Top 10 Halloween Episodes from TV Shows

Greetings, reader!

With the spookiest night of the year just a few days away, I figured I'd rank my favorite Halloween-themed episodes from the world of television. I decided to go with one per series, because otherwise the list would be quite dominated by a select few shows that have really nailed Halloween (looking at you, Brooklyn Nine-Nine). I hope you enjoy!

Here are my honorable mentions: Halloween (The Office, Season 2 Episode 5), New Haunts (The Walking Dead, Season 11 Episode 10), Stone Mountain (30 Rock, Season 4 Episode 3), The One with the Halloween Party (Friends, Season 8 Episode 6), Twenty-One Is the Loneliest Number (Gilmore Girls, Season 6 Episode 7).

10. Trick or Treat, Freak (Stranger Things, Season 2 Episode 2)

"Whoa whoa whoa - why are you Venkman?"

"Because I'm Venkman!"

"No, I'm Venkman!"

"Why can't there be two Venkmans?"

"Because there's only one Venkman in real life! We planned this months ago - I'm Venkman, Dustin's Stantz, you're Egon, and you're Winston!"

"I specifically didn't agree to Winston!"

Of course the series all about bathing in 80's coming-of-age nostalgia and classic horror tropes was bound to have a Halloween episode. As we all know, the first few episodes of a Stranger Things season are always delightfully low-stakes fun, as the characters are sort of hanging around and catching up while the more dramatic end-of-season plotlines are being gradually built - so what better time to enjoy some Halloween shenanigans than the second episode of the sophomore season?

It's a bunch of fun to follow the Stranger Things gang going around trick-or-treating while dressed as Ghostbusters, and the make-believe horror of Halloween conventions is juxtaposed quite well with the actual creepiness of the strange town of Hawkins. Trick or Treat, Freak may be one of the less eventful Stranger Things episodes, but it sure is fun as heck.

9. Who Got Dee Pregnant? (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Season 6 Episode 7)

"What is that, what even is that?"

"I'm that character from Lord of the Rings, Virgo Mortenstein"

That line by Mac (Rob McElhenney) is genius because it's wrong on at least four different levels - he gets Viggo Mortensen's name wrong, he thinks Mortensen (or Mortenstein) is the character's name and not the actor's, even without the name flub he'd have the wrong character in mind as his costume looks more like Legolas (Orlando Bloom) than Aragorn (Virgo, excuse me, Viggo Mortensen), and on top of all that, it's a very shitty Legolas costume. Love it when a character gets something to spectacularly wrong.

Anyways, Who Got Dee Pregnant? is classic IASIP, as Dee (Kaitlin Olson) is convinced that one of the main characters drunkenly got her pregnant during a Halloween party, and we flash back to everyone's account of the events. It's an often-seen sitcom trope, but it's never been done with such brutally dark humor and insanely chaotic hilarity that It's Always Sunny is known for: from bar fights and incest implications to Danny DeVito dressing up as "Man-Spider" and an ostrich yelling at Mac in the men's room, this episode has it all.

8. The Slutty Pumpkin (How I Met Your Mother, Season 1 Episode 6)

"Come on, I came back for you, Ted! I penguin-suited up to show you the error of your ways!"

While the titular moniker of Ted Mosby's (Josh Radnor) Halloween-related love interest hasn't aged in the best possible way, there will always be something endearing about the way in which Ted pines for the beautiful and mysterious woman he met at a Halloween party years ago. It's the rom-com take on Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin in the Charlie Brown Halloween special, as Ted spends much of the night waiting for the slim chance that the Slutty Pumpkin would appear once again.

Apart from the lovable schmuck-romantic antics of Mr. Mosby, the episode gains memorability for the hilarious sequence where Barney (dressed as a devil) stands on one side of Ted giving him terrible advice, while a guy dressed as an angel stands on his other side giving a counterpoint, playing off the classic animation trope with amusing results. All in all, quite the classic.

7. The Next Episode (Euphoria, Season 1 Episode 6)

"Jules, what are you doing?"

"Although I joy in thee, I have no joy in this contract tonight"

It just hits different when a serious series does a Halloween episode. Euphoria (2019-Present), a show that is outdone only by Black Mirror (2011-Present) and Surrounded By Enemies (2022) in the category of the most depressing shows I've watched, manages to have its share of fun inbetween its bleak depictions of drug addiction, mental illness, sexual violence and other such fun topics. This is evident in episodes like The Next Episode, where the main characters go all-out for a Halloween party, where relationships and long-built narratives collide in a semi-chaotic chain of events.

The balance between aesthetical Halloween fun and the show's darker themes and storylines rearing their head is done quite well, which certanily isn't an easy job. This is also the episode where I absolutely fell in love with the lovely and relatable character Lexi (Maude Apatow), which would only grow in the following season.

6. Halloween Surprise (Parks and Recreation, Season 5 Episode 5)

"7:34 P.M. Man dressed as a nerd. Female dressed as...crazy witch"

"Neither of us is in costume"

Sure, the most memorable element in this Parks & Rec episode is the wholesome ending twist (which I won't spoil here) that has nothing to do with Halloween. But in addition to being overall memorable, the episode also works quite delightfully as a mere Halloween special - from the Parks department screening the hysterically over-the-top Death Canoe 4: Murder at Blood Lake to the antics of Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) and Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt) trick-or-treating with Diane's (Lucy Lawless) children, it's all pretty great. The best gag has to be Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) hyping up his plan to dress up as "his greatest fear", and later showing up dressed as an old man. Brilliant.

5. Halloween (Modern Family, Season 2 Episode 6)

"Why am I in a cage?"

"Because you're in a house of horrors, you are being held against your will!"

"I know, so why am I in a cage?"

It was difficult to choose the best Modern Family Halloween episode, as they're such a solid bunch. Still, the original has to be the best, as there is no overcoming the delight of how the show's Halloween-themed running gags are established. And while the episode has hijinks all around with every castmember getting a chance to shine, the star of the show is without a doubt Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen), whose freakish love for the creepy and brutal side of Halloween is introduced for the first time here. It's just such a fun and unconventional way to flesh her character out, and while this sick enjoyment of high-quality horror would go to even further lengths in subsequent seasons, it feels the most fresh and delightful in season 2's classic Halloween episode.

