2017 has brought us a lot of amazing television. The Hypable staff picks one standout episode from each standout season of television we’ve seen this year, from The Handmaid’s Tale and Game of Thrones to The 100 and Legion!
As the real world gets bleaker, fiction gets more inspirational — isn’t that the saying? If not, it should be.
This has been a challenging year for a number of reasons, and we’re sure we here at Hypable are not the only ones who’ve turned to entertainment for both comfort and inspiration.
2017 has featured some absolutely astonishing (television) series, both returning and debuting. It hasn’t been easy to choose just one per show, but the Hypable staff members have put together a list of what we feel represents some of the best TV episode offerings of the year.
Do you agree? Do you have any additions to our list? Tell us in the comments!
‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ — 3×06 ‘Josh is Irrelevant’
Written by Rachel Bloom & Aline Brosh McKenna & Ilana Peña, directed by Max Winkler.
Crazy Ex Girlfriend had a couple powerful episodes this season. It told the truth about mental health and showed Rebecca’s journey to rock bottom — and back. Episode 6 “Josh Is Irrelevant” showed that journey back from rock bottom. It touched on aspects of mental illness I’ve never seen on TV before. It felt honest, personal, and helpful. In this episode, Rebecca had just attempted suicide and her friends rally around her as she begins to recover.
Mental illness is a reality for many of us. This episode touched on some of my own experiences with mental illness. It helped me feel like I was not alone in my struggles this year. The song “Diagnosis” was a powerful reminder that we can belong, and the deconstruction of those themes as the episode progresses shows that we do belong with our friends, family, and all those who support us.
This show provided a little escape and some new coping mechanisms for a rough year. Crazy Ex Girlfriend delivered a reminder of all we can do to overcome our struggles and that it’s okay if those aren’t always enough.
Too many shows have shown mental illness as an event — an attempted suicide, a manic episode. They happen, sure, but once they’re over, everything returns back to normal. With mental illness, what is normal? Crazy Ex Girlfriend has been breaking that down all season. With this episode, they continue to show that mental illness isn’t an event; mental health is a journey. And it’s okay to ask for help as you travel along.
By Erica Ostergar — @ericajaneo
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ — 1×03 ‘Late’
Written by Bruce Miller, directed by Reed Morano.
Every episode of The Handmaid’s Tale is horrifyingly amazing, but episode 3 went above and beyond. Perhaps because we weren’t quite ready for the brutal truth of the tyranny in Gilead, or perhaps it hit too close to home.
The episode follows three stories: Offred and her commander’s wife, Serena Joy, processing the possibility that the Offred might be pregnant; another handmaid, Ofglen, being put on trial because of her sexuality; and flashbacks in which we see firsthand how the United States slides into a theocratic tyranny.
The episode starts off with Ofglen, who at the start of the episode is ushered down a blindingly white hallway, handcuffed and muzzled. Ofglen doesn’t utter a word over the course of the episode, and while “Late” is full of traumatic imagery, the most impactful image is the uncomfortably close up shots of Ofglen’s traumatized eyes, which say everything she verbally has lost the right to say.
Related: If you liked ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ try these 7 dystopian shows
Ofglen is on trial for having a secret affair with another woman — one whose name we never learn. Both are charged and are in a trial in which neither are allowed to speak. In unimaginable horror, Ofglen is forced to watch her lover be hanged, after sharing a powerful but mute goodbye.
Ofglen we learn later is sent away to receive “redemption” by means of a genital mutilation. We learn of Ofglen’s real name, Emily, and she is told by the government agent that, “Things will be so much easier for you now. You won’t want what you cannot have.” Emily is finally left alone, unmuzzled, and she releases the screams we all by now feel inside.
Meanwhile, Offred is treated wonderfully by the household she is owned by — that is, until they find out she actually isn’t pregnant; therefore she is beaten by her commander’s wife.
Scenes of present-day United States, shown by way of flashbacks, are horrific in another way. Protests of government changes show real resemblance to the real-life Women’s March — and was filmed before the real march was planned.
