a show in its first season about the bizarre happenings at an Arctic Norwegian settlement. Two majors characters are mortally wounded in this episode, but one was foreshadowed. A lesser show would make it seem like one of the characters was dead but have him mysteriously alive in the next, but Fortitude stuck to its guns. The scene where the two characters discuss the secrets of Fortitude while they slowly die is one of the most beautiful of 2015.
18. Nathan For You, “Smokers Allowed”
Like many Nathan For You episodes, “Smokers Allowed” is a testament to how far Nathan Fielder will go for an elaborate, nonsensical bit. Nathan finds a loophole that allows patrons of a bar to smoke if they’re part of a play, so he stages a play where an audience simply watches people go about their usual routines in a bar (while some smoke). The hipsters who watch this end up praising it for its naturalism, so Nathan decides the best way to recreate its success is to hire actors and actresses to reenact everything that happened at the bar that night. Nathan and his crew filmed everything that happened and transcribed every word so the people reenacting will have scripts that detail everything they have to do. The absurdism of actors having to memorize the most mundane actions leads to some great laughs. The scene that clinches this episode’s greatness is when Nathan coaches an actress to say “I love you.” The climax depends on the audience believe a couple when they declare their love for each other, so Nathan wants to make sure there is a real connection. Nathan stands in for the man in the couple and has the actress say “I love you” to Nathan a dozen times in a row. The line between Nathan the actor and Nathan the real person blurs as a tear falls from his eye. After the play is over, Nathan asks the owner/bartender of the bar if she liked it and she says no. So Nathan asks the actress who played the bartender how she felt about the play, and she tells him “I loved it.” Nathan likes this reality so much he asks her to tell him again. And again.
17. Mad Men, “The Milk and Honey Route”
The saddest material in Mad Men’s final season stemmed from the diagnosis Betty got in “The Milk and Honey Route.” Mad Men characters smoke so much that it was inevitable that one would get cancer, but it still came as a shock when the doctor told Henry that Betty probably had nine months to a year to live. January Jones silenced the haters in this episode with her heartbreaking performance. For a while Sally Draper had been the emotional lynchpin of the series, so her reaction was even harder to watch without welling up. Betty admits to her daughter that she is going to have to rely on Sally once she died since Henry will be out of sorts. Betty’s final letter to Sally ends with “Sally, I always worried about you because you marched to the beat of your own drum. But now I know that’s good. I know your life will be an adventure. I love you, Mom.” Betty didn’t always get along with her daughter, but it’s great to see her accept Sally for who she is when it matters most. Elsewhere, Don gets accepted when he opens up about killing his CO in the war to a bunch of veterans. Don finally opening up about this is a big breakthrough, and the understanding that the others give him is cathartic. Later they accuse him of stealing from them and beat him up, but that moment of commiseration over what they had to do in order to go home will stick with Don.
16. The Jinx, “What the Hell Did I Do?”
The Jinx is a character study of Robert Durst, who has been accused of murdering three people. Throughout most of the documentary, the most engrossing aspect of the show is watching Durst react to Jarecki’s questions. The last stretch of the series gains an added level of excitement by becoming a thriller. Jarecki and his team have found evidence that pretty clearly seems to point towards Durst’s guilt. The anticipation of how the old man will react to this evidence builds anticipation throughout the finale. Durst’s sickening burps evoke the guttural noises a killer made in The Act of Killing. Of course, the real kicker is the ending, in which Durst appears to admit to killing “them all.” The eerie music and pitch black that follows Durst’s words left me terrified.
15. Mr. Robot, “eps1.7wh1ter0se.m4v”
There’s an urgency to this episode that hasn’t quite been felt until now. The episode feels very fast paced, as evidenced by Elliot’s voiceover skipping events that aren’t important to the narrative. The episode’s obsession with time is made explicit in Elliot’s meeting with White Rose. White Rose appears to be omniscient at first glance, and the little time we get with her just makes us want to learn more. The most talked about development is the Darlene reveal, which becomes more than just a standard twist by the way we see it affect Elliot. The camera and Rami Malek work in tandem to make Elliot seem incredibly unstable. Elliot asking us if we “were in on this the whole time” is a terrifying talking to the camera moment where the paranoia leaps from his eyes.
