The Christmas episode for me just checked all the boxes. Can’t beat Roy and Keely going house to house with Phoebe looking for a dentist 😂 And the party at Higgins house? Such a great feel good episode across the board 🎄 🎅 ⚽️ 🇬🇧

  • Beyonder-838@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Most episodes range from great to some of the best in TV history, so this can change at any time depending on how I feel in the moment, but right now here my personal top 5:

    1. No Weddings and a Funeral - the emotional turns that Hannah and Jason show here are nothing short of jaw-dropping, and provided powerful insight into their characters’ backstories. The back-and-forth narration of their stories with their fathers left me stunned, even more than the darts scene. While I didn’t care for every scene in this episode, the artistry on display from those two actors puts it on my top spot.

    2. Mom City - the penultimate episode provides the cherry on top as to why Ted is who he is, from his mother’s quick wit to helping everyone else but himself. Also great to see Ted telling Jamie to forgive his father, almost like Ted admitting he’s forgiven his. This episode should be Phil Dunster’s Emmy reel.

    3. Sunflowers - the episode that unlocks AFC Richmond’s potential, not only is it fun to watch, but almost every major cast member gets their turn to shine. “Someone . . . wrote it in Spanish” kills me every time.

    4. Make Rebecca Great Again - the introduction of Sassy Smurf, Nate’s confidence, and Ted’s panic attacks barely scratches the surface of this episode with 32 minutes of TV with no filler.

    5. Beard After Hours - this is the Beard episode we didn’t know we needed. Beginning with the end of “Man City” and showing it from Beard’s perspective to that stripped down version of the theme song while he’s on the train, you knew you were in for something different and special. Ending on Blur’s ‘The Universal’ gave it a soaring, uplifting feel, with the lyrics reinforcing that the night was entirely real. When Apple ordered two more episodes and the writers had to find a way to fit them in the second season, both this and “Carol of the Bells” showed their ability to write compelling stories separate from the main storylines. How this episode does it so well with Ted barely in it gives us a glimpse into how the strong the show can still be without its titular character.