The month of May, with sweeps and upfront presentations, marks the end of the traditional television season. As the networks look forward to the fall 2011 season, Warming Glow looks back on the best episodes of the 2010 season. On the pages that follow, editor Matt Ufford and frequent WG contributors Josh Kurp and Danger Guerrero pick their ten favorite TV episodes — plus a few honorable mentions — that aired between September 1st, 2010 and now (excluding shows with spring premieres).
Before you praise their impeccable taste (or lambaste their horrible decisions) in the comments, we ask that you pay attention to the restraints: critically adored shows like “Breaking Bad” and “Game of Thrones” fall outside the parameters here.
HONORABLE MENTION: “Community” — “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” (December 9)
MATT: “Community” gets a lot of attention for its “event” episodes, but they’re not just stunts that showrunner Dan Harmon pulls to garner attention — they always advance ongoing story lines or delve into deeper characterization of Greendale’s students. “Abed’s Christmas” was a ballsy gamble that tapped into the sentiment of Rankin Christmas specials like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” while taking a deeper look into what makes Abed (the incredible Danny Pudi) rely on pop culture to view the world. The episode’s final act walked a difficult tightrope: a climactic song typical of stop-motion specials that stayed within the framework of the characters’ inclinations. Some critics felt that the premise was stretched too thin, but those complaints felt like hifalutin nit-picking meant to punish inventive television.
HONORABLE MENTION: “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” — “Charlie Kelly: King of the Rats” (November 18)
JOSH: “It’s Always Sunny” had an unspectacular sixth season—too often it felt like the show was trying to top itself, rather than telling an original plot. But “King of the Rats” focused on the show’s best character, Charlie, and its funniest joke, Charlie’s life. After having killed at least 200 rats, Charlie is tired, both physically and mentally, so the rest of the gang comes up with a solution to make him feel better: celebrate his birthday, which involves Cutty from “The Wire” and gifts from Charlie’s dream journal, including a denim chicken, a worm hat, and a bird with teeth. “King of the Rats” is “It’s Always Sunny” at its weirdest and finest.
HONORABLE MENTION: “Justified” — “Cottonmouth” (March 9)
MATT: The most-lauded episode of “Justified’s” brilliant second season was “Brother’s Keeper” (we’ll get to that), but my favorite episode of the season was “Cottonmouth,” in which Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) finally gives up on living an honest life by pulling off a combination robbery/double-cross that displays his ingenuity for criminal activity. Of course, I’m biased: I really just like explosions, tasers to the balls, and mothers shattering their sons’ hands with ballpeen hammers.
HONORABLE MENTION: “Conan” — “Episode 1″ (November 8)
DANGER: It’s not that Conan’s debut on TBS was my favorite episode he’s ever done ever (not that I’d even know how to pick a single), but it was event television at a time when a frillion channels and high-speed Internet make that rare. I can’t remember being that excited for a TV show maybe ever, and seeing Conan walk through the curtain after months off the air was 12 kinds of awesome.
HONORABLE MENTION: “Community” — “Mixology Certification” (December 2)
DANGER: As a pop culture dork, I obviously love the meta, reference-heavy nature of “Community”. But what I love most is that the show is so nimble and malleable that it can give you a weird “ZOMG everyone’s a zombie!” episode one week, then turn around and out-genuine most others shows on television the next. This episode – centered around Troy’s 21st birthday — was funny, sad, and showed real emotional investment in the characters, more so than a lot of dramas.
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Venture Bros: Operation P.R.O.M., will not take kindly to this snub and will leave nothing but bones in its wake.
Good call on the Archer cancer episodes. Phase 2 is probably better, but you made the right decision. The Magnum PI reference was brilliant.
NO FRINGE YOU GUYS SUCK!! DIE A SLOW DE-just kidding, it’s a good list, I never could get into Mad Men especially knowing that Christina Hendricks boobs never go on display.
This is a nearly impossible list to compile, and yet I take exception with every choice!
*bungee jumps into room*
YOU JUST DON’T GET BIG BANG THEORYyyyyyyyyyyeeeeee!
What about that episode of Law and Order: SVU where the girl gets raped?
Hey dickfaces! The god damned Friday Night Lights episode didn’t air on real people TV yet! Could’ve used a spoiler alert, glad I skipped out as soon as I read the phrase “final episode”.
P.S. I’m sorry I called you dickfaces, I was mad and I said some things I didn’t mean.
@slagger: That’s probably why Josh didn’t include any spoilers in his write-up. Dickface.