Perhaps the most eye-opening quote of the episode is what Offred says:
“Now I’m awake to the world. I was asleep before. That’s how we let it happen. When they slaughtered Congress, we didn’t wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the Constitution, we didn’t wake up then either. They said it would be temporary. Nothing changes instantaneously. In a gradually heating bathtub, you’d be boiled to death before you knew it.”
If The Handmaid’s Tale previews us a possible future of women’s rights, episode 3 lays it all out for us.
By Emily McDonald — @sirlupton
‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ — 4×15 ‘Self-Control’
Written by Jed Whedon, directed by Jed Whedon.
The second pod of season 4 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. came to a truly breath-stealing conclusion in “Self-Control,” the first writing-and-directing effort from showrunner Jed Whedon. Whedon more than proved equal to the task of closing out the twisted and terrifying LMD arc, setting up a claustrophobic and emotionally resonant episode that left me trembling with adrenaline (and feels. All the feels.)
In “Self-Control,” Daisy and Simmons found themselves all but alone, trapped in the base with the rest of their team swapped out for murderously-minded Life Model Decoys. The drama and mind-games were turned up to eleven (I’m still scarred by Simmons’ fight to the death with robo-Fitz!) and a few moments spent pondering the philosophy of human identity added depth and pathos to the story. Leavened by plucky side characters and well-placed humor, “Self-Control” provided a profoundly emotional transition into the final world-upending act of season 4.
But what elevates “Self-Control” to the level of all-time favorites for me is the episode’s almost exclusive focus on its female characters. Of the main cast, only Daisy and Simmons remain human, and it is their strength and mutual support which allows them — and thereby, S.H.I.E.L.D. — to survive. Even the LMD version of May has a profound moment, as the robot comes, quite movingly, to terms with her true nature, and provides a sacrifice play at the most critical moment.
As much an exploration of female and agency as it is a chillingly effective horror story, “Self-Control” represented the best that Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. can be. Scary, heartrending, heartfelt, and honest, it’s the kind of episode that keeps me tied to this crazy ride, and loving the journey.
By Michal Schick — @inkasrain
‘The 100’ — 4×13 ‘Praimfaya’
Written by Jason Rothenberg, directed by Dean White.
I was a big fan of The 100 season 4. After the non-stop sensory assault of season 3, it was a welcome relief to slow down a little, the end-of-the-world countdown literally forcing the characters to stop and take stock of their own humanity and mortality, with episodes like “Heavy Lies the Crown,” “Gimme Shelter” and “God Complex” beautifully introspective in tone. Seasons 3 and 4 complimented each other in a way that, on rewatch, elevates them both, with season 4 serving to resolve a lot of major, long-running story arcs and wiping the slate clean for season 5.
Years of storytelling came to a head in the season 4 finale “Praimfaya,” as well as the preceding “The Chosen,” which provided much-needed moments of reckoning for Octavia and the adult characters. While the final two episodes were decidedly not a two-parter, they nonetheless felt of a piece, and “The Chosen” deserves a special mention here for the way in which it wrapped up the story of ‘the adults’ in the bunker. I was particularly impressed with the resolution of Kane and Jaha’s story, as I have written about at length.
But “Praimfaya,” written by series creator Jason Rothenberg, not only benefited from counting down the final minutes until the apocalypse finally hit, but from a season of mounting tensions and emotions that had already come to an action-heavy peak in the equally (but differently) fantastic “Die All, Die Merrily”; the big battle had already been fought, and this episode was Frodo and Sam at Mount Doom, at the end of all things, the episode carrying a sense of heavy finality that gave all interactions and moments of triumph more weight.
Although it wasn’t, this episode served as a series finale of sorts, ending one era and ushering in another; with the final minutes revealing a six-year time jump, “Praimfaya” felt almost like a love letter to the show and the characters as they were — because in season 5, nothing will be the same.
Aside from being a solid wrap-up to the season (and The 100 1.0), “Praimfaya” was also just a stunningly good episode, perhaps my personal favorite of the series as a whole. There was heart-pounding action, heart, a good dose of humor — always a welcome addition — and the episode arguably did the most any episode of The 100 has ever done in terms of visually and verbally articulating not only that the characters care about each other, but why and to what effect.
