We recap the ten greatest isolated TV instalments broadcast in the past year...Game of Thrones may have taken our 'Best TV Show' title in On-Screen's 'Best Of 2013' awards, but as ever, that doesn't guarantee it the metaphorical throne in our penultimate award feature. Here, we'll highlight ten of the most captivating individual television episodes broadcast in the course of 2013, counting down to the single instalment which will forever be branded as our 'Best TV Episode' of the year.
Will it be one of Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary voyages through time and space? Will it be one of our trips to Westeros or Starling City? Or will The X Factor scoop its first accolade of the year at the blog? As to the latter, a clue- no. As to the former questions, however, there's only one way to find out- fight!
10. ELEMENTARY: A LANDMARK STORY- Natalie Dormer was the victor of the On-Screen 'Best Female Performance' award, and her portrayal of Jamie Moriarty and the character's fake persona of Irene Adler was a key factor in her success. Never has a single adaptation of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes tales thrown in quite so many profound shocks as A Landmark Story, one of the final episodes of US Holmes drama Elementary's first run, and one which cements the programme's vast promise to boot.
9. THE FIVE(ISH) DOCTORS REBOOT- This one, dear reader, may strike you as an unexpected inclusion, but it's warranted nonetheless. Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy may not have featured substantially in Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary Special, yet their satirical companion piece The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot was easily the highest form of compensation. That even Russell "The" Davies himself acquires a cameo in this 30-minute treasure speaks wonders for the immense levels of nostalgia and satisfaction it evoked from Whovians the world over!
8. GLEE: THE QUARTERBACK- Had Glee mishandled the momentous episode in which the tragic passing of Cory Monteith, better known to fans as Finn Hudson, was recognised and honoured, the series might as well have reached its sudden end there and then. Thankfully, The Quarterback was anything but a disservice to Monteith, paying homage to the young actor's life through song, through raw and unrestrained emotion and the devastatingly realistic closing sentiment that not every story has a happy ending- how terribly apt, in a year which has seen the passing of countless beloved actorial icons...
7. THE NEWSROOM: ELECTION NIGHT PART 2- When it came down to it, The Newsroom Season Two as a collated whole was something of a let-down. All the same, the run still went out with a bang in Election Night Part 2, most notably due to the reprisal of the uplifting warmth and enduring hope against the darkest odds which contributed to the original season's charm. As soon as the time comes for Aaron Sorkin and his team to consider Season Three, its immediate predecessor must be the instalment upon which foundations are built towards the programme's deserved return to fame.
6. DEREK: EPISODE 6- Of all of the highlights of Ricky Gervais' first full season of his comedy-drama Derek, its final episode by far represented its almighty peak. The titular protagonist was met with a moving familial dilemma, as Derek's father re-entered the equation of his life and work during the funeral of one of the nursing home's residents. Gervais crafts a script which holds up as a startlingly accurate rendition of the consequences and moral ramifications of such a commonplace situation- as such, this remains amongst the superior individual drama instalments of the year!
5. ARROW: THREE GHOSTS- Unlike Marvel's Agents of SHIELD over on ABC, The CW's Arrow has gone from strength to strength in 2013, and the final episode of the series broadcast this year was the glorious epitome of this continued progression. Three Ghosts resolves numerous narrative arcs that raised considerable tension amongst the series' central characters, and in doing so sets Season Two on a thrilling redefined path towards what promises to be the Arrow's greatest battle...
4. BEING HUMAN: THE LAST BROADCAST- The cries of despair over Being Human's premature axing by the BBC can still be heard in some quarters, but without question, Toby Whithouse's supernatural epic came to one hell of a conclusion. Phil Davis' Captain Hatch turned out to be a hasty front for the return of the Devil to wreak havoc upon the Earth, and although Davis relished in the role, in The Last Broadcast it was the show's central trio of stars- Michael Socha, Damien Molony and Kate Bracken- who stole the show, emphasising to a painful extent quite how much the show's fanbase will (rightly) miss it in 2014.
3. AN ADVENTURE IN SPACE AND TIME- Steven Moffat has clearly mastered the art of misdirection, for in having Doctor Who's followers focus most intently on his 50th Anniversary Special, the showrunner almost completely stole their attention from another of 2013's TV highlights. Worthy of a big-screen transfer at some point, An Adventure In Space And Time is a stunning piece of historical drama that easily stands up with the best of the BBC's celebratory offerings for the landmark event. Not only does it feature a career-defining turn from Jessica Raine, but David Bradley manages to eclipse even his terrifying rendition of Game of Thrones' Walter Frey in his performance as Bill Hartnell, simultaneously enchanting, hilarious and touching all at once!
2. GAME OF THRONES: MHYSA- For many of George R.R. Martin's hardened followers, The Rains of Castamere (the penultimate episode of Season Three which contained the infamous Red Wedding) may appear the obvious selection as Game of Thrones' latest highpoint. In the case of Season Three, however, its finale Mhysa remains the defining benchmark of quality that future episodes will be contrasted against for critical assessment. As is so often the case in any masterful drama, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss' exploration of the effects of the Starks' demises upon the rest of Westeros is more engaging still than the event itself, and we can only imagine how Breaking Bad's most prominent rival will progress after this spectacular game-changer...
1. DOCTOR WHO: THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR- Doctor Who's most anticipated episode of 2013 was always going to be a subversive piece of drama for better or for worse, but the possibility of the latter eventuality only seemed more probable as the underwhelming Season Seven Part Two continued its broadcasting in the Spring. To his immense credit, though, Steven Moffat's deviation of his attention on the Spring run can be thoroughly justified by the cinematic masterpiece that is the programme's 50th Anniversary Special. The Day of the Doctor excels in its supremely accomplished cast ensemble, in its motion picture-esque direction from Nick Hurran and most of all in its incredible narrative approach, the warranted confidence of which was not rivalled by any other drama in 2013's entirety. November 23rd, 2013 was just the legendary Day that Doctor Who deserved to celebrate its greatest achievement so far, and even if the series as a whole has had better periods, few modern dramas can assert such unrelenting, captivating appeal as the BBC's iconic science-fiction saga still holds half a century on from its première!
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