Best of 2024 TV Episodes features spoilers from various shows. Please be advised if there’s something you don’t want to know.
TV this year has been undeniably incredible but surprisingly quiet. The best new shows like My Lady Jane were canceled, and Shrinking brought forward an exemplary second season. Like most years, the Best of 2024 TV Episodes are always the hardest to choose from, yet as we often do, it’s about how they make us feel, how they’re crafted, and the mark they leave.
For more end-of-the-year coverage, be sure to check out our Best of 2024: Performances, the Best of 2024: Romantic Scenes, the Best of 2024: Found Families, and the Best of 2024: Romantic Relationships.
“The Last Thanksgiving”
Shrinking
Shrinking’s debut season is incredible, but it becomes a compelling, profoundly memorable triumph during its sophomore run, and particularly after the finale. “The Last Thanksgiving” is a challenging episode to write about because it’s one that inspires so much empathy out of its viewers that the end result can feel overwhelming. (I cried so much that my eyes were legitimately swollen the next day.) Co-written to perfection by Bill Lawrence, Neil Goldman, and Brett Goldstein, the episode expertly balances the show’s quintessential humor with breathtaking vulnerability to deliver something indescribably special. Lawrence’s directorial vision and every performance from the brilliant cast carve an inimitable space in the world of television through this treasure trove of riches that examines humanity through a captivatingly honest lens.
“The Last Thanksgiving” isn’t simply an episode that’s among the greats in 2024, but it’s one that viewers will discover years from now and still find immeasurable meaning in. It’s one that’s so inherently universal that the messages within are undeniably timeless. It’s an episode that asks its audience not to think of this as some righteous means of garnering sympathy by trauma dumping, but it’s one that underscores the complexities of loneliness through flawed, yet profoundly loving characters who are simply trying to make their time on earth mean something. It’s achingly raw, effortlessly vulnerable, and so very tender in how it approaches heavy topics that it delivers a true work of art that’s worthy of tireless praise.
“Cent’anni”
The Penguin
The midway point of the series, Season 1, Episode 4, cemented my belief that The Penguin offered a caliber of quality that is unmatched in the streaming era of television. Not only do we uncover the history of Sofia Falcone’s tragic story, but we unravel layers of the complicated relationship between Sofia and Oswald while highlighting the difference between the two characters. Both appear to start at the bottom of the totem pole in the Falcone crime family—Sofia is the dutiful and adoring daughter, while Oz is the dutiful employee. Both appear to form a bond, as neither seem to be taken seriously. After all, Oz is only a chauffeur, and despite her brains, Sofia is not a son.
However, we gain a better understanding of why and how they are fighting for Carmine Falcone’s spot after his death. Sofia is unfairly sent to Arkham Asylum and framed for multiple murders after daring to question her mother’s death and other women her father had killed despite the loyalty she had displayed towards her father. While in Arkham, we get a glimpse that Soifa is not the violent and uncaring person that her father is until she has no other choice but to be the person that everyone is convinced she is. Meanwhile, Oswald Cobb is not the loyal person that we thought he was—his motivation and duty have only been to himself. He tips off Carmine Falcone about Sofia in an effort to gain favor and move up in the ranks within the crime family.
All that aside, we have an absolutely fantastic performance by Cristin Milioti that makes you question more and more who you are rooting for in the series. And that twist ending snatches your attention with the realization of the series’ shift—we thought we knew where this was headed, but in reality, have no idea what is going to happen in the second half of the season.
“Napkins”
The Bear
The Bear Season 3 might finally be the arc that convinces people the show isn’t a comedy. It has funny moments, sure, but the vast majority of the series is an exploration of flawed (but good) people fighting to get through another day. And no episode depicts that this year quite like Ayo Edebiri’s directorial debut, “Napkins.” The episode not only features an incredible glimpse of humanity but also one of the most unforgettable performances of the year from Lisa Colon-Zayas.