By Selina Wilken — @SelinaWilken
‘The Bold Type’ — 1×10 ‘Carry the Weight’
Written by Sarah Watson, directed by Victor Nelli Jr.Written by Sarah Watson, directed by Victor Nelli Jr.
At Hypable, The Bold Type was one of our favorites this year. We’ve written about its spectacular LGBTQIA+ representation and why we’re excited to see it back on our screens in 2018. It has many worthy storylines and episodes. It’s just that good, y’all.
The season finale was the best episode of a great show. Not only did it return to themes in the pilot, continue building the characters in new and interesting ways, and paint a relatable picture of working millennial women, it told an important story about sexual assault.
For her last assignment working at Scarlet magazine, Jane wanted to tell the story of Mia, a survivor of rape. Mia never got legal justice, so she took justice into her own hands with a performance art piece that allows survivors to hold the weights of justice. Only, now, Mia carries the weights alone.
Mia’s story connected with something deep inside me. When she described the aftermath of her assault, she said, “It’s like the pain didn’t fit my body.” She puts words to a grief and healing process that’s difficult to explain. She made the pain shareable and understandable and in doing so, The Bold Type opened up conversations about sexual assault.
Mia’s story connected with something inside Scarlet editor, Jacqueline, too. Near the end of the episode, Jacqueline takes a turn holding Mia’s weights and finally comes forward about her own sexual assault. Throughout the entire season, The Bold Type portrayed Jacqueline as a mentor, a powerful wise-wizard type. She doesn’t lose any of her power in this episode, even though she makes herself vulnerable.
If someone so powerful carries the weight as well, that makes it a little more bearable. We’re in this together. The Bold Type allowed Jacquline to carry Mia’s weight, and ultimately allowed her to carry a bit of ours, too.
By Erica Ostergar — @ericajaneo
‘The Good Place’ — 1×13 ‘Michael’s Gambit’
Written by Michael Schur, directed by Michael Schur.
Let’s face it, it’s not so easy to be truly surprised by television anymore. With spoilers and trailers and behind the scenes paparazzi photos, most truly shocking events become somewhat dulled these days. Enter The Good Place and it’s season 1 finale.
It aired last January, so it may feel like it has been a year since “Michael’s Gambit” aired, but despite its airdate, it remains one of the best episodes of television to grace the airwaves this year.
The entire episode snowballs to the moment that everything we have come to know about The Good Place gets flipped upside down. It’s simultaneously exciting and jarring, and it forced the viewer to accept that when it comes to The Good Place, things aren’t always what they seem. Never before had an episode of television completely and utterly flabbergasted me. I simply didn’t see it coming.
Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, D’Arcy Carden, and all the rest have delivered on a premise that is thoroughly delightful in every way and “Michael’s Gambit” was the proof at the end of a long con that sometimes true and uncompromising surprise is the best gift of all.
I could not be more excited for The Good Place to continue for many years to come and continue to deliver incredible comedy and a much-needed escape from the dumpster-fire that is our current reality.
By Kristen Kranz — @kranzie85
‘Master of None’ — 2×06 ‘New York, I Love You’
Written by Aziz Ansari & Alan Yang, directed by Alan Yang.
Aziz Ansari’s Netflix series had some truly great episodes (yo that “Thanksgiving” one, am I right?), but the one that takes the cake is a love letter to New York. More specifically, it’s a love letter to the people we usually don’t get to see featured on television. Dev isn’t really even on screen for this one, but that’s because we get a chance to watch other compelling characters and learn their stories.
Eddie the doorman deals with a resident who’s trying to sleep around; Maya, a deaf bodega-worker, argues with her husband about their sex life; and Samuel, an immigrant taxi-driver just wants to have a night out with his buddies. Eddie warms us up, but we really dive in when the sound cuts out for Maya’s story.
