Perfect Episodes of TV Shows

These are some of the best episodes of TV to watch in no particular order.

WandaVision - Season 1, Episode 8 'Previously on' Directed by Matt Shakman

Marvel's past ventures in television haven't been entirely successful with shows like Jessica Jones and Daredevil being short-lived. However Marvel have made a comeback with a bigger budget and better connections to phase 4 of the MCU that is truly exciting. Whilst I loved the mystique and grandure of Loki and the action packed The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision really stood out as a TV show. I really enjoyed the whole concept of WandaVision because it started off by moving through the decades and differing tropes of sitcoms. Futhermore the re-introduction of some minor Marvel characters to give them more context was great. However it's not one of the sitcom episodes that stands out but the penulimate episode 'Previously On' in which Agatha Harkness forces Wanda to relive some painful memories in order to find out exactly how Wanda got the powers of the Scarlet Witch. There is so much to appreciate about this episode starting with the flashback to the day Pietro and Wanda's parents were killed where we see that they used to watch old sitcoms together as a family and that's why Wanda has chosen to focus this fantasy life of hers around sitcoms. The flashback with vision shows us that Wanda continued to watch sitcoms to stay close to the family she lost and also gives us one of the best lines I've ever heard in 'What is grief, if not love persevering?'. The final nail in the coffin is when it's revealed that S.W.O.R.D was tearing apart visions body to create a weapon which drove Wanda to visit an empty lot in Westview that Vision had bought for them to grow old in. What really ties this episode together is Elizabeth Olsen's incredible and emotional acting that just breaks your heart in half.

Favourite Line: 'What is love if not grief persevering?' - Vision

The Haunting of Hill House - Season 1, Episode 5 & 6 'The Bent Neck Lady' and 'Two Storms' Directed by Mike Flannagan

In all honesty The Haunting of Hill House may be the single best season of television ever, I cannot recommend it enough. From episode one it's clear that every intricate detail of this masterpiece of a show has been carefully considered and placed precisley. 'The Bent Neck Lady' not only showcases Victoria Pendratti's incredible acting skills but provides us with one of the most heartbreaking plot twists ever. Growing up in a house that was haunted young Nell would see a ghost she named the bent neck lady who would haunt her constantly. Throughout the episode we see that as Nell grew up, even after leaving the house, the bend neck lady followed which had a lasting effect on her. She returns to the house where she suffers the same fate as her mother had years ago, and as it's revealed that Nell is the bent neck lady the audience realises she's been haunting herself all these years. From the pacing, to the cinematography, to the acting, everything in this episode just comes together to create perfection. We can't discuss 'The Bent Neck Lady' without talking about the following episode 'Two Storms' in which Nell's family mourn their loss at her funeral. This episode is far more dialgoue heavy and focused on the family dynamics between the characters, revealing little details here and there. Furthermore the whole episode is filmed in a one take style, only ever broken up by flashbacks to the house or the characters childhood. As the episode continues the different characters begin to see the bent neck lady in the funeral parlour as the storm rages outside, cutting the power.

Favourite Lines: 'Now you stand there and you talk about ghosts and spirits. And you sell tickets for the privilege. And yet you don't believe in any of it.' - Nell and 'Most of what people say at a funeral is a wish. They're at peace. They're in a better place. They're smiling down on us. People just wishing out loud.' - Shirley

The Haunting of Bly Manor - Season 1, Episode 5, 'The alter of the dead' Directed by Liam Gavin

Most people love The Haunting of Bly Manor for the relationship between Dani and Jamie and I am very much one of those people, however this results in the character Hannah being very overlooked. This episode focuses on why Hannah has been feeling so out of place in what should be her home and gives us insight into what her mind looks like. We see several events that have already taken place in previous episodes from Hannah's perspective and are always transported back to her safe space which is her first meeting with Owen. Eventually we are brought to the heart-wrenching plot twist that young Miles who was possessed by the ghost of Peter killed Hannah moments before Dani arrived at the Manor and she has actually been a ghost the whole time. Combining this shocking twist with some fantastic acting from both T'Nia Miller and Rahul Kohli that really sells Hannah and Owen's more undersated love story helps make this the outstanding episode of the series. Futhermore the directing choices made by Liam Gavin and his use of temporality and flashbacks in the scene are some of the best in the industry. I've always said don't mess with time if you're not going to do it properly, this is the right way to do it.

