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The episodes make television TV fun to watch, and they constantly and consistently recontextualize the great work the cast and crew put into the production. There are unforgettable moments that can elevate the series for the better and a casual check into a show that you haven’t checked in a while. At its best, television is a powerful force that can move your entire being and change your perspectives on various things.
It’s 2024, but there is still time to celebrate the best of the installments in TV this year. Unique and memorable episodes, too as well! This list has certainly got it all.
Succession Episode 3, Season 3
Some episodes tend to blindside viewers, like a game of Jili. This episode’s brilliance is how it assures the audience there’ll be an exciting development in the series. The brilliance is buried in the batter of the Roy patriarch’s least-loved child’s wedding cake. Succession is known for the way that it cloaks twists in grand social events. The cast is most substantial here – specifically Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook, from blissful social fakery into absolute devastation in a heartbeat. The grief that overtakes them is a vast cyclone and makes them into sympathetic humans despite their having unsavoury qualities.
Beef, Episode 10, Season 1: Rays of Light
Beef was never meant to end nicely. And things would inevitably turn out badly. The series seals its role as an allegory about love and hate being on the sides of obsession and the rage and destruction unresolved trauma can cause. Amy Lau (Ali Wong) and Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) crash the cars and are stranded, trying to survive in a desert limbo that has no food and feed on dangerous berries, which send them into a state where both are hallucinogenic.
Episode 10 is a cathartic and devastating conclusion to this series. Amy’s animosity towards Danny is not about Danny at all. Instead, she is satisfied with life while Dannysaw Amy as a convenient direction for his frustrations.
Abbott Elementary, Episode 16, Season 2
Abbott Elementary’s best episodes are about something other than the plot. Instead, they are about the hidden depths of the characters we know and grow to love! This episode’s setting is an Allentown professional conference over the weekend. Barbara and Melissa get lit on math-a-ritas while Jacob finds over-the-top white saviours who want to devote their lives to teaching children of color.
But one nasty surprise is the drunken kiss Gregory has with Janine – which she returns. Gregory had been dumped. Meanwhile, Janine was nerding out about a classroom produced from flowers. This event will haunt the narrative – for better and worse.
The Bear Season 2, Episode 10
The pacing of The Bear is undoubtedly rich in cooking imagery. You can ratchet up from “broil” to the 900 degrees of a pizza oven. Season 1 is defined by a sense of uncertainty and intensity, with a bravura tracking shot. The rhythm of frenetic energy characterizes much of the show. However, the primary source of the frantic energy in this show is none other than the main character, and things will run without him. The food on The Bear might draw you to the screen.
However, the main course is the conversation – and the cherry on top.
Never Have I Ever Season 4, Episode 10
After four seasons, the irrepressible Devi Vishwakumar graduates high school and puberty with considerable personal growth. The show first premiered in 2020 and follows her exploits and dealings with grief from her father’s recent death. Devi spends her last summer before graduation away from her crush, Ben (Jaren Lewison), and her ex-boyfriend Paxton (Darren Barnet), moving on to college before returning to work as an assistant swim coach. Nalini, Devi’s mother (Poorna Jagannathan) and Nirmala (Ranjita Chakravarty) get their second romance chance.
This is a heartfelt goodbye to Devi and her high school memories. It is also a series that launched several careers, a bastion of South Asian representations, and a teen rom-com about loving hard and fighting harder.
Wrapping Up
We’ve rounded up five of the best television series episodes in 2023. Some of these are wonderful farewell notes to iconic characters and stories, while others continue telling a story and haunting the series.
