They aren't always from the most critically lauded shows—heads up for the Real Housewives—but they are the episodes that made us laugh, cry, and cringe.
Best of television lists for any given year can be repetitive, so The Atlantic chose to honor their favorites. They aren't always from the most critically lauded shows—Real Housewives makes an appearance here—but they are the episodes that made us laugh, cry, and cringe.
As for why TV episodes and not TV series? For one thing, the calendar-year restrictions mean The Atlantic would be judging a lot of half-seasons, and that doesn't make a ton of sense. Not as much sense as individual episodes, which gave The Atlantic the freedom to look at shows that were maybe more uneven but managed to pull it together for one giant swing for the fences.
The Atlantic limited themselves to one episode (or two-part episode) per series, because sometimes it's more fun when there are more rules.
