As 2022 draws to a close, it provides a bittersweet opportunity to take stock of some of the best episodes of television that we saw this year. In a streaming landscape where even the creators of the shows themselves don’t know if they will vanish without warning, this type of reflection feels different from any other.

While it is still very much about highlighting great work, it also serves as a farewell to many shows who have either been canceled too soon or may be the next to be sent into the unknowns of streaming limbo. One hopes that this will not be the case, but the act of appreciation is still all the more important as a way to hold on to what we do have while it is still here. Thus, here are the best TV episodes of 2022 that we were not just entertained by but often deeply moved by in small ways.

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“Chapter Seven,” Pachinko

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Image via Apple TV+

No list would be complete without a recognition of one of the most sublime shows of the year. While Pachinko, based on the outstanding novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee, was wrongfully snubbed by the Emmys, it will always hold a place in our hearts when we look back on this mess of a year. The episode simply entitled “Chapter Seven” is one of the reasons why, as it centered on the character of Hansu (Lee Min-ho) and brought his own harrowing brush with death into the forefront of the story. As directed by the visionary Kogonada, it was an absolutely shattering part of a season that was never lacking in such moments.

“The Thing Lay Still,” Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire

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Image via AMC

Another adaptation that completely blew us away, Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire proved itself to be one of the most engaging works of television for this year or any other. Taking familiar source material in interesting new directions, it all built to the finale, “The Thing Lay Still,” which laid bare how Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) could not run from the pain of his past no matter how much he tried to rewrite them in his memory. It was a tragic yet triumphant conclusion that was bloody, brutal, and beautiful unlike any other show this year. Not only did it stick the landing even as it tore through flesh and bone, it brought the world Louis built for himself crashing down in delicate yet devastating fashion.

"John and Sun-Hee," The Boys Presents: Diabolical

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While the main series of The Boys itself has a strong run this year, it is the animated spinoff Diabolical that really stuck with us due to one particular episode. "John and Sun-Hee" is a short about an older man willing to do whatever it takes to save his wife from terminal cancer. However, his actions soon put both of them in even greater danger. It is not just one of the best animated shorts of the bunch in how it strikes awe and terror at the same time, but also the one that leaves the most impact. This culminates in a series of magnificent final frames that manages to be so melancholy yet mesmerizing that it is worth seeking out.

“Saul Gone,” Better Call Saul Season 6

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Image via AMC

This year also included us having to say goodbye to our favorite huckster with a heart of gold that was Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) or Jimmy McGill to those who loved him. The final season of Better Call Saul was not just one of the better prequels out there, but it even surpassed the original series to become one of the best shows of all time. Central to this is not just Odenkirk, but an utterly amazing Rhea Seehorn who does more with a single look than most actors do in an entire show's run. This all concludes in the unexpected yet no less spectacular “Saul Gone,” a finale that will go down in history as one of television’s greatest.

"The We We Are," Severance

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One of the year’s biggest surprises was Severance, a science fiction series of sorts about labor exploitation and the crushing forces of capitalism. One can only wonder why this resonated. It centered around a group of employees who “sever” each day, meaning they don’t remember what they did at work and the version of themselves on the job are trapped there. This horrifying premise was brought home in yet another stunning final episode, “The We We Are,” which saw all of them coming together to find a collective power that has the potential to reshape their world forever. While it has us eagerly anticipating what is next for these characters, it still all fell into place with a painful poetry one can’t help appreciating.

“Go Flip Yourself,” What We Do in the Shadows Season 4

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Image via FX

Now we get into the silliest entry on this list that made this season of What We do in the Shadows one of its best to date. The story of a group of vampires living in present-day Staten Island had been building to “Go Flip Yourself” for a while, but the payoff was worth it for how ridiculous it got. An extended storyline that was a parody of reality television yet still packed all the same sharp humor, it is just overflowing with jokes galore to be the funniest episode of the year. You've likely seen some of the many memes that have since emerged from it, but nothing can compare to seeing the entirety of the episode itself in all its glory.

