[For more of Collider's Best of 2016 lists, click here]

There’s something to be said about the lost art of the episode, as more and more series move towards taking a novelistic approach to their storytelling. One episode feeds into another in a binge-worthy cascade of narrative, which can be a beautiful thing for an avid TV viewer. But occasionally, an episode really stands out as something wonderful on its own, sometimes even transcending the show itself. More often than not it happens during bombastic premieres or emotionally devastating finales, but many of the episodes on our list come from deep within their season, like glittering gems that have proven themselves to be a cut above. Chris Cabin and I set a deadline of early June to collect our Best Episodes of the Year — Part 1 (Part 2 will land in late December), with only some slight fudging of that timeline (I included an episode of Mozart in the Jungle because it aired very late in 2015). Check out our selections below, which are in no particular order, and add your other favorites in the comments. — Allison Keene

Daredevil Season 2: "Penny and Dime"

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Writer: John C. Kelley

Director: Peter Hoar

Even those that were not as fervently excited about the second season of Daredevil as I was - and I was really, really fervent - tended to agree that Jon Bernthal’s performance as Frank Castle was a highlight of the season. Bernthal commands the screen from the moment we first see him surveying his hunting ground, but it’s in “Penny and Dime” that we finally get the whole picture of what’s been driving The Punisher. The confessional in the ceremony is a doozy, but the episode offers plenty of thrills before it lowers the boom. The sequence at the carousel is excellent, and then episode director Peter Hoar doubles down with the amazing sequence where Daredevil (Charlie Cox) saves his hesitant friend (and a sweet dog) from a brutal death. This episode also happens to have some of Karen Page’s (Deborah Ann Woll) best scenes, as she begins to find her knack for investigation, which blends in perfectly with the other stories of everyday people doing what they can to make Hell’s Kitchen a real community. -- Chris Cabin

Baskets Season 1: “Renoir”

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Image via FX

Writers: Louis C.K. & Zach Galifinakis & Jonathan Krisel

Director: Jonathan Krisel

Though I stuck with Baskets throughout its first season, no episode ever had quite as much art or style as its premiere, “Renoir.” We’re first introduced to Zach Galifinakis’ strange character Chip — who was going by the clown name Renoir in France — in a way that felt like a dream sequence in Louie, or the beginning of an art house film. Galifinakis’ physical comedy kept it from ever being too pretentious, and the advent of Louie Anderson as his mother and Martha Kelly as his unlikely friend hinted at greatness yet to come. Though Baskets wasn’t able to hold on to the magic of its premiere, the pilot episode is absolutely among the funniest, most affecting, and most genuinely intriguing half-hours of TV this year. — Allison Keene

War & Peace: “Part 2”

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Image via BBC

Writer: Andrew Davies

Director: Tom Harper

The entirety of War & Peace was a sweeping, gorgeous, and heartbreaking entry to a year full of great miniseries, but none matched this one’s grand scale. It’s almost impossible to pick just one part to focus on, but “Part 2” wins out for a particularly mesmerizing scene in the ballroom. The story of Andrei (James Norton) and Natasha’s (Lily James) love is the soul of War & Peace, and in “Part 2” we witness two exceptional moments in its evolution. After Andrei spots Natasha in the fields outside of her home (and who wouldn’t fall in love with her in that moment?) the two see one another again at the tsar’s ball, in a moment that should make you weep for its beauty. The two lock eyes and and James has a moment that felt more like Cinderella than when she actually played Cinderella. The mise-en-scene engulfs viewers in a sumptuous ballroom atmosphere that is eclipsed only by the gorgeous pair dancing together. A heartbroken Pierre (Paul Dano) looks on, both happy for his friends and deeply sad that he is not in Andrei’s place, bringing the story back to reality, with war on the horizon. But the magic that Davies and Harper construct in this episode with that scene at the heart of it is exceptional. — Allison Keene

The Flash Season 2: “Welcome to Earth-2”