14. Looking, “Looking for Home”
HBO cancelled Looking after two seasons with the promise of a TV movie to wrap everything up. This was devastating to the small but devoted cadre of fans of this show about a group of gay men in San Francisco. “Looking For Home”, the season 2 finale, illustrated how much life there was in Looking. The focus of the episode is on Patrick moving in with his boyfriend Kevin (Russell Tovey). Like Cucumber, one of the other best queer shows of the year, Looking excels at showing how people negotiate relationships. After finding out that Grindr is still on Kevin’s phone, Patrick finds out that Kevin wants to be in what amounts to an open relationship. The argument the two characters have about whether this can work is beautifully directed by Andrew Haigh and builds on everything that’s happened on the series so far. The episode ends on a great note with Patrick getting his hair cut by Richie, his lover from season 1. It’s a great note to end the season but the potential for more cannot be contained by one movie.
13. Hannibal, “Digestivo”
The title for “most fucked up Hannibal episode” is heavily contested, but “Digestivo” is certainly a contender. Joe Anderson did not always live up to Michael Pitt’s portrayal of Mason Verger, but he made the most of his disgustingly funny lines here. Alana and Margot give Mason the most fitting ending with a little help from an eel. The most rewarding scene, however, does not elicit a feeling of disgust. Hannibal turning himself in so Will always knows where to find him is more satisfying than if Will had caught him because it’s a character action with roots in one of the weirdest relationships on TV.
12. Steven Universe, “We Need to Talk”
Steven Universe has strategically given the viewer very little Rose, so whenever she’s in an episode it feels like an event. Arguably the best Rose episode of the series is “We Need to Talk”, an episode with a framing device of Greg telling Steven and Connie a story after he sees them fuse. Any episode that shows the Crystal Gems in the past is fun because their regenerations tend to be cuter than their current selves. It’s even more fun to see Rose play in a band with Greg, Garnet and Amethyst. Pearl gets jealous of Rose and Greg singing to each other so she pulls out her trump card; Pearl fuses with Rose to become Rainbow Quartz. The mic drop Pearl does after dancing as Rainbow Quartz is glorious. Pearl being vindictive towards Greg and calling him “a phase” Rose is going through is a side of Pearl we don’t get to see often. The conversation that Rose and Greg have after he tries to fuse with her falls into the category of one of my favorite types of TV scenes: two people navigating their relationship by talking frankly to each other. Especially when considered within the “fusion as metaphor for sex” prism, this episode is one of the most mature episodes of the year. A layer of emotion is added to this episode by Garnet, who knows about love because of Ruby and Sapphire’s connection, saying “it worked” when Rose and Greg confirm they’re in love with each other.
11. Orange is the New Black, “Trust No Bitch”
The Orange is the New Black finale was by far the best episode of the season because its thematically linked flashbacks about faith from characters all across the ensemble showcase the best strengths of the show. In its third season the show began to run out of flashback stories that could sustain a whole episode. Orange is the New Black has a myriad of great characters, so fully utilizing it while comparing and contrasting those characters’ backgrounds gives one of the fullest pictures of humanity TV has to offer. The sequence where the inmates swim in the river is the most joyous of the year.
10. Mad Men, “Lost Horizon”
Two Peggy Olson images from “Lost Horizon” are in the pantheon of iconic Mad Men visuals. Peggy skating around the deserted offices of SC&P while Roger plays piano is a fitting tribute to the company we grew to love. Peggy’s skating evoked her flashy motorcycle ride from season 4, but Elisabeth Moss walking into McCann wearing sunglasses, smoking a cigarette and holding a painting of an octopus pleasuring a woman is the best encapsulation of Peggy the series gave. Mad Men’s other all-time-great female character, Joan (actually, Sally falls in this category too), gets many great scenes in this episode as she tries to adjust to her new job. Joan has to deal with her fair share of misogynistic men this season, but it’s especially stifling at McCann where she doesn’t have as much power. Joan proves to be a formidable opponent to Hobart, but his pride won’t let him back down. Don is another character who doesn’t feel at home at the new office. When he goes to a Miller Lite meeting, the room is full of men wearing the same clothes who diligently turn the pages of the presentation simultaneously. The man giving the presentation is preaching a campaign that’s catered to millions of people. There is an obvious loss of the individual, which makes Don feel at sea. So Don embarks on a journey and his first stop is to deliver a refrigerator of Miller Lite to one person, the antithesis of the Miller Lite campaign. Of course, this is all a ruse to find Diana, a woman Don is obsessed with. But given the knowledge of where Don’s journey eventually takes him, (a commercial about buying the world a Coke), it’s important to note where Don’s subconscious started.
