From Breaking Bad, Justified, Girls and Parks and Recreation.
by Erik Hahmann
I didn’t get a chance to see every great show of 2013 (there are just too many), but here are the best episodes of television I had the privilege of seeing over the past year.
Breaking Bad, “Ozymandias”Directed by Rian Johnson of “Looper” fame, it’s simply the finest hour of one of television’s all-time great shows. This episode marks the beginning of the end for Walter White as the world he’s been so careful to protect begins crumbling around him. Only a fraction of his fortune remains, he gets into a knife fight with his wife(!), his son finds out he’s a drug lord, and he has to flee the state with a new identity. What’s not to love?
Justified, “Decoy”
I say this with no hyperbole: “Decoy” is the finest written episode of television I’ve ever seen. No show does dialogue better than Justified, which should come as no surprise considering it’s adapted from an Elmore Leonard short story. Every expertly crafted sentence cuts deeper than any knife or bullet ever could. The stand-off at the high school between Raylan and Boyd, and Tim and Colt’s tete-a-tete about the military convoy are as good as television gets.
Girls, “One Man’s Trash
It’s no surprise that one of the most polarizing shows on television aired one of the most polarizing episodes of the year. It’s a beautiful, self-contained, introspective half hour about a young woman slowly realizing what she wants out of life and how vulnerable it makes her feel. Local boy Patrick Wilson is fantastic as the rich, older stranger who Hannah spends the two intense days with.
Parks and Recreation, “London”
The sixth season premiere is Parks and Rec at its absolute best. The hour long episode encapsulates everything it’s small but loyal fanbase has come to love about the series. Because we’ve gotten to know these characters so well over five seasons everything they go through in this episode, Leslie’s award, April’s letter, Ron’s wedding present, feels entirely earned. The show is ostensibly a comedy, yet every so often there are moments that put a smile on your face for entirely different reasons, which helps keep Parks and Rec among the very best shows on all television.
From Breaking Bad, Justified, Girls and Parks and Recreation.
by Erik Hahmann
I didn’t get a chance to see every great show of 2013 (there are just too many), but here are the best episodes of television I had the privilege of seeing over the past year.
Breaking Bad, “Ozymandias”Directed by Rian Johnson of “Looper” fame, it’s simply the finest hour of one of television’s all-time great shows. This episode marks the beginning of the end for Walter White as the world he’s been so careful to protect begins crumbling around him. Only a fraction of his fortune remains, he gets into a knife fight with his wife(!), his son finds out he’s a drug lord, and he has to flee the state with a new identity. What’s not to love?
Justified, “Decoy”
I say this with no hyperbole: “Decoy” is the finest written episode of television I’ve ever seen. No show does dialogue better than Justified, which should come as no surprise considering it’s adapted from an Elmore Leonard short story. Every expertly crafted sentence cuts deeper than any knife or bullet ever could. The stand-off at the high school between Raylan and Boyd, and Tim and Colt’s tete-a-tete about the military convoy are as good as television gets.
Girls, “One Man’s Trash
It’s no surprise that one of the most polarizing shows on television aired one of the most polarizing episodes of the year. It’s a beautiful, self-contained, introspective half hour about a young woman slowly realizing what she wants out of life and how vulnerable it makes her feel. Local boy Patrick Wilson is fantastic as the rich, older stranger who Hannah spends the two intense days with.
Parks and Recreation, “London”
The sixth season premiere is Parks and Rec at its absolute best. The hour long episode encapsulates everything it’s small but loyal fanbase has come to love about the series. Because we’ve gotten to know these characters so well over five seasons everything they go through in this episode, Leslie’s award, April’s letter, Ron’s wedding present, feels entirely earned. The show is ostensibly a comedy, yet every so often there are moments that put a smile on your face for entirely different reasons, which helps keep Parks and Rec among the very best shows on all television.