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Image via The CW

Writers: Greg Berlanti & Andrew Kreisberg, Katherine Walczak

Director: Millicent Shelton

The only thing better than spending time each week with your favorite characters is getting to see the bizarro versions of them, which allows the actors play with completely different personality traits. Such was the delight of “Welcome to Earth-2,” part of a Flash season that started very strong and ended in uncertainty. But what is absolutely certain is that “Welcome to Earth-2” was a lovingly crafted hour that was designed to help highlight aspects of the characters we already adore, while still being filled with the series’ typical meta references. We got to see Jesse L. Martin sing! Danielle Panabaker and Carlos Valdes did heel turns! Grant Gustin played Barry 1 and 2, and got very confused by kissing his Earth-2 wife, Candice Patton! It was so much fun (to start), with a distinct style that made Earth-2 feel both foreign and familiar.

The Flash is also full of heartache, though, and in this case that meant seeing the end of Earth-2 Joe, and Reverb and Deathstorm (the briefly resurrected Robbie Amell) also taken out by the incredibly terrifying Zoom. The episode was capped with the revelation that Jay developed Velocity-6, which was a huge clue in figuring out Zoom’s identity, allowing the episode a cliffhanging stinger to what was altogether a rollercoaster hour. One of the most visually and narratively distinct episodes of the season, its repercussions reverberated (no pun intended) throughout the rest of the season. — Allison Keene

Mozart in the Jungle Season 2: “Touche, Maestro, Touche”

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Image via Amazon

Writer: Alex Timbers

Director: Jason Schwartzman

Though Mozart in the Jungle’s second season premiered in 2015, it was also December 30th, which means it was after the year-end lists had posted. The point being, it deserves mention. Though Amazon’s quirky orchestral comedy has largely flown under the radar (despite its sneak Golden Globe wins), it’s worth seeking out as one of TV’s most engrossing and unique series. In “Touche, Maestro, Touche,” — the only episode of the season directed by series co-creator Jason Schwartzman, the show showcases a fantastic, dreamy, drug-fueled sequence starring the two maestros (played by Gael Garcia Bernal and Malcolm McDowell), as well as a stunning surprise vocal performance from Gloria (Bernadette Peters). Both scenes revealed so much about these characters that has otherwise been hidden, and it was full of sensibility and humor (like so much of the series is). The episode also included an exploration of the nightlife of the classical elite, as Hailey (Lola Kirke) goes on a journey full of discovery (and many cameos). “Touche, Maestro, Touche” is a gorgeous and visually arresting episode that refuses to be pinned down by classical structure, and instead plays out like jazz. — Allison Keene

Man Seeking Woman: “Woman Seeking Man / Eel”

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Image via FXX

Writer: Marika Sawyer

Director: Bill Benz

Once in its first season and twice in its second, Man Seeking Woman has inverted its episode structure to take the opposite gender perspective. Though the entire series is full of witty dating truths that play out in incredibly surreal ways, the Woman Seeking Man episodes are often distilled goodness. In “Eel,” Josh’s (Jay Baruchel) love interest Rosa (Rosa Salazar) starts finding her current boyfriend Mike (Eric Andre) too clingy. Though another great episode earlier on detailed Mike trying to avoid “defining the relationship” with Rosa, now that it’s happened, he won’t leave her alone. In typical Man Seeking Woman fashion, the relatively simple story escalates into wonderfully insane heights, and features a hilariously unexpected cameo from Carrie-Anne Moss as an expert in the dating extraction process (she starts by dumping loads of cats into Rosa’s apartment). Like the show’s best episodes, “Eel” deals with very real, very relatable, and very awkward aspects of dating in a way that is both funny and gets to the very heart of the issue. Breaking up is hard, but “Eel” walks us through it gently … before dumping cats at our feet and telling us to deal with it. — Allison Keene

The Night Manager: “Episode 6”