4. Epidemiology (Community, Season 2 Episode 6)

"Well, I'm a sexy Dracula"

"You mean Vampire"

"I don't need to know which Dracula I am to know I'm a Dracula"

The most difficult aspect of today's list was picking the best Halloween episode from my all-time favorite sitcom, as I'm going with the only-1-per-series method, and Community's selection of Halloween episodes is incredibly solid. You have season 1's Introduction to Statistics with Abed's (Danny Pudi) epic Batman antics and Jeff's (Joel McHale) significant character growth, season 3's Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps where everyone tells their own horror story (while Pierce (Chevy Chase) is my least favorite out of the main characters, his line "The hell was this crap??" after Jeff's story will never not make me roar with laughter), and season 4's Paranormal Parentage where the haunted house -shenanigans escalate until Abed hits us with the iconic line "I remember when this show was about Community college".

But after thinking long and hard, I had to go with season 2's Epidemiology. Using the premise of a rabies outbreak at Greendale Community College's Halloween party, the series plays with every single zombie movie trope to chaotic and brilliant results. Not only is it an excellent parody of (or homage to?) zombie films, it also creates a thoroughly unique atmosphere as the episode's soundtrack consists largely of ABBA's Greatest Hits album. Having ABBA's upbeat pop bangers blasting as the main characters escape intense zombie situations is a bizarre and unforgettable combo, truly cementing the episode as a Community classic.

Also, Troy's (Donald Glover) character development in this episode is endearing, as he goes from being embarrassed of his nerdy side and ditching his sci-fi costume with Abed in order to pick up girls, all the way to more or less saving the day by embracing his nerdiness.

3. John Mulaney / The Strokes (Saturday Night Live, Season 46 Episode 5)

"America - it's a spooky time, filled with demons and darkness. Also, it's Halloween"

The stars were aligned for this Saturday Night Live episode - it aired on Halloween, it was hosted by the one and only John Mulaney, and it was the last episode to air before the 2020 Presidential Election. This trifecta of context made for some magnificent sketch comedy; the presence of Mulaney brought us one banger of a monologue, the election setting made for brilliant material such as Colin Jost digging into Trump's brilliant strategy of going against doctors as his final election message, and the Halloween setting made for deliciously spooky stage decorations and an amusing Headless Horseman skit.

Of course, all three elements come together in New York Musical, my second-favorite SNL skit of all time. Pete Davidson's character wants to buy a pair of "I LOVE NEW YORK" boxers from a souvenir shop run by John Mulaney, which naturally leads to a series of escalating musical numbers featuring all sorts of creepy Halloween-appropriate figures from the streets of New York. Things take a drastic turn from hilarious to deeply moving, when Mulaney suddenly shifts the topic into the upcoming election, bursting into 'One Day More' from Les Miserables, with the lyric being 'Three Days More' - I remember watching the skit for the first time, as the laughter came to a sudden halt as suddenly there was a tear in my eye, with the rising-on-barricades feel of the Les Mis song fitting the stakes of the upcoming election in a powerful manner.

2. Treehouse of Horror V (The Simpsons, Season 6 Episode 6)

"Husband on murderous rampage. Send help. Over"

"Whew, thank God that's over. I was worried for a little bit"

There are many, many great episodes in the Treehouse of Horror chronology (I'm seriously considering that for next year's Halloween, I'll do ranking of every Treehouse of Horror mini-story; there are 33 Treehouse episodes and three stories per episode, which would make the list into an ambitious Top 99). But the best one quite simply has to be the iconic Treehouse of Horror V, with its infinite re-watch value.

I mean, before the three mini-stories even begin, we are treated to the hysterically funny intro of Marge (Julie Kavner) warning the viewers of the scary content, before being cut off by Bart (Nancy Cartwright), as the spooky shenanigans begin. We're then treated to the first and undeniably best segment: The Shinning, with its pitch-perfect spoof of the classic Stanley Kubrick movie, filled with memorable gags from "Weird, usually the blood gets off at the second floor" to "No TV and no beer make Homer something something". The rest of the episode is quite classic stuff as well, with both the time-travel story "Time and Punishment" and the cannibal-themed "Nightmare Cafeteria" featuring great laughs and memorable moments. But really, the presence of The Shinning alone makes this episode worthy of a Top 2 spot on today's list.

1. HalloVeen (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Season 5 Episode 4)

No series on earth does Halloween as well as Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Sure, the annual Halloween Heist episodes aren't one bit scary, but what they lack in spookiness, they more than make up for in creativity, laughter and ambition. It all started off with season 1's Halloween, where Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) face off in a high-stakes heist. From thereon out, each season has continued the tradition, with the heists becoming more elaborate, grand-scale and over-the-top each season. As the stakes and schemes grow larger, so does the competitive spirit of the main characters, and it's a joy to watch this likable set of goofballs turn into absolute nothing-is-off-limits monsters once a year for the sake of the heist.

And yes, my favorite Halloween Heist has to be the beloved season 5 entry. The biggest reason for this is obviously the unforgettable twist that I won't spoil here for people who haven't watched it, but it is far from being the only reason; even before that payoff, there's just so much to enjoy. You have the cold open where Holt has broken into Jake and Amy's (Melissa Fumero) house to eat their breakfast (really driving home the point of how seriously the characters take the competition), and the heist itself which is just full of over-the-top plans, double-crosses and reveals, which is an absolute joy to watch. And yes, that ending certifies this episode as a masterpiece, and my favorite Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode of all time.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week as we enter the Donald Trump of months, and I rank the Top 10 feel-good movies to get you through N*vember.

The Rings of Power: Top 5 Things the LOTR Prequel Does Right (and Top 5 Things It Doesn't)

Greetings, reader!

Well, season 1 of Amazon's high-budget, opinion-splitting Middle-Earth series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power just wrapped up - due to scheduling conflicts, I haven't been able to watch the season finale yet, but as this review was promised for today, I'm doing it based on the content of the seven first episodes.

The thoughts of this Tolkien mega-fan, in a nutshell, are these: a part of me wanted to hate the series due to ethical issues in its production and its somewhat reckless playing with Tolkien lore, while a part of me wanted to love the series as it is a massively hyped big-screen adaptation of some of my all-time favorite literature - yet I was able to do neither, as the series ended up being aggressively mediocre. Not the terrible nightmare that many fans feared, but also not the fantastic masterpiece Tolkien's books deserve. There was a lot to like, a lot to dislike, and a whole lot to unpack. Here are the top 5 best things about the series, and the top 5 worst!

Semi-spoiler alert: I won't go into major story details or plot twists so the text is generally spoiler-free, but I do discuss the general direction of the story and characters involved et cetera, so if you want to go into the series without knowing anything beforehand, then I suggest skipping today's post.

