The Flash – “The Man in the Yellow Suit”

If you’re not watching The CW’s adaptation of DC Comics’ super speedster The Flash, then you’re missing out on one of the biggest surprises of the year. Not only has Grant Gustin stepped effortlessly into the title role, but the creative team has surrounded him with a fantastic supporting cast. The ensemble turned in their best performances in the first mid-season finale which gave satisfying semi-closure to the murder of Barry’s mother while opening up a host of other questions. Major villains arrived in the flesh, potential allies blazed onto the scene, and the various love affairs took unexpected twists and turns. In a season that’s already featured a cross-over with sister series Arrow, it was surprisingly difficult to sort out the best of the bunch, but judging from the amount of time-traveling/super-speeding/identity-swapping discussion at the episode recap’s comment boards, “The Man in the Yellow Suit” was strong enough to carry viewers until the show’s January 20th return. – Dave Trumbore

The Affair – “Pilot”

In its first episode, The Affair (another great fall series from Showtime) introduced us to a beautiful New England vacation spot, but one that was immediately undercut with darkness. Wrapped in a murder mystery, The Affair tells its story through his-and-hers points of view, which show how bias and emotion can affect memory, often in extreme ways. Its unique, unreliable narration from both leads was a great twist, and also a very exciting portend (which The Affair has lived up to in spades). An exceptional pilot. – Allison Keene

The Strain – “Loved Ones”

Somewhat similar to “Closer Than Sisters,” episode 10 of The Strain, “Loved Ones,” is a strong standalone watch. Even if you don’t watch the show, the episode’s got such a powerful mini-narrative packed with heart and curious details about the condition consuming New York that you’re bound to get hooked. And of course, if you do know the characters, it’s going to hit even harder. The Strain season 1 had its moments, but the writers tended to have a tough time connecting the dots from episode to episode, so it should come as no surprise that some of the strongest installments were ones that had beginnings, middles and ends within themselves, like “Loved Ones” and episode 8, “Creatures of the Night,” as well. It’s good fun seeing the gang come together and take on a horde of vampires at a convenience store, but “Loved Ones” digs far deeper thanks to the extremely emotional scenario. Kelly Goodweather didn’t even do all that much in the episodes prior, but Natalie Brown still manages to rip your heart out as the character’s humanity withers away, essentially losing her loved ones in the process. – Perri Nemiroff

The Knick – “Get the Rope”

An already uniquely beautiful period series, Cinemax’s early-century hospital drama The Knick went above and beyond in “Get The Rope,” which was the most connected and contained episode of its first season. It was also one that managed to deal with race relations (in a difficult, even claustrophobic way), romantic relations (quite bravely and brazenly for the time period), and even some humor, all into an hour of controlled chaos. It was taut, tense, and narratively satisfying, but also (as always) visually augmented by Steven Soderbergh‘s exceptional direction (particularly that hospital transport tracking shot). – Allison Keene

Sons of Anarchy – “Red Rose”

Powerful stuff from a show that trades in violence, but can still find ways to shock. FX’s biker drama Sons of Anarchy has had its highs and lows over the years, but no matter what came before it, the show really “went there” and set its legacy with “Red Rose.” In it, Jax (Charlie Hunnam) was forced to come to terms with who he really is (and what his family really represents, and the cost of that way of life), something he has struggled with since the beginning of the series. Here, he embraces it and does his duty, knowing that the ending he’s created is now nigh. It was emotional, tense, and ultimately stunning. –Allison Keene

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