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Image via AMC

Writer: John le Carré, Screenplay by David Farr

Director: Susanne Bier

The gorgeous, seductive, action-packed miniseries The Night Manager was one the year’s best, but its finale was unequivocally the most satisfying hour of television this year. We saw a pregnant woman emerge as an action hero, people! But even more than that, we got to see Tom Hiddleston’s Jonathan Pine reveal his true loyalties under extreme duress, and execute his elaborate plan to stop “the most dangerous man in the world,” Richard Roper (a fantastic Hugh Laurie). Though most of the series belonged to Hiddleston, Laurie owned the finale, finally able to confirm his suspicions and no longer play games with Pine. But Pine wasn’t finished, and seeing Ropert carted off by his enemies rather than police officers was the icing on this sumptuous cake. Though some found the conclusion too neatly wrapped up, The Night Manager was based on le Carré’s novel that did it just so. Perhaps there could be an argument for pacing earlier in its run, but there’s no denying that “Episode 6” was a deeply satisfying finale. A show with the kind of storytelling that makes you want to gasp, cry out, and cheer all in one episode is one that still knows how to delight a cynical audience. And this one also happened to be a visual delight. — Allison Keene

Outsiders Season 1: “Demolition “

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Image via WGN America

Writer: Peter Tolan

Director: Jon Amiel

WGN’s underrated Appalachian drama Outsiders was a gritty and engrossing character study of what felt like America’s last mythos (the legends of the hill people, basically), but “Demolition” was just pure fun. Its climax pitted David Morse’s Big Foster against Joe Anderson’s Asa Farrell in construction vehicles no less, which is one of the best uses of a construction equipment I’ve ever seen on television or anywhere else. While the two demolishing the coal office trailer — and trying to demolish each other — in the moonlight with moonshine freely flowing was a rip-roaring good time for all, the aftermath is what solidified the episode’s greatness. Asa and Big Foster’s contentious relationship is still one that is based around family, but Foster is mostly concerned about power, not trusting that Asa doesn’t want to be Brennin. “Demolition” encapsulated so much of what makes the show great, including decisive moments from Lil Foster and G’Win, Lady Ray, and even Wade and his son (regarding his somnambulism), as well as its trademark action, emotion, and a certain mysticism. — Allison Keene

The Girlfriend Experience: "Separation"

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Writer: Lodge Kerrigan, Amy Seimetz

Director: Lodge Kerrigan

“Separation” hit me like an atom bomb when I first screened it, and I mean that in the best possible way. Ignoring any impulses to tie up one of the dangling plot strands that could have been brought back to the foray, the episode is an episode-long put-on, a wild scenario dreamt up by a wealthy man to envision his wife’s infidelity. For the mechanics of how the performance that Riley Keough’s Christine and her male partner create such a show alone, this episode would have been remarkable cap to the dazzling first season of The Girlfriend Experience. What makes the episode so cutting and memorable is how tightly edited it is, how controlled the entire episode feels in each turn of the narrative, every physical gesture and utterance working in concert. It’s reflective of how much control Christine has found throughout the season, but the final image suggests that Christine’s actions have at once galvanized her and isolated her, and the gulf between those two feelings proved to be where many of the conflicts of this ambitious, sensational series came from. -- Chris Cabin

American Crime Story: “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia”

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Writer: D. V. DeVincentis

Director: Ryan Murphy

One of the few series to get more than one mention on our list, American Crime Story was one the year’s best series for its thoughtful exploration of the circus that was the O.J. Simpson trial. For a Ryan Murphy production it showed impressive restraint, although his direction in “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” was a little distracting. What made this episode a standout, though, was Sarah Paulson’s affecting performance as the beleaguered Marcia Clarke. Whatever your feelings about the real Marcia and the case, Paulson’s portrayal of an ambitious and overworked mother who can’t find the right balance in her life was deeply emotional. In a surprise, her great friendship and muted flirtations with Charles Darden (Sterling K. Brown) added unexpected shading to her story, and to a sense of the case at large. “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” was a fantastic character study that stood out in its commitment to focusing in on one woman’s story in a way that was ultimately both universal and specific. — Allison Keene

'Lemonade'

