This has been a very interesting year in television, with a lot of shows shortened or delayed due to the strikes. A quick reminder before we start that I watch a lot of genre television, I'm notoriously bad with comedies, and I have a neverending "To Watch" list. I use the Emmy rules for cutoff dates, which means that this list covers everything from the start of June, 2024 to the end of May, 2025. Entries below are unranked, and I'm limiting myself to one episode per show or miniseries.
I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but please watch your step.
Interview With the Vampire, "Don't Be Afraid, Just Start the Tape" - Let's start with the flashback episode of "Interview" where Louis and Daniel finally compare notes on their last, incredibly messy encounter in 1970s San Francisco, and realize that Armand has been hiding a few things from both of them. We get to see very different versions of the characters - Louis at a low point, and Daniel pre cynicism - and get new insights on everyone's behavior. I love a good unreliable narrator story, and you can't be sure anybody's memories are accurate here.
The Diplomat, "Dreadnought" - It was really close between this episode and the immediately preceding one, "Our Lady of Immaculate Deception," because that's where we get Rory Kinnear finally losing his temper and resorting to violence, and more of the ensemble is involved. However, Allison Janney as the evil vice-president is the undeniable highlight of this season. Her geopolitics lecture makes for such good television. Then there's the season ending cliffhanger ending, which is executed so perfectly, I wasn't even mad it was a cliffhanger.
Adolescence, "Episode 3" - A psychologist played by Erin Doherty interviews a 13 year-old played by Owen Cooper in juvenile detention, and it's one of the most chilling hours of television I've ever seen. Cooper's performance is riveting, as he shifts from people-pleasing to rageful and destructive, constantly testing, provoking, and finally threatening his interviewer. Doherty's reactions, and the single-shot construction of the episode also do a lot to sell the intensity here. The whole of "Adolescence" is excellent, but this episode will haunt me.
Say Nothing, "Do No Harm" - Covers the Price sisters' experiences while incarcerated, with special attention on their participation in hunger strikes in the 1980s. Lola Petticrew and Hazel Doupe's performances are front and center the whole way through, as the harrowing particulars of their ordeal are dramatized with unflinching candidness. There's never any doubt that the sisters deserve to be in prison for their crimes, but the struggle to be there on their own terms, and use their status to continue their fight is highly compelling.
Poker Face, "Sloppy Joseph" - This one made it in just under the wire, but I knew instantly the assassination of Joseph Gerbils had to be here. Charlie Cale's latest job is being a lunch lady at a fancy prep school, and she finds herself up against the second pint-sized psycho on this list. This one is eight years old and much funnier. Eva Jade Halford's gold-star-obsessed Stephanie may be the most memorable villain the show's come up with so far, and I love that she's defeated by the very thing that makes her special - she doesn't think like a child.
Paradise, "The Day" - Post-apocalyptic media doesn't usually show much of the apocalypse itself, as they tend to be very expensive to realize onscreen. Well, "Paradise" gave us an excellent version of the end of the world, devoting a whole episode to showing the step-by-step progression of a major environmental disaster spinning out of control, from the POV of characters working at the White House. And when the time comes to make the hard choices and the impossible calls, it's the performances rather than the CGI that leave an impression.
The Pitt, "6:00 P.M." - I'm choosing the preparation for the mass casualty event rather than the more intense episodes dealing with it later in the timeline, because this episode is such a marvel of efficiency. The triage rules are changed, a new patient categorization system is put in place, and the night shift starts work so half a dozen new characters are introduced on top of it all. We get a ton of information very quickly, but it's all very clear and easy to follow, and it also does a great job of building anticipation for the oncoming storm.
Severance, "Cold Harbor" - It was wonderful to discover how conflicted my feelings were toward Innie and Outie Mark, as it became clear that these two were not going to get along. The finale caper offers all kinds of excitement, from the appearance of the Choreography and Merriment department, to the fight with Milchick, to the nail-biting reunion sequences with Gemma. I still don't know which Mark I want to win, but at this point I just need the Eagans to lose, and lose badly. Extra points for the use of the Michel Legrande track in the closer.
Dark Matter, "Jupiter" - By now we've all seen plenty of multiverse media, but the nightmarish scenario that is presented in "Dark Matter" is one I haven't seen anyone try before, at least not in a live-action thriller series like this one. That's what gave this episode that extra push to land a spot on this list over some other good genre stories. Showing me something novel is going to get you higher marks, even if "Dark Matter" as a whole was very hit-or-miss. The payoff was very much the wait for the payoff though, and pure sci-fi geekery.
Andor, "Who Are You?" - Finally, Syril and Dedra were my favorite part of the last season of "Andor," and the end of their relationship came in the midst of the show's biggest action episode to date - the Ghorman Massacre. The action setpieces are plenty impressive on their own, but watching Syril finally come to some important realizations and make the choices that he was always going to make are absolutely riveting to see play out.
Honorable Mention
Conan O'Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor - I couldn't quite figure out how to include this, as it's great TV but not really an episode of anything, so I'm putting it here. Conan's acceptance speech in particular cemented this for me as a worthy, timely, and much needed win.
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