Favourite Line: 'The housekeeper knew, more than most, that deep experience was never peaceful. And because she knew this ever since she'd first called Bly home, she would always find her way back to peace within her daily routine, and it had always worked. Always.' - Jamie

The Good Place - Season 3, Episode 9 'Janet(s)' Directed by Morgan Sackett

I admire The Good Place for really subverting sitcom tropes and creating something out of the box, it was truly unexpected. The delve into philosophy and acknowledgement that being a 'good' person in today's society is next to impossible isn't what you'd expect from a sitcom. The show has many great episodes in its relatively short run, but 'Janet(s)' really stands out for D'Arcy Carden's incredible performances. The majority of the episode takes place in Janet's void meaning that the setting is rather bland, but that only emphasises Carden's acting chops. Within the void Carden has to play Janet versions of the characters, Eleanor, Chidi, Jason and Tahani which is no easy feat. However Carden manages to use the nuances and capture the essence of each character so that the audience truly does believe they're watching the core four as Janets. Honestly it's a crime that Carden was never nominated for this role.

Favourite Line: 'You're sharp, and you're strong. You make fun of me a lot. You once called me a human snooze button. But you also showed up in my classroom when I was drowning in despair and canned chili and you basically saved my life.' - Chidi

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season 5, Episode 14 'The Box' Directed by Claire Scanlon

Sitcoms are usually set in a finate number of places, for example Friends bounces between the characters apartments and the coffee shop mostly, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine is no different. However setting an entire episode around the interrogation of one man and never leaving the precinct is risky as episodes like this can be boring. Nonetheless 'The Box' is a masterpiece that keeps the audience hooked for the duration of the episode as Detective Jake Peralta attempts to get a confession from a suspect played by Sterling K. Brown. The concept of the episode is very simple but the execution is what makes it so captivating and it's widely considered one of the best episodes of the show.

Favourite Line: 'That's okay. I have no questions. That's right. I'm about to monologue, son.' - Jake

Criminal Minds - Season 14, Episode 5 'The Tall Man' Directed by Matthew Grey Gubler

I've always argued that season 4 of Criminal Minds was certainly the strongest season of the show with no bad episodes to speak of. However the best episode of Criminal Minds in my opinion is season 14's 'The Tall Man'. In the Criminal Minds fandom there's a rule, if Matthew Grey Gubler directed the episode then it's going to be disturbing and 'The Tall Man' is no exception. In previous episodes, sparingly, JJ has discussed her older sister Roslyn who committed suicide when JJ was young and the necklace she wears around her neck was given to her by her sister before she died. In 'The Tall Man' the team head to JJ's hometown where two young girls remain missing and the third who was found cites the towns myth the tall man to be the perpetrator. The episode takes many bizarre turns so the audience at one point genuinley thinks the tall man could be real however the truth is far more sinister. Over the course of the episode it's revealed that a teacher at JJ's high school has been targetting young girls for years and had convinced his latest target that her friend knew too much and she had to be disposed of. The girl wears the same necklace as JJ leading her to the discovery that her sister had been groomed by this teacher which led to her sucide. The use of the myth to bring about mystery before revealing the true monster was inspired and we got more insight into JJ's background before she joined the BAU which was interesting.

Favourite Line: 'I guess I do live in this world now, because I want to try to help people.' - JJ

Doctor Who - Season 3, Episode 10 'Blink' Directed by Hettie MacDonald

'Blink' is often considered the best episode of the reived Doctor Who series and it's easy to see why. Of course I have to find it sort of ironic that one of the best episodes of Doctor Who hardly features The Doctor at all, instead we follow the character of Sally Sparrow played by Carey Mulligan. This episode is the audiences first introduction to the Weeping Angels who become a rather formidable force against The Doctor in later episodes. The Doctor and his companion Martha are stuck in the year 1969 and are communicating with Sally in the year 2007. Once again this is a great example of using temporality properly so it leaves enough mystery and excitement but it isn't overly complictated for audiences like some later Matt Smith storylines. Futhermore the relationship between Sally and DI Billy Shipton is short lived but so wonderful to watch on screen and it gave us the amazing pick up line 'life is short and you are hot'.

Favouite Line: 'Life is short and you are hot' - DI Shipton

Doctor Who - Season 9, Episode 11 'Heaven Sent' Directed by Rachel Talalay

If I'm honest the Peter Capaldi era of Doctor Who was a bit of a mess, it had a lot of ups and downs. That's not a reflection of Capaldi himself as I think he was a really good Doctor, it's just a shame that the writing didn't always reflect that. However the episode 'Heaven Sent' is an outstanding piece of writing that's executed perfectly by Capaldi. The episode centres around The Doctor being chased around an isolated castle by a cloaked figure, and once he's caught by the figure the cycle restarts. What's so impressive about this episode is that it's basically one big, long monologue by The Doctor as the only other character that's featured is the hidden monster. The episode takes place straight after the loss of long time companion Clara and is filled with metaphors for grief, it ends with The Doctor escaping and finding his way back to his home planet of Gallifrey.