#5 in the good: The music

Sure, it's not on par with the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, but let's be real - very few pieces of music ever written are on that level. The soundtrack of The Rings of Power, both Howard Shore's main theme and Bear McCreary's instrumental score, is very atmospheric and it fits Tolkien's fantasy world well.

#5 in the bad: Clickbait cliffhangers

I have no problem with cliffhangers in general - in fact, I often enjoy them a great deal. But the cliffhanger endings in this particular series just feel forced, as if the writers were thinking "Gosh, a lot of people won't like this series, so let's make sure they feel a need to watch the next episode even if they're not having a good time". In addition to the cliffhangers, it seems obvious that the series shamelessly plays into the modern culture of fans speculating and theorizing on the internet: since such discourse is obviously good publicity for the series, there are a few unnecessary-feeling mystery storylines that seem to be created purely to fuel online speculation.

#4 in the good: The diversity

I find it amusing that this seems to be the biggest problem with the series for a whole lot of people, but I have it in the positives. Yes, it makes the series look different from typical medieval fantasy stories, but with good reason: the classic medieval-fantasy aesthetic was created during a time when racism dominated our beauty standards and general social norms, which is why the Elves and humans and other wise heroes are always fair-skinned Aryans, which is an obviously fucked-up thing.

Sure, conservatives are pissed off about the presence of Elves and Hobbits with varying skin colors in this series, but I for one applaud the decision to move away from the more harmful conventions of the fantasy genre into a more inclusive territory. If you can handle the appearance of orcs, wizards and ice monsters in your fantasy series but a Black Elf is too much for you to handle, I can thoroughly recommend taking your thoughts away from internet discussion forums and into therapy.

#4 in the bad: Some of the subversion is a bit much

While the cultural diversity mentioned above is nice, I do think that in some cases the series goes a bit overboard in making its characters look different from what we'd except from Tolkien lore - namely the instances that aren't anyhow about inclusivity and preventing stereotypes, but where the show appears to just be edgy for the sake of sparking conversation.

Many of the Elves having short hair is a good example: the trademark long hair of the Elven race is a major presence throughout Tolkien's works, and I don't really know who this decision was made for (if there is a campaign for short-haired people's rights to be represented within every fantasy race due to centuries of such discrimination, I'm not aware of it). The same goes for the Dwarf women not having beards: such a missed opportunity! We all remember the legendary conversation where Gimli describes the bearded Dwarf women, and the series just ignores that?

#3 in the good: The costume design, hairstyling et cetera

I mean, the series is expensive as hell and it shows. That might not be a good thing in all cases, as the aesthetic often feels a bit over-produced and plastic. However, it means that elements like the costumes, hairstyles and makeup (as well as much of the set design) are absolutely magnificent. The variations, differences and details in the costumes of the different peoples of Second Age Middle-Earth really help in fleshing out the rich intrigue of Tolkien's fantasy world.

#3 in the bad: Filling the story with fantasy clichés

I don't even mind that the story contains a lot of stuff not directly based on Tolkien's books, as this was actually necessary: the series is based mostly on the appendixes of The Lord of the Rings and a few chapters from The Silmarillion, which means that Tolkien has written the main events but not the details, character motivations and other such things. So, the writers had to fill bits of the story ("How did this event come to be?" "Why was character X in place Y?" et cetera) with original material, which is totally fine. Much less fine, however, is how this original storytelling contains minimal creativity, and an abundance of generic fantasy clichés.

I especially despise the whole narrative where Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) is the only one who believes that Sauron is returning, and wants to investigate it but the high-ranking Elves forbid her from doing this. This fucking cliché can be found in every fantasy / sci-fi story ever written, which is strange because it's not all that interesting of a narrative to begin with. Very often, clichés are clichés for good reason, but the whole "The Evil Power is returning, and only our One Brave Hero believes in it, and the Dumb Good Guy Authorities are so convinced of the Evil Power being gone that they forbid One Brave Hero from investigating it, making for some forced drama and an eventual I-told-you-so moment" premise just isn't interesting enough to justify it being in Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Percy Jackson, Game of Thrones and every other goddamn fantasy/sci-fi story ever made. So it certainly has no place being forced into this story as well.

#2 in the good: I like how the story really goes places

Much like the diversity being #4 in my positives, this one is funny because many others have criticized this aspect of the series. I've read many negative reviews about how the series jumps from place to place, juxtaposing the fore-Hobbits and Dwarves and everything imaginable into the story instead of focusing on the main story. I disagree; since they're making a series following Middle-Earth in the Second Age, why not take the opportunity to show us what intriguing stuff was going on with the various peoples and cultures of Middle-Earth at that time?

Writers and critics (especially the self-important internet 'critics' who love to pretend like they are experts in storytelling while copy-pasting every smart-sounding complaint they've ever heard to justify why the new Star Wars movies ruined their childhood) these days tend to over-empathize the lack of anything "extra" in the story: everything is supposed to directly relate to the main story and character archs, otherwise it's irrelevant. While I do see this as a dramaturgical point, the thing is that it doesn't compute with the fantasy/adventure genre at all!

In fantasy/adventure, you should absolutely be able to take the story into all sorts of directions as a means of exploring the compelling fantasy world you've created. I swear, if Tolkien had written The Hobbit in 2022, he would've been crucified by the mob of internet critics because many of the cool side adventures don't directly contribute to the main point of the story or the character development. So, while there's a lot that I don't like in The Rings of Power, I'm all for the "let's see what's going on in this part of Middle Earth! Then let's take a look at what these folks are up to!" brand of storytelling, which feels quite thematically loyal to Tolkien's own style of storytelling.

#2 in the bad: Hard to ignore the ethical issues

This one would bother me even if the substance of the series was on a masterpiece-level - and as the series is very much not a masterpiece (did I mention how I fucking hate the storyline of the Elves ordering Galadriel not to investigate Sauron's return? Because I fucking hate it), this becomes one extra reason to be slightly upset by the series as a whole.

For those not familiar with the controversies behind the series, the main one is Amazon itself: while no TV-producing mega-company is morally perfect, Amazon has gained an especially notorious reputation in the last years for the inhumane conditions it subjects its workers to while paying them very little and splashing money on projects like "let's make the Lord of the Rings series a million times more expensive than any TV series needs to be!". This feels personally offensive to Tolkien fans, as the author was extremely skeptical of humanity's abuse of the enviromnent, and the role that money and greed have in our corporation-driven society, which is why it feels painfully ironic that Amazon is producing a series based on Tolkien's works.