9. Justified, “The Promise”
At the beginning of the Justified series finale, Raylan Givens is in the back of a police car and Ava is a hostage of Markham’s. After some intervening by Art, Raylan is on his way to finding Markham. Meanwhile, Boyd is being chased by the police so he goes back to his oldest trick: throwing dynamite. Boyd eventually finds Markham’s barn and has a fitting showdown with him. Raylan enters the barn and the three central characters are together one last time with two loaded guns. Boyd gives Raylan the choice of finally taking him down. The next shot shows Boyd in handcuffs. This was one of the many signs that Justified was going to end the right way. As Raylan drove Ava away, “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” played for the fifth and final time, a car approached Raylan’s. It’s Boon and Loretta. Raylan and Boon have the standoff that they’ve been waiting for in what instantly became one of the quintessential Justified scenes. “The Promise” has quite a few great scenes left before it ends, but the one that sticks out the most is the final one between Raylan and Boyd. Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins had more fun talking to each other than almost any other pair on TV. “We dug coal together.”
8. Community, “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television”
Community is one of the only shows that get away with a season finale where all the characters pitch premises for the next season of the show. It works for this show because being meta is baked into the show, especially because of Abed. His self reflexive mindset has especially rubbed off on Jeff, who has become so attached to Greendale that he is the only one who appears in every scenario. The possible season sevens give the writers a chance to go over ideas they have if the show would continue, but they also explore the characters’ hopes and anxieties about the future. Whether Annie would be happy in different situation is given extra analysis, which is welcome for a character the show often sidelined. The season seven pitches are very funny, with highlights including Britta’s dour take on The Community theme inspired by The Wire, the return of Shirley and a Justin Roiland voiced Ice Cube Head. After the characters are done pitching, Jeff and Annie share a scene that pays off their will-they-won’t-they relationship where they have an honest discussion about whether they should be together and make fun of how boring Marvel movies are. Jeff gives one last Winger Speech before driving Annie and Abed to the airport. Jeff and Abed have a heartfelt double hug while Lord Huron’s Ends of the Earth plays. In the tag, a commercial plays of a family playing Community the Board Game. However, the family soon realizes that they are in a commercial and none of them actually exist. The last word is given to creator of the show Dan Harmon, who delivers a rant that makes light of the show’s inconsistencies, the obsolete Nielsen system and his inability to express his love towards those he cares about. After a season of increasingly bizarre tags, this is the perfect ending to Community season 6. “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television” is a completely satisfying series finale to the show that has had the biggest impact on my life the last six years.
7. Switched at Birth, “Black and Gray”
Too many people underestimate Switched at Birth. It has had an episode almost entirely in American Sign Language, told a clever alternate reality story and this year had an affecting arc about having a kid with Down Syndrome. Even its more subdued episodes are some of my favorite comfort food on television. “Black and Gray” is the opposite of comfort food. It explores the aftermath of a campus rape incident involving Bay (one of the two titular girls who was switched at birth) and Tank. Vanessa Marano gives an excellent performance throughout as Bay. News of the incident spreads across the campus after the UMKC administration learns of it. Every scene in the episode has an extra potency because every conversation is related to what happened. Emmett misunderstands what happened after a video call with Bay, and Daphne flies to Los Angeles to convince him to talk to Bay. After Bay’s father, John, finds out what happened he goes to Tank’s place so they can talk face-to-face. Bay’s mother, Kathryn, tells Bay about a time when a boy assaulted her when she was younger. Many teen shows struggle when they transition from high school to college, but Switched at Birth has continued to excel at telling important stories.