Inspired by real-life interviews of people in New York Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang did. Truly, a groundbreaking episode. If you’re going to watch one episode of Master of None, watch this one.
By Rebecca Dzida — @QuothDzidaNVM
‘American Gods’ — 1×03 ‘Head Full of Snow’
Written by Aziz Ansari & Alan Yang, directed by Alan Yang.
The first season of American Gods did plenty to flesh out the pages of Neil Gaiman’s best-seller. Laura Moon, Bilquis, Mr. Nancy, all saw their stories drawn out just a bit further than the book allowed. But one episode, took what was on the page, and breathed new life into the passages and descriptions.
“Head Full of Snow,” the third episode of the season, felt as though the creators of the show took the readers’ hands and reassured them that their beloved book was in good hands. The show would not work if Shadow Moon and Mr. Wednesday didn’t have an inherent connection.
Related: Bryan Fuller and Michael Green exit American Gods at Starz
This episode showcases the full spectrum of their relationship. From the magic of snow, to the punchy bank robbery, to their final conversation in the car at the conclusion of the episode — Ricky Whittle and Ian McShane never felt more like the characters I’ve seen in my head for years.
This episode also contained one other important story – Salim meeting the Jinn. As a passenger in the Jinn’s cab, Salim laments about the shit lot in life he’s been dealt since coming to America. The Jinn, whom Salim recognizes from tales of his childhood, grants Salim an awakening, a chance to start over in America.
There are a few moments I was curious if the show would even attempt to tell about going into this series. And if they did, how would they land? I’ve learned to stop doubting Fuller. Their intimacy, both in conversation and sexually, created one of the most captivating scenes on television this year.
By Brittany Lovely — @britlovely237
‘The Leftovers’ — 3×08 ‘The Book of Nora’
Written by Tom Perrotta & Damon Lindelof, directed by Mimi Leder.
The Leftovers has always been the hardest show to find the words to describe. It is a spectacle that lends itself naturally to discussion. And the final season of the show airing in 2017 is perhaps the most 2017 thing to happen. The show, for the three seasons it ran, dealt with the idea of staring directly at the void, asking for answers from the universe, and getting nothing but emptiness back.
The premiere of this final season was my favorite episode of the season. But the series finale, “The Book of Nora,” was its best. It grapples with the idea of belief and what we choose to believe is true to make our own existence bearable.
The Leftovers was never going to give its audience answers. In Nora’s final monologue to Kevin Garvey, she tells him about her adventure in the Departure machine, seeing her family, and finding a way back from the “greener” grass. What Nora knows to be true, is what she needs Kevin to believe. And those final words, “Why wouldn’t I believe you? You’re here,” wrap up the entire series with a nice, tight bow.
By Brittany Lovely — @britlovely237
Superstore — 3×06 ‘Health Fund’
Written by Jackie Clarke, directed by Victor Nelli Jr.
“Cover everything, exclude no one, and make it affordable.” Sounds like the plot of a political drama trying to turn the headlines into a fuel for drama. But instead, it is the plot of the best comedy flying under the radar for the last two years, Superstore.
In the episode “Health Fund,” Mateo gets an ear infection, and the store collects money for his doctor visit by setting up a fake charity at the register. Apparently, this is something that happens many, many times. The Cloud 9 healthcare plan isn’t great.
But when the group decides to create a monthly donation fund that can then be emptied when someone needs the money — a plan so simple, how could it fail! — they are hit with reality. Healthcare is complicated. Sure, it tackles an immensely complicated issue on a microscopic scale. But in that group, many faces and causes are represented. We want everyone to walk away covered.
Watching Amy and Jonah sketch out plans across three whiteboards with different tiers, payment plans, and hearing the outrage from their coworkers achieved the impossible. They found humor in healthcare.
By Brittany Lovely — @britlovely237
‘Legion’ — 1×07 ‘Chapter 7’
Written by Jennifer Yale, directed by Dennie Gordon.