Another issue is the fact that the series wasn't shot in New Zealand, which sucks on multiple levels: both the level that the nature of New Zealand looks more like Middle-Earth than any computer-generated CGI imagery ever will, and the level that the Lord of the Rings shooting locations in New Zealand are a point of national pride for New Zealanders, and has been a major financial revenue for the country. The people of New Zealand are rightfully pissed off about the fact that this new Middle-Earth project isn't being shot in their beautiful country, and knowing background facts like this does dampen the viewing experience.

#1 in the good: Moments that make the Tolkien fan in me squeal with excitement

This one is a difficult one to explain, as it has to do with a way in which I seem to differ from most movie/TV fans. Generally, when a book is adapted into a movie or a series, fans of the book seem to be of the opinion that no adaptation at all is a better option than a flawed adaptation: if the movie/series isn't perfect, it shouldn't have been made. My unpopular opinion is a total disagreement with this thesis. Of course, a perfect or near-perfect adaptation is the ideal situation, but let's be real - we hardly ever get that. And if the choice is between an adaptation that is flawed but gets much of the stuff right, or having no adaptation at all, I'll take the flawed adaptation any day of the week.

People seem to think that a flawed adaptation somehow takes away from the original, 'ruining' their favorite book and therefore impacting their relationship to it in a negative way. I've always found this thought process bizarre - the book will still be there, for you to enjoy in all its perfection, but with the adaptation, you also get to see some of your favorite characters and places coming to life on the big screen! And while it may not be equal to the source material, I still see it as something that expands on its greatness, rather than taking away from it. For example, before Denis Villeneuve's Dune came out, I was very grateful of David Lynch's 1984 Dune existing. As chaotic and somewhat poor of a film as it is, it does get many of the book's characters and events right while missing the mark on some, and I easily would've preferred a world where Lynch's Dune is the only existing adaptation of the book than a world with no Dune film. I find it a bit toxic to think that any less-than-perfect adaptation of your favorite books should have no right existing.

And that brings to me why the best thing about Rings of Power, even though it is on many levels a flawed adaptation and not as good as Tolkien's texts deserve, still is the fact that it does get much of the material right if not all of it. I love Tolkien's fantasy world and lore, so even if the series had many elements that I didn't enjoy, I still found a great deal to like in the parts of the story that it nailed. As a Tolkien fan, I found it touching to see the Dwarven Kingdom of Khazad-Dûm in all its glory, I found it intriguing to follow the forebears of the Hobbits wandering around Second-Age Middle-Earth, and I found it absolutely epic to finally see the mythical kingdom of Númenor on the big screen. As much as I was disappointed in the series as a whole, I was still able to enjoy the positives as I don't subscribe to the black-and-white reviewing policy of internet-era fantasy fans, and the biggest positives most definitely were the instances where some of Tolkien's greatest creations came to life.

#1 in the bad: This adaptation of Middle-Earth, while adequate, is absolutely nothing compared to Peter Jackson's

While I can enjoy a flawed adaptation in the things it gets right, that doesn't change the fact that it is just that - flawed. Quite strongly flawed, in this case. With the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Peter Jackson accomplished the impossible and actually created the big-screen adaptation of Middle-Earth that Tolkien's works deserved - I'm not saying that the films are as good as the books (are they ever, really?), but that they live up to them, which is a majestic feat.

And having seen that version of Middle-Earth, with its unique characteristics and vibrant milieus, you can't help but feel a bit empty when watching Amazon's version - an even higher budget and more massive production scale, yet much, much less magic and personality in what the world looks and feels like. Comparing Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's fantasy world to this one is like comparing Appetite For Destruction to Chinese Democracy, Liverpool FC to Manchester City, or a home-cooked meal by your mother to the version you can buy from the goddamn grocery store.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my list of the greatest Halloween-themed episodes from television shows.

Top 10 Superhero TV Shows

Greetings, reader!

This week marked the 10-year anniversary of DC Comic's Arrow (2012-2020) airing its first episode, thus beginning the multi-series 'Arrowverse' and spearheading what many might call the golden age of comic book TV shows. While cinema has been the main lifeline of comic book adaptations for both Marvel and DC, television shows based on their properties have been steadily gaining more and more traction, with popular streaming services now flooded with TV shows about various superheroes. But which ones are truly worth watching? Read today's list to find out.

Here are my honorable mentions: Iron Fist (2017-2018), Luke Cage (2016-2018), The Defenders (2017), The Punisher (2017-2019).

10. Hawkeye (2021)

The least ambitious out of the five MCU mini-shows that premiered on Disney Plus last year might be the least out of the bunch, but it still has its strengths - such as embracing and playing off its less-ambitious nature. People have complained about the stakes in MCU movies and shows feeling quite insignificant these days, as every single story seems to involve massive world-ending threats which just makes for a lot of noise at this point, and therefore it was a smart move to keep this show low-key and casual.

Hawkeye also gains points for new character Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) absolutely stealing the show, the intense and magnificently directed car chase sequence in the third episode, and the cozy overarching Christmas setting, while losing points for the final episode's slightly anticlimactic nature, the script wasting an iconic Marvel villain, and the overall lack of truly memorable material found in better MCU properties. So, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but an overall enjoyable experience for fans of the Marvel universe!

9. Legends of Tomorrow (2016-2022)

DC Comics' Legends of Tomorrow is many things: goofy, corny, silly, dumb, chaotic, and most important of all - spectacularly self-aware. If a series with this premise, these characters and these storylines tried to take itself one bit seriously, it would be a cringeworthy viewing experience, but as this series takes delight and bathes in the zaniest clichés of the superhero genre, truly feeling like an old-school comic book that came to life on the big screen, it is an entertaining and smile-worthy thing to behold.

A spin-off of Arrow and The Flash, this third entry into the 'Arrowverse' follows a rag-tag team of former supervillains, sort-of-superheroes and other weirdos as they travel through time together, getting into all sorts of situations. Apart from the blockbuster-like crossovers with the other Arrowverse shows being obvious highlights, my favorite episodes would have to include Fail-Safe (crew members are stuck in a Soviet gulag in 1986, and the two major characters played by Prison Break (2005-2009) alumni Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell must organize a prison break, with no subtlety whatsoever in the references), Abominations (the crew fight confederate zombies after a zombie invasion somehow breaks out during the U.S. Civil War), and Compromised (the one where the gang finds out that supervillain Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough) is working a senior adviser to President Reagan - wait, that one actually makes a lot of sense...). Usually, the more far-out and ridiculous an episode's premise is, the better.

