Best of 2019, TV Episodes

It's hard to believe, but 2019 is almost over. Tomorrow is the last day. As we move closer, I'm ending the year with my Best of list. This is my 10 favorite episodes of the year. Later today I'll have my 10 favorite shows and tomorrow will be the Best and Worst of movies. Happy New Year!

10. "Years, Continents, Bloodshed," episode 4.08, Veronica Mars (July 19, 2019)
About: "Veronica Mars" returned with an original season for the first time in more than a decade. It was eight episodes that helped us catch up with an adult Veronica (Kristen Bell) and Logan (Jason Dohring) in the lives they set up in the movie that followed the third season. And for the most part, it was an engaging season. The finale was controversial, and I know why some didn't like it. It hits like a gut punch and is probably the least fan service route the show could go, especially with a fifth season not guaranteed. This might be how we leave this world, and that's a tough pill to swallow for some. I get it. But I thought the acting and the story worked well, and that gut punch hurt so much because of the power of the story turn. It wasn't want we wanted, but somehow it seemed to fit in this world.

9. "Better is the End of a Thing Than its Beginning," episode 1.09, The Righteous Gemstones (October 13, 2019)
About: "The Righteous Gemstones," an outrageous new comedy on HBO featuring John Goodman, Danny McBride and Adam Devine was uneven at times. And it probably wasn't for everyone, but its finale was a masterpiece. It had some of the bluest jokes that made me laugh out loud in the middle, and then came full circle with a beautiful, faithful message that brought me to tears. That is power. That is good writing. And that was an episode that stuck with me.

8. "The Calm Before, episode 9.15, The Walking Dead (March 24, 2019)
About: "The Walking Dead" isn't what it once was, but it still knows how to pack an emotional punch when needed. This penultimate episode of the ninth season is ostensibly about a fair that brings all our heroes together. But by the end, it's the ultimate tragedy as Alpha (Samantha Morton) sends a stark and deadly message about the cost of ignoring her power. Seeing the dead splayed out at the end is as much of a gut punch for the audience as it is for the characters who witness it.

7. "The Battle of Starcourt," episode 3.08, Stranger Things 3 (July 4, 2019)
About: This finale of the third season of "Stranger Things" delivered all you'd expect. Our characters, spread out most of the season, are all finally together. They face a big threat and, in the end, suffer a big loss. This was fun and a large scope that we enjoy with this show. It was trendy in 2019 to grow weary of some of the shows that we loved, and I get it. But I still enjoyed "Stranger Things," and I thought this finale was beautiful. The final montage, featuring Chief Hopper's (David Harbour) letter was beautiful.

6. "The Interview," episode 1.10, The Morning Show (December 20, 2019)
About: This series was the one that Apple TV+ staked a lot of its launch upon, and early episodes seemed fine to me. It felt a bit like playing on what was happening in our culture with some decent writing and acting. But as the season wore on, it developed an identity of its own. In fact, the final three episodes are quite good, culminating with a fantastic season finale that was emotional, impactful and felt very earned. This is the rare show I thought got better as it went along, and really delivered something memorable at the end.

5. "The Long Night," episode 8.03, Game of Thrones (April 28, 2019)
About: This was one of the most anticipated episodes of the year, and probably one of the most divisive. It carried the weight of incredible expectation, and people might quibble with how that was done. However, I thought there was great excitement and emotional heft in the episode. I loved how the episode ended, and the piece of original music here was striking and beautiful. So, too, were some of the heroic deeds and sacrifices. It wasn't perfect, but it was powerful, and better than the three concluding episodes.

4. "The Sin," episode 1.03, The Mandalorian (November 22, 2019)
About: There are a lot of great episodes in this first season, which took the Internet and fans by storm. However "The Sin," the third episode of the series, is where things really take off. Our hero Mando (Pedro Pascal) breaks with his order, follows his conscience and saves the best character of the year, The Child, AKA Little Baby Yoda. The action sequences are great, and the episode was one that really pulled folks all in.

3. "This Extraordinary Being," episode 1.06, Watchmen (November 24, 2019)
About: "Watchmen" was simply extraordinary as a series. Damon Lindelof is a gifted storyteller, and what he did with this show was amazing. It was really the back half of the season where it started to soar, beginning with this episode that re-writes the history of the original story as it concerns Hooded Justice. This episode, done in black-and-white, fills in the historical gaps in a really fun way and takes the story in a new direction. It's brilliantly done.

2. "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," episode 8.02, Game of Thrones (April 21, 2019)
About: This episode was easily the best of the final season of "Game of Thrones," one of the best of the series and one of the best of the year. It gets kind of buried because of what happened afterward, but this was a beautiful set up. There were so many great moments and character beats as all our favorite heroes prepared to face what was coming with the Army of the Dead. It was simply beautifully written and executed.

1. "A God Walks Into Abar," episode 1.08, Watchmen (December 8, 2019)
About: This was the most powerful, fascinating and engrossing episode of the year. It was all about Dr. Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), one of the most impactful characters of the original tale. And it set in motion all that would follow in the powerful finale. But first it tells a beautiful, non-linear story that helps capture Manhattan's unique gift. It was also a powerful showcase for series star Regina King. It was an engaging and emotional masterpiece.