The Best TV Episodes of 2011 (According to me :p)
So even though its a little late, as promised here is the list of the best episodes of tv I watched in 2011.
I tried to only do two episodes per show so not to have 3 shows dominate every thing. I would love to hear your thoughts!
15. Glee: The Adele Rumour Has It/Someone Like You mashup
I am not a Glee "fan" and I can't bring myself to put the whole episode on the countdown, but this mashup is perfection. I could watch it a million times and it still wouldn't get old.
14.Chuck, Chuck vs The Push Mix
This episode was the most enjoyable Chuck episode of the season, Morgan and Chuck have hilarious spy missions together, plus we get baby Awesome. And then of course, after the failed big proposal, Chuck proposes to Sarah quietly in the hospital hallway. <3
13. Once Upon a Time, Pilot
I didn't have much hope for this show going in, but the Pilot was lovely and gave a bit of everything that seems to be missing on most network tv shows. It had originality, interesting characters, heart, and so much fun.
12. Game of Thrones, The Pointy End
Written by GRRM himself, this episode was amazingly well done, with plenty of memorable moments for so many characters. Arya's escape with Syrio fighting off Lannister soldiers, Drogo's fight scene, and Robb leading the North to battle were all epic.
11. Being Human, The Longest Day
This was the best episode of a great Season 3, the suspense over Herrick's true intentions and the question of if he remembered who he was while being questioned by George, Annie, Nina, and Mitchell left you on the edge of your seat.
10. Boardwalk Empire, Under God's Power She Flourishes
Ever want to know what happened to make Jimmy Darmody the man we know? This episode provided all those (unpleasant) answers, and left you understanding how Jimmy met Angela and why he joined the Army to fight in WWI. Michael Pitt's performance deserves many awards, and as a huge Jimmy fan this episode was one of Boardwalk's best.
9. Luther, Episode 1 (Season 2)
There are many procedural shows on tv today, but very few have the intensity of Luther. This episode was thrilling, as Luther chases a masked murderer throughout London, and terrifying because of the manner of the murders committed. We got to see more of the Luther/Alice friendship, and finally were left with a shocking cliffhanger of an ending. Never have I been more afraid to leave the house because of a tv series.
8. Sons of Anarchy, To Be (Pts 1 and 2)
Season four of SOA was a great season for the show on whole, and the finale served as both an excellent conclusion to the drama of the year and also a great kick start to the new season. I loved especially how Jax and Tara's relationship evolved in the finale, with Jax telling Tara the whole truth, where so many tv characters lie to their spouse's, and then Tara deciding to stay with Jax in Charming. Plus we finally got to see Clay taken down from the president's position and Jax find out about the letters.
7. Misfits, Episode 7 (Season 3)
The zombie episode as I call it was Misfits at its most hilarious best. From the pure ridiculousness of the situation, to none of the gang being able to kill the zombie cat and another dead probation worker, this episode had me dying.
6. Downton Abbey, Episode 4 (Season 1)
Season One of Downton was perfection and this was my favorite episode. The storyline they give Mrs. Hughes is excellent and brought out some excellent scenes between her and Carson. We also get to see the start of the Mary/Matthew relationship as well as Sybil/Branson. The fair setting also adds to the magic.
5. Homeland, Marine One
The conclusion to an amazing first season did not disappoint (despite the fact the preview for this episode after the one the week before gave soo much away). The intensity was ratcheted up again and Damian Lewis did an amazing job portraying Brody's emotions during the attempted suicide bombing. Happily, (since who really wanted the show to continue next season without him?) Brody does not go through with it, instead deciding to use his new political status to influence the country. The ending left you with a feeling of relief and then sadness, when Carrie realizes she isn't crazy, but then loses the memory which convinced her.
4. Boardwalk Empire, To The Lost
No one was expecting this season of Boardwalk Empire to end the way it did. The whole season pitted Jimmy against Nucky, but I don't think anyone believed it would actually end in one of their deaths. The Boardwalk writers need to be commended for their daring (although part of me says maybe we should wait to see what a post-Jimmy Boardwalk is like) and the class with which they killed of the character. After seeing in the previous episode what got Jimmy into the army and fighting WWI, this episode then further brought home the conclusion that he just never mentally made it back. The whole episode has a building sense of foreboding for the character, the beautifully shot scene where he takes his son to ride the pony ends with a distant expression on Jimmy's face and him offering some last advice to his son. His final scene with Richard, the one man who understood him better than anyone else, was extremely touching especially when he begs Richard to try and come home, despite the fact he was never able to. He flatly says this to Nucky before he is shot, and then we cut to the gorgeous/tragic scene of him going over the top back in the war. One of the best deaths I have ever seen play out on tv.