8. What If...? (2021-)

Another one of the Disney Plus MCU shows from last year, this animated anthology series gained such popularity that it's actually getting a season 2 next year! I'm quite excited to see what they come up with, as season 1 was a delightful surprise. The concept itself is far out, as we follow key moments across the MCU, in parallel-timeline scenarios where things go a little differently. Each episode being its own story, this allowed for Marvel actors from Samuel L. Jackson and Jeremy Renner to Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch to reprise their roles, not to mention the late Chadwick Boseman's touching final performance as Black Panther.

The series isn't the world's most consistent, with some episodes falling more than a bit flat (looking at you, What If...Thor Were an Only Child?), but most of them are excellent, with a select few that surpassed my wildest expectations with groundbreaking storytelling (looking at you, What If...Ultron Won?).

7. Jessica Jones (2015-2019)

I remember hearing about Netflix's first attempt at MCU television shows back in the day, and getting all hyped up - four different superheroes were getting their own TV series, after which they would all come together in a miniseries called The Defenders? That sounded amazing, just like the original Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but for television. However, as many of us now know, the Netflix-verse never really took off in the way we expected, which is why Luke Cage, Iron Fist and the okay-but-not-nearly-as-good-as-expected The Defenders can be found in today's honorable mentions and not the top ten.

However, it's not all negatives - the two first shows of Netflix's addition to the MCU are actually really good, and this is one of them!

While there's a lot to like in Jessica Jones, between the private investigator viewpoint, the noir-esque atmosphere and the overall grittiness, I'd say that the show's best asset by far is the villain Kilgrave, played by David Tennant in one of the greatest performances in all comic book adaptations. Tennant steals every scene he's in, really making you wonder how the same guy who has played one of the most likable characters in television history (the 10th Doctor in Doctor Who) can play such a vile, cold-blooded villain and be equally believable in both roles.

6. WandaVision (2021)

The main reason for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's WandaVision being this high on my list can be found from the very first episodes of this miniseries - the sheer confusion and bafflement in the show's premise, and the ballsy manner in which the show takes its sweet time to bathe in mystery before starting to explain any of it, makes for one of the most compelling beginnings to a TV series I've ever witnessed. When the credits start to roll for the first and even second episode, the viewer still has no idea of what's going on, and feels an immediate need to watch the next episode ASAP.

The main reason for WandaVision not being even higher on today's list is that it falls a bit flat towards the end. Not so much that it would jump the shark or ruin the perfect feel of the first episodes, but just enough that the end product isn't quite the masterpiece one might expect after those first episodes. Then again, this slight feeling of anticlimax is hard to avoid with the mystery genre, as the opening "what the hell is going on" feel is hard to top once the writers start to give answers, so I'll cut the show some slack. All in all, very worthwhile watching from beginning to end for fans of the MCU, even if the first act is significantly better than the tail end.

5. Loki (2021-)

Another one of the MCU's Disney Plus expansions, Loki was released a few months after WandaVision, and feels like its exact opposite structure-wise; the six-episode debut season starts off quite mediocre, but gets spectacularly good towards the end. The first few episodes of the six-episode run are alright enough with Natalie Holt's otherworldly soundtrack and the grandiose set design impressing the viewer, but the story itself took a while to get me hooked.

However, the second half of the debut season escalates things into a creative, game-changing chain of events that elevated my opinion of the series by a lot and hyped me up for season 2. Between the plot twists, psychedelic visuals, extremely imaginative storytelling and exciting worldbuilding for the larger Marvel universe, the tail end of Loki is a seriously delicious viewing experience. 

4. Arrow (2012-2020)

Ah, the series of the hour - as mentioned in my opening, Arrow turned ten years old this week. My view on the series has always been a bit conflicted - with its gritty, Dark Knight -style take on the Green Arrow and dramatic takes on various interesting DC characters, the OG Arrowverse series has the potential to be a masterpiece. Yet it never quite reached its full potential, always slightly dragged down by the soapy young adult -drama conventions so very typical of the CW channel.

It still makes it to fourth place, because at its best, it's a thrilling and compelling show packed with action and unforgettable moments. Stuff like the Undertaking storyline throughout season one, the Deathstroke (Manu Bennett) story arch in season 2, the infamous duel sequence in season 3's The Climb, and the insane payoff of five seasons worth of flashback storylines finally coming full circle and catching up with the beginning of the show in season 5? Legendary. But stuff like the overblown will-they-won't-they between Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) and Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Richards) and the constant dying and coming-back-to-life of Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy)? Well, that's why there are a select few superhero shows better than this mixed-bag thrill ride. Such as...

3. The Flash (2014-)

Yes, the Arrowverse's second series is a rare case of the spin-off being better than the original. The Flash was built up during Arrow's second season, as a brilliant two-episode arch saw the introduction of iconic character Barry Allen, played by Grant Gustin in one of television's finest casting decisions, and these episodes fully set the table for the spin-off to begin, up to showing us the electro-magnetic event that caused Barry to get his powers and become the Flash.

While I like the serious and gritty tone of Arrow, I equally appreciate how The Flash embraces the fun side of the superhero genre, often going fully tongue-in-cheek in order to recreate the zany atmosphere, cool fight sequences and wholesome life lessons from the comic books. It also has my inner sci-fi geek squealing as it embraces concepts from parallel universes to time travel paradoxes, making for constantly delightful viewing!

2. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

Generally, I'm prone to prefer a long series that is slightly inconsistent but amazing at its best to a series that is short and solid but not as plentiful in great moments and episodes (for example, I really don't get how anyone would like the British version of The Office more than the American version, no offense). As a viewer, I feel I get much more out of the longer series, and providing long storylines and multiple moments of greatness is a more important merit for a series than how flawless and without filler episodes it is.

Yet still, this six-episode MCU series is ahead of marathon shows like Arrow and The Flash, because, well, it's just that good.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier does a lot with its six-episode run, fleshing out two Marvel characters from fairly un-hyped sidekicks into complex and engaging leading men while weaving politics, espionage and clever tie-ins into the story. The well-directed fight sequences, dark story directions, and various under- and overtones of social commentary make for an engaging thrill ride that I easily find to be the best out the Disney Plus MCU shows.

Yet it's not the best superhero TV series or even Marvel TV series I've seen, because of...

1. Daredevil (2015-2018)

Now this is how you make a superhero show. Three seasons, each 13 episodes long, was the perfect length to get to explore all the most interesting narratives and villains from the Daredevil comics, without over-stretching anything as things are kept fresh and the writers quit while being ahead.