Director: Beyoncé Knowles, Dikayl Rimmasch, and Jonas Åkerlund

Yes, Beyonce’s latest record, Lemonade, is inarguably the most viscerally personal pop record of the year, filled with ripping allusions to infidelity and the emotional lacerations of modern married life, even for Queen Bey and King Jay. To release the record would have been enough to remind people that she’s the most fascinating pop vocalist out there, but the release of the visual companion piece via HBO brought out new textures, feelings, and imagery out of the sounds and words of the songs. There are moments that recall major American filmmakers - Terrence Malick, Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust, etc. - and Beyonce and the filmmakers make these moments feel distinctly evocative of what the artist is contemplating in her latest series of songs. Beyond that, there are sequences that speak poetically to notions of feminine power, equality, race, heritage, and intimate matters of lust and love, featuring guests as wide-ranging as tennis icon Serena Williams dancing to “Sorry” to Sybrina Fulton and Lesley McSpadden, the mothers of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, holding images of their murdered sons. There’s a lack of rhythm to the editing, noticeable dips in cohesion, but as a collection of impressions, expressions, and impulses from one of the most beloved artists of the modern day, Lemonade is uniquely moving and occasionally stunning in its reach. -- Chris Cabin

Better Call Saul Season 2: “Gloves Off”

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Image via AMC

Writer: Adam Bernstein

Director: Gordon Smith

The Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul really came into its own in Season 2, with Rhea Seehorn’s Kim Wexler getting a more prominent status in the story, all for the better. “Gloves Off” picks up during the aftermath of Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) running the TV ad he created (a glorious ad, and a glorious set of scenes building up to it), which has major repercussions for both him and Kim. It is a microcosm of the season, as Jimmy’s disregard of the rules throws straight-laced Kim under the bus, which leads to a confrontation between Jimmy and Chuck (Michael McKean). Kim and Jimmy’s relationship sees a lot of sharp highs and lows throughout the season, but “Gloves Off” is a pivotal point where she truly ends up as a pawn in a long game between Jimmy and Chuck — one that will have its own major fallout later on.

But “Gloves Off” truly belonged to Jonathan Banks and Michael Mando, with Gordon Smith’s quiet, minimal direction the perfect complement to Mike’s quiet, minimalist scheme to take out Tuco. While the set up for the this and the actual event playing out were masterfully filled with anxiety (even though we knew both Mike and Tuco would make it out, we didn’t know how), it was Mike deciding not to kill Tuco that was the emotional gut punch of the hour. It revealed so much about Mike and his desire — much like Kim, actually — to not want to get pulled in to deep into the schemes of others. And yet, he feels compelled to. As strong as Kim’s loyalty to Jimmy, Mike is motivated by providing for his daughter-in-law and his granddaughter. But he still has a code. — Allison Keene

The Americans Season 4: “The Rat”

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Image via FX

Writer: Joshua Brand

Director: Kari Skogland

In a show that manages to imbue anxiety like almost no other, The Americans’ “The Rat” took things to a new level. As I wrote about in detail after the episode aired, “The Rat’s” almost suffocating anxiety came from the uncertainty of Martha’s (Alison Wright) future. And yet, how did we come to care so deeply for Martha’s fate to begin with? Further, why are we rooting for the Russian spies? This is The Americans’ power over us, and the power of its formidable actors. “The Rat” was an exercise in patience and in moral consideration. Philip (Matthew Rhys) realizes that it matters to him what happens to Martha — he wants her to be ok. That complicates things with Elizabeth (Keri Russell) who understands that he’s fallen in love with Martha, or at least, has come to see her truly as a real person, and not just as a pawn. She’s hurt, but also understands. It all plays into the incredibly complex dynamic the two share. But what really made “The Rat” so intoxicatingly nerve-wracking throughout was wondering not if, but when Martha would die. But she doesn’t. And that leaves things wonderfully and horrifically open-ended. — Allison Keene

Girls Season 5: “Japan”

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Image via HBO

Writer: Jenni Konner

Director: Jesse Peretz

Girls has certainly had its ups and downs over the years, but one thing it can do very well is have a great breakout episode. “Japan” focused on Zosia Mamet’s Shoshanna, a character who seems to have finally found her place and her people after moving to Tokyo. As she tells a friend, it feels like a place she dreamed up. Peretz’s direction of the episode takes Shoshanna — and viewers — on a whirlwind tour of Tokyo, from Shosh’s day job to casual hangouts to a fetish-filled nightlife. Fueled by a New Wave style and a feeling of letting go, the episode allowed whimsical circumstances and chance encounters to be its guide.