3. Game of Thrones, Baelor
Speaking of great death scenes...though I knew this one was coming it was still portrayed with enough emotion between Ned Stark and his two daughters watching on to break my heart (again). This episode on whole was the most solid of the season, with all the different characters having equally interesting storylines that were also able intertwine in some cases. War has finally come to Westeros, and while we only see the beginning and result of the battles, the feeling these scenes give off is enough to satisfy the viewer. We get to watch Robb become a leader in The Pointy End, but Baelor gives us a chance to see why the North is so willing to follow him and also give us a new hero to root for. I loved the way the episode was designed, with a Ned scene only at the beginning and then the end, allowing the viewer to become high on Robb's victory and capture of Jaime Lannister and letting Ned slip from their mind only to have their emotions come crashing down at the end.
2. Homeland, The Weekend
On the surface this just seemed like a typical midseason episode, where the two main characters meet and share just enough info to move the plot forward. Instead it was a total game changer. Again, Lewis and Danes portrayed their characters to perfection, as your senses are consistently thrown around because you can never figure out what is going to happen next. The makeshift interrogation at the cabin is extremely intense and revealing, and right when you think, where are they going to go next they drop the ultimate twist.
1. Friday Night Lights, Always
(images from the whole season)
Series finales are probably one of the hardest things for a tv show to get right, and one of the biggest things that can ruin the reputation of a good show, so it pleases me greatly to be able to say that Friday Night Lights got their's perfect. There were no last minute betrayals of character or random plot holes hurriedly filled in, just pure heart which is what FNL has been about all along. My favorite thing about the whole episode was Coach Taylor agreeing to move so Tami could live her dream, so many times on tv it seems like the wife is the lesser in the relationship with the man always making decisions, but FNL always did a great job keeping them both equal. Their decision to end the series with Coach leaving Texas just felt like the perfect conclusion. Seeing Tami happy and Coach starting over with new players just brought (many, many) tears to my eyes. Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose.
*All images are from tumblr and not mine :)
I tried to only do two episodes per show so not to have 3 shows dominate every thing. I would love to hear your thoughts!
15. Glee: The Adele Rumour Has It/Someone Like You mashup
Click to viewI am not a Glee "fan" and I can't bring myself to put the whole episode on the countdown, but this mashup is perfection. I could watch it a million times and it still wouldn't get old.
14.Chuck, Chuck vs The Push Mix
This episode was the most enjoyable Chuck episode of the season, Morgan and Chuck have hilarious spy missions together, plus we get baby Awesome. And then of course, after the failed big proposal, Chuck proposes to Sarah quietly in the hospital hallway. <3
13. Once Upon a Time, Pilot
I didn't have much hope for this show going in, but the Pilot was lovely and gave a bit of everything that seems to be missing on most network tv shows. It had originality, interesting characters, heart, and so much fun.
12. Game of Thrones, The Pointy End
Written by GRRM himself, this episode was amazingly well done, with plenty of memorable moments for so many characters. Arya's escape with Syrio fighting off Lannister soldiers, Drogo's fight scene, and Robb leading the North to battle were all epic.
11. Being Human, The Longest Day
This was the best episode of a great Season 3, the suspense over Herrick's true intentions and the question of if he remembered who he was while being questioned by George, Annie, Nina, and Mitchell left you on the edge of your seat.
10. Boardwalk Empire, Under God's Power She Flourishes
Ever want to know what happened to make Jimmy Darmody the man we know? This episode provided all those (unpleasant) answers, and left you understanding how Jimmy met Angela and why he joined the Army to fight in WWI. Michael Pitt's performance deserves many awards, and as a huge Jimmy fan this episode was one of Boardwalk's best.
9. Luther, Episode 1 (Season 2)
There are many procedural shows on tv today, but very few have the intensity of Luther. This episode was thrilling, as Luther chases a masked murderer throughout London, and terrifying because of the manner of the murders committed. We got to see more of the Luther/Alice friendship, and finally were left with a shocking cliffhanger of an ending. Never have I been more afraid to leave the house because of a tv series.
