Episode of the Week
Standout episodes of television deserve to be highlighted. It’s the Episode of the Week!
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The X-Files: “Humbug” Celebrates the Weird
Editor’s Note: This piece on The X-Files episode “Humbug” was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist. While he’s credited with the story for the earlier Season 2 episode “Blood,” Darin Morgan’s first official writer credit […] More
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BoJack Horseman: “Fish Out of Water” Goes Deep Without Words
The following contains spoilers for BoJack Horseman S3E4, “Fish Out of Water” (written by Elijah Aron & Jordan Young and directed by Mike Hollingsworth) BoJack Horseman was always a show so permeated by visual gags I’d be impressed if anyone ever catalogued them all. So it makes sense that in its third season, the series […] More
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This Is Us: “The Train” Explores the Act of Dying in a Beautiful Way
The following contains spoilers for This is Us, “The Train” (written by Dan Fogelman, Jon Dorsey, & Danielle Bauman and directed by Ken Olin) When I was younger and would watch TV with my mom, she would cry for anything, and I mean anything. Toilet paper commercials could bring a tear to her eye, and […] More
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in Episode of the Week, Featured ShowsPitfall of Your Chosen Occupation: A Deep Dive into The Leftovers’ “International Assassin”
“Pitfall of Your Chosen Occupation: A Deep Dive into The Leftovers’ ‘International Assassin’” is a guest article from Grant Piercy “In a universe suddenly divested of illusions and lights, man feels an alien, a stranger. His exile is without remedy since he is deprived of the memory of a lost home or the hope of […] More
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The Golden Girls: Picture It — Miami, Valentine’s Day…
Syndicated TV shows come and go, but The Golden Girls remain. I don’t think a show like this could ever be made again…certainly not by the same name. The Girls were in their 60s, and these days, no one in their 60s wants to be thought of as “golden”…at least, no one I know. I […] More
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With “Walkabout” Lost Beautifully Established the Essence of John Locke
The following contains spoilers for the whole series and the character arc of John Locke, particularly for the events of “Walkabout” Lost, S1E4, (written by David Fury and directed by Jack Bender) which first aired on ABC in the United States on October 13, 2004. “Walkabout” begins, as so many episodes of Lost do, with […] More
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Death and Humanity: The Sandman S1E6 ‘The Sound of Her Wings’
Both The Sandman comics and the Netflix adaptation are focused on a group of god-like beings called the Endless. They each control a different aspect of human existence and emotion. For example, the Sandman himself, Dream (Tom Sturridge) has power over humans’ sleep, dreams, and nightmares. His sister, Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) is responsible for—you guessed […] More
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With S1E21, “Contemporary American Poultry” Community Started to Call Each Other Goodfellas
The following contains spoilers for Community, S1E21 “Contemporary American Poultry” (written by Emily Cutler & Karey Dornetto and directed by Tristram Shapeero) Community, S1E21, “Contemporary American Poultry” was a departure at the time. Up until that point, series creator Dan Harmon and the writers had basically been working on a traditional, if reference heavy and […] More
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The X-Files: ‘Musings’ of a Not-So-Wonderful Life
The following contains spoilers for The X-Files “Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man” (directed by James Wong and written by Glen Morgan). “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. And when he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” – Clarence (It’s a Wonderful Life) “Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man” […] More
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The Twilight Zone: “Twenty Two” Is the Number of Nightmares
Near the start of The Twilight Zone‘s second season, after CBS had informed the production team that they were well over budget, it was decided that six episodes of the show would be shot on videotape in a matter similar to that of a live drama, then later transferred onto 16mm film for future syndication. […] More
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How Buffy’s Structure Makes “The Body” an All-Time Great Episode
Revisiting Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s finest moments can mean revisiting its most traumatic. The show’s willingness to reject the comfort-food demands of ’90s television resulted in several ambitious heartbreaks, chief among them the desolate triumph of “The Body”. It’s an episode that stops you in your tracks and keeps a part of you stopped there. […] More
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in Buffy & Angel, Episode of the WeekThe Sound of Silence: The Success of Buffy’s ‘Hush’
Season 4’s ‘Hush’ is one of the most famous and acclaimed episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Upon receiving feedback that Buffy was only successful due to its witty dialogue, Joss Whedon took it upon himself to write and direct an episode that would, for the majority of the runtime, be silent. He was concerned […] More