Great list, guys. I approve.
Nice work guys. Am I just being sentimental or did one of Steve Carell’s last couple “Office” episodes deserve a Top 10 nod? Maybe not as ambitious as some Community stuff — but definitely well done.
The season finale of my show will be good?! FUCK YOU FOR TELLING ME!
@ChetStedman – yes, you’re being sentimental.
Sons of Anarchy was a slow burn in season 3, but such a strong pay-off.
I did five write-ups in the Top 10 and used the word ‘poop’ in two of them. I am a very good television critic.
Clear eyes, Full Hearts…CANT LOSE
Solid top 10 list
I know it just aired last week but surprised that “A Fistful of Paintballs” didn’t make the cut.
This list makes my TV choices feel validated.
Except Fringe
What about that episode of The Event where somebody did something that didn’t make any sense whatsoever?
Some great TV in the list. I’d give an honourable mention to episode 3 of Sherlock.
Since there’s no reality on the list, can I nominate the episode of Dancing with the Stars where Bristol Palin didn’t win?
DRAWING ATTENTION TO A POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT: Mentioning “state champion” in the FNL write-up would probably be considered a spoiler.
Solid list. Not quite lofty, but solid. The only objection that I have for this list is that Archer’s “Placebo Effect” wasn’t number one. It was the funniest half-hour of television I’ve seen since Arrested Development went off the air. Possibly even since the golden age of the Simpsons.
There are some impossible comebacks in the final seconds of the football games in FNL too. SPOILER ALERT!
“Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” is still sitting unwatched on my DVR and I love Community. That is how much I dislike stop motion. Blah.
I was going to say the list was flawless, but AEVC is right — the third episode of “Sherlock” was absolutely fucking amazing.
Still, that’s a mighty fine top ten all the same. Nice work, boys.
You forgot that episode of The Paul Reiser Show. Or that other episode.
@Otto Man If the list were extended to a top-15 for each of us (so, 45 choices in all), Sherlock (and maybe the Doctor Who episode where the Doctor moves in with the fat guy) would have totally made it for me. As would, and this should make your avatar happy, “Episode 13,” my favorite episode of Eastbound.
Walton Goggins’ hair itself deserved an honorable mention. That shit is glorious.
Great list! So happy “King of the Rats” was included – a perfect episode in a hum-drum season. And we have a new baby in the house so needless to say, “Stop. Pooping.” is quoted daily.
Here’s what I don’t get: you say “critically adored shows like “Breaking Bad” and “Game of Thrones” fall outside the parameters here” but you include other shows (“Community,” “Mad Men,” “The Walking Dead”) in your list. What exactly are the parameters?
Please understand–I really enjoyed the list and agree with you on all the choices, but I’m not exactly sure what your criteria for inclusion were (aside from, of course, “great episode”).
Also: “Stop. Pooping.” was probably my favorite TV moment all year.
*other critically adored shows…
(Sorry)
No CSI: Miami? Horatio whips off his sunglasses and sputters a pun at you at disgust.
@ AnthonyTX42 – Peep the first paragraph, holmes. Only shows that aired between Sept 2010 and today, not counting recent spring premieres. “Breaking Bad” was too old, and “Game of Thrones” was too new.
Whenever I am feeling blue, I play the Archer Family Feud clip. It wass the best 2 minutes on TV in a long time.
@AnthonyTX42: Seriously? Okay, I’ll cut and paste the parameters from the previous sentence:
…pick their ten favorite TV episodes — plus a few honorable mentions — that aired between September 1st, 2010 and now (excluding shows with spring premieres).
“Breaking Bad” aired the previous summer, and “Game of Thrones” had a spring premiere. Does that help?
No Louie? For shame.
Good list otherwise though.
“Excluding shows with Spring premieres.”
Damn, I guess I could have actually paid attention to the entire paragraph. My bad. I swear I read that and for some reason it just didn’t register.
Wow, you guys are quick. All apologies. I must have come off as nastier than I thought in my original post. I really didn’t mean it that way. I just didn’t read carefully enough and was a bit confused. Sorry.
It’s okay, Anthony. At least YOU asked for clarification, unlike Mustard Tiger, who shamed us for not including “Louie,” which also aired during the summer (it had an episode or two in September, but they weren’t the show’s best).
I hate you for reminding me I’ve missed the best fucking episodes of Community ever because of work. Seriously. Fuck you dickfaces.
What, no Game of Thrones? Jesus, you guys!
Also, ^ = joke.
