Parks and Recreation – “Leslie and Ron”
While I don’t know that I’d ever say that the last season was Parks and Recreation’s best, it very obviously is wrought with the good natured humor and earnest heartfelt moments that become customary for the series. Where the season shined however was in “Leslie and Ron”, a near perfect episode of television that was ultimately a two hander between Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, both doing some of their finest work of the series. Their dynamic has always been one of the shows very best and the episode makes their rift at the start of the season worthwhile. Locked in their old office space together, they’re forced to confront what caused their broken relationship, all of it boiling down to Ron having felt abandoned, something he never would have openly admitted years ago. Disarmingly sweet and heartwarming but also ridiculously funny, the episode plays it close to the heart, deservedly so, with two beloved characters. – By Allyson Johnson
Please Like Me – “Pancakes with Faces”
It seems silly to not go with the premiere of season three which created a mini movie in it’s half hour running time, but it was “Pancakes with Faces” that expertly bridged everything that I adore about this show and also what makes it so drastically separate from it’s contemporaries. The show deals with Claire going to get an abortion, and Josh accompanying her and being the best friend he can be while never loosing what makes Josh exclusively himself. What makes the episode so special is how unremarkable the whole proceedings are. While many shows would take this plot line as an excuse to do a “very special episode”, Please Like Me treats it as normal. Claire still goes through a gamut of emotions, but none of them are guilt. She experiences doubts, she feels sadness over a loss of her innocence and youth, realizing that she is now a grown up with consequences and responsibility. Then, the episode turns around and allows Claire to experience a moment of pure, unadulterated joy, dressed in an old Halloween costume, and smashing a toy city. Please Like Me is a show about young adults doing the very best they can, trying to overcome daily disruptions to their lives, however minute or emotional, with a dash of humor and a lot of heart. – By Allyson Johnson
Silicon Valley – “Runaway Devaluation”
Truthfully, this episode makes the list for the brilliant gag at the end of the episode. After an okay season two premiere, Silicon Valley stepped up its game with this second episode, which was more of an ensemble piece. As quickly as Pied Piper rises to success, it falls in this episode. So when Richard (Thomas Middleditch) gets a call from Hooli’s CEO Gavin Belson, a meeting at a Mexican restaurant commences where Belson offers to buy out Pied Piper. Before Richard can answer, a mariachi band interrupts. The two sit in uncomfortable but hilarious silence. – By Gabrielle Bondi
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt “Kimmy Goes Outside”
The pilot of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” is a great study in how to set up the plot of a television comedy and the background of its lead character while not overwhelming the half-hour with backstory. We meet Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) as she is freed from the doomsday cult she has been held against her will in for the past 15 years. As she does the tour of talk shows with the other women she was held with, she decides that she wants to start her life anew in New York City. From there, the show never uses her naivete and innocence as the punchline. Her unwavering brand of optimism that has allowed her to withstand an unspeakable tragedy – makes the lives of people around her better. The show quickly introduces its quirky-but-lovable supporting cast, and immerses itself in the rapid fire, offbeat comedy that made Tina Fey’s previous series “30 Rock” so beloved. Yet, “Kimmy Schmidt” does not stand as merely Fey’s sequel series to “30 Rock”: It’s its own show, with its own personality and message. It stands as one of the year’s best comedies, and it’s crazy to imagine that NBC passed over this fantastic show to resurrect “Heroes” instead. – By Ryan Gibbs
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I’m sure there are plenty of You’re the Worst fans who wished that the entire depression arc with Gretchen hadn’t happened, instead hoping for a strictly comedic episode of television but Gretchen battling with depression is granted us one of the storylines in TV this year. This all begun with “There is Not Currently a Problem” where Gretchen begins to unravel. Taking day drinking to a whole new level, Gretchen barely makes it through the morning sober, and, once she realizes they’ll all be stuck inside for the day, keeping her from distractions, she starts to take it out on those around her. Once there’s no more booze for her to inhale, she get’s mean, ripping into each and every person near her, including Jimmy, before going and curling in a ball in bed. The episode ends with her telling Jimmy she has clinical depression and Jimmy in returning making a promise he can’t keep about trying not to fix her. It’s a very funny episode that also places Gretchen in whirlwind mode, further proving that sometimes comedy is the best venue for serious conversations. – By Allyson Johnson
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