Television and films have been going toe to toe for a while now, with both mediums producing content that is not only written to the highest quality but filmed in the most spectacular ways. Gone are the days when film stars would never deign to appear on TV or for series leads aspiring to leave it all behind for the land of features. They can co-exist in ways that push each other to be better. Even historically, shows would create one or twoTVevents per season that had viewers feeling like they were at the movies.
But, since the likes ofBlack Mirrorbrought cinema-level anthology ideas to the mainstream, many TV shows have been upping the ante as well as the budgets, to produce episodes that would look as great in a movie theater as they do on the home flat screen.From premieres and bottle episodes to series finales, these few hours of TV have changed the game. Though some might still need the rest of the season for context, the episodes themselves are created in a way that elevates them to new heights.
10"Amor Fati"
The White Lotus, Season 3, Episode 7
Each season of Mike White’s hit show has been shot in some of the most beautiful locales in the world. Hawaii in season 1 is the introduction to this environment of wealth and privilege, with stunning sunsets and lush greenery. Sicily is the sun-drenched setting for season 2 and the latest installment takes place around the paradise vistas of Thailand.
As with each season, the new guests keep viewers entertained, and the central mystery of the dead body in the pond builds up with every new episode.The latestThe White Lotusseason finaleproved to be quite divisive, but,even if some viewers felt the need for more answers, the whole episode is much like a film. From its feature length to the explosive shootout, the tension builds with each segment.
The White Lotus
Cast
The White Lotus is a television series that explores the interactions of guests and staff at an upscale tropical resort. Premiering in 2021, the narrative unfolds over a week, revealing underlying complexities and tensions among the resort’s seemingly ideal travelers and employees.
While there are many standout scenes and memorable monologs, it’s very much the Rick and Chelsea story. Their sunlit reunion on the beach, her face when he confirms that he wants to spend forever with her, and finally the heartbreaking shot of him carrying her limp body. All these moments play out like a tragic melodrama.
9"The Last Ceremony"
The Handmaid’s Tale, Season 2, Episode 10
Gray, steely-toned, and unrelentingly bleak is the signature cinematography choice forThe Handmaid’s Tale.This conscious decision reflects the hopeless world that everyone is living in, and the helplessness that they feel every day.It is not easy to choose the most disturbing episode or saddest sceneof this dystopian epic, but each story that is told has symbolism and meaning behind it.“The Last Ceremony” plays out like a psychological thriller, almost verging on horror.
The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale is a television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel, released in 2017. It is set in a dystopian future where a woman is compelled to live as a concubine under a strict fundamentalist theocracy.
The false labor scene introduces a sense of dread that then turns to terror as it is decided June must be punished for this event. The punishment itself is gruesome and horrifying as she is held down by Fred and Serena. Everything she has to endure is written on Elisabeth Moss' face in a chilling way, making viewers feel every emotion she is going through.The episode then ends on a cliffhanger that any renowned horror would be proud of. The protagonist is all alone, in distress, her future unknown.
8"Pine Barrens"
The Sopranos, Season 3, Episode 11
With so many momentous episodes to choose from,The Sopranoswas television’s early 2000s answer toThe Godfather.This meant that not only were all the family relationships complex and ever-changing, but the action and cinematography tried to honor Francis Ford Coppola’s epic trilogy as well. While there are a few epic episodes in each season that stand out in many ways,“Pine Barrens” has the aesthetic ofFargowith the grittiness ofGoodfellas. Steve Buscemi was behind the camera to bring this story to life.
The Sopranos
The Sopranos follows New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano as he navigates the challenges of managing his family and criminal enterprise. He seeks guidance from psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi while dealing with complex dynamics involving his wife Carmela, cousin Christopher Moltisanti, and other Mafia associates. Released in 1999, this series delves into organized crime and personal struggles.
