Top 10 Best TV Episodes of 2019

     Well another year is over, and a new decade is upon us. This year was an up and down with television, but with mostly ups. I have watched many shows this year with some being spectacular (Succession) and some being sub-par (Game of Thrones), but one thing is for sure: there were fantastic episodes of television this year. For this blog, I will be showcasing my top ten favorite television episodes of 2019. These episodes will not be ranked, but rather be shown in alphabetical order. Let's get to the list...


1. Barry- "ronny/lily"
   

     This episode of Barry is one of the most batshit episodes of television I have ever seen. Barry is forced to murder a cop's ex-wife's current boyfriend in order for the cop to keep his secret of being a hit man. The hit does not go smoothly as planned, though as the target is a master of Taekwondo. Not only does Barry have trouble murdering the man, but his daughter is also a student of Taekwondo to where she possesses almost animal-like characteristics. I really felt like I was on an acid trip while watching the episode. I had never seen something so off the rails before that encompassed both drama and comedy (but mostly comedy). It was quite something to watch, I will tell you that.


2. Chernobyl- "The Happiness of All Mankind"


     In one of the most beautifully crafted, yet disturbing shows of all time, the fourth episode of Chernobyl was definitely the best episode of the miniseries in my opinion. Most of the episode deals with a young man named Pavel being forced to execute stray pets left from residents that lived near the Chernobyl Power Plant in order to rid the lands of radiation. The episode is heart wrenching and very hard to take in, and it shows what these people had to do in order to save their country from being destroyed. The episode also featured a scene where men have to go on the roof of the plant and almost by hand extract the radioactive rubble. It's a very tense and cringe worthy scene, but it is beautifully shot. Though Chernobyl is one of my favorite shows ever made, it is a show that I do not have to see again due to it being a very graphic and disturbingly emotional watch.


3. Evil- "Rose390"


     Evil has been one of the most surprising shows for me this year. It has been such a pleasure watching it; I am always excited to watch the next episode! In the episode I chose from the show, David, one of the main protagonist is called in to help a young boy whose family thinks he is possessed. David makes progress with the boy by telling him that he should call on God whenever he needs something. At first it goes well until David sees that the boy's infant sister is at the bottom of the pool. My mouth dropped while watching this happen, especially since the show is on CBS, a broadcast network. I knew this show was something special when I saw that. Not too many things get my mouth to drop like that...


4. Game of Thrones- "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms"


     Mostly everyone can agree on season eight of Game of Thrones to being a steaming pile of garbage. That is not secret; however, I think many forget about the first two episodes being amazing. In this episode, we had Brienne finally becoming a knight, Arya fully transitioning into womanhood, Jamie pledging his help to take down the white walkers, Jamie apologizing to Bran for paralyzing him, Jon revealing to Daenerys that he is one of her ancestors, etc. The episode had some impeccable character moments that made me really think that I was going to miss these characters once the show was over. The rest of the season should have been thrown in the trash, but "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" remains as one of Game of Throne's best episodes of the entire series.


5. The Good Place- "Tinker, Tailor, Demon, Spy"


     This episode of The Good Place was brilliant and so entertaining to watch. The show is known for not taking itself seriously which is why it is considered one of the best comedy series ever made. The twist in this episode was amazing and was thoroughly thought out by the writers. The audience speculated that Michael was replaced by an "evil" Michael, but really Janet was swapped by an "evil" Janet. Not only was that twist great, but the buildup of the audience finding out if Michael was the real Michael or not was so suspenseful. There is at least one exceptional Good Place episode a season, and I can say that this episode was season four's exceptional episode. I cannot wait to see the rest of the final season in 2020!


6. The Mandalorian- "Chapter 3: The Sin"


     The show that has inspired "Baby Yoda" memes everywhere finds one of its episodes on my list. The show has sparked somewhat of a mixed reception online especially on message boards (Reddit), but almost everyone can come together to say that this episode was everything a Star Wars fan wants. Action. Character Development. Suspense. The list goes on. This is the episode we really see Mando develop attachment to "The Child" and what he is willing to go through to save him. We see Mando take on all of the bounty hunters before being saved by his fellow Mandalorians. I think this episode will prove to be the heart of the show as it highlights what the show actually is. The relationship between the Mandalorian and "The Child."


7. Pose- "Never Knew Love Like This Before"


     This episode is definitely the most emotional and upsetting episode on the list. The episode gives us a shocking, unexpected main character death in Candy, who was built up to be unlikable by her fellow community members. Candy is murdered in a hotel room, and her corpse is shoved in a closet to where a maid finds her body. At her funeral, all of her friends and acquaintances have a conversation with her ghost to where we see almost everyone make peace and apologize for not giving her a chance. Also, she is able to make peace with her parents for not accepting who she was which is an incredibly touching moment. The end of the episode shows Candy a lip-sync performance before her soul departs. This episode is an all-around tear-jerker, and it really brings awareness to what is still happening to the LGBT community in today's world.


8. Succession- "This Is Not for Tears"


     I really love Succession. Plain and simple. And this episode proves why. After covering up sexual harassment claims and giving hush money, the Roy family is about to outed. They do everything they can to get these "allegations" off their backs, but to no avail. In the episode, Logan tries to gauge his family/coworkers for a scapegoat. He ends up in the end picking Kendall. He thinks Kendall will take the blame since Logan has dirt on Kendall from season one and has been his puppet the whole season. Kendall, in a twist, reveals at the press conference that his father knew about the sexual harassment claims and hid them while also revealing that his father is a horrible person to where his father watches from the TV screen and gives a slight smirk. All around brilliant. I cannot wait for season three of this crazy show!


9. Veep- "Veep"


     One of if not my favorite comedies sadly ended this year, but the series finale proved to be timeless. Selina Meyer wins the presidency in the end by manipulating and promising her rivals to drop out of the race and pledge their support to her if she passes and gives them what they want which includes giving Jonah the vice president position and outlawing gay marriage even though she has a gay daughter. We are reminded of what a despicable and ruthless political figure Selina is one last time. Not only does she do this, but she throws the one person that has been there with her the whole way to the wolves due to the scam she was attached to. Later we see that all of Selina's team has abandoned her as she sits alone in the oval office as she gives an upset look before snapping back into it. I love this finale, and will severely miss this show. Julia Louis Dreyfus is an absolute treasure.

10. The Walking Dead- "The Calm Before"


     After the clusterf**k that was season seven and eight, season nine of The Walking Dead felt like renaissance of the show. "The Calm Before" is one of those "big" Walking Dead episodes that happens every now and then. Alpha sneaks into the kingdom and lures/kidnaps people away to where she executes them and places their heads on spikes to mark her territory. The episode is very emotional, and it marks the final appearances of fan-favorite characters Enid, Tara, and Henry. I knew this episode was coming, but I was shocked to see who it was that was killed. It was also fun watching YouTube reactions the next day to see people's thoughts on the episode. This episode secured season nine as one of if not my favorite Walking Dead episodes.


Thank you for reading my list of my "Top 10 Best TV Episodes of 2019." What were some of your favorite television episodes of this year? Leave a comment!