Top 10 Episodes of 2012 - Part 5

This is part 5 of 5. I asked 20 friends to write about their favorite TV episodes of 2012 and this is the exciting results. At the bottom you'll see the tabulated results from everyone's lists. You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here and Part 3 here and Part 4 here.

The Thick of It – “Episode Three” (Season Four, Episode 3)

By Aaron Wittwer

Back from a three year hiatus, Series 4 of The Thick of It wastes no time, throwing us right back into the everyday, mundane chaos at work behind the scenes of the (fictional) British “Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship” aka DoSAC.

With this (and the funny, yet slightly redundant, Veep), show runner Armando Iannucci satirizes the trivial power-struggles and day-to-day inanities that one imagines must overtake lesser government positions in the off-seasons. Not satisfied to simply “humanize” government authority figures, The Thick of It turns them into a bunch of children going to war over the last piece of candy.

Top 10 Episodes of 2012 - Part 4

This is part 4 of 5. I asked 20 friends to write about their favorite TV episodes of 2012 and this is the exciting results. You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here and Part 3 here.

Peep Show – “Jeremy Therapised” (Season Eight, Episode 1)

By Joshua Carroll

[This episode contains major plot spoilers for the season premiere only in the marked paragraph.]

Flying by the seat of one’s pants for nothing more than personal gain is perhaps the driving force behind many of Peep Show’s, a British television series (which, by the way, is what this rambling will cover) characters.  Mark and Jez, roomies, ‘El-Dude Brothers’, and perpetual assholes (can I say assholes?), exist in an ever-constant battle with each other and their individual dreams.  The show’s ‘gimmick’ is allowing us to hear Jez and Mark’s individual thoughts to a revealing extent; so we are right there with the two of them through everything.  And the result is some very layered and uncomfortable comedy.

Top 10 Episodes of 2012 - Part 3

This is part 3 of 5. I asked 20 friends to write about their favorite TV episodes of 2012 and this is the exciting results. You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

Justified – “Guy Walks Into a Bar” (Season Three, Episode 10)

By Molly Raker

[Plot spoilers for what happens in this episode of Justified.]

It has been awhile since I have seen Season Three and since they don't release the DVD until a week before the new season, it doesn't give me much time to refresh my memory. But one episode stands out. The episode consists of a stand off between Raylan and Querles, the Emmy-winning Jeremy Davies as Dickie, the monster that is Limehouse and also my favorite Supernatural guy, Jim Beaver.

Top 10 Episodes of 2012 - Part 2

This is part 2 of 5. I asked 20 friends to write about their favorite TV episodes of 2012 and this is the exciting results. You can find Part 1 here.

Game of Thrones – “Blackwater” (Season Two, Episode 9)

By Eric Martindale

 “Those are brave men knocking at our door, lets go kill them.” – Tyrion Lannister

Top 10 Episodes of 2012 - Part 1

 

One of the reasons why I like television so much is that it feels more communal than any other form of entertainment. Usually walking out of a movie, my friends don’t like to talk about it as much but if they finished a season of a show they need someone to talk to NOW. So once again, I have recruited 20 of my friends to talk about their favorite episodes of 2012. Below you will see a wide range of opinions and writing styles which makes it all the more fun.

If you see their name has a hyperlink, I strongly recommend you look into more places where you can see and read about these fun and intelligent TV enthusiasts.

Small warning, there is occasional foul language and in one circumstance a lot of foul language. Most of the time, the author is vague about what happens in the episode or season, but in cases where that is not true, a spoiler warning is attached.

At the very end of this very long article, check out what episodes occurred the most Top 10 lists as I formulated the results of everyone’s picks.

Archer – “The Man From Jupiter” (Season Three, Episode 4)

By Ryan Lugar

Burt and Ernie.  Buzz and Woody.  Cheech and Chong.  These are some of the most dynamic duos over the course of history, but they all fall second to one last duo.  A duo that can do no wrong, in all the wrong ways.  I am of course referring to Sterling Archer and Burt Reynolds.  The combination of Archer’s black turtleneck and Burt Reynolds’ amazing moustache cannot fail.