By admin [ad_1]
Anyone who is a fan of George R. R. Martin and his novels should tune in to his blog posts on a regular basis. Through his Not A Blog page, the esteemed author posts everything from updates on developing Game of Thrones spin-off projects to charming insights into his personal and professional lives, criticism of other films, books, games, and series that pique his interest, and even introspective analysis of how he wrote some of his best novels. An interesting treat arose in August 2023, when Martin took the time to comment on some TV show episodes he deemed perfect.
Sparked by a Vanity Fair article exploring the best episodes of the past 25 years, in which Martin’s “Blackwater” was included, the novelist wrote to show his gratitude for his inclusion on the list and to highlight his own favorite episodes from other series. With everything from gripping crime thrillers to period piece dramas included, Martin’s selection of television perfection is as good a recommendation as one is ever likely to get.
6
“The Suitcase” (2010)
‘Mad Men’ – Season 4, Episode 7
There have been few episodes in recent history as lauded for their individual brilliance as Mad Men’s now iconic Season 4 installment, “The Suitcase.” With the firm pressed by a looming deadline, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) insists on Peggy (Elizabeth Moss) staying late to complete work on the Samsonite ad, causing her to miss a birthday dinner with her boyfriend. The episode’s departure from covering a wide range of characters to instead focus intrinsically on Don and Peggy’s relationship proves to be an inspired choice.
As such, “The Suitcase” is widely regarded to be the single best episode of Mad Men and, in the eyes of some, the greatest episode of any series ever released. It does away with ensemble distractions in favor of a two-character emotional brawl, making it a truly creative episode. Vanity Fair may not have gone quite to that extent in their coverage of the episode, but their praise was emphatic. George R. R. Martin listed it first when discussing the episodes that resonated with him most from the article.
5
“Pine Barrens” (2001)
‘The Sopranos’ – Season 3, Episode 11
Following New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he begins secretly seeing a psychiatrist after suffering panic attacks due to his complex work-life balance, The Sopranos is an enduring and medium-defining masterpiece of razor-sharp tension, explosive violence, engrossing drama, and even outbursts of comedy. Season 3’s “Pine Barrens” features all of these qualities in abundance as it focuses on Christopher (Michael Imperioli) and Paulie’s (Tony Sirico) efforts to kill a Russian gangster while romantic woes trouble Tony’s family.
There are certainly episodes of The Sopranos that are more viscerally dramatic, more thematically significant, and play a more substantial role in the overall story, but “Pine Barrens” has long been regarded among the series’ finest installments because it is so ridiculously fun. George R. R. Martin said as much in his blog, saying “The Sopranos had lots of great episodes, but “Pine Barrens” was special.”
4
“Ozymandias” (2013)
‘Breaking Bad’ – Season 5, Episode 14
Famously standing as the highest-rated episode of any series ever made according to IMDb, and the only episode with more than 1000 votes to score a perfect 10, “Ozymandias” is a testament to the brilliance of Breaking Bad. The third-last episode of the entire series, it is effectively the point in the story where all of Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) grand schemes fall down around him. The fallout is a tapestry of chaos, death, and despair that leaves Walter alienated from his family and on the run from the police. Every action he’s taken finally converges in a spectacular collapse, turning the desert into a graveyard of consequences.
Directed by Rian Johnson and written by Moira Walley-Beckett, the episode is widely regarded to be Breaking Bad’s finest hour, a masterful medley of high drama and pulsating suspense that launches the series to its conclusion. George R. R. Martin seemed to be in complete agreement with Vanity Fair’s decision to include it on their prestigious list, describing “Ozymandias” as “heart-wrenching” in his blog post.
3
“Middle Ground” (2004)
‘The Wire’ – Season 3, Episode 11
A sprawling crime epic that plunges into the intricacies of the Baltimore drug trade and the inner workings of the city’s police department, The Wire is heralded by many as being one of the greatest masterpieces in television history. As such, The Wire has multiple episodes that could easily be included among the best in recent decades, a point that Martin made in his blog as he advocated for the inclusion of “Middle Ground” while also highlighting how Season 5’s “Clarifications” had a powerful impact on him.
“Middle Ground,” the penultimate episode of Season 3, epitomizes so much of what is great about The Wire. It excels as a compelling and layered story that explores multiple arcs with both efficiency and depth, while multiple characters experience shattering resolutions to their operations. It is elegantly crafted, yet punishing and brutal. While Martin’s point that The Wire “came close to perfection pretty frequently” is a true reflection of its multitude of great episodes, “Middle Ground” still stands as a noteworthy highlight of the series.
2
“San Junipero” (2016)
‘Black Mirror’ – Season 3, Episode 4
A pointed marriage of social commentary, offbeat drama, and anxiety-inducing science fiction, Black Mirror has used its anthology approach to explore different visions of dystopian futures. This premise has led to many thought-provoking and faultless Black Mirror episodes that have become ingrained in mainstream pop culture. Season 3’s “San Junipero” has established itself as something of a defining triumph of the series, however, with its romantic heartbeat and tenderness a memorable change of pace for the typically cynical series.
The episode follows the budding romance between the shy and reserved Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) and the more extroverted Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), which transpires in the vice-laden virtual reality of San Junipero. Behind its neon glow and nostalgic soundtrack is a heart-wrenching story that unearths aching questions about consent, aging, and whether eternal life is a gift—or a trap. Such is the brilliance of “San Junipero,” it was selected in Vanity Fair’s article, and George R. R. Martin could hardly have been more emphatic in his agreement, declaring it as “the episode I love to watch over and over.”
1
“Everyone’s Waiting” (2005)
‘Six Feet Under’ (Season 5, Episode 12)
The series finale to Six Feet Under is an outlier in the context of this list, as it is the one episode George R. R. Martin picked out as being the absolute best of Vanity Fair’s selections. In fact, the writer even went on to state that the episode is “even more perfect than all the others on the list.” A black comedy drama series that ran through the early 2000s, Six Feet Under follows the interpersonal dynamics and in-fighting of a family operating a funeral home business. Each episode begins with a death, framing the show’s premise as a meditation on how the living grapple with loss while professionally catering to it.
“Everyone’s Waiting” is truly a masterpiece as far as television series finales go, given how it plays with the form and style of the series while still offering sharp and conclusive closure concerning every major character. The series at large is something of a hidden gem nowadays, but its sensational five-season arc is well worth seeking out given its brilliant balance of insightful, thought-provoking drama, exploration of mortality, and, of course, the fact that it comes to such a rewarding climax.
[ad_2]