The penultimate episode of Legion’s daring and mind-bending first season embodies the surreal complexion of the series impeccably. When I had the chance to interview Legion’s Director of Photography Craig Wrobleski, my perspective of the series only grew more passionate as I obtained a deeper understanding of the crew’s deployment of practical effects, film and TV influence (particularly David Lynch of Twin Peaks and Stanley Kubrick [The Shining], and the outstanding acting range of Aubrey Plaza.
The evidence of the above is glorious and abundant in “Chapter 7” from the Boléro musical sequence (composed brilliantly by Jeff Russo in a mix that would make Maurice Ravel himself applaud) intercut with a horrifying silent movie montage, culminated with the astounding direction of Dennie Gordon and writing of Jennifer Yale, and unleashed villainy of Aubrey Plaza (in a role that was originally written for a middle-aged man, which Plaza entirely owned and collaborated with series creator Noah Hawley to form).
Legion’s first season was a visually astounding experience that took the conventional superhero formula, added a dash of psychedelics, and set it to Pink Floyd that left viewers questioning the endless possibilities of the Marvel universe.
“Chapter 7” encompasses all that and more with a twisted mastery and focus on the uncanny taking the X-Men universe to new levels. You can now watch this extraordinary episode (and the entire first season) on Hulu!
By Nate D’Agostino — @natedagos
‘Riverdale’ — 2×05 ‘When a Stranger Calls’
Written by Aaron Allen, directed by Ellen Pressman.
Riverdale‘s season 2 has ramped up the suspense and aims to out do Pretty Little Liars with sometimes ridiculous, but always addictive plot twists.
From beginning to end, the fifth episode was one of the best.
Firstly, The Black Hood tortures poor Betty by making her cut her friends out of life otherwise he’ll murder them. Subsequently she breaks up with Jughead as well as her BFF Veronica. Jughead has quite a journey in this episode by officially joining the Serpents, getting a tattoo, has a Fight Club moment, and makes out with Toni. And it is revealed Alice Cooper was a Southside Serpent, *record scratch* What?! This episode has no limits.
One of the best moments was when Veronica and Josie and the Pussycats rightfully and gloriously kick the shit out of Nick St. Clair after his attempted rape of Cheryl. And in panic, isolated and scared Betty gives the Black Hood Nick St. Clair’s name, and right there we have an episode that has crazy suspense, emotion, and action. And of course, more fuel to add to the ever-growing theories of who The Black Hood really is.
By Emily McDonald — @sirlupton
‘Supernatural’ — 13×05 ‘Advanced Thanatology’
Written by Steve Yockey, directed by John Showalter.
It’s absurdly fitting that the number thirteen would prove lucky for a show like Supernatural. The brothers Winchester entered their record-breaking 13th season stronger than ever, delving into the raw, grief-stricken aftermath of the season 12 finale with one of the most powerful and personal arcs in the show’s history.
The 2017 fall premiere, “Lost and Found,” forced the breathless emotional honesty a step further than it’s ever been pushed before, but it was the season’s fifth episode, “Advanced Thanatology,” in which Dean is so lost in the depths of nihilistic despair that he temporarily takes his own life in order to solve a ghost hunt mystery, that really takes the cake.
When Dean enters the Veil, the realm between the living and the dead where unhappy ghosts dwell, he comes face to face with a new incarnation of Death herself: the former reaper Billie, who reads him a few home truths about his behavior and his future, teases a huge, fateful, potentially final mission for the brothers, and kicks him back into the land of the living. There is a huge shift, this season, in his emotional expression, and in “Thanatology” that’s spelled out plain as day — as he speaks with Sam openly and honestly about the experience instead of pushing it down, he is narratively rewarded with the “win” he so craves -the resurrection of Castiel.
Dean’s conversation with Billie, down in a library filled with books that contain every possible story of his future death, is one of the most intense scenes that Supernatural has ever shown us, and it’s more than that — “Advanced Thanatology” almost felt like a new pilot, or at the very least, the beginning of the end — the Winchesters have had their fair share of fated roles to play, but what Billie hints at — that they’re important, that they have work to do — feels even bigger than anything we have seen before.