When watching the first season of Daredevil, one is in awe of just how fleshed out the setting is: usually, the criminals in comic book movies and shows are the most generic street gangs one can imagine, but here, you have a well-written crime drama with complex and fleshed-out dynamics between the different factions of the Hell's Kitchen criminal underground. This is all very intriguing to follow as it unfolds, and pulling the strings is Vincent D'Onofrio's take on classic villain Kingpin, who is vulnerable and humane yet magnificent and terrifying all at the same time. Watching Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) go up against his criminal empire, both as a lawyer by day and as a vigilante by night, makes for one hell of a debut season.

With season 2, everything is a tad bigger and better while still feeling like the same series; the setting is expanded with the introduction of new characters and storylines leading into The Defenders, with the scene-stealing star being antihero Frank Castle / Punisher (Jon Bernthal), a character so engaging that they had to give him his own spin-off. And with season 3, heroes and villains and various narratives from the first two seasons as well as many new ones come together to make for a dramatic final clash bound to leave the viewer satisfied. All in all, this Netflix crime drama is a gripping and fascinating take on the Daredevil character, and the best individual television series that the superhero genre has to offer.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week as I review Amazon's new Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022-) series, naturally in list form - Top 5 things Rings of Power does right, and top 5 things it doesn't.

Saturday Night Live: Top 15 Host Monologues

Greetings, reader!

The forty-eighth season of NBC's Saturday Night Live (1975-Whenever the world ends) kicked off last Saturday, and I figured I'd celebrate the new season by doing an SNL-themed ranking. Since I've already done posts on my favorite current cast members, all-time cast members and skits, I figured that the most interesting SNL topic I haven't covered yet is the iconic tradition of opening monologues by each week's guest host. These are my top 15 host monologues from SNL - they can all be easily found on YouTube, so I recommend checking out any interesting-sounding ones!

Here are my honorable mentions: Betty White Monologue (2010), Eddie Murphy Monologue (2019), Kyle MacLachlan Monologue (1990), Paul Rudd and the Other Pauls Monologue (2010), Tom Hanks At-Home Monologue (2020).

15. Tracy Morgan Monologue (2015)

"So, a couple of months ago, I called Lorne Michaels. He's my co-Obi-Wan Kenobi. And I said, 'Lorne, when I get back on my feet, I wanna come home'. And HERE I AM! People were wondering, 'Can he speak? Does he have 100 per cent mental capacity?' but the truth is, I never did! I might actually be a few points higher now!"

While still recovering from long-term cognitive impacts on the car crash that nearly killed him a year earlier, comedian and SNL alumnus Tracy Morgan hosted an episode as a part of his gradual return to public life while slowly getting better. Knowing the story behind it all, it is deeply touching to see Morgan being himself and joking around, even poking fun at the accident's impact on him.

What makes the monologue even more moving (and funny) is when we cut to a scene of "an old episode of 30 Rock where something similar has happened", only for the viewer to quickly realize that this is not footage of a 30 Rock episode but a newly shot scene where the show's cast is conveying their real-life love and care for Morgan through their characters. Just try to keep yourself from crying when Tina Fey / Liz Lemon breaks character to let Tracy know how happy they all are that he's okay!

14. Seth Meyers Monologue (2018)

"I worked at this show for over 12 years, I loved it, I loved being here. Leaving it was incredibly hard, I cried on my last show, and then I - for real - took a job down the hall. The Late Night studio is 100 yards that way"

There's just such a nice atmosphere in the episode hosted by talk show host and SNL legend Seth Meyers, with the audience showing him a lot of appreciation and the host emitting a warm sense of returning home. In his monologue, Meyers jokes about his years at Saturday Night Live, and shares an absolutely hilarious Kanye West anecdote, carrying it out with the genuine wit and likable charisma that one comes to expect from Mr. Meyers.

13. Chadwick Boseman Monologue (2018)

"Now one weird thing that's happened to me since the movie came out is people asking me if I wanna run for President. That's because I play a world leader in a movie, they think I wanna be the leader of the free world. But who wants that job? Why would I go from being a serious actor to doing reality TV?"

God, I miss this guy. Watching this monologue after Boseman's tragic and untimely death is so heartbreaking - you see the young and energetic star strutting up the stage, carrying himself like motherf**king king, radiating joy and magnificence, yet still managing to convey a humble and down-to-earth tone despite his flamboyant garments and well-earned confidence.

He then proceeds to deliver a short and sweet monologue with nice political jabs and Black Panther jokes, before Kenan Thompson interrupts the monologue in hilarious fashion. Watching Boseman try not to crack up (which he does not succeed at, leading to some adorable giggling) as Kenan goes full Kenan next to him, is very amusing, after which the monologue is wrapped up as the late great star bursts into his James Brown impression with some impressive moves.

12. Matt Damon Monologue (2018)

"I've been able to travel the entire world and meet so many wonderful people doing this job that I love to do so much. And if you had told me that all this would happen 16 years ago, well, I might have believed you - but, if you had told me that Ben Affleck and I would be washing cars in Summerville, Massachusetts, well, I would've believed that too"

Matt Damon hosted the 2018 midseason finale, with the Yuletide season approaching and the stage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza wonderfully decorated for Christmas. Damon didn't even have a movie coming out and wasn't there to promote anything - apparently, he just wanted to host. What a guy.

In this heartwarming and classy monologue, Damon discusses his personal relationship to Saturday Night Live, sharing stories of staying up late to watch the series with his brother and father as a kid. This story then ties into Damon's father's passing, and Damon's current family with his kids staying up late to watch their dad host, after which the host elegantly ends his monologue by raising a glass for all the parents who let their kids stay up late for all the right reasons. Beautiful stuff, man.

11. Timothée Chalamet Monologue (2020)

"Nothing like Christmas in New York when you grew up here - ice skating on the Hudson...sledding down the side of the Chrysler building...I had my first New Year's Eve kiss with Mr. Met's daughter, Stacey Met. Sweet girl, big head. The city was my playground, and the subway was my babysitter. Nothing like eating cheetos in the F train on Christmas Eve; you eat a handful, then you hold the pole, then you lick your fingers...I miss that! Playing hide-and-seek at Grand Central, and never seeing any of your friends ever again..."