It was mirrored, somewhat, but the following episode “Old Loves,” where Allison William’s Marnie takes a similar journey around New York. And yet, it wasn’t quite as wonderfully magical as Shosh’s trip of personal discovery, where she came to terms with her real feelings. The episode ended back in New York, with a pantless Hannah confronting her boyfriend about pictures she found on his phone, which crashed everything back to Girls’ reality. And yet, of all of Lena Dunham’s exhibitionist scenes, this one actually managed to be both funny and telling. The girls all learned a lot in “Japan,” which was a hallmark of this season full of growth. — Allison Keene 

Fresh Off the Boat Season 2: “Gotta Be Me”

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Image via ABC

Writer: David Smithyman

Director: Ken Whittingham

It’s nearly impossible to narrow down Fresh Off the Boat’s best episodes to just one, but it’s “Gotta Be Me” wins out over closely competitors “Week in Review” (the lice episode) and “Bring the Pain” (the Season 2 finale featuring the best stinger the show has ever had). “Gotta Be Me” not only included Jessica’s (Constance Wu) love of Colonial America, but it also had a host of hilariously sly jokes from Eddie (Hudson Yang) including a reference to Dorf. Dorf! The episode also saw a great arc with Emery (Forrest Wheeler), who realized that his poetry-writing now makes him a dork instead of a popular kid. Several smart jokes about boys going from playing with toys to throwing bottles at train cars were hilariously rendered, and the episode subverted the sitcom trope of learning lessons by having Emery get his revenge instead, then doubled down as a new friend he makes suddenly turns into one of the bottle-throwing boys. In Season 1, the show struggled to find great arcs for its kid characters, but Season 2 has pivoted to cleverly highlight some of the things that made growing up in the 90s uniquely great. — Allison Keene

Silicon Valley Season 3: "Two in a Box"

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Image via HBO

Writer: Ron Weiner

Director: Mike Judge

There may be no more lasting image in the history of Mike Judge’s ingenious Silicon Valley than Richard (Tom Middleditch) speaking with his new boss, Jack (Stephen Tobolowsky), about Pied Piper while Jack oversees a round of horse sex. Done for breeding purposes, of course. The rather explicit act, easily the biggest shock moment of the year in TV thus far, is meant to be an intimate, natural act, but under Jack's supervision, its a micro-managed process of bringing to pieces of property together. Another word for that is merger, and that's exactly what happening between Jack and Richard at Pied Piper.

Silicon Valley, like all great comedies, knows the inherent worth of symbols, and there's about a half-dozen in each episode that perfectly reflect the anxious, odd, and perverse land of the programming people. And yet, this is an episode where we see Middleditch's character in a very vulnerable state, and the actor continues to make Richard's follies heartbreaking as often as they are insidiously funny. His hesitance towards the promises of the new Pied Piper under Jack's leadership is seen in uproarious contrast to Gilfoyle and Dinesh (Martin Starr and Kumail Nanjiani), who are immediately seduced by all the Google-like bonuses that the new office comes with. As such, the horse sex is a blunt reflection of one of the most common suspicions in the titular tech-business hub, that the person speaking to you is trying to fuck you.  -- Chris Cabin

'O.J.: Made in America'

