Top 10 TV Episodes That Did Not Have to Go That HARD

WatchMojo

These episodes transcend regular TV. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most memorable episodes of television that attracted our attention in a big way. Major spoilers to follow.

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00:00There were no survivors.

00:03Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable episodes

00:07of television that attracted our attention in a big way.

00:10Major spoilers to follow.

00:11He made up his mind ten minutes ago.

00:16Number 10.

00:17Who goes there?

00:18True Detective

00:19If people weren't paying attention to True Detective before, they certainly were after

00:22this.

00:23Who goes there is the fourth episode of the first season, following Rust as he infiltrates

00:34the Iron Crusaders to get the location of Reggie Ledoux.

00:37The entire episode is a masterclass in pacing and tension building, and it flies by thanks

00:46to some terrific writing.

00:47But it's best known for the climactic raid sequence, which was shot in a single take

00:51and choreographed to absolute perfection.

00:54It's a brilliant piece of filmmaking unlike anything seen on TV at the time, and it rightfully

01:04earned Cary Joji Fukunaga the Emmy for Outstanding Directing.

01:18Number 9.

01:19The Day Will Come When You Won't Be

01:20The Walking Dead

01:23Sometimes going hard can be a good thing, and sometimes filmmakers go a little too hard.

01:30That might have been the case with The Day Will Come When You Won't Be, the infamous

01:34episode that saw the bloody deaths of Glenn and Abraham.

01:38While The Walking Dead had long been regarded for its violence, this scene was simply too

01:42much for many viewers.

01:52Fans and critics alike argued that it crossed a line with the death's painfully prolonged

01:55and extraordinarily graphic.

01:57The show may have veered too far into the realm of sensationalism, betraying good storytelling

02:01for sickening displays.

02:11Number 8.

02:12The Constant, Lost

02:19Widely regarded as one of the best episodes in TV history, The Constant is universally

02:23acclaimed for its unique narrative structure, emotional depth, and the seamless blending

02:27of science fiction and romance.

02:32An adventure unlike any other, viewers are whisked from one set piece to the next as

02:43they follow Desmond Hume as he attempts to find his constant, an anchor for his mental

02:47stability which is affected by time traveling.

02:50The episode masterfully interweaves different timelines, creating a poignant and thrilling

02:54story that culminates in a deeply moving phone call between Desmond and his constant, Penny.

03:12It's an ambitious episode of television, edited and written with expert precision, and leaving

03:16us in puddles of tears every single time.

03:30Number 7.

03:31Everyone's Waiting, Six Feet Under

03:32Oh, and speaking of puddles of tears, how about Everyone's Waiting?

03:40The title alone is enough to make us well up.

03:42Six Feet Under was a show entirely about death, dealing with it, accepting it, fighting it,

03:46and absolutely stuck the landing, as Everyone's Waiting is considered one of the best finales

03:50in television history.

03:55It's a profound and emotional resolution of the show's themes, but it also provides

03:58satisfying closure to the numerous narrative arcs that had been building across five seasons.

04:03The final montage is a work of art, showing how every member of the family died, and offering

04:22a thoughtful meditation on mortality in four simple minutes.

04:34Number 6.

04:35Fishes, The Bear

04:43While ostensibly about a Chicago restaurant, The Bear is really about grief, generational

04:47trauma, and family dysfunction.

04:48You know, fun things like that.

04:51All those themes are encapsulated perfectly in season two's Fishes, which recounts a

04:55particularly painful Christmas in the Brizado household.

05:05While it contains some much-needed moments of levity, Fishes is an hour-long exercise

05:09in simmering tension.

05:14The show's traumatic themes are deeply explored, and its unique style of kinetic filmmaking

05:18is on full display.

05:19Much of the acclaim has, deservedly, gone to Jamie Lee Curtis, whose performance as

05:23Donna is uncomfortably breathtaking.

05:40For many, this episode hit a little too close to home, and Donna reminded them of people

05:44they'd rather forget.

05:45Number 5.

05:46Why We Fight, Band of Brothers

05:59One could certainly argue that all ten episodes of Band of Brothers went hard, offering us

06:03cinematic production values that are rarely seen on TV.