I knew the moment I watched “Napkins” that it’d be one of the Best of 2024 TV episodes, and even as I momentarily questioned whether it should be “Ice Chips” instead, the way that “Napkins” hits feels more relatable. Not all of us can relate to the anguish and pain in a delivery room, but we can relate to that moment where tears come at a random moment, while you’re doing something simple like eating because everything’s hitting all at once. This is the heart of The Bear—it’s why these characters fight and push through and try their hardest. It’s about remembering the small, seemingly mundane moments that quickly turned into something better. It’s about the first bowling pin that falls and spins in such a way that you don’t think it’ll actually topple over the others and then it does. It’s an episode that highlights those whose stories are sometimes overlooked, and it does so through a lens that intends to honor them.
“Anjin”
Shōgun
Shōgun is unlike anything I usually watch, but with the way everyone discussed and raved about its debut season, I knew I had to give it a shot. And while it’s significantly different from most of what’s featured in our Best of 2024 TV Episodes list, “Anjin” is a solid pilot to ensure that a viewer stays interested. At times, this achievement is harder than a finale or even a mid-season turning point because it isn’t every viewer who gives a series a chance beyond its first episode. Still, it’s a tremendous accomplishment in its means to set up a story and every key player who’ll have a significant role.
Based on a book series by James Clavell, the premise for Shōgun is a relatively straightforward battle of religion, ethics, hierarchy, and humanity. The historical epic effectively sets up what’s to come between Cosmo Jarvis’ John Blackthorne and Hiroyuki Sanada’s Lord Yoshi Toranaga, utilizing every available frame from the performances to the directing to deliver an unforgettable pilot episode that’s as close to perfect as they come. It’s a gorgeously directed spectacle that’s bold and rich, even in the brutality, showcasing that everyone involved went out of their way to create something grand.
“Holes Are Bad”
Ghosts
I never would’ve imagined how much Ghosts would make me cry when I watched the first episode, but that’s where so much of the beauty lies in this little show. It’s impossible to tell how it’ll hit and all the ways it could touch deep until it does, and everything locks into place in a beautifully rewarding manner. That’s what Season 3, Episode 8, “Holes Are Bad” does. It tells us a secret, and it shows us the vastness of a woman’s heart.
The episode is as much about Hetty (and the breathtaking performance by Rebecca Wisocky) as it is about Flower. It’s what shows viewers that these characters aren’t just stuck together, but that they’ve grown to care for one another in life-altering ways. Hetty’s willingness to tell everyone how she really died instead of tirelessly deflecting to help Flower out of the well is proof of how deep her compassion runs. It’s an episode that underscores how human beings could never fully grasp the choices others might make, but the empathy we can find is what matters. It’s somber, honest, undeniably charming as the show generally tends to be, and full of exemplary performances from every actor who’s on screen.
“The Sign”
Bluey
2024 was a rough year. So much so that back in January, Elmo got on Twitter and asked everyone how they were doing, and we all had trauma dumped on some poor social media manager. It’s been a rough year for TV shows, too; we either got dark content or cancelations that still sting. But amid all this, Bluey’s “The Sign” released, and considering it’s the episode that inspired me to start watching, I wholeheartedly believe it deserves a spot on our Best of 2024 TV Episodes. One single quote, and for a beat, everyone on the internet was talking about something joyous. Bluey asks her teacher, “Why do stories always have happy endings?” to which the response is: “Well, I guess cause life will give us enough sad ones.”
The year doesn’t exactly end well, either, given the political state of America. TV is still sad, and simultaneously, on some corner of the internet, there’s a discussion about how soft characters are boring. So it bears repeating: we have enough sad things in life—why not choose goodness and happiness and kindness and a little softness, too? There’s greatness and relatability in our tragedies. It’s how humans ultimately connect with one another, yet how this episode reminds its audience of the importance of happy endings is no small feat. In fact, I’d call it a really big deal.
“My Best Friend’s Wedding”
Only Murders in the Building
Only Murders in the Building Season 4 is a star-studded spectacle as we temporarily leave the Arconia for Los Angeles, and the finale brings everything full circle beautifully with a wholesome wedding. And, of course, a murder because otherwise, this would be a series finale. More than anything, the episode shines because it feels like an irreplaceable love letter to the podcast trio and their unique friendship.