“Decolonativization,” Reservation Dogs Season 2

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Image via FX

If you haven’t been watching Reservation Dogs, then you best get on that now as it is one of the most refreshing and hilarious shows out there. Featuring a group of teens trying to make their way in the world, it is side-splittingly funny and emotionally resonant without missing a beat. Nowhere was this more so than in “Decolonativization,” an episode that skewered the shallowness of influencers while never losing sight of its characters along the way.

“El Eclipse,” Los Espookys Season 2

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Image via HBO Max

Now we get into a couple of the sad entries of shows that are now no more. Los Espookys returned for a wonderful second season after a lengthy hiatus and was canceled just recently despite deserving so much better. That makes the show’s sendoff, “El Eclipse,” one that we will cherish even more because it is now the last we will ever see of this group. In particular, it is worth seeing for the glorious absurdism of Ana Fabrega as Tati alone. As their one final scheme comes to fruition, it is her performance that rockets the show to the moon.

"Adirondack S3," Rutherford Falls Season 2

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Image via Peacock

Why must we keep canceling the best comedies out there? The second season of Rutherford Falls was more focused and funny than the first, though it also met its end far too soon. If there is one episode that proves this more than others, it is the sly Yellowstone spoof that is "Adirondack S3," where Jana Schmieding and Michael Greyeyes are joyous in how they poke fun at the failures of other shows representing Indigenous life. While there are many great performances and episodes in the show, it is their work that makes this the best of the best.

"More Than You'll Ever Know," Let the Right One In

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Image via Showtime

While the series overall is not quite up to the same level as the original films, Let the Right One In was yet another vampire show that managed to leave a mark. The reason for this all comes back to the flashback episode, “More Than You’ll Ever Know,” which takes its time in establishing the fault lines that tear a family apart in a patient yet profound manner all its own.

"Nostalgia Patrol," Doom Patrol Season 4

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Image via HBO Max

Now we got another silly one with the highlight of what we’ve seen of Season 4 of Doom Patrol thus far. Though the show has always been willing to lean into the goofy, this episode played around with time and form in a way that managed to surpass all that has come before. While still plenty vulgar, there was a cleverness among the crassness that makes it just good fun to let yourself get lost in along with all the perpetually troubled characters.

“Unbroken Circle,” Station Eleven

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Image via HBO

You bet we are including the masterpiece of an adaptation that is Station Eleven on this list, even as much of it came out in 2021. This isn’t even bending the rules as “Unbroken Circle,” the series finale, did air in 2022. So put away your torches and pitchforks to appreciate just how amazing of a show this is in how it managed to radically depart from the original novel to culminate in one of the most reflective resolutions that we were truly blessed to see.

“The Lord of the Tides,” House of the Dragon

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Image via HBO

After the experience of Game of Thrones, there was a lot of pressure for House of the Dragon to come out of the gates strong. Not only did it do so in creating a portrait of how power can corrupt even the most well-intentioned, but it also surpassed its predecessor in so many ways. Foremost amongst these was the performance of Paddy Considine as King Viserys desperately trying to cling to peace and life itself as he grew increasingly more worn down by his many ailments. This comes to a head in this episode where he brings to life the man in all his complexities just as we are about to see his final, pained moments as he slips away.

“The West,” Outer Range

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Image via Prime Video

What, you’re putting an episode of Outer Range on this list? Yer damn right we are. Not only does the show remain the best Western of the year, but the way it melded with science fiction makes it something extra special. When you have a riveting Josh Brolin as a gruff yet troubled patriarch and give him monologues about faith that take on a poetic rage, well, we’re always going to be in the tank for seeing this all come together. It threw us for many loops, but the way it all settled in the season finale, “The West,” made it something we couldn’t overlook.

“III,” The Old Man

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Image via FX

Last, but definitely not least, was one more that surprised us. The Old Man not only saw Jeff Bridges in top form, but it eschewed common action constraints by embracing vulnerability. The one that stood out the most was the third episode, where we got to see a scene-stealing Alia Shawkat give a monologue that captures the thematic and narrative heart of the show. If there was ever a performance that has been slept on this year, it is her subtle yet shining turn.