Episodes

Episodes is a column in which senior contributor Valerie Ettenhofer digs into the singular chapters of television that make the medium great.

If you’re new to reading this column, we suggest starting with these:

Explore the entire Episodes archive below

M*A*S*H: Sometimes You Hear The Bullet

One Early M*A*S*H Episode Proved That Sitcoms Can Break Our Hearts

By   

The season one M*A*S*H episode “Sometimes You Hear the Bullet” revealed the show’s bleeding heart, and gave voice to profound topics it would keep returning to throughout its storied run.

House Bus Crash Episode

Revisiting The ‘House’ Bus Crash That Shocked Viewers

By   

The penultimate episode of House’s fourth season sees the death wish-chasing doctor unravel the shocking mystery of his own head injury.

Gilmore Girls They Shoot Gilmores Dont They

Once Upon a Time, ‘Gilmore Girls’ Danced the Night Away

By   

In season three’s “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?” Rory and Lorelai get in over their heads at a 24-hour dance marathon.

Jessica Jones in Aka Smile

Let’s Revisit That Cathartic ‘Jessica Jones’ Showdown

By   

Jessica Jones’ first season is a brutal and powerful look at intimate partner violence that ends stronger than ever.

A Dark Quiet Death

Love and Creativity Die “A Dark Quiet Death” in Mythic Quest’s Standalone Episode

By   

The tech comedy’s best episode is a decades-spanning story about selling out, breaking up, and making art.

Sharp Objects Amy Adams

How ‘Sharp Objects’ Ended with a Perfect Dose of Poison

By   

Prestige mystery series don’t get much darker than ‘Sharp Objects,’ and ‘Sharp Objects’ doesn’t get much better than its sickening finale.

Golden Girls Sick And Tired

What the ‘Golden Girls’ Chronic Illness Episode Means to Me

By   

Dorothy’s traumatic and frustrating journey through the medical system hits close to home for people who live with chronic illnesses, like our TV critic Valerie Ettenhofer.

Flight Of The Conchords Mugged

Remember When the Flight of the Conchords Got “Mugged”?

By   

HBO’s short-lived musical series was at its best when the protagonists wandered naively into strange situations, like in this Season 1 episode.

True Detective Who Goes There

Re-entering the Void with the Best Episode of ‘True Detective’

By   

The surreal HBO series’ first-season midpoint — “Who Goes There?” — careens into epically cinematic chaos.