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Image via ESPN

Director: Ezra Edelman

One of the chief ideas that is being explored in 30 for 30’s magnum opus, a sprawling five-plus-hours dissection of O.J. Simpson, is ubiquity. Simpson was one of the first African Americans that was simply everywhere, long before the internet made catalogued knowledge of every appearance, commercial, and role that a performer had accepted only a few clicks away. Director Ezra Edelman calls open seemingly endless footage of Simpson’s sports career, from a mischievous star in high school to the celebrated force of nature in the NFL, and culls together interviews with old friends, neighbors, and family amongst a fray of TV projects, movie clips, and one amazing Hertz commercial. We don’t even get into the killing of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman until about halfway through the mini-series, and not a minute before that moment feels slept on. Edelman’s fascination with the character and reality of Simpson, as well as the former athlete's place in the history of racism and fame in America, is conveyed potently in each volume, but the cumulative force of O.J. Made in America is bracing in its depiction of a fractious passage of America’s history. Beyond that even, a revealing period in the history of humankind, reflected in the inexplicable experiences, thoughts, and actions of one deeply troubled, incredibly talented man. -- Chris Cabin

Bates Motel Season 4: “Forever”

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Image via A&E

Writers: Carlton Cuse & Kerry Ehrin

Director: Tim Southam

It’s a close call between Bates Motel’s penultimate Season 4 episodes “Forever” and its finale “Norman,” but “Forever” wins out over the super-gluing of Norma’s (Vera Farmiga) eyelids thanks to that wonderfully creepy sequence set to “Mr. Sandman.” It was inconceivable to viewers that Norma might depart this mortal coil, but Norman (Freddie Highmore) engineered it so that mother and son could go together, with a peaceful, oxygen-deprived ending that included a scene of the two in bed together, dreaming about a future in Hawaii. Norman gave this to Norma, and after the emotionally devastating moments leading up to it between her and Romero, Norma was back to being her girlish, childlike self — happy, fully of hope, and full of love. Norman wanted things to end for her like that, for both of them, and it nearly worked. The empty frames of places within the house filling with carbon monoxide was both dreamy and forbidding, the perfect complement to Norman’s peaceful death scheme. It was the perfect farewell for Norma, even though we weren’t ready (we would never be ready), and we couldn’t be 100% sure it really was the end. But “Forever” set the show on an irreversible path, and took a bold step into its final episodes. Though Bates Motel has had its ups and downs, “Forever” was the perfect way to cap off its best season yet. — Allison Keene

Preacher Season 1: “Pilot”

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Image via AMC

Writer: Sam Catlin

Directors: Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg

AMC’s latest comic book adaptation kicked off with a bombastic pilot episode to introduce its world. With the visual sensibility and stylishness of a film, the series opener was a manic ride through cornfields, falling airplanes, and the perils of having your mind and body being taken over by an intergalactic entity. With a plethora of low-angle shots to highlight the wide-open skyscape of Texas (actually filmed in New Mexico), Preacher's “Pilot” never really slowed down. It was a good and bad thing, depending on how well versed one was with the Garth Ennis’ comic beforehand, but it certainly left an impression. In a crowded TV landscape with a lot of mediocrity, Preacher’s rapid-fire start was full of cartoonish violence, and instantly unforgettable characters (most uproariously Joseph Gilgun's Cassidy). Though it has tapered off some since then, the premiere left an indelible impression that set the tone for the series. — Allison Keene

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Season 3: 'Trump' & 'The Wall'

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Three seasons in and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver remains the most important and uproarious show currently on any network, offering something akin to relief to those who have been missing Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. Stewart famously departed the flagship Comedy Central show not all that long after Donald Trump announced his candidacy, and the gap of such incisive criticism has now been filled by John Oliver on Last Week Tonight. In the episodes that focus on Trump and his proposed Wall across Mexico, which they will apparently be paying for out of their own pocket, Oliver makes one of the most clear and hard-to-dispute arguments against the wealthy corporate overlord’s campaign.

The former Daily Show star also delivers more guffaws in the span of these two segments than most network comedies deliver in an entire season. One could similarly look at how his team has investigated debt buying, retirement plans, primaries and caucuses, and Brexit to find the kind of wildly imaginative political and societal commentary that taps into real day-to-day worries for many Americans. Oliver may be the obvious alternative to Stewart that everyone needed, but in this season, his scope and ambition have become even more clear and personal, the jokes all the more rowdy and heartbreaking. -- Chris Cabin