The Best TV Episodes Of 2017, So Far

While 2016 seemed like an landmark year for television, 2017 is certainly nipping at its heels.

Last year saw the debuts of Westworld, Stranger Things, This Is Us, and so many more. It seemed like nothing could top that run, but this year has brought some serious heat.

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The Handmaid’s Tale and American Gods made serious waves in the eyes of critics, and on the keyboards of Twitter users, while powerhouse dramas like The Leftovers and This Is Us had some incredible finales.

If you’ve been paying attention, there have been great TV episodes around every corner of 2017. Let’s this down, and take a look at a few of the best episodes of 2017, so far.

The Handmaid’s Tale “Night”

As previously mentioned, The Handmaid’s Tale was one of the most important and powerful TV shows to debut in a few years, and Hulu seems to have a serious Emmy contender on its hands.

There were some incredible episodes throughout the first installment of Handmaid’s Tale, so it’s difficult to say which one stood out among the rest. You could honestly put any one of the ten episodes on this list. ‘Late’, the third episode, makes a serious case, but the season finale takes the cake.

By the time ‘Night’ premiered on Hulu, fans of the series were already on the edge of their seats. The story of June and the other handmaid’s had finally reached a breaking point, and it was difficult to look away.

The best part about this episode however, is how it chose to end. Most questions that viewers had were answered, but they were replaced with brand new ones. And watching Luke reunite with Moira? There may not have been a better moment on television all year.

Chicago Fire “My Miracle”

Chicago Fire may not always be brought up in the same conversations as some of the premium powerhouse programs, but its fifth season finale certainly broke into the upper-echelon of television this season.

Fans watched as many of the relationships at the fire station finally reach a point of clarity, before the flames tore everything down in front of them.

As the fifth season of Chicago Fire came to a close, viewers watched as Dawson and Casey said goodbye to one another, as Casey was stuck in a burning building.

Several of the main cast members are stuck inside that fire, and it’s likely that at least one of them won’t make it to Season 6.

The Leftovers “The Book of Nora”

The Leftovers is one of many groundbreaking series to air on HBO, and it came to a close this year.

Few TV shows have managed to sustain its quality throughout its entire run, and go out with a bigger bang than when it began.

Leftovers did just that this summer. Carrie Coon and Justin Theroux delivered powerful performances in that final hour, leaving every viewer’s jaw stuck to the floor.

‘The Book of Nora’ was one of the greatest television swan songs in recent memory, and few will soon forget it.

This Is Us “Memphis”

This Is Us took the world of television by storm this season. The family drama is single handedly raising the stock price of Kleenex, for crying out loud.

Every single episode of the show’s freshman season was a bonafide tear-jerker, but none stood out quite like ‘Memphis’.

Fans knew that William was entering his final days – he had been all season – and his death was fast-approaching. However, that didn’t make things any easier. It was still a devastating moment to watch.

This episode really solidified the idea that This Is Us was going to be around for a long time.

Master of None “Thanksgiving”

Master of None‘s second season on Netflix was highly celebrated among critics and fans – and for good reason.

Aziz Ansari did a masterful job in stringing together these episodes, but none of them worked quite as well as the talked-about ‘Thanksgiving’ episode.

This half-hour of television dealt with race, sexuality, family, and every other major issue facing people today. Yet, it still found a way to break through the tension and create something you could truly smile about.

Even if you haven’t watched a single episode of Master of None, it’s worth watching this one.