From left: 'Overcompensating,' 'Abbott Elementary' and 'The Last of Us.' Courtesy of Prime; Gilles Mingasson/Disney; Liane Hentscher/HBO Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on Reddit Post a Comment Share on Whats App Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Print the Article Share on Tumblr There are times, watching a TV show, when it seems obvious which chapter is meant to be the season's big standout. They're the splashy ones that spotlight a side character, or bring in a big A-list name, or drop a shocking twist that scrambles the chess board for good. Then there are the quieter installments that do none of those things, but simply represent the show at its best, with everyone in front of and behind the camera firing on all cylinders. Our annual list of favorite episodes of the year contains some of both, hailing from a similarly vast range of networks, genres and overall vibes. What it doesn't contain are titles we've already included in either of our top 10 lists or our "favorite performances" list. It's not that we weren't wowed by Andor's harrowing Ghorman massacre or The Rehearsal's deranged deep dive into Sully Sullenberger's autobiography or Severance's surreal ORTBO - just that with so much to celebrate, we'd prefer to spread the wealth. With that said, here are 10 individual episodes that stayed with us all year. "Ballgame," Abbott Elementary (ABC) Image Credit: Gilles Mingasson/Disney On Aug. 28, Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies became just the 21st baseball player to ever hit four homers in a single game. Wholly coincidentally, the cast and crew of Abbott Elementary were shooting an episode at Citizens Bank Park that night and became a piece of history, even getting a cameo from the game's star, who has likable chemistry with the entire ensemble, especially Sheryl Lee Ralph. The episode features Janine's growing excitement for baseball, Ava's desperation to appear on the Kiss-Cam and an unfolding mystery regarding whether or not Mr. Johnson is actually the Phillie Phanatic. Hopefully Schwarber, freshly re-signed with the Phillies for five additional seasons, will get to make a return appearance on what has become the best show on broadcast TV. - DANIEL FIENBERG "Neverland," Alien: Earth (FX) Image Credit: Patrick Brown/FX The closest Noah Hawley's sci-fi spinoff gets to feeling like its 1979 foremother is inarguably "The Fly," a thrilling mid-season flashback that's basically just Alien on another ship. But for my money, the most interesting additions to this franchise have always been the ones trying to do something different. "Neverland," the dazzling series premiere, delivered on old-school xenomorph violence while also introducing several fresh elements to play with - from new types of synthetic beings (including "Wendy," played by a magnetic Sydney Chandler) to new creatures (including the gross-adorable-terrifying "eye midge") to a new iteration of the universe's ongoing exploration of the bottomless greed of corporations, here represented by (among others) Samuel Blenkin's wunderkind CEO. It was a hell of a way to set the tone, and a reminder that this Alien, like all the best Aliens, is most interested in doing its own thing. - A.H. "Worms," The Bear (FX/Hulu) Image Credit: FX Sensitively written by series co-stars Ayo Edebiri and Lionel Boyce, attentively directed by Janicza Bravo, this Syd-centric episode was the highlight of the uneven (but I would say still generally strong) fourth season of The Bear. Edebiri also shines in front of the camera as Syd visits a cousin (Danielle Deadwyler, excellent) to get her hair done and ends up babysitting her daughter (Arion King, terrific as well), using the afternoon as a safe space for a cooking lesson and an opportunity to work through her professional options. It's a side of Syd that the show has never been able to present before, and leads to an episode of beautiful details and funny, touching moments free of the bombast that typically emerges from family gatherings on The Bear. (Don't take that to mean that I didn't love "Bears," with its parade of guest stars and a magical expanding table.) - D.F. "The Gang Gets Ready for Prime Time," It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX) Image Credit: Patrick McElhenney/FX It was a stealthily great 17th season for FX's venerable comedy, with at least three or four episodes worthy of consideration for this list. Edging out the wildly manic "Max and Dennis Become EMTs" and the faux-somber, twisty "Frank Is in a Coma" is this semi-bottle episode, in which the gang goes through a variety of practice dinners ahead of what they hope will be a life-changing home visit tied to Frank's run on The Golden Bachelor. An absurd takeoff on The Rehearsal, the series of preparatory meals, scored by a test audience, offer viewers the hilarity of Mac's attempt at a very heterosexual flip, Charlie's accidental baldness, and Dee's stabs at first edgy