It feels like a standalone episodewith a main plot point that is not as connected to the rest of the season. The hilarious banter between Paulie and Chris drives the story as they traverse cold and unfamiliar territory after a botched mission. Their dialog is sharply written, lightening the tone despite the bleak setting they find themselves in.
7"Hush"
Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 4, Episode 10
One of the jewels in season 4’s crown,“Hush” is such a unique take on the monster-of-the-week formatofBuffy the Vampire Slayer. While some of the other threats either seem easily beatable, not very scary, or simply forgettable, The Gentlemen are none of those. As they take the whole town’s voices, leaving Sunnydale in an eerie silence, there is a sense of helplessness among the residents, even Buffy herself.
The episode is constructed in a cinematic way, with the eerie dream sequence opening the story up, and then the mysterious threat descending on the unsuspecting victims.
Each shot of them floating towards their victims, with their terrifying smiles and equally creepy henchmen, is spine-tingling.The episode is constructed in a cinematic way, with the eerie dream sequence opening the story up, and then the mysterious threat descending on the unsuspecting victims.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a television series created by Joss Whedon, focusing on Buffy Summers, portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, a young woman chosen to battle against vampires, demons, and other supernatural forces while navigating the complexities of teenage life.
Treating the muteness like something that happens in sci-fi or horror films makes viewers feel like they’re watching one of those movies, and almost forget that they’re halfway through a season of television. The ambiguous conclusion where, even though the characters can finally speak but choose silence, is the perfect ending.
6"Why We Fight"
Band Of Brothers, Season 1, Episode 9
This miniseries comes across like a collection of short films that connect to tell one epic story. It stands to reason considering the caliber of filmmakers involved, and the cinematography and acting are top-notch. But, this particular episode ofBand of Brothersstands out among the nine other fantastic installments, mostly because it serves as a bit of a departure from the action-packed and combat-focused pace of the show.
While each one shows the many devastating effects of war in the vein ofThe Thin Red Line, this one is more like a scene fromThe PianistorSchindler’s List.For most of the episode, there is a sense of calm before something huge happens, especially with the end of the war drawing near, but there is one last horror left to encounter.
Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers is a 2001 HBO miniseries chronicling Easy Company’s experiences from paratrooper training to World War II’s end. It portrays their participation in pivotal battles such as D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s book and first-hand accounts from surviving members.
As the soldiers come across the concentration camp, each shot is filled with importance and emotion. The choice of sound, or often lack thereof, the horrified and visceral reactions to what exactly it is that they’re seeing all hit viewers straight in the gut.It is such a poignant piece of television historythat was treated as such.
5"Everyone’s Waiting"
Six Feet Under, Season 5, Episode 12
This groundbreaking show was able to tackle the unbearably heavy subjects of grief and death with a much-needed dose of dark humor. While watching the family go through their many trials and tribulations, the audience became involved with them and ultimately wanted them to be okay. While many finales wrap up the story at hand,Six Feet Undergoes beyond the grave to show how each character ends upand how, and when, they die.Parks and Recreationdid a similar thing in its own finale, which was similarly satisfying.
Six Feet Under
Created by Alan Ball, Six Feet Under is a Black Comedy and Drama series that stars Peter Krause, Frances Conroy, Rachel Griffiths, and Michael C. Hall. Running for five seasons between 2001 and 2005, the plot revolves around a dysfunctional family that owns and operates a funeral home.
Filled with goodbyes, reconciliations, and closure, there are very few loose ends left untied. But, it’s the final montage that is the most cinematic of all. Each ending is like the end of a slightly different movie as the montage moves across time and geography to find every character at the end of their lives. It feels that this type of closure was a gift to viewers, so they can see into the future and see what happens to the characters they cared about for so long.
4"Ozymandias"
Many critics cite “Ozymandias” as one of the best episodes in TV history. It has so many cinematic elements as well as moments significant to the story that had been developing for five seasons. A lot was changing as the finale approached, andBreaking Badensured that each of the last few outings would be special.
Rian Johnson directed this epic hour of television thatincorporated elements of a classic tragedy with the characters on the run, all shot like a gritty old Western. The heartbreaking loss of Hank, the Oscar-worthy scene between Walt and Skyler, and the implosion of the whole White family that had been such a huge focus of the show for so many years.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
That fight scene was shot perfectly, with deafening rawness and intimate brutality that could only occur between people who have known each other for so long. Another heartbreaking moment is the phone call that Walter must make to protect his family as best he can. There is never any let-up, leaving viewers gasping for breath at the end.
3"Dear Billy"
Stranger Things, Season 4, Episode 4
When TV shows take a lot of time between seasons, it stands to reason that they reward their patient audiences with something special.Stranger Thingscertainly did that with season 4, where every single episode isaction-packed and shot incredibly well. The whole show manages to make every part well-thought-through. Yet from the costumes and set design to the script and cinematography, it stepped it up for season 4. Many of the episodes feel like movies by themselves, from the season opener to the nail-biting finale.
Stranger Things
Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces. A significant focus is on a peculiar girl who may hold the key to the unfolding mystery.
But, the episode that is packed with the most emotional depth, high stakes, and multiple moving parts which all need to fall into place is “Dear Billy”. As the gang realizes that Max is next on Vecna’s list, the race against the old grandfather clock begins, as Nancy and Robin look for solutions and Steve and the kids let Max go on her own farewell tour.Max’s fight with Vecna is a truly stunning and cinematic sequence. Kate Bush’s epic song just elevates the scene even more, and by the end, viewers feel like they’ve been through the wringer.
2"The We We Are"
Severance, Season 1, Episode 9
No detail is unimportant in the world ofSeverance, and each episode is shot and paced flawlessly. The never-ending hallways always inflict a sense of hopelessness and imprisonment, the high ceilings of the MDR room make the severed employees feel like tiny cogs in a huge machine, and even the colors hold meaning. The season 1 finale starts off where the excitement of the previous episode leaves off, andviewers see all the Innies “wake up” on the outside world.
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a “severance” procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
Knowing their time is limited, the whole episode is a race to get as much information as possible, andevery single main character has a crucial mission to accomplish. Mark S. dropping the bombshell about Gemma, Helly R. finding out who her Outtie actually is, and the gut-wrenching near-reunion of Irving and Burt are all cinematic and emotional moments. Dylan has his own hero moment against Mr. Milchik and every scene is important and full of purpose.
1"Battle Of The Bastards"
Game Of Thrones, Season 6, Episode 9
In a show with a seemingly unlimited budget, there had already been some epic moments, chilling and worthy of the big screen. And, ina sea of unforgettable episodes, it is practically impossible to pick just one that embodies just how much of an impact this show had. “The Reigns of Castamere,” “The Door,” and “The Long Night” are all cinematic and narrative masterpieces, leaving audiences stunned, angry, in tears, or throwing pillows at their TVs. They are all acted, written, and directed with a quality that viewers just got used to.
The face-off between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton was a long time coming, Sansa getting revenge was a punch-in-the-air moment, and the battle itself was a feast for the eyes.
But, the sheer scale of everything that is connected to"The Battle of the Bastards" takes it to the next level of movie-making, even if it was made for TV. The face-off between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton was a long time coming, Sansa getting revenge was a punch-in-the-air moment, and the battle itself was a feast for the eyes.
Game Of Thrones
Based on George R. R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. It follows noble families like the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen vying for control of the Iron Throne while a rising threat from the undead looms in the North. The series received significant critical success and amassed a loyal fan base due to its high production values, sprawling sets, iconic characters, and shocking twists.
Seeing the ever-dwindling group of soldiers standing by Jon, until he is completely covered by bodies, feels like the end in a visceral way. And, there is no doubt that the scene of Snow holding up his sword, prepared to take on a full army, shows just how much of a hero he truly is.
