7 Must-Watch TV Episodes for Writers, Actors, and Directors (and a Bonus Scene)

 

In the past few decades, thanks to HBO, FX, AMC, Netflix, Amazon, and several other cable/streaming platforms, episodic television, which I prefer to call long-form narrative, have had a quantum leap in the writing, acting, and directing.

This article presents seven long-form narrative episodes that bring together the skills of writers, actors, and directors in instructive ways.

Plus, they exemplify good storytelling in all its aspects.

Origin Stories

I absolutely love a well-done Origin Story. They often appeal several seasons into a show, and we get to see why a character has become who they are.

Notice that the first three of my choices are from Season 4 of network TV shows. It is often postulated and my DVD collection agrees) that Season 5 is often the high-water mark of most 20 to 24 episode TV series, so it is no surprise that these revelations happen in Season 4, setting up a new level of character depth for Season 5.

"Live Bait," The Walking Dead (S4, Ep 6)

We learn why the Governor, played with everyman simplicity and depth by David Morrissey, has taken his dark, inhuman path.

"Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man," X Files, (S4, Ep 7)

Written and directed by core contributors to the series Glen Morgan and James Wong, we see the iconic and sinister Smoking Man entering, navigating, and thriving in the world of Conspiracy Theories and Tin Foil Hats. Given the recent JFK document releases, this is well worth revisiting.

“Requiem,” The Blacklist, (S4, Ep 17)

The dry, enigmatic female cleaner named Mr. Kaplan, played exquisitely by Susan Blommaert, gets a moment in the spotlight.

This raised the bar considerably for me when it comes to Origin Stories, although it might have been recently surpassed.

                                       

"Cent'Anni," The Penguin (S1, Ep 4)

For the first three episodes/hours of this compelling series, we learn about Sofia Falcone’s history through the eyes and mouths of mostly toxic males.

In episode four (a midpoint episode like the two episodes I next present), Cristin Milioti takes us on a gut-wrenching journey through Sofia’s experiences in Arkham Asylum.

We cannot help but feel sympathy and even cheer her on for the rest of the season as she confronts the toxic males who unfairly put her there.  

Three Powerful Two-Handers

“Here's Not Here,” The Walking Dead (S6, Ep 4)

John Carroll Lynch guest stars as a forensic scientist who helps the recurring, and complex character Morgan Jones (Lennie James) on his spiritual warrior path. Writing, acting, and directing come together particularly well in this one.

“Long, Long Time,” The Last of Us (S1, Ep 3)

I have watched this episode three times. I never fail to cry through most of it.

Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett play two men who find each other in the Aftermath. The scene with the raspberries is the pure joy of human connection with one another and nature.

You will also never listen to Linda Ronstadt’s already emotional song in quite the same way.

“The Hurt Man,” Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Ep 5)

Written by Ian Brennan, Ryan Murphy’s longtime creative partner, this episode is a two-hander where we only see one of the characters, defense attorney Leslie Abramson (played by Ari Graynor), from the back.

As the camera slowly tracks in, in a single, unbroken shot, toward Erik Menendez, played by Cooper Koch, he shares the details of the physical and mental abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, and others.

BONUS: A 4.5-Minute Scene Sums All of This Up

From “Ian Garvey,” The Blacklist (S5, Ep 8)

Written by show creator Jon Bokenkamp and producer John Eisendrath, this scene unfolds in the back of Red’s car, after Tom’s (Ryan Eggold) fatal stabbing by Big Bad Ian Garvey.

Very little dialog, the scene is elevated and deepened at the same time by Disturb’s cover of Paul Simon’s “The Sound of Silence.”