Rounding up 2018’s gems within gems
The last year brought viewers some memorable episodes from standout TV programs
We get it: There is too much television.
The good news is that great television is, well, really great.
These are the gems within gems — the episodes from standout shows that stayed with me long after I watched them.
1. ATLANTA: TEDDY PERKINS
It would be hard to choose the best episode in the brilliant second season of Donald Glover’s Atlanta if not for Teddy Perkins, which is easily the most innovative television episode of the year.
At 35 minutes, the instalment plays like a short film, and it looks like one, too, thanks to gorgeous visuals from director Hiro Murai and the director of photography for Atlanta, Christian Sprenger.
Darius, the delightfully weird character played by Lakeith Stanfield, takes centre stage, visiting the mansion of Teddy Perkins (Glover, credited only as Teddy Perkins), a musician with a mysterious condition that renders his skin a chalky white.
The episode is a masterpiece, at turns haunting and laugh-out-loud funny, with incisive commentary on internalized racism, fame and the scars of childhood.
2. THE AMERICANS: START
Few shows stick the landing the way FX’s Cold War-era espionage drama did.
The series ends on a heart-wrenching note as Philip and Elizabeth Jennings confront the reality of their work.
The finale’s most riveting scene features a long-awaited confrontation between the couple and Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), an FBI agent who had become an unlikely friend of the Jennings family — and Philip.
It’s an emotional scene that captures what made The Americans such a poignant and mesmerizing show.
3. BARRY: MAKE YOUR MARK
One could argue that eight episodes on this list should be devoted to Barry, a critically acclaimed HBO dramedy from Alec Berg and Saturday Night Live alum Bill Hader. I’m bestowing the highest honour on the sharp pilot episode, which introduces us to Barry (Hader), an aimless hit man who finds unexpected passion in an acting class.
Make Your Mark, directed by Hader, is an apt title because the episode establishes everything that’s wonderful about Barry — Barry’s earnestness, the quirky cast of characters in his acting class (taught by an especially delightful Henry Winkler) and the dumb but hilarious goons intent on keeping Barry in his less-savory line of work.
4. KILLING EVE: I HAVE A THING ABOUT BATHROOMS
The fifth episode of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s thriller, based on the novella series by Luke Jennings, brings the cat-andmouse game between unlikely spy Eve (Sandra Oh) and psychopathic assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) to thrilling heights as they meet (officially) for the first time. It’s not the contentious confrontation a casual viewer might expect.
Eve is empathetic toward Villanelle, and even though Villanelle may be incapable of returning said empathy, the women share an air of longing that deepens their mutual obsession. It’s one of the most suspenseful moments of the series — and that’s saying something for a show that kept us on edge week after week.
5. THIS IS US: THE CAR
NBC put a lot of promo power behind the storied Super Bowl Sunday episode of This Is Us, which finally answered the question of how the Pearson family patriarch died. But it was the following episode, titled The Car, that encapsulated the crushing weight of that loss.
In flashbacks, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) goes to great lengths to buy a Wagoneer that is perfect for his family.
As the timeline moves forward, we see how integral the car is to the Pearsons through health scares, petty arguments and teenage milestones.
Watching those moments play out in the wake of Jack’s death makes the loss even more emotional.
The Car is a stunning portrait of family grief and a father’s unconditional love.
6. THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE: TWO STORMS
Amid all of the chills and thrills of Netflix’s adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 gothic horror novel, the show deftly explores the complex dynamics of a family marked by grief.
The ensemble cast does some of its best work here as they unfurl all of the hurt, blame and resentment that grief can dredge up.
The episode certainly validates all those This Is Us comparisons.
7. BROOKLYN NINE-NINE: THE BOX
Fans came to the rescue of Brooklyn Nine-Nine after Fox cancelled the comedy earlier this year (the sixth season will première on NBC in January) and this delightful bottle episode captures why the show is so beloved.
Sterling K. Brown guest stars as a dentist suspected of murdering the co-owner of his practice.
Over one night, he is interrogated by poker-faced Capt. Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) and his best detective, the lovable goofball Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg).
The Box showcases the hilarious banter as the officers try to get the quick-witted villain to confess his crime.
8. FOREVER: ANDRE AND SARAH
Amazon’s dreamy Forever is about June (Maya Rudolph) and Oscar (Fred Armisen), a married couple whose lives together take an unexpected turn. But the sixth episode shifts its perspective to another pair altogether.
Andre and Sarah (Jason Mitchell and Hong Chau) are two real-estate agents who find themselves drawn to each other after meeting at an open house.
The episode explores their deep connection — and the realities that threaten it — but resists the inclination to explain exactly how they relate to June and Oscar’s story.
That’s a good call, allowing Andre and Sarah to function as both a stand-alone episode and a funhouse mirror to the show’s contemplative themes.
9. THE GOOD PLACE: RHONDA, DIANA, JAKE AND TRENT
This Season 2 episode of Michael Schur’s afterlife comedy follows Eleanor (Kristen Bell), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Jason (Manny Jacinto) out of the Good Place and into, ahem, another realm.
The trip offers fans multiple gifts: disguises, aliases and double duty from D’Arcy Carden, who plays two versions of Janet, the show’s transcendent concierge. Michael (Ted Danson) is their helpful guide, who is responsible for some of the episode’s best lines, including: “Jason, this is hell. Of course there’s a gift shop.”
10. BOJACK HORSEMAN: THE STOPPED SHOW
This episode marks a satisfying end to the fifth season of this consistently good Netflix show about an anthropomorphic horse struggling with addiction and the pitfalls of fame.
It finds BoJack at the centre of a public relations disaster that forces him to confront his demons — and his tendency to hurt the women in his life.
The episode is a shrewd send-up of Hollywood (or, in this case, Hollywoo) and the culture that has enabled widespread abuse and harassment by powerful men.