This is the second Christmas-time monologue in a row on this list! Hilariously combining elegance with grittiness, Timothée Chalamet smoothly plays Hark! The Herald Angels Sing on the piano, while recounting childhood memories of a New York Christmas in a soft and nostalgic voice, only for the substance of what he's saying to be amusingly mismatched with his overall tone. This becomes even more evident when he is joined on stage by cast member and fellow New York kid Pete Davidson, who recounts his childhood memories of a Staten Island Christmas, such as "hearing Santa coming down the chimney and realizing it's just rats" and "decorating our Christmas tree with spaghetti and scratch-offs". I also love the exchange of "Timothée, you smell great" / "Aww, thanks man, Pete - you...smell".

10. Dan Levy Monologue (2021)

"Just to get to walk these halls is such a thrill...oh, wait - DAD?" You came all the way from Los Angeles?"

"Hey son! Woah, look at you. Yeah I flew away to wish you luck tonight, but because I travelled, I'm now in this isolation box"

This monologue starts off quite run-of-the-mill, as comedian Dan Levy discusses his past year and then goes on a very COVID-strict backstage tour of the studio. What makes the monologue extremely memorable and one of my favorites, however, is the comical yet heartfelt cameo by the host's father, iconic comedy maestro Eugene Levy. While the sight of him in a box is silly, it's also just great to see the older Levy being so proud of how far his son has come in the comedy world.

9. Jesse Eisenberg Monologue (2011)

"Wait, have you two not met? AWKWARD...well, I'll be going, Samberg out"

Fresh off his Oscar-nominated role as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network (2010), Jesse Eisenberg hosted Saturday Night Live in quite memorable fashion. His monologue starts off funny enough on its own, but things escalate into further hilarity when "the real Mark Zuckerberg" (played by then-castmember Andy Samberg, who often played Zuckerberg on the show) appears and confronts him - before they're both confronted by the actual, real Mark Zuckerberg. Just the visual of the three somewhat similar-looking Bergs next to each other is funny as hell, making for some high-quality hijinks.

8. Tina Fey Audience Questions Monologue (2018)

"I just wanted to ask, with all of that makeup, could you tell that I was Robert Mueller?"

"Yes, Mr. De Niro, we knew that was you"

"Okay, that's a relief, because this could be, like, a big break for me"

Coming back to host the season 43 finale, former castmember Tina Fey starts off her monologue with a few excellent jokes, after which she starts to ask questions from the audience. In a brilliantly written sequence of tongue-in-cheek self-awareness, the audience questions lead to conversation about the show having too many celebrity cameos these days and the appearance of such people stealing the spotlight from the new castmembers - oh, and these questions are asked by audience members such as Jerry Seinfeld, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Rock, Anne Hathaway, Robert De Niro and Donald Glover. The irony is delicious.

A highlight of the monologue is the appearance of former castmember Fred Armisen, who hilariously takes up time while discussing the problem of old castmembers hanging around with Fey, as Armisen's genius comedic timing and inherent weirdness really nail this sequence. Still, the star of the show is Tina herself, carrying the monologue with charm and her trademark clever humor.

7. Donald Glover Monologue (2018)

"But it all kinda worked out for me, I was on a show called Community and I played Lando Carlissian in the new Star Wars movie Solo. And if you're black - I made Atlanta AND Redbone"

Between his fantastic Community role, his work on movies like Solo (2018) and The Lion King (2019), his amazing music career, his stand-up comedy and his creation of the series Atlanta (2016-2022), Donald Glover is basically one of my favorite humans.

In this Saturday Night Live monologue, he's just as great as a mega-fan like me would expect: he cracks some great and well-timed jokes, conducts himself with a smooth and charming energy, takes an amusing tour around the studio to the backdrop of a jazzy beat, and finally tops it off with a brilliant blink-and-you'll-miss it joke by introducing the episode's musical guest (himself) by using his artist alias as if it were a totally different person - "We have a great show for you tonight, Childish Gambino is here, so stick around!"

6. Dave Chappelle Stand-Up Monologue (2016)

"So, in that spirit - I'm wishing Donald Trump luck. And I'm gonna give him a chance, and we, the historically disenfranchised, DEMAND that he give us one too"

Say what you will about his controversies in the last few years (I certainly have a lot of thoughts on this terribly complicated subject that we don't have time to unpack here), but one thing is crystal-clear: in the wake of Donald Trump's 2016 election victory, for the first Saturday Night Live episode to be aired after Election Day, there was not a soul alive more well-suited to host SNL than Dave Chappelle.

With his history of dark jokes mixed with philosophical sentiments, and his outspoken rhetoric against racism, Chappelle was a brilliant choice of host for this episode, as was made clear in the Election Night skit that will no doubt go down in history, but even more so in this 12-minute behemoth of a monologue. It's not the fury you'd except from an opinionated African-American comedian in the face of Trump becoming President, as Chappelle is strangely calm while rambling his philosophical thoughts, which makes for a thoroughly unique atmosphere throughout the monologue.

While he covers several topics, he starts and ends with the biggest news story of the hour - "we've actually elected an internet troll as our President", as he so eloquently puts it. Parts of the monologue are bleak and depressing, while others are uplifting, and as a whole, this was just what Americans like myself needed to hear during that tragic week. Not to be a pessimist, but I do hope that Chappelle returns to host in the inevitable scenario of 78-year-old Trump beating 81-year-old Biden in the 2024 Retirement Home Re-Match before we're launched into a coup-de-coup civil war.

5. Lin-Manuel Miranda Monologue (2016)

"And yes I'm right in my element

Who knew that Hamilton would be so topically relevant

The way these gradstandin' candidates be talkin'

They're just a tweet away from facing off in Weehawken"

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the absolute genius behind my favorite musical and one of my general heroes in life, enters the SNL stage with his trademark strangely-nervous-despite-being-outrageously-talented energy, talking about how we wants to make the most of his time hosting the show - after which he bursts into song, naturally to the tune of Hamilton's My Shot.

With modified lyrics that are equal parts clever and hilarious, Lin-Manuel raps them with perfection while taking a walk through the audience and backstage, baffling the audience with his insane rhymes and fantastic wisecracks (the references to the then-ongoing 2016 Presidential Election campaign are especially funny, and his barely-censored roast of Donald Trump is a certified iconic SNL moment). As he returns onto the main stage for the final chorus, blazing with energy and showmanship while accompanied by dancers, Lin-Manuel makes it quite clear that he most certainly did not throw away his shot.