6. Mad Men, “Time and Life”
Why is this episode so high? The king ordered it! The partners at SC&P hatch a scheme to prevent the company from being absorbed by McCann Erickson. This type of episode is something Mad Men excels at, and “Time and Life” does not disappoint. Multiple times the characters state that they’ve done this before to reassure people about their plan, so there is an added level of potency when they fail to convince Jim Hobart to allow them an office in California,. AMC labeled season 7b “the end of an era”, and this is when that really starts to hit home. When Don says “This is the beginning of something. Not the end” to a room full of people walking away from him, time is clearly slipping away. Classic Mad Men moments are sprinkled throughout the episode: Pete’s hilarious confrontation with MacDonald, Peggy opening up to Stan about her child and Roger contemplating Don’s life as a chauffeur who would sleep with his grandma.
5. Cucumber, “Episode 6”
Up until the sixth episode, Cucumber (created by Russel T. Davies) has told the story of Henry. Henry’s boyfriend of nine years, Lance, has had a prominent role in every episode, but it’s not until this episode that we get the full picture with Lance. But this isn’t any old “different perspective” episode. “Episode 6” tells the story of Lance’s life from start to finish. It’s a gay coming of age story, an exploration of Henry and Lance’s relationship and a cautionary tale about the dangers of internalized homophobia. During the first half of the episode, the show cuts between different periods of Lance’s life using 4 different actors (if you count the baby). The best set of sequences in this part of the episode shows Lance showing up to his father’s home over the years and being turned away until his father finally lets him in. The second half of the episode shows Lance’s final day, which includes his final conversation with Henry and a night out with Daniel, the man Lance has been pursuing. “Episode 6" takes on an otherworldly quality when the ghost of Hazel, a character from Davies’ Queer as Folk, shows up to give Henry a warning. But as telegraphed at the beginning of the episode, things don’t end well for Lance. The devastating ending shows Lance’s life flashing before his eyes in the best edited sequence of the year.
4. Rick and Morty, “Total Rickall”
“Total Rickall” is a demented twist on another episode of a Dan Harmon show, Community’s “Paradigms of Human Memory.” Characters start showing up in Morty’s house the viewer has never seen before but the family remembers being a crucial part of their lives. Rick figures out that parasites are creating fake memories and starts shooting the characters to reveal their true forms. The problem arises that Rick cannot tell if his actual family is real or just a bunch of parasites. The parasites jump on that and get the family to have flashback after flashback until a complete array of weird characters fills the room. The episode hits its most ingenious idea when Rick and Morty realize the parasites can only create good memories. They then shoot anyone who they don’t share any bad memories with. The times Rick, Morty, Summer, Beth and Jerry failed each other end up saving each other. The best flashbacks include the time Sleepy Gary and Jerry “saw Chewbacca” on vacation, Rick stealing needles instead of rescuing Morty from being injected with an unknown substance and Beth drunkenly hitting Summer with a bottle on picture day. After all the hilarity there is one final dark joke. Only Rick and Morty could craft such a heartbreaking moment about a character named Mr. Poopy Butthole.