Favourite Line: 'If you think because she’s dead I’m weak, then you understand very little. If you were any part of killing her, and you’re not afraid, then you understand nothing at all. So for your own sake, understand this: I am the Doctor. I’m coming to find you, and I will never, ever stop.' - The Doctor

Community - Season 2, Episodes 23&24 'A Fistful of Paintballs' and 'For a Few Paintballs More' Directed by Joe Russo

Community as a show is interesting for many reasons but most of all for being so self-aware of pop culture. The character of Abed especially acknowledges that their lives reflect certain tropes in sitcoms. The season two finale episodes are perfection and they have to be talked about together or else it doesn't make sense. Russo brings back the paintball war that happened in the previous season and frames the first episode as a Western before making a detour in the second episode with Star Wars. These episodes play on all the conventional tropes of both these forms of media but placing them in a sitcom setting and a paintball war makes it so much more interesting. Furthermore the full dive into the character of Han Solo that Abed makes is hilarous, especially when he selects an unwitting Annie as Leia to recreate iconic Star Wars scenes. This results in a kiss shared between the two characters as a paint bomb is set off and honestly makes me question what if these two characters had gotten together?

Favourite Lines: 'I hear he has more paint than a French kindergarten.' - Jeff and 'Denny's is for winners' - Jeff

The Clone Wars - Season 7, Episode 10 'The Phantom Apprentice' Directed by Nathanial Villanueva

The Clone Wars series is the best entry into the Star Wars universe and I will die on this hill. The seventh season links the audience up with the events that take place in Episode III:Revenge of the Sith and 'The Phantom Apprentice' is the episode that begins this link. The episode focuses on the capture of Darth Maul on Mandalore by former Jedi padawan Ahsoka Tano. The dynamic between these two character is what really sets this episode apart from the others. Ahsoka is no longer a Jedi but still blessed with the powers of the force, Maul thinks that her abdication from the Jedi will make her easier to manipulate and attempts to convince her to join his side as he too wants to take down Darth Sidious. He does this by revealing that her master Anakin Skywalker has been groomed to take Maul's place as his apprentice. What follows is possibly the greatest five minutes of TV as Ahsoka and Maul dual their way through Mandalore before Ahsoka eventually gains the upper hand and defeats him. The animation, choreography of the fight scenes and the cinematography all accumualte to make something that still gives me goosbumps to this day.

Favourite Line: 'Justice is merely the construct of the current power base.' - Darth Maul

The Clone Wars - Season 7, Episode 12 'Victory and death' Directed by Nathanial Villanueva

The series finale of The Clone Wars was always going to be good, but this was exceptional. The episode focuses on Ahsoka and Captain Rex escaping their ship that is now run by the clones who are under the influence of Order 66. Similarly Darth Maul is also making his own seperate escape as Ahsoka is forced to choose between stopping Maul or saving Rex, she chooses the latter. The best thing to admire here are the final two scenes. The first is when Rex and Ahsoka choose to honor the clones they lost by sticking their helmets on sticks in the ground as a graveyard. The audience then see Ahsoka reluctantly leave her lightsaber behind, essentially cutting off all previous connections to the Jedi and her former master. The second scene is the epilogue scene where years later the empire come across the clone graveyard. Darth Vader finds Ahsoka's abandoned lightsaber and takes it with him, signifying they have unfinished business and setting up their meeting in Star Wars: Rebels.

Favourite Line: 'I will not be the one to kill them' - Ahsoka

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D - Season 6, Episode 6 'Inescapable' Directed by Jesse Bochco

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is the only successful Marvel show before they began phase 4. With seven seasons the show has had it's ups and downs and despite the fact that it's no longer considered cannon I think overall it's a pretty good series. Whilst season three is personally my favourite season, the best episode comes out of season six and is centred around Fitzsimmons. The scientists are being held hostage by a species called the Chronicoms who are looking for a way to save their home planet. Trapped in their own minds Fitzsimmons try to find a way out but are faced with some of their biggest fears and insecurities along the way. Fitz's framework persona from season four and an undead version of Simmons created from supressed pain and bad memories haunt the two characters. Simmons reverts to her childlike form in order to avoid answering some of Fitz's questions. Ultimately the dialogue and relationship between the two characters is what makes this episode so perfect.

Favourite Line: 'Yeah, well, that's what 'Til death do us part' means. You don't get a free pass 'cause I died once already.' - Fitz

Teen Wolf - Season 3, Episode 6 'Motel California' Directed by Christian Taylor

By no means is Teen Wolf winning any Emmy's, however as average as the series is there is one outstanding episode. 'Motel California' is so well written and directed that it could honestly be watched as short horror film completely seperated from the series it's a part of. The whole episode is a mix of horror and psychological thriller that really keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Banshee Lydia can sense something is wrong with the motel the minute they stop there and as the episode progresses she is proven right. The supernatural members of the student body staying at the motel have some weird connection with the place in which it manages to get them to hurt themselves. The scene between Scott and Stiles where Stiles tries to convince him not to hurt himself is heart-wrenching to watch.

Favourite Line: 'Yeah, your boss. I don't really like the whole Obi-Wan thing he's got going on. It freaks me out.' - Stiles