Additionally, as we learn the truth about Sazz’s killer, the episode also gives Charles a bit of closure, resulting in one of the show’s most tender scenes as we come to understand the character a little better. It’s a celebration and a realization all at once where we see why it’s important for Oliver to stay at the Arconia instead of traveling with Loretta, even though she’s his wife now. We don’t get shows like this delivering happy moments often. And while Only Murders generally delivers wholesome content, this episode is incredibly special in how it honors friendships.
“Episode 1”
The Day of the Jackal
With a transcendent performance from Eddie Redmayne, one of this year’s most surprising series draws the viewer in with a bang—literally. In the world of the mysterious assassin-for-hire known as the Jackal, any target is fair game, and British intelligence officer Bianca (Lashana Lynch) is always just a step or two behind. Parallels between Lynch and Redmayne’s characters are quick to emerge, each fighting for the viewer’s attention and examination.
One thing that makes the first episode so great, though, is the process of delving into who the Jackal is and how he operates. The opening sequence features everything a viewer could want from a spy thriller (and then some). Elaborate disguises, convoluted plans, clever gadgetry, and a strange and fragmented backstory will have viewers rooting for Redmayne rather than law enforcement, despite the clear link between the Jackal and Bianca’s unwavering dedication to their jobs, however opposite those jobs may be. Or are they as opposite as they seem? The first episode leaves many questions about both of the main characters on the table, with answers given here or there throughout the series, but always leaving the viewer wanting more.
“Our Man in Sacramento”
A Man on the Inside
Netflix’s A Man on the Inside is one of the most beautiful new shows to release this year, and “Our Man in Sacramento” is the kind of heartbreaking yet inspiring episode that reminds its audience to slow down—take a breath, call our loved ones. It’s almost fitting that the show was released in December because even while it’s so frustrating that there’s so much to do, we could all use these reminders that time is sacred. And as the residents of the Pacific View Retirement Community celebrate Florence’s life, every actor is given a chance to show us their exceptional chops while the episode explores complex feelings around grief.
At the end of the day, the facts are these—Mike Schur remains an incomparable TV showrunner, and his latest creation is proof of this fact. The episode is emotional, sweet, sad, and an entire array of emotions that every viewer will react differently too. Yet, at the same time, it’s incredibly special to watch and understand how the series explores a demographic that rarely gets a spotlight on our TV screens.
“Refined Admission”
The Gentlemen
Death of a Duke, a rich British family with a beautiful estate, and a line of succession snafu kick off a series that, in the first few minutes, seems to be a traditional, if quirky, family drama. By the end of the episode, everything viewers (who haven’t seen the film this is somewhat based on) expected from Eddie Horniman (Theo James) and his family has been turned on its head when his elder brother passed over for inheritance of their father’s dukedom, shoots a drug lord while dressed as a chicken (yes, you read that right).
It turns out being a Duke and maintaining a traditional estate carries quite a hefty price tag—one Eddie’s father chose to address by allowing an illegal marijuana operation led by Susie Glass (a brilliant Kaya Scodelario) to grow their product in an underground farm beneath the Horniman estate. Now that the responsibility for the family and estate’s well-being falls upon Eddie’s shoulders, the clean-cut, well-educated new duke must tangle with Susie and her father’s drug empire. Extracting himself and his family from the operation will not come easily or cheaply, and Eddie’s machinations toward that goal slowly draw him into Susie’s world, whether he wants to be there or not. In Susie, he finds a formidable and surprising partner, and as viewers watch him navigate smoothly through the British drug world, one can’t help but wonder whether he’s not just suspiciously good at it but also enjoying himself.
Honorable Mentions: “Hello Goodbye” (Slow Horses), “Another Girl, Another Planet” (My Lady Jane), “Ice Chips” (The Bear), “The Prophecy Comes True” (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), “The Work Retreat” (Ghosts).