Best TV has never been broader, more varied or more accessible. Some import shows clock in at six scanty installments; some network shows pump out more than 20 episodes a season. Some shows air weekly, some drop at all once, some play batches twice a year, some disappear for what seems like forever only to return with new episodes when one least expects.
It’s a wild ride being a TV fan in 2017. Here, then, a look at some of the most spectacular single episodes of the year. These are presented alphabetically by show and with a slight preference for shows that did not otherwise make our critics’ Top 10 lists. (We’re trying to share the wealth.)
JAMES PONIEWOZIK
Note: I left out episodes from any series that I had on my Top 10 list, for variety’s sake. So no “Twin Peaks: The Return” Episode 8 or episodes of “The Leftovers.”
‘Game of Thrones’ (HBO)