3. Nathan For You, “The Hero”
“The Hero” is the biggest stunt of Nathan Fielder’s career. Nathan spends seven months training to walk on a tightrope between two rooftops. The producers go on a search to find someone who wants a better life. Nathan selects Corey, a man who works in an arcade and lives with his grandparents. Nathan visits Corey and tells him that he will be completely cut off from the outside world but he will “reemerge as a national hero.” Corey agrees to Nathan’s stipulations. After collecting some data about Corey, he is taken via helicopter to a trailer in the middle of nowhere that has everything he needs for two weeks. Nathan “becomes” Corey for two weeks by donning a face mask, body suit and wig. The goal is for Nathan to walk across a tightrope 80 feet high and for Corey to get all glory. Before that happens, Nathan as Corey goes on a date with a woman named Jasmine because he wants Corey to have a relationship when he returns. The date goes surprisingly well considering how awkward Nathan usually is. Nathan apes Corey’s mannerisms such as saying “cool beans” while striving to be the best version of Corey, which ends up being even better than Nathan. Nathan is so confident after this experience that he goes to a bar as Corey and successfully charms multiple groups of people. The person we see in these scenes is some combination of Corey, Nathan the actor, Nathan the producer and Nathan the human. After a hilarious scene where Nathan has to convince Corey’s grandparents that their grandson is okay by playing recordings of Corey’s words through a megaphone, Corey is brought back to society. Nathan fills Corey in on everything that has happened and hides Corey in a tent on the other side of the wire. In an exciting sequence that almost made Robert Zemeckis retire in shame, Nathan as Corey walks across the wire as a sizable crowd cheers him on. It’s the most thrilling moment of Nathan’s life, so he crosses five more times. Nathan switches with Corey, Corey kisses Jasmine and gives a speech written by Nathan to the crowd that includes saying “Jasmine, I love you.” Corey raises a $5,000 check for Breast Cancer Awareness. He is a hero. Images of Corey’s glory alternate with images of Nathan’s costume being removed. Corey’s grandmother asks Corey “what happens now?” as a forlorn Nathan looks at them from a distance. Corey’s life is transformed, but will Nathan ever be happier than he was in someone else’s skin?
2. Manhattan, “Jupiter”
Two scientists are alone in a tower with an atomic bomb. Both helped create it. One is a spy who wants the test of the bomb to fail so America loses the war. The other has allegiance to America but doesn’t want the blood of hundreds of thousands of people to be on his hands. What follows is the most tense episode of the year.
- Person of Interest, “If-Then-Else”
The best episode of the year is an exciting heist story, a treatise on the limits of artificial intelligence, a deconstruction of television, a love story and a tragedy rolled into one. At its core, “If-Then-Else” is about The Machine, an artificial intelligence that is programmed to save lives, running through thousands of scenarios, trying to find the best one to save our heroes and stop an evil artificial intelligence from causing a global market collapse. Finch, Root, Reese and Fusco are trapped in a room in the New York Stock Exchange. The audience sees four different scenarios play out where characters are paired off in different ways. Exploring how different character pairings affect the outcome is fun, but the real kick comes out of the bold finales which often end with multiple major characters dead. Each scenario is infused with electricity by the use of Glitch Mob’s infectious “Fortune Days.” At a certain point The Machine simplifies a scenario by having the characters speak what their dialogue is doing instead of the actual words. This emphasizes each characters’ purposes in the team while poking fun at their dialogical patterns:
Reese: Cooly delivered sadistic warning.
Fusco: Self-deprecating inquiry into the time necessary to infiltrate system.
Root: Funny yet insightful retort.
Finch: Mildly agitated declaration of mission completion.
Finch: Gentle exhortation to further action.
Root: Overly affectionate greeting.
Shaw: Greeting.
Root: Transparent rationale for conversation.
Shaw: Annoyed attempt to deflect subtext.
Root: Overt come-on.
Shaw: Mildly embarrassed defensiveness bordering on hostility.
Root: Playfully witty sign-off.
In between these scenarios we get flashbacks to Finch teaching The Machine chess. These not only provide a background for the decision tree deduction The Machine is doing in the present, but they also feature Finch’s “don’t sacrifice the queen” speech, a great bit of acting by Michael Emerson. Finch’s speech will resonate with the scenario The Machine eventually selects, in which Shaw attempt to rescue our heroes. But The Machine cannot find any scenario in which the world is saved and everyone in Team Machine makes it out unscathed. As Amy Acker and Sarah Shahi have their first on screen kiss, it becomes clear that a sacrifice is about to be made. Throughout the episode The Machine tested which character relationships worked best towards solving its goals, but it had to tear some of those relationships apart to achieve its final outcome. The ethical questions of what an artificial intelligence should do for the greater good were debated endlessly after this episode, but one question had a definitive answer from January 6, 2015 until the end of the year. What was the best episode of the year? If-Then-Else.