8. Sons of Anarchy, To Be (Pts 1 and 2)
Season four of SOA was a great season for the show on whole, and the finale served as both an excellent conclusion to the drama of the year and also a great kick start to the new season. I loved especially how Jax and Tara's relationship evolved in the finale, with Jax telling Tara the whole truth, where so many tv characters lie to their spouse's, and then Tara deciding to stay with Jax in Charming. Plus we finally got to see Clay taken down from the president's position and Jax find out about the letters.
7. Misfits, Episode 7 (Season 3)
The zombie episode as I call it was Misfits at its most hilarious best. From the pure ridiculousness of the situation, to none of the gang being able to kill the zombie cat and another dead probation worker, this episode had me dying.
6. Downton Abbey, Episode 4 (Season 1)
Season One of Downton was perfection and this was my favorite episode. The storyline they give Mrs. Hughes is excellent and brought out some excellent scenes between her and Carson. We also get to see the start of the Mary/Matthew relationship as well as Sybil/Branson. The fair setting also adds to the magic.
5. Homeland, Marine One
The conclusion to an amazing first season did not disappoint (despite the fact the preview for this episode after the one the week before gave soo much away). The intensity was ratcheted up again and Damian Lewis did an amazing job portraying Brody's emotions during the attempted suicide bombing. Happily, (since who really wanted the show to continue next season without him?) Brody does not go through with it, instead deciding to use his new political status to influence the country. The ending left you with a feeling of relief and then sadness, when Carrie realizes she isn't crazy, but then loses the memory which convinced her.
4. Boardwalk Empire, To The Lost
No one was expecting this season of Boardwalk Empire to end the way it did. The whole season pitted Jimmy against Nucky, but I don't think anyone believed it would actually end in one of their deaths. The Boardwalk writers need to be commended for their daring (although part of me says maybe we should wait to see what a post-Jimmy Boardwalk is like) and the class with which they killed of the character. After seeing in the previous episode what got Jimmy into the army and fighting WWI, this episode then further brought home the conclusion that he just never mentally made it back. The whole episode has a building sense of foreboding for the character, the beautifully shot scene where he takes his son to ride the pony ends with a distant expression on Jimmy's face and him offering some last advice to his son. His final scene with Richard, the one man who understood him better than anyone else, was extremely touching especially when he begs Richard to try and come home, despite the fact he was never able to. He flatly says this to Nucky before he is shot, and then we cut to the gorgeous/tragic scene of him going over the top back in the war. One of the best deaths I have ever seen play out on tv.
3. Game of Thrones, Baelor
Speaking of great death scenes...though I knew this one was coming it was still portrayed with enough emotion between Ned Stark and his two daughters watching on to break my heart (again). This episode on whole was the most solid of the season, with all the different characters having equally interesting storylines that were also able intertwine in some cases. War has finally come to Westeros, and while we only see the beginning and result of the battles, the feeling these scenes give off is enough to satisfy the viewer. We get to watch Robb become a leader in The Pointy End, but Baelor gives us a chance to see why the North is so willing to follow him and also give us a new hero to root for. I loved the way the episode was designed, with a Ned scene only at the beginning and then the end, allowing the viewer to become high on Robb's victory and capture of Jaime Lannister and letting Ned slip from their mind only to have their emotions come crashing down at the end.
2. Homeland, The Weekend
On the surface this just seemed like a typical midseason episode, where the two main characters meet and share just enough info to move the plot forward. Instead it was a total game changer. Again, Lewis and Danes portrayed their characters to perfection, as your senses are consistently thrown around because you can never figure out what is going to happen next. The makeshift interrogation at the cabin is extremely intense and revealing, and right when you think, where are they going to go next they drop the ultimate twist.
1. Friday Night Lights, Always
(images from the whole season)
Series finales are probably one of the hardest things for a tv show to get right, and one of the biggest things that can ruin the reputation of a good show, so it pleases me greatly to be able to say that Friday Night Lights got their's perfect. There were no last minute betrayals of character or random plot holes hurriedly filled in, just pure heart which is what FNL has been about all along. My favorite thing about the whole episode was Coach Taylor agreeing to move so Tami could live her dream, so many times on tv it seems like the wife is the lesser in the relationship with the man always making decisions, but FNL always did a great job keeping them both equal. Their decision to end the series with Coach leaving Texas just felt like the perfect conclusion. Seeing Tami happy and Coach starting over with new players just brought (many, many) tears to my eyes. Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose.
*All images are from tumblr and not mine :)