4. Andy Samberg Impressions Monologue (2014)

"I've had a crazy year - I got married, and I'm working on my new show Brooklyn Nine-Nine, for which I won two Golden Globes, bringing new meaning to the phrase 'AND TWINS?'. Thank you. Put on a suit to tell that joke"

I thought for sure that this would be #1 when I started to make this list - just goes to show how high the level is, as there were a few monologues somehow even better than this absolute gem that I have re-watched tens and tens of times on YouTube. The concept of the monologue: having found out that he did only 23 fewer impressions than Bill Hader during his time as an SNL castmember, despite being notoriously bad at impressions while Hader is the GOAT, Samberg decides to catch Hader up and and break the record all in one go, with the help of dear friend Seth Meyers.

Seth recites names of various celebrities and characters ranging from Young Travolta and The Dad From Alf to The Guy Who Does The Entourage Theme Song and Smokey The Bear, as Samberg gives 1-second impressions ranging from hilariously lazy to oddly accurate. And since this is a Saturday Night Live monologue centering on former castmembers, of course Bill Hader himself shows up, bursting onto the scene to defend his record, claiming back his title with a hysterical jab at Samberg himself. For fans of the Samberg-Hader-Meyers era of SNL (I for once consider that to be the show's golden era, as it launched the careers of about half of my favorite comedians), this monologue is a magnificent treat.

3. Bill Hader Explains SNL Monologue (2018)

"Another thing that I never realized was that, you know when someone does an impression of a celebrity, and then the real celebrity sneaks up behind them like 'tap tap, I just caught you'? THAT'S PLANNED. I didn't know that! From the get-go, I always thought that the celebrity was maybe walking down the street and the news boy was like 'hey, they're doing you on TV', and the celebrity was like 'honey, you and the kids take the cab home, I have to stop this!'"

Perhaps the best part of this monologue by my hands-down all-time favorite SNL castmember is the applause by the audience as he enters. No, really. Having been on the show for eight years and having left a magnificent legacy of comedy gold behind, Hader's return to 30 Rockefeller Plaza is greeted with passionate and thunderous applause, by an audience that clearly understands what a comedy God and top-tier Saturday Night Live legend they were witnessing, and watching them show their respect for Hader with applause that just goes on and on is very moving.

The monologue itself is short and funny as hell, with Hader joking about SNL conventions that he "only realized afterwards", from the fact that the 'commercials' featuring the castmembers are fake, to the fact that the hosts are there to promote something (he recounts this discovery with some delicious irony, using it to 'accidentally' promote his series Barry (2018-Present), which by the way is excellent). Hader doesn't do much in the monologue, but his perfectly timed jokes and hysterical facial expressions are enough to make it into one of my favorites.

2. John Mulaney Stand-Up Monologue (2020)

"On November 3rd, there is an elderly man contest, so, uh, there's two elderly men, and you're supposed to choose your favorite of the two elderly men, you can put it in the mail or you can go and write down which elderly man you like, and then we'll add them all up, and uh, then we might have the same elderly man, or we might have a new elderly man, but just rest assured, no matter what happens - nothing much will change in the United States"

Perhaps the hardest part of this list was to decide which John Mulaney monologue to choose from the five times he's hosted - the main reason that I decided to limit my list to one monologue per person was that - without exaggerating - all five Mulaney monologues would've easily made the top 15 otherwise. This magical dude, who effortlessly combines the values of a modern liberal with the voice, look and overall gusto of a 1930's Chicago radio broadcaster, has perfected the art of stand-up comedy to a point where any given SNL monologue is a combination of the very best jokes he's come up with since he last hosted, and it's a thing to behold every time.

I mean, there's his first monologue, with the unforgettable bit about building a gazebo in the midst of the Civil War ("Everyone is dead, now then, Joziah, you had something?"/ "Yes I do - How would you like to be indoors and out of doors all at once?"). Then there's the monologue from his second time hosting, with the legendary bit about Mulaney's Catholic parents hoping his Jewish wife would convert ("Let me go see if a 29-year-old Jewish woman, who doesn't like any of my suggestions, would convert to - what was it again? ROMAN CATHOLICISM?!"). And who could forget his third time hosting, when the monologue featured the brilliant rant about the Third Amendment ("The other afternoon, this was Tuesday, I was in my apartment and the buzzer rang, and it was the 101st Airborne. And they said, 'PERMISSION TO LIVE IN YOUR HOUSE!', and I went, 'Third amendment!'"). I also love his most recent monologue, with a highlight being his juxtaposition of him being in rehab and January 6th happening ("Wouldn't have happened on my watch! Was there ever an insurrection before I went into rehab? Has there been one since?").

But, the one I had to go with in the end, is the monologue from Mulaney's fourth hosting gig - the last episode before the 2020 Presidential election. It's just a rapid-fire succession of great jokes, ranging from confident lies ("It's the most anyone has ever hosted!") and Covid-era jabs ("I am a comedian, or as I like to call us, the last responders") to just having an absolute field day with the upcoming election ("You should vote, you gotta vote, vote as many times as you can!") and questioning if his 94-year-old grandma should be voting ("You don't get to order for the table when you're about to leave the restaurant!"). This monologue is a masterpiece.

1. Jason Sudeikis Monologue (2021)

"I mean, all of our collective comedy heroes have run around through here, okay, have almost ran into all you fancy people in these nice seats, you know like - Farley, Gilda, Eddie, Tina - you know? And then over here, you got...this where all the music happened. All that music, right? Elvis Costello, Kanye, Nirvana, The Rolling Stones...in here, you know? This place changed my life. Twice"

Former castmember and current Ted Lasso (2020-Present) star Jason Sudeikis hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time last year, in an episode that I watched with my Dad while visiting the States, as I finally got to see SNL from TV on a Saturday night as opposed to watching it via YouTube clips on a Sunday morning in Finland. The episode isn't dear to me only because of that monologue, but also because it's just absolute dynamite, with the definitive highlight being Sudeikis' monologue - very much a love letter to Saturday Night Live.

Many hosts have addressed the special nature and rich history of 30 Rockefeller Plaza's Studio 8H in their monologues, but it has never felt quite as sincere as it does here - it becomes clear what a lifelong fan of the show Sudeikis truly was from his childhood, and how highly he regards the comedy culture that has spawned from it. Wandering the stage, making remarks on all the different comedy icons, legendary skits and musical performances that have roamed those halls in five different decades, Sudeikis pays a heart-melting tribute to the legacy of Saturday Night Live, stating that it changed his life twice - once as a kid watching from home, and then again as a castmember, living the dream.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week as I celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Arrow (2012-2020) airing its pilot episode by ranking the greatest superhero TV shows.