@Matt: I try to be fair. What’s funny is it drives me fucking crazy when people comment on stories without reading the entire post. Those who live in glass houses, I suppose…
Haha, careful. One more
smartdumbass remark and Matt’ll probably go after your family.a. Ummm what about Football Night In America?
b. Or ANY episode of The Office. That. Is. Great. Television.
Hmmph, could’ve sworn (or googled, I guess) that the bulk of Louie’s episodes aired later than they did. My bad.
Swagger:
Friday Night Lights “Always” has been out for months. Am I missing something? You can dl it right now if it will make you stop crying.
@Maxx It was out on DirectTV (and therefore, the internet) for months but is just now airing on NBC. The season was also released on DVD before airing on network television.
@CuriousGeorger The lack of Venture Bros. finale is the closest thing to a complaint I have about said list. HOW DARE THEY NOT AGREE WITH OUR OPINION!
Them again, the season started in Oct. 2009 and took an 11 month break before airing the second half, so it may not even qualify.
Very good list, and I especially agree with your top 3 choices. Although, I would also add The Office’s “Michael Says Goodbye” onto the list, at least as an honorable mention. The show has declined in quality for the last two seasons, but this episode in particular was great throughout, and a wonderful final episode for Steve Carell. Finally, I would argue that Community has had so many fine episodes in season 2 that it deserves a Warming Glow top 10 list of its own.
“Who Got Dee Pregnant” had Dee as an ostrich and the McPoyle brothers (plus Margaret and her “sex thing”).
That is all.
No, wait: “A Very Sunny Christmas” had a naked Danny DeVito being birthed from a faux-leather couch.
THAT is all.
Danger is corny
DISCLAIMER: I am a stinking foreigner, so I don’t understand terms like “sweeps”, “Spring premiere” or “parameter”. I just view ‘em as I download ‘em.
(sans pants)
lack of BREAKING BAD, this list is invalid.
BEE-RAD!!! IS RAD!!!
no Workaholics honorable mention?
This list fucking sucks! The episode of The Red Green Show where he falls out of a tree is WAY better than any of this crap.
Cottonmouth only gets an honorable mention? Tsk tsk. Raylan Givens should tase you in the balls for leaving that episode out of the top 10.
Great list but I would’ve like to have seen Bob’s Burgers in there somewhere. That show just keeps getting better and better.
Also, I think I’m one of the few people who didn’t really get blown away by The Walking Dead. I like Frank Darabont. I like zombies. I like zombie headshots even more. What I didn’t like was the main character stumbling around the entire first episode like he live in a world where there had never been zombie movies, books, comics etc. As soon as the hand came out of the locked door of the hospital, he should have been like “Ahhh, so it’s a zombie apocalypse.”
@Rocket
That’s my main complaint about disaster/zombie/alien movies in general. “You mean to tell me..that corpses…are rising from the ground? Preposterous!”
They act as though they’re in a world where there are no alien invasion, zombie apocalypse, robot attack stories. And that’s not a world I want to live in.
Good list.. can definitly agree with all the mentions. Although Community will probably never be one of my favorite shows, it really had a couple of good episodes this year
haven’t seen Justified yet.. maybe I should get on that..
btw I think as far as Sunny goes “Dee Reynolds Shaping America’s Youth” featuring Lethal Weapon 5 should get a mention.. that shit was hilarious
Oh and the Friday Night Lights was indeed brilliant. Thanks for bringing that up.. I’m gonna go and cry grown man tears again..
What about the Cheers series finale? Or the Seinfeld soup Nazi episode?
No breaking bad?
Nevermind… im not a good reader
@Matt – Your words are hurtful to me.
@Rocket Bob’s Burgers is a very good show now, and could become a great one (assuming Fox making it a mid-season replacement doesn’t totally kill its momentum), but it’s not quite there yet. “Art Crawl” was close, though.
Louise, on the other hand, is already one of my favorite characters on TV.
The greatest episode of TV I saw last year was the December 16th episode of The Daily Show where Jon Stewart eviscerated congress for their big “fuck you” to the 9/11 first responders who are dying of cancer.
Though it fell beyond the parameters of the timeline, Louie’s ‘Bully’ and ‘God’ episodes were some of the best written shows on any show. Period. End of declarative sentence.
@Sous Chef Gerard; I can’t keep track of what happens in my life, let alone what happens in what episode of what. However, the Louie episode with the proctologly exam by Ricky had me laughing for some time. I enjoyed all of them.
I feel as though I’m beyond the parameters of my own timeline.
Dexter. Episode Six