A pint-sized murder mystery, a searing Spike Lee-directed doc entry and a bittersweetly hilarious Thanksgiving rank among THR critics’ favorite small-screen chapters of the year.
There are times, watching a TV show, when it seems obvious which chapter is meant to be the season’s big standout.
They’re the splashy ones that spotlight a side character, or bring in a big A-list name, or drop a shocking twist that scrambles the chess board for good. Then there are the quieter installments that do none of those things, but simply represent the show at its best, with everyone in front of and behind the camera firing on all cylinders.
Our annual list of favorite episodes of the year contains some of both, hailing from a similarly vast range of networks, genres and overall vibes. What it doesn’t contain are titles we’ve already included in either of our top 10 lists or our “favorite performances” list. It’s not that we weren’t wowed by Andor’s harrowing Ghorman massacre or The Rehearsal’s deranged deep dive into Sully Sullenberger’s autobiography or Severance’s surreal ORTBO — just that with so much to celebrate, we’d prefer to spread the wealth.
With that said, here are 10 individual episodes that stayed with us all year.
“Worms,” The Bear (FX/Hulu)
Sensitively written by series co-stars Ayo Edebiri and Lionel Boyce, attentively directed by Janicza Bravo, this Syd-centric episode was the highlight of the uneven (but I would say still generally strong) fourth season of The Bear. Edebiri also shines in front of the camera as Syd visits a cousin (Danielle Deadwyler, excellent) to get her hair done and ends up babysitting her daughter (Arion King, terrific as well), using the afternoon as a safe space for a cooking lesson and an opportunity to work through her professional options. It’s a side of Syd that the show has never been able to present before, and leads to an episode of beautiful details and funny, touching moments free of the bombast that typically emerges from family gatherings on The Bear. (Don’t take that to mean that I didn’t love “Bears,” with its parade of guest stars and a magical expanding table.) — D.F.