From Game of Thrones to Family Guy, BuzzFeed staffers pick their favorite installments of TV this year. Presented in no particular order.

"Halfway to a Donut" (Homeland)

Season 4, Episode 8

When Homeland Season 4 began, I was excited. The Carrie (Claire Danes)/Brody (Damien Lewis) romance that had dominated the show for far too long was over. I thought, Perhaps Homeland could return to its roots and reboot, offering viewers the truly insane, shocking, endless strategic twists and turns that made them fall in love with the show in the first place.

But the beginning of Season 4 was a total turnoff, with Carrie jumping into bed with yet another asset. And just as I was about to give up on the show for good, Haissam Haqqani (Numan Acar) pulled Saul (Mandy Patinkin) out of his car, showing Carrie and co. — via a drone camera — that the third most hunted man in the world has mysteriously kidnapped their dear friend. Things started to get exciting (read: Carrie was drugged and hallucinated that Brody was alive and holding her), but it was "Halfway to a Donut" that really solidified the fact that Homeland was back.

It was thrilling to watch Saul's midnight escape from his holding cell and Carrie's lies that convince him to drop the gun he had at his throat, leading him right into a trap that would force him to be recaptured. Also in this episode, Pakistani official Aasar Khan (Raza Jaffrey) flips sides and shows his loyalty to Carrie by warning her that Dennis Boyd (Mark Moses) is a leak in the embassy. Yes, it's crazy, but also completely addictive. —Emily Orley

Showtime

"The Heap" (Fargo)

Season 1, Episode 8

Although "The Heap" began with the same poisonous gender stereotypes that pervaded the whole series ("You don’t cheat on Miss Hubbard County," a heartbroken beauty queen says after looking at her perky tits), it was riveting television. Deputy Solverson (Allison Tolman) is at her persistent, frustrated best, pressing on with her investigation despite the protestations of the dumb men who outrank her. Seeing her doggedness — even after an entire year is dissolved away — was a treat. —Ariane Lange

FX

"The Simpsons Guy" (Family Guy)

Season 13, Episode 1

The long-awaited crossover between The Simpsons and Family Guy was a hilarious tossed salad of Family Guy's cutaway gags and classic Simpsons humor. SPOILER ALERT: The show ends with a huge fight between Peter and Homer, but after they make up, the beef is settled, and all is well again in adult-cartoon land. —Christine Olivo

Fox

"Best New Girl" (Transparent)

Season 1, Episode 8

"Best New Girl" surprised and delighted and horrified me and made me laugh and made me cry. The Maura (Jeffrey Tambor) camp flashbacks were so INTENSELY vicariously exciting for her that I had my breath held the entire time. I don't want to say much more because this show and this episode in particular are so much better the less you know and expect. But it's not just one of my favorite episodes of TV this year, it's one of my favorite ever. —Summer Anne Burton

Amazon

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