06:06But the episode that went the hardest is undoubtedly Why We Fight, a.k.a. the Holocaust

06:10episode.

06:24Easy Company enters Nazi Germany and stumbles across the Kaufering concentration camp.

06:29What they see inside stuns them into a brief moment of disbelief before reminding them

06:33of the values of fighting.

06:37It's an extraordinary, if haunting, episode of television, displaying nightmarish horrors

06:45and bringing one of the darkest moments in human history to startling life.

06:48It's not easy viewing, but it is necessary.

06:59Number 4.

07:00Connor's Wedding, Succession

07:07Despite the title, Connor's Wedding is not a happy affair.

07:09In fact, it's pretty darn depressing.

07:17Logan collapses offscreen, which in itself was a shocking and unexpected creative decision

07:22that was widely acclaimed.

07:23But that event is only used to get to the meat of the episode, and that's the reactions

07:27of his children.

07:41We follow the four kids as they process the news and slowly come to the realization that

07:45their fathers died.

07:46The entire episode is a masterclass in acting, with everyone bringing their A-games and turning

07:57these otherwise unsympathetic characters into human beings processing the death of a father.

08:02Connor's Wedding is a remarkable achievement, not just in terms of filmmaking, but also

08:06in thematic explorations and narrative curveballs.

08:18Number 3.

08:19Pine Barrens, The Sopranos

08:23One of the most influential shows in history did a ton of things that were considered revolutionary,

08:27like moving away from the main narrative to watch Chris and Pauly eat ketchup packets.

08:43Coming in the tail end of season 3, Pine Barrens detours from the building story and gives

08:48viewers a bottle episode with Chris and Pauly getting lost in the New Jersey woods.

08:55It was a daring creative risk, but one that paid off beautifully with a unique atmosphere,

09:03a fun storyline, and plenty of dark humor.

09:06Additionally, the ambiguity surrounding the fate of the Russian leaves viewers with a

09:10lasting sense of intrigue that never really goes away.

09:13Only The Sopranos could do an episode like this and get away with it.

09:32Number 2.

09:33Reigns of Castamere, Game of Thrones

09:45How about that red wedding?

09:47Battle of the Bastards set the record in terms of cinematic production values, but it was

09:50the Reigns of Castamere that left viewers crying on the floor like a hungry toddler.

09:55We know, we saw the reaction videos.

10:02The entire episode is wonderful, but it's famous for the ending, in which the Starks

10:06are ruthlessly slaughtered at the Twins.

10:08It's not so much the graphic violence that pushed boundaries, but the brave narrative

10:12rugpull.

10:13Killing off major characters in such a fashion is virtually unheard of, let alone the series

10:17protagonists.

10:27And here we thought Robb was going to triumph.

10:29Well, Game of Thrones, you got us good.

10:37Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

10:40Party.

10:41God of Light.

10:42Twin Peaks.

10:43One of the most terrifying and experimental episodes of television ever produced.

11:04The Suitcase.

11:05Mad Men.

11:06A really enjoyable masterclass in writing and acting.

11:17Mizumono.

11:18Hannibal.

11:19A bloody, brilliant, and visually stunning explosion of simmering tension.

11:34Two Cathedrals.

11:35The West Wing.

11:36An exceptionally written episode that went places TV never went before.

11:54Long Long Time.

11:55The Last of Us.

11:56An emotionally rewarding mini-movie about love, death, and undying commitment.

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12:39The show didn't end here, but it was certainly the climax, wrapping up most of the major

12:43storylines and leaving viewers thoroughly satisfied, if not thoroughly depressed.

13:02As the title implies, Ozymandias is where all of Walt's chickens come to roost and

13:07his empire collapses into dust.

13:09Hank dies, Jesse's taken captive, his money's stolen, and he's forced to abandon his family

13:13and go on the run with a new identity.

13:19These were the moments that everyone was waiting for, the moments that had been slowly building

13:23throughout five seasons and dozens of hours.

13:25It went hard, and unlike Ozymandias, it only solidified the television empire that was

13:29breaking bad.

13:39Can you think of any other episodes that really ran with it?

13:42Let us know in the comments below!

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