Best Comedy Special
Robby Hoffman: Wake Up (Netflix)
Since Curb Your Enthusiasm ended last year, I’d been wondering who would step up to become the next Larry David. Having only seen Hoffman on this season of Hacks, I had no idea it would be her. But this rowdy special covers her petty grievances and take-no-prisoners POV in a way that’s utterly relatable, even as it seems extreme. Her delivery is second-to-none.
Honorable Mentions
Abbott Elementary – “Birthday”
The funniest and saddest episode the hit comedy aired in 2025. While Jacob worked on a Sufjan Stevens-inspired Christmas pageant for the kids – a subplot that felt squarely aimed at me – Janine dealt with her mother’s latest attempt to swoop in, hog the limelight, and passive-aggressively criticize her only daughter. Realizing she’d rather spend more time with her chosen family than her blood relations is an all-too-familiar feeling.
The Bear – “Bears”
A bit messier than an uneven Season 3, but still often quite wonderful. And few things warmed my heart on TV like this wedding episode. It was long, nearly plotless, and seemed to ignore the laws of physics. But there really was nothing quite as magical as everyone under the table, talking about their fears.
English Teacher – “COVID in America”
Probably my No. 11 show of the year, this sadly canceled workplace comedy got even sharper in Season 2. I could have picked almost any episode, but I went with the sheer cringe comedy of the premiere, which saw the students putting on their own musical about growing up during the pandemic instead of the “boring” Angels in America.
Hacks – “A Slippery Slope”
This fourth season had some of the realest, rawest emotions on display. But it often felt disjointed. But not in this Emmy-nominated penultimate episode, which saw everything go wrong on Deborah’s show, leading to arguably the first selfless decision the comedy legend had ever made. It made for great “real” TV.
The Handmaid’s Tale – “Execution”
I had basically given up on this show, planning to skip its final season entirely. But multiple folks said it had recaptured what made it great, and they were right. This last season sees the handmaids in open revolt, with a much higher body count. This might have been the single most intense episode the show ever produced, with something resembling a victory. But one with a huge cost for all the freedom fighters.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “The Golden Bachelor Live”
Leave it to the Always Sunny crew to spin some corporate synergy into something revolting and then oddly touching. Frank immediately dismisses all his age-appropriate suitors (save guest star Carol Kane) and replaces them with a knock-off Hailey “Hawk Tuah” Welch. It’s unsurprisingly gross until Frank finally lets his guard down, delivering the most emotional episode of this show since Mac came out.
The Last of Us – “Through the Valley”
I knew this episode was coming. I just didn’t expect to happen the second week of the season. Everything that’s great about this show was on display here, with a riveting, action-packed episode that ended in devastating fashion. Sadly, the season had nowhere to go but down after that, feeling somehow stretched out and rushed. But this was probably the single most thrilling hour of television all year. Maybe they’ll have found the balance in the third season, which I assume we won’t get until 2027 at the earliest.
Pee-Wee as Himself
I never know quite whether to classify these two-part, four-hour HBO docs as movies or shows, but regardless, this was the best nonfiction programming you were likely to see all year. Pee-Wee Herman was an icon, and an extremely important part of my childhood development. Though quite reclusive due to targeted harassment from law enforcement, this doc finally sees Paul Reubens open up, at least until he closes himself off again. He never quite tells the full truth here, but given such sensitive topics, it was his prerogative to obscure what we felt he needed to. Still, he leaves behind an impressive and hilarious body of work. I’m so glad I got to see him in person.
The Righteous Gemstones – “Prelude”
When Bradley Cooper showed up as the con artist patriarch of the Gemstone clan, I assumed it would be a brief cameo. But this Civil War-set episode featured him onscreen nearly the entire time, tracing his evolution from greedy huckster to genuine helper. That conflict between greed and goodness would be passed down for generations.
South Park – “Got a Nut”
This show had something of a rejuvenation after five-ish years of mean-spirited, disjointed specials and abbreviated seasons. By focusing directly on the evilness of the Trump administration and its evangelical acolytes, the show delivered pointed satire and huge laughs once again. This episode keenly parodies the “debate” style of Charlie Kirk (just a month before his murder). Cartman declares war on Clyde, who’s only recently shifted into the world of right-wing podcasting, while Cartman has always been racist, sexist, misogynistic, and antisemitic. Meanwhile, Mackey is laid off by school budget cuts and reluctantly joins ICE, becoming yet another poorly qualified, trigger-happy goon. That ICE only got more trigger-happy in recent months makes this a tough one to revisit.