While I don’t want the show to end, I do think that it’s going to, in maybe the next two years, and this episode feels like the key, perhaps, to the final arc – the seed of the mission to end all missions that allows them to finally find their freedom in some way.
By Natalie Fisher — @nataliefisher
‘Game of Thrones’ — 7×04 ‘The Spoils of War’
Written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss, directed by Matt Shakman.
Game of Thrones was a rollercoaster of highs and baffling lows in its penultimate season, but the triumphs of “The Spoils of War” are indisputable. Rich and wide-ranging, the fourth episode reached peaks of intimate familial drama, percolating romance, and the kind of epic fantasy battlage for which Game of Thrones has become legend.
“The Spoils of War” featured Arya’s long (long, long!) awaited return home to Winterfell, and her unexpectedly warm-hearted reunion with Sansa. (Sure, that relationship went down a very strange road in later episodes, but the initial meeting was still lovely.) And in a scene that spawned a thousand GIFs, Arya even got to cross blades with Brienne as the two women fighting to a draw that honored both their skill and enjoyment of the craft.
Meanwhile, Jon and Daenerys tiptoed further down the road to romance as they marveled at the ancient carvings of the White Walkers deep beneath Dragonstone. But as ever, Dany was torn between myth and practicality when the disastrous results of her gambits with Ironborn and at Casterly Rock are made known. Pushed to the point of unheeding stubbornness by her advisors’ failures, Dany mounted Drogon and ushered in the final act.
The spectacular battle outside the walls of King’s Landing was not the first time Game of Thrones fans had scene awesome dragon action, but it was the first time that such epicness had taken place in Westeros. And this time, the characters on the other side weren’t blurry Essosi, but Jaime, Bronn, and men of the realm that we knew and cared for. Between the highly personal stakes, spectacular “field of fire” visuals and screencraft, and sheer, fist-pumping coolness, the final scenes of “The Spoils of War” cemented the episode’s place among the most skilful and enjoyable of the year.
By Michal Schick — @inkasrain
‘Black Sails’ — 4×10 ‘XXXVIII’
Written by Jonathan E. Steinberg & Robert Levine, directed by Jonathan E. Steinberg.
Whenever I recommend Black Sails, which has become an embarrassingly often occurrence, XXXVIII is the episode I’m waiting for people to reach. Not because it’s the series finale and we’ll finally be able to discuss things in full, but because it showcases just how powerful a story can become if the narrative has worthy custodians.
The architecture of Black Sails was designed to serve one moment. When two men, with opposing conventions, meet each other across the battlefield of life. It took four seasons to reach this point and the payoff comes to us in the form of one conversation, in middle of a tropical forest, on a deserted island; and boy does it deliver.
It’s tempting to just copy and paste the opposing monologues and allow them to wash over you. But the truth is, you would be missing out on the performances of a lifetime from Toby Stephens and Luke Arnold. It’s hard to state just how compelling these performances are without sounding like an overzealous fan.
Related: Why ‘Black Sails’ has made me question everything I know about good TV
But Stephens takes the already breathtaking dialogue and raises it to a level that competes with Shakespeare in its level of gravitas. If Stephens is a tsunami building with passion ready to crash across us all, then Arnold in the bedrock on which his ocean sits. Steadfast and resolute, emotive yet cold, the two balance each other out perfectly.
For technical reasons, there might be other episodes from this season that hold up better under intense critical pressure, that showcase the ensemble cast a little more evenly, or even hit a little closer to home politically. But for me personally, I’m in awe of the delicacy and care that went into the series finale. It’s not easy to end things. How many cultural juggernauts actually pull off satisfying endings? The list is much shorter than it should be. Which is why I have so much respect for the Black Sails series finale.
This show got it exactly right. It provided the audience with just enough ambiguity that their own temperaments and outlooks are reflected back in their analysis. Revealing more about one’s state of mind than the story itself. Which may be the one defining characteristic of great art. This isn’t to say that the story lacks a definitive end. There is resolution to be found in every story told, it’s simply up to us to define it.
By Brook Wentz — @BrookWentz