It’s so inspiring to see a show go out on its own terms, doing it how it wants to, maintaining the vision it has, all while presenting an unconventional, “realistic” Hollywood happy ending. While many saw it as a betrayal to the show, it was actually a love letter to everything the series stood for, even though many more people viewed the Mother-centric “How Your Mother Met Me” as such. – Daniel

Sonic Highways: “Washington D.C.”

Say what you want about the Foo Fighters or the album of the same name, but HBO’s Sonic Highways was one of the most interesting television shows of the year. Detailing the often diverse, complex musical histories of eight American cities and some the unique studios that rest within them, Sonic Highways does for music what ESPN’s 30 for 30 series has been doing for sports. With Dave Grohl at the helm like an impassioned, devout disciple of the Church of American Music, Grohl slips into Ken Burns mode almost as effortlessly as he played those drum fills on “In Bloom,” interviewing each cities’ key players who deliver candid and spirited recollections about the sounds and scenes of their past. I could have gone with any of the eight episodes, but there’s something about the way Dave taps into his own hometown that gives the D.C. episode a little extra fire. – Nick

To say thathad an uneven first season would be generous. Hobbled by the constraints of the Marvel Cinematic Universe rather than embracing them, the show had the unenviable task of trying to appease an audience who were perhaps expecting something a little more colorful than a series about young agents finding their way in the world. “Shadows” was less of a season premiere than a soft reboot of the entire series concept, finally delivering the crazy technology and gadgets, high stakes, and intrigue we all thought we were getting. They even threw in a bona fide supervillain. Most importantly, though, it gave these characters a purpose…something they had been sorely lacking before. – Mike

Broad City: “Fattest Asses”

This episode is such a love letter to Abbi and Ilana, which arguably every episode is, but this one is just so hyperbolic as they pretty much commandeer this party and become living Gods (ie. the fattest asses) by reprehensible behavior that by no means should work. Broad City is never afraid to get big, but this episode keeps doubling down on Abbi and Ilana’s insanity and how on board and in love with it everyone is. Throw in Jason Mantzoukas for good